PSHE - Growing and Changing in Year 4
As part of our PSHE session we have been looking at how our body changes during puberty, what parts of the body are the same for girls and boys and what parts are different. We also read Hair in funny places by Babette Cole and Where Willy Went. The children have really matured over the course of the last few sessions and it’s great to see them ask such fantastic questions surrounding this sensitive topic area.
Online Safety: Nintendo Switch 2
Switching things up. The Nintendo Switch 2 adds new features like voice chat and a plug-in camera – but also new #OnlineSafety concerns. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the full overview for parents and educators. Download your FREE copy here >> https://ow.ly/beVv50WfwKT #NintendoSwitch2 #VideoGameSafety #TechForKids
Year 1 Science- Environmental Workshop
Yesterday, Year 1 had a fantastic time at an environmental workshop led by Georgina. She made learning about waste and recycling interactive and engaging, teaching them how to sort materials into the different coloured bins. The children left with some great new facts and shared these at the end of the workshop. Joey and Percy discovered that batteries should be placed in a carrier bag outside the bin to prevent fires. Callie learned that hard and soft plastics need to be separated, with hard plastics for recycling and soft plastics as waste. Olivia noted that hard plastics and metals go in the grey bin, Vienna shared that paper and cardboard belongs in the blue bin, and Haydn added that food waste should be put in the burgundy bin. All of our children received a recycling pack to take home which included a variety of follow-up activities, information for those at home, a certificate and a sticker.
Cre8ability- Session 3
Our Cre8ability group met again yesterday. The session focused on managing strong emotions and returning to a calm "Green Zone" for effective communication. The session explored how different brain parts control emotions and trigger fight/flight/freeze responses. Key to the learning was the "3 Ts" strategy: time (for a 90-second cool-down), talk (to discuss what happened), and think (about solutions). Practical activities included making calming glitter bottles to aid regulation, and crafting dream catchers and "Worry Warrior" dolls to help express worries. The workshop provided valuable tools for families to navigate emotional challenges more effectively. It was a wonderful session and they made some beautiful crafts to take home with them too, thank you Carol and Maria.
Year 3-The Great Big Live Assembly: A Journey Into Refugee Lives
Today, Year 3 joined hundreds of schools for The Great Big Live Assembly to mark World Refugee Week. Led by Krish Kandiah, the worship helped us learn about the lives of millions of children who have been forced to leave their homes because of war, violence, or danger. We discovered that over 43 million children and young people worldwide are refugees or displaced. Through stories and real examples, including a live connection with children living in refugee camps, we got a better understanding of the challenges these children face every day. Krish encouraged us to think about what “home” means and how important it is to show kindness, support, and hope to those who have lost so much. The worship helped us reflect on the courage and strength of refugees and inspired us to be more compassionate and aware of global issues.
Reception: Prayer in RE
For this week's outdoor learning session, Reception class focused on their RE prayer unit. We discussed how we can pray through song, words and actions too. This week we focused on the concept of prayer not just through words, but through an appreciation of the beautiful world around us – a world we believe is God's wonderful creation. It was a fantastic opportunity to foster a sense of awe and wonder in even our youngest learners. During our outdoor walk, we encouraged the children to stop, look closely, and truly see what was around them. We talked about how everything we observed, from the tiniest ant to the tallest tree, was something God made. We paused frequently, and at each stop, we invited the children to say "Thank you, God," and then to share something specific they loved about what they were seeing. It was wonderful to hear their unique observations –Eleanor thanked God for the grass; Annie thanked God for the animals; Minnie thanked God for India Mill; Thea thanked God for Darwen tower; Reggie thanked God for the flowers and Minnie thanked God for the water.. These simple acts of gratitude helped them connect their feelings of wonder directly to prayer. What was particularly heartwarming was how this experience naturally led us to talk about how we can look after God's world. The children, in their own words, came up with some fantastic ideas about being good "caretakers" of nature. We discussed how important it is not to throw litter and how we can help by picking up any rubbish we see. Their enthusiasm really shone through when we brainstormed even more creative ways to care for animals, such as making bird feeders for our feathered friends and even building "bug hotels" to provide cozy homes for insects! This outdoor RE lesson was a fantastic way to introduce concepts of spirituality, gratitude, and responsibility in a way that was accessible and engaging for our Reception children. They learned that prayer can be about thanking God for all the amazing things He has created, and that looking after our world is also a way of showing our appreciation.
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Cre8ability Session 2
A selection of our children and parents had their second Cre8ability session. They explored their feelings using a fun and hands-on approach. Participants learned to sort emotions into red (negative), amber (neutral), and green (positive) zones, giving them a simple way to talk about how they feel. They also discussed how feelings can vary in intensity, from "a bit upset" to "miserable." The session also encouraged children to think about their favourite things and the positive emotions these bring. A highlight was clay modelling, where children and parents crafted figures representing themselves and their favourite items. This creative activity provided a fantastic way to express emotions without words. We are looking forward to our next Cre8ability session next Tuesday, thank you Carol and Maria!
Online Safety: YouTube Kids
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Whole School Worship - Resolving Conflict
Yesterday’s worship began with some fantastic news! A representative from East Lancs Hospice came in to tell us that our Hop, Skip and Jump event raised £163. Following this, Mrs Wilkinson introduced this week’s Year of Prayer theme: Favourite Places. We spent some time sharing our favourite spaces and then we talked about how God has created so many amazing and healthy spaces for us to enjoy. This led us on to considering the fantastic outdoor spaces we have around school in which we can enjoy time with our friends. We were introduced to our Year 5 peer mediators and Mrs Wilkinson explained how they are going to help us all resolve any fallings out between us and our friends. We are all looking forward to learning to compromise and play together more harmoniously.
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Cre8ability- Session 1
What a fantastic start to our "Nurturing Emotional Wellbeing in Creative Spaces" group today, expertly guided by Cre8ability! We saw parents and children connecting and expressing themselves through Picasso-esque art in a wonderfully calming atmosphere. Beyond the creative process, they discovered how colors can represent feelings and practiced calming techniques. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Carol and Maria for making it such a success – we can't wait for more next week!
Year 4 - Linking Schools Visit to St Matthew’s
Our Linking Schools project reached its final part on Monday with Year 4 visiting St Matthew’s C of E Primary in Blackburn. We had a fantastic day designing “together towns”, creating poetry about living well together and even joining an assembly with local author, Dan Worsley. We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about our new friends and sharing work throughout this year; it has helped us to realise our similarities and celebrate differences.
Reception Father’s Day Outdoor Stay & Play
It was lovely for the children to have their special grown ups with them for an exciting outdoor stay and play. They loved playing football on the MUGA and showed some of the Dads how to use the outdoor gym! We would like to wish them all a very Happy Father’s Day for Sunday and a big thank you to everyone who attended.