The week started with an air of excitement for the children in the Foundation Stage and KS1 this morning when they gathered in the downstairs hall to hear all about an exciting adventure some of the teachers had been on over the weekend.

Mr B explained that after school on Friday a space shuttle had landed o the KS1 playground and that himself and some of the teachers had been set a mission……a mission to travel to the moon!

The children watched a video which showed the teachers, dressed as astronauts, climb aboard the shuttle to prepare for take off. Mrs Critoph and Miss O’Rourke manned the ground control whilst the Year One and Two team buckled up in the craft. Mr B relaxed in the back of the ship enjoying some rest and recuperation with a snack!

The ship was taking too long to get to the moon so Mrs Stokes hit ‘Warp Drive’ and before they knew it the team was preparing to land on the surface of the moon! The Year One team experienced a loss of gravity when they tried to eat a series of snacks whilst the Year Two team took one giant leap for Earls Hall by taking a moon walk by a crater of the moon.

Ground control panicked when they lost communication with the ship but luckily, due to the teams skillful piloting, the shuttle landed safely back on Earth and the mission was completed!

After the video the children were challenged to continue the mission by exploring space further over the course of the next few weeks, a challenge they started immediately back in the classroom. The video is available to watch on our school Facebook page.

Later in the morning the children from both KS1 and KS2 were joined in assembly by Julian, one of our Grandfathers, who came to tell the children all about his special hobby. Julian explained that he was the keep of a bird of prey, a Harris Hawk named Skadie. He told the children all about how he looks after her, her habits and her special talents such as being able to spot her prey from distance of two miles due to her amazing eyesight. The children saw videos of Skadie at her home and also flying out in the fields under the supervision of Julian and then were amazed when Skadie herself was brought out of her box and perched on Julians hand. Julian explained how he wears a special glove to protect his hand from her sharp talons. The children loved the assembly. Thank you so much Julian for giving us your time.

Later in the afternoon the children in Oaks worked with Mrs Chapman to explore boxes and after school the downstairs hall played host to the first of our new KS1 ‘Steps Ahead’ sessions. The children enjoyed exploring space through dance and drama and a good time was had by all. There are still spaces available at the club. Please ask for information at the office if you are interested in your child attending.