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Year 6 Debt Aware Money Skills Session
Year 6 completed module 6 of Money Matters, this week. This was all based around enterprise - a project or activity which is difficult, complicated or potentially risky. The children learned that an enterprising person is independent, positive, hard-working and resilient and looked at some famous examples. They also discussed what is involved in setting up your own business.
Year 5 - Money Matters
On Wednesday, Year 5 took part in their final session of the Money Matters programme, bringing to a close a fantastic series of lessons focused on financial education. The children have developed their understanding of key money concepts and today they explored the roles of banks, the importance of saving and how to make informed choices when spending. Through interactive discussions and real-life scenarios, the children reflected on how money is used in everyday life and why budgeting is a valuable life skill.
Year 1 Attend the Children’s Literature Festival at Darwen Library
Today, Year 1 had an exciting adventure at the Children’s Literature Festival 2025, held at Darwen Library—and what a fantastic time they had! They had the wonderful opportunity to meet the delightful author Saira Shah, who engaged the children with her inspiring story Super Nani and Captain Yaz. The book explores the heartwarming beginning of a unique friendship between two characters—Yasmin and her Nani—who speak different languages, English and Punjabi. Despite the language barrier, they found a magical way to communicate through gestures, key words, and a dash of imagination, all with the help of Yasmin’s favourite superheroes and a special rag doll. Following the story, we continued with the superhero theme. Our Year 1 children were given a thrilling mission. A meteor was hurtling toward Earth, threatening to erase all the wonderful books in the library. To save the day, the children had to transform into superheroes—choosing their own superhero names and special powers. Working together, they rose to the challenge and saved the library from disaster. A huge thank you to Darwen Library for inviting us to the Children’s Literature Festival 2025, and to the wonderful Saira Shah for inspiring our children and helping to spark a love of reading. We’re excited to share that Saira Shah will be launching her book at Waterstones Blackburn on Saturday, June 28 at 11am. All children are warmly invited to join a special Storytime session, followed by superhero fun! If today’s excitement is anything to go by, it promises to be a wonderful event.
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Year 3- Celebrating Literature Festival at Darwen Library
Today, as part of the Children's Literature Festival, Year 3 went on an exciting adventure, walking to Darwen Library to meet the wonderful Blackburn-born author, Christina Gabbitas. She shared a fascinating glimpse into her background, highlighting the importance of living life to its fullest. Christina also spoke about her love for audiobooks, explaining how she enjoys listening to stories. The children then had the amazing opportunity to read one of her powerful poems about saving our oceans aloud. Christina also captivated us by reading a section of her book, 'Believe in Magic', using wonderful expression in her voice that brought the story to life. Christina generously gave every child a signed copy of her book, 'Believe in Magic'! It was a truly inspiring session!
Year 2 - Literacy Workshop at Darwen Library
On Tuesday afternoon, Year 2 students were very fortunate as they had the opportunity to attend a workshop by Donovan Christopher at Darwen Library. Donovan is a rapper, singer, author, and poet all in one, and the children got to see a little bit of everything he can do. As a whole class, we created a rap with instruments and rhymes, which was amazing. Then Donovan read some of his favourite poems to us and allowed some children to read them to the whole class. It was amazing to see the children participate in something they wouldn’t normally and learn new skills along the way.
Reception: Muddy Monday
Reception class have had a fabulous time at Whitehall park. The children found treasures, built dens and bug hotels, found minibeasts, balanced and climbed trees too! It was lovely to hear the children's excited voices amongst the trees and they really enjoyed getting muddy too! The rain certainly didn't spoil a fabulous afternoon of living life in all its fullness!
Year 4 - Linking Schools: Visit One
The Year 4 class were excited to welcome their link class from St Matthew’s on Monday. They started the day telling their visitors what they love about our wonderful school and about Darwen. They spent the day in teams collaborating and sharing through building towers and taking part in team games. We are so proud of how well our children welcomed their new friends. They were polite and accommodating and everyone had a wonderful day. We are looking forward to going to St Matthew’s for visit day two.
Year 3- R.E-A Special Visitor: Learning About Judaism
Over the past two weeks in RE, Year 3 have explored different world faiths, learning about the similarities and differences within Sikhism, Buddhism, Islam, and Humanism. Today, we were fortunate to have Lennox's aunt, a follower of Judaism, visit our class. She shared insights into the history of her religion and spoke about her visit to Palestine. The children engaged thoughtfully, asking many insightful questions, such as what inspired her to embrace Judaism, why pork is not consumed in her faith, and the significance of Saturday as their special day.
Reception- Muddy Monday
Today during our Muddy Monday session, we went minibeast exploring in Jack’s Key. The children used magnifying glasses and Petri dishes to take a closer look at the amazing minibeasts our local area has to offer. They were excited to discover a variety of tiny creatures, including worms, spiders, and woodlice, carefully observing their features and movements.
Reception- Muddy Monday
During our Muddy Monday session, the children also put up their shelter, using nearby trees to help anchor and support the structure. They worked together to stretch and secure the materials, thinking carefully about how to make it stable, while also looking for mini beasts.
Year 3-Living Life to the Fullest at Rock and River
What an unforgettable day at Rock and River! Today, Year 3 embarked on their exciting class trip to Rock and River, a day filled with challenge, adventure, and growth. The aim of the day was to step outside comfort zones, try new experiences, and explore personal potential, and the children did exactly that! From the Low Ropes Course, climbing wall, and air bag jump, to Rafted Canoes, Sit-on-Top Kayaks, Paddle Boards, and the Mega Paddle Boards, every child embraced the challenges with enthusiasm and bravery. What made the day special was the way the children supported one another. There was a wonderful sense of encouragement, respect, and team spirit, with friendships strengthened through shared experiences and mutual celebration of each other’s efforts. Throughout the day, the children truly lived life to the fullest, laughing, learning, and pushing beyond their fears. Just as importantly, they embodied the Christian values at the heart of our school: courage, friendship and encouragement. It was a day of lifelong memories, an example of what can be achieved when we believe in ourselves and lift each other. A huge well done to every single one of them, they should be incredibly proud! All of the photos will be added to this album shortly: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/year-3-rock-and-river-2024-25
Reception Farm Visit
Today, the Reception class had a special visitor – Farmer Steph! She brought a very cute, two-week-old lamb named Olly and two chicks for the children to see. Steph talked about what it's like to look after farm animals and the jobs she has to do. The children learned that pigs are surprisingly good at digging and help turn over the soil on the farm and their chickens each lay one egg every day! Thank you to Nightingale Farm for sharing their animals with us.