It has been another exciting week at Burton Hathow, filled with creativity, exploration and plenty of fun. From discovering the forest through our senses to bringing poetry to life through dance, our children have been busy learning, working together and making wonderful memories.
In the woods this week our children have been experiencing the woodland in a completely different way as they swapped their eyesight for their other senses, they explored the woodland blindfolded. Working with a trusted partner, they felt the textures of trees, listened to the sounds around them and carefully navigated their surroundings. Once their blindfolds were removed, the challenge was on… Could they find their mystery tree again.
The children also took responsibility for caring for and maintaining our beautiful woodland, working together to collect litter and safely move the cut willow off the field.
Everyone played their part, showing teamwork, responsibility, communication and respect for our environment. Forest school isn’t just about enjoying the outdoors, it’s about looking after it too.
Year 1 became very expressive little pencils this week as they explored the poem Trancing by Kintsugi through dance.
After watching Miss Smith create different marks and movements with a pen on the whiteboard, the children used their own bodies to bring the words to life. They twisted, stretched, curved, melted and popped, exploring how poetry can inspire movement and imagination.It was a wonderfully creative lesson, filled with self-expression, confidence and plenty of fun.
Year 1 have also been enjoying the start of their new Art topic, Spirals. Using 2B pencils, the children experimented with creating their own spiral designs before taking their learning outdoors. Inspired by artist Molly Haslund, they explored spirals on a much larger scale, discovering how art can extend beyond the classroom and into the world around them.
Year 2 took their Art lesson into the forest this week, exploring the idea of artists as collectors. The children searched the forest floor for interesting natural objects before arranging their discoveries into compositions that were pleasing to them. It was a lovely opportunity to appreciate the shapes, textures and colours found in nature.The session finished with some well-deserved free play, allowing the children to enjoy the woodland and let their imaginations run free.
Year 3 continued with their charcoal drawings and this week were looking at fossils. Reception class arrived for a look around and were fascinated by the the year 3 sharing of their work
Reception to Year 6 enjoyed a hilarious and thought-provoking visit from Rhubarb Theatre today.
Their wonderfully creative performance of Collection Day explored the issue of litter and the impact it can have on our environment. It was imaginative, humorous and touching all rolled into one, with plenty of laughter along the way.
Sustainability is something we actively promote at Burton Hathow, so the messages within the performance aligned perfectly with the fantastic work already taking place across our school. It was a brilliant way to reinforce the importance of caring for our environment and the part we can all play in making a difference.
Following the performance, the children had the opportunity to take part in a Q&A with the performers, finding out more about the production, the characters and the ideas behind the story.
Years 1–3 then enjoyed a fantastic drama workshop with the Rhubarb Theatre team, getting involved themselves and exploring their own creativity through performance.
A huge thank you to Rhubarb Theatre for such an entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking morning.
What a wonderful week of learning, laughter and discovery. From caring for our forest and creating beautiful artwork to exploring poetry through movement and enjoying live theatre, our children have shown enthusiasm, imagination and a fantastic willingness to try new things. At Burton Hathow, we believe that learning should be exciting, inspiring and, above all, fun, and this week has certainly been full of all three.