Year 1 Maths: Obstacle Course
Year 1 completed a blindfolded obstacle course in Maths. This linked to our current topic Position and Direction. One partner had to use words such as forwards, under, over, left and right to direct their blindfolded partner to the end of the course. It was amazing to see how well they could use these words to explain the directions and the children enjoyed it.
End of Year Awards and Celebration
We ended the year with pride at our annual awards ceremony, celebrating our children who have achieved great things and have been living life in all its fullness. It’s important to recognise that all of our children across school have been on an incredible journey this year and each and everyone one of them should be immensely proud of their accomplishments and the commitments they have shown to our school family. A huge well done to Our award winners this year: Reception - Star of the Year: Coban, Progress Award: Ronan, Children’s Champion: Poppy Y1 - Star of the Year: Marnie-May, Progress Award: Freddie, Children’s Champion: Albie Y2 - Star of the Year: Phoebe, Progress Award: Teddy, Children’s Champion: Joey Y3 - Star of the Year: Harry, Progress Award: Alice, Children’s Champion: Elijah Y4 Star of the Year: Finley, Progress Award: Lana, Children’s Champion: Emily Y5 - Star of the Year: Desmond, Progress Award: Miles, Children’s Champion: Olivia For our specialised awards this year, congratulations to Lottie on her acceptance of the Sharon Kay Kindness Award and Elijah for receiving the Planet Protector Award. What incredible achievements. We then excitedly announced the new roles and responsibilities for the upcoming Year 6 class. Please join us in saying well done to our new Heads, Deputies, Sports Leaders and Play Leaders for next year! Head girl: Olivia Deputy girls: Darcy and Sofia Head boy: Arlo Deputy boys: Desmond and James Sports leaders: Daisy, Alice, Eliza, Charlie, Carted, Ted. Play leaders - Alfie, Alexis, Nevaeh, Elliot, Leo, Peyton, Carmen, Miles, Layla, Heidi, Sonny, Harriet, Eliza, Daisy, Olivia. Lillie, Darcy, Sofia, James, Jack, Luke and Desmond - with more yet to be confirmed! We would also like to say a huge congratulations to our Netball team who came 2nd in the DPSSA Netball, and of course to the Overall Winners for DPSSA Witton Athletics - well done on representing our school amazingly well and your contributions to sports in school. Go Team Barnys! Lastly, we said an emotional Goodbye and Good luck to Miss Kachwalla, a valued and loved member of our school family, who is sadly relocating and leaving this year. It was clear to see what a wonderful impact Miss Kachwalla has had on our school and we thank her for the dedication, love and support she has provided to our children over the last few years. She leaves with a special place in all our hearts, but we know she will continue to shine in her next venture. Thank you Miss Kachwalla, we will miss you dearly!
Year 1 DT: Wacky Windmills
Year 1 made their wacky windmills today and they look absolutely fantastic. They followed their designs carefully and took their time when colouring to make sure they looked amazing. It was impressive to see how quick they were able to put the base together using the cups, plates and tape. Then, they did need some help with the pinwheel, however they really enjoyed testing that out and seeing how fast their windmills span. Well done Year 1!
Year 1 PE: Scoring Goals
Year 1 had a shorter PE session today due to the hotter weather, however it was still very productive. We practised kicking the ball into a target which was hurdles. We split into teams of 4 and tried to score as many goals as we could in 5 minutes. It was amazing to see the children controlling the ball, defending and using some tackling skills they have learnt outside of school.
Year 1 History: Changes In Money
Today, we looked at the differences between money and payments in the past, compared to now. In the past, payments could only be made using cash. Now, we can use cards, phones and even smart watches to pay for things. We also looked closely at symbols on coins in the past, such as knights on horses, Britannia and Alfred the Great, the first King to have his face on a coin. Then, we looked closely at symbols on coins today, such as lions, the Royal Shield and King Charles. The children had to independently sort the money into past and present and find one similarity and difference between them. Many children noticed that money changes to reflect our rulers, symbols and changes in technology.
Year 1 Sports Day
Our Year 1 children took part in a range of exciting races, showing great enthusiasm throughout the day. All of the children participated in an obstacle race, egg and spoon race, sack race and sprint race. A huge well done to all of our amazing children for taking part. Thank you to all of our families for coming along to support and cheer the children on!
Sports Day Parent Races
A huge thank you to all of the parents and carers who joined in with our races today! It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces taking part and creating such a fun atmosphere for the children to enjoy. The cheering, laughing and friendly competition made for some brilliant memories.
Year 1 to Year 2 Transition Day
Year 1 had a fantastic day transitioning into Year 2. Mrs Hegarty and I were so impressed by their beautiful manners, positive attitudes and willingness to tackle every task with enthusiasm. We had lots of fun playing Phase 5 Phonics Bingo, writing silly sentences using Phase 5 sounds, enjoying a parachute game to help us get to know them all, creating self-portraits, and reading ‘The Dot’ by Peter Reynolds before completing a related activity inspired by the story. We are so looking forward to welcoming them all to Year 2 in September!
Whole School Worship with Bishop Philip
We were thrilled to welcome Bishop Philip into our wonderful school this week. When he arrived, the Year 6 pupils treated him to a VIP performance of one of their favourite songs from their end of year production. Bishop Philip then led a special worship in which the children helped him with a lively retelling of the story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den. The children loved joining in with the actions and helping Daniel with his dilemma of whether to go against the king and continue praying to God, or to worship only the king. The children were then tasked with identifying the message in the story and they gave some thought-provoking answers about trusting in God even when it’s difficult and knowing God will look after you. Mrs Ham later took Bishop Philip on a tour of the school where he invited each class to ask questions about his role in the Diocese of Blackburn.
Year 1: Panda Paramedics
Today, Year 1 had a fantastic visit from Panda Paramedics, where we learned all about first aid and the important role of paramedics. We began by learning that paramedics drive ambulances and help people who are hurt or very unwell. We also discussed that 999 should only be called in an emergency and learned about the different emergency services that may respond, including the police, firefighters, paramedics and coastguard. We found out that when calling 999, it is important to know your location, such as your home address, so help can reach you quickly. We then explored what first aid is – helping someone or yourself in the very first instance until further help arrives. The children were reminded of the first aid skills they have previously learned, including helping someone who is choking, performing chest compressions, applying pressure to heavy bleeding and placing someone in the recovery position. We discussed how practising these skills now helps us become more confident as we grow older, while also understanding that children should always ask a trusted adult for help, such as a parent, grandparent, teacher, auntie, uncle or older sibling. We also talked about the importance of making sure we are safe before helping someone else. The children learned how to treat different injuries: For a grazed knee, they learned to wash their hands, clean the wound with water or an antiseptic wipe and apply a plaster. For a deep cut, they practised applying pressure to stop the bleeding before cleaning and bandaging the wound. They had the opportunity to practise putting on bandages, taking care not to touch the sterile dressing and wrapping the bandage securely. We also learned how to support a broken arm using a sling and enjoyed practising putting slings on each other. Finally, we discussed allergic reactions, recognising signs such as swollen lips, a rash and difficulty breathing. The children learned that these can be life-threatening and practised using an EpiPen trainer on the Panda Paramedics’ toy pandas. We are incredibly proud that Year 1 achieved their Bronze First Aid Award! The children also will bring home a worksheet about calling 999 and we have been given a story to reinforce everything they learned during this exciting and valuable session. Well done, Year 1, for your fantastic listening, enthusiasm and teamwork throughout the morning!
Year 1 History: Packaging in the Past
Year 1 compared differences between packaging in the past and packaging now. We noticed that in the past, they used lots of paper, metal and glass to package their items. They were particularly shocked to find out that fish and chip shops used to sell their food in newspaper from the previous day. Then, we noticed that most packaging now is made from plastic. Year 1 shared that plastic is better to store food in as it keeps it fresh for longer, you can see what items are inside the packaging, it is waterproof and stronger than other materials. However, some children noticed that packaging from the past was better for the environment. For example, paper is better for the environment when recycled and metal tins can be reused. We also discussed that milk men deliver their milk in glass bottles, which can be washed and reused again. We agreed that although plastic packaging is good for some things, we should use more environmentally friendly materials when we can. For example, buying Bags for Life when shopping rather than purchasing plastic bags and throwing them away. Year 1 also had a go at wrapping items in paper and using string, as they would not have tape. It was good practice for them with tying knots and some children could even tie bows!
Year 1 Maths: Partitioning Numbers to 100
Year 1 used fantastic mathematical skills when partitioning numbers to 100. They had two piles of cards, a tens pile and a ones pile. They had to pick a card from each pile and put them together to make a whole. They had to write how many tens they had and how many ones. Some children also noticed that, for example, having 7 tens and 10 ones would make 80, using their tens times tables to help them. Miss Woods was very impressed with how quickly they were able to work out the wholes.