A Leavers to Remember!

It wasn't quite the end to year 6 that we had planned, however, we still managed a quick assembly, a leavers video and an emotional goodbye under the snow machine!  Thank you for some wonderful memories Wren class - we will never forget you!  Please come back and visit!

Sports personality of the year 

Today was the day in which we celebrated all things sporting. It was our annual Sports Personality of The Year assembly. Each class teacher a winner based on the attitude and performance in PE. The winner for our class was Kane Jones. Very well deserved Kane, well done. 

Domino's for dinner

Wren class had a special delivery today. We enjoyed a trip to The Mount where, rather mysteriously, a Domino's pizza order arrived! With full bellies, the children enjoyed a play in the sunshine. It was delightful! 

Leavers Mass

Yesterday we celebrated our leavers mass. It was even more meaningful than usual as it's been such a long time since the children have been able to visit church. The children read beautifully and it was a truly spiritual, moving occasion. 

Leavers meal 

Last night was our annual leavers meal. It's hard to believe that the time has come to say goodbye to lovely year six children. It really was a special evening with delicious food, dancing and - the highlight of the evening for many of the children - a game of hide and seek. 

Our grand opening

Today was a very special day for our little school. The playground development is now finished and it was time to unveil our fabulous new play equipment in a celebratory opening ceremony. Our heads and deputies were in position and the excitement was palpable. The children counted down from ten, the ribbon was proudly snipped and the bells chimed! Our new playground is officially ready for action. 

Wren Class Graze Breakfast!

This morning, Wren class were invited to a Graze Breakfast.  We enjoyed a huge feast of croissants, pan au chocolate, fruit, yoghurts, waffles and much more! We enjoyed each others company, made a toast and pretended we were in a lovely restaurant!  We are definitely very full now! 

Pleasure Beach

As part of our fun week, Wren class enjoyed a trip to the Pleasure Beach. It was an amazing day! The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Some had nerves of steel, others preferred a more gentle time. Whatever the preferred pace, it really was a great time had by all.  

Ship ahoy! 

Our fun activities continued today with a trip to the boating lake. We enjoyed canoeing, kayaking and some of us even had a swim! It was a fantastic day, all the children embraced the challenge and it was wonderful to see.   

Fun at the beach 

After our weekly swimming lesson this morning, Wren class enjoyed a trip to the beach. The weather was glorious and the children had a fabulous time! Sandcastles, ball games and picnic lunch followed by a trip to the beach park.  It was a perfect day! 

Playground renovation

Our playground renovations begin this week. The children were informed of the joyful news by our head girl and boy and their deputies, via a zoom meeting. There were lots of questions, plenty of excitement and we literally cannot wait! 

Climbing high

Our fun continued yesterday with a trip to Stanley Park. To start our day, the children climbed on the high ropes and navigated an orienteering trail. All the children gave it a go, some were confident and un-phased whilst others demonstrated immense bravery and conquered their fears. Despite encouragement from skilled instructors and our staff team, the most heartwarming aspect was seeing the children encouraging each other and the trusting in their peers. It was superb to see. 

As if all that wasn't enough, we then visited the Model Village in the afternoon. The children were amazed by the detail on the buildings and enjoyed completing the quiz. A super end to a fabulous day! 

Bowling fun

Wren class kicked off their fun activities with a trip to the YMCA for a game of bowling. The children had an amazing time and some of them were clearly naturals. Kingpins in the making. After a couple of games we headed to the field next door for a play and picnic lunch. The sun shined and it was truly lovely! 

Rounders fun

Our PE lesson this afternoon was a game of rounders. It was energetic, fun and the team spirit was amazing. Well done Wren class. 

Celebrating our success in the pool

Some children received a certificate in recognition of their progress in the pool. Well done children, I'm sure there'll be many more certificates to come! 

Young Voices Biggest Sing

Yesterday we participated in the Guinness World Record attempt for the biggest sing. The whole school came together to sing 'Lovely Day' by Bill Withers. It was truly amazing, not just the singing, but to come together (in a Covid secure way)  for the first time in a long time. 

Asserting ourselves 

Wren class have been thinking about peer groups and the difficulties that can arise within a group. The children were given a scenario where peer pressure was being exerted and we discussed strategies to deal with this. We then role played the scenario and coping strategies. 

Athletics

Our PE focus for this half term is athletics. Today we worked on our throwing and sprinting skills.  

Brutal and desolate...

Just two of the fantastic words that Wren class are using to describe an Artic setting for their English this week. As usual, their writing is amazing. Packed with features. 

Our Cricket Morning!

Wren class were lucky enough to have a coach from Lancashire Cricket come in and teach us how to play cricket this week.  We spent the whole morning learning new skills; we had some tremendous batting and fielding!  All the children worked so well as part of a team.  It was lovely to hear them cheering and supporting each other. 

The Railway!

Today we talked about the development of the railway over time and how it has evolved and changed.  We have linked this to our seaside topic and talked about the advantages and disadvantages of the railway system. We then created a timeline of the changes that occurred over time and we also located different routes using the atlas. 

Mini Teacher Prep!

Today we became mini teachers!  We started to prepare our own times table games for the year 3/4 children in preparation for their times table tests!  We hope to be able to play these games with the children once Covid is over!

Outdoor Art Work!

In  keeping with our artist research, we took our art work outdoors today!  We experimented with colour mixing and started to create our own pieces based on the different artists we researched last lesson!  

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside...

Wren class are looking at holidays past and present this half term. This afternoon we looked at this through an art perspective. Taking our inspiration from Abigail Mill, Alfred Wallis , and Hokusai (artists well known for their seaside themes), we researched famous paintings and their various styles.  

Film reviews 

This week our English focus is writing film reviews for The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas. After watching the film a few weeks ago, we have applied our writing skills to producing a detailed review. As always, the children have done a wonderful job.

RAF challenge

Wren class took part in a very special and unique challenge today. The Royal Air Force want young people who are into science, technology, engineering and maths to live in a world that celebrates their passion and supports their vision for the future, so with this in mind they hosted a Rocket Challenge.  

The objective was to follow instructions to build a rocket from card, launched by a straw. The children needed to evaluate the effect of adding fins, investigate how the launch angle affects the range and also investigate how the size of payload affects the range.

The objective was to follow instructions to build a rocket from card, launched by a straw. The children needed to evaluate the effect of adding fins, investigate how the launch angle affects the range and also investigate how the size of payload affects the range.

The children worked hard to think and communicate ideas to respond creatively to the design briefs whilst juggling their time management and teamwork demands. They also demonstrated problem solving and the ability to critically evaluate their work.

It was a superb challenge! The children were enthralled and fully engaged in navigating all the complexities of building a successful rocket. They worked phenomenally hard, well done children!

Stamp competition 

Wren class are entering a special competition this week. Royal Mail are launching a design a stamp competition, with a pandemic heroes theme. The children have designed their own stamp and, after having looked at what the children have produced, I think they are in with a strong chance of winning. The winning design will be made into a postage stamp and there are vouchers to be won too. Good luck St. Mary's! 

Remembering Mrs Lofthouse

Today we paid our respects to Mrs Lofthouse as she was laid to rest.  We thank her for all the wonderful things she has done for our Fleetwood community. 

How is Jesus truly God and truly human?

Today we use the Bibles and Bible references to find out how Jesus is truly God and truly human.  We paired up and made the most of the warm weather and completed our task outside!  We do love outdoor learning! 

Music, sweet music!

Our weekly samba lesson was fantastic, as always. The children pick up new rhythms quickly and are progressing quickly. 

Exploring shapes

Our maths focus for this week is 3D shapes and their nets. We have looked at a selection of shapes, identified their properties, and made various nets of shapes. We also used a maths dictionary to learn the names of unusual 3D shapes. 

Easter Fun!

We've had a lot of Easter fun before breaking up today!  Firstly, we combined our science lesson with a bit of chocolate fun - we chose materials to wrap  our chocolate egg in to keep it safe and waterproof before it took a trip to the Mount.  We rolled our eggs down the hill before eating them!  What a success!

Stations of The Cross

St. Mary's are marking this important time during Lent with our annual Stations of The Cross reflection. The children visited the stations today and were given the opportunity to see how the different classes had represented their stations. It was a time for reflection and contemplation - as always it was a moving experience. 

Our Bulgarian Lesson 

We are privileged to have fluent Bulgarian members of our class and they were kind enough to help us learn some Bulgarian today!  We all thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt how to say 'Hello my name is...' and count 1-5!  What a fun afternoon! 

Growth Mindset 

We have focused a lot on our mental health and growing healthy and happy minds recently.  Some of our discussions have been fabulous!  Today, we were given a task to draw an animal or creature.  The children were given no guidance to start off with and comments were, 'I can't do this, mine looks terrible, this is hard, I'm not doing well with this.'  Then, after some guidance, the children had another go at drawing their image and what a transformation!  The comments changed to, 'Oh my this is amazing, I can do that, Oh that's how you do it, I love mine, I feel proud of this, this is the best picture I have drawn!'  It was lovely to see the positivity fill the room! 

A visit from our furry friend 

Wren class were lucky enough to have a visit from Milo this afternoon. We think that Milo enjoyed the visit just as much as the children did! 

A Celebration of Home Learning 

The children in Wren class enjoyed sharing each others home learning today!  It was lovely to see them giving each other feedback on their work, praising, and enjoying the models and writing that were completed during lockdown!  Congratulations Wren class on such a successful lockdown three!

What should they earn? 

Our PSHE focus for this afternoon is thinking about how much certain professions should earn. The children were given a list of professions and were asked to rank them in order of what they think they should earn. As you can imagine, this activity prompted a great discussion. 

Team Spirit!

Today we got together with our bubble and took part in a team competition!  The aim of the game was to work together to get the hoop around the circle in the quickest time - despite a fabulous team effort, Pugin class took the win!  Well done everyone! 

Dig for victory!

Wren class have been looking at wartime posters as part of our WW2 topic. We had an interesting discussion about the meanings on which the posters were based. Using watercolour paint, the children had a go at re-designing a wartime poster of their own. 

Celebrating writing success

Wren class have entered two writing competitions this year,  one titled 'A Wander in the Woods' and the other named 'Peculiar Pets'. The children were given some vague writing criteria but, other than that, they could be as creative and imaginative as they liked. The entries were excellent, so much so that we received certificates and bookmarks to reward their efforts. Well done children! 

Beanbag battle

Wren class enjoyed their PE lesson today. We played team games using beanbags and it was fast, energetic fun. Communication and team work made the dream work. 

First impressions

Our class read for this half term is The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas. To begin our read, we analysed the front cover using inference and clues to make predictions about the text. 

Against the clock

Wren class have been trying out our new, active movement boards. The aim of the game is to hit as many illuminated pads as you can-within a minute. We had some very high scores and it was energetic and fun. 

Returning to school

We've had a fantastic return to school today. We have spent the day talking, sharing experiences and painting a picture of how life has been for us over the last few months. 

World Book Day 

Wren class celebrated World Book Day by re-creating the cover of their favourite book. I'm sure you'll agree, they have done an amazing job.  

A festive message

Wren class performed a Christmas assembly this morning. The message of our assembly was all about the true meaning of Christmas. The children explained the meaning of many Christmas symbols. Did you know that the holly leaf represents immortality? It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Saviour and the blood he shed on the cross for us. Well done children for such a fantastic, meaningful performance. 

Santa Dash 2020

Well done to all our lovely Wren class for taking part in the Santa Dash 2020!  We had lots of fun...even if it was cold!

Refraction 

Our light focus continues in Science this week. Today we have looked at how light rays can change direction when blocked by objects and how visions can be distorted. We did the straw and arrow experiments to explore this. 

Exploring colour

We also looked at how refraction can change the colours we see. We used a prism to make a rainbow on the ceiling and talked about why this happens. We concluded our experiment by making a colour wheel and spinning it at speed to see how this altered the colours. 

We have seen the light...

Wren class are seeing the light this week, quite literally. Our science focus is how light travels and how we see things. We have conducted various experiments to investigate this. 

The true meaning of Christmas 

Wren class have been reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas this week. Our focus is the well known festive advert which shows the famous World War One truce, in which German and English soldiers played football on Christmas day. We have written diary entries from the perspective of the soldier who initiated the truce. Take a look at our wonderful writing...

Advent begins

Our Christmas preparations are well under way. The children made an Advent promise last week in preparation for this. They thought hard about how their promise could make them a better person on the run up to Christmas. Unfortunately we aren't able to follow our usual Posada Box tradition in quite the same way as we have in previous years. Therefore, we have adapted this year and each child will receive a tea-light and selection of advent prayers to say with their families at home - which they can keep at home as a lovely momento. The entire school has had a Christmas style makeover. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas has landed in Wren class this week. We have dedicated some time to festive craft, in the form of making paper snowflakes. The snowflakes will be used to decorate school later this week. The children have really enjoyed the craft sessions. Surprisingly, the children (and adults) found making the perfect snowflake more challenging than year six maths work. We got there in the end though. 

Life Education

The Life Education service have been in school this week. For Wren class, this involved a session based on decision making. The children were encouraged to think about the decisions they may make as they get older and the factors that might influence decision making, such as peer pressure for example.  

Samba band

Wren class has their first Samba lesson this week. The children played brilliantly and had a fantastic sense of rhythm. Well done children, if our first lesson is anything to go by, I can't wait to see how well we will progress this half term. 

CAFOD

In RE today we have been researching the work of CAFOD. The children worked in pairs and used the laptops and I pads to answer questions about the charity. We were all pleasantly surprised by just how much amazing work the charity do. 

Anti-Bullying Week 

This week is Anti-Bullying week. The theme this year is: United Against Bullying. We have talked about this in class today and we will re-visit the issue of bullying throughout the week. This morning, the children arrived in odd socks and purchased wristbands. All the proceeds will be donated to an anti-bullying charity. 

Lest we Forget...

In Wren Class, we will remember.

Rugby skills 

Our PE lesson today focused on passing skills using a rugby ball. We worked in groups to pass the ball using the correct technique. 

Teamwork makes the dream work

Our PSHE lesson today focused on teamwork. The task was to pass the hoop around the circle whilst still holding hands. The chain of hands had to remain secure for successful completion of the task. The children had to discuss the task, their group tactic and evaluate their attempts. It was entertaining to watch. 

Sometimes a little bit of hope goes a long way

Our new class read for this half is A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson. We have enjoyed the first couple of chapters and have stated to compile some interesting words/phrases about the characters we have met so far. Have a look at some of our brilliant ideas:

'Mum clenched her teeth and gave a poisonous stare'

'When dad left Dan could feel his heart melting and a tear dropped from his eye'

'Tears flooded the house as she was fuming about her husbands betrayal'

'Sparks of light twinkle inside me when I imagine myself on the moon'

'All joy flushed away while desolation seeped in'

If our first attempts are anything to go by, I can't wait to see our extended writing later next week. 

​​​​​​Exploring different biomes

Our Geography focus this afternoon was different biomes and where they exist in various parts of the world.  We worked in groups to discuss features of each biome. We also had a super class discussion. 

How are we a part of God's Kingdom? 

This is the question that Wren class are considering in RE this half term. So far we have looked at the values of the Kingdom of God and how we can show these. Today we read three parables which demonstrate that God's Kingdom is open to everyone, regardless of how we may have behaved, and that god will always forgive us. We even had a go at re-writing an alternative 'modern day' version of 'The Lost Son' parable. 

Miniscule, exquisite beings...

Just one of the expanded noun phrases that our children wrote to describe The Borrowers. Our English work for this half term will be based on this classic children's novel by Mary Norton. So far we have written our own blurb and we are now gathering a vocabulary bank of words and phrases to help us with a longer piece of writing next week. 

Some ideas that we have come up with so far...

They are 'penniless', they have nothing of their own. 

Borrowers are 'resourceful', they recycle rubbish.

The little people are 'optimistic creatures'.

They are as sneaky as mice and as hard working as ants. 

Head Boy and Head Girl announcements

This afternoon saw the arrival of the long awaited Head Boy and Head Girl announcements. The children voted last and, after what feels like an age to the children, the winners were announced today. The vote was very close and counted twice, just to be sure. We are very proud to announce the following:

Head Boy - Kane 

Head Girl - Siyana 

Deputy Head Boy - Ben 

Deputy Head Girl - Abigail 

Welcome to the team children, we look forward to seeing you around school - making a difference! 

Sports Captains

Our Sports Captains have been announced for this year. The children who were interested in taking on the role prepared a speech as to why they should be chosen. Qualities required for the role are being able to work as a team, demonstrate good sportsmanship and supporting peers in PE. The children below were chosen as they possess these qualities. Well done children, we are so proud of you. 

Head Prefects

In addition to the Head Boy/Girl and Sports Captain roles, we are also appointing two Head Prefects. The Head Prefects will assist us in managing the rest of the prefects, assigning roles and ensuring the roles are being carried out properly etc. I have no doubt that they will fulfill their roles brilliantly! 

Acquired and inherited characteristics

Our Science focus for this half term is 'How did animals and humans evolve over time?'. So far we have looked at the work of Charles Darwin and how animals on the Galapogas Islands have adapted to their surroundings. Today we discussed characteristics that we have inherited or acquired from our parents and the difference between the two. It was a lively discussion which covered everything from inherited eye colour, height and even crooked toes! 

Head Boy/Head Girl speeches and nominations

Today was an important day for our wonderful school. Our Year 6 children had the opportunity to run for the prestigious roles of Head Boy and Head Girl. The event began with each child giving a speech, recorded for the rest of the school to watch, as to why they would be perfect for the role. The children have been working on their speeches for the last week and they have really put their hearts and souls into them. They spoke eloquently, with their personalities shining through in their words, and it was lovely to see. Voting slips will be distributed next week so that each child can cast a vote. We are all waiting, with baited breath, for the votes to be in. It takes a huge dollop of courage to stand at the front of the hall and speak; we are so proud of all the children who took part-well done!   

Welcome to Wren Class

Our Year 5/6 class is named after the famous architect, Christopher Wren. The children have been looking at the many iconic buildings that Wren is famous for. We have had a lovely few days, getting to know our new room and each other. Take a look at our super, new learning environment. We are all set for what I'm sure will be an amazing year !   

Thinking happy thoughts...

Our PSHE (Personal,Social, Health and Emotional) focus for this week is all about making ourselves happy. We have thought about what makes us happy and made a list of our 'happy things'. The idea is that we will use this list and refer back to it if ever we need a happiness reminder. 

In keeping with our PSHE focus, we have a designated display board in class to encourage mental well being. The board is themed on the children's film 'Inside Out'. We're trying to promote the idea of looking after our mental health and the steps we can take to give ourselves a boost or a 'charge'.  We have a self care poster for the children to look at and some self love activities for them to use. Anybody for a yoga pose? How about a positive mantra?