Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC): Blog items
Date: 25th Mar 2021 @ 11:32am
Cedar class use daily sensory circuits to help them focus into learning. We focus on the 3 main elements to help stimulate the brain which increases pupils concentration. First, we activate the body by completing short active tasks. Today we focused on incresing the heart rate with shutle runs. Then we use coordinating activities to focus our mind. Today we used log rolls and balancing exercises. Finally, we calm our bodies by doing relaxing exercises to regulate our emotions and put us into the 'green zone' of regulation. Today we completed wall stretches and the weighted blanket.
Lots of Laughs for Comic Relief
Date: 22nd Mar 2021 @ 7:01pm
We wore red, brought in some fundraising money and told lots of funny jokes to Raise money for Comic Relief. Being funny and having a laugh is one of the resilient moves that we can use to help ourselves feel better and look after our own mental health and well being. We also raised money for different charities, while enjoying ourselves!
Year Five are enjoying creating their gymnastic routines working as a team with a partner.
Date: 22nd Mar 2021 @ 4:05pm
Over the last two weeks, Year Five have been creating routines in their gymnastics lessons. They have been mostly focusing on mirrored and matched balances, arabesques and different ways of travelling. Working together as a team was vitally important whilst devising their routines.
Date: 19th Mar 2021 @ 3:37pm
We had a great time raising money for Comic Relief today! We all swapped one piece of our uniform for something red to show our support. This afternoon we had a laugh a minute with some classic jokes and we played 'Pin the Nose on the Panda'. Thank you for all of your contributions for such a good cause!
Making animal habitats at Forest School
Date: 19th Mar 2021 @ 10:10am
This week at Forest School the children enjoyed learning about animals and their habitats. We talked about different habitas and what animals need to survive. The children then worked together to collect sticks, leaves, grass and stones in their buckets and used them to create their own animal homes.
"I'm putting leaves in mine to keep the animals warm" Ellie-Mae
"We are sticking the sticking in the ground to make a wall" Arthur.
Then we explored the Forest School area and looked for different animal footprints in the mud.
Afterwards we were made a fire to boil the water ready for our warm vimto drink. We talked about how to keep ourselves safe whilst making a fire. The we discussed the three different elements we need to make a fire; heat, wood and air.
"Lisa wears a special fire glove so she doesn't burn her hand' Lyra-Rose
"Never go in the middle of the circle beacuse you might get burnt" Oscar.
At the end of the session we enjoyed a lovely drink of warm vimto and sang some songs around the fire.
Date: 4th Mar 2021 @ 3:56pm
This afternoon, Cedar had great fun in our Boundary Forest School area.
First, we went to look in the ponds and couldn't believe how much frogspawn there was! We discussed the lifecycle of frogs and can't wait to watch them grow.
Next, we made jam donuts, yum! We lit the fire and set to work making the batter, before frying our donuts over the fire. They were absolutely delicious! We showed good resilience when using flints to start the fire and good team work when making the donut batter.
Date: 11th Dec 2020 @ 4:44pm
On Rainbow Laces day, we learnt about stereotyping in sport. We discussed who imagined when we said the sports: gymnastics, ballet, football and swimming. We looked at famous males and females in these sports and the amazing accomplishments that they have achieved. By the end of the session, we had a good understanding that it doesn't matter what gender we are, we should play sports that interest us most.
We learnt that we should not stereotype people or judge them based on their looks or genders. Be who you want to be and do the things that make you smile!
Rainbow Laces Day - Celebrating Diversity
Date: 10th Dec 2020 @ 8:34pm
This week we have been taking part in 'Rainbow Laces Day' which is a chance to celebrate diversity and learn about the importance of respecting other people's differences. We learned about a variety of sports people who are all LGBT, including Tom Daley and Colin Jackson. We discussed that all people are worthy of respect and it is wrong to disrespect people because they are LGBT.
Date: 30th Oct 2020 @ 10:25am
Music was our focus for Black History Month in Year 5. We focused on the contributions that artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Bob Marley made to twentieth century music and culture. We listened and appraised different genres of music and created some wonderful artwork.
Date: 26th Oct 2020 @ 12:05pm
This week we have been learning about Black History Month. We started the week by reading the story 'Handa's Surprise,' talking about the characters, setting, and key points in the book, before sequencing and retelling the story.
We looked in depth at the illustrations of the setting and how this enabled us to know where the story took place. We also recapped on the use of adjectives, and how we could describe each fruit. We had ideas such as 'spiky large pineapple,' 'green, creamy avocado,' and 'yellow, bendy banana.' Later in the week we then wrote sentences to describe what was happening in a picture from the story, focussing on using capital letters, full stops, and segmenting and blending the words we wanted to use.
We also spent an afternoon creating and designing African masks. We explored a range of masks from countries we have looked at during the week, discussing the features, colours, and emotions the masks portrayed. Children cut out shapes from different coloured and textured paper to create the features of their masks. We discussed the use of symmetry and tried to make our masks as symmetrical as possible!
Throughout the week we have explored lots of similarities and differences, learning that everyone is different, but everyone is special.
Date: 22nd Oct 2020 @ 12:15pm
In Year 1 this week we read the story 'How Full Is Your Bucket?' We discussed what it meant to be a bucket filler and a bucket dipper, and how the choices that we make can impact those around us. We also talked about how different actions make us feel, and how they can also make others feel. The children then sorted a variety of statements, deciding if they were bucket filler or bucket dipper behaviours.
Whilst learning about World Mental Health Day we recapped on being a bucker filler or dipper, and identified something we can do during our every day routine to be a bucket filler. We drew a picture and explained to an adult/wrote a sentence to explain something positive we had done that week that had filled our bucket.
Date: 12th Mar 2020 @ 10:05am
Cadets had an interesting visit from CSI this week. The cadets learnt all about the role of the crime scene investigator, the style of the jobs they attend and how the forensic evidence is used to catch criminals and in court.
Date: 27th Feb 2020 @ 9:25am
Our new topic, World of Work, was launched with a careers fair afternoon. Numerous volunteers from a wide variety of different professions visited us and answered our questions about their career and path into their field of work. It was a hugely successful afternoon and the children learned lots about the different careers available to them. We would like to say a huge thank you to the volunteers who gave their time to speak to the children.
Date: 7th Feb 2020 @ 11:45am
The mini-cadets have been working with another of the emergency services this week. During the session, they learnt about the range of jobs fire fighters have to attend, explored a fire engine and even tested out the hose. They learnt how the police and fire service have to work well together in emergencies and how they support each other to keep the public safe.
Date: 27th Jan 2020 @ 2:28pm
This week we have been talking about Chinese New Year. We have been discussing it's similarities and differences to festivals we celebrate. We enjoyed making Chinese lanterns and dragons, preparing our home corner for the new year by cleaning and decorating it, role playing in our Chinese restaurant, dragon dancing in the garden as well as completing lots of Chinese theme maths activities. What a great week we have had!
Date: 30th Jan 2020 @ 11:16am
The mini-cadets learnt all about knife crime this week. It was a tough session but the cadets know the facts and initiatives in place across the country.
The One Where The Fire Service Visited Us
Date: 29th Jan 2020 @ 9:47am
We have had an informative afternoon, where Lancashire Fire Service came in to discuss the importance of having good 'Road Sense'. We looked at the importance of wearing a seatbelt, using a booster seat (up to 135cm in height), using helmets, being visible from dusk and crossing roads safely. We all showed a good understanding of how to be safe when walking to and from school and the importance of always using these rules, even when we go to high school.
Thank you again to Firefighter Luke and Will, who came in to see us - it was an extremely informative and relevant session.
Date: 22nd Jan 2020 @ 4:18pm
The mini-cadets were out and about again today. This week, they were thinking about road safety and monitoring the speed of the cars in our local area. Luckily, nobody was breaking the speed limit on their watch.
To the land down under! Australia here we come!
Date: 21st Jan 2020 @ 9:38pm
Year 2 were excited to fasten their seat belts ready for their jet setting adventure to Australia. Before we could go, we discussed all the important things we need when travelling aboard and what flying commercially is really like. Year 2 were lucky enough to have first class round the trip tickets to Sydney. Before our departure we ensured that we had the correct personal information on our passports and not to mention having our boarding passes ready for boarding. Next we boarded, with the help of our fabulous cabin crew (Miss Hartley and Mrs Crookall) who showed us to our seats. Then prepared for take off and took to the skies observing all the land, sea and clouds from 42,000 ft. We were kept entertained throughout our 22 hour flight with plenty of snacks and refreshments. Next stop SYDNEY!
Date: 8th Jan 2020 @ 3:23pm
New year and a new opportunity for the mini-cadets to meet the mounted police. The children learnt all about the role of the mounted police, how they work and how they are looked after.
Date: 11th Dec 2019 @ 5:35pm
The mini-cadets visited the Head Quarters this week and worked with the Lancashire Constabulary TacOps team! They learnt all about the how the team keep the roads safe and running smoothly and how they deal with road traffic accidents.
Date: 20th Nov 2019 @ 2:55pm
The Mini-Cadets enjoyed a visit from Sgt Claire Van Deurs Goss today who conducted a talk about the use of the internet within the police and then how to keep safe online. The Mini-Cadets are going to present their learning to the rest of the children in assembly tomorrow.
Date: 15th Nov 2019 @ 4:26pm
Danceathon, spots and Pudsey Bear! What a great day we had in Year 1 for children in need. We started our morning by doing our Children In Need danceathon. Children all over the country took part and we wanted to join in too. We enjoyed learning the dance, it was great fun, a way to support charity and good exercise for our bodies. In writing we wrote about Pudsey Bear. We had to make a fact poster and an opinion poster. What food do we think Pudsey bear would like to eat? What do we think Pudsey bear might like to do? These were all our opinions. Finally we ended the day with a whole school Children in Need assembly. Everyone looked different .... because we were all spotty!
Date: 13th Nov 2019 @ 8:07am
The Year 5 Mini-Cadets enjoyed their first trip to the West Division Police Headquarters. They had a tour of the building watching all the busy officers at work and learning about the rank structures. The cadets also spent some time in the different police vans; it was very exciting going for a drive and turning the sirens on!
Embracing African Culture In Year Five!
Date: 12th Nov 2019 @ 4:46pm
Year Five are currently writing stories from another culture. We are focusing on African stories and the language, settings and features associated with them. Today, we looked at African vocabulary, traditional stories, the clothing and customs. The children loved learning about such a varied and interesting country!
