Friday Celebration Worship
Today, we started our celebration worship by reflecting on another busy week in school. This week, our school staff have had some Makaton training which was wonderful and we can’t wait to roll some of the key signs out across school. We’ve also enjoyed some fantastic Life Education sessions led by Karen and Harold the Giraffe and Reception, Year 1, 2 and 4 have continued with their wonderful dance and gymnastics sessions led by Rothwell Arts. We then congratulated Hadi, Samuel and Eve in EYFS and KS1 and Joshua, Layla, Millie and Will in KS2 for demonstrating an outstanding attitude to learning, pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and always showing our Christian Values of respect, friendship and courage. Furthermore, we congratulated Reception and Year 6 on being our amazing attendance winners this week, River Darwen as our overall value award winners this week with 304 points and our Year 5/6 football team who represented our school amazingly well last night in the DPSSA football league winning 6-2 in their first game and 7-1 in their second game and achieving 2nd place overall- well done boys! We then congratulated Ava for being awarded ‘Star of the Day’ at Multi-Sports Club, Olly for swimming an incredible 50m, Samuel for developing his confidence in swimming and swimming with only a one-arm disc, Grace for achieving a distinction in her ballet exam and a platinum award for scoring 90 or marks in her classical ballet exam, Eliza for being a phenomenal horse rider, Sofia for achieving ‘Star of the Week’ at musical theatre and Millie for being awarded with her a Stage 1 swimming certificate. We then heard from our well-being warriors who launched a competition. They are inviting our whole school to design a badge for our ‘WOW’ campaign. The theme for this is ‘Walk With Joy’ and the designs must be big, bold and colourful. There will be a winner in each year group (Rec-Year 6) who will receive a special prize from Mrs Gardener and the well-being warriors and the overall top 5 designs will be sent off, printed and made into one of the ‘WOW’ badges for the 2025/2026 ‘Walking to School’ campaign. Examples of badge designs could include wildlife or pets, local buildings or landmarks and hobbies. We also heard from our Rotakids in Year 5 who told us about a non-uniform day that we will be having next Friday 31st January to raise funds for food, shelter and first aid supplies for those in America who are being affected by the LA wildfires. Please make a minimum donation of £1 for this worthy cause. To end our worship, we had some beautiful prayers from Archie, Max and Phoebe who prayed for those less fortunate than ourselves, including those in America who are amidst the wildfires and having to live through fear and heartbreak. We then sang our 'Life in all its fullness' song and thanked those who could attend celebration worship. We thank the rest of our school family for all of your continued support. We wish you all a lovely weekend.
Choir - Let’s Go Sing Workshop
Today our Choir took part in their final workshop with Gaynor in preparation for the Let’s Go Sing concert in March. The children are working really hard on the lyrics to each song and Gaynor was super impressed with their confidence, enthusiasm and actions. As we’ve said before, we are certainly a small but mighty choir! I’m sure they are going to blow us all away when they perform on the second biggest stage in the world at Blackpool Winter Gardens, and we can’t wait to watch them singing their hearts out.
Year 3- English- Identifying features of a playscript
In English, Year 3 looked at what makes a playscript and how it’s different from a regular story. To get ready for writing their own playscripts based on the film Soar, they worked with familiar stories like Jack and the Beanstalk, The Gingerbread Man, and Little Red Riding Hood. There were plenty of giggles as they acted out different parts, which really helped them think about how to make things exciting for an audience, use stage directions, and figure out timing and scenes.
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Rotakids Non-uniform day to support those affected by the LA fires.
As part of Year 5 RotaKids, we are determined to make a difference and support the 180,000 people who have been affected and forced to flee their homes due to the devastating LA wildfires. On Friday, 31st January, RotaKids will be hosting a non-uniform day to raise money for those impacted by this tragic event. We encourage everyone to get involved by wearing their favourite clothes and contributing to this important cause. We kindly ask for a minimum donation of £1, but any additional contributions will be greatly appreciated. This will be available on parent pay next week. Every penny raised will go towards helping families rebuild their lives and providing essential supplies to those in need. This is a wonderful opportunity to teach our children the value of helping others and making a positive impact on the world around us. Thank you for your generosity and support, Year 5 RotaKids
Worship with Rev. Ben
Today’s worship with Rev. Ben began with a lively game of Captain’s Orders. In the game, forgiveness was straightforward—a simple cue to face the window—but in real life, forgiving someone is often much harder. Rev. Ben explained that one of the things Jesus taught us is that forgiveness can be challenging because we may not always have the right perspective. The children then listened to The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, which highlighted that true forgiveness comes from the heart. Through this parable, Jesus illustrated the importance of showing others the same grace and forgiveness that we receive. Afterward, the children engaged in a thoughtful discussion, exploring key questions such as: What did Jesus want people to learn about forgiveness from the parable? and How could this story help you in situations where you need to forgive others? The discussion encouraged the children to reflect on the value of forgiveness and how it can bring peace to their lives and relationships.
Year 3- Meet the Brain!
This afternoon, Year 3 enjoyed a visit from the Life Education Van, led by Karen. She shared fascinating insights about how our brains work and emphasised the importance of energy, oxygen, and exercise to keep them healthy. The children were also delighted to reunite with Harold the Giraffe, who made a special appearance after last year’s visit. Harold was impressed by how much the children had grown and commented on their maturity.
Year 3- Class Meeting-Big Debate Club | Should schools teach basic survival skills?
The Communication Team organised an exciting debate for the entire school this week. The topic: Should schools teach us basic survival skills? Lottie led the session, while Joshua took notes. The groups explored the importance of survival skills, such as building a fire, navigating using a map and compass, and handling first aid emergencies. They said these skills could help us stay safe in tricky situations and be more independent. One group, of students said we don’t need those skills right now because we have mobile phones to help us . But then someone pointed out—what happens if your phone dies and you’re stuck with no battery? We are now waiting to find out the winning vote.
Year 3- Art- Weaving inspired by Anni Albers
This afternoon in Art, Year 3 explored weaving techniques inspired by artist Anni Albers. Using thick card as their base, the children created woven pieces with wool and ribbon. To deepen their understanding, the children watched short video clips demonstrating various weaving methods and their historical significance: 'Carpet Weaving' 'Hand Weaving' 'Palm Weaving' These clips highlighted the long tradition of weaving, which has been practiced for thousands of years, using a wide range of materials, from natural threads to modern synthetic fibers. Before starting their projects, the children referred to the mood boards. They carefully selected a colour that matched the themes or emotions reflected in their boards. When weaving, they alternated the wool and ribbon strips in an under-over-under-over pattern, ensuring each piece was pushed tightly into the weave. They continued this process, repeating the pattern, until all the strips were integrated into their designs. They were thrilled with the outcome and in awe with they created.
After-school- Foodie Friends Club- Yummy, fruit scones.
In Foodie Club today, KS2 bakers made some delicious fruit scones. They did a great job weighing out the flour and adding just the right amount of sugar. They mixed in sultanas, then rubbed the butter into the flour. After that, they rolled out the dough and used cutters to shape their scones. Everyone had a brilliant time, and the best part -they got to take their scones home while they were still hot from the oven.
Friday Celebration Worship
Today, we started our Celebration Worship by reflecting on another busy week in school. This week, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and thought about how we can all make a positive difference in our world. We have enjoyed focusing on the theme of building each other up as part of our Year of Prayer, Reception, Year 1, 2 and 4 have enjoyed dance and gymnastics sessions led by Rothwell Arts. Reception have enjoyed a visit from Rev Ben to learn about the role of a vicar and we have enjoyed various after-school clubs such as basketball, multi-sports, foodie club, Rocksteady and choir. We then congratulated Will, Hollie and Charlie in EYFS and KS1 and Arabelle, Daisy, Charlie and Rosie in KS2 for making a fantastic start to the Spring term by working extremely hard across the curriculum, always striving to improve and demonstrating our Christian Values and the Barny’s 4Bs. Furthermore, we congratulated Year 2 and Year 5 on being our amazing attendance winners this week, India Mill as our overall value award winners this week with 750 points and our Year 5/6 football team who represented our school amazingly well last night in the DPSSA football league against Ashleigh and St James’. We then congratulated Ella for achieving her Stage 2 swimming certificate for swimming across the pool with no armbands, Freddie for being awarded with his 10m swimming certificate, Callie for achieving her Stage 5 swimming certificate, Thomas for swimming an incredible 50m, Lyla for being a super gymnast and achieving a silver medal, Haydn for being awarded a huge gold trophy for his skilful tackling in football, Lydia for being awarded with Olivia at Rainbows for showing super respect and tidying up, Leonora and Iris for participating in a recent gymnastic competition and demonstrating great skill and Brooke for being selected for Blackburn Rovers Girls’ team. To end our worship, we prayed for peace in the world and said thank you for all of the things that we are lucky enough to have. We then sang ‘Build Up’ and thanked those who could attend celebration worship. We thank the rest of our school family for all of your continued support and we wish you all a lovely weekend.
Year 3- Online Safety-TikTok
This afternoon, Year 3 discussed the TikTok app. Many children mentioned that they were unfamiliar with it or only used it under parental supervision. We explored the app's features, such as creating and sharing short videos, adding music, and using effects and filters. The children worked in small groups to discuss its advantages, such as creativity and entertainment, as well as potential risks and why it is age-restricted. This helped them understand the importance of using apps responsibly and with guidance.
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Year 3- P.E- Gymnastics-Demonstrate balances on 2 and 3 points of the body.
Year 3 began their gymnastics unit this afternoon focused on balance and movement. To start, they practised balancing on one leg, extending the other leg backwards with a pointed foot, and then switching sides. We discussed the quality of a good balance, emphasising the importance of stillness. Next, the children explored balancing on four points (two hands and two feet) and discussed whether it felt easier and why. They then experimented with balancing on smaller body parts, trying positions with 1, 2, 3, or 4 points of contact. It was a fantastic start to the gymnastics unit, with plenty of creativity, teamwork, and fun.