Mad Science Club- The Light Fantastic
Today in the Mad Science after-school club, our junior scientists stepped into the brilliant world of physics for a "Light Fantastic" session! They became masters of the electromagnetic spectrum, starting with the discovery that LASER is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The children explored the concept of refraction by bending light beams through different materials and went on a hunt for "invisible" energy using UV light to make hidden colors fluoresce.
Reception Butterfly Life Cycle
Our Reception children have soared into their science lessons this week by physically and creatively exploring the four stages of the butterfly life cycle. The classroom came alive as the children used their bodies to act out the transformation, curling up as tiny eggs, wiggling like hungry caterpillars, holding still as dormant chrysalises, and finally fluttering their arms as emerging butterflies. Following this energetic role-play, the children applied their knowledge to a hands-on craft project, using paper plates and various pasta shapes to create a visual map of the cycle. This multisensory approach helped our youngest learners grasp the concept of metamorphosis in a fun and memorable way.
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Reception- UoW - Earth Day
In class we learnt all about ways we can look after the Earth. First we pretended to be different animals from around the world. Then we took a quiz on what is good and bad for the Earth like plastic and cars, we did very well getting 7/7! Finally we all drew or wrote on a leaf for our display of ways we look after and love our Earth. The children came up with some lovely ideas like litter picking, looking after animals and plants.
Reception-PSHE- Healthy Eating
In class we learnt all about the importance of healthy eating. We were able to name different foods from different food groups. We also learnt the importance have having some sugary foods only in moderation as too much sugar could cause tooth decay. The highlight of our lesson was being able to taste the foods from different food groups.
Whole School Worship- Earth Day 2026: Our Power, Our Planet
Today, Mrs Ham led an inspiring whole-school worship focused on Earth Day 2026, which is tomorrow, and our theme, 'Our Power, Our Planet. We explored essential ways to care for our environment, from the importance of recycling and saving water to the impact of planting trees. During the session, the children demonstrated fantastic oral speaking and oracy skills as they discussed their personal pledges with their peers, articulating how they plan to help the environment, not just on Earth Day, but every day! We heard some wonderful stories: Luna spoke about her time picking up litter on holiday in Greece, while Alfie shared that it is an act of kindness to pick up rubbish even if it isn't your own. Jonas also reminded our budding Planet Protectors to wear green for the land and blue for the sea tomorrow to celebrate Earth Day. From planting trees at home to helping grandparents with local litter picks, the children’s ideas were truly inspiring. We also reflected on our efforts as a school family in protecting our planet over the last few months such as planting a microforest at Jacks Key, planting two orchards on our school grounds, our WOW group's pick up dog poo campaign, our Rotakids recycling teddies and winter coats for those in need and focusing on switching off lights and devices. We concluded by singing, 'We Can Make a Difference', and offering a prayer of thanks for our wonderful world, reflecting on how we can all work together to protect our precious planet.
Reception: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
It has been an incredibly exciting week in Reception class as we dive into the wonderful world of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. To bring the story to life, we are thrilled to welcome some very special guests—our very own tiny caterpillars right here in the classroom! The children have been busy becoming mini-scientists, learning all about what these creatures eat, how they grow, and the fascinating stages of their life cycle. We even did some counting to discover exactly how many legs they have! There is a real sense of wonder in the air, and we truly can’t wait to watch the magic of nature unfold before our very eyes as they begin their transformation.
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Reception: Muddy Monday
What a wonderful "Muddy Monday" for our Reception class! The children had a fantastic time exploring the outdoors at Jacks Key Reservoir, keeping their eyes peeled and ears open for the first signs of Spring. It didn't take long for our mini-explorers to spot vibrant yellow daffodils peeking through the grass and delicate blossoms beginning to bloom on the trees. Looking up, we were treated to a beautiful blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds, while the air was alive with the cheerful sound of birds tweeting. To top off our adventure, we even spotted some butterflies fluttering by, confirming that Spring is truly on its way. We are so blessed to have this right on our doorstep!
Mad Science After School Club- Exploring the Forces of Motion
In today’s After School Mad Science Club, our scientists explored the fascinating laws of physics through several "Mad Scientist" challenges. The children investigated gravity and inertia by successfully pulling tablecloths from under dishes, proving that objects at rest prefer to stay at rest. We also held exciting woodpecker races, where the students learned how vibration and friction allow a wooden bird to "peck" its way down a wire. Additionally, the children mastered the art of moving coins across fabric without touching them, using clever vibrations to overcome friction. The children had so much fun throughout the afternoon and are already buzzing with excitement for our next session!
Friday Celebration Worship
We had a fabulous first week back and it was wonderful to see all the children working so hard and settling back into school life so positively. Throughout the week, we spent time reflecting on kindness, thinking carefully about the kind things we have done ourselves and the kindness we have seen in others. This week’s values awards were proudly presented to Luna in Reception, Jasper in Year 1, Noah in Year 2, Archie in Year 3, Bluebell in Year 4, James in Year 5 and Elsie in Year 6. Well done to all of you for consistently demonstrating our school values. In TT Rockstars, Archie and Lyla from Year 4 were awarded certificates for their efforts, fantastic work! Our team values results saw Darwen Tower in fourth place, India Mill in third, Whitehall Park in second and River Darwen taking first place. A huge congratulations to River Darwen, who also won a disco and non-uniform day for achieving the most points last half term, what a brilliant achievement! We were delighted to celebrate a wide range of achievements outside of school this week. Ava was awarded a Level 4 certificate in swimming, while Reggie achieved 50 metres, Mikey 20 metres, Minnie C 10 metres, Isabella achieved Stage 5 and James achieved Stage 1, well done to all our swimmers. Luna earned a yellow belt in kickboxing and Eleanor received a certificate for taking part in a duck hunt. Lydia, Annie, Luna, Thea and Olivia were all awarded badges and certificates in Rainbows for first aid, networking skills, tasty treats and present making. Rosie and Naomi were recognised as seconders in Brownies, taking on an important leadership role. Sophia, Darcy, Daisy and Alexis were all awarded sixer badges in Brownies for their leadership, with Darcy also receiving the Brownies doll for being particularly helpful. Samuel was named Beaver of the Week for his excellent map reading and Isaac was awarded Player of the Week for his fantastic shooting, passing and tackling in football. Congratulations to Reception and Year 3 for achieving the highest attendance this week, keep it up! Finally, we shared some important reminders. Reception families were invited to the upcoming stay and play session and we are looking forward to celebrating Earth Day on Wednesday, with children invited to come dressed in green or blue. Year 3 are excited for their upcoming Rock and River Outdoor Adventure trip and we also look forward to the Whitehall Park afternoon tea taking place on Sunday. We ended our worship with thoughtful prayers led by Sophia and Darcy. Well done to everyone for such a positive and successful week.
Reception Observational Spring Art
As part of our Spring topic this week, Reception have been looking at Spring flowers and have been developing their drawing skills using charcoal. The children looked carefully at daffodils and tulips, then applied different pressure on the charcoal to create light and dark tones.
Reception Maths - Odd and Even
This week in Maths we have been introducing odd and even numbers. We looked at the numberblocks, splitting them into two groups of ‘odd blocks’ and ‘even tops’ - we looked carefully at the shape of the number blocks to help us to identify if they were odd or even, noticing the doubles that could be seen in the even tops.
Whole School Worship - The Value of Kindness
Today, our whole school worship was focussed on the value of kindness and our Kindness Kite of God rewards kindness. We talk about kindness frequently at St Barnabas, especially as it is one of our 4 Be’s. As we came into worship, a video was playing that showed how kind acts affect the recipient, prompting them to pay the kindness forward so that it spreads. The children spotted some acts of kindness in the video and linked these to the charitable activities we have taken part in as a school family recently. Mrs Ham read some motivational quotes and we all acted out sprinkling a glitter trail of kindness and throwing around kindness like confetti. She then showed us the story of The Good Samaritan and explained that showing kindness isn’t something we reserve just for our friends and family; it’s for everyone. Quotes from the Bible about kindness were read brilliantly by Matthew, Darcy and Charlie from this week's Kindness Kite. We then spent some time reflecting on how we will show kindness this week and beyond, and we finished by singing one of our favourite songs, Rich in Kindness.