Year 3 - English- Expanding Our Vocabulary
Today in class, Year 3 writers were introduced to a thesaurus to help make their writing more descriptive and interesting. We learned that a thesaurus is a tool for finding new and exciting words. The children practiced this by using it to find different words such as beautiful, kind and cruel and which helped them expand their vocabulary.
Year 3 - Computing with Junior Jam- Writing a blog
Yesterday in computing with Junior Jam, Year 3 were introduced to digital tools for collaboration and communication. They started with blogs, discussing their origins, structure, and how to create them. They then analyzed several different blogs to understand how they're used for various purposes. The children were then paired up and tasked with writing their own blog post on a topic of their choice, applying what they learned about creating a successful blog. Thank you Mr Wray for a great first week of computing!
Treasure Island Production
Today, the whole school was treated to an exciting M&M production of Treasure Island. The performance was full of energy, humour and adventure, bringing Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale to life on stage. The children were captivated by the colourful characters, dramatic scenes and lively songs. It was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to experience live theatre and share in the magic of storytelling together.
Year 3- P.E-Tig Games Through Time
In P.E., Year 3 have been developing their skills in dodging and changing direction through a variety of tig games. We played Stuck in the Mud and a 1940s favourite, Hospital Tig. The children explored different strategies to avoid being tagged, such as quick changes of direction, bending their knees, and pushing off quickly to move away. They also practised safe tagging techniques and learned how to work together to free their classmates. Everyone enjoyed the challenge and showed great curiosity in exploring new ways to play.
Living out God's big story Worship
Today we joined Lisa and Bishop Philip for another Worship across the Diocese worship. They introduced this year's theme of 'Living out God's big story' and had a conversation about what it means to live out God's Big Story. Bishop Philip told us about the ways in which he lives out God's Big Story through his work and when he is on holiday! We then reflected on how we can live out God's Big Story. To finish we practiced singing 'Welcome Everybody' and 'Stronger Together'. Thank you to our amazing Year 6 class for singing brilliantly at the front and demonstrating the actions to the rest of our school family.
Year 3- Science -Investigating Sources of Light
This week, our Year 3 scientists have been exploring various sources of light and categorising them accordingly. We examined candles that can be switched on as well as those lit with a flame, and considered the various ways we illuminate our streets at night, such as lamps and streetlights. The children enjoyed making observations, asking questions, and discussing the differences between natural and man-made sources of light.
Friday Celebration Worship
This morning, in our first celebration of the new academic year, we began by reflecting on a fantastic first week back at school. Over the past few days, we have revisited our Barney’s 4Bs and our Christian Values, warmly welcomed our new Reception starters, and transitioned smoothly into our new classes. We then turned our attention to celebrating some incredible out-of-school achievements. Well done to Ava for earning her 10m and Stage 3 swimming certificates, Grace for collecting multiple medals in ballet, song and dance, and acro, and Willow for being named Star of the Week at Gymfinity Kids for her outstanding skill. Congratulations also to Mollie, Samuel, and Olivia for their hard work completing the BwD Summer Reading Challenge, Lyla for her medals and trophy in improvised and commercial dance, and Callie for her exceptional achievements in gymnastics, Stage 6 swimming, and earning her dragon belt in Jiu-Jitsu. We also applauded Phoebe for her 5m swimming certificate, Charlie for helping his football team secure 2nd place in a recent tournament and winning the Manager’s Cup, and Hendrix for earning numerous badges at Squirrels. A big congratulations to Year 2 and Year 5 for winning this week’s attendance awards—Year 2 achieved an incredible 100% attendance, and Year 5 closely followed with 98.8%. Mrs Ham then shared some exciting upcoming events to look forward to: the whole-school production of Treasure Island on Tuesday 9th September, a ‘Let’s Go Sing’ workshop for Years 4, 5, and 6 on Monday 15th September aimed at boosting choir participation, our ‘Meet the Teacher’ meetings on Wednesday 17th September, our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday 26th September, and a ‘Stay and Play’ morning on Thursday 2nd October for children due to start school in September 2026. We ended our worship with heartfelt prayers from Renee, James, and Mason, who prayed for kindness and for all those suffering from illness or living amidst war and conflict and a singalong to ‘Shine From the Inside Out.’ Thank you to everyone who joined us this week—we look forward to welcoming more of our school family to Friday Celebration Worship in the coming weeks.
Year 3-Swimming Information & Kit List
This afternoon, our Year 3 class met with Nicola, a swimming instructor from Darwen Leisure Centre, to prepare for our upcoming lessons. The instructor answered all of the children's questions and explained what they can expect during their first session on Friday, September 12th.
Let your light shine worship with Bishop Philip
This morning in our collective worship, Bishop Philip welcomed everyone back to school. We reflected on why we come to school and how Jesus was a teacher and his disciples were the learners. He encouraged us all to shine out with the gifts and talents that God has given to us. If we shine with the light of learning, service and love we can make the world a better place. We thought about how we can shine from the inside out this school year and finished with one of our favourite songs, 'Shine from the Inside Out'.
Year 3- R.E- Why do communities celebrate Harvest?
This afternoon in R.E, Year 3 have started a new topic all about harvest celebrations. We're exploring why communities around the world, and Christians in particular, celebrate the harvest. The children have been reflecting on some big questions, such as: Why do communities celebrate the harvest? What exactly is being celebrated at this time of year? We've had some wonderful discussions about the children’s own experiences of harvest festivals, whether at church, school, or within their own communities. They've shared what they already know and have come up with some fantastic questions that we'll be exploring together in the coming lessons.
Whole School Worship - School Pride
Our first collective worship was a chance for us to celebrate being back together as a school family and reflect on what we hope for the year ahead. Mrs Ham began with a look at our school vision and invited the children to share ideas of how we can all contribute to our 'love-filled Christian family'. The children spoke in depth about acts of respect and kindness, which led Mrs Ham on to a recap of our school rules: Barney's 4 Be's- Be ready, be kind, be safe and be respectful. We discussed the importance of following our rules in order that we take real pride in our school and help every part of our school family to flourish. Some of our children even chose to come to the front of worship to demonstrate exemplary behaviour such as wonderful walking and legendary lining up. There were also reminders about healthy snack choices and the importance of attending school each day. We are so proud of our overall school attendance for the previous academic year and the children shared some reasons why regular attendance is important. We left our worship feeling energised and excited about the year ahead.
Year 3- Class Worship- What can flags represent?
This morning in our class worship, we used a "Picture News" to discuss a recent news story about flags being displayed across the UK. We explored different opinions, considering why people might see the flags as a way to show pride for their country and support for sports teams. We also discussed the concerns of others who feel the flags can be used to make some people feel unwelcome. After our discussion, the children were challenged to create their own flags to represent something important to them, such as their family or school. They had the chance to think about what symbols, colours, and words they would include to show what they believe in. The activity helped them understand how flags can be powerful symbols that bring people together but can also be used to divide. Some of the children created a flag with a drawing representing each family member, their favourite sports, favourite colours and hobbies etc.