Year 1 PE- Street Dance
Year 1 enjoyed their sixth and final dance lesson with Miss Jess today. To start off the session, they put their space suit, boots and helmet and stepped into their rocket ship before embarking on an exciting space adventure. Year 1 then practised and performed the full dance sequence that they have been working on for the last 6 weeks for the very last time. They were incredible and it’s amazing to see the progress that the children have made from their very first dance session. They were able to link various movements and ways of travelling to perform a sequence with control. Well done Year 1!
Year 1 RE- Leading by Jesus’ Example
This half-term in RE, we’ve been learning about Jesus and many of the miracles that he performed (The Stilling of the Storm, Feeding the Five Thousand, Turning Water into Wine at the Wedding in Cana and The Calling of the Disciples). These stories have helped us to understand Jesus’ strength and power and his ability to be there for others when they feel seemingly hopeless. Today, we explored how Christian’s today lead by the example of Jesus. We listened to some stories about about how Christian Aid work tirelessly to support those in desperate need. We saw Christian Aid helping those in third world countries to gain access to safe, clean drinking water, an education and starting up a business such as making and selling butter with the help of a cow. The children understood that although we can’t perform miracles, we can certainly bring about positive change. They described Christian Aid as being kind, loving, generous, caring and helpful and decided that we can also be all of these things too. We finished off with the story of ‘Handa’s Surprise’ as the children were fascinated that people in third world countries carry large quantities of water on their head as they may live miles away from a water pump so we thought that the children would be interested to find out that the same happens when they collect large quantities of food too.
Year 1 PE- Underarm throwing
Mrs Ham had the pleasure of teaching PE in Year 1 this week and she was really impressed with the underarm throwing skills that the children have developed over the last few weeks with Miss Flynn. We started with a fun Mr Men warm up to get our body ready and Mr Tickle was definitely the favourite one! We then recapped and practised the skills of underarm throwing with accuracy with a partner. We then applied these skills in a small game where one child was an attacker who had to throw the beanbag into a hoop and one was a defender. We thought about the tactics we could use such as looking or moving the opposite way to where we intended throwing the bean bag. We then put all these skills into practice with a couple of games of dodgeball and we saw some brilliant underarm throwing and tactics being used. Well done Year 1, I’m sure you will be amazing at our inter house benchball competition on Friday!
Year 1- Year of Prayer
This week, the theme for the ‘Year of Prayer’ was making foam. The children in Year 1 created foam using fairy liquid and hot water. They experimented whisking the solution to see what would happen. They discovered that the solution became more foamy and bubbly as they added more and more energy. Whilst doing this, we said thank you to God for energy that allows us to move and be active. Children thanked God for giving them the energy to dance, use a skipping rope, play football, do cartwheels and play with their friends. We also had some prayers to say thank you to God for giving us the energy to learn and think wisely. Well done Year 1!
Year 1 Art- Hundertwasser
Year 1 have been working hard this week to produce a piece of artwork in the style of Hundertwasser. To produce this piece of artwork, they had to use and apply the skills that they have been learning in art over the last few weeks such as drawing various lines (curved, wavy, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, spiral and swirled) and shapes (circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, semi-circles, hearts and pentagons). Water coloured paint was the chosen media for adding colour to their final pieces. Their pieces of artwork will be displayed in the infant corridor so please take a look. Well done Year 1!
St Barnabas celebrates Safer Internet Day 2025
Today, we will be celebrating Safer Internet Day. We began today by a worship led by Mrs Wilkinson. We discussed how to stay safe online, what might happen online and what a scam was. We discussed how we wouldn’t speak to strangers on the street so we should do the same online and only speak to people we know. If something doesn’t feel right or we get a little scared, we should always talk to a trusted adult. It was lovely to see the children discussing the importance of staying safe online and we had lots of meaningful discussion during our worship. This will continue in classes throughout the day.
Year 1- Geography
This week, Year 1 are enjoying a Geography themed Role Play and Investigation Area. In the Investigation Area, we have been creating our own booklets to represent where we all live on a larger scale and have gradually zoomed into where we live on a smaller scale. For example, we are part of the world and Europe but on a smaller scale we live in Darwen. In the Role Play Area, we have been taking on the role of a travel agent. We have had to book a holiday (in the United Kingdom) for a customer. The customer has had to choose a destination e.g. Scotland or more specifically Edinburgh and the travel agent has had to advise them about different types of accommodation and the best mode of transport. We understand that if we are travelling to Scotland, Wales or staying in England then a car, bus or train will be suitable but if we are travelling to Northern Ireland then a boat or aeroplane would be necessary.
Mad Science Assembly- Whole School
Today, the children were treated to a spectacular science show by Scientific Sarah from Mad Science. Sarah, a trained professional in handling chemicals and fire, emphasized safety throughout the engaging and interactive presentation. Throughout the show, children were encouraged to make predictions about what might happen next, fostering their scientific thinking skills. The children couldn't stop laughing, and there were so many "wow" moments throughout the presentation. The show featured three exciting experiments. First, the children were highly amused by "Egg Bert," a boiled egg that initially resisted entering a glass cylinder. After removing the shell (humorously referred to as his "clothing"), Sarah demonstrated how air pressure, a principle discovered by Jacques Charles, could be used to force the egg into the cylinder. Heating the air inside allowed the egg to slip in, and then, following Charles' suggestion, Sarah introduced cold air to pop the egg back out, to the children's great interest. The second experiment showcased red cabbage juice, a versatile pH indicator discovered by Robert Boyle in 1664. With the help of James, one of the school's science ambassadors, Sarah peeled and blended the cabbage. She explained how adding acid or alkaline substances to the juice would dramatically change its color, creating another captivating visual demonstration. Cassidy also assisted with this experiment. Finally, Sarah performed a "fire hands" experiment. Referencing Doctor Walter Snell's work on storing gas in tanks, she again stressed the importance of safety. Sarah then created three fire bubbles on her hand, a truly mesmerizing finale. Flyers are going home today with details about a new Mad Science After School Club starting next half term, on Monday, February 24th. Importantly, the topics covered in this club are different from those offered last year, so even if your child has participated before, they are guaranteed to learn something new! Registration letters, also going home today, contain full course details and information on how parents can register their children online. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 17th. Interested parents can register online on a first-come, first-served basis at https://northengland.madscience.org. The entire show was a memorable and educational experience for the children, and we're excited to offer this after-school opportunity.
Year 1- Year of Prayer
This week’s theme for the Year of Prayer is praying through the use of a ‘Prayer Band’. Year 1 have enjoyed drawing people that they would like to pray and thank God for such as their mummy, daddy, grandparents, siblings and pets. Some children also chose to draw and think about the wider community such as people who are sick in hospital, those who are in the midst of war and refugees who are having to flee their homes. Whilst saying their prayer, the children held on to their prayer band. We are really enjoying learning about lots of new ways in which we can pray. Well done Year 1
Worship with Rev. Ben
Today, we had worship with Rev. Ben, which began with a fun yet challenging relay-style game where we had to balance ping pong balls on a paper plate while moving carefully across the hall. Rev. Ben explained that, just like in the game, life can sometimes feel unsteady or difficult, especially when we are upset or facing challenges. To help us reflect on this, Rev. Ben showed a clip about what Jesus did when he was feeling deeply sad the night before his death. The video illustrated how Jesus turned to God in prayer, seeking strength and comfort during his time of sorrow. Rev. Ben explained that, just like Jesus, we can share our worries and struggles with God, knowing that He listens and understands, and can help us through even the toughest times. He reminded us that no matter how we feel, we are never alone—God is always there to support and guide us.
Year 1 Class Worship- Picture News
Today in class worship, Year 1 explored the following question, ‘How do you become the best at a sport?’ Miss Flynn was really impressed that many of us already knew who the sportsperson Luke Littler was and why he had become famous. We thought about what skills Luke Littler would have needed to demonstrate in order to become the famous darts player that he is today. The children came up with some very thoughtful answers such as having the patience and perseverance to practise again and again. They recognised that he wouldn’t have got to the advanced level that he is at now at without making mistakes along the way and having to continually work hard to improve his skills. For example, the aim of his throw. We thought about how we can show courage when we are working on a skill in order to improve and be the best that we can be.
Year 1 Class Worship- Children’s Mental Health Week
Today in class worship, we engaged with the Blackburn with Darwen Children’s Mental Health Presentation on the theme of ‘Know Yourself and Grow Yourself.’ We started by discussing what mental health is. Olivia said that mental health is looking after yourself on the inside, Alessia said that it is having a happy heart and mind and Callie said that it’s about how you feel. We then thought about the following question, ‘What are the signs that our mental health is good?’ We recognised that our mental health is good when we are feeling happy, we can can concentrate and enjoy lots of things in our lives. Isabella said that this could be enjoying spending time with our family, Alayna said that this could be enjoying spending time with our siblings, Samuel said this could be enjoying going to places such as the play centre and Vienna said this could be enjoying playing with our friends or having some alone time to practise a skill or talent. We learnt that to have good mental health, we must recognise when we are feeling negative feelings such as sadness and anger so that we can support and comfort ourselves by doing something that we enjoy. We also learnt that if a feeling is becoming too big to manage or cope with and it is stopping us from sleeping, having fun or not being able to concentrate then we must seek support from someone that we trust. The children decided that they would ask the support of their mummy, daddy, other family members or teachers at school. To end our worship, we had some beautiful prayers.