Nursery - R.E - Exploring Our Community
This week, Nursery class took part in a heartwarming RE lesson, all about community! We started by looking at a special picture of our whole class together. It was so lovely to see all our happy faces! We learned a new, important word: 'community'. We talked about how our class is a community, a special group of people who are together and care for each other. The children then had a chance to choose a friend from our class picture. It was delightful to see so many cuddles and high-fives being shared! We chatted about how we can help our friends feel happy, whether it’s sharing a toy or giving a kind smile. We also introduced the beautiful idea that people caring for each other is just like Jesus taught us. It was a gentle and meaningful way to explore how love and kindness bring us all closer, right here in our own school community. The children really engaged with the lesson, showing great recognition of their friends and demonstrating their understanding of being part of our special community. What a joy to see such love and connection in our classroom!
Year 3 DT - Structures. Designing Our Own Castle.
Year 3 have continued their art lesson on castles by designing their own. They've been busy discussing the essential features a castle must have and exploring the different materials they would use to build them.
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.
Nursery - Literacy - Fine Motor Skills
This week, our two-year-olds put their fine motor skills to the test with a fun lion-themed challenge! The children were tasked with creating a magnificent lion's mane using clothes pegs. This was a fantastic way to strengthen those little hand muscles! Some of our children focused on the crucial first step, diligently practising just squeezing the pegs open and closed. This action is vital for developing hand strength and coordination. Others, ready for the next challenge, skillfully navigated the pegs onto the lion's face, carefully attaching them to form a spiky, mane. It was wonderful to see each child working at their own pace, developing essential skills that will help them with everything from holding a pencil to buttoning their coats. Our little learners showed great determination and focus.
Year 3 French - 'Les Objets De La Classe' - Classroom Objects
Year 3 students have been diving into French by exploring the objects around their classroom! They've learned the French names for several familiar items: Ruler: une règle Pencil: un crayon Pen: un stylo Rucksack (backpack): un sac A key part of their learning has been understanding that in French, all nouns have a gender. This means they are either masculine or feminine. They've learned to recognise this by looking at the word that comes before the noun: "Un" is used for masculine words (like un crayon and un stylo). "Une" is used for feminine words (like une règle). This is a fantastic start to their French language journey, helping them build a foundation for understanding more about French grammar!
Pre-school-Maths-Patterns-Notice Error in Repeated Patterns
Children used different activities to find errors in repeated patterns, some children had to find the error using colour bears some had picture cards and had to identify the error and others used lego bricks to help them find the error in the repeated pattern. Finding errors in repeated patterns is a crucial step in developing early mathematical thinking in Early Years children. It helps them understand the concept of a "unit of repeat" and strengthens their logical reasoning skills. This helps the children with- Pattern Recognition: It reinforces their understanding of what a pattern is and how it repeats. Logical Reasoning: It encourages them to think critically and identify what doesn't fit the established rule. Problem-Solving: It provides a hands-on opportunity to fix mistakes and see the immediate result of their correction.
Year 6: Maths
After our main maths lessons, year 6 have been enjoying working on their mental arithmetic by playing dice games. They have been recognising number bonds at speed to try and win the game.
Pre-school-Maths-Patterns-Notice Error in Repeated Patterns
Children used different activities to find errors in repeated patterns, some children had to find the error using colour bears some had picture cards and had to identify the error and others used lego bricks to help them find the error in the repeated pattern. Finding errors in repeated patterns is a crucial step in developing early mathematical thinking in Early Years children. It helps them understand the concept of a "unit of repeat" and strengthens their logical reasoning skills. This helps the children with- Pattern Recognition: It reinforces their understanding of what a pattern is and how it repeats. Logical Reasoning: It encourages them to think critically and identify what doesn't fit the established rule. Problem-Solving: It provides a hands-on opportunity to fix mistakes and see the immediate result of their correction.
Year 3 English - Beginning To Write Speech In The Form Of A Playscript
Year 3 students have started writing playscripts, focusing on dialogue. They took the story of "Dum Spiro" and created lines for the characters of Caesar, a Roman soldier, and a Bear.
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
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