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Year 3- English- Capturing Interest: Language Features in The Last Bear
This week in English, we have started exploring our new class book, The Last Bear. The children began by examining the cover and blurb closely and used these clues to make thoughtful predictions about what the story might be about. We also spent some time researching Bear Island, and the children were excited to discover that it is a real island in the Arctic Circle. Today, we began reading Chapter 1 and collected some interesting phrases that captured our interest. Some examples the children noticed included a rather odd kind of normality, the wild, unkempt bramble bush and pure, untouched wilderness. The children have really engaged with the story so far, and we are looking forward to discovering what happens next as we continue reading.
Friday Celebration Worship: Children in Need
This morning in our celebration worship, we gathered as a whole school family to mark Children in Need, offering heartfelt thanks for the generosity shown in raising awareness and funds for such a worthy cause. This week, we have also celebrated the start of Anti-Bullying Week by wearing odd socks, a joyful reminder of the importance of uniqueness and individuality. Together, we reflected on how love, friendship, generosity and kindness can help us use our power for good and stand against bullying and nurture one another’s mental health. Throughout the week, our after-school clubs have brought great excitement and creativity, with children enjoying board games, football, forest school, Warhammer painting and a lively Let’s Go Sing workshop. Reception delighted in a terrific Trekking Tuesday, Year 3 welcomed Rev Ben and enjoyed a memorable visit to Nightingale Farm, and all classes began their new Design & Technology units as they prepare to create products for the Christmas Fair. Our worship continued with the presentation of awards. We celebrated our Value award winners Alfie, Beau and Haydn in EYFS and KS1, and Joshua, Luke and Mason across KS2, for demonstrating an excellent work ethic, thoughtful listening, teamwork, independence and our Christian values. We congratulated the whole of Year 3 for representing our school so beautifully during their farm visit, Darwen Tower as the overall value award winners with an impressive 233 points, and Year 2 and Year 3 as our attendance champions. We then celebrated our out of school star achievers. We celebrated Bo for earning both ‘Player of the Week’ in football and ‘Best in the Cast’ at Made for Stage, Haydn for his ‘Player of the Week’ award and an incredible 27 goals in just seven games, Ralphi for achieving his 5m swimming badge, Poppy for her wonderful dancing, Isabella for being ‘Star of the Day’ in acro, Hendrix and Maggie for completing Stage 1 gymnastics, Jack for his courage and skill as ‘Player of the Match’ with Blackburn Eagles, Marley for her dedication to Brownies, Grace for exceptional success across her dance competition, Freddie for swimming a fantastic 25 metres, Evie for achieving her laughter, communication, drawing and promise badges at Rainbows, Lydia and Naomi for demonstrating kindness, helpfulness and bravery at Rainbows and Brownies, and Ohana in Reception class for swimming an impressive 75 metres. We also celebrated our Year 5/6 football team for their two brilliant league wins last night in the DPSSA Football League and for representing our school proudly at the Blackburn Rovers Senior Ground on Wednesday as part of the KS2 BRFC Kids Cup. Mrs Ham and Mrs Govan then awarded certificates to Luna, Beau, Lyla, Skye, Olivia, Edward, Alana and Naomi for their success in the Spring Vale Ramblers Club Art Competition, with their artwork chosen for display in the Darwen Heritage Centre. Mrs Govan also introduced our Christmas ADVENTure Trail Art competition, inspired by the Nativity story and soon to be showcased in Whitehall Park, with a chocolate treat awaiting all who take part. We closed by thanking Renée, Callie and Harry for their beautiful prayers and offering our appreciation to everyone who joined us in worship, as well as to our whole school community for their continued support. We wish you all a peaceful and restful weekend as we look forward to the busy and joy-filled weeks leading up to Christmas.
Year 3- R.E-Exploring Purpose with Rev. Ben
This morning, Year 3 had an inspiring visit from Rev. Ben, who shared insights about the concept of a "calling" from the biblical story of Samuel. Rev. Ben passionately highlighted that every job is important and can be a calling from God, whether it's being a doctor, a teacher, or a bin lorry driver . The central message was that whatever we choose to do, we can honour God and help others through our work. He also explained that the stole he wore is a significant vestment, representing his role as a minister, and the children even had the exciting opportunity to try it on. The children demonstrated great preparation and curiosity by asking Rev. Ben the questions they had prepared, which he took the time to answer. During a moment of thoughtful silence, children were encouraged to reflect on what God might be calling them to do. Rev. Ben, who has been a minister for six years, also shared openly about his own faith journey, beautifully stating that while he sometimes feels close to God, the true assurance is knowing He is always with him, guiding his path in ministry. We are incredibly grateful for Rev. Ben's visit, which provided a wonderful opportunity for our children to explore faith, purpose, and the importance of all vocations.
After-School: Board Game Club
Wow, what an amazing first session of Board Game Club! The children showed all 4B’s, it was lovely to see them all taking turns and sharing. The older children were so great with helping the younger children and teaching them some of the games. They all had such a lovely time.
Year 3’s Adventure at Nightingale Farm
This morning, Year 3 had a fantastic visit to Nightingale Farm. The children saw chicks, Theo the goat, sheep, guinea pigs, and Ram the boy sheep. They even had the exciting opportunity to feel an egg that a chick had just laid! We learned how to care for farm animals and how to tell when chicks aren’t well, for example, if they are inactive, not eating, or if their comb is pale or shrivelled. The children were absolutely amazing throughout the visit. They were curious, kind, and respectful to all the animals, asking thoughtful questions and showing great care when feeding Theo and the pigs, who happily munched on the bread they were given. We also explored nutrition and the importance of looking after animals properly. This trip also helped us understand more about animals and humans, linking to what we are currently learning in science. Throughout the walk, Year 3 took time to appreciate God’s creation, noticing the beautiful colours of the trees, leaves, flowers, and surroundings, and they even paused to rest by the bus shelter, enjoying the fresh air and peaceful environment. As a special treat, Steph the farmer kindly gifted each child a little stationery pack, which made the day even more memorable! Along the way, the children received lots of encouragement from passersby, with horns honking and cheers of “Keep going!” Their energy, enthusiasm, and positive attitudes made the trip extra special. After visiting the farm, we continued our adventure at Blacksnape Park, exploring nature and enjoying life to its fullest. It was a truly wonderful day, full of learning, fun, and appreciation for the world around us.
Year 3 Explores Blacksnape Park
After visiting Nightingale Farm, Year 3 spent some time at Blacksnape Park. The children ran, played, and discovered different areas of the park, showing great curiosity and energy. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to appreciate God’s creation and enjoy life to its fullest in a safe, outdoor environment.
Whole School Worship - Power for Good
Our theme in today’s collective worship was “Power for Good”. Continuing our focus on Anti-Bullying Week, Mrs Ham shared some of the fantastic answers the children gave on Monday about standing up to bullying. These included saying stop, being assertive, asking why, and telling a trusted adult. We learned of how Jesus was a power for good, even when others turned against him, and we reflected on the ways in which we can also be a power for good by being a good friend and spotting when someone needs our help. The WOW Group also shared how they are being a power for good, by protecting our planet and leading our school’s Switch Off Fortnight campaign. They shared posters recommending ways to save energy around school, including turning off lights and computer monitors when they are not in use, and they explained that they will be checking how well each class is doing at saving energy every break time and lunchtime during the campaign.
Year 3- PSHE-Celebrating individuality by wearing Odd Socks
Year 3 kicked off Anti-Bullying Week by wearing odd socks and exploring ways to support themselves and others who might feel left out or picked on. Miss Barnes led the lesson, using a variety of scenarios to help the children understand how they can make a positive difference. They discussed what to do if someone is excluded from a game, if a classmate is called names, or if unkind messages are sent online. The children also considered how to respond when rumours are spread, and how small acts of kindness, such as welcoming a new student at lunchtime, can have a big impact. The lesson provided practical strategies for standing up for each other, celebrating individuality, and fostering a kinder, more supportive school community.
Year 3- Geography-Exploring Hemispheres and Weather
In Geography today, the children acted as geographers, beginning by reviewing what they remembered about latitudes before moving on to learn about the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. They then labelled seven countries on the map using a globe and an atlas, applying their geographical vocabulary to locate and describe each place. The class compared climates and weather in different countries, thinking about how the Earth’s rotation affects the seasons. For example, while it is late spring in Australia, the weather is often warm and sunny, with temperatures around 28°C in Sydney and occasional showers, whereas in the United Kingdom, it is late autumn, with cooler, drizzly days around 12°C and shorter daylight hours. This helped the children understand why it can be summer in one country while winter in another.
Friday Celebration Worship
This morning in celebration worship, we reflected on a wonderful first week back to start the second half of our Autumn term. This week, we have remembered all those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice their lives for us, and we observed a special two-minute silence. We would like to thank everyone who has supported the Poppy Appeal; our poppy merchandise will continue to be available next week. We then presented our individual value award winners in EYFS, KS1 and KS2. Well done to our worthy winners Hunter, Finn, Inaiya, Elijah, Chay, Harriet and Quinn for consistently demonstrating the Barney’s 4Bs, working extremely hard across the curriculum, producing work of an exceptional standard and showing a genuine desire to always improve. A huge well done also goes to Elijah, Chay, Isaac, Lana, Lyla, Cassidy, Naomi and Emily for achieving their pen licences—we know how hard you have all worked for this accomplishment. We also congratulated Whitehall Park as our overall value award winners for the week, along with Year 1 and Year 5 for achieving the highest attendance. Moving on, we celebrated the wonderful achievements of our children who have been excelling outside of school in their various sports and activities. Well done to Beau for being a mighty defender in football, Ida and Leila for showing impressive skill in stop, starting and steering during horse riding, Callie for demonstrating outstanding floor and vault work in gymnastics, Ava for her generosity at Rainbows and for achieving Star of the Week at Street Dance, Lana for her performing arts award, Theo for earning her drawing interest badge and Star of the Week in gymnastics for exceptional beam work, Olivia for achieving her 20m swimming certificate, Lyla for her success in lyrical, jazz and commercial dance, Olivia again for achieving her Level 1 gymnastics award, Isaac for demonstrating exceptional football skills at the Everton Academy experience, Rosie for being a superstar Brownie and earning several badges, Martha for achieving her 10m swimming award, Lydia for earning her laughter badge at Rainbows and for being extremely helpful, and Eleanor for achieving both her Rainbow Silver Award and a laughter badge. In other news, our Wellbeing Warriors also announced Year 3 as the winning class for having the most walkers in October and proudly shared that our school placed third in the borough for the highest number of walkers overall, our Sports Leaders presented India Mill as the Inter-house Dodgeball Competition winners from before the holidays, and we also congratulated our Year 5/6 Boys Football Team, who represented our school brilliantly and achieved two wins in the BwD Football League last night. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue our Scholastic Book Fair next week, to wear odd socks on Monday as we launch Anti-Bullying Week, and to end the week by wearing spots, pyjamas or Pudsey attire in support of Children in Need next Friday. Thank you to our wonderful school family for their support this week and always. Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
Value Award Winner Disco- India Mill
Today, India Mill enjoyed a well-deserved non-uniform day and disco to celebrate their success as the overall Value Award winners for last half-term. As part of this, they enjoyed a game of bonfire themed corners followed by a game of musical bumps. Well done to everyone for your fantastic achievement!
Year 3- D.T- Threading, Knotting, and the Running Stitch
This afternoon, Year 3 began their first Design and Technology (D.T.) unit by learning the essentials of sewing, building upon the skills they started learning in KS1. They started by discussing the equipment they need, like a needle, thread, and maybe even a needle threader tool. They successfully learned how to cut the thread, dampen one end, and squeeze the strands together to thread the needle through the eye. Once the needle was threaded, they practiced tying a knot to secure the thread, modelled how to sew a basic running stitch, and finished by tying the final knot to complete the seam.