Carrying on with our theme of cricket skills, this week we focussed on fielding as a team, passing the ball between team player quickly and accurately and a little bit of batting. The adults were very impressed with Year 5's good sportsmanship, team support and inclusive attitude. Mr Hopegood

  In DT this week, Year 3 designed and created their own Trojan Horses after learning about the Trojan War in History.  The children enjoyed linking their historical knowledge to a practical project and showed great creativity throughout. During the project, they developed important design and technology skills including measuring, sawing, cutting, shaping and glueing, while learning how to work safely and carefully with different materials. They also practised planning and designing their ideas, improving the strength and stability of structures, following step-by-step instructions and evaluating their finished products to think about what worked well and what they could improve next time.  Please see the pictures of the process so far. We will post pictures of the finished product next week! Stay tuned!

 Over the last few weeks we have been able to explore the goings on around our school throughout the evening and the night due to Miss Lucas's brilliant idea. Miss Lucas secured us the loan of a camera trap from The Colchester Zoological Society, in association with Suffolk University, with the aim of allowing primary age children access to the secret world of our local wildlife. We first set the trap in our nature garden area and were treated to a procession of the local cat population before a treat which you can see in the clip below. It has also given us the view at night-time. The camera trap in situ. Last night the camera trap was set up to allow a view from the KS1 block towards the Eco-Garden area. And this is what we saw! Look out for further bulletins. Mr Hopegood :)

 Now that Spring has sprung, there are flowers and blossom all around, it's time for Nature Club to start again. We've has a great start; remembering the Countryside Code, looking at our bug hut installation from last year and discussing the amazing Camera Trap organised for the school by Miss Lucas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKWyWMBJT8U Mr Hopegood :)

This morning, we had a visit from some friendly dentists who taught us all about how to keep our teeth clean and healthy. The children learned how to brush their teeth properly, why it’s important not to rinse after brushing so the toothpaste can continue protecting their teeth, and that we shouldn’t wet the toothbrush before brushing.  We also talked about how sugary foods and drinks can affect our teeth. Some of the quantities of sugar in snacks we eat everyday were surprising! Next week, the dentists will be back carrying out hygiene checks for the children if you have given consent. Please do check that you have received this. 

Yesterday afternoon, we welcomed a visitor from Essex Fire Service, who spoke to the children about fire safety. They learned about how to stay safe in the event of a fire, including simple but important steps they can take at home. The session was informative, and the children asked some fantastic questions. They have come away with important information to share with you, so do ask them what they learnt!

  Stone Age History Day Our children had a fantastic time stepping back in history during our Stone Age Dress-Up Day !  Dressed as Stone Age people, they explored where the Stone Age fits on the historical timeline and discovered just how long ago it was and how vast this time period really was. During the morning, the children became archaeologists as they took part in an archaeological dig , learning about the importance of artefacts and what they can tell us about the lives of Stone Age people. They also examined a range of Stone Age artefacts and discussed what daily life may have been like, as well as how life gradually evolved up until the arrival of the Romans. After break, the children experienced what Stone Age “school” might have been like! They practised hunting techniques, learned about the animals that Stone Age people would have eaten, handled real flint arrowheads and even had a go at archery. In the afternoon, creativity took over as the children learned about...