R.E
Shrove Tuesday
We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Shrove Tuesday, known as pancake day. From eating delicious pancakes to pancake races, we enjoyed learning about all the traditions behind Shrove Tuesday. We learnt that this is the day before Lent begins.
Diwali
We have been reading the story of ‘Rama and Sita’. We learnt about how this is a special story for Hindu’s celebrating Diwali. We made wanted posters to help Rama find Ravana, and we made diva lamps to welcome Rama and Sita home. We also learnt about how to be safe at Diwali or firework night celebrations.
Community
This week we have been learning about two communities that we belong to. We learnt about our school and went on a tour around the school; finding many special people who help look after us. We also learnt about the church. We made crosses, built huge churches, decorated crosses and learnt about baptism. Baptism is when God welcomes us into His church. We baptised some of our dolls. We used oil and water to place a cross on their heads.
Noah’s Ark
We have been reading ‘Noah’s Ark’. God was unhappy with how people were treating each other and looking after His world. He decided to send a flood and entrusted Noah to build an ark filled with animals. Once the flood was over God sent a rainbow as a promise and reminder to us. We thought about why it is important to look after God’s world and ways in which we can do this.
God Created Us
We learnt that God looked at His beautiful creation and thought He was missing one thing – people. He made Adam and Eve. God has made us and everyone around us. God made us all unique and loves each one of us. We thought about why we are special.
Creation
We have been reading ‘God’s very Colourful Creation’. We learnt that God made the world. He filled it with plants, birds, fish and animals, He made day and night and filled the sky with clouds, the sun, moon and stars.
Cultural day
The EYFS children came into school dressed wearing clothes that reflected their cultural heritage. We had such a lovely time learning about which continents and countries each of us was from and about different traditions.
EYFS Mass
Father Tim joined us to celebrate Mass in the EYFS garden with Nursery, Reception and their families. It was a lovely morning.
Holy Rood Church visit
Nursery spent the morning at Holy Rood Church. They met Father Tim and went on a tour around the church. We had a list of special objects to find as we walked around. We also created lots of wonderful crafts in the Parish Centre. We learnt that after Pentecost the Holy Spirit gave people different languages, so that they could spread The Word. Eventually the Church was formed as a place to gather and worship God. We are part of the Holy Rood Church community.
Pentecost
The children have learnt about Pentecost. After Jesus’ death his disciples were gathered together when a strong wind blew in through the windows, followed by a dove and flames that appeared above their heads. The flames did not burn them though. Instead they were filled with a warm feeling – Jesus had sent them the Holy Spirit. We are never alone because the Holy Spirit is here with us.
May Day
On May 1st we celebrated May Day. Many Christians believe that Mary is the bringer of spring and new life in nature. We made flower crowns as it is traditional to crown Mary on May Day.
The Resurrection
Last week the children learnt about the Resurrection of Christ. We learnt that Jesus’ friends went to His tomb and found it empty. Jesus had returned to His friends. Easter is linked to the coming of spring and New Life, so we went on a spring colour hunt around school!
Eid
We have been learning about the Muslim celebration of Eid. We had a vistor from Fatim. She explained to us that like Easter, Eid is a time to celebrate new life and a new start. We looked at different decorations Fatim puts up in her house and she talked to us a little bit about her Mosque. We made cards to wish her ‘Eid Mabarak’, we decorated an Eid tree and we took part in other Eid crafts and activities.
Holi
This week we learnt about the Hindu festival of Holi which celebrates the coming of spring and the colours it brings!
Good Friday
Today we learnt about Good Friday and how Jesus had to carry the cross and His body was put in the tomb. This is a very sad time during Lent.
The Last Supper
Nursery have been learning about the Last Supper. We learnt that Jesus told His friends that He was going to leave them. He broke bread and shared wine to help them remember Him. We shared different types of bread and juice with each other. We tried a loaf of bread, like we are used to, flat bread, like Jesus was used to and hot cross buns.
Reception have also been learning about the Last Supper. We enjoyed acting this out, washing the disciple’s feet like Jesus did and sharing the bread and wine. We created some wonderful pieces of work based on this, constructing the Last Supper and using Leonardo da Vinci famous painting to help us create our own paintings and pictures.
Palm Sunday
Nursery have been learning about Palm Sunday. They created their own palm leaves and drew a donkey. They then re-enacted the story.
Watford Food Bank
We have really enjoyed making cookies, cakes, flapjacks and biscuits to see after school. Year 5 have helped us to sell them every Friday after school. We have raised £480 so far.
Ash Wednesday
Deacon Neville visited us today to give us our ashes. He explained that the cross shows that Jesus loves us. As he placed the cross on our heads he said “Repent and believe in the Good News”.
Shrove Tuesday
Nursery celebrated Pancake Day with a pancake race and some pancake tasting. They needed to use cutlery to spread their favourite toppings on their pancakes. They also made pancakes out of playdough and craft materials.
What is Jesus?
In Reception Padua we have been learning about how Jesus is like a teacher, shepherd, king and light of the world and son. The children completed lots of activities, where they completed different crafts, an addition activity and writing based on their learning.
The Good Samaritan
Last week the children learnt the story of The Good Samaritan. Jesus taught us this story so that we could learn how to be kind to others and to choose between what is right and what is wrong. The children spent the morning looking after our teddies and dolls.
Candlemas
We have been celebrating Candlemas by learning about how we can be like Jesus. We can shine brightly like Jesus through our actions. If we do kind, nice things like sharing or helping each other, our candle shines brightly. If we do unkind things our candle dims. However, God will always give us another chance to try again.
Jesus feeds the 5000
In Nursery we have been learning about how Jesus performed miracles, like when He managed to feed all 5000 of His followers with only a few loaves of bread and some fish. We ‘went fishing’, made our own craft fish and managed to work together to share 3 loaves of bread between the whole class. We had to think about the size of each piece of bread and whether they were fair.
Epiphany
Reception had a brilliant Epiphany party at school. We bought in beautiful crowns that we had made over the Christmas holidays and wore our party clothes for the celebration. During the day, we created lots of Epiphany crafts, build lego gifts for the baby Jesus and even had a dance party. We thought about the gifts that we would give the baby Jesus.
Nursery celebrated Epiphany by throwing an Epiphany party! The children wore their party clothes to school with crowns they had made at home over the Christmas holidays! We thought about what presents we would give baby Jesus and we played pass the parcel.
Nativity Christmas Play
Well done to all the Nursery and Reception children for performing in our Nativity Christmas play. You all did a fantastic job! We could hear every word.
Mary’s Journey to Bethlehem
Nursery have been learning about how Mary had to travel a long way to Bethlehem on a donkey. We compared Mary’s experience with our own mummies. Mary didn’t have a hospital, ambulance, bed, cot for Jesus or any doctors or nurses to help her. We also met a real mummy and her baby who talked to us about what it is like to look after a baby.
Advent and Annunciation
We have been learning about Advent. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing. We have learnt about the Advent Wreath and made our own advent wreath crafts to take home. We also learnt how an Angel came to Mary to bring her special news. We have been thinking about how Mary had to prepare for her special baby and how we have to prepare for Christmas. We have begun making Christmas cards and special surprise presents for our mummies and daddies.
Diwali
Nursery have been learning about the Hindu festival of Diwali. We read the story of Rama and Sita and we made our own diva lamps just like the ones that welcomed Rama and Sita home. We tasted some traditional Indian foods, looked at traditional Indian clothes and made a variety of Diwali inspired arts and crafts. We also did a special dance about preparing our houses for Diwali. We had to think about how we moved our bodies to make it look like we were cleaning the floor, brushing the floor, washing the windows, and hanging up decorations.
Remembrance Day
In Nursery we have been learning about how there are many people who work to look after and protect us, our families, our communities, and our country. We remember them in November, and we remember everyone in Heaven. We worked with Year 6 Padua to make our own poppies.
St Anthony
In Reception in our RE lessons we have been learning about how we are part of St Anthony’s school and we are new to our school community. We went on a walk around the school to see who is in our school community. We made lots of different St Anthony’s craft.
Being God’s Stewards
In Nursery, we have been reading Noah’s Ark and learning how God looked down on Earth and saw that people were not looking after the world or each other. So He entrusted Noah to build an ark and collect 2 of every animal, ready for the flood. After the flood God entrusted Noah and his family to look after the world. God wanted us to be stewards for his earth. So we have been looking after the world by weeding our vegetable patch, planting flowers, making bird feeders, litter picking and taking part in several Noah’s ark based activities.
Baptism and Our Families
We have been learning about how God welcomes us into His family through Baptism. We go to Church and the Priest baptises us by placing a cross on our foreheads with oil and water. We also thought about our own families this week. We read ‘So Much’ and thought our who is in our families and what they do and like.
God’s Creation
In Reception, we have been embracing God’s wonderful creation. We thought about how he created the world in 7 days and made everything in it, including the stars and all of the animals. We enjoyed sorting the animals into land and sea animals and drawing our favourite animals. We also thought about how God made us and loves us all. We talked about our differences and that it makes us special. We them read Pope Francis’ letter the Laudoato Si’ and how we have to be stewards of the world that means to take care of the world. We’ve been busy planting and making bird feeders.
God Created Us
Nursery have continued to learn about the Creation story. We have learnt that God created Adam, Eve, and all of us. God made each of us and we are special and loved. We have been thinking about our bodies – we made faces with pens, paints and loose parts, we sang ‘Head Shoulders Knees and Toes’ and we played Simon Says.
God Created the World
In the Autumn term of 2023, Nursery have been learning about how God made the world. We created our own paper plate worlds and used our fine motor skills to peel off and stick lots of animal stickers all over them. We also used our fine motor skills to pinch pegs in order to make a flower. We sang ‘twinkle, twinkle little star’ and learnt how to roll and use cutters to make our own playdough stars.
The Creation Story
In the Summer term of 2023 the children have been learning about the Creation story and we have been thinking about the different things that God created on each day. We drew pictures of what happened on each day whilst we were learning the story.
Nursery Pentecost Retreat
Nursery spent the morning learning about Pentecost and taking part in special craft activities. It was a lovely morning.
EYFS Mass
In May Father Alex led Nursery, Reception and their parents in a class mass. We were lucky enough to hold it outside by our prayer garden. Some Reception children did a brilliant job reading out the Penitential Rites and the Bidding Prayers, whilst Nursery carried up the Offertory.
May Procession
In May the whole school came together to celebrate Mother Mary. We all brought in flowers which we laid at the feet of Mary and each class prepared a song about Mary. Father Alex and Father Gerard joined us for this special occasion.
Ascension
We have been learning about how Jesus ascended into Heaven, leaving his disciples behind. Jesus promised that he would send them a special gift.
Easter
Each week throughout Lent we have been learning about a different part of the Easter story. We learnt about Palm Sunday when Jesus came to Jerusalem and was welcomed by his supporters. We held our own Last Supper; sharing bread and juice with our friends and we made our own tombs.
Holy Week
Throughout Holy Week we learnt about a different part of the Easter Story. We re-enacted Palm Sunday and the Last Supper.
Lent
Nursery have marked the start of Lent by celebrating Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. We read Mr Wolf’s Pancakes and Father Alex came in to visit us and give us each an ash cross.
Baptism
We have been learning about Baptism. The Nursery children really love babies and particularly liked learning about baby Jesus at Christmas. All the children have bought in photos of their own baptisms to go in our special RE class book – they have really enjoyed looking at each other’s photos. We learnt what happens at a Baptism and ‘baptised’ some of our dolls.
Candlemas
We have been celebrating Candlemas. We have been learning about how Jesus was described as the light of the world. We have been thinking about how we can be like a candle too and shine with the good, kind and caring actions we do towards others.
Advent and Christmas
During Advent we have been learning about the Nativity Story. We learnt about the Angel Gabriel and the news he bought Mary, the little donkey who carried Mary. We went on to learn about when the Shepherds and the Wise men visited Jesus with gifts. We thought about what gifts we would give baby Jesus if we were there. We also performed in our own school play with the Reception children.
Nativity Cribs
As part of our learning about the Birth of Jesus, Reception children with the help of their grown ups at home made some beautiful cribs. Fr Alex then came in to bless all of the cribs and talk about the Nativity story with us.
Welly Washing
At the beginning of December the Reception children washed their wellies in preparation for St Nicholas to visit. This is a Polish tradition to wash and clean your shoes and leave them out to see if St Nicholas will visit you. If he does he will leave a coin. The children were excited to see a golden chocolate coin in the morning!
Baking for Watford Food Bank
Reception classes have been taking turns to bake tasty treats to sell after school every Friday. All money raised has been donated to the local food bank.
Sikhism
Children explored various resources based on Sikhism. They learnt about what can be found in a Gurdwara and compared it to a church.
