Harvest Appeal
This morning we launched our Harvest Appeal for this year by hearing from Bishop Philip about his Pedalathon on 17th October where he will be cycling to visit and pray at a school or church in all 14 deaneries across the Diocese. We will be supporting Bishop Philip's Harvest Appeal for Christians in South Africa by joining in with his pedalathon over the next few weeks, including half term. We are encouraging our school family to cycle on bikes or scooters just like we did for the Big Lent Walk and we would love for you to send your photos in and the distance. Donations can be made on parent pay shortly. Our RotaKids are also supporting Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise (DARE) and Darwen Rotary this Harvest by creating Winter Warmer boxes filled with toiletries, packets or tins of food and warm clothing for DARE families, the elderly, isolated, poor and vulnerable people in our community . They are also collecting winter coats for the homeless and poor through Darwen Rotary club. Please send in any donations and thank you in advance for your generosity. We then sang some of our Harvest songs for our Church Harvest Festival this Sunday 12th October at 11.00am- all welcome and our school Harvest Festival on Thursday 23rd October led by our WOW group and Reception, Years 1 and 2. All welcome.
Year 2 Science- Collecting Materials and Building a Microhabitat
Today in Science, Year 2 took a trip to Whitehall Park to gather natural materials for building a microhabitat. The children collected a wide range of items, including pinecones, bark, twigs, logs, grass, leaves, moss, stones, and rocks. Back at school, we combined these with bricks and cardboard to carefully construct a microhabitat designed to attract a variety of minibeasts. We’re hoping to welcome creatures such as worms, ladybirds, slugs, snails, ants, spiders, beetles, woodlice, and earwigs. Just as we were finishing, we were excited to spot our very first visitor—a ladybird! A fantastic team effort, Year 2!
Reception: Muddy Monday
Our Reception class took part in a Muddy Monday session in our school grounds this morning. They climbed trees, made mud soup and collected resources to build bonfires and dens. The children used their gross motor skills and imagination brilliantly today. Well done!
Year 3- Science- Learning About UV Light and Sun Protection
Today, the Year 3 students became scientists as they carried out an investigation exploring the light that comes from the sun and how to stay safe in it. They tested the effect of sunlight on ultraviolet beads using different sun creams: SPF 15, SPF 30, SPF 50, and no sun cream at all. Our buzzing scientists made predictions about what might happen to happen to the beads coated in sun cream and without. The investigation used ultraviolet (UV) beads, which are special beads that change colour when exposed to ultraviolet light. This makes them a great tool for demonstrating the effects of UV radiation, the type of light that can cause sunburn and skin damage. Sun cream contains chemicals that absorb or reflect UV radiation, preventing it from reaching the skin. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) number indicates how well the sun cream protects against UVB rays, the primary cause of sunburn. A higher SPF means greater protection. They then carefully recorded their observations, and thought scientifically about the results. They finally wrote conclusions explaining why it is important to use sun cream with a high SPF value to protect our skin. The higher the SPF value of the sun cream, the more effectively it blocks UV radiation. This visual and hands-on demonstration reinforces the importance of using sun cream with a high SPF to protect our skin from the harmful effects of the sun. The experiment serves as a powerful reminder that UV rays are always present in sunlight and that protection is essential, even on cloudy days
Year 4 - Science: Researching Habitats
This week our Year 4 scientists were working scientifically by conducting research to answer questions about habitats. Each group was given a habitat and asked to use the National Geographic site to answer the following four questions: Which animals live there? Which plants live there? What is the climate like? What are the conditions? The children then used their group research to present their findings in their books.
Year 1 Geography: Signs of Autumn
Today we took a trip to Whitehall Park to spot some signs of Autumn. The children did a brilliant job at finding conkers, acorns, yellow and orange leaves, berries and empty branches. We tried to stay really quiet to spot a squirrel but we had no luck. The children loved collecting the conkers and acorns too!
Reception: Muddy Monday
The children in Reception class had a fabulous first Muddy Monday session. They built dens, created bug houses and enjoyed making potions together. They showed super team work skills and their imaginations were running wild. Well done Reception!
Year 3- Science- Exploring materials which are reflective
Year 3 worked scientifically to explore which materials are good reflectors of light, using a variety of materials. Through their investigation, the scientist discovered that several materials are excellent reflectors. They learned that mirrors are highly reflective due to their smooth surface, which bounces light back in a predictable way. Metals like aluminum, copper, and silver were also identified as being highly reflective. They also looked at specialised materials like glass beads used in road markings and retroreflective materials found in safety gear, noting that these are designed to reflect light directly back to its source. They also discussed how some materials, like fluorescent materials and certain synthetic fabrics, are used to enhance visibility and safety, even if they reflect light differently. Overall, the children concluded that reflective materials have many benefits, from improving safety to creating interesting visual effects.
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Year 5 - Move and Learn Physical Activities
Brad from the Blackburn Rovers Community Team visited Year 5 to talk to the children about the importance of physical activity and a healthy diet. The children went into the hall and learned about staying healthy through physical activity. They played games such as dodgeball and rock-paper-scissor relay. All the children had fun participating during the day. Thank you Brad.
Year 1 RE- Trying Foods From Around The World
Today in our RE lesson, we focused on foods from around the world. We discussed that in the shops some food products may have been made in the UK whilst others come from around the world. We then tried some different foods from around the world: cheese crackers (UK), naan bread with mango chutney (India), tortilla chips (Mexico), vegetable pizza (Italy) and vegetable spring rolls (China). The children tried everything before deciding if they liked the food or not and we also discussed where the ingredients have come from. We then voted to see which foods we liked and the tortilla chips was the most popular! We then said a prayer to thank God for all the food and drink He provides for us.
Year 2- Minibeasts in Their Microhabitats
This afternoon in Science, Year 2 explored the definition of a microhabitat before heading out on a minibeast hunt around the school grounds. They were lucky enough to discover a wide variety of creatures! Under rocks and in the soil, they found woodlice, worms, slugs, snails, ants, and even a centipede. On tree bark, they spotted a caterpillar and some spiders, while in the flower beds they observed bees and ladybirds. Fantastic investigating, Year 2!