Plant Hunters

Class 3 experienced four seasons in one day during their trip to Harewood Gardens today. Hail, rain, wind and blazing sun - we braved it all to discover the world of plants. 

 The children took part in the 'Plant Hunter' workshop before setting out to sketch the plants and wildlife they found in the gardens. 

The visit links to our current environment topic and has given us lots of questions to investigate back in the classroom. 

Flower Power

This afternoon Class 3 have been making the most of the gorgeous weather and using the garden as the setting for their art lesson. 

Bienvenidos a la Cafe Espanol!

Welcome to Harewood's latest eaterie - watch out Muddy Boots, you've got competition! As part of our Language Week workshops the children staffed their very own Spanish Cafe. On the menu - a range of delicious treats as well as very useful lessons on Spanish vocabulary. 

The children first worked to translate their menu, before learning other useful phrases such as: asking for the bill; locating the toilet and commenting that the price was too high!

 The waiting staff were all highly professional and helped their customers navigate their Spanish menus.

 Luckily, there were no tricky customers and everyone seemed to enjoy their meal - even if they didn't leave a tip!

 The kitchen staff managed to steal a moment to grab a quick snack.

 Those that were new to Spanish got a helping hand from those who were a little more fluent.

Thank you to everyone that came and took part. We hope to see you all again soon - Bon Provecho!

Kapow! Capoeira!

Disclaimer: No children were harmed during the recording of this post.

It may look fierce, but Capoeira is a non-contact dance form! Sam, from Junior Jam, came to work with us on our moves. She told us how the dance originated in Brazil; slaves were not allowed to practise martial arts, so instead disguised their moves as a dance and Capoeira was born!

 The children used the moves Sam showed us, as well as their own ideas, to create fabulous sequences. Their recent work in gymnastics paid off as their flexibility and control meant they were able to pull off some very complex moves.

 At the end of the session each pair had a chance to perform in front of the rest of the group, just like the Brazilian slaves would have done around the camp fire.

 Well done to everyone that took part - it really was a fantastic workshop!

Dancing to the beat of the drum!

 As part of our Languages Week, everyone in school was treated to an African Drumming masterclass! Mr. Monroe from Junior Jam worked with us all to help perfect our rhythm and timing.

 He brought with him a collection of traditional African drums called Jimbay. Mr. Monroe showed us how we could get different tones from the drum by playing on different parts of the skin.

 Our visitor was very impressed with our rhythm and control, which is no doubt a result of all Mrs.Southby's hard work in our music lessons.

 We played a call and response game; different children had the chance to be the leader and the rest of the class had to follow them!

 Everyone agreed it was a fantastic session in what has been a very busy and exciting week! Look out for more posts on our other workshops ...

Eclipse Invasion

Blog Entry written by Eleanor Hammond, Class 3

This morning at 8.00 am at Harewood the children gathered to see a rare partial solar eclipse. The children witnessed a spectacular sight with the maximum coverage occurring at around 9.30am.

 The pupils of Harewood took part in a range of observations and investigations. We had the opportunity to monitor the light, measure the temperature and to watch solar toys dancing. During a solar eclipse flowers close up, nocturnal animals may appear and it gets very dark.

 When you look directly at the Sun you can damage your eyes, so we had these special glasses so we could make our observations safely. At the end of the day we were able to buy them and take them home as souvenirs.

 "It was an amazing experience," said one of the pupils from Class 3. "I have really enjoyed the day and taking part in all of the investigations!"

 We used objects with holes in to try and project images of the crescent.

 The Class 4 children made accurate measurements of the temperature and fading light. It was definitely a lot colder and darker during the eclipse.

Thank you to all the staff and parents who came in early to help. This reporter will be 83 by the time the next eclipse occurs in 2090 - but I will always remember this one!

Comic Relief fun at Harewood

This winning blog entry was written by Oliver Smitten, Class 3.

Friday 13th March - unlucky for some, but not for Harewood Primary. Everyone made their faces funny for money. From wacky hair, to crazy glasses - all in aid of a great cause. Comic Relief help thousands of people living in poverty and difficulty, both here and abroad. Over £1 billion pounds has been raised since the charity started over 30 years ago.

 As soon as everyone arrived, the money started flooding in. We all donated £1.00 to wear our glamorous gear. We were all ecstatic with excitement knowing the day would be jam packed with Comic Relief related activities - from funky face-painting to movie making; we couldn't wait to get started.

 Then at noon is was time for the prize draw that everyone had been waiting for! Who would be chosen for this important job? Five lucky children got to paint a teacher's face and what a sight! They certainly looked funny for money.

 To wrap up the day, we had a Red Nose Day themed assembly. You just couldn't take Mr Sturgess seriously! Class 4 did an excellent video all about Red Nose Day and how every little donation helped.

 Here at Harewood we had a wonderful time raising money. It is so important to help raise money for those who need our help. We had a great day - we hope you did too!