Whole School Singing Worship - Monday
In singing worship this morning, our whole school came together to welcome in the new week. We had lots of fun singing our favourite Easter songs and teaching them to our Reception class. The whole school joined in as Year 3 began by singing We have a King who rides a donkey, followed by Year 5 with Lord of the dance, Year 2 led us with Give me oil in my lamp, and finally Year 6 led us in a very energetic rendition of He is alive! A great way to fuel our energy and mindfulness for the week ahead!
Friday Celebration Worship
It has been another very busy and exciting week here at St Barnabas. In Worship we have been taking time to reflect on both Lent and Ramadan, thinking about kindness, reflection and helping others. We have also had a fantastic week celebrating World Book Day, sharing our love of reading and enjoying all the brilliant costumes and book characters we saw in school. Our classes were also lucky enough to take part in the Pinocchio dance workshop and performance, which was fantastic to watch. There has been lots happening beyond the classroom too, including the River Darwen team disco and our wide range of clubs, such as Kids with Bricks club. Many of you have also been taking part in the Times Tables Rockstars competition and showing great enthusiasm for practising your times tables. We have now completed our Big Winter Wander and together we have raised £175 for WWF, which is an amazing achievement. Thank you to everyone who took part and supported this. Our RotaKids have also been showing kindness in action by collecting teddies for Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise and Darwen Rotary which will help support children less fortunate than us. We also had the World Book Day Dolly Peg Competition run by the Friends of St Barnabas and the judges were very impressed with the creativity and effort that went into the entries. The award for Best Book Character goes to Phoebe for Greg the Sausage Roll. The award for Most Creative goes to Ida for the Highway Rat. The award for Best Use of Materials goes to Molly for Molly and the Goldfish Fairy. The Judges’ Choice award goes to Alfie. The award for Most Imaginative goes to Alice for Stitch and the Outstanding Effort award goes to Elliot. Well done to everyone who took part and a huge thank you to our FOSB for organising the competition as well as contributing money to the Pinocchio workshops. A massive thank you to our parishioner Glenda for undertaking the difficult task of judging the competition. Our Values Awards where we recognise children who have been showing our school four Be's of being kind, respectful, safe and ready to learn. In Reception the award goes to Erina. In Year 1 it goes to Cassius. In Year 2 the award goes to Thomas. In Year 3 it goes to Albie. In Year 4 the awards go to Cassidy and Alfie. In Year 5 the award goes to Olivia and in Year 6 the award goes to Isabelle. Well done to all of you for showing our 4 Be's and Christian values so clearly in school. We also had some pen licences to award this week in Year 3. These go to Harry, Molly and Eddie. Well done for showing such neat and consistent handwriting across the curriculum, not just in English. We celebrated our team values totals for the week. In fourth place was Darwen Tower. In third place was Whitehall Park. In second place was River Darwen. And in first place this week was India Mill. Well done everyone! We also have lots of wonderful sports and out-of-school achievements to celebrate. Olivia, Eleanor and Annie have been awarded a certificate for celebrating 100 years of World Thinking Day at Rainbows. Alessia has been awarded her Level 1 for back bends in dance. Poppy has been awarded a teddy for really good dancing. Carmen and Renee have both been awarded their yellow belts in kickboxing. Albie has been awarded player of the week for good tackling. Martha has achieved her 20 metre swimming certificate. Haydn has been awarded a trophy for scoring seven goals in football. Olivia has also received a certificate for a fantastic backwards roll in gymnastics. Callie has been awarded a certificate for completing two years of JuJitsu. Maggie has received a Brownie doll and her promise badge. Annabel has been awarded star of the week in dance and swimmer of the month. Jack has been awarded a certificate for completing a silver swimming challenge and Piper-Jo has achieved her 50 metre swimming certificate. Well done to all of you for your hard work and dedication outside of school. A special well done also goes to our Cross Country team who showed fantastic determination when competing in rainy weather and muddy conditions. They ran over a mile, which is a brilliant achievement. We also held our inter-house competition for football and bench ball and the winning house was India Mill. Well done to everyone who took part. Our WOW group had some exciting news to share as well. Our school is now number one across all Blackburn and Darwen schools for walking to school last month. That is an incredible achievement. Year 4 are the overall winners for walking to school and badges will be given to all children who walked to school. Our attendance awards this week go to Year 2 and Year 3. Well done for coming to school every day and being ready to learn. Finally, just a reminder that Reception will soon be performing their Mother’s Day Service next Wednesday at 9.00am and there will also be the Mothering Sunday Service at St Barnabas Church where children are invited to come along and sing to their mums. To finish our worship we had lovely prayers from Olivia and Darcy and we sang the Butterfly song.
World Book Day Oracy Worship
What a fantastic morning we had celebrating World Book Day! Children from Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 came together for a special Oracy Talk Assembly, where the hall was filled with the sound of meaningful discussion. Working in trios, the children were challenged to dive deep into their love of literature by sharing their favourite books and characters, providing thoughtful "whys" for their choices. The energy peaked during a fascinating debate on whether reading gives you a "superhero power." After some deep exploration, the children concluded that reading truly is a superpower; they decided it makes you incredibly clever and has the unique ability to expand your imagination beyond the classroom. Mrs. Wilkinson was immensely impressed by the level of maturity and respect on display. It was a "super" oracy worship, with children across the three year groups demonstrating excellent communication skills by taking turns and listening intently to one another. It was wonderful to see our youngest learners not only celebrating stories but also developing the confidence to articulate their ideas with such clarity and enthusiasm.
Whole School Worship
During today’s whole school worship, we reflected on what we might give for Lent. We explored how Lent is a time of sacrifice, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice, but also a time to give — not only by giving something up, but by giving more of ourselves. We thought about how we can share smiles, kindness, love and live out our Christian values in simple, meaningful ways each day. The children shared thoughtful ideas about small changes they could make, both at school and at home, to show patience, forgiveness and generosity. We also focused on this week’s Kindness Kite theme, “Share what you have,” reminding ourselves that even the smallest act of generosity — sharing time, helping a friend or offering encouraging words — can make a big difference to others.
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Whole School Worship - Ramadan
During worship, we were also treated to a special and informative reflection on Ramadan, thoughtfully led by Miss Kachwalla. The session helped us to understand the importance of this sacred month in Islam — a time of prayer, fasting, reflection and generosity. We learned about how Muslims around the world show dedication, self-discipline and compassion during Ramadan, and how values such as kindness, gratitude and community are central to this time. It was a wonderful opportunity to deepen our understanding, celebrate diversity within our school community and reflect on the shared values that bring us together. We also looked at the similarities between Lent and Ramadan and how they were both important times to give to others and give food up or fast to feel closer to God.
Friday Celebration Worship
What a wonderful and incredibly busy first week back we have had in school. On Monday we welcomed special visitors into our school and they were so impressed with the children’s beautiful behaviour, their hard work and their fantastic oracy skills. We are so proud of the way our children represent our school community. A huge thank you to Miss Kachwalla for organising Mad Science, it was a brilliant experience and the children absolutely loved it. This week we have also spent time reflecting on Lent, thinking carefully about what we might give up and how we can grow closer to God during this special season. It has been lovely to see so many children taking part in our amazing after-school clubs and joining in with the Big Winter Wander. We are delighted to celebrate our Values Award winners this week. In Reception, Mason and Phoebe have shown our school values so beautifully. In Year 1, well done to Thea. In Year 2, congratulations to Joey. In Year 3, Alice and Evie have impressed us all. In Year 5, well done to Miles, and in Year 6, congratulations to Beau. Our Pen Licence this week goes to Scarlett in Year 4, what a fantastic achievement for your presentation and handwriting. In our Team Values results, fourth place goes to Darwen Tower, third place to Whitehall Park, second place to India Mill and in first place this week is River Darwen. A huge well done to River Darwen who will get to wear their own clothes on Friday for their disco, enjoy your celebration. We also have so many wonderful sporting achievements to celebrate. Alice has been awarded a trophy in cheerleading for coming second place. Bowen has received a football trophy for his excellent skills. Ida and Layla have both earned a badge for riding trot in horse riding. Phoebe has achieved her 10m swimming certificate and Stage 3. Olivia and Eleanor have earned a Rainbows badge for baking, trying different foods, completing a duck hunt and caring for animals carefully, and Eleanor has also achieved a water skills certificate. Maggie has been awarded a purple belt in martial arts for her fantastic kicking and punching, as well as achieving Stage 3 in gymnastics. Annabelle has received the hardest worker certificate in dance and has the amazing opportunity to go to New York for a dance show, we are so proud. Callie and Charlie have both achieved their 50m swimming certificates. Lyla has won medals in dancing. Seb and Scarlett have received certificates from a sports club during the half-term holidays and Scarlett's netball team also won the league. Tristan has been awarded a purple belt for punching and blocking. Ted has won a huge trophy for BMX racing for coming second in his age category. Lydia has awarded Olivia from Brownies for being kind and helpful. Grace has achieved dance medals for coming second and third. A special well done to our Year 5 football team who played six games, drawing two, narrowly losing one game 1–0, and winning three – a fantastic effort and great teamwork. Well done to Year 1 and Year 3 for achieving the highest attendance this week, your commitment to being in school every day really does make a difference. Looking ahead, we are excited for World Book Day next week. On Tuesday we have special Pinocchio dance workshops and a performance to look forward to. Don't forget to get your dolly peg book character entries in too. On Thursday, children can either dress as a book character or come in their pyjamas. Reception will be performing for Mother’s Day on Friday 13th March and we warmly invite families to join us for our Mother’s Day Sunday Service at church on Sunday 15th March where all of our children are welcome to sing to their Mums. Thank you to Olivia and Ava for leading us in our prayers this week.
Whole School Worship with Rev Ben
Today we had a Whole School Worship which was led by Rev Ben. Rev Ben started with a challenge in which he asked for 4 volunteers. Naomi, Edward, Darcy and Tristan had to build a structure from marshmallows and spaghetti in only two minutes. This proved super challenging with Naomi and Edward coming out as winners with the best structure. Our Bible story was about building things in the right way - Wise and Foolish Builders. A wise man builds on rock, surviving storms, while a foolish man builds on sand, resulting in his house collapsing. It teaches children to obey God’s word to stand firm against challenges. Jesus says that if you listen to him and build your life on his words then you will have a firm foundation.
Year 3 - Class Worship-Gladiators and Great Leaders
In our class worship today, we watched a video about the Gladiators and discussed how they use determination, discipline, and preparation to succeed in their physical challenges. We talked about how Mrs Ham is a wonderful role model because she leads by example every day, showing us that true leadership is about kindness and respect rather than just being powerful. Maggie read the prayer, asking for help to be an encouragement to others. We all joined in to sing 'Give Me Oil in My Lamp,' praying for the strength to keep serving and building others up so they feel brave and confident. We learned that whether you are a Gladiator or a school leader, true strength comes from having a gentle heart and helping everyone's light shine.
Collective Worship: Lent
It was wonderful to meet together as a school family again this morning after our half term break. We looked back on the joy of sharing pancakes together, while acknowledging the deeper significance of that celebration: the arrival of Lent. We explored the origins of this holy season, remembering how Jesus walked through the desert for forty days and forty nights. During this time, He gave up everything (going without food or water) to simplify His life and feel closer to God. Today, Christians follow this example by choosing to give up something special. Many of us shared that we are choosing to fast from treats like chocolate, sweets, crisps, or juice, while others are focusing on being mindful of their spending. However, Lent is not only about what we take away, but also about what we can give back to the world. We discussed how we can offer our efforts to protect God’s creation by saving water, using less plastic and conserving electricity. We also spoke about the power of small, intentional acts of grace, such as showing respect to animals, offering a warm smile and spreading joy wherever we go. Our "Kindness Kite" recently took had a focus on speaking kind words to one another. This led us to reflect on the nature of God’s love. Using words like colossal, mammoth, immense, and ginormous, we described God’s vast love which is everywhere, surrounding us at all times. Mason and Darcy then read this week's kindness kite which is 'kindness within our community'. We defined our community as the places we go, the people around us, and the gatherings we share. They read the following Bible quotes: "Be happy with those who are happy and be sad with those who are sad." This reminds us to show true empathy, to sit with others in their time of need and offer comfort. We also committed to the call to "love each other like brothers and sisters," acknowledging that while we may occasionally fall out, we are called to love everyone regardless. Finally, we celebrated the wonderful ways our school has already shown kindness to our wider community. We remembered the RotaKids collecting teddies for refugees, the Year 1 hampers delivered at Christmas, our collective effort in planting trees for the environment and our participation in the Big Winter Wander. We closed our worship in a moment of quiet reflection and prayer, asking for the strength to remain kind throughout the weeks of Lent.
Year 4 Lead Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week Worship
This morning, Year 4 led a truly inspiring Whole School Worship, centering their message on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. It was a colourful and vibrant start to the day, as all the children arrived 'Dressed to Express.' It was wonderful to see the hall filled with different outfits showcasing the children's unique personalities, hidden talents, and favourite colours—a perfect reminder that being ourselves is key to our wellbeing. The children did an amazing job showcasing their oracy skills. They projected their voices clearly and confidently, ensuring their important message was heard by everyone. The other classes were captivated, listening intently as Year 4 explained the vital link between kindness and mental health. They highlighted how simple acts of kindness are not just good for others, but also boost our own happiness and sense of belonging. The class reminded us all that kindness is a superpower that supports a healthy mind and a happy school community. We brought the worship to a close with some beautiful, thoughtful prayers and raised the roof singing along to ‘My Lighthouse.’ A huge thank you to the parents and carers who came along to support the children; your presence made the morning even more special.
Whole School Worship with Rev Ben
Today we had Whole School Worship with Rev Ben. We started with a game of guess who looking at photos and saying their name. Rev Ben then asked us what they had in common. We realised that they were all in charge of something. Our Bible story then told us about what Jesus is in charge of. It was The Storm on The Lake. After a long day of teaching, Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Jesus fell asleep, but a violent storm arose, terrifying the disciples as waves filled the boat. They woke Jesus, who calmed the wind and waves with "Peace, be still," showing his power and teaching them to trust him. We talked about how Jesus is in charge of things that ordinary people can’t control. Sometimes it’s hard to have courage especially when facing things you can’t control.
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.