Year 1 Phonics
In Year 1 this afternoon, we learnt the ‘i’ for child. We read lots of words with the ‘i’ for child in them such as behind, mind, kind, rind, find, wild and mild and matched them up to to the picture that showed the word. Some of us also did the ‘ear’ for hear and the ‘oi’ for coin. This reading activity worked perfectly on ‘No Pens Day’.
Year 5 - Litter Picking
As part of No Pens Day, Year 5 explored the local area, taking part in a litter-picking activity inspired by a suggestion from the Smart School Council. This act of kindness demonstrated fantastic teamwork, community spirit, and a shared commitment to protecting the environment. Back in class, the children reflected on what they had observed, noting the impact of litter on wildlife and natural spaces. They engaged in thoughtful discussions about how to make a positive difference, generating ideas such as increasing recycling efforts, designing impactful posters to raise awareness about the environmental damage caused by littering and making a habit of picking up litter whenever they see it. The activity not only built their understanding of environmental responsibility but also empowered them to be proactive change-makers within their community.
Online Safety: Snapchat
Snapchat has been available for almost 14 years now. It’s expanded plenty in that time – adding new features, and with them, new risks. This #WakeUpWednesday, our guide and podcast are revisiting this messaging app, letting you know how to keep younger users safe. Download here >> https://ow.ly/tjPc50UfXWj Listen here >> https://ow.ly/5L9k50UfXWk
Reception: Christmas
This week we have been retelling the Nativity story. We have also been thinking about why Christmas is important. The children said Christmas is important because Jesus is born on Christmas Day. We discussed how Jesus is very important to Christians and is God’s son. The children have been enjoying retelling the story using dressing up, our small world area and through our Eggsplorers too.
Reception: NSPCC PANTS Rule
In our PSHE lesson, our Reception class listened to the pantosaurus song and learnt all about the important of our private parts saying private. We discussed the 5 rules: 1. Privates are private. 2. Always remember your body belongs to you. 3. No means no. 4. Talk about secrets that upset you. 5. Speak up, someone can help.
Year 3- NO PENS DAY - Litter picking- Brainbox games-What can you remember in just 10 seconds?
Today, Year 3 celebrated No Pens Day thanks to our Smart School Council. They combined learning by litter picking, demonstrating teamwork, communication, and a strong sense of kindness and spirituality. They even discussed how God and the community would be pleased with their efforts. In the classroom, they paired up for a fun game of BrainBox, boosting their memory, observation skills, and understanding of math and reading. Oracy skills were embedded throughout the day, as students listened attentively, took turns to talk, and engaged in thoughtful discussions.
Year 4 - Science: Planning a Comparative Test
This week, our Year 4 super scientists learned how to plan a comparative test. They were interested to find out the effects of different liquids on our teeth. We used eggs to represent tooth enamel and we had 6 different liquids to test: water, milk, vinegar, coffee, cola and cordial. An egg was placed into a cup of each liquid and left for two days. After two days, the children removed the eggs from the liquids and examined them, discussing with their partners any observations which they noticed. They then brushed the eggs for two minutes with toothbrushes, and then they made their final observations. Next week, we will discuss the results and debate which liquid they think would cause the most damage to our teeth.
Year 3- Media- Create a modern Etch-A-Sketch on iPads
Today in media, Year 3 students created a modern Etch-A-Sketch on their iPads. They programmed a character to move in different directions based on the iPad's tilt. By using conditional statements, they made the character move left when the iPad was tilted left, right when tilted right, up when tilted forward, and down when tilted backward.
Year 5 - Mountain Life
During geography, Year 5 have started learning about life in the mountains. They began by exploring Lyfta, where they met Simon Mtuy, who lives on Mount Kilimanjaro. Through this platform, the children experienced his way of life, the local culture and how people adapt to living near the mountains. They explored his surroundings and gained insight into his daily life. Afterwards, the children engaged in thoughtful reflection, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of living near a mountain. They considered aspects such as access to natural resources, tourism opportunities and breathtaking scenery. As well as challenges like isolation, harsh weather conditions and limited infrastructure. This reflective discussion encouraged them to think critically about how environment shapes lifestyle.
Collective Worship: First Sunday of Advent
Today during worship, Mrs Wilkinson shared the word Advent with the children. We started by discussing what this means. The children said that it was about the countdown to the arrival of the birth of Jesus. It is a time to prepare for Christians. The first Sunday of Advent, Christians focus on hope. We discussed what hope meant and how it is a sign of good things to come. During our reflection we thought about how we can bring hope to people and how we can show love and kindness to others. Cassidy said we could donate to charity, Sonny said we could buy a present for a homeless person and Leonora said we could smile at one another. We prayed to God together and thanked him for sending Jesus at Christmas to give us the hope that the world can be a better place. We ended our worship by singing 'come and join the celebration' and 'ding dong'.
Year 2- Science- What does a healthy balanced diet look like?
This afternoon, Year 2 scientists recapped the five food groups and expanded their knowledge of different food types. We explored the advantages of fresh foods and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of pre-cooked and processed foods. Some children participated by using the interactive board to categorise food items. We had a great discussion about processed foods like canned fish and popular choices like McDonald's and pizza. For their mission assignment, the children created healthy meal plans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Whole School Worship - Bishop Philip’s Year of Prayer Launch
The St Barnabas school family were thrilled to join a live worship with Bishop Philip this afternoon, along with nearly 60 other church schools in Blackburn Diocese. Lisa and the Bishop met us via Zoom to talk to us about prayer, why we pray and what happens to our prayers. We were fascinated to learn that Jesus knows each and every one of us, and that he hears all of our prayers. We also learned some new ways to pray. These included quiet prayers, for which we were silent and focused on just being with our thoughts, and noisy prayers, for which we shouted out our school name and our own name as loud as we could. Over the course of this academic year, we will be focusing on a new way to pray each week in whole school collective worship, and in our classrooms. We know the children will enjoy exploring prayers along with hundreds of other children across the Diocese.