Today is Earth Day 2020. What is Earth Day you may ask?  It began in 1970 (so today is the 50th anniversary!) as a unified response to an environment in crisis — oil spills, smog, rivers so polluted they literally caught fire.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet.

The first Earth Day is credited with launching this modern environmental movement.

So today is a good day to think about our wonderful world and how precious it is.  What do you like?  Where do you like going?  What makes it so special?  And maybe most importantly of all, how can we look after it for generations to come?  What could you do today to help look after our Earth?  Could you make sure you put your litter in the bin?  Turn unnecessary lights off?  Or just watch and listen to the words in this beautiful song…

If you are interested in learning more about Earth Day here is there website: www.earthday.org

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for giving us our planet and all the wonderful living things in it.
Please remind us how important it is for us to take care of it so that future generations can continue to enjoy it.
Amen.

Our Value this half term is Thankfulness – and I think at this point in time it is particularly relevant.  We often take so much for granted and don’t take time to stop and reflect on how much we have to be thankful for.  So maybe today just stop for a moment and listen and watch this song by Josh Groban called ‘Thankful’.

What are you thankful for?  Here’s a short poem that might help you think of things…

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfilment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Teach us to show our gratitude for what we have
By caring for those around us,
And for the wonderful world in which we live.
Amen.

I am sure everyone is aware of the amazing fundraising superstar called Captain Tom Moore!  He is an absolute prime example of our SMART learning behaviours – such motivation and ambition, and what an amazing achievement!  He has raised over £20 MILLION so far by walking 100 times around his house at the age of 99 – what a hero!

I thought you might like to know some of his background…

Captain Tom Moore was born on April 30th in 1920. His parents and family were local builders in Keighley, Yorkshire, where he spent much of his life. He attended Keighley Grammar School as a child, and later went on to complete an apprenticeship as a Civil Engineer. But in 1940, aged just 20, his education took a pause as he was conscripted into the army to fight in World War Two.

Tom joined the 8th Battalion of The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, with whom he was sent to Cornwall to defend the coast as the threat of a German invasion loomed.

After being selected for officer training, Tom quickly rose up through the ranks to captain and in 1941, was enlisted to India. The journey to Bombay took six weeks by sea. There, Captain Tom was instructed to start a motorcycle course for his regiment, before moving onto Calcutta in a treacherous three week road trip in the the midst of the monsoon season. Later, he served and fought on the Arakan in Burma – a British colony which was invaded by the Japanese. He moved further south with his troops to Rangoon, then the capital of Burma and a major port, before the Japanese surrendered. After his overseas duties were said and done, Tom returned to the UK to become an instructor at The Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in Bovington, Dorset, where he continued to work until all tanks and troops were demobilised. But his life did not quieten down after that.

After he came out of the army Tom raced his Scott motorbike around Yorkshire and won several cups and medals. He also organised the annual reunion of his regiment for 64 years – the longest continual annual reunion in the Duke of Wellington Regiment.

If you click here you can see the video of his final lap of the house!

On the 30th April, Captain Tom Moore is 100 years old!  I wondered whether anyone would like to send him a birthday message, drawing or card?  If you do, email them to admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk and we will send them onto Captain Tom!

Such an amazing achievement really shows what we can do when we try, and we work together!  So there’s a little song here you might want to join in with!

TOGETHER

Prayer of the Day

Dear God,
Thank you for the school, the clubs and the family that we are part of.
Please help us to encourage and support others.
Please help us to play our parts in the teams that we are in.
Please help us to encourage unity.
Thank you.
Amen.

Look what Lola has been up to during this lockdown!  She has created this giant giraffe in her window to remind people to stay at home and save lives!  As a well done she has received a certificate from the NHS!

Before the Easter holiday, Class 4 children had the opportunity to write letters to the residents of our local care home, where our Brown Clee Buddies normally visit weekly to share a story or a game together.  With the current situation this interaction isn’t happening, and we are missing seeing the residents.  We thought it would be nice for our children to write them letters – so they did and I have received an email from Ditton Priors Care Home thanking the children:-

” Good Morning, Thank you very much for the letters our residents love them. Keep safe and hopefully wont be long till we can see you all again :)”

Here are some of the letters that the children sent:-

Alex

Chloe

Elliot

George Ba

George Be

Maisie

We want to say congratulations to Mrs Heath, who has been awarded ‘Teacher of the Week’ in The Week Junior, a national current affairs magazine for young people. Mollie nominated Mrs Heath for “being so much fun” and “explaining things”. What a thoughtful thing to do Mollie….I know it has put a big smile on Mrs Heath’s face today!

Good morning and here is the THUNK for today – please feel free to share your thoughts/reflections via admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk

And the song for the day is…

WATER, FOOD, REST AND EXERCISE

Another lovely day, and another ‘THUNK of the day’!  Yesterday’s THUNK “Is black a colour” provoked this thought from Miss Greenan:

“Black to me is a shade or a mood. We use black to represent sadness, mourning, shadows, dullness, darkness, negativity. When asked about happy colours black is rarely or never chosen. In art, black can be used to shade areas or to show night time or darkness.”

I also wondered if black is just a lack of light – so darkness?

Anyway – today’s THUNK, especially for Rosie B, who enjoys the book by Charlie Mackesey, “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse” so much…What does this page from the book make you think?

Here’s a song to sing along to as you play/work outside in the garden!

THE SEED SONG

Good Morning!  I know this is technically the Easter Holiday – and there is no set work from the teachers, but because these are such strange days, and people might be missing contact, I thought we’d still say good morning!  I will be setting a ‘Thunk’ of the day each day and sharing a song!

The children are used to thinking and talking about ‘Thunks’ – but here is a little explanation and the rules that go with them:-

• Thunks are thought provoking statement, questions or pictures, that we have a moment to consider and ponder before responding.
• There are no wrong or right answers.
• We have to provide a reason or explanation for our response.
• We listen and respond respectfully.

Here is the THUNK of the day for today!

If you wish to share your ponderings about this THUNK, then please email them to admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk and I will share!

Here’s a little Easter song as we approach the Easter weekend!

THE EASTER EGG TRAIL

Hands up who joined in with Fancy Dress Friday PE with Joe Wicks!! 

I had a thought, if you sent in your photos of you in your costumes to admin@brownclee.shropshire.sch.uk then I will compile them (along with me and Mrs Morris – who also joined in and looked amazing!) and send them into Joe from everyone at Brown Clee!

Anyway – as promised – this is me in my 80s themed outfit joining in with Joe and everyone else this morning!

Good News: The Resurrection

Yesterday we thought about the Easter Story, when Jesus was crucified on the cross to save us all.  This day is now known as Good Friday?  What a strange name!  What was good about it?  Can you think of anything?

Today we are looking at Easter Sunday, which was when Jesus’ was resurrected.  Watch and listen to this short story by clicking on the picture:

Easter is a time of mixed feelings: sadness, confusion and loss, but also happiness, hope and joy. For Christians, Easter is a joyful time and reminds us that sadness does not last for ever.  So as we break up for our Easter break, away from each other, let’s have a moment to reflect and think to the future, the joy of being back together.

Easter is also a time of new starts, and so is Spring; so to put a smile on your face, what better way than sharing one of my favourite Spring songs – please join in!

SPRING CHICKEN

Prayer for the Day

Loving God,
Thank you that when awful things happen
sadness does not last for ever.
Thank you for the surprise beginnings
that today will hold in store.
Amen.