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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.
Whole School Singing Worship - Monday
We started our week with a new kite to think about, God’s Vast Love. We agreed that God is with us all of the time, even if we are on holiday, or at another house or even if we are not making the right choices, God is always with us and will show love and forgiveness. We then celebrated through song, some of our favourites and also practiced some new songs together which is always very exciting.
Whole School- Safer Internet Day 2026-Centered on the responsible use of AI.
To mark Safer Internet Day 2026, Mrs Araujo led a special Worship centered on the responsible use of AI. The session started with the Heads and Deputy Heads signing the Trinity. The children then watched a short video and discussed how AI can assist us in our daily lives. Through a fun identification game, pupils practised spotting AI-generated images and learned that because AI can make mistakes, its results are not always true or accurate. This helped our children understand the importance of being cautious and informed digital citizens.
Friday Celebration Worship
Today’s Celebration Worship was a joyful opportunity to recognise the many achievements, values and successes across our school family. We began by celebrating our learning and enrichment activities, including our focus on numbers and regular participation in Times Table Rock Stars, where children have shown great enthusiasm and determination through battles. We also reflected on our fundraising efforts for the NSPCC, showing our commitment to caring for and protecting others. A special mention was given to the WOW group for leading Messy Church, which was a fantastic example of teamwork, creativity and faith in action. Our values awards were proudly presented to Bowen in Reception, Ava in Year 1, Cici in Year 2, Heidi in Year 3, Martha in Year 4, Ivy in Year 5 and Edward in Year 6, each recognised for living out our school values in their everyday actions. The Pen License awards were given to Mila in Year 3 and Chloe in Year 4 for their excellent efforts in handwriting in all subjects. We also celebrated our team value points results. Darwen Tower finished in fourth place, Whitehall Park in third, River Darwen in second and India Mill in first place. The overall winning team across the half term was River Darwen, well done to everyone for showing perseverance, teamwork and respect. There were many sporting and extracurricular achievements to celebrate. Bo took part in a BMX bike race with 24 competitors and finished an impressive 14th overall and he was the youngest. Chester was awarded a medal for his excellent swimming, while Maggie earned badges at Brownies for completing a range of activities, including finger painting. Jack received a certificate for completing an 800m swim and Grace was celebrated for being given the role of Young Cosette in Les Misérables and for getting through to the next round of West End Calling auditions. Thea was awarded a certificate for excellent listening in gymnastics, Marnie May achieved a certificate for swimming 50 metres and Mollie earned a medal for diving in swimming. Eleanor was recognised for her commitment to hobbies at Rainbows, particularly swimming and piano and Cassius received a trophy for his strong goal scoring in football. We also celebrated our gymnastics team, who performed exceptionally well on the vault and demonstrated excellent body management in a competition against other schools. They showed great courage and respect and achieved a fantastic fourth place. Attendance was also celebrated, with Year 1 and Year 6 being recognised for their efforts. We finished with some important reminders for the coming weeks. The Big Winter Wander is underway and we are encouraging everyone to get outside and enjoy walking together. Please remember to send in photos of your adventures. Next Thursday, we will be helping to create a micro forest on Jacks Key by planting trees, so children will need to bring their wellies. A big thank you to Miss Kachwala for organising a visit from professional bakers who will be making pancakes for everyone. We also reminded children about Dress to Express next week and that there are still places available for Lego Club next half term. We ended our worship with a thoughtful prayer, beautifully led by Ella and Mason. A wonderful celebration of effort, achievement and community spirit, well done everyone!
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Whole School Worship with Rev Ben
Today's Collective Worship with Rev Ben started with a guessing game where half of a celebrity's face was covered and the children had to guess who it was. The last celebrity was Mrs Ham and we learnt that working out who people are is important, but not always easy! Our Bible story today told us something important about Jesus. Jesus could make sick people well. Jesus wanted to help the man in the story and he told him that his sins were forgiven but the man was lame. Jesus said this to show how he can help people with what’s wrong on the outside and the inside.