Year 5 Geography - Oceans
In Geography lessons, Year 5 has been delving into the vital topic of oceans. This week, our focus shifted to practical solutions for preventing plastic pollution in our seas. We thoroughly explored ways to reduce our personal single-use plastic consumption and discussed innovative methods for repurposing and reusing plastic items. Building on this crucial understanding, we are excited to visit the seaside next week, where we will investigate our local beaches to assess litter types and quantities, and identify the diverse flora and fauna that inhabit the area.
Year 5 English: Planning a Narrative based on Journey to the River Sea
Our Year 5 English lessons have been brought to life by the captivating narrative of Eva Ibbotson's Journey to the River Sea. Students have been diligently planning their unique, innovated stories, drawing inspiration from the novel's themes and adventures. We are excited to see these creative narratives unfold as they begin their writing journey this week.
Year 5 Worship - How we Help Our Friends
In a meaningful Class Worship session, Year 5 engaged with the powerful story of the paralysed man, which they then creatively retold in engaging cartoon strip form. Building on this narrative, students reflected deeply on past instances where they've supported a friend and, inspired by the story's message, thoughtfully made personal pledges for how they intend to offer help and kindness to their friends in the future.
Online Safety - Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo’s long-awaited Switch 2 has finally arrived, blending fresh hardware with fan-favourite franchises. From Mario to Pikachu, the familiar mascots are back – but so too are evolving online features, in-game purchases, and potential exposure to mature content. As ever, it’s essential that parents and educators understand the risks to young players. Among these are GameChat voice communication, camera-based gaming, and potential access to mature-rated titles. This guide outlines what to watch out for and how to keep children safe, engaged and having fun.
Year 5 Art - Visual Notes in Response to an Artist
This week in Art, Year 5 embarked on an exciting exploration of Set Design for the Theatre. They meticulously studied the innovative work of Rae Smith, particularly her acclaimed designs for Michael Morpurgo's powerful production of War Horse. Inspired by the artist's unique style and vision, the children then translated their observations and ideas into their own creative 'visual notes.'
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Online Safety - Youtube Kids
YouTube Kids promises a safe, child-centric experience with colourful visuals, age-filtered content, and robust parental controls. Designed to appeal to younger viewers, the app has grown rapidly, being used by tens of millions of children worldwide. But is it as safe as it seems? Despite YouTube Kids’ safeguards, reports have highlighted worrying issues, such as inappropriate content slipping through filters, subtle advertising, and the use of manipulative design to keep children engaged. Our guide explores how to navigate these pitfalls, offering practical advice for making sure children get the most from the platform – without the risks.
Year 5 English: Roleplays - Journey to the River Sea
Year 5's English lessons have been brought to life by Eva Ibbotson's captivating novel, Journey to the River Sea. Students explored characterisation through a dynamic role-play, recreating Maia's significant first encounter with the twins. They focused intently on using their actions and facial expressions to communicate the characters' emotional states. Following this, they independently crafted compelling letters from Maia's point of view, sharing her Amazonian adventures and personal feelings with her friends back in England.
Forest School Training
Forest School learning is an inspirational and specialised approach to outdoor education that focuses on developing confidence, self-esteem, and holistic growth in learners through hands-on experiences in natural environments. This week our teachers have been on a Forest School adventure. Learning all the different skills to become Forest School leaders. Bringing back to school the philosophical understanding, practical skills, and confidence to unlock the vast educational potential of the outdoors, ultimately creating richer, more engaging, and more beneficial learning experiences for our pupils.
Year 5 Science - Leapfrog Game: Facts about Frogs
This week, our Science lesson hopped into the fascinating world of amphibian life cycles, specifically focusing on frogs. Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed discovering diverse frog life cycles, including the intriguing South American tree frog, which uniquely lays its eggs on leaves rather than in water! To consolidate our learning, we then took our studies to the playground for a lively game of 'Leapfrog Life Cycle'. Students answered questions about frog development on their whiteboards; a correct answer meant a fun leap, with the number of jumps determined by a dice roll! This highly engaging and active session led to much correct recall and, consequently, a lot of enthusiastic jumping!
Year 5 Music - Responding to Music with Art
This week in Music, Year 5 engaged in a wonderfully creative exercise, listening intently to various pieces and translating their auditory experiences into abstract drawings. Their artwork beautifully captured both the sounds they heard and the emotions the music evoked, resulting in a collection of truly interesting and unique interpretations.
School Games Gold Award Winners!
We’re proud to announce that Darwen St James has been awarded the GOLD School Games Mark! This brilliant achievement is a reflection of the perseverance, courage, and hope shown by our pupils—and the dedication of our PE and Extra-Curricular Sports Team, who work tirelessly to promote sport and physical activity across our school. This year we have participated in netball, football, cross country and cricket to name a few! The School Games Mark is a national award that celebrates a school’s commitment to PE, school sport, and competition, both within and beyond the school gates. It also supports schools in reviewing and strengthening their provision. A huge thank you and well done to Mrs Cookson and all the staff for making sport such an exciting and important part of life at Darwen St James. We’re incredibly proud of our pupils for stepping up to every challenge with determination and team spirit. Keep going, keep growing! ???? #TeamDSJ #DSJFamily
Year 5 Science - The Life Cycle of a Bird Roleplay
This week in Science, as part of our 'Living Things' topic, Year 5 embarked on an interactive journey through the life cycle of a bird. The classroom was transformed with various 'nests,' each representing a distinct stage of development. Children enthusiastically role-played each phase according to instructions, from carefully 'incubating' a tennis ball to taking tentative 'fledgling' journeys from their nests. This immersive and highly enjoyable activity significantly deepened their understanding and recall of each life cycle stage.
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