Right – time to head across the river to the Tower of London – we need to find a bridge….this one will do – do you know it’s name?

It’s called Tower Bridge – and the road in the middle can lift up to let boats through….

Quick – the alarm is going and it’s about to lift – but we need to get across to the Tower of London for 11.30 or we will miss the tour!!

What an exciting ride that was – we could see for miles!!  And thank goodness Benji managed to climb back into the Pod – phew!!!

Right, we need to walk along the South Embankment now, past The Globe Theatre where Shakespeare had his plays performed…

….hmmmm….I think some buildings in Ludlow and Shrewsbury look a little similar!

Oh look….what a beautiful boat….

It’s called the Golden Hind, and was captained by Sir Francis Drake, who circumnavigated the world in it back in 1577.  We mustn’t dawdle though as we have to be at a rather more modern ship, HMS Belfast soon!

Come on Class 4 – stop trying to climb the rigging and keep walking!!

We are learning so much about these historic London landmarks today – but we are off to a more modern one now – the London Eye – so we need to cross the river and head down the Southern Embankment – make sure you don’t lean too far over the bridge – it’s a long way down to the River Thames!

Wow – Big Ben isn’t half noisy!!!

Shhhh – we need to be quiet now as we don’t want to disturb the Prime Minister…here we are in the Central Lobby inside The Houses of Parliament – (click the picture to take you to the self-guided tour)

Wow – we have arrived and what a time to arrive as it’s time for Changing the Guard!!

That was amazing – but we need to head off to the entrance now for our tour…make sure you listen to the Guide, and don’t lose anything!

Make sure you’ve got your ticket and belongings and let’s board the train heading to Euston Station in London!  Don’t forget to check the departure board to find the right platform and then let’s find a carriage with comfy seats so that we can enjoy the scenery as we go whizzing south!

We have arrived!!  Get your packed lunch and coats, stay close….

first stop the toilets….

Right – now time for a headcount….stay in your classes, 2 by 2, we are off to Buckingham Palace!

Good Morning Brown Clee!

Today is World Book Day – although we all think that every day should be world book day, as books open up whole new world’s for children and can enrich everyone’s lives!

I am sure many of you are dressed as your favourite book character, and we look forward to seeing your photos – but don’t forget that the most important thing to do is to actually open a book and read or listen to a book being read to you!

There are also lots of resources and events being shared on www.worldbookday.com – including live sessions with authors, and lots of masterclasses giving you ideas and inspiration of how to enjoy and immerse yourselves in books at home.

Here is a video story to enjoy..

There’s also a World Book Day song to enjoy…

World Book Day is a great day to celebrate stories and books. We can all enjoy books because there are so many different kinds; we can all find something that we will love. Today, we can be thankful that we get to learn to read so that we can enjoy these books for ourselves. We can also be thankful for all the authors who have given us stories to enjoy.

But do you know what the world’s bestselling book of all time is???…..

Here are some clues…

This book isn’t just one book, it’s more like a book of books. In fact, it’s a bit like holding an entire library in your hands!
– This book is made up of 66 smaller books.
– For many years, the stories in this book were passed on by word of mouth. It took hundreds of years for them all to be written down.
– When this book was first translated into English so that people could read it and understand it for themselves, it was seen as such a dangerous book that the person who had done the translation was killed!
– This book has adventure, romance, danger, battles, poetry and more.

Any ideas??  It’s The Bible. The Bible is split into two parts: the Old Testament, which tells stories of what happened before Jesus was born, and the New Testament, which explains what happened when Jesus was born through to after he had returned to heaven.
There are stories about battles, shipwrecks and adventures; stories about miracles that Jesus performed; and stories about how the world was created. There are poems that people wrote to worship God, and letters that Jesus’ followers wrote to encourage each other.
Sometimes, we might see the Bible as a dusty old book with tiny writing that is far too long for us to read. However, there are versions available that just tell a few of the key stories, especially for children.

Today, the Bible is the bestselling book in the whole world. For Christians, this book is very special and important. It teaches them more about God and what it means to follow him. For all of us, it’s a book that we can take a look at for ourselves. We may already know some of the stories, but if we take a look at it, we will discover new things to learn and enjoy about it.

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for books and stories.
Thank you for the Bible, which tells us more about you.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn to read so that we can discover these things for ourselves.
Amen.

About 1 in 3 people with coronavirus do not have symptoms but can still pass it on to others. Regular testing of people without symptoms is important to help stop the virus spreading and protect your loved ones. As lockdown restrictions gradually ease we all need to play our part to help protect each other.

The following people in England will have access to regular rapid lateral flow testing made available to them as schools reopen:

• secondary school pupils
• primary and secondary school staff
• households, childcare and support bubbles of primary and secondary-age pupils
• households, childcare and support bubbles of primary and secondary staff

Primary school pupils will not be asked to test at this time.

Find out about childcare bubbles and support bubbles.

Learn what rapid lateral flow testing is and why it’s being used.

Here is a link to the full guidance and information.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

Good Morning Brown Clee!

We have recently been thinking about learning skills and the importance of having a growth mindset – and as a reminder here are the differences between having a growth mindset and a fixed mindset:-

We have also been thinking about how important it is that we say “I can’t do it yet” instead of just “I can’t do it”. Today I want us to think about mistakes, and how we feel about them?  Ask yourself – how do you feel about making a mistake?  Does it worry you?  Are you scared of getting something wrong?  Have a watch of this story called “The Most Magnificent Thing” and see if it can teach you something about mistakes…

Thank goodness for her dog – as the dog managed to convince the girl to persevere and not give up – to carry on despite the mistakes and problems – and she did – and what a magnificent thing it was that she created!!  Imagine how she would have felt if she had given up?……sad, defeated, lacking in confidence, a failure!   But by persisting despite the mistakes, she succeeded and as a result she must have felt so proud of herself!

Have a think about a time that you have made a mistake, or got something wrong?  How did it make you feel?  Did you give up?  And if so how did you then feel?  Or did you push through and persevere – I bet this made you feel confident and proud, giving you a true sense of achievement!

We all make mistakes – we are human!  The important thing is that we aren’t worried about them, as mistakes are normal – and they allow us to learn and improve.

Take a quiet moment to reflect –

Do you see mistakes as failure?

Or are they an opportunity to learn and do better next time?

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,

Help us to learn through our mistakes.

Teach us to know right from wrong so that we do not hurt others by what we say or do.

Give us the strength to cope when mistakes are made and help us to deal with them sensibly.

Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

I have been wondering, since yesterday’s assembly, I wonder how many of you have used the words “I Can’t”?  Hands up if you think you’ve used them in the last day?  Today I want to try and teach you how you can change a negative (where you are stuck with a problem and can’t see any solution or hope) into a positive (where you feel happier and more confident). – and all it takes are 3 letters!

Have a watch of this video and see if you can work out what those 3 letters are…

Have you ever felt like Katie – where you are stuck but don’t want to ask for help and yet can’t solve a problem – so you feel like giving up?  What message is this story telling you?  If you add the word “Yet” onto the end of “I can’t do it”, it suddenly sounds like “I can do it if I try again” or “I can do it if I ask for help”.

So as you go through this week – when you come up against a problem or a challenge and are about to say “I can’t do it” – try adding the little word “Yet” on the end – and then ask yourself, “what can I do to solve it?”.

There is always a solution – the solution just might not be obvious – and it might need a helping hand!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you that we can learn from every difficult situation.
Please help us to be people of resilience.
Help us to get back up again when things go wrong.
Help us never to give up.
Help us to persevere.
Thank you for the courage and resilience of people who have shown us that stumbling need not mean failure,
For people we know and for inspirational figures who are role models to us.
We are thankful for their example.
Give us the courage and determination to use the power of ‘yet’.
Amen.

Good Morning Brown Clee!

What a beautiful weekend – wasn’t it so lovely to see the sunshine!

So remember, when you come up against a problem – try and think “how can I solve this” rather than “I can’t do it” – have a go – like crow!

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Sometimes, we need to think ‘I can’
instead of saying say ‘I can’t’.
Sometimes we have to look at old problems in new ways.
Sometimes we must keep trying
when we feel like giving in.
Thank you for always understanding and having faith in us.
Help us to have more faith in ourselves, in others, and in you.
Through Jesus Christ
Amen.

Don’t forget to join us in 10 minutes for whole school Show & Tell!!  The link has been sent my email – and the theme is your favourite Film or TV Programme – Busy Bees are looking forwards to seeing and hearing from their friends at home!

This will probably be the last one as next week we are off to London and then we are back in school!

Good Morning Brown Clee!

This week we have been thinking about how important having a Growth Mindset (positive, can-do’ attitude) is, and also reminding ourselves that it is ok to make mistakes, and that through identifying errors and mistakes and learning from them.

Another learning skill that children need to develop, is to know when to ask for help, and not to be scared to ask for help.  Have a watch of this video from the Pace Trust and see what you think…

We all have things that we find difficult, and it is impossible to do everything yourself – no matter how independent you are.  So it is really important, particularly in class, to not be scared or worried to ask for help – we are here to help  – it’s our job!

Sometimes you might need your friends to help – you might feel sad or lonely, but unless you ask for help how are they to know that you need help?

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for people who are there to help us.
Please help us never to feel like we have to manage all alone.
None of us is expected to exist in a vacuum.
Please help us to be aware of the needs of others
And to offer help in whatever form that may take.
Amen.