Worship with Rev. Matt
Today’s worship with Rev. Matt began with an engaging vote about which activities take the most time to prepare for. Rev. Matt then shared a parable told by Jesus, illustrating how we pray and connect with God. The story featured two men who went to a temple to pray: a Pharisee, who proudly listed his good deeds and a tax collector, who humbly asked for forgiveness. The children reflected on the contrasting attitudes of the two men, learning that prayer is not about boasting but about speaking honestly and sincerely with God. Rev. Matt emphasised a powerful message from the parable: Those who make themselves great will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be made great. This served as a reminder to approach life with humility and gratitude, encouraging the children to think about how they communicate with God and with others.
.png)
Year 3- R.E- A Sensory Story- The man lowered through the roof
During our R.E lesson today, we explored into a 'Sensory Story' about the man who was lowered through the roof to reach Jesus. To bring this narrative to life, the children engaged in a role-play. We used props such as stretchers, small figurines representing the friends carrying the man, and a blue mat symbolising the ground after Jesus instructed the paralyzed man, 'Get up and go home.' The children used their imaginations to fully immerse themselves in the story through a multi-sensory experience involving touch, sound, and movement. To express their gratitude and praise to God, the children joyfully waved colorful ribbons.
Whole School Worship - Who Is My Neighbour?
In our collective worship, we were considering the question, “Who is my neighbour?” We discussed what it means to love your neighbour as yourself (as mentioned in parts of the Bible such as Leviticus and the Gospel according to Mark) and that there are times when it can be incredibly difficult. In hearing about the life of Martin Luther King Jr, as today is Martin Luther King Jr Day, we discovered that, even when it feels impossible to love our neighbour, when we are mistreated, ignored or disrespected as he and other black people have been, we must try harder to follow God’s greatest commandment, just like Martin did. Our children considered this and spent some time reflecting on the Christian Values that Martin demonstrated and the ways that they would like to make the world a better place and make a difference. Some of the children’s examples included: protecting nature, making peace when we have disagreements, putting a stop to pollution and eradicating poverty. We finished with prayers thanking God for Martin Luther King Jr and all that he did to the make the world a better place and asked Him to give us the courage to stand up for what is right. Rev Ben finished with a special blessing and we sang 'I can make a difference'.
Year 3- Class Worship- Pour your heart out with prayers
In our class worship today, we watched a Worship Together across the Diocese video with a story about Hannah from the Bible. This story teaches us that we can pour out our hearts to God in prayer, and he always listens. Some children prayed to be kind and helpful to others, to make good choices, to have the courage to try new things and for there to be peace in the world Bishop Philip also spoke about how prayer gives us hope.
Year 3- Art- Making a Mood Board
Year 3 budding artists created their mood boards today, using a selection of items. Through this activity, they expressed their personalities and showcased what was important to them. Their choices included pictures of their families, symbols representing their favourite sports or hobbies, images of their role models, and drawings or stickers of school-related themes. Some even added items representing their love for nature, like leaves, flowers, or favourite colours and patterns. They were also able to explain their choices and the significance behind them, sharing what makes each aspect meaningful to them.
Collective Worship- Year of Prayer
This morning in our Collective Worship we focused on our prayer for this week of the Year of Prayer from Blackburn Diocese. We discussed and shared our responsibilities in school and at home such as cleaning our rooms, loading the dishwasher, helping look after younger siblings, helping with the cooking and cleaning, counting values points (Heads and Deputies) and planning and leading sports events (Sports Leaders) . We then said together a special prayer for our responsibilities and discussed how God is always with us during those responsibilities and having a smile on face whilst carrying them out benefits others. Mrs Ham then shared the responsibility of selecting songs to sing and choosing children to demonstrate the actions at the front. The children chose to sing 'Life is always better when we share it with each other', 'Waymaker' 'My Lighthouse' and 'Build Up'. Build up is also the theme for our class Year of Prayer this week too. Our WOW group members informed each class of the special build up prayers they would be saying this week.
Foodie Friends club- Puff pastry pizzas
Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 had the best time at Foodie Club today. The chefs got creative making delicious puff pastry pizzas. They chopped tomatoes and pineapples, and some even bravely tried fresh basil for the first time. Everyone loved choosing their toppings, including sweetcorn, pineapple, fresh basil, cheese, tomato paste, and cherry tomatoes sprinkled with oregano. They went down an absolute treat.
Year 3- P.E- Mastering the Art of Dodging.
Year 3 began their new P.E. unit on tag and target games today by learning the fundamental skill of dodging. To practice, they played a fun game called Ice Monster Tag. In this game, a few children were designated as Ice Monsters, holding softballs, while others became 'Fire Gods' with red air balls. The rest of the children had to dodge and avoid being tagged by the Ice Monsters. When tagged, players stood still with their hands ready to catch a ball, waiting for a Fire God to unfreeze them. To make things more interesting, the next round introduced safe areas, marked with mats, where players could avoid being tagged. The class then worked together to decide on fair rules for the safe areas, such as how long a player could stay there, what to do if someone else wanted the space, and how many safe places to include. It was a fantastic start to the unit, great teamwork from Year 3.
Year 3- Archery and Axe Throwing
This afternoon, the children had a great time learning archery and axe throwing. In archery, they practised their stance, learned how to nock an arrow, and aimed at the target, it was great watching their skills improve with every shot. They also gave axe throwing a go, working on their accuracy and focus.
Year 3- English- Identifying features of a shape poem
This week in English, Year 3 have been identifying features of shape poems. To get the children inspired, I read some shape poems aloud, and they used their whiteboards to draw the amazing images that popped into their minds. They were incredibly creative. We also identified key features of shape poems, such as how their shape reflects the subject matter and how they often use vivid language to bring the poem to life. The children read a variety of shape poems, including examples like a mountain, a tree, a snowflake, and a raindrop, which helped the children understand how these unique forms can enhance the meaning and impact of a poem.
Year 3- R.E- How did the arrival of Jesus change the world?
This afternoon in R.E, we explored the meaning of the word 'Emmanuel,' which means 'God with us.' We then listened to the lyrics of the song 'Emmanuel, God with Us' and created a list of what Christians believe about Jesus based on the song's message. We then engaged in a discussion about how Christians believe Jesus continues to make a significant impact on the world today. Some of the suggestions were, he provides us with hope, inspires individuals to live good lives and help others, and teaches us the importance of loving everyone. To further illustrate the concept of God's presence in our lives, we watched a captivating video of the traditional tale of Papa Pános, a heartwarming story that beautifully demonstrates how God is always with us.
Worship with Rev. Ben- God is always listening
Rev. Ben's worship began with an engaging activity exploring creative ways to get people's attention. The children enthusiastically shared their ideas, suggesting: making gestures, creating signs, standing up, dancing, doing something funny, shouting names and waving. Rev. Ben then transitioned to discussing how, in Jesus' day, people had various ways of trying to get God's attention. He explained that Jesus told his people that it was very simple to get God to listen. The children watched a short clip that highlighted some of the ways people believed they could gain God's attention. They concluded that God is always listening, no matter what and that Jesus taught there’s no need for special rituals to communicate with God. Instead, Jesus encouraged everyone to talk to God anytime, anywhere and to speak to God like a friend. Following this, the children engaged in a thoughtful discussion. They explored the question, "What did Jesus say we should do when we pray?" and shared their personal responses to the idea, "If you could ask God for one thing, what would it be?" This reflection helped deepen their understanding of prayer and the nature of their relationship with God.