Year 5- Peer Mediation training
Year 5 had their final peer mediation training session today. They role played a session, looked at scenarios that they could and could not mediate and looked at problems they might encounter. Year 5 have now been asked to apply to become a mediator by writing a letter. We can't wait to introduce our new peer mediators soon.
Year 3- English-Understanding Rules and Kindness Through Michael Rosen and Marc Colagiovanni's Poems
Today, the children listened to two insightful poems: The Dinner Hall by Michael Rosen and The Reflection in Me by Marc Colagiovanni. The Dinner Hall by Michael Rosen explores the idea of rules and order within the school dining hall, highlighting the importance of structure and kindness to ensure everyone can enjoy their lunch. The poem reflects on what might happen if rules were ignored and how they help create a more respectful environment for all. The Reflection in Me by Marc Colagiovanni focuses on the concept of self-reflection and the importance of being kind to ourselves. It emphasises how understanding our feelings and actions, alongside following rules, can help create a more harmonious and caring environment. The children discussed the themes of both poems, considering how rules help us work together and why kindness and respect are essential. This ties in with our school's 4 Bs. They then chose their favourite poem and shared their thoughts, justifying their opinions with reasons.
Year 5- Peer Mediation training
Year 5 took part in their first peer mediation training session. They worked with Ben Harper from Quakers and staff and children from DACA. They learnt the rules of peer mediation to remain impartial, keep things confidential and to not do things for people but with people. The children learnt the 5 steps of peer mediation and had a go at roleplaying a session. We can't wait for our final day of training next Thursday.
Year 5: Peer Mediation
On Wednesday Year 5 participated in their first Peer Mediation session in association with DACA and Ben from Quakers in Britain. Peer mediation empowers children to resolve conflicts peacefully and build important communication and problem-solving skills. The children are looking forward to their next two sessions and will then have the opportunity to apply to become a St Barnabas peer mediator. Our staff also had training on peer mediation yesterday too and are looking forward to seeing conflicts being resolved between the children and peer mediators.
Year 3 - RE: Exploring Joy & Sadness
The Year 3 class began their Easter unit this week with an exploration of emotions. The unit focuses on the joy and sadness experienced in the Easter story and by Christians at this holy time, so we started by discussing emotions we experience during special times and in everyday situations. When we shared our personal experiences, we realised that there is often more than one emotion experienced in the majority of situations. The children were very respectful and responded sensitively to each other’s experiences.
Working Walls in Year 4
We are really pleased with how well the children are accessing every toolkit in the classroom to support their learning, especially our working walls. Our English unit and class novel is The Firework Makers Daughter and the children have really got to grips with all stages of the unit starting with gathering content, grammar toolkit collection, scaffolded work and now moving onto their independent pieces which will include fronted adverbials, noun phrases and dialogue.
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Whole School Worship- How to make an enjoyable lunchtime?
Our whole school worship today began with the signing of the Trinity by the Heads and Deputies. Mrs. Araujo then led the worship, introducing our new behaviour focus: creating a calmer and more enjoyable lunchtime experience, while continuing to practice the good manners we have already learned. Mrs. Ham highlighted the importance of feeling safe at school, emphasizing that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure a secure and supportive environment for all. To help improve lunchtimes, Mrs Araujo used a data logger to measure noise levels in the dining hall, which ranged from 79.5 to 80.5 decibels as loud as a truck! Many children noted that the high noise levels were overwhelming, made them want to cover their ears, and could prevent them from hearing important instructions in an emergency. During the worship, children worked with talk partners to discuss the question: If we use good table manners, how could this improve our lunchtimes? Through these discussions, they identified key areas for improvement, such as sitting properly at the table, using a knife and fork to eat, and avoiding walking while eating to reduce choking risks. The WOW group played a key role in visually demonstrating positive lunchtime behaviours. They were featured in photos and role-play scenarios, modelling both the correct and incorrect ways to behave in the dining hall. These demonstrations helped reinforce the importance of eating safely and respectfully. To support these changes, new posters have been placed around the school, reminding everyone to face the table while eating, lean over trays or lunchboxes to avoid spills, and wait until they have swallowed their food before getting up. These expectations will continue to be reinforced through modelling, praise, and reminders, ensuring that lunchtimes are a safe, calm, and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Archery and Axe Throwing Taster Session in Year 4
Today we had a special treat having a taster session for both archery and axe throwing. We learnt lots of new skills including how to handle the equipment and keep safe whilst using it. Our two coaches went through how to develop the required skills and we worked in small groups in a carousel. We had a fantastic time taking part in the taster session and look forward to understanding many more opportunities in varied sports.
Online Safety in Year 4 - Using the Justalk Kids App
As part of our PSHE we looked at online safety both in and outside of school. Today we shared a poster that told us all about an app called Talkids. We looked at all the positive aspects and discussed these in smaller groups. Our main findings that we highlighted were: * specific to our group (13 and under) * a safe space to chat online * parental controls * helps prevent cyber bullying
India Mill Winners Disco
Well done to our children who are in India Mill House Team. Their team won the most Values points this half term and were rewarded with a non-uniform day and a disco. The children enjoyed some sweets, danced lots and played musical bumps too.
Year 4 Adventure Art and Trail Quiz Walk
Year 4 have had a great day today taking part in the Advent Art and Trail Quiz Walk. We walked to the Rose Garden first where we did the Advent Trail Quiz and the children worked really well to follow the clues and answer the questions. Next we walked around the garden admiring the beautiful pieces of artwork that the children from St Barnabas had completed. After that we walked to Mrs Gardner's home to enjoy hot chocolate, marshmallows and cream or a hot vimto with a side of chocolate biscuits. Finally, we walked back to the park and went on the playground before heading back to school. The children were great at showing the 4 Bs both in and out of the classroom and it was lovely to watch them all with huge smiles on their faces too.
Year 6 - Road safety workshop
Today, year 6 visited DACA for a road safety workshop. The children listened attentively and explored the importance of minimising distractions when walking to school. In a world that is surrounded by technology, it is very easy to get distracted, but it is really important to take precautions when we are near roads.
Year 6 - Fire Service Visit
This week, year 6 were visited by the fire service. They recapped the learning that they received in year 2 and moved onto the topic of ‘Roadsense’. As year 6 move to secondary school, they will no doubt become more independent and may be trusted to walk to school. It is really important that they keep themselves safe and make sure they are visible and give roads their full attention.
Year 6 - Anti-Bullying Live Lesson
At the beginning of this week, Year 6 took part in a PSHE lesson and a CBBC live lesson that focused on Anti-Bullying Week. The theme this year is ‘Choose Respect’. Year 6 were made aware that disagreements are actually a natural part of life and that we can’t avoid them. However, what we do have control of is the ability to be respectful when we have a disagreement. If we manage to do this, a resolution is easier to find.