Year 5 - Cosmic Backgrounds
Year 5 embarked on the next stage of their futuristic art project by creating stunning cosmic-themed backgrounds in preparation for their final pieces. Using a variety of techniques including: printing, flicking, smudging and painting. The children experimented with texture and colour to achieve a dramatic, space-like effect. The children carefully blended tones to capture the depth and mystery of the universe, setting the perfect backdrop for their futuristic designs.
Year 6 R.E - Jewish Passover
In R.E, year 6 have been looking at the Jewish Passover Seder meal and how it links to the Exodus story. The children watched a video which showed a real Jewish family celebrating Passover and preparing the Seder feast. During this lesson, the children learned what each food symbolised and which special customs Jewish people partake in during Passover. It was very interesting to watch and helped us to create some super writing!
Reception- Safer Internet Day
Reception class learnt how to stay safe online on Safer Internet Day. We discussed where and how we use the Internet. The children said they use it on tablets, iPads, their grown ups phone and on their televisions. The children said they watch YouTube, play games and watch videos. We watched a video of Jesse who watched something scary online. Jesse told her Daddy and it made her feel safe and happy again. The children said they could tell their teachers, grandparents or parents if they ever felt worried or scared. We then learnt the ‘Funny Tummy’ song. ‘If it makes you feel funny in your tummy, worried scared or sad. Then you must tell a grown up you trust, like your teacher, Mum or Dad’.
Year 1 Art- Hundertwasser
Year 1 have been working hard this week to produce a piece of artwork in the style of Hundertwasser. To produce this piece of artwork, they had to use and apply the skills that they have been learning in art over the last few weeks such as drawing various lines (curved, wavy, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, spiral and swirled) and shapes (circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, semi-circles, hearts and pentagons). Water coloured paint was the chosen media for adding colour to their final pieces. Their pieces of artwork will be displayed in the infant corridor so please take a look. Well done Year 1!
Year 4 - Safer Internet Day
To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2025, the Year 4s learned how to become savvy cybernauts. They began by learning about the importance of setting strong passwords, and they played a game called ‘Guess the Password’ for which the children took turns rolling a dice to generate a password. Their partners then had to try and guess as much of it as they could. They also learned how to spot a scam and practised with a range of common scenarios.
St Barnabas celebrates Safer Internet Day 2025
Today, we will be celebrating Safer Internet Day. We began today by a worship led by Mrs Wilkinson. We discussed how to stay safe online, what might happen online and what a scam was. We discussed how we wouldn’t speak to strangers on the street so we should do the same online and only speak to people we know. If something doesn’t feel right or we get a little scared, we should always talk to a trusted adult. It was lovely to see the children discussing the importance of staying safe online and we had lots of meaningful discussion during our worship. This will continue in classes throughout the day.
Year 1- Geography
This week, Year 1 are enjoying a Geography themed Role Play and Investigation Area. In the Investigation Area, we have been creating our own booklets to represent where we all live on a larger scale and have gradually zoomed into where we live on a smaller scale. For example, we are part of the world and Europe but on a smaller scale we live in Darwen. In the Role Play Area, we have been taking on the role of a travel agent. We have had to book a holiday (in the United Kingdom) for a customer. The customer has had to choose a destination e.g. Scotland or more specifically Edinburgh and the travel agent has had to advise them about different types of accommodation and the best mode of transport. We understand that if we are travelling to Scotland, Wales or staying in England then a car, bus or train will be suitable but if we are travelling to Northern Ireland then a boat or aeroplane would be necessary.
Mad Science Assembly- Whole School
Today, the children were treated to a spectacular science show by Scientific Sarah from Mad Science. Sarah, a trained professional in handling chemicals and fire, emphasized safety throughout the engaging and interactive presentation. Throughout the show, children were encouraged to make predictions about what might happen next, fostering their scientific thinking skills. The children couldn't stop laughing, and there were so many "wow" moments throughout the presentation. The show featured three exciting experiments. First, the children were highly amused by "Egg Bert," a boiled egg that initially resisted entering a glass cylinder. After removing the shell (humorously referred to as his "clothing"), Sarah demonstrated how air pressure, a principle discovered by Jacques Charles, could be used to force the egg into the cylinder. Heating the air inside allowed the egg to slip in, and then, following Charles' suggestion, Sarah introduced cold air to pop the egg back out, to the children's great interest. The second experiment showcased red cabbage juice, a versatile pH indicator discovered by Robert Boyle in 1664. With the help of James, one of the school's science ambassadors, Sarah peeled and blended the cabbage. She explained how adding acid or alkaline substances to the juice would dramatically change its color, creating another captivating visual demonstration. Cassidy also assisted with this experiment. Finally, Sarah performed a "fire hands" experiment. Referencing Doctor Walter Snell's work on storing gas in tanks, she again stressed the importance of safety. Sarah then created three fire bubbles on her hand, a truly mesmerizing finale. Flyers are going home today with details about a new Mad Science After School Club starting next half term, on Monday, February 24th. Importantly, the topics covered in this club are different from those offered last year, so even if your child has participated before, they are guaranteed to learn something new! Registration letters, also going home today, contain full course details and information on how parents can register their children online. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 17th. Interested parents can register online on a first-come, first-served basis at https://northengland.madscience.org. The entire show was a memorable and educational experience for the children, and we're excited to offer this after-school opportunity.
Foodie Friends club- Valentine Biscuits
Our talented bakers created delightful Valentine’s biscuits in various heart-shaped sizes for our final Foodie Friends Club today. They measured flour and sugar, whisked eggs, rolled out the dough, and used food colouring to achieve a lovely shade of pink. The club has been a fantastic experience. Most children have enjoyed it so much that they’ve been recreating the easy bakes at home for their families.
Year 5 - Dance
Year 5 continued their dance unit, exploring how movement can represent the unique characteristics of planets in our solar system. Using a variety of dance techniques—including levels, direction, speed and formation—they worked collaboratively to bring each planet to life. From the slow, heavy movements of gas giants to the sharp, quick steps reflecting rocky terrains, the children used creativity and expression to showcase their understanding of space through dance.
Year 5 - Online Safety
Year 5 explored the E-Safety poster about scams and fake news in preparation for Safer Internet Day. The children discussed the potential risks and dangers associated with online scams, misinformation and how these can affect people in real life. Through engaging discussions, they identified ways to spot fake news, recognise suspicious links and protect personal information. They also explored the importance of thinking critically before sharing content online, ensuring they can navigate the digital world safely while making the most of the internet’s benefits.
Children’s Mental Health Week and Dress to Express Worship
Today was our special ‘ Dress to Express’ Worship to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week. The theme of Dress to Express this year is ‘Know Yourself and Grow Yourself’. Children's emotional well-being is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health helps them develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults Our Heads and Deputies led the worship this week and started by telling everyone how they express themselves and they asked us all how we express ourself best. We heard that some children express themselves through playing football or other sports, dancing, listening to music and art etc. Mrs Ham showed us photos of how she likes to support her mental health through walking up huge fells with her dogs and her family. We then watched a clip from Inside Out the movie when Riley looked at various memories. We met sadness, joy, fear, disgust and anger. The children and Mrs Ham then acted out an emotion and the rest of the children had to guess what it was. We all feel different emotions but these affect our mental health. 5 Ways to Well-being are a great way to support our mental well-being such as: being physically active, connecting with others, learning new skills, giving to others and paying attention to the present moment (mindfulness). A question that the children presented asked ‘ How well do we really know ourselves?’ The children really enjoyed watching the clips and guessing the emotions that the characters were showing. The children shared when they too had experienced the emotions and how it made them feel. In another clip, we learnt about a boy named Malaki who felt like he was bad at everything he tried. Malaki was encouraged to ‘level up’ by his friends and people around him who cared for him. He was challenged to try a new skill which included skiing and ballet and tried his best with both. Although he wasn’t great at ballet he was awarded recognition for his determination and resilience. The children were asked what they had learnt from the video and the responses were: to keep going even if you aren’t the best, to not fall at the first hurdle and you can do anything that you set your mind to. We are all unique and special and God gave us many talents, some of yet we might not have discovered. We should let our light shine for all the world to see. We said our special Year of Prayer about our talents again and thanked God for the talents we have and the ones we are yet to discover. Our Heads and Deputies then finished with a special prayer for Children's Mental Health Week. To end our Worship we had the pleasure in listening to Renee, Molly, Alice and Lyla who read their acrostic poems ‘ Being Me’ and we sand 'Shine from the Inside Out' with our best singing voices and actions. What a wonderful way to start our day and a great end our Children's Mental Health Week, although we know that we need to focus on our mental health and wellbeing every day, not just this week.