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.
Reception: Visiting our Spiritual Garden
Today we are celebrating outdoor classroom day. Reception class are always on the go but we had a wonderful time to sit and reflect in our spiritual garden during our collective worship time. This serene outdoor space was perfect for our children to contemplate love, gratitude, and remembrance. The children were encouraged to reflect on the people they love to foster empathy and connection. The children said that they loved their family, friends and teachers. They also expressed gratitude for God’s beautiful creation, a reminder of the wonders that surround us daily. Beau said that she loved God, Ralphi said he loved the planet, Evie said she could hear the trees blowing in the wind and Oliver said he could hear the birds singing during our moments of silence. We then remembered our poppies and why we were wearing them. Will told everybody it was to remember the soldiers in the war. The class took a moment to remember the soldiers as a sign of respect. As a symbolic gesture, the children used a bubble machine to release bubbles into the sky to heaven. The children really enjoyed this spiritual experience and we are looking forward to the next time we can visit the garden.
Reception - Remembrance Poppies
Reception have been super busy creating poppies in our different areas for Remembrance Day. We will be learning about why the Poppy is an important symbol and why this is remembered each year.
Year 4 - How did Britons respond to the Roman invasion?
In our history lesson, we continued to focus on Roman Britain. Today we were introduced to Queen Boudicca who was Queen of the Iceni Tribe when the Romans invaded. We shared both primary and secondary sources, discussing how these portrayed Boudicca in different ways. To finish the lesson we created visual representations of Queen Boudicca.
Year 1- The Great Fire of London
This week in history, Year 1 have been learning about the Great Fire of London. They have been learning about where London is, why the Great Fire of London was a significant event and what happened on 2nd September 1666 and the days following it. They did a fantastic job at listening to and acting out the story and then filling in the gaps to an incomplete story of the Great Fire of London. They are excited about being able to act this out independently in our role play area next week. Well done Year 1!
Reception: Bonfire and Firework Safety
This week the children in Reception have been learning all about Bonfire night. They learnt how Guy Fawkes planned to kill the king using gunpowder. His plan failed and we now celebrate Bonfire night to remember. The children have learnt how to keep safe around bonfires and fireworks. We then created bonfires using playdough and fireworks using pens, pegboards, sand and paint.
Reception: Muddy Monday
Today for Reception’s Muddy Monday session, the children walked to Jacks Key. To celebrate bonfire night, the children collected twigs, sticks and leaves to create their own bonfires. The children had to work together as a team and did a brilliant job.
Year 4- Why did the Romans invade Britain?
Today we started our new history unit ‘Romans in Britain’. We looked at what an invasion is and explored vocabulary such as empire, celts, enslaved and chronology. The children highlighted key dates on a timeline from 55BC when Julius Caesar unsuccessfully invaded Britain, right up to AD 410 when the Roman army left. Finally we looked at the key reasons for the Romans wanting to invade Britain which included sourcing metals, natural resources and better farmland.
Year 4 - English: Researching Pompeii
It’s a new term and the start of a new English topic. All of our English this half term is based on the Romans, starting with a story with a historical setting - Escape From Pompeii. We began our topic by conducting keyword searches in order to find out a bit more about Pompeii back in 79AD and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Year 5 - History
This week, Year 5 stepped into the role of historians to explore the fascinating decline of the Mayan civilisation. The children examined multiple theories as to why this once-thriving society no longer exists, including deforestation, overpopulation, breakdown of trade routes, warfare, drought, and water shortage. After investigating each possibility in depth, the children ranked these theories in groups and conducted further research to determine what they believed to be the primary cause. It was an engaging way for them to develop critical thinking skills, analyse historical evidence, and consider the complex factors that contribute to the rise and fall of the Mayan civilisation.
Year 3- English- History-Understanding Mummification Through Experiment
In History, this afternoon, Year 3 continued their learning on the Ancient Egyptians with a writing stimulus focused on mummification. To support their writing unit, where they’ll explain the mummification process, the children “mummified” an orange. They cut the orange in half and removed the inside (representing the internal organs), then carefully dried it using a mixture of salt and baking soda. After removing the insides of the orange (just like the Ancient Egyptians removed internal organs), the children carefully dried the inside of the orange using salt and baking soda. This mixture acted like the natron salt the Egyptians used to preserve bodies by drawing out moisture. Next, they filled the orange with more salt and baking soda to prevent decay and dryness. Finally, they wrapped the orange carefully in strips of cloth to resemble linen bandages, just as the Egyptians would have wrapped their mummies. Over the coming days, the oranges will be left to sit, allowing the "mummification" process to take effect. The children will observe any changes and use this experience to help explain the process of mummification in their upcoming writing unit.
Year 4 - The Great Big Live Assembly
On Tuesday morning, Year 4 joined the rest of the school and over 1000 other schools across the country for the Great Big Live Assembly online. The assembly was a celebration of Black History Month in which we heard from various black celebrities as they talked about people from the black community who have inspired them. There was a quiz about historical figures and a short interview with children from a UK primary school who said we should all be proud of who we are.