Week Ending 13th February 2015

The School was buzzing with excitement on Tuesday and Thursday, as KS2 children set off on the minibus to sports tournaments - Athletics on Tuesday and Rugby on Thursday.  The children looked very smart in their EBA track suits, and did very well... Eaton Bray Academy came first in the rugby tournament!

At the end of the School day on Thursday, there was a Valentine's Cake Sale in the Hall, organised by the HSA, where the children could purchase cakes... and of course eat them!  The sale was very busy, and made an amazing profit of more than £170 for school funds!  Thank you to all who donated cakes and everyone who came along to purchase them.

Earlier in the year, all classes planted daffodil bulbs, in aid of the Marie Curie Cancer Care Charity.  Hedgehogs bulbs have already shot up, and are being well cared for.  This is a fund raising event, so watch this space to find out how much is collected by our School.

Our older children in Years 5 and 6 were delighted this week to be provided with a "Common Room" space where they can relax, chat and play games.  As a reward for good behaviour, during their lunch break, Foxes and Badgers children will be allowed to make use of Deer classroom, where there is a range of games and equipment that they have been trusted to use sensibly!

Next week is half term holiday week, so please enjoy the break, and your children!

Week Ending 6th February 2015

A rather cold week!  the children were very excited to see the grounds covered in a glittering, white blanket of snow... which led to lots of play-time fun!

Hamsters have been doing lots of creative work this half term, using a large variety of media.  This week, they have enjoyed making a fantastic moonscape from recycling materials!

Hedgehogs are always up to something new, so "Dough Disco" was no surprise...!  This involves the children dancing along to their favourite tunes while manipulating play dough to improve their fine motor controls.  The children love it, and lots of staff have gone along to participate and share the fun.

Rabbits and Badgers have been "in another World" whilst investigating planets and space.  In fact, in Badgers there is even a magnificent telescope!  Rabbits have been making planets from papier-mache and Badgers have created their own books about outer space.

Foxes and Deer have been warmer that most of us recently, as they have been transported to the warmer climates of the Rainforest.  They have been learning about the consequences of deforestation and the importance of environmental conservation.

Week Ending 30th January 2015

There was great excitement this week, as our new EBA tracksuits arrived!  The children look very smart in them, and will now be able to keep warm in style during sports tournaments.  February 10th is the date for the next athletics tournament - good luck to all participants.  A couple of days later on the 12th, there is a tag rugby tournament.

The school entrance now proudly displays our recently awarded Science Silver Award, which we are very pleased to have.

On Thursday, there was the first Sharing Assembly of the new year, when children shared special work and achievements.  Well done to all those who participated.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are EBA Shop days - the children love doing their own shopping, and the shop keepers are expert at totaling the bills and working out the required change.  Don't forget, if you send money in with your child to spend in the School Shop, please could you ensure that it is in a named envelope.  Thank you.

 
Otters Class have been weather forecasters this week, and have enjoyed reading the weather forecast to their classmates, just like real meteorologists!  Although it has been cold and there has been some snow this week, there are already signs of approaching Spring in the school grounds, as the daffodil shoots are already peeping through...

A reminder: please name all your children's clothing, as our lost property box is overflowing with misplaced clothes, coats and even shoes!

Week Ending 23rd January 2015

A very cold week, when the outside world looked white and frosty!  Otters Class have been looking at the weather, and have made a lovely winter collage in seasonal silver, blue and white.

Tuesday was a special day for children in Foxes and Deer class, who welcomed a visitor bearing gifts...  Earlier this school year, Eaton Bray Academy was lucky enough to have the opportunity to form a link with a school in Lesotho in southern Africa.  Our children wrote letters and sent gifts in time for Christmas, which were hand delivered to their new penfriends, and this week our Lesotho delivery lady returned, with hand made cards and presents from across the globe!  She also showed our children a DVD of the Lesotho children celebrating Christmas in their school, and receiving their gifts from England - their delight was very touching, and our children were able to reflect upon how different their own lives are, to the lives of these children in this part of Africa.

PE this week was mostly indoors, and many of the children in Main School had the opportunity to use the new climbing ropes, as well as the other PE apparatus in the hall.  Our PE Coordinator is busily organising track suits for the children to wear for outdoor activities.  Watch this space to see a photo!  No track suit was needed for this week's tournament though - a swimming gala which took place at Dunstable Leisure Centre on Thursday morning.  Our children competed against teams from a number of (much bigger) local schools, and did very well, coming in 4th overall.  Well done team!

On Friday afternoons, our lovely new minibus pops over to Tilsworth golf course, so that children who have chosen golf as this term's "Choice", have the wonderful experience of playing on the golf range.

On Friday morning, we had a lovely surprise, when Mrs Cox, our ukulele teacher from Inspiring Music, arrived with a drum kit for our aspiring musicians to use.  Our year 6 boys in particular were very excited!

Next time a visit to the School Hall is called for, you will see a "touch of warmth", as our display board theme is "Balcony In Havana".  Roll on the summer sun...!!

Week Ending 16th January 2015

Already a couple of weeks into the New Year, as well as the Spring Term, and our topic work on "Sharing Our Planet" is in full swing!

Rabbits had a thoroughly enjoyable time in Forest School this week, making shelters strung from tree branches. They were then able to huddle underneath, warm and cosy and shielded from the cold January wind and rain!

A more permanent shelter has also been built - or rather planted - as part of our Forest School: a living willow structure, which will grow and become a part of the woodland area.  Inside there is seating for a small class of children, and we will develop our learning through use of this "outdoor classroom."  We look forward to watching the willow stems grow leafy as the year progresses!

Outdoor activities have been the focus in Pre-School as well, as Hamsters have had a lovely time this week, making a muddy patch in their playground... Mums may not have been quite so pleased though, when they saw what their washing machines would have to deal with this weekend!!

Choices has started anew, with a variety of activities for children to select, including orienteering, pottery, raspberry pi (computing) and levers, as well as old favourites like art, sewing, golf and karate.  We are pleased to see the return of the very popular "Jobs People Do" choice, and this week, children had a visit from a local policeman, who talked about his work, and allowed the children to explore the patrol car.

The Enterprise team have started their new business initiative.  Following the success of their restaurant, they were determined to do more in the area of catering and cooking, and so this term's challenge is Masterchef!  They are creating recipes, and making their own products, which will be judged and evaluated (though no-one will be eliminated) ad there is a prize at the end of it all...

Finally, we had some great news this week, when our HSA told us that their successful fundraising before Christmas meant that there is enough money available to restock our library with brand new fiction and non-fiction books!  We can't wait to go on that particular spending spree...