DPSSA Netball Finals
What a super evening we have had at the DPSSA Netball Finals at Darwen Vale High School. St Barnabas played three games and fought really hard, encouraged each other and showed respect to their opponents. We came away with silver medals which the children were delighted with. Well done to all of the children that have played over the past few weeks. Go Team B! Thank you to Mrs Gardner and Mr Bloomfield for your support and coaching. A massive thanks to the parents who came along to show their support. We really appreciate it!
Year 5 - PE
In our latest PE lesson, we continued developing skills associated with the game of rounders. We initially focused on accuracy with overarm throwing, with children aiming between two cones from increasing distances away. Then we practised hitting a tennis ball off a cone using a rounders bat, learning how to hold the bat and the importance of looking at the ball in order to hit it.
Year 5 - Children’s Literature Festival
On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to walk down to Darwen Library to participate in Blackburn with Darwen’s Children’s Literature Festival. We had the privilege of talking to Sarah Surgey, author of books such as Subject Society, Jumping Hurdles and The Heavy Bag. She gave us a great insight into the process of writing and the business of publishing, before reading some of her latest book. The children asked some really interesting questions and we all enjoyed this rare opportunity to gain advice and understanding from an accomplished professional.
Year 5 - RotaKids
Year 5 have been putting the finishing touches to our final project with Darwen Rotary Club. On Friday 3rd of July, we want everyone to come to school dressed up as the job they want to have when they grow up. Alternatively children can come dressed in the jobs their parents or guardians have. It’s a great chance to dress up, have fun and think about our hopes and dreams for the future. There is a fee of £1 (paid through parent pay) and all proceeds will go towards supporting the school.
Reception - PSHE - How we encourage others to keep to keep trying.
Today we continued learning about resilience and the magic word ‘yet’. We talked about ways we can encourage others to keep trying if they don’t succeed first time by working together and celebrating each other’s successes. We played games to get her to work as a team and applaud the winners and other players for trying.
Refugee Week: Year 3 Bubble Collection
As part of Refugee Week, Year 3 asked everyone to collect bubbles to support DARE. The bubble donations were picked up yesterday by the Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise (DARE). Year 3 is so proud of the fantastic response, and these items will now go directly to bringing joy and smiles to the children and families supported by DARE.
English-Year 3 Celebrate Refugee Week at the Global Tea Party!
As part of their learning this week, Year 3 have been exploring what it means to be a refugee or an asylum seeker. The children learned about some of the real challenges these individuals face, including the fact that asylum seekers are often given just under £37.00 to live on for an entire week. Discovering this really brought home the importance of our community efforts, helping the children see firsthand how much of a difference the bubble donations will make for families budgeting on so little. The children were also invited to a wonderful global tea party, where they experienced diverse cultures by tasting food from Greece, Palestine, Africa, Kurdistan, Sri Lanka and Italy. Year 3 were absolute superstars at the event, they represented the school exceptionally and truly sang their hearts out! As a special treat, the event organisers handed each child a small bag of sweets. Year 3, now fully appreciate how far our community's generosity will go in bringing joy to the children and families supported by the Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise (DARE). We are incredibly proud of their maturity and enthusiasm today!
Year 4 - Visit to St Matthew’s
This week was the Year 4 class’s long anticipated trip to meet their link class. After a short minibus ride into Blackburn, we arrived at St Matthew’s CE Primary School to the most wonderful welcome from Doves class. We had a short getting-to-know-you session and then split up into our mixed groups. We had great fun creating handshakes, decorating friendship poems and having a picnic lunch together. We can’t wait to welcome St Matthew’s to our school next week.
Year 4 - Mosque Visit
Whilst we were visiting St Matthew’s, we had the opportunity to enhance our RE unit on places of worship by visiting the mosque next door. We had a tour of the main hall and the washroom and learned about some religious artefacts and practices that are customary to Islam. It was great for the children to see these features in real life so that they could make comparisons with the other places of worship we’ve studied this term. The imam arranged a special surprise as well, allowing all the children to choose a drink, some crisps and a chocolate bar, followed by treating them all to an ice cream from the ice cream van. All in all, I think they had a fantastic day.
Year 4 - The GULP Project - Effects of Sugar
In this week’s GULP session, the Year 4 children were learning about the effect that sugary drinks can have on our teeth. They learned how to make healthy choices when deciding how to hydrate themselves and they started an experiment to see which drinks have the worst effect on our teeth. We will find out the results next week. The second part of the session involved physical activity. The children played invasion team games and discussed tactics, giving them the opportunity to adjust their strategies in order to score the maximum points.
Year 6 - Darwen Literature Festival
Today, the children visited Darwen Library as part of the Darwen Literature Festival. During their visit, they had the exciting opportunity to meet author Ben Davis, who shared some of his stories and spoke about his experiences as a writer. The children thoroughly enjoyed listening to his engaging tales, learning about the creative writing process and asking thoughtful questions. It was a fantastic experience that inspired a love of reading and storytelling among the children.
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Reception: Muddy Monday
The Reception class had a brilliant time during their recent "Muddy Monday" adventure at Whitehall Park! The children leaped enthusiastically into nature, exploring various hidden corners of the park with endless curiosity. Foraging became a massive hit as the little explorers searched for natural treasures, which quickly sparked their imaginations and led to some fantastic outdoor roleplaying games. Energy levels reached an all-time high as the children giggled their way down the grassy hills, rolling over and over, before challenging themselves to climb the park's sturdy trees. It was a wonderful morning proving once again that some of the best learning happens right out in the great outdoors.