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Stem Week

21 Mar 2024

We have had a very busy but very enjoyable week at BLPS. We were celebrating 30 years of British Science Week (BSW).

We kick-started the celebrations by participating in a live-streamed assembly to celebrate this year's British Science Week

theme ‐ 'time' ‐ hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Time affects every part of our lives. Children connect‐ ed the theme to learning that was taking place in their classes in other subject areas to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Historic periods were explored, and connections were made to lots of different diverse science and engineering sensational scientists.

On Monday morning, an interactive assembly focused on Engineering was held, led by the Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) team of teachers, to ignite the students passion of learning in STEM. Inspired and excited by the topics presented to them, Students were eager to participate in the assembly.

A fantastic way we encouraged children to take an interest in STEM was to introduce transferable skills used by those who have worked or are working in STEM related jobs. Children got to watch live science farm life and learn about the life of a farmer and farm vet and how their roles have

changed over time to do their work effectively.

Following on, all the classes spent a day on various different exciting STEM related projects that connected to their learning which led to an incredible exhibition setup to showcase learning. It was overwhelmingly great to see so many of our parents and community coming to share the displays of work and most importantly learn from and with the children. Children showed great confidence in sharing their learning experiences and teaching parents and other children about their learning. It was great to see parents learning from children but also children learning from other children.

“I really liked learning about how a banana can be squished up and you can get DNA from it” – Y2 child

“When you eat an apple and then leave it

for too long it goes brown and that is science” – Y1 child

“This boy told me all about how water moves on an aqueduct and it was invented in the Roman times” – Y1 child learning from another child.

“I have really enjoyed seeing all the learning. I know now what exciting work my child will do when they move through school and I can help them. It has given me lots of ideas.” Y2 Parent

“The children have explained their learning so clearly” Year 3 parent

“I wish we had had so much exciting learning when we were at school. The children know more than me and my husband.” Year 2 Parent

Stem Week

22 Feb 2024

British Science Week is a ten‐day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths that will place between 8th and 17th March 2024. We will be celebrating STEM week beginning 11th March and have lots of exciting STEM related activities taking place.

On Thursday 14th March, we will be holding a STEM celebration exhibition in the infant hall. You are invited to come and celebrate our learning with us between 9‐10am.

The British Science Week 2024 poster competition

The theme this year is ‘Time’. Children to create a poster showing how a certain type of technology has changed over time, or even the advancement of time‐telling technology itself. Budding poster makers could also go futuristic show us how they think the world might look in years to come, or perhaps look at nature – lifecycles, lifespans, evolution and hibernation – nature is full of timely topics.

British Science Week 2024 marks the 30th anniversary, with the inaugural celebration happening in 1994. Students could think about scientific innovations since then, or explore 1994 itself – what was lifelike 30 years ago?

The Judges are looking for:

Creativity in approach – Innovative angle on the content or creative interpretation of the theme – don’t be afraid to think outside the box Content – Clear, accurate and informative about a STEM topic

Effective communication – presented and communicated in an engaging way

Entries must be one page of A4 or A3 paper only

Please return all entries to school by Friday 15th March 2024

Look After Our Feathered Friends!

16 Jan 2024

When temperatures plunge here are three simple ways you can help garden birds battle through the freezing conditions.

Prepare a feast

When its really cold, birds need more energy to stay warm. But in winter there’s less daylight to find food and many of their usual sources run low. You can help by providing food in your outdoor space. Kitchen scraps like mild grated cheese, bruised fruit, cooked rice, unsalted bits of hard fat, roast potatoes and dry porridge oats go down a treat with garden birds. Or you can make your own full-fat high-energy bird cakes. The other option is buying calorie-rich foods like mixed seed, sunflower seed, nyjer seed and good quality peanuts. There are some foods you should avoid putting out as they can be dangerous for birds. Cooking fat from the roast mixes with meat juices during cooking to make a runny, greasy mixture. This sticks to feathers and stops them from being waterproof. Also avoid dried coconut, cooked porridge oats, milk, and mouldy or salted food.

Keep it fresh

Birds need fresh water for drinking and bathing all year round. When the big freeze hits, try and keep your bird bath ice-free and topped up with fresh, clean water. Keeping your feeders clean is also essential to help reduce the spread of disease. The RSPB recommends cleaning them once a week with a mild detergent solution, such as washing-up liquid. Remember to wear gloves and get rid of any unused or mouldy food.

Provide shelter

When the bitter wind begins to bite, garden birds need somewhere to shelter from the cold. Planting dense hedges such as privet or hawthorn or letting ivy and holly grow will provide a great place for birds to roost in and shelter from the elements. Nestboxes are also in demand on cold winter nights, with birds cosying up together for communal warmth. The record number of birds found in one box is 63 wrens!

Air Quality Project

14 Dec 2023

Find out how clean our local area is – click here to see our local air quality map
Following on from the brilliant air quality investigations our eco ambassadors have been doing this term, we’re so pleased to announce the launch of the new Redbridge community air quality map!
Our school is contributing to this map, putting up diffusion tubes each month, which test nitrogen dioxide levels in the air (a key urban pollutant). Other diffusion tubes have been put up by residents, so that by working together we can see a detailed picture of air pollution in the area.
Please take a look. It’s so interesting to see where the pollution hots spots are, and which roads are the cleanest around our school.
If you’d like to help by putting up a tube and have a location in mind, please contact the school office or email air@mappingforchange.com directly to order a tube. You can put one up at a place that matters to you, such as your balcony or garden, a park or a bus stop you use. Find out how easy it is to put up a tube on this video Setting Up a Diffusion Tube | We Care for Our Air Redbridge
Our 12 Eco Ambassadors also gave an assembly to their parents and Years 3&4 last week about this important project.
We also had a special Bling Your Bike, Bag or Scooter Day to encourage everyone to use a more sustainable way to travel to school.
There are online focus groups running to discuss the campaign resources, and we’d like to hear your thoughts as a parent. Please email jennifer@pwlcprojects.com to sign up or find out more.
Find out more:‐ We Care for Our Air Redbridge | Let's Talk Redbridge
Community air quality map: https://ourair.communitymaps.org.uk/welcome
Please follow the project on twitter: @Wecareforourair