Year 6 - Building Bridges
Year 6 have begun their new Design and Technology unit on building bridges. The children started by exploring different types of bridges and discussing how their structures help them stay strong. The children looked at examples such as arched bridges and corrugated designs, learning how shapes and materials can make a structure more stable. After investigating these designs, the children created their own bridges using card. The children then tested their models to see how much weight each bridge could withstand, helping them understand which designs were the strongest and why.
Friday Celebration Worship
This week in our celebration worship we spent time thinking about the importance of sharing what we have with others. We talked about how sharing can be shown in many ways, such as sharing our time, our kindness, our ideas and the things we have. It was wonderful to see so many examples of children living out this message throughout the week. We also celebrated British Science Week and the fantastic learning that has been taking place across the school. The children have been asking brilliant questions, investigating new ideas and showing great curiosity about the world around them. Alongside this, our clubs have been running brilliantly and it has been lovely to see so many pupils taking part, developing new skills and enjoying activities with their friends. We also celebrated the children who have demonstrated our school values this week. In Reception the values award went to Beau, in Year 1 it was Fiia, in Year 2 it was Lenny, in Year 3 it was Eli, in Year 4 it was Iris, in Year 5 it was Neveah and in Year 6 it was Eden. Well done to all of you for showing our values so clearly in school. We then looked at the team values points for this week. In fourth place was Darwen Tower, in third place was Whitehall Park, in second place was India Mill and in first place was River Darwen. Well done to everyone for continuing to work hard and earn values points for your teams. We also celebrated a number of fantastic achievements outside of school. Zachary received a certificate in Kids with Bricks and was named builder of the week, which is a brilliant achievement. Willow was awarded star of the week in gymnastics and also received a swimming certificate for being able to close her eyes under water. Cassius was awarded a football trophy for excellent scoring and tackling during his matches. Thea and Evie were awarded their 100 Years of World Thinking Day badge. Ella achieved a contract at Crewe Alexandra football club for the next two years and has been playing for them already for over two years, which shows great commitment. Darcy received a badge for completing her Brownie promise. Daisy also brought in two medals from a gymnastics competition where she achieved second and third place. We are very proud of all the effort and dedication shown by these pupils. This week’s attendance awards went to Year 2 and Year 4, so a big well done to those classes for their excellent attendance. We also shared a few reminders about upcoming events. On Sunday there will be a Mother’s Day service at St Barnabas Church at 11.00am where some of our children will be singing for their Mums and Grandmas We are also looking forward to Let’s Go Sing at Blackburn Ice Arena. Reception will soon be hosting their stay and play session and the Scholastic Book Fair will be returning to school next week. On Friday we will be taking part in Rock Your Socks Day to raise awareness for Down Syndrome Awareness Day. Year 4 will soon be heading on their residential trip and Year 5 will be taking part in Bikeability. Friends of St Barnabas will also be hosting a Chocolate Easter Bingo which we are sure will be lots of fun. We finished our worship with thoughtful prayers led by Iris and Elijah, helping us reflect on the week and be thankful for all the opportunities we have to learn, grow and support one another and prayed for peace for those who are living amongst conflict. We also said a special prayer for our Mums and Grandmas for all of the amazing things they do for us and we hope they all have a wonderful Mother's Day on Sunday.
Year 1 British Science Week
For British Science Week, we focused on the word ‘curiosity’. We discussed how all scientists have to be curious to find anything out. Then, we looked at the curiosity quiz, which asked questions such as “Will plants grow faster if you speak kindly to them?”. Year 1 also came up with some big questions themselves. Our class question was “What happens to crayons when they get warm?”. Year 1 worked in groups of 4 to draw simple pictures and put crushed crayons on the. Using a hair dryer, we melted the crayons to see that they become like paint and can be spread.
Year 6 - World Trade
Today, Year 6 began exploring the concept of global trade and how the United Kingdom is connected to other countries through the exchange of goods. The children investigated a range of different countries and identified the products they export to the UK. Through this, they began to understand how natural resources, climate, and physical geography influence what different countries are able to produce. The children then located these countries and coloured their own world maps using a key to show each product and its country of origin. This helped them to visualise the global distribution of goods and the extensive trade networks that connect continents and oceans. The activity also supported their understanding of imports, exports and trade routes, highlighting the scale and interdependence of the global economy. Towards the end of the lesson, the children began to explore the advantages and disadvantages of international trade. They discussed how trade can support economic growth, provide access to resources that are not available locally and create employment opportunities. They also considered some of the challenges, including environmental impacts, transport distances and the reliance countries can have on goods produced elsewhere.
Kids with Bricks Lego Club
Week two of "Kids with Bricks" Lego club was all about lights. The children watched a video explaining when the lightbulb was invented and how it changed our lives. They were then tasked with making their own Lego creation with lights. Some children built Christmas trees, others made lanterns or torches and more! Photos of their builds will be sent off to the weekly competition. A special well done to our Builder of the Week - Zachary!
Year 3- Maths- Calculating perimeter of 2D shapes
This week, Year 3 have worked hard on their maths, focusing on calculating the perimeter of various 2D shapes. The children have been learning how to measure and add the distances around the outside of an object, and drawing their own complex shapes.
Whole School Worship with Rev Matt
Our Whole School Worship was led by Rev Matt this morning. We started with a prayer and then Rev Matt introduced our challenge - Would you rather. Where would you rather live ,in a castle or a yacht? A cave or a hot air balloon? An aquarium or a zoo? The challenge was linked to our Bible story as it was about the place we live in. The Bible story Rev Matt shared was about where our home is . It was The Prodigal Son which is about a son who foolishly wastes his inheritance, yet is welcomed back with loving arms and forgiveness by his father. It teaches that God’s love is unconditional and that it is never too late to ask for forgiveness and come home. In our time to think session we looked at what the perfect home would look like and how it would feel to know that you could live in God’s perfect home. We learnt that our perfect home would be filled with love, happiness and joy.
Year 3- R.E-The Easter Narrative: A Journey of Mixed Emotions
This afternoon, Year 3 began their new unit, Is the Cross a Symbol of Sadness or Joy? We started with a quick quiz about the Easter story and were reminded of our Questful characters as we prepared for our journey. Following the arrow to show our direction of travel, we looked at the key events of Holy Week, including Palm Sunday, the Temple, the Last Supper, and the Crucifixion. The children discussed the different emotions people experienced throughout the story and shared what they would like to find out on their quest.
Year 4 History - The Burial at Sutton Hoo
In our History lesson this week we were looking at Anglo Saxon artefacts and the burial ground at Sutton Hoo. The children were presented with eight artefacts and they had to use inference skills to develop their ideas of what they thought they were, what they were made from and how they may have been used.
English - Using Inverted Commas in Year 4
Using our class novel, Year 4 wrote a piece of dialogue between two characters for their innovated piece of writing. They also remembered that ‘said’ is dead and had to use a variety of synonyms to improve their final pieces.
Hockey Skill Development in Year 4
In our third hockey session we focused on mobility, puck/ball control, and tactical awareness. The children also developed the key skills which included (crossovers, edge work, speed), stick handling (dribbling, faking), passing (accuracy, receiving), and shooting (power, accuracy). We then went into small sided games which the children loved!
Year 2 - Science Week - The Big Farming QUESTion Show
Year 2 took part in webinar where we learned about some of the science involved in farming. We learned that cow poo is a microhabitat where some creatures such as dung beetles live.