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Year 1 to Year 2 Transition Day
Year 1 had a fantastic day transitioning into Year 2. Mrs Hegarty and I were so impressed by their beautiful manners, positive attitudes and willingness to tackle every task with enthusiasm. We had lots of fun playing Phase 5 Phonics Bingo, writing silly sentences using Phase 5 sounds, enjoying a parachute game to help us get to know them all, creating self-portraits, and reading ‘The Dot’ by Peter Reynolds before completing a related activity inspired by the story. We are so looking forward to welcoming them all to Year 2 in September!
Whole School Worship with Bishop Philip
We were thrilled to welcome Bishop Philip into our wonderful school this week. When he arrived, the Year 6 pupils treated him to a VIP performance of one of their favourite songs from their end of year production. Bishop Philip then led a special worship in which the children helped him with a lively retelling of the story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den. The children loved joining in with the actions and helping Daniel with his dilemma of whether to go against the king and continue praying to God, or to worship only the king. The children were then tasked with identifying the message in the story and they gave some thought-provoking answers about trusting in God even when it’s difficult and knowing God will look after you. Mrs Ham later took Bishop Philip on a tour of the school where he invited each class to ask questions about his role in the Diocese of Blackburn.
Year 1: Panda Paramedics
Today, Year 1 had a fantastic visit from Panda Paramedics, where we learned all about first aid and the important role of paramedics. We began by learning that paramedics drive ambulances and help people who are hurt or very unwell. We also discussed that 999 should only be called in an emergency and learned about the different emergency services that may respond, including the police, firefighters, paramedics and coastguard. We found out that when calling 999, it is important to know your location, such as your home address, so help can reach you quickly. We then explored what first aid is – helping someone or yourself in the very first instance until further help arrives. The children were reminded of the first aid skills they have previously learned, including helping someone who is choking, performing chest compressions, applying pressure to heavy bleeding and placing someone in the recovery position. We discussed how practising these skills now helps us become more confident as we grow older, while also understanding that children should always ask a trusted adult for help, such as a parent, grandparent, teacher, auntie, uncle or older sibling. We also talked about the importance of making sure we are safe before helping someone else. The children learned how to treat different injuries: For a grazed knee, they learned to wash their hands, clean the wound with water or an antiseptic wipe and apply a plaster. For a deep cut, they practised applying pressure to stop the bleeding before cleaning and bandaging the wound. They had the opportunity to practise putting on bandages, taking care not to touch the sterile dressing and wrapping the bandage securely. We also learned how to support a broken arm using a sling and enjoyed practising putting slings on each other. Finally, we discussed allergic reactions, recognising signs such as swollen lips, a rash and difficulty breathing. The children learned that these can be life-threatening and practised using an EpiPen trainer on the Panda Paramedics’ toy pandas. We are incredibly proud that Year 1 achieved their Bronze First Aid Award! The children also will bring home a worksheet about calling 999 and we have been given a story to reinforce everything they learned during this exciting and valuable session. Well done, Year 1, for your fantastic listening, enthusiasm and teamwork throughout the morning!
Year 1 History: Packaging in the Past
Year 1 compared differences between packaging in the past and packaging now. We noticed that in the past, they used lots of paper, metal and glass to package their items. They were particularly shocked to find out that fish and chip shops used to sell their food in newspaper from the previous day. Then, we noticed that most packaging now is made from plastic. Year 1 shared that plastic is better to store food in as it keeps it fresh for longer, you can see what items are inside the packaging, it is waterproof and stronger than other materials. However, some children noticed that packaging from the past was better for the environment. For example, paper is better for the environment when recycled and metal tins can be reused. We also discussed that milk men deliver their milk in glass bottles, which can be washed and reused again. We agreed that although plastic packaging is good for some things, we should use more environmentally friendly materials when we can. For example, buying Bags for Life when shopping rather than purchasing plastic bags and throwing them away. Year 1 also had a go at wrapping items in paper and using string, as they would not have tape. It was good practice for them with tying knots and some children could even tie bows!
Year 1 Maths: Partitioning Numbers to 100
Year 1 used fantastic mathematical skills when partitioning numbers to 100. They had two piles of cards, a tens pile and a ones pile. They had to pick a card from each pile and put them together to make a whole. They had to write how many tens they had and how many ones. Some children also noticed that, for example, having 7 tens and 10 ones would make 80, using their tens times tables to help them. Miss Woods was very impressed with how quickly they were able to work out the wholes.
Year 1 PSHE: Then and Now
Year 1 thought carefully today about things that we learnt as babies and things that we are learning now. For example, as babies we learn to crawl, talk, eat, roll over and walk. Now, Year 1 are learning, maths, reading, writing, riding a bike, swimming and other sports. To reflect on the past, we played a game of Guess Who with baby pictures of the class (and the teachers). The children thought this was really funny as it shows how much they have changed. Then, they drew themselves as babies, toddlers and now.
Year 1 DT: Testing Blades
Year 1 tested three different types of windmill blades today. They tried rectangle blades, triangle blades and curved blades. We found that the rectangle and triangle blades did not spin well at all. The curved blades span very quickly. Therefore, in our design we will create our windmills with curved blades.
Year 1 History: Off To The Market
Year 1 visited “the market” today and we absolutely loved it. We started off in class by comparing some differences from shopping in the past to modern day. Then, we each wrote shopping lists with 6 items and we had £1 to spend. When we arrived at the market, some of the children became the shopkeepers and some as the shoppers. The shopkeepers had to tell the shoppers how much their items were and count the money and give change. The shoppers could keep their items in brown paper bags. It was lovely to see the children working together, using their imaginations and they have all asked to do it again.
Year 1 DT: Trying Different Bases
Year 1 worked in groups of three to make three different types of bases that we might use for our windmill design. We compared them on their strength, stability and easiness to make. The first design was creating triangle lolly sticks and sticking them up into a pyramid. The second design was using paper plates and cups. The third design was using balls of newspaper and creating a pyramid with them. Year 1 had to create each design in 7 minutes so it was a fair comparison. We decided that the best design was the cups and plates base as it was strong, sturdy and easy to make, with every group being able to make the base in 7 minutes.
Year 1: Darwen Literature Festival
Year 1 were lucky to visit Darwen Library Theatre this morning. The author, Dommy B, told us lots of the poems from his book ‘The Dinosaurs are Back!’ The children loved joining in with the rhymes and sound effects. Some children were even invited onto the stage to say tongue twisters and dance. We couldn’t wait to read the rest of the story when we got back to school.
Year 1 PE: Overarm Throwing
Year 1 have been practising their Overarm throwing skills. Today, we have 3 different types of stations. The first challenge was for Year 1 to throw a beanbag onto a shape. The shapes could either score them 2,5 or 10 points. This also helped us to count in our times tables. The second challenge was to throw three quoits into three hoops that were placed at different distances. This was tricky as the quoits can roll away so Year 1 had to use the correct amount of power in their throw. The final challenge was passing to each other, alternating between overarm and underarm throwing.
Year 1 PSHE: Basic First Aid
Year 1 developed skills in basic first aid. We started by learning about the British Red Cross which is an organisation that responds to disasters, conflicts and personal emergency. We discussed what first aid is and agreed that we would not feel confident to give first aid to someone who needs help. In pairs, we followed the steps to help someone in different emergencies such as an asthma attack, choking, bleeding, burns, someone who is unresponsive and breathing/not breathing and head injuries. Year 1 listened very closely to the instructions and also practiced calling 999. They all felt more confident to know how to help someone or themselves if these emergencies occurred.