Year 4 - Mosque Visit
Whilst we were visiting St Matthew’s, we had the opportunity to enhance our RE unit on places of worship by visiting the mosque next door. We had a tour of the main hall and the washroom and learned about some religious artefacts and practices that are customary to Islam. It was great for the children to see these features in real life so that they could make comparisons with the other places of worship we’ve studied this term. The imam arranged a special surprise as well, allowing all the children to choose a drink, some crisps and a chocolate bar, followed by treating them all to an ice cream from the ice cream van. All in all, I think they had a fantastic day.
Year 3 Trip to the Darwen Children’s Literature Festival
Today, Year 3 walked to Darwen Library to celebrate the Children's Literature Festival with author and poet Dommy B! The children were completely wowed by his high-energy poetry performance of The Dinosaurs Are Back. He had the entire class up on their feet, joining in and dancing along with him. We were also given a copy of his book to keep in our classroom. It was a brilliant day.
Year 5 Music
In Music, Year 5 continued learning how to play the djembe. After recapping the 3 main ways of hitting the drums (tone, slap and bass), the class began to learn words from a range of African languages and use them as a rhythmic guide for their playing. Counting and clapping exercises were used to rehearse increasingly complex drum rhythms, which were shared with the class.
Year 6 - Hop, Skip and Jump - East Lancs Hospice
Today, our Year 6 children completed their hop, skip and jump challenge in support of East Lancs Hospice. They took part wearing their own beautifully decorated Easter crowns, adding a splash of colour and creativity to the event. We are so proud of their enthusiasm, effort and the way they came together for such a wonderful cause! Well done, Year 6!
Team Gardner - Problem Solving and Fashion Design
This afternoon Year 4 arrived at The Anderton Centre for our residential. The weather unfortunately isn’t on our side today so we had to change our activities to ensure we are kept safe. In our groups we have completed problem solving activities and a fashion design activity where the children had to create outfits from spare pieces of fabric. The children have had lots of fun and created masterpieces that they showed off on the catwalk.
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Year 4 - Webinar with Author James Fox
On Monday, the Year 4 class took part in a live webinar and Q & A session with up-and-coming author James Fox. He talked about his books, including Boy Vs. Reality, and shared ways in which he has drawn inspiration from real life. The children loved the session, especially because they got a few shout outs when their questions were read out and answered during the webinar. It was a truly inspiring session.
Year 4 - Linking Schools: Zoom Call
This week, the Year 4 class had the opportunity to meet their link class from St Matthew’s in Blackburn via a Zoom call. The call began with a brief introduction and a chance to share some Makaton/Sign Supported English they had learned. Together, the children from both classes laughed and played games. They also asked and answered curiosity questions, such as, ‘What after school clubs does your school offer?’ Or, ‘What’s your favourite book, and why?’ It was great to meet our link class and to see who we sent our identity maps to.
Year 3-West End Choreography Workshop-Pinocchio
Today, the entire school was buzzing with creativity as we took part in a fantastic West End Workshop based on the story of Pinocchio. Our guest choreographer, James, was absolutely brilliant, bringing the magic of the theatre directly to our pupils. The children focused on rehearsing and perfecting the second half of the story, working hard to synchronise their movements and add expressive actions to their performances. It was truly amazing to see everything come together during our final whole-school assembly, where the narrative was told through a seamless collaborative performance. Year 3 were truly in their element, showing incredible enthusiasm and confidence throughout the day. Well done to everyone!
Mad Science Assembly-Going for Gold with Scientific Erica
Today, our students were treated to a spectacular, high-energy show by "Scientific Erica" from Mad Science. From Olympic-themed fire demonstrations to using gas to inflate giant balloons, the room was filled with "wow" moments and non-stop laughter. Under the expert supervision of Erica, a trained professional in chemical and fire safety, the children stepped into the role of scientists, making predictions and testing their theories in real-time. It was a memorable day that proved science is as much fun as it is educational! A special shout-out goes to our Science Ambassadors, who were a fantastic help throughout the event. Children in Years 1-4 have been given a letter with information about a Mad Science after school club next half term. It starts 13th April with new topics. Deadline date to register is 03.03.26. First come, first served. https://northengland.madscience.org/signin.aspx?successURL=%2fmyschedule
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.
Author Visit: Sean Perkins
Today we continued to celebrate our national year of reading initiative. We were delighted to welcome local author Sean Perkins to our school. Sean shared his stories about characters Oscar and Ben, and the children thoroughly enjoyed listening to a reading of "Oscar and Ben: The Sleepover," which featured engaging sound effects and pictures. The children also learned a song about the characters and had the opportunity to ask Sean questions at the end of the session. All three of Sean’s books are currently available to purchase via ParentPay. Sean has kindly offered to sign any copies purchased. Thank you Sean for visiting our school.
Year 2 Pantomime Visit - Snow White
Year 2 really enjoyed their visit to the pantomime on Tuesday. Oh no they didn't! Oh yes they did!