The Chronicle

As part of our whole school 'One World Week', Junior 6 have been learning all about Sikhism. We learned how Sikhism first began and the life of its founder Guru Nanak and his stories. We found out about the Sikh philosophy and the importance of treating everyone with compassion and love but, most importantly, as equals. Our week culminated in a fantastic trip to the Gurdwara in Leamington. It was a fantastic morning out and we learned so much about the Sikh way of life as well as their customs and values. We were impressed by the Gurdwara’s generosity and warmth during our visit and the food they shared with us was delicious! We also had a fantastic time on Wednesday with the theatre company, learning about how we can protect the earth. Well done Junior 6, you approached this week with open minds and great curiosity.

As part of 'One World Week', Junior 5 visited the Birmingham Central Mosque where they learnt all about the different aspects of the Islamic faith. The children were curious, asking relevant and intriguing questions. They also enthusiastically answered questions and recalled the different names for places found inside and outside the Mosque. The children excelled in representing Crackley Hall and we were very proud of them. As part of the RISE Theatre activities, the children also learnt about how to look after our planet. Using plastic bottles, we created beautiful bottled fish, covered in stylistically placed tissue paper and created posters on the different types of pollution found on our planet, encouraging people to help make it a cleaner, safer place to live. They enjoyed taking part in the RISE theatre show alongside the whole school.

This week, Junior 4 have been learning about deforestation and the impacts it has on the local wildlife. We observed how to effectively recycle used paper to create new paper therefore saving the need to buy new paper and cut down more trees. We created colourful rainforest birds from recycled card that can serve as a constant reminder that even the smallest changes can make the biggest differences. As part of 'One World Week', we also visited the Birmingham Buddhist Pagoda where the children learnt about the origins of Buddhism and many aspects of the Buddhist faith.  

This week Junior 3 have loved celebrating ‘One World Week’. On Monday, we learned all about the story of Passover and how Moses freed his people from slavery. On Tuesday, we visited Singers Hill Synagogue in Birmingham and learned so much about what it means to be Jewish. The Synagogue was spectacular and literally took our breath away, with its domed blue and gold ceilings and amazing chandeliers. We saw the Star of David in so many places around the synagogue, from the gates outside to the tiled floors, and on the beautiful stained-glass windows. We found out about the many Jewish festivals and were especially interested in the one where sweets are thrown at children. Back in school, we have enjoyed a whole range of activities linked to Judaism and an exciting visit from the RISE theatre company. It’s been a great first week back.

Junior 2 have had an incredible ‘One World Week.’ Our trip to the Greek Orthodox Church was fantastic and the children were shown around by a gentle, welcoming priest who explained a lot of the images and artefacts in the church. Mrs Paphitis was married in this church and her son was christened there. She shared lots of photos and experiences from being a member of this community. Our day with the RISE theatre group was truly enlightening. We reflected on the beauty of God’s planet and expressed what we were thankful for. Our children are so mature in their responses and you will be pleased to know that they are very grateful for their families. The children went on to create a new creature from clay through their love for our planet. I’m sure you’ll agree, these would be welcome additions to our planet. Well done for your participation, enthusiasm and manners that you have demonstrated this week Junior 2.

We have had the most exciting week for our annual ‘One World Week’ celebrations. On Tuesday, we boarded the minibuses for a trip down the road to St Mary’s church in Warwick where we were met by two knowledgeable volunteers who showed us around. The children have been learning about Stained Glass windows and other features of a church, so it was wonderful for them to see all of these at first hand. We were all so proud of the respect the children paid during our visit and we were so pleased when their good behaviour was commented on. Well done, Junior 1 - you were a credit to Crackley Hall! Along with 'One World Week', we have been exploring the concept of measurement in Maths, using cubes to compare the length of different objects. Our Geography lesson took us to Scotland where we discovered landmarks in Edinburgh, and we then went back in time for our History lesson to learn about George Stephenson. Another busy week in Junior 1.

This week, Reception have had a wonderful 'One World Week'! We have been finding out about different people, religions, and traditions from around the world. We talked about the Lunar new year and explored the different ways it is celebrated around the world. We went on a super visit to St Augustine’s church and the children asked Father Kevin brilliant questions about churches around the world. To top it off, we had a wonderful day with RISE Theatre on Wednesday and thought about the world that God has made for everyone and how we can look after it.

We have been spending our week, ‘Down on the Farm’, so Nursery has been full of animal noises and farm yard smells!

The children have been distinguishing different farm animals from clever clues. They have identified the sounds which the livestock make, and they have practised naming the corresponding baby animals. They played a sniffing game to differentiate between topical smells, which caused a lot of laughter.

We have sung jaunty farm songs and rhymes to help embed the vocabulary associated with the topic, and there have been ample opportunities to collage and trace.

A corner of the classroom now houses a ‘Curiosity Cube’ for the children to explore and to ask questions about the contents. This week it contains a variety of farm animal products: eggs, milk, butter, wool, bacon, etc. Moving forward, each week the cube will contain topical items for pupils to think about and to discuss with their teachers.

Outside there was a challenge set – the slide was wrapped with camouflage to create a covered chute. Who would be brave enough to take the risk? Some children launched themselves with gusto, others watched first, until the squeals of delight from their friends reassured them that it was worth testing out the tunnel.

There was also a midweek surprise: we were invited to watch a production and workshop by Rise Theatre, a Christian drama group, who were visiting as past of 'One World Week'. This included audience participation and so went down a treat. The theme was ‘Caring for Creation’.