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Design Technology Products
Good afternoon parents and carers, our children have been working really hard on their design and technology skills over the last few weeks to create products that can bought at our Christmas Fair. They are available to purchase on parent pay for £2.00 each, which will help to cover some of the cost of the materials used. Reception: Wooden christmas decorations Year 1: Christmas moving books Year 2 : Christmas puppets Year 3: Christmas pouches Year 4: Christmas stockings Year 5: Christmas cushions Year 6: Christmas loop games
Whole School Celebration Worship
This week has been full of joy, community and Christmas spirit across our school! We started our celebration worship by lighting our first Advent candle together. Mrs Ham also thanked all the children and staff for decorating Christmas trees across school and highlighted a special moment when Phoebe, our youngest child in school, put the star on top of the tree in the school hall. We also said a huge well done to Reception who did an incredible Nativity performance. We also celebrated a couple of children who proudly represented our school at a local care home, singing for the residents and spreading Christmas cheer. We also had a fantastic time at the pantomime this week so a big thanks to Mrs Wilkinson for organising it. This week, our Values Awards were presented to the following children: all of Reception for their fantastic performance, Eleanor in Year 1, Teddy in Year 2, James in Year 3, Arabelle in Year 4, Sophia in Year 5 and Isabelle in Year 6. These children have been working so hard, following our 4’Bs and demonstrating Christian values. Mr Mealor also awarded Alexis, Miles, James, Harriet and Charlie with pen licenses for excellent progress in their handwriting. We also celebrated our Team Values Points with India Mill finishing in fourth place, River Darwen in third place, Whitehall Park in second place and Darwen Tower in first place! Mr Bloomfield also announced our first Times Table Rock Stars Winners: Charlie in Year 3, James in Year 4, Ivy in Year 5 and Charlie in Year 6. Our overall winners were Year 6! Well done. We are very proud of all the children who received special sports awards this week. Ava received Squirrel of the Week for her kindness. Zachary achieved his Stage 2 swimming certificate. Charlie was named Player of the Week for his excellent goal scoring. Desmond and Iris both competed in swimming events and placed in the top three, earning several medals. Thea was recognised for her fantastic balancing skills in gymnastics. Olivia was awarded the Olivia doll at Rainbows for her hard work. Vienna achieved her Stage 5 swimming certificate for completing 400m. Finn was named Player of the Week for his good passing skills. Willow achieved an impressive 19 skills in gymnastics. Luna earned the red belt in kickboxing. James received the Wilson Cup Trophy after finishing second with fewer players and also swam an impressive 50 metres. Grace was celebrated for helping others and persevering. Mollie was awarded the Claire doll for being helpful. Jack earned Captain of the Month for his encouragement, discipline and leadership. Tristan earned both his blue and purple belts in kickboxing and completed three minutes of continuous punching. Harriet was praised for her amazing progress in MMA. Lilly achieved a distinction in her Grade 1 acting school exam. Lila reached the finals of a dance competition, placing first in improv, first in commercial and second in lyrical. Our KS2 football team also showed great resilience this week. After losing their first match 7-0, they came back stronger to draw 2-2 in their next game. The winners of the Walk to School Challenge was also won by Reception, well done! We also celebrated our attendance winners this week which are Year 2 and Year 3. We have several exciting events coming up. The Lantern Parade will take place this Saturday in Whitehall Park. Our Christmas Fayre will be held next Wednesday in the school hall. The Christmas Carol Service will take place next Sunday. We also have an Advent Art competition with submissions open until Wednesday. Year 1 and Year 2 are performing their Christmas Cracker Show on Thursday and Friday. Year 1 are continuing to collect Christmas Hamper donations for the Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise. We are so proud of our wonderful children and look forward to another week of joy and celebration through our Advent journey.
DPSSA Football League
Some super game play this evening down at the DPSSA Football League at Witton. Our first game was against Ashleigh when we unfortunately lost 7-0 . Our second game was against Holy Trinity and through pure grit and determination we can away with a draw.
Snow White Pantomime
The children had a brilliant time today at Blackburn Empire Theatre. The whole school watched Snow White. It was wonderful to see their faces light up, Christmas is in full swing at St Barnabas! All of the photos will be uploaded shortly to here: https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-galleries/snow-white-pantomime
KS2 Football Practice
Today’s football session focused on using bounce back players to create overloads, giving the children the chance to develop their passing accuracy, movement off the ball and tactical awareness. They worked on making quick decisions, supporting teammates and finding space to keep possession under pressure.
Y6 Whole School Pantomime - Snow White
Today, the whole school enjoyed a visit to a Snow White pantomime. The children were captivated by the lively performances, music and humour. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season together.
Year 5/6 Sportshall Athletics Trials
Our first Sportshall Athletics trial for Years 5 and 6 took place this week. The children mainly worked on their field events such as chest push, javelin, ling jump and triple jump. They developed their techniques by working on hip thrust and swinging their arms when jumping. We finished with sprint relays and the children really encouraged each other and thoroughly enjoyed the session.
Year 6 - Loop Games
Year 6 have been working incredibly hard on their DT projects in preparation for the Christmas Fair and their final creations are fantastic. This year, the children designed and made their own loop games, carefully planning and constructing the electrical circuits before testing and refining their designs. Each game has been beautifully decorated and enclosed within a Christmas globe, giving the classic steady-hand challenge a festive twist.
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Year 6 - Wreath Designs
This week, Year 6 have created their own Christmas wreaths to present in church, sharing with the whole school what we have been learning during Advent. Each wreath includes the symbol of Jesus’ everlasting circle, reminding us of His eternal love and presence. The children also wrote their own kenning poems about hope—a key theme of Advent—which they displayed proudly as part of their wreaths. Their thoughtful work beautifully reflects the meaning and message of this special season.
KS2 DPSSA Football League
Tonight, the boys played brilliantly in this week’s DPSSA league fixtures. They showed great teamwork and determination throughout both matches. Although they narrowly lost 2–1 to St Joseph’s, they demonstrated resilience and bounced back with an outstanding 9–0 victory against St Edward’s. It was a fantastic effort from the whole team.
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Year 6 - Animals including humans
During today’s science experiment, Year 6 explored how restricted arteries can affect the human body. The children carried out an investigation using cups with different sized holes to model how blood flows through arteries. They poured water into each cup and timed how quickly it passed through, recording their results and comparing the differences. The cups with smaller holes represented restricted or clogged arteries, showing how blockages can slow down or even prevent the flow altogether. This hands on activity helped the children clearly visualise the impact of unhealthy arteries and deepen their understanding of the circulatory system.
Year 6 - Smart School Council
This week’s Smart School Council meeting focused on the idea of who children would like to sit next to in class. The discussion explored different options, including sitting next to a friend, sitting near a celebrity or choosing to sit independently. Pupils shared their opinions, considered the benefits of each choice and reflected on how seating arrangements can affect their learning and wellbeing.