Year 3 English: 'The Secret Elephant' – Immersion and Predictions
Today in English, our Year 3 children were fully immersed in the new text. The classroom was transformed with a zoo soundscape and imagery of zoo enclosures to set the scene. The children spent time exploring various mystery objects, including a toy aeroplane, small zoo animals, newspapers, two apples in a lunchbox, and a ball of wool with knitting needles. They engaged in a deep class discussion to link these objects together before examining two enlarged illustrations from the book: one showing a zookeeper and a baby elephant, and another featuring the elephant wrapped in a blanket. Using all these clues, the children wrote a variety of detailed predictions about what the story would be about.
Year 3- Big Debate Club: Online vs. Face-to-Face Friends!
In this week's class meeting, the children discussed the question: Can online friends be just as important as the friends you see in real life? After some brilliant discussion, the whole class ended up voting a big "yes!" Even though everyone agreed that nothing is better than hanging out face-to-face, mostly because you can actually play properly and mess around together, they made some fantastic points about why digital buddies matter too. They talked about how online friends are great for bonding over specific games or hobbies. We also talked about staying safe online, highlighting how important it is to always check with a trusted adult before talking to people or playing games on the internet. It was impressive to see the children realise that while online and real-life friendships feel totally different, they can both be good in their own ways!
Athletics Club
Our first athletics club was a huge success as the children prepare for our DPSSA Witton Athletics event next week. We worked on various events such as relay hand overs, sprints, long distance, cricket ball throw and standing long jump. It was great to see the enthusiasm and support for each other.
Year 3- Bringing the Stone Age to Life with PrimeVR
The children had an absolutely incredible time during our PrimeVR experience day, with the highlight being their deep dive into the Stone Age. Through the power of virtual reality, they didn’t just learn about history; they lived it, transported thousands of years back in time to explore ancient landscapes and see firsthand how early humans survived. The children came face-to-face with woolly mammoths, examined prehistoric cave art up close, and discovered how Stone Age people communicated. It was an unforgettable, immersive adventure that truly brought our history topic to life!
Year 3- PSHE- Personal Space and Boundaries
This afternoon in PSHE, the children engaged in an important discussion about body space and the value of personal boundaries. To help bring these concepts to life, they participated in safe, supportive role-play scenarios. They practised what to do and say if someone is entering their personal space, or if they do not want someone touching them (such as a high-five, hug, or during play). The children handled the topic with great maturity, learning how to confidently use their voices to set boundaries and how to respect the personal space of others.
Year 3 Drowning Prevention Week Swimming Lesson
This afternoon, our Year 3 children took part in a vital Drowning Prevention Week swimming lesson, where they were joined by Daniel and three other fantastic firefighters from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. The children had a brilliant session and took away some invaluable, life-saving knowledge, including the essentials of CPR, how to stay safe around water, and the correct, safe actions to take to help a friend in difficulty. @lancashirefireandrescueservice(official)and @BWDleisure
Refugee Week: Year 3 Bubble Collection
As part of Refugee Week, Year 3 asked everyone to collect bubbles to support DARE. The bubble donations were picked up yesterday by the Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise (DARE). Year 3 is so proud of the fantastic response, and these items will now go directly to bringing joy and smiles to the children and families supported by DARE.
English-Year 3 Celebrate Refugee Week at the Global Tea Party!
As part of their learning this week, Year 3 have been exploring what it means to be a refugee or an asylum seeker. The children learned about some of the real challenges these individuals face, including the fact that asylum seekers are often given just under £37.00 to live on for an entire week. Discovering this really brought home the importance of our community efforts, helping the children see firsthand how much of a difference the bubble donations will make for families budgeting on so little. The children were also invited to a wonderful global tea party, where they experienced diverse cultures by tasting food from Greece, Palestine, Africa, Kurdistan, Sri Lanka and Italy. Year 3 were absolute superstars at the event, they represented the school exceptionally and truly sang their hearts out! As a special treat, the event organisers handed each child a small bag of sweets. Year 3, now fully appreciate how far our community's generosity will go in bringing joy to the children and families supported by the Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise (DARE). We are incredibly proud of their maturity and enthusiasm today!
Year 3 Trip to the Darwen Children’s Literature Festival
Today, Year 3 walked to Darwen Library to celebrate the Children's Literature Festival with author and poet Dommy B! The children were completely wowed by his high-energy poetry performance of The Dinosaurs Are Back. He had the entire class up on their feet, joining in and dancing along with him. We were also given a copy of his book to keep in our classroom. It was a brilliant day.
Year 3 Science: Controlled Plant Investigation
In Science this week, Year 3 have turned into real botanists as they begin an exciting new investigation into plant growth. To learn all about what plants need to survive and thrive, the children are setting up a controlled experiment. We’ve planted a class seed together, as well as individual seeds for every child. We will be changing different conditions to see exactly what helps our plants grow big and strong.
Year 3- Class Worship- What Can Football Teach Us About the World?
During class worship today, we looked ahead to the upcoming 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup and explored the big question: "What can football teach us about the world?" We learned that this tournament will be the biggest one yet, bringing together 48 teams to play matches across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. We discovered that football is truly a universal language, played by millions of people in entirely different environments, whether on a beach in Brazil, in a busy city, or in a refugee camp, showing us that all you really need to connect is a ball and some space. Ultimately, we reflected on how the World Cup is about much more than just sport; it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our global community. We concluded with a prayer, reflecting on how people who speak different languages, eat different foods, and live in different cultures can still be brought together through shared experiences, teamwork, and mutual respect.
Year 3- English- Writing in Role: The Beetle's Complaint
In English this week, the authors have been putting their persuasive writing skills to the test. They have started writing a formal letter of complaint to the Spider, taking on the creative perspective of the Beetle. The children are writing to firmly argue the Beetle's case, claiming that the object in question rightfully belongs to all the insects. It has been wonderful to see the children using expressive vocabulary to express the Beetle’s outrage and make his complaints as convincing as possible. We cannot wait to see how their final letters turn out.
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