The first  ‘Historical Fun Friday’ was a great success as the children learnt about a wealth of different historical figures, from Pocahontas to Leonardo Da Vinci, via trekking across the extremes of Antarctica to name but three.  Each historical fun Friday pupils will be learning in mixed year groups and will each experience lessons with ten different historical figures helping to understand how the events of the past have shaped our world today.

**Update- Lots more pics from our third Historical Friday are now online.

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The Great Art Quest, the aim of which is to develop pupils’ understanding and responses to the works of art they see, is well and truly up and running.

The first stage of Year 6’s great art quest began with a visit to the Barbara Hepworth Museum, led by Craig Johnson our resident storyteller for the project. After learning about the atmospheric studio and building where Barbara Hepworth lived, worked and died, we were given the chance to become Hepworth experts ourselves. Exploring the garden and its sculptures, we were set the task of renaming the artworks with titles which had been inspired by our own experiences, thoughts and ideas. After sharing our mysterious and often humorous ideas, Craig led us to a group of sculptures which fired up our imagination enabling us to create a collection of weird and wonderful stories based on the sculptural forms before us.

Following  the museum visit each group embarked on a St Ives town trail which led us to the Malakoff, the church, the Guildhall and the library all of which hold the secret treasure of striking Hepworth sculptures. Accompanied by Vicky Wiltshire our artist for the project, we learned about Barbara’s techniques and her inspirations. We were able to touch the sculptures and feel for the very fingerprints that Hepworth left when sculpting her works of art. The Church held a poignant moment of reflection  as we learned of Hepworth’s loss of her son and how she made the stunning Mother and child sculpture in remembrance of him especially for the church in St Ives.

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DAY 2

Day two saw us learning in school with Craig with this time a focus on poetry.  Drawing on our ideas from our previous day’s visit we generated words and phrases about particular Hepworth works and used them as a starting point for our poems.  We worked hard to give the sculptures a character with feelings, using our literacy skills to create what we hope are some striking verses.

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DAY 3

Who would have thought just cling film and cellotape could make such eye-catching sculptures? On day 3 we were visited by Vicky, who demonstrated how to wrap any interestingly shaped object with clingfilm and then cellotape to create Hepworth inspired  sculptures. We had fun cellotaping barbies, roller skates, bottles, bananas……and the challenge was stepped up by attempting to introduce inverted shapes into our works of art. Those that used Barabara Hepworth’s ideas along with their own imagination produced some striking results and the magnificant end products were captured in a sculpture photo shoot to be shown at the Tate.

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DAY 1

The morning started with team building, as we need to build trust and energy amongst a team of explorers. We were also lucky enough to receive our gift of a compass each from Ali and Amy, and played compass games to ensure we understand the meanings of what compass directions are and why they are important. The 4 key British explorers were introduced through ‘Pin the explorer on the Map’! The knowledge and facts of Anthony Jinman, Mary Kingsley, Captain Scott and Captain Cook started flowing, learning of the trials and tribulations of their voyages and their often tragic adventures and … endings!

The outdoor classroom needed to get underway after lunch, so we searched for a suitable site and measured out using trundle wheels the circumference. So had so many ideas about tunnels, pods, shapes and sizes, we then needed to get these designs down on paper, for Ali and Amy to judge which ones would be combined to make the most effective outdoor learning classroom.

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DAY 2

Our wellies were ready and we had the tools … so the day was spent building our Ultimate Outdoor Classroom. Amy and Ali had deliberated over designs and chose Bliss’ design for the outdoor classroom with elements of Toby’s and other designs too . With tunnels reaching into an inner circle, we were ready to start THE BIG BUILD! We learnt that willow will be used for the structure as its roots will start growing into the ground that we plant it and branches will start shooting off once the water seeps into its roots. We were fascinated at how versatile and bendy willow is!! Using a spike and mallet we dug holes into the ground to plant the willow. It was so much fun, not only the digging but getting dirty – it was hard work but worth it. By the end of the day we had planted more than 300 pieces of willow and the structure was taking place. We used our Numeracy a lot throughout the day – with problem solving and Shape and Measure as we had to tie the willow together in diamond shapes to secure it! A tiring day but well worth it when we got to go up and weave in and out of the tunnels in our new outdoor classroom.

Following the class 1 outdoor classroom build it was class 2′s job to finish off the structure. We also learnt how to plant and weave the amazing willow as the winter sun shone down on us. The pods surrounding the central circle were constructed, as were the entrances that were made clear and secure in the ground. The structure took shape as an inspiring outdoor learning space with separate rooms for small groups and a main circular room for whole class experiences. At the end of our day we were all astounded that so much had been completed in two days and were excited to hear that as it grows the 400 withies will attract wildlife such as ladybirds, aphids and birds to our school grounds. The final result is stunning and we are all eager to have our first lesson in our special outdoor space.

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DAY 3

Wow what an amazing day! Our day began with a lesson in how to draw and orientate a map by mapping out objects onto page rather than places. Next we learned how to read a map and through problem solving how to locate certain destinations. The mizzley Cornish weather did not deter the year 3 map-readers as they speedily and efficiently answered all the explorer anagrams by locating clues and letters on a grid through map reading. Later in the day our skills were increased and developed further until we were able to complete a real orienteering activity, searching for flags, collecting stamps on our way. Today was a jam-packed day which has resulted in Ali and Amy announcing that were are now fully qualified at orienteering!

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DAY 4

This week the year 3′s had archery on their explorer day. We got into groups and went up to the cage. We were given a bow and arrow. We had to place the arrow onto the bow and fire. Each one of the circles had a number on it and if you fired on a 6 then you won different things that explorers use. After that Ali and the team put up balloons that you had to try and pop with your bow and arrow. Inside the balloons were clues leading you to find a prize. Finally we worked out that the prize was in the willow dome and we ran up there to find magnets which we all had as a prize.

Written by Kitty, Class 2.

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DAY 5

Year 3 became explorers themselves today in their exploration of the St Ives Library. Following the stunning walk from our school, overlooking the St Ives harbour, each group were given the chance to re-use their orientation skills by following a plan of the Library. The challenge was to investigate where different images and fact files of explorers were in the library building – identifying the location on their maps. Time was also given to read through the amazing collection of explorer themed books in the library and for the children to imagine that they were explorers themselves and wrote a postcard home describing what they felt and saw.

Back in school we learned about the flags explorers used to sign post their discoveries and designed and made their own flags to use in our exploration next week on the Cornish moors!

DAY 6

What an adventure to end our Explorers learning! Ali, Amy and the team lead 50 excitable year 3 explorers, over the moors of Penwith, putting all the skills learn over the last 6 weeks into practice. On Wednesday 8th February 2012, we boarded the coach to the destination, only known by our leaders. We had packed our bags thoughtfully, and were prepared for all eventualities. The weather was our hardest opponent, causing us to wrap up warm, and really testing our TEAM work. In sub-zero temperatures, we hiked past frozen muddy puddles and beautiful frost on the surrounding fields.

Our first stop was Men an Tol, three totally unique ‘holed stone’. We attempted to go through the hole 7 times without touching it, for our wishes to come true. We also used this spot, as explorers would have done when making a base, to look at the natural surroundings. We tried to see if we could find an organism that had never been discovered before. Using the natural juices from the plants around us, we created landscape pictures.

We quickly moved on, not wanting to experience frostbite, and hiked up to Nine Maidens. On the way, we collected things to put on our story sticks, to make emotional connections with the day’s exploration. Nine Maidens was the most exposed part of our trip, and also, where we were to have our picnics. The shelters came out, and provided toasty restaurants for our explorers, providing warmth for our fingers and toes to defrost.

Our exploration was nowhere near over. Our aim was now to reach the highest point of Penwith, Westcroft – a challenge we were unsure we would complete. But, with teamwork in full force, and our flags flying, our determination took over, and soon, we were true explorers, conquering our destination.

The day is memorable for so many different reasons, not only the extreme temperatures experienced! Just ask any one of us, and find out more!

Thank you, as always, go to Ali, Amy and the team of explorers which are left our explorers thirsty for knowledge and keen to develop their geographic skills.

Do we have the future Anthony Jinman in our midst?

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Huge thanks to Mrs Smith for her expertise and resilience in supporting all 65 year 6 in achieving their creations!!  We hope you enjoy the photos which will give you a flavour of the week!! (Excuse the pun!!)

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This year even more children have had the opportunity to have speaking parts and everybody has sung with gusto and commitment.

Well done one and all and here’s to a HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Special thanks go to Ian Maclean (of Imagianation Prints) for supplying some fantastic action shots of the performance. If anyone would like to order a copy or print of Ian’s images below, then simply hover over the image to reveal the name. Ian’s photos all begin with “stable-manners-…” Please quote the full name of the photo to Ian when you contact him for pricing details-

Unit 4b, Penbeagle Industrial Estate, St. Ives, Cornwall, TR26 2JH.
Tel: 01736 794420. Mob: 0777 922 4461.
Email: ian@imagianationprints.com
www.imagianationprints.com

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The books are on sale from school at the cost price of £3, and come highly recommended!

On Movember 1st, the male staff members started with a clean-shaven face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine ‘moustachary’.

Today we held our end of Movember celebration; pupils and staff enjoyed a non-uniform day and donated 50p each, while the Mo Bros had their moustaches shaved clean off by Kevin from the Barber Shop in Tregenna, much to the pupils’ enjoyment. Mr Tudor stated that he ‘had grown to like it’ after a ‘traumatic’ start, Mr Barden found that ‘bits of food got stuck in it sometimes’, Mr Hogg had ‘slow progress’ and that he was ‘the butt of man jokes’ as a result and Mr Luke found it to be ‘irritating in the last week’.

Our Mo Bros have become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of Movember and through their actions and words raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health. The Movember Charity supports a broad range of innovative, world-class programmes in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research. The money programmes supported are The Prostate Cancer Charity, The Institute of Cancer Research, Awareness & Education and Global Action Plan. (For more information visit http://uk.movember .com)

Through donations to the website and fundraising at school we have raised an amazing £485 and the money keeps coming in.

Till next moustache season…

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The reconstructed roundhouse was next, as we nervously entered this magnificent building not knowing what was in store for us. Amazed, we gathered around the central fire and felt what it would have been like. The Iron age activities to folllow, were weaving, spinning, firelighting, pottery, fish gutting, grinding wheat and making honeynut bread. All our year 3 historians had a fanastic day – full of learning, returning to the coach buzzing with excitement.

All our thanks go to the Iron age team – Ali, Amy, Josh, Finn.. and of course Lucas the dog!

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