Year 1: Planting Trees
Year 1 had a fantastic time planting trees. We learnt all about the roots and fungus on a tree and how to plant them into the ground. All of the children were able to plant two trees each and this will make a positive difference to our environment. We cannot wait to see them grow over the years.
Micro forest planting in Year 4
Today, our Year 4 class swapped the classroom for the great outdoors at Jacks Key! We were thrilled to take part in the exciting new initiative, ‘Growing Our Future: A New Micro Forest’. Working alongside the Lancashire County Council Treescapes team and in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council, our students got their hands dirty for a wonderful cause. We are incredibly proud to say that every single child planted at least two trees! These saplings will grow into a micro-forest that will serve as a lasting legacy for our neighbourhood for decades to come. Well done, Year 4, for helping build a greener future!
Year 3’s Microforest Adventure- Planting Trees
Year 3 are thrilled that our school is partnering with Blackburn with Darwen Council and the Lancashire County Council Treescapes team to create a brand-new microforest. The children had an absolutely fantastic time getting stuck into the soil! The planting team were genuinely impressed by the children's impressive knowledge of local trees and birds. We have some truly talented budding ecologists in our midst. The students showed such care and dedication while planting, and they are already buzzing with excitement to return and watch "their" trees flourish over the coming years. A huge well done to Year 3 for being such incredible ambassadors for our environment and for leaving a lasting green legacy for our community!
Reception Planting Trees
Reception had the amazing opportunity to plant their own trees to establish a micro-forest near Jack's Key, The children worked in groups to select a tree and plant it in the ground carefully, getting a bit muddy along the way! The children were excited to find out that by the time they leave St Barnabas their trees may be about 4 or 5 meters tall! We hope to observe how our trees grow and change as we venture out on our Muddy Mondays each week this coming year.
Year 6 - Big Winter Wander
As part of the Big Winter Wander, Year 6 enjoyed a walk around Jack’s Key, making the most of the crisp winter weather to explore our local environment. During the walk, the children carefully observed their surroundings and learned more about our whole-school sustainability project and the positive impact it aims to have on our community. The children took part in bird watching, using a tally system to record the number and types of birds they spotted. Among the species identified were wood pigeons, carrion crows, starlings, magpies and chaffinches. The children showed great patience and enthusiasm as they quietly observed and counted the wildlife around them. Once our micro forest is fully established, we plan to repeat this survey and compare the results. This will help us to see whether biodiversity has increased and whether our project has successfully created a richer habitat, providing food, shelter and safe nesting spaces for a wider variety of wildlife. Donations to WWF can be made here: https://socialsync.app/fundraiser/cr-nzymxvnokwdn?currentTab=feed
Year 4 - Science: Water Conservation
To wrap up our Spring 1 science unit, the Year 4 class were learning about the importance of water and how we can conserve it. They learned that they should be drinking at least 6 glasses of water per day and that it must be clean and pure for it to be drinkable. They found out some issues with leaving taps running unnecessarily and they discussed ways in which we can all conserve water. The children then worked in small groups to choose an issue and create a poster showing how to conserve water. The children will be presenting these in a whole school worship next half term.
W.O.W. Group - Messy Church: The Sower
The WOW group ran their final messy church this week. They did a fantastic job planning a fun session based on the Parable of the Sower. First, they read the story and discussed its meaning and how Jesus wanted his followers to root their faith in God. Then the participants decorated a plant pot. Once the pots were decorated, the children filled them with rich, nutritious compost and added Nigella or Candytuft seeds.
Year 4 WOW Badge Design Competition
We are really proud of our WOW badge designs that Year 4 have created for the national walk to school badge competition. The Wellbeing Warriors met on Friday to pick a winner from each class which will be announced shortly and these will go forward to represent the school. If selected in the national competition, the badge will then be made for a month in next year’s campaign.
Year 3-The Big Winter Wander and Birdwatching,
Year 3 enjoyed a fantastic afternoon participating in The Big Winter Wander! While completing their sponsored walk for the WWF, the children also took part in the RSPB Big Schools Birdwatch. They did an amazing job identifying different species around the school grounds and recording their findings to help track our local bird populations. While on the route, the children also spoke to a member of the council about the location where they will be planting their very own tree this Thursday! It was a wonderful afternoon of nature-focused learning and preparation for our upcoming sustainability project. Donations to WWF can be made here: https://socialsync.app/fundraiser/cr-nzymxvnokwdn?currentTab=feed
Reception class contribute to the Big Winter Wander
A huge well done to our wonderful Reception children, who showed incredible determination today taking part in the Big Winter Wander! Our little explorers braved the elements to complete an impressive 2.55km trek around Jack Keys, taking in the sights and sounds of the season while showing fantastic team spirit. We are so proud of how well they handled the distance and represented our school. If you would like to celebrate their achievement and support our fundraising efforts, please consider making a contribution directly to our school page at https://socialsync.app/fundraiser/cr-nzymxvnokwdn?currentTab=feed. Every donation makes a real difference, and we thank you for your wonderful support!
Year 4 - Science: Water Pollution
Our lively Year 4s relished the chance to become news readers in science this week. The children learned about different types of water pollution and how each type can have harmful effects on living things. Their task was to take the information they had learned and then work in groups to write a short report on an instance of water pollution and its effects. To finish, each group reported their water pollution news story to the rest of the class.
Reception: Muddy Monday
As part of the Ruby Robin Award, our Reception class participated in the "Craft and Care" challenge today. The children visited Whitehall Park to build bug houses using resources they collected themselves. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and creativity; we even saw some bugs starting to move into their new homes! Well done to our Reception class on a fabulous job.