Key Stage 2 Christmas Carol Concert
Key Stage 2 were fantastic this morning in church for our annual Christmas Carol Concert. Everyone remembered their lines and said them so clearly, and the carols were sung beautifully by all. Well done KS2! Happy Christmas!
Year 6: PE - Dodgeball
This half term in PE lessons year 6 have been playing dodgeball, learning how to move most effectively to dodge, and how to hit a moving target.
Year 6: Maths - Learning by Questions
During maths Year 6 have been using Learning by Questions to develop and consolidate learning in class. LBQ is a fantastic online tool and we have really enjoyed beginning to use it in class!
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Year 6: English - Persuasive Writing
In English, year 6 have been analysing examples of persuasive texts. We have been spotting the language features authors use to persuade the reader. LO: to discuss techniques used to persuade the reader.
Year 6: Communion
This week Year 6 had the chance to visit our local church to attend communion. Some of the class were able to share their prayers with the congregation, which related to the theme of hope and God's light shining on us.
Year 6 History - Evaluating Sources and Creating Viking Sagas
In history year 6 have been analysing sources relating to the Vikings to try and understand more about Viking society. We looked at images of helmets and coins, which show two different sides of Viking civilisation.
Year 6 English Comparing Two Different Songs
Year 6 have been listening to two different songs, they have been analysing Big Yellow Taxi, by Joni Mitchell and What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong. The children then compared the two sets of lyrics and discussed the message the lyrics were trying to get across to them. We then had a class discussion on which one we preferred and why? Most of the class prefered the Big Yellow Taxi over What A Wonderful World since it was a more upbeat and catchy song.
Should I Keep My Child Off School?
Lots of bugs and germs are spreading, and we know you want to do what is best for your child. Please see the NHS guidance below on keeping your child off school. If you are keeping your child at home, please contact the school office as soon as you can.
Year 6 Independent Guided Reading - Focusing on Retrieval Question Types
After a week of rehearsing answering retrieval question types, on Fridays Year 6 answer questions independently. The focus is to apply the skill that has been taught throughout the week. We are particularly enjoying the novel Skandar and the Unicorn Thief!
Year 6 - English - Independent Write
In English this week Year 6 have been completing their independent writing, re-telling the story of the Wizard of Oz and introducing a new character into the tale. We focused on using high level adjectives to build expanded noun phrases, relative clauses, subordination, adverbial phrases and parenthesis.
Year 6 History -The Vikings
In history this week Year 6 have continued their learning relating to the Vikings. They analysed and compared two versions of the same Viking saga, and then created their own. They included both fictional elements, information that was historically accurate and worked with a focus on high level vocabulary.
Year 6 Fire Talk
On Tuesday we had a visit from the fire brigade who gave us a talk on road safety and did a recap on the fire safety at home. Year 6 asked lots of really good questions. We had a quiz at the end and got most of the questions right.
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Lunch time
At Lunchtime today, the children didn't let the cold bother them! We all had lots of fun, there were snowmen of all different shapes and sizes! Children made snow angels and had a really enjoyable time running around in the snow. Then we all had to get a snowball and try and hit Mrs Meagher with it.
Year 6 - French - Football Vocab.
As part of their unit on Sports, Year 6 have been learning lots of vocabulary connected to the game of football. In order to embed their learning they played a game of pictionary and became more confident with understanding and speaking the words.
Year 6 Science - Changing the Size of a Shadow
This week in Science Year 6 have been investigating how to change the size of a shadow. After thinking about working scientifically and how to conduct a fair test, we performed an investigation to test against our predictions.
Year 6 English : Comparing Modern and Classic Texts
In English Year 6 has analysed front covers and language features to find differences and similarities between classic and modern texts. We were surprised at how similar the language features were in the Wizard of Oz (published in 1900), and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published in 1997).
Year 6 History: Looking at Viking Sources
In our History lesson, year 6 have been looking at a range of secondary sources, showing artifacts from The Vikings. We used our previous knowledge and critical thinking to evaluate these sources.
Year 6 - Prefect Roles
Year 6 received their prefect badges in Worship this morning. It was a real celebration and we were so pleased that many parents could join us. Our Y6 children have many different roles including head boy and head girl, office prefects, nursery prefects and librarians. As our oldest pupils, the children have lots of responsibility and are role models to the rest of school. We know they will be fantastic and continue to aim high!
Year 6 History - Vikings
In History this week year 6 have started looking at the topic on the Vikings, started by working together to create a scaled timeline.
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Year 6 English - Classic Texts
In English we have been looking at examples of classic texts, and thinking about what makes a book a classic. We also discussed which of our favourite books may become a classic in the future.
Year 6 Science - Light
In science we have been looking at describing how light travels. We conducted two experiments to prove that light only travels in straight lines.
Year 6 Yellow Day
Thinking about affirmations and the value of positive self talk to help improve our mental health, and put ourselves in a positive frame of mind. We wore yellow to support mental health day.
Year 6 Geography - Solar Power
Working together to understand the benefits and drawbacks of Solar Power, and the impact that solar farms can have on a local community.
Fire Safety
A Home Office study has found that approximately 350 children are injured in accidental fires every year
Year 6 English
Starting our independent writing in English, showcasing the vocabulary and grammatical features we have learnt so far! We are really pleased with the outcomes so far and how imaginative the story has been, and I am excited to see how they will come to their conclusions tomorrow.
Year 6 English
Using images and working together to describe our unique ‘Room of Wonders’, inspired by the Nowhere Emporium.
Year 6 Maths
In maths we have been multiplying four digit numbers by two digit numbers.
Year 6 DT
In our design technology lesson we made our own switch using foil, cardboard, spit pins and sponge and made a circuit using three wires and a battery.
Year 6 visit from Mr Parker
Mr Parker visited us and talked all about DACA and told us all about the Open Evening.
Breakfast Club
In the Breakfast club we made brick towers bigger than a year 5 child and played Guess Who Games . We had lots of fun.
Year 6 PE
Year 6 have been learning the skill of passing using bounce and chest passes and making sure that they are ready to receive the ball.
Year 6 Spelling Practice
Year 6 had to practice their spelling using segment words and then had to put them into the correct syllables and phonemes.
Year 6 Role Play In PSHE
In our PSHE lesson we had to read 3 scripts and choose which one we wanted to act out as a group. The performance focused on finding a resolution to a situation where the six characters involved did not end up arguing. The characters found a diversion to otherwise occupy their minds and they still remain friends.
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Year 6 Design and Technology
Year 6 made simple circuits to test if they would work and then added a switch. Next time we will be making our own switches.
Year 6 Science
Year 6 have been using movement and obstructions to learn about resistance in electrical circuits.
Year 6 PE
Year 6 have been learning control and the importance of possession in invasion games, practicing being a defender and knowing when to attack.
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Year 6 English
Writing a descriptive paragraph to describe the scene as 'The Nowhere Emporium' mysteriously arrives in Glasgow city centre.
Year 6 Maths
Working on multiplying by 10, 100 and 1,000 using our place value knowledge.
Year 6 RE
Year 6 followed the journey made by Bishop Philip and made lots of decisions to tell him where to go.
First maths game in Year 6
On our first day in year 6, we played a maths game. Using the numbers 1-9 we had to roll a dice to generate a total ,applying arithmetic and addition skills to win by eliminating all numbers the fastest.
Year 6 Looking at Artifacts in our English Lesson
Year 6 looked at artifacts to find inspiration for creative writing and generating excitement and interest in our class text 'The Nowhere Emporium '
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Worry and Anxiety
At times, growing up can be a stressful experience. It’s not unheard of for young people to fret about things that could potentially go wrong in their lives – and what implications this would have for their life. In some situations, this can go beyond feeling uneasy about the future and become full-blown anxiety, which affects their mental, emotional and even physical wellbeing. While worry and anxiety can originate from many different places, it's immensely important for parents and educators to understand the effect this can have on youngsters – and how best to support them if they’re going through a difficult time. This guide provides insight into the ramifications of worry and anxiety, and how you can help children manage – and hopefully overcome – these challenges.
Year 6 Nurture Lesson
In their nurture lesson, Year 6 created presentations on their chromebooks about how to keep safe. They first chose a specific topic such as water safety, fire safety or stranger danger. After doing some research they then created a powerpoint to present how to protect themselves from dangers.
Year 6 in the News!
Year 6 were in the Lancashire Telegraph on Wednesday, as part of the Leavers Supplement. Don't we look smart!
Year 6 Leaver's Disco
Year 6 have been having a wonderful time at their leavers disco - it was hard to take photos that weren't blurry with them dancing so much!
Year 6 Geography- Brazil Nut Life Cycle
In our Geography lesson we have been looking at the life cycle of the Brazil Nut and looked at the effects for plants, animals and people if the Agouti (animal that eats the nut) becomes extinct.
Year 6 Leavers Disco
Year 6 making their decorations for their leavers Disco tonight! There's paper chains and bunting all over the place and a lot of excitement in the air!
Witton Park Athletics
Tonight our children in Years 3,4,5 and 6 took part in Witton Park Athletics. The children participated in relay races, throwing, jumping and sprinting. They all did a wonderful job, behaved impeccably and showed great sportsmanship, a huge well done to them all! They did Darwen St James proud!
Year 6 Geography
Year 6 have been researching about Rainforests for our Geography topic all about the Amazon and Brazil. We created infographic posters with the information we discovered, which included the layers of the rainforest, and the creatures which live there.
Year 6 Leavers Service at Blackburn Cathedral
Year 6 joined lots of other schools from the diocese this morning for a service at Blackburn Cathedral. We met Chip Kendall, the singer and songwriter who runs a Christian charity called Soul Children, and sang his songs - Year 6 sang beautifully and did our school very proud! It was a fantastic morning celebrating our young people and their talents - they are going off into the world to make a positive difference to our communities! As Chip says: "Love where you Live"!
Year 6 Science: Identifying Plants for Classification
Year 6 had fun in the sunshine this week, identifying and classifying some of the common UK wild plants in our school grounds. We discovered that a lot of the plants can be classified as flowering plants!
Year 6 Class Worship: Perseverance
Year 6 are using our Class Worship time today to learn about the parable of the widow who persevered. We thought about a time in our own lives when we had to persevere at something difficult and eventually succeeded. A lot of examples were from our visit to PGL! We then wrote about our perseverance experiences.
Year 6 Geography
Year 6 enjoyed a starter activity with inflatable globes in our Geography lesson. We had to throw the globe to each other, and had to name continents and oceans our thumb landed on! It took some thinking to remember lessons from all the way back in Year 2, but we had a lot of fun!
Year 6: Exploring Coding with Microbits
Year 6 have been lucky enough this afternoon to have Rev Kev come along to our class and help us to code the Microbits. We have created thermometers as a class, and then went on to exploring and creating our own coded projects, including 'rock paper scissors', making a rocket fly, making them talk to each other, and making music!
Year 6 Orienteering PE
In our PE lesson we have started Orienteering. We had to follow both visual and written instructions, either by copying our partner with the physical route they took around the map or by following the written route that they have made for us.
Year 6 English: Researching Chester Zoo for a Persuasive Advert
This week in English we are writing some adverts, persuading people to visit Chester Zoo. We used the Chester Zoo website to find out as many amazing facts about the zoo as we could! For example, did you know that Chester Zoo has over 35,000 animals?
Year 6 Chip Party!
Year 6 joined a Zoom call yesterday in preparation for our Leavers Service at Blackburn Cathedral on July 2nd. Chip Kendall, who will be hosting the event, taught us some songs for the service and then we had some chips!
Year 6 English Debate
We created a 'line of continuum' to debate whether Mrs Ramsbottom in the poem is a good mother or not. At one end was 'strongly agree' and at the other was 'strongly disagree'. We had to justify where we stood with reasons for our choice. We then used the arguments made in our writing, a short discussion text debating both points of view.
Year 6 PGL - Raft Building
The rain hasn’t stopped us today! The children have shown fantastic teamwork, participating in raft building. Poor Mrs Meagher ended up wet through as she fell in!
Year 6 PGL - The Climbing Wall
Today, Year 6 definitely lived out our value of courage as they had to face the climbing wall! The children were pushed out of their comfort zones, climbing as high as they could. We are extremely proud of their effort and determination!
Year 6 PGL - Abseiling
What goes up must come down! The next challenge for Year 6 was abseiling, and yet again they did us proud! Many of us faced our fears head on and our courage and perseverance shone through!
Year 6 PGL - Archery
Year 6 are having a fantastic time at PGL, their first activity was archery. We were very impressed with their aiming and shooting skills!
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Year 6 Picture News
In Year 6 this morning we had a special Picture News based on a poem about the SATs tests and how they don't test our real worth. The children had some amazing thoughts about what else the SATs don't test, like our love for our families and living a good life!
Year 6 Last SAT Paper
Year 6 have worked hard all week in their SATs tests and we couldn't be more proud of each and every one of them.
Year 6 Science: Investigating Electrical Circuits
Year 6 investigated what would happen to a lightbulb if they increased the number of cells in a simple electrical circuit.
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Year 6 RE: What Do We Learn About God From the Words and Actions of Jesus?
We discussed the question "What do we learn about God from the words and actions of Jesus?" and then wrote an answer to the question. The children used pictures of Jesus' actions and the words from the sermon on the mount as prompts to help with their writing.
Ordering School Meals Via ParentPay
We have listened to your feedback regarding wanting to know what your child eats in school and we have now activated ParentPay meal ordering so that you can order what your child will eat in school (please note thaat this will be compulsory form September). Please familiarise yourself with this by logging on to your ParentPay account and selecting your child's meals with them at home. Dinners need to be ordered before 9am. Please message Miss Greenwood if you have any problems logging on, thank you.
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A Huge Thank You to Woods Fruit and Veg!
We would like to say a HUGE thank you to Woods Fruit & VEG for supplying our fruit over the past few months, whilst we were in receipt of a food grant for our Key Stage 2 pupils. The fruit was lovely and fresh and the children really enjoyed it. We are missing your tangerines already!
Year 6 Maths Quiz
Year 6 have been working really hard this week on maths revising and preparing for SATs, so this morning we had a lot of fun testing our knowledge on a Maths quiz on Kahoot.
Year 6 Revising for SATs
Year 6 have been working so hard this week, revising and preparing for SATs. We wish them all the luck in the world - you can do this Year 6, you are amazing!
Year 6 British Values
In our Class worship Year 6 asked and talked about the question 'Can the past help us learn about modern life?'
Year 6 French
Year 6 enjoyed their French lesson with Mrs Colyer, learning the four points of the compass in French!
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Year 6 Music - Reading Sheet Music
Year 6 had a well deserved break from SATS practice this afternoon to have a fun music lesson. They were able to play simple tunes on the glockenspiels by reading musical sheet music.
Year 6 Maths Measuring And Classifying Angles
Year 6 have been learning how to measure an angle using a protractor. We had a lot of fun finding the origin on the protractor, understanding where to place it on an angle, and also whether to read the outer scale or the inner scale on the protractor to measure the angle. We also learned about angle classification, including acute, obtuse, right, straight and reflex angles.
Friends of DSJ
We are looking for new members of our Friends at Darwen St James group. The group was created to help raise funds for school by thinking of ideas and planning fundraisers throughout the year. Past events include; *Film night *Bingo night *Family evening *Summer Fair *Christmas Fair All the money we raise is used in school - we have developed the nurture room and we are currently renovating the library areas around school. If you would like to find our more or if you would like to volunteer, please speak to Miss Sears.
Year 6 PE
Year 6 have been learning some athletics skills in PE! We have been running sprint races and learning how to do a good standing long jump.
Year 6 RE- Who is Jesus?
Year 6 are learning about who is Jesus, and are hard at work thinking about what other people have said about Jesus - including famous people such as Elvis Presley and Albert Einstein, and also what is said in the lyrics of some worship songs, including Waymaker.
Top Tips for Parents & Educators - Managing Exam Stress
Most of us have felt the dread of impending exams. The pressure to succeed and not let our loved ones – or ourselves – down can sometimes manifest in ways that are harmful to children’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Several studies have demonstrated that, in a vicious circle, such anxiety impacts our working memory and actually damages academic performance as result. However, there are various solutions to the pre-exam jitters besides simply “getting on with it” – and a little support can go a long way in boosting young people who are suffering from this type of apprehension. To tie in with National Stress Awareness Month, this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has some expert tips for helping children and young people to deal with exam stress.
Free School Meals - Extended!
As you all are aware, we received funding last year and we were fortunate to be able to offer free school meals to all of our children. We thought that this would be run until the end of March, however we are thrilled to announce we are able to extend this to the 26th April. From 29th April children who are not on free school meals will have to pay for their lunch and there will be a slight increase in cost and the new charge will be £2.50 per day. Now is a good opportunity to look into seeing if your child will be eligible for free school meals if you haven't yet applied by visiting Blackburn with Darwen Borough Councils website here https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-meals
Online Safety - What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Township
Potentially addictive online games are nothing new, but the specifics of this kind of media can vary enormously – and, as a consequence, the risks in each individual game are just as diverse. The city-builder Township is no exception: providing its legions of devotees with accessible, satisfying fun … but exposing them to potential hazards at the same time. However, any safeguarding issues that the game might have can (with a little knowhow) be neutralised – allowing young players to have some engrossing fun without adults needing to worry about children’s data, their money or their mental wellbeing. Our guide outlines how to help young gamers enjoy Township safely and responsibly.
Easter closure information
Easter closure information
Easter Competition Winners
A huge well done to the winners of this years Easter competition! Rev Kev and Miss Greenwood had the difficult decision of selecting 3 winners form each class. We had over 20 family entries too, which was great! Congratulations to those winners.
Online Safety - Wake up Wednesday - Clickbait
While scrolling online, you’ll almost inevitably have come across posts or links with headlines like “You Won’t Believe These 10 Crazy Facts about …”. Such lurid language – and the often-dubious nature of the content it promotes – has become something of a running joke on the internet. Yet while these articles are often laughed at by communities online, they can have an insidious side. Clickbait, as it’s known, can frequently function as part of a trap: intended to draw users in for the sake of advertising revenue or, in worse cases, masking an attempting to collect their personal information. This #WakeUpWednesday guide explores the various risks of clickbait and offers some top tips for evading the pitfalls of this controversial marketing technique.
Easter Egg Competition
This year our competition theme was the Paris Olympics and we have had some eggstrodinary entries! Well done ot every family that entered this years competiton, the judges have had an eggstremely dificult decision this year! The winners will be announced in our special Easter Worship tomorrow, you are all welcome to join us.
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Measles Guidance
Please see the latest guidance for measles.
Year 6 - English - Persuasive Writing
Today in our English lesson we have planning our persuasive writing all about climate change, Greta Thunberg and how we can reduce Carbon emissions.
BwD Family Hub Website
Fantastic news! Our website is live! The Start for Life Family Hub Website is the gateway to information of where services are, it details everything a family will need in those 1001 critical days and beyond. Our Family Hubs and Children Centres are our Single point of access to those start for life, wider services and family help. The Hubs and Children Centres are the physical places where a family can visit and speak to a trained staff member, face to face, who will provide them with straightforward information or advice on a wide range of family issues spanning the 0-19 (25 with SEND) age range and connect them appropriately to further services across that age range if they need more targeted or specialist support.
10 Top Tips for Parents and Educators: Encouraging Open Conversations at Home
Cultural and technological changes have made the experiences of today’s children vastly different to our own childhoods; it can be challenging to engage youngsters in open, honest conversation – especially about more sensitive topics. This, combined with many children’s instinct to avoid “rocking the boat”, can make it difficult to stay up to date with the goings on in their lives. However, it’s hugely important that trusted adults still offer an empathetic ear and feel able to encourage young people to open up about their day-to-day activities. This #WakeUpWednesday guide provides ten top tips for promoting open conversations with children – helping to make sure there’s someone they know they can turn to in times of need.
Year 6 - Holy Communion
Year 6 were lucky enough to attend Holy Communion this morning at Church. Behaviour was excellent, and Rev Kev called us a credit to the school! Well done Year 6. Aaliyah did the reading perfectly, even the name of the place Bethsaida!
Year 6 - World Book Day
Year 6 enjoying World Book Day! Reading for pleasure after lunch, and reading with Year 2 children later in the afternoon.
Year 6 Science - Light Viewing Boxes
Year 6 showing amazing team work skills in Science. We are making 'light' viewing boxes, to try to prove that we see things because light is reflected off them.
Pupil Worship Conference
Two of our Year 6 pupils attended the Pupil Worship Conference today. They explored Easter story through taste looked at crosses across the world after lunch. Here you can see that we have made an Ethiopian cross. They all look brilliant!
Online Safety - Self Regulation
As infants, we all rely completely on adults to help us resolve situations that are causing us to become upset or stressed. This is known as co-regulation. The next phase, once autonomy has begun to develop, is called self-regulation: this is when children start to become capable of exercising more control over their impulses and behaviour, and managing their own emotions. This vital developmental milestone, however, isn’t reached spontaneously. Learning to self-regulate requires sensitive guidance from trusted adults – simply talking with children about their thoughts and feelings, for instance, can ease the route to self-regulation. This #WakeUpWednesday guide has some expert tips for supporting children to reach this goal.
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day poppies at Darwen St James'
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