b"Issue 16 The British School of AmsterdamYear 1Year 1 enjoyed being transported back tothe Middle Ages in our recent topicCastles. We loved exploring life of the past and learning about people who lived in castles a long time ago. To start the topic we visited Muiderslot, a castle built in 1285 and only 30 minutes away from our school. We toured the castle and its grounds and learned all about its history. The children enjoyed discovering the dungeons and the medieval toilets; for some this was the highlight of the day. The castle visit gave us a great starting point and we returned to school with lots of questions to ponder. We compared the differences between life now and then.We imagined starting to train as a knight at the age of 7. The castle topic led to lots of literacy and creative work; we even built our own castles using recycled boxes. We closed the topic with a dress-up day where the children and teachers came to school dressed as a castle dweller. We had kings, queens, princes, princesses, knights, soldiers, jesters, cooks, servants and even a gong farmer. A wonderful topic giving the children a chance learn and experience life in the past.Mothers Day and Fathers Day MassageIt was great to see that so many parents were able to come into school for our Mother's and Father's Day massage.The children really enjoyed sharing their massage skills with their parents. I hope that you enjoyed the experience and are continuing at home. Giving and receiving nurturing touch is beneficial for children's emotional health and well-being. It raises self-esteem and helps to develop care and respect for others. It also gives the children the chance to express how they feel about touch, if someone is pressing too hard or too soft and tickly, they are able to tell their partner. In turn this gives the children more confidence to talk about other situations where they may be uncomfortable. We have been offering the Massage in Schools programme for several years and see real benefits for our children.7"