Year 5 - Religious Education
We examined different views on the nature of death by comparing and contrasting the views of Christians, Muslims and Humanists. We found that Muslims, just like Christians, believe in an afterlife where the soul goes after death and the actions of each person during their life are judged by God. However Humanists have a more scientific viewpoint and consider this to be the only life we have and so we need to do as much good as possible.
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Whole School Worship
It was lovely to welcome everyone back to school in Worship this morning after the long bank holiday weekend! Mrs Ham introduced this week’s Kindness Kite, which focuses on God’s mercy. The children shared some thoughtful reflections—Naomi reminded us that we hear in the Bible how Jesus showed mercy to others, while Alfie (Year 5) explained that mercy means forgiveness. Together, we reflected on how showing mercy is the same as showing forgiveness in our everyday lives. We then watched the story of the Prodigal Son and explored how the different characters might have felt. The children suggested that the older son may have felt jealous, confused and even angry when his brother returned after spending his father’s money and was welcomed back with a celebration. Through this, we discussed the message that no matter what we do, God still loves us. We linked this to our own lives, recognising that even when we make mistakes at school or at home and face consequences, we are still loved by our families. We ended our worship by singing Stronger and Sing a New Song, helping us feel positive and ready for the week ahead. 💛
Year 3- Art- Observing Patterns and Tone
Today, Miss Gregson delivered an art lesson focused on building the skills needed for the children's final projects. Year 3 spent time looking really closely at flowers and seeds, learning that to be a good artist, you have to spend more time looking at the object than the paper. They practised noticing tiny patterns and textures that they might usually miss. A big part of the lesson was learning how to use observational skills to make the flowers and seeds look 3D. By observing where the light and dark tones were, the students added lots of detail to their work. These sketching and shading skills will help them feel much more confident when they start their final pieces.
Year 1 RE: Jesus’ Baptism
Today we focused on Jesus’ baptism. This is when John baptised Jesus in the River Jordan and the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove. God said “this is my Son whom I love”. As Christians, we follow Jesus’ example and way of life, therefore being baptised is a way that Christians will follow Jesus. The children retold the story through filling in the missing words and drew a picture to match.
River Darwen Disco
Today, River Darwen enjoyed their disco and came in their own clothes to celebrate earning the most Value Points last half term. Thank you DJ Bloomfield for hosting!
Year 1 Maths: Measuring Capacity
Year 1 enjoyed using concrete resources to measure the capacity of different containers. They really enjoyed using cups of water to measure the capacity of a jug. It was impressive to see the children ensuring that they filled the cup to the same place every time to create an equal measurement.
Friday Celebration Worship
We have had a very busy and exciting week in school, with lots to celebrate together. During worship, we learned the Makaton signs for spring and continued to build on our focus of kindness. We spent time reflecting on how we can show kindness to others in our words and actions, reminding ourselves that God is always watching and guiding us to make positive choices. We were also delighted to welcome special visitors, who spoke to us about the importance of caring for our oceans and looking after God’s sea creatures, helping us to think about how we can protect the world around us. We were proud to announce our Values Award winners this week. In Reception, Evie demonstrated our school values brilliantly, while Minnie C in Year 1 and Alice in Year 2 also impressed with their positive attitudes. Year 3 were celebrated as a whole class, with a special mention to Aura for settling so well into our school community. In Year 4, Naomi and Emily were recognised for their efforts, while Charlie in Year 5 and Summer in Year 6 also showed excellent examples of our values. It was wonderful to celebrate our TT Rockstars achievements, with Jack and Scarlett in Year 4 receiving certificates for their hard work. In the same year group, Finley, Lottie and Ella were awarded their pen licences, showing great progress and pride in their writing. We also announced our team values results, with India Mill taking first place, followed by River Darwen in second, Darwen Tower in third and Whitehall Park in fourth. We were incredibly proud to share a wide range of achievements from outside of school. Erin achieved a 5m swimming certificate, while Bowen swam 10 metres without armbands, and Lydia and Naomi achieved Stage 4 and Stage 6 swimming certificates. Annabelle received a star of the week award in acro dance alongside multiple swimming certificates, and Lyla achieved fourth place in jazz dancing. In sporting achievements, Haydn received a football trophy for scoring eight goals, Joshua earned two medals for running, and Finley, Chai and James were awarded medals and a Bronze Cup trophy, with James also being named player of the match. Harry achieved a green belt in kickboxing, and Percy was awarded a Beavers trophy for his commitment to attendance. We also celebrated achievements in other areas, with Phoebe receiving a Bible reading in church certificate and James earning a silver award at St George’s Parade in Scouts, while Seb received a badge at the same event in Cubs. Callie was awarded a Chloe doll at Brownies for confidently singing in front of others, and Evie received an Olivia doll in Brownies and Eleanor achieved a courage badge and Bee Keeper badge. Rosie was named builder of the week in her Kids with Bricks club, and Alice achieved cheerleader of the week. Grace was recognised as runner up for cutest performance as Young Cosette in Les Misérables, which is a fantastic accomplishment. In school sport, our Year 4 gifted and talented football club represented the school brilliantly, showing great skill and teamwork. Our tag rugby team demonstrated excellent sportsmanship at Blackburn Rugby Club, and our netball team had a fantastic set of results, winning seven matches, drawing one and losing two at the Westholme tournament. Finally, well done to Year 1 and Year 6 for achieving the highest attendance this week. Thank you also to Rev Ben for leading us in prayer and helping us reflect on all the wonderful things we have achieved together. We hope everyone enjoys the long weekend and we look forward to welcoming the children back after the break. A quick reminder that school is closed on Monday for the bank holiday and on Thursday for Polling.
Year 3- Rock and River- Low Ropes Course
The low ropes course was all about focus and steady feet today. Year 3 had to navigate a series of tricky obstacles and wobbly cables, which required a great deal of bravery to master. Great teamwork from everyone, as the children stood by the ropes to guide their friends and shout out tips for the best footing. By encouraging each other through the wobbles, every child managed to tackle the course with confidence and a great sense of achievement.
Year 3- Rock and River - Canoeing and Paddle boarding
Year 3 had an unforgettable day on the water as they took to the river for a session of canoeing and paddleboarding. The children showed incredible bravery and resilience as they mastered their paddling techniques and tested their balance on the boards. It was a joy to watch them build their confidence, working together in teams to steer their boats and cheering each other on through every splash.
Year 3 Conquer the Climbing Towers- Rock and River
The climbing towers were a major highlight for Year 3 today. Reaching the top took considerable physical strength and bravery, and it was impressive to see so many children push themselves higher than they expected. The teamwork on the ground was excellent, with the children encouraging their peers and offering helpful advice on which footwork to try next. Every child who "gave it a go" showed great resilience and school spirit.
Rock and River- Year 3 Conquer the Air Bag Jump
Year 3 showed incredible courage today as they took on the Air Bag Jump. It was a huge challenge, but the children were so brave as they stepped up to the edge. The cheering from the ground helped everyone find the confidence to 'give it a go.
Year 3-Rock and River- Team Encouragement on the Zip Line
Year 3 showed fantastic courage today as they took on the zip line challenge.