Year 4 - English: Verbs, Adjectives and Adverbs
Our new English unit started with a bang on Monday. We watched a clip from the London New Year’s Eve firework display and noted down a variety of verbs, adjectives and adverbs to create our own word banks. Once we had these we used the words to create a fast poem to describe how fireworks move and create patterns in the sky. Some of the children were also chosen to read out their fabulous poetry to the class.
Spring 2- Week 1 Collective Worship- Life in all its fullness & Year of Prayer
This morning in Collective Worship our WOW (Worship our Way) group showed us the special way of praying this week as part of the Year of Prayer across Blackburn Diocese. This week we will be writing our fears and worries on a piece of paper and then fold it into a paper aeroplane. We can then have fun throwing it whilst saying a prayer to God to take our fears and worries away. Some children shared their fears such as heights, clowns, being alone and snakes. We then looked at the Year of Prayer for the whole school which was 'Where are you today?' . We looked at 10 doodled people around a tree:some looked happy, some sad, worried or confused . We then had to decide which one we were at the moment or we would like to be today. We reflected on how we can feel lots of different emotions in a day and then we said a special prayer to ask for God's understanding and support when we feel different emotions. Next we reflected on our school vision and how Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness and He also said He was the good shepherd and the gate. We discussed that when we are feel sad, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus knows us, just like a shepherd knows his sheep and He is always with us. We thought about how developing our spirituality can also support us when we are feeling sad and we looked at the five ways of wellbeing such as taking notice of God's creations and different ways of connecting with Him, our family and friends. We finished by singing two of our favourite uplifting songs 'If I were a butterfly' and 'Sing a new song to the Lord'. We agreed that they helped us all to feel happy and also showed our gratitude to God for the wonderful world that he created.
Mad Science After School Club- Glow Show
Today in Mad Science After-School Club, our future scientists explored how we see light and how it interacts with different objects. They were amazed as they observed phosphorescence in action under UV light. They also discovered the fascinating secrets behind how real money is made and the special features used to prevent counterfeiting. The children were fully engaged and are now super keen to find out what exciting topic they will be exploring next week.
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Whole School Worship- How to make an enjoyable lunchtime?
Our whole school worship today began with the signing of the Trinity by the Heads and Deputies. Mrs. Araujo then led the worship, introducing our new behaviour focus: creating a calmer and more enjoyable lunchtime experience, while continuing to practice the good manners we have already learned. Mrs. Ham highlighted the importance of feeling safe at school, emphasizing that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure a secure and supportive environment for all. To help improve lunchtimes, Mrs Araujo used a data logger to measure noise levels in the dining hall, which ranged from 79.5 to 80.5 decibels as loud as a truck! Many children noted that the high noise levels were overwhelming, made them want to cover their ears, and could prevent them from hearing important instructions in an emergency. During the worship, children worked with talk partners to discuss the question: If we use good table manners, how could this improve our lunchtimes? Through these discussions, they identified key areas for improvement, such as sitting properly at the table, using a knife and fork to eat, and avoiding walking while eating to reduce choking risks. The WOW group played a key role in visually demonstrating positive lunchtime behaviours. They were featured in photos and role-play scenarios, modelling both the correct and incorrect ways to behave in the dining hall. These demonstrations helped reinforce the importance of eating safely and respectfully. To support these changes, new posters have been placed around the school, reminding everyone to face the table while eating, lean over trays or lunchboxes to avoid spills, and wait until they have swallowed their food before getting up. These expectations will continue to be reinforced through modelling, praise, and reminders, ensuring that lunchtimes are a safe, calm, and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Year 4 Creating Batik Artwork Inspired by William Morris
In our art unit, we have been looking at the work of William Morris. We have spent time creating patterns on tracing paper and then transferring these onto paper and then onto fabric. Next we moved on to adding pva glue onto our fabric pieces, copying the patterns that we had created on paper. This week we used acrylic paint to cover the whole piece, including the pva markings. In our next session, we will soak the fabric in water to dissolve the glue and this will leave us with a finished batik design - we can’t wait to see the final result.
Friday Celebration Worship
Our celebration worship today began with the signing of the Trinity by the Heads and Deputies. Moving onto expressing our gratitude to everyone who supported the school's Valentine's Disco, which promoted love and kindness. We also acknowledged Safer Internet Day, which classes have been focusing on this week. The whole school also enjoyed a fantastic science show presented by Mad Science. The children were buzzing with excitement as we witnessed multiple experiments involving, an egg, fire and a red cabbage. The children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 shared their thanks for wonderful dance and gymnastics sessions led by Rothwell Arts. We've also had a great half term of extra-curricular clubs, including Foodie Friends Club, Craft Club, Basketball, SATS and Multi-Sports. Next half term's clubs include Mad Science Club, Edstart Dodgeball and Gymnastics, Craft Club, Performing Arts, SATs Club, Choir, Cross Country, and Netball. Sign up soon, as spaces are limited! All class teachers presented value awards to children in their class that received the most value points this week, Luna, Joey, Lyla, Chloe, Lilly, Isabelle, and Daisy for demonstrating our 4 Bs: being respectful, kind, safe, and ready along with our Christian Values. Well done to these children for their excellent attitude and commitment to learning. The WOW group announced the ‘Wow Badge Winners’ for their amazing badge creations: Reception: Eva, Year 1: Elsie, Year 2: Renee, Year 3: Cassidy, Year 4: Alexis, Year 5: Bella, and Year 6: Daisy. They all received a big bar of chocolate for their entries. Well done to Year 2 and Year 5 for their amazing attendance this week! We also celebrated our out-of-school achievers: Hayden (good tackling), Hendrix (key game at Squirrels), Maggie (Rainbows badges), Olivia (gymnastics), Annabel (Rainbows badges for healthy mind), Grace (song and dance), Molly (swimming), Jack (swimming, Stage 7), Olivia (player of the match), and Tristan (imaginary green belt for kickboxing). Our Sports Hall Athletics team came 3rd in the final! Well done to the whole squad! Our house teams with the highest points will be rewarded with a house points disco and non-uniform day after the holiday. Congratulations to the Green (Whitehall Park) and Red (India Mill) teams tied with an overall score of 11 points for the half term. This week Darwen Tower placed 4th, India Mill came 3rd place , 2nd place Whitehall Park and 1st place River Darwen. Mrs Ham read out a special prayer called the Lord is my Shepherd which focuses on Jesus being like a shepherd by guiding us and always being there for us and Lydia placed the “ Year of Prayer” sticker on our special chart. We thank all those who attended the celebration worship and wish our school family a lovely, restful half-term break. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Sportshall Athletics in Year 4
In our PE session today we did Sportshall athletics. We practised our baton exchange in relays and incorporated speed bounce, hurdles and tunnels. The children worked hard to develop their speed, focusing on form and technique. We are excited for the Year 3/4 Sportshall Athletics competition on Wednesday 26th March on the first week back after the half term holidays.
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Inter - House Bench Ball in Year 4
This morning we took part in the inter- house bench ball which was led by our super sports leaders. The children were playing with their house team; River Darwen, India Mill, Whitehall Park and Darwen Tower. It was fantastic to see everyone joining in and being amazing St Barnabas encouragers. What a super way to end the half term and huge thanks to the sports leaders for organising this opportunity.
Inter- House Bench Ball
What a great Inter- House Bench Ball event we have had today. From Reception to Year 6 every child in school took part. The Sports Leaders led the event and managed each class really well . All of the children engaged with the year group sessions and were really enthusiastic, encouraging each other and working hard to develop their skills. Well done to everyone and a special thanks to The Sports Leaders. Another great event that involved every single child in school!
Worship with Rev. Matt
Today, we had a worship session with Rev. Matt, where the children began with a team game of “the wave.” They had to follow the movement and actively participate, reinforcing the idea of unity, direction, and how we are all connected. Rev. Matt then showed a video clip of Jesus at the Last Supper, highlighting the true power of prayer. He explained that, just like in the wave game, we need guidance in our prayers—someone to lead and show us the way. He reminded the children that Jesus prays for us all, giving us strength and support even when we don’t realise it. Following this, the children reflected on their own prayers, thinking about what they could pray for and the impact those prayers could have. They considered how prayer could bring comfort, hope, and change in their own lives and the lives of others. This time of reflection allowed the children to quietly offer their thoughts and prayers, reinforcing the importance of faith and reflection in their daily lives.
Year 4 - RE: Buddhism and Prayer
In Year 4, we spent some time exploring a range of Buddhist artefacts that are typically used in prayer. We generated questions using the 5 Ws and watched a short documentary clip about a Buddhist temple in Dumfries, Scotland, and what prayer means to them. We thought about our wishes that we would like for the world and we wrote them on prayer flags to add to our spiritual garden.
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.