Year 5 - RotaKids - Christmas Cards for Care Homes
Building on from our Worship earlier in the week about spreading joy this Advent, our Year 5 Rotakids decided to take action. Today, they spread festive cheer in the community by creating thoughtful Christmas cards to send to care homes around Darwen. The children poured their creativity and kindness into each card, adding heartfelt messages and festive designs. These cards will soon be delivered, bringing warmth, joy and a sense of connection to residents who may need it most this Christmas season. It’s a wonderful way to show that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Well done, RotaKids, for embodying the true spirit of the holidays!
Seasonal Stocking Making Mission Nearly Complete
We are very nearly there with completing our seasonal stockings. We just have a few more bits of final decoration and they will then be ready to take to the Christmas markets next week. The children have really surprised us with how quickly they have developed their sewing skills and followed instructions so carefully. These stockings are definitely the best we’ve ever seen!
Year 5 - Litter Picking
As part of No Pens Day, Year 5 explored the local area, taking part in a litter-picking activity inspired by a suggestion from the Smart School Council. This act of kindness demonstrated fantastic teamwork, community spirit, and a shared commitment to protecting the environment. Back in class, the children reflected on what they had observed, noting the impact of litter on wildlife and natural spaces. They engaged in thoughtful discussions about how to make a positive difference, generating ideas such as increasing recycling efforts, designing impactful posters to raise awareness about the environmental damage caused by littering and making a habit of picking up litter whenever they see it. The activity not only built their understanding of environmental responsibility but also empowered them to be proactive change-makers within their community.
Year 3- Class Worship-The Earthshot Prize winners
Today in class worship, we celebrated the Earthshot Prize winners. This inspiring award recognises people and organisations working to protect our planet. Year 3 were particularly excited, having just cleaned up their local community. We discussed how small acts of kindness, like their community clean-up, can contribute to a healthier world. The Bible reminds us that we are stewards of creation, and responsible for caring for the Earth. We prayed, thanking God for our beautiful world and asking for forgiveness when we haven't been good stewards.
Year 3- NO PENS DAY - Litter picking- Brainbox games-What can you remember in just 10 seconds?
Today, Year 3 celebrated No Pens Day thanks to our Smart School Council. They combined learning by litter picking, demonstrating teamwork, communication, and a strong sense of kindness and spirituality. They even discussed how God and the community would be pleased with their efforts. In the classroom, they paired up for a fun game of BrainBox, boosting their memory, observation skills, and understanding of math and reading. Oracy skills were embedded throughout the day, as students listened attentively, took turns to talk, and engaged in thoughtful discussions.
Whole School Worship - World Toilet Day
In worship yesterday, we looked through our spirituality windows and out into the world on toilets. We were shocked and saddened to find out that around 700 children under 5 die every year due to poor sanitation. We heard about Jeremiah in Kenya who doesn’t have access to a toilet. In his community, people would mostly use a hole in the ground or a plastic bag, which some people would tie up and throw on other people’s roofs. We talked about how this affects people’s health and shared ideas of what we could do to help. The children then learned about our Toilet Twinning project for which we raised money a few years go to sponsor the building and maintenance of toilets in Nepal, Uganda, Tanzania, and Afghanistan. We reflected on how we should never take our toilets for granted and thought of ways we could save loo paper and water.
Year 1- Children in Need
On Friday, Year 1 all made a super effort and came to school dressed in Pudsey merchandise, pyjamas or spots to help to fundraise for Children in Need. They all coloured in their own Pudsey and thought about the children who benefit from the generous donations of good people across England and Wales.
Children in Need 2024
Our Y6 Heads and Deputies asked everyone to dress in pyjamas or spots to show our support for Children in Need this year. Yesterday we had a special visit from Pudsey Bear and Christine from Asda. They told us all about how Asda are raising money for Children in Need and they said a special thank you to us all for our fundraising to help children who are less fortunate than us. Thank you so much to our staff, children and parents for the effort you have gone to in dressing in your pyjamas or spots and thank you for your generous donations on parent pay. Together we can make a positive difference to the lives of so many disadvantaged children around our country.
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Whole School Thursday Worship with Rev Ben and Pudsey
In our Thursday Whole School Worship,Christine Baldwin, Community Champion from Asda Bolton kindly brought Pudsey Bear to visit us and say a big THANK YOU for our fundraising for Children in Need. They are currently working on a Fuelling Food Programme so that no child will grow hungry in the school holidays. Asda Bolton have raised ver 34 million pounds for Children in Need. The children were very excited to hear all about the project as well as meeting Pudsey. Following on from the visit, Rev Ben took over and we all showed respect by putting ourselves in our reflective prayer place. We began with the Trinity and focused our first discussion on what does it mean to treat someone with respect. Our answers included: being kind, treating someone just as you would like to be treated,when you are ok with difference and treating people equally. Our Bible story today was - A Jar and A Jug. The story focused on Elijah - Gods special messenger and his struggle with the drought. He trusted God that he would get through it with help from the widow and her son. The widow who believed in another God, didn’t believe they would live until she trusted in Elijah and his promise. God saw the widow as someone important and gave her a special job- to look after Elijah. It means listening to others, caring for them and seeing them how God sees them. We then looked at the important message “ Do to others as you would have them do you” Luke 6;31 We finished our Thursday Whole School Worship with a prayer and then we sang ‘ I can make a difference’
Year 4 PSHE - How do we treat each other with respect?
In our PSHE sessions we are focusing on ‘Valuing Difference’. This week we shared different scenarios about how we would deal with aggressive behaviour. The children learned how to recognise potential consequences of aggressive behaviour and suggested how to deal with someone who is displaying this. They showed super communication skillls and discussed conflict resolution and diversity.
Year 5&6 Remembrance Walk
Today, our Year 5 and 6 children made a heartfelt visit to the remembrance graves to honor and remember those who courageously sacrificed their lives in times of war. Standing among the headstones, the children took time for quiet reflection, paying their respects to those who gave everything for the freedoms we enjoy today. With gentle hands, the children tended to the graves—a simple yet powerful act of care and gratitude. This experience reminded our children of the bravery and selflessness that paved the way for peace. This moment of reflection encouraged the children to find gratitude in the everyday blessings we often take for granted, fostering a sense of mindfulness and appreciation for the many freedoms we cherish today.
Years 2 and 3-Outdoor Classroom Day- Remembrance Walk
This afternoon, Year 2 and 3 celebrated Outdoor Classroom Day by walking up to the WW1 Memorial Wall in Darwen Cemetery. As they gathered at the memorial wall, they paused to remember the brave soldiers who fought in the War. They thought about the sacrifices made and the courage shown by those for our freedom. Isaac, Bobby Ray, Lyla, Renee Archie, and Heidi shared heartfelt prayers and poems, honoring the memory of those who gave their lives for our country. As they walked back to school. they appreciated God's creation, the beauty of the trees, and the sweet songs of the birds.
Remembrance Singing Worship
This morning in our singing worship we focused on songs of peace as we will be remembering all those who bravely gave their lives in the wars this week. We will also be thinking about people around the world who are still be affected by war and conflict and how we can help them. We will remember them!
Poppy Appeal 2024
Our Heads and Deputies have been around to all of the classrooms today to show all of the children the poppy appeal merchandise that will be on sale from Monday at break times. The suggested donation for slap bands is £1.50, bracelets £1.00 and poppy reflectors 50p. Please send money into school in a named envelope or bag. Thank you in advance for your generosity to this worthy cause. Next week we will be focusing on Remembrance Day in our Worships and Year 6 will be taking part in a special Remembrance Service at Darwen Cemetery. We will remember them.
Harvest Heptathlon
Today, each class took part in our Harvest Heptathlon obstacle course challenge for the Bishop’s Harvest appeal. The course consisted of running, hurdles, travelling through a hoop, hopping, skipping, speed bounce and star jumps. A huge well done to every child that took part. They gave it their best effort. And an extra big thank you to all of the Year 6 helpers for helping to set up, replace equipment, demonstrate the course and support and encourage the younger children to complete the course. Let’s hope we can raise some much needed funds for developing classrooms and literacy in church schools in Multan, Pakistan.
WOW group Harvest Donations to DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise)
Our WOW (Worship Our Way) group would like to say a huge thank you for your generous donations to DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise). Patsy from DARE came to collect the donations yesterday and sent a lovely thank you message on behalf of everyone at DARE. Thank you for your kindness and generosity as your donations will really help to make a difference to the lives of others.
Enjoying our Spiritual Garden
A huge thank you to our WOW (Worship Our Way) group, Mrs Araujo and Mr Fairbanks for planning and developing our Spiritual Garden. We are loving having time to reflect, admire God’s creations, be peaceful and connect with our friends in it at break and lunch times. Thank you to SACRE for the generous grant we received to create a spiritual garden made from mainly reclaimed and recycled materials.
Harvest Church Service 2024
Thank you to our Wow group, EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 classes for leading our Harvest celebration at church today. I have uploaded some videos to class dojo and additional photos can be found here: https://stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/harvest-church-service-2024 It was wonderful to see so many of our families in attendance. A huge thank you to you all for coming to watch and thank you to all of our families for your continued support this half term. Thank you for all of your kind harvest donations, these can be continued to be sent in during the first week that we are back at school. Wishing you all a wonderful half term, Mrs Wilkinson
Monday Worship: Harvest Appeal
This week is Recycle Week so we will be thinking about all of the rubbish we throw away and how it could be rescued and reused or recycled. Bobby-Ray said what one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure! Thank you for all of the donations of coats we have had so far for our Rota Kids Wrap Up Appeal. Mrs Ham showed us two bin bags that at first she thought was rubbish but they were filled with coats that can be donated to the homeless. Mrs Ham then introduced the Bishop’s Harvest appeal which our WOW group have chosen to support this year at Harvest along with DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise). We started by exploring our spirituality window and looked at a photo of the classrooms of a church school in Multan in Pakistan. We stopped and reflected on what is great about our classrooms. Lottie loves the amount of paper, Ella-Grace said our teachers, Callie said our books, Eleanor said our friends, Jacob said the opportunities to learn, Olivia said the view of Darwen Tower and Will said everything. There are some boys and girls in Multan in Pakistan that are unable to go to school and some who do but don't have many resources in their classroom. We took some time to look at a picture and reflect on what we could see. The classrooms in Multan do not have any chairs, tables, pictures, windows or toys. The children reflected and felt empathy for the Christian children in Multan who did not have the same experience and resources as we all do at St Barnabas. We then started to think about what we could do to make a difference to their lives. The Bishop’s Harvest Appeal has helped the children to receive books, solar panels and hand washing facilities in the past. Rosie said we could do a sponsored run and James said we could collect books. Bishop Philip has asked us all do to a Harvest Heptathlon . We need to think of seven things we could do to help the children in our area and also the boys and girls in Multan. Over the next few weeks, we will be thinking about how we can help and make a difference. We ended our worship by singing ‘I can make a difference’.
Hello Yellow Day
To celebrate and raise awareness for World Mental Health Day, all the children and staff dressed in yellow to show their support. During a special worship, the children danced to happy songs. We reflected deeply on our emotions, exploring how they shape our inner lives and how we can find strength in times of struggle. We discussed the importance of nurturing our mental well-being through kindness, prayer, and community support. This spiritual reflection reminded us that we are never alone in our challenges; by turning to our faith and embracing hope, we can find peace and resilience within ourselves.
WOW Group- Harvest Donations
Dear parents, Harvest is almost upon us and, this year, our wonderful WOW group have chosen to support two charities. They would like to continue to support refugees in our local area through the charity D.A.R.E. (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise) and are asking for donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries and good quality clothing. Please send these into school any time over the next week (by Thursday 17th October) and we will ensure they get to D.A.R.E. More details of the second charity we have chosen will be released shortly. Thank you, Mrs Araujo :)
Year 4 - RE: People Who Stood Up Against Authority
This week, in RE, the Year 4 class researched some famous courageous advocates. The children were split into 4 teams, each being given a picture of a well-known figure who has seen disparity in the world and has acted as a voice for those affected, despite great personal risk. They studied Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg, segregation protester Rosa Parks, human rights advocate Archbishop Oscar Romero and slave trade abolisher William Wilberforce. They learned about the important causes these people fought for and why they took action. They also spent time considering which Christian values were shown in their actions.
Whole School Worship: Courageous Advocacy
Today in worship we continued to explore the meaning of spirituality, looking at adversity in the world, how it makes us feel, and talking about what we can do about it. We discussed how we can turn our sparks into flames, our ideas into actions. The children were really inspired by some of the images and shared some great ideas, such as donating warm clothing to the homeless, picking up litter so that it doesn’t hurt wildlife and donating food to local shelters and charities. We will be putting some of these ideas into action over the next few weeks, through our Harvest festival and our Rotakids initiatives.
Rotakids - East Lancashire Wrap Up Warm
Good afternoon, In order to support East Lancashire Wrap Up, RotaKids have decided to collect coats to clothe the homeless. Please can you donate any winter coats that are no longer of use and these can be collected into the box above. The coats will be collected, sorted and delivered to local charities throughout East Lancashire. The campaign will run from the 1st October until 31st October 2024. There will be collection box in the hall for all the coats to be collected. Please can we also try and collect glasses too to continue to help developing countries. Thank you for your support Year 5 RotaKids
The WOW Group - Our Spiritual Garden
After a great deal of hard work and creativity on the part of Mr Fairbanks and the WOW Group, the new spiritual garden was launched in Tuesday’s worship. The WOW members presented the rest of the school with ideas for using the garden as intended and in a respectful manner. Unfortunately, the garden was a bit flooded due to the heavy downpour on Monday, but we are hopeful that it can be used towards the end of the week.
Macmillan Coffee Morning
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported our Macmillan Coffee Morning this morning with donations of cakes and/ or money. Every child in school was able to have a cake at break time thanks to your generous donations. Donations can still be made on parent pay or after school. We have some cakes left over so we will have a stall after school on the infant yard.
Year 6 - Picture News Worship
Year 6 took part in a virtual worship which followed on nicely from our class worship. It focused on the clean up and the importance of community in the aftermath of this summer’s riots, that took place up and down the country. We discussed how we can all come together, no matter what our background, and work towards a common goal.
Class Worship- How can communities help each other in times of difficulty?
During our class worship, Year 3 looked at a story about the summer when riots occurred in England and Northern Ireland, causing damage to cars and buildings. We defined the term 'communities' and discussed the importance of everyone feeling welcome and safe within their community. The children reflected on their differences and similarities, recognising that our school community is special because it is made up of so many different individuals with unique interests. We discussed our British value of mutual respect and tolerance, considering how our words and actions can impact others. We then sang ' When I needed a neighbour' and ended the worship by thanking God for our school community.
Fundraising - East Lancs Hospice
A huge well done to the whole of St Barnabas, we have raised a massive £277.30 for the East Lancs Hospice through our Hop, Skip and Jump event and our Barney's Got Talent Show. The money will be used to help care for those in need and will support the wonderful staff that do an amazing job within the health care system.
Year 5 - Balanced Arguments
Year 5 have begun researching one of the most debated topics - should animals be kept in Zoo’s? The children found out a number of alarming facts that are against Zoo’s such as: that animals have 1800 times less space in zoos than in the wild and animals are not evolving the way they should. But found many compelling reasons why animals should be kept in zoos such as: they live longer, stop species becoming extinct and it can advance medicine. The children will use these arguments to create their own balanced argument.
Year 5 - RotaKids
Year 5 RotaKids decided on their school project that they will have children guessing the number of sweets in a jar for a chance to win the full jar. The money that they raise will help go towards some new Chromebook's.
English- Year 3- Refugees from Sudan and Libya
Today in Year 3, we welcomed two refugees. Zinab from Libya and Samah from Sudan. They both had to leave their families because it was not safe in their countries. Zinab and Samah told us about their struggles and worries about fitting in here in the UK. They were very grateful to the UK for providing them with housing and support. They also reminded us to be thankful that we don't have wars, and that we have safe places to stay and food to eat. The question and answer session helped the children understand the challenges refugees face, which they could then portray in their writing.
Year 4 - Class Worship: Supporting Refugees
In our class worship in Year 4, we learned about the rights of the child and how these protect us from harm and cruelty. We read some first hand accounts of refugees fleeing their countries and tried to understand what actions might have led to their escape and how they might have felt in that situation. The children then discussed how they could help refugees in their community and elsewhere in the world. The class came up with some very considerate ideas.
Year 4 - Linking Schools: Courageous Advocacy
A few weeks ago, the Year 4 class discussed a number of ideas to improve our community and decided on one issue to focus on. After a vote, the children decided they would like to tackle vandalism in the area. This week, we walked to Whitehall Park to assess the damage and found much of the equipment to be unsafe to play on. We took pictures of the problem areas and the children have decided they want to write to their local MP to ask him to repair the park. We are really hoping for a reply!
Year 3- Class Worship- Refugees Welcome
During our class worship today, we learned about Milad from Syria, who had to flee his country because of the war. Milad was forced to leave his older brother behind and was separated from him for over a year, not knowing if he would ever see him again. We also examined the conditions of the refugee camps and the large number of people living in them. Additionally, we discussed the British value of individual liberty, recognising that everyone has the right to live somewhere safe and that we can choose to help refugees. We then thanked God for keeping us safe and prayed for all those who have to leave their homes because of war.
Reception: Refugee Worship
Today our Ducklings had a worship focussing on refugee week. We discussed what a refugee is and how they may feel. Harry said they may feel sad, Percy said they might be hungry, Callie said they might be worried and Phoebe said they might be scared. We remembered why we donate to DARE and how important it is to be kind and to help others. We discussed what we could do. Olivia said we could donate, Skye said we could buy them a present and Haydn said we could give them a hug to make them feel better. We are lucky to have such kind Ducklings, well done for all contributing to a very thoughtful worship. At the end we sang my lighthouse about how God will always look after us and guide us to safety.
Year 3- English- My name is not a Refugee
This week, Year 3 began their new writing unit based on the book titled "My Name is Not Refugee." At first, the children predicted that the story might be about a child starting school, going swimming, or on a family holiday. However, after learning the title, they felt sad for the little boy and his mum. In today's lesson, the children were asked to think of five items they would take if they had to leave their home and never come back. They suggested items like jumpers, snacks, teddies, books, games, sleeping bags, toothpaste, and torches. Narrowing it down to just five items was extremely difficult for them. They realised that a mobile phone would lose its battery and become useless, a sleeping bag might be helpful if they couldn't find a place to sleep, but they were still concerned about staying warm and finding food. The children then wrote responses to questions based on the story.
The W.O.W. Group - Planning for our Spiritual Garden
The W.O.W. Group have been working hard on planning for our new spiritual garden. We successfully secured some funding to be able to create a peaceful area with multi sensory features and an eco friendly environment in which children can spend time on calm activities. We hope to attract local birds and insects too. Look out for ways in which you can support us to create this new area over the coming weeks.
Thank you from DARE ( Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise)
Thank you so much to our staff team and our Year 1 kindness elves for donating Christmas items to Darwen Asylum and Refuger Enterprise. The donations have been used to create Christmas hampers for families in need. They were distributed at the DARE Christmas party and were gratefully received.
RotaKids and Smart School Council - Toy collection
The RotaKids, Smart School Council of Years 5 and 6 and the rest of the school family at St Barnabas would like to say a massive thank you for your generosity. In just over two weeks, we have been overwhelmed with donations of toys for families in need. The donations will now be distributed amongst families and refugees of Darwen. This will definitely make this time extra special for so many families and that is because of you.
Year 5 - RotaKids
As part of Year 5’s pledge to supporting Darwen Rotary, Year 5 have sorted and organised books to be donated to children and families that are less fortunate than ourselves. They have come up with some amazing and fantastic ideas of how they can support their local community and work as a team to make their community a better place.
Year 5 - Darwen Rotary Visit
This week Darwen Rotary visited Year 5 to gain an insight into the work that they have been doing as part of RotaKids. The children discussed their international protect which was raising money for the devastating earthquakes that happened in Morocco. The children then discussed their plans and ideas for their community project which is donating books, toys and coats to local charities to help people who are less fortunate than ourselves.
Harvest Church Service 2023
A huge well done to our WOW (Worship our Way) group and our choir for leading our Harvest Church service and to Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 for their wonderful contributions. Thank you so much for your generosity shown towards Darwen Food Larder and DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise). All of the photos can be found here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/harvest-church-service-2023 and the videos are posted on classdojo.
Choir singing at the Harvest Service
Thank you so much to Rev Ben for inviting us to sing at the Harvest Service. We are so proud of our choir members and members of Rainbows and Brownies as they sang so brilliantly. Thank you so much for your generous donations to the local food bank.
Year 5 - RotaKids
As part of RotaKids, Year 5 are raising money for the families that have been affected by the earthquakes in Morocco. In order to raise money, Year 5 are hosting a non uniform day and children must come into school wearing the colours of the Moroccan flag to show their support and compassion for those affected. The money raised by the school will help provide: food, water, shelter, medical essentials and survival equipment to help. We are asking for a minimum donation of a £1.
Year 5 - RotaKids
This week, year 5 were visited by the Darwen Rotary Club and were introduced to RotaKids. During this visit the club discussed all the amazing objectives they meet each year and how their unbelievable work contributes to their local area and worldwide issues. They discussed the objectives that we must meet as a class to meet the expectations of The Rotary Club. As a class, we did a democratic vote for the four offices of RotaKids. A huge congratulations to: President - Hamza Vice President - Will Secretary - Daisy Treasurer - Ezmae
Year 5 RotaKids Conference
We have had a fantastic time at the RotaKids Conference at the University of Cumbria today. We have done all sorts of activities such as music, first response, water safety, gardening, river creatures and making bug houses and looking at bees. We have learnt so much and gained lots of ideas that we can share at school.
Thank you from DARE
Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise have sent their thanks to our school family for our generous Easter Egg donations. They were given out this week to families in need. Thank you to everyone who donated an easter egg and helped to put huge smiles on the children’s faces.
Easter Eggs for DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise)
A huge thank you to everyone who donated an Easter egg as part of our Lent challenge of showing generosity and kindness to others. On Wednesday they will be given to families in need in our community.
Year 5- Rotakids- Discussing our next project
This afternoon, the Year 5 class received a certificate for the outstanding work that they are doing. The children could discuss the work they have already done for the local community and the international project. The children were keen to share their next project, a movie night for KS1 and KS2 to raise money for our school minibus.
Rotakids- Toy Collection
The Year 5 Rotakids have fulfilled their promise of helping the community and the world. Over the past few weeks, the children have been collecting used toys and soft toys for the needy families of Darwen and refugees living in Darwen. Some of the toys will also be sent to children in Ukraine, who have lost almost everything in the war. Amazing achievement from families, staff, and children.
Rotakids- Year 5
Year 5 has shown respect, trust, and service and demonstrated our British Values (democracy) by voting for the students they think are best suited for the position of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The votes were counted and verified by Mrs. Lyons and the Rotary Club. We now have Isaac as (President), Archie (Vice President), Charlie (Secretary), and Lola (Treasurer). Over the course of the academic year, the RotaKids will engage in important, lively activities that will make a positive difference to our school, local community, and globally.
Whole school Harvest service in Church
This morning our WOW group, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children led our Harvest service in church. Our wonderful choir led the singing during the service. We gave thanks to the farmers and our WOW group reminded everybody about the charities that we are supporting, The Mother’s Union in Burundi and DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise). The children made us all very proud. A huge thank you to all of the parents, carers and family members that attended too, it was lovely to see you all.
Monday Worship: Blackburn Diocese Harvest Appeal 2022
During the start of our worship, we discussed what literacy and numeracy meant. We then discussed if any jobs do not require us to read and write. It was really interesting which jobs the children thought didn’t require you to read and write but Mrs Ham proved the children wrong! All jobs require you to read and write. Reading is like a key. If you can’t read, you can’t unlock all of those possibilities. You wouldn’t be able to be a teacher, cook, builder etc. We discussed the British Value of individual liberty. We all have rights. We have the right to education and it is free. This year, the Bishop of Blackburn’s Harvest appeal is supporting the Mother’s Union. The Mother’s union is a Christian charity but it shows the British value of tolerance of all faiths and helps everybody. Mrs Ham showed the children 4 tools and the children explained what each tool does. Mrs Ham explained that in some countries, they do not have the tools to do things that we take for granted: our reading and writing. The Mother’s Union helps people in Burundi which is one of the poorest places in the entire world. In Burundi, families live on £1.50 per day. Our Wow group have set us a challenge to raise £1.50 each to help to support families in Burundi. Wow group explained that we can do chores to help raise the money. Monies can then be paid on parent pay. We can also collect tins and cans for Dare. Mrs Ham has also asked if we can write prayers for families in Burundi. This week, we need to think about how we can help other people and help to make a difference. Our choir group led our song at the end ‘The Harvest of Love’.
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The Bishop of Blackburn's Harvest Appeal- Burundi Harvest Challenge
This morning in worship, the WOW group launched our Harvest appeal challenge. We are asking for donations of £1.50 from parents in exchange for the children completing 3 helpful challenges at home. Each challenge is worth 50p. The challenges can be any of those mentioned in the poster, or any that you and your child decide at home. Donations will go to the Bishop of Blackburn's Harvest Appeal and this year they are supporting the Christian charity, Mothers' Union, to support the delivery of literacy and numeracy programs to women in Burundi so that they can help earn money to support their families. Donations will be collected by next Thursday 20th October on Parent pay. We are also collecting tins and packets for our local Darwen Refugee and Asylum Enterprise (DARE) to support refugees who have had to flee their homes due to conflict. Please send any donations into school next week. Parents and carers are welcome to join us at our Harvest Festival next Thursday 20th October at 9.30am at St Barnabas church. Our WOW group, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes will be leading the service and the rest of the school will be joining in with songs and prayers.
RotaKids- Year 5
ROTAKIDS The children in year 5 have put their hearts and soul into RotaKids. Their dedication throughout this project has been immense and we are so proud of each and every one of them. They have expressed themselves with the utmost energy, enthusiasm, and determination. The role of a RotaKid is to raise funds to support local, national and international good causes. During Christmas, every year group sent a Christmas e-card to our local care homes. This was something that the Rotakids organised. They felt it was vital for everyone to receive a card on Christmas day because not everyone has a family. This certainly put smiles on their faces and a few happy tears. For the Spring term, we were given an Entrepreneurial Project. We were given £100.00 to start a small business the money was to be transferred back if we made any profit. This was a competition running between four schools. We were definitely in it to win it! The Rotakids came up with some great ideas. All of the ideas were planned during breaks. We successfully ran two movie nights, one for KS1 and KS2. This is something that we will most definitely consider doing again next year. The children absolutely loved it! Following on from this, we did ' Guess How Many Sweets In The Jar' which was a huge success. Some children had four or five guesses. Every child walked away with a treat and a smile. So for the final bit, we raised a total of £939.00! We came joint first. We were then able to buy outdoor equipment for KS1 and KS2 playtimes, board games for wet playtimes, and give a donation to Christian Aid, Macmillan Cancer Support and East Lancs Hospice.
Rotakids Annual Conference 2022- Year 5
Today, some of our Rotakids went to the University of Cumbria, in Lancaster. They had a day full of fun-filled activities. They made friendship bracelets, had a lot of fun with arts and crafts, and learned about different types of food chains and how to extract DNA from a strawberry. For the recognition of their work, they were all awarded a certificate for taking an active part in the Annual Rotakids Conference.
Collective Worship- Christian Aid Week and Courageous Advocacy
This morning in worship, we introduced Christian Aid week. First we discussed the phrase, ‘Your Kingdom Come.’ Mrs Ham asked us to imagine what heaven was like. We said that we imagine it as peaceful and calm and when we use the phase, ‘Your Kingdom Come,’ this phrase means that God would like our world on earth to represent heaven where the world is fair and at peace. Then Mrs Ham discussed the term ‘Courageous advocacy’ with us all which is the act of speaking out against injustice (wrongdoing) and then we watched and listened carefully to a video to see some of the injustice that is happening in the world. The children shared what they saw. Lily saw a sea turtle trapped in a fishing net, Skye said that there were people who were hungry, Jack said there were people without clothes, Harlee and Manni said they noticed people who were extremely thirsty, James said that he saw a man who didn’t have much furniture in his house and Lucy said there were people living in unclean places. Mrs Ham asked us what Jesus would like us to about this injustice. Desmond said we should try to be like Jesus and love our neighbour. Mrs Ham agreed and discussed how we all need to be a courageous advocate and love our neighbours as Jesus did. We then looked at some inspirational people who were courageous advocates and spoke out for those who didn’t/don’t have a voice such as Martin Luther King, Gandhi, David Attenborough and Marcus Rashford. We also recognised some children in school who have recently stood up for something that they believe in. These courageous advocates were Neve, Lily, William and Charlotte who recently promoted initiatives to raise money for Ukraine and East Lancs Hospice. Lastly, we ended our worship with a video called ‘Starfish’ which summed up the message that small things can make a huge difference and Mrs Ham asked us to reflect on small things that we can do in the next week and beyond to help to make a difference such as donating to the local food or clothes bank and reusing and recycling plastic.
Easter Eggs for Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise (DARE)
A huge thank you to everyone who donated Easter Eggs to DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterpise). They were collected today and we were given these special thank you cards for our support to enable children in our community have a lovely Easter.
Movie Night - Year 5 - RotaKids
The Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 classes had such a good night. The children enjoyed their pre-ordered meal whilst watching the magical and enchanted Disney film ‘Encanto’.
Movie Night - RotaKids
The reception,Year 1 and Year 2 have had an absolute blast watching the Disney film ‘Luca’. It was a funny film which had elements of friendship, courage, and acceptance. The night was organised by the RotaKids to raise money for their latest local project.
RotaKids Planting bulbs- Year 5
Our RotaKids have planted crocus bulbs in the centre of the cross-shaped flower bed in the school yard, ready for spring. Thank you to Darwen Rotary Club for helping us and supplying the bulbs and equipment.
Christmas Cards with RotaKids - Year 5
This year, RotaKids ( Year 5 ) have been spreading ‘Acts of Kindness ‘ across Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and South Cumbria by sending a Christmas Card ( E-Card) to care homes.
Rotakids - Year 5
We now have a President ( Charlotte), Vice President ( Freya), Treasurer ( Bobby) and a Secretary ( Louie ) for Rotary Club. Year 5 have pledged to be fair to all, to serve their community and to show respect for others. Over the following weeks, we will have meetings to discuss and collate ideas and find ways to support our community.
Thank you for your generosity this Harvest!
Thank you so much for your generous donations for Harvest this year. Darwen Asylum & Refugee Enterprise (DARE) were overwhelmed with your support and generosity. The donations were created into care packages along with the children’s maps of the local area, welcome to Darwen posters, prayers and poems which enabled refugees to receive a warm welcome to Darwen.
Hooray for Harvest!
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 were amazing in our Harvest Festival today. Thank you to all those who attended or donated generous gifts of food or toiletries for local refugees. We were fortunate to be joined by John, Patsy and Shameem from DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise) who have taken all of your donations, the children’s welcome posters, local maps, prayers and poems. They will be sorted into parcels for refugees who have joined our community in order to give them a warm welcome and will also be shared with others in need in our community. We heard a harrowing account from Shameem, who fled from Afghanistan seven years ago due to being persecuted as a female teacher there. She has only just managed to get two of her children here seven years later and they are now attending our local high school and are being supported by one of our past pupils, who remembers Shameem visiting St Barnabas several years ago. We are so thankful for the work that John and Patsy are doing to support people in our community who are in need and so grateful for your donations. We are so proud of our children for showing our Christian Values of generosity, friendship and respect through the warm welcome they have shown refugees through their prayers, poems, welcome posters, maps and songs.
A huge Harvest thank you!
Thank you so much for your generosity this Harvest! We were overwhelmed with your kind donations of food, clothes and toiletries for DARE (Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise). They were presented to John, Patsy and Shameem from DARE. Thank you for helping to make a difference!
Thankful for Harvest!
We started our harvest celebrations today learning about where our breakfast comes from and reflecting on what we are thankful for. We thought about how we could show our Christian values of generosity, service and friendship this Harvest by sharing what we have with others. The children have chosen to donate packets and tinned food for our local food bank and toiletries for refugees who have recently joined our community.
Hooray for Harvest!
Year 3 have been learning all about how Christians celebrate the Harvest Festival. They are looking forward to our upcoming Harvest Festival and have started collecting toiletries to give to refugees in our community, to give them a warm welcome and show them our generosity and friendship.