Spring 2022

January 2022
 
The Curlews class had a lovely walk around the village, identifying physical and human features as they followed their route! They then created  maps to show where they walked. It was also a good opportunity to practise left and right - we are getting there!!
The Curlews class also  had a wonderful visit from Peach and Cream, two gorgeous Mille Fleur chickens. Darcy kindly brought them in for us to meet. We were impressed with how calm they were in the classroom. Darcy is bringing in the incubator and 40 eggs tomorrow morning, so we should start to see the hatching process in 21 days. Cream has provided some of the eggs that we will be looking after.
The class were very excited to take part in the ‘candling’ process to see how many of the eggs were fertilized. Out of  40, 33 had embryos inside, which is fantastic news!

As part of our Science unit on animals and humans, the Sandpipers class had a very interesting visit from Luke Adams an Osteopath from Falmouth Osteopathic  Clinic. The children listened attentively to his talk about how humans have adapted and joined in with the discussion and activities about movements and joints.

PK Porthcurno Trip - Puffin Class 
 
On Monday 31st January 2022, as part of our sound unit in science, we visited the PK Porthcurno museum. We travelled down to Porthcurno by coach ("it was a long way, with some windy roads but was worth it"). Our tour guide for the day, Paul, introduced us to the education centre, our base for the day, before taking us up the hill to the museum. Here there were lots of interactive exhibits to explore, we especially enjoyed tapping our names out in morse code. We then ventured into the tunnels, the communication centre at Porthcurno moved here during the war to safeguard it and ensure that messages could still be received and transmitted. We split into two group and took it in turns to climb the 120 escape stairs - the view from the top was amazing and definitely worth the climb. 
We returned to the education centre and after a well deserved lunch, we took part in a work shop on sound. During the workshop Paul showed us what sound waves looked like on an oscilloscope, we had a go at tapping out our initials in morse code and we made our own instruments to explore change in pitch. We had a fabulous day and learnt lots about sound. 
February 2022

On Monday 7th February, we were thrilled to welcome a range of different coloured chicks into our classroom. The hatching process began in the early hours of the morning and continued until 7pm. Their little cheeps were a joy to hear throughout the day. Jack said that he could ‘nearly cry’ because he was so happy to see the chicks. All the children were given the opportunity to hold the chicks if they would like to. Many staff members also jumped at the chance for a little cuddle!

Anya visited the Curlews for a second time as part of our Animals, Including Humans Science theme. They were able to observe Anya in the classroom and measure her growth. ‘Observing over time’ is a key scientific skill, so our Anya visits are helping to develop this ability. The children were excited to see that Anya can now stand, walk and use a mini trampoline. She also showed us her love for books! We thought it was funny that she likes to eat pastys!! Anya will return to the classroom in May, when she will be 17 months old.

 

To round off our Mabe Matters topic, we walked up to visit Trenoweth Quarry. Owner Tim Marsh was our guide and during the afternoon, we were able to see where the granite was extracted, look at granite processing machines (from a safe distance) and watch the stonemasons at work. We found out what granite can be used for and learnt why granite stonemasonry is a niche profession. Some of us said that we would like to be a stonemason when we are older. Tim very kindly gave us a granite cylinder to take back to school. This will be a great resource for our upcoming Shape theme in Maths. 

Cormorants PE- Climbing at Granite Planet
 
This term Cormorants class have been participating in sessions at Granite Planet for a climbing unit. It has been great fun and we have been so impressed with the children's' resilience and determination. Every week we have seen their confidence grow, and there have even been some children who have been returning at weekends to get some extra practice! The children have enjoyed 'touching the roof' as well as building skills such as team work, self-esteem and resilience. 

March  2022

To launch our Geography-based Plant Hunters topic and our Plants Science theme, the Curlews visited the glorious Trebah Gardens near Mawnan Smith. We spent the day walking the trails, identifying and describing exotic plants as we wound our way around this magical environment. We walked right down onto the beach, which enabled us to appreciate how close the gardens are to the river and sea. This coastal location is part of the reason why Trebah’s exotic species thrive so far from their original home.  Back in the classroom, we focused in on the journeys that the plant hunters would have made in their quest for the likes of the Monkey Puzzle Tree, New Zealand Tree Fern and umbrella-leaved Gunnera. I would like to say a big thank you to the parents who came along to support the day.