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Headteacher
Chris Coyle-Chislett

Email the Office
secretary@penpol.cornwall.sch.uk

Telephone Number
01736 753472

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@PenpolSchool

Our Address
2 St George’s Road, Hayle,
Cornwall, TR27 4AH

“Penpol pupils are curious, creative and courageous learners. Our school community believes in authenticity as the foundations of deep-rooted learning. Through our rich and relevant curriculum, we nurture community-minded, forward-facing international citizens of the future.”

Terrific Trevaskis

Class 1 had a lovely day at Trevaskis farm.

We learnt some names of different fruits and vegetables including some of the more unusual ones such as kumquats, moolis and romanesco cauliflower and learnt how and where they grow.

We found some chickens, the white chickens lay the white eggs, the brown chickens laid the brown eggs – Vinnie

We saw some interesting eggs of varying colours and sizes depending on the colour and breed of chicken or whether a larger bird had laid it, such as goose.

We saw vegetables, cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, they grow in the ground. Cassius

We walked past some gooseberry bushes and studied their buds then onto the kitchen garden where they usually grow the herbs, leeks and potatos.

Broccoli and carrots and onions, the need sunshine and water to grow and love – Henry

Next was into the polly tunnel where we saw some asparagus, rhubarb and sugar snap peas growing. We learnt that the strawberries grow up then down and the raspberries grow up in a curly wurly shape.

Strawberries have seeds on the outsides of them, raspberries have seeds on the inside – Maya

Strawberries have 200 seeds on the outside – Ferne

We met some animals including the South Devonside cattle, some British Lop pigs and piglets, some chickens, a very noisy cockerel, a goose, some sheep, some donkeys and some goats.

Pigs roll in mud to keep warm so they don’t get sunburnt, soil has nutrients which is something that the plants eat  – Jack

Class 1 would like to say a huge thank you to Bev and everyone at Trevaskis farm for showing us around and making our day fun packed and informative. 

 

Penpol Pupils compete at the National Finals of the FIRST LEGO League

This is the story of what happened when both the Creative Coders and the LEGO Leaders advanced to the England and Wales National Final of the 2022 FIRST LEGO League one of the largest STEM competitions in the world – where they competed against the 64 best teams in the country.

(As you read this story, please remember you can click on any photo to view it full-size.  You may also want to grab a drink, this isn’t a short post! – Mr W)

2

teams

800

miles travelled

20

hours on the coach

14

incredible students

LEGO Leaders outside the Harrogate Convention Centre
Creative Coders outside the Harrogate Convention Centre

How did our teams get to the finals?

To earn their place in the National Finals, the teams had to perform exceptionally well at the Cornish Regional Final.  Creative Coders came first overall at this event and immediately qualified for the Nationals – but the journey for LEGO Leaders wasn’t quite as straight forward…

LEGO Leaders had an outstanding score of 345 points in their Robot Games at the Cornwall Final, but ended up finishing in fourth overall (still an INCREDIBLE achievement!).  Sadly, one of the top three teams weren’t able to make it to Harrogate for the National Finals and LEGO Leaders were asked to attend in their place as the team with the highest Robot Games score in Cornwall.

With both of their places confirmed the only thing that stood between the children and the finals was a very, very long coach trip!

Incredible Results for Penpol at the LEGO League Cornwall Finals

Yesterday two teams of our Year 5s took part in the Cornwall finals of the FIRST LEGO League Competition.  For months these teams have been working hard with coding, building, researching, creating, designing, innovating and presenting ideas.   All of that hard work was celebrated yesterday in two

Read More »

We left Penpol bright and early on Friday morning, the children (and staff!) very kindly giving up part of their Half Term holiday to take part.  After some early excitement where the team discovered their t-shirts (featuring some awesome LEGO Minifigure designs created by Ethan and his dad) we all got settled on the coach for what was to be a ten hour trip.

Ten hours was passed a lot more quickly thanks to Paul kindly sharing his WiFi password!

Thankfully we’d been able to get a coach with USB ports, which meant that children and adults alike were both able to enjoy some movies, TV programs and games on the journey (which helped pass the time very nicely!).

We met up with the team from Boscastle School on the way, as they had also qualified for the Finals and were joining us on the journey.

"It was amazing to go up on the coach with my friends, because it’s just an extraordinary experience and I’m so happy to have done it.  Everyone was such great fun and I enjoyed spending time with everyone."

Ada

After a couple of service station stops we made it to our hotel just outside of Leeds Bradford Airport and the first stage of our adventure was complete.

We checked into our rooms and met up with everyone in the restaurant for dinner.  The teams all sat together to discuss tactics, the dinner options (and to create some memes on their iPads!).  It was great seeing them all enjoying their time away whilst at the same time building friendships and bonds that will hopefully last well beyond this weekend.

The evening ended with the teams going off to practice their Innovation Project and Robot Design presentations one last time before bed.

Discussing some last minute team-tactics with Mr Pollard after dinner
Starting the day in the right way with a cooked breakfast and some team meetings to go over the schedule for the day

The following morning we were once again up bright and early, meeting at 7am for a cooked breakfast to fuel us all for the day.  The children looked very smart in their team t-shirts and all sported the Cornish flag in the form of a pin badge (made by Mr Woolcock’s very kind neighbour Adam!).  

Between trips to the breakfast buffet we had a few moments to discuss our packed schedule for the day with the two teams. Then it was time to get back onto the coach and head into Harrogate itself.

We were ready to go to the Finals!

"It was when I woke up in the morning and there was a table - a very large table - and it had sausages and bacon and other stuff I can’t even remember. As soon as I saw that bacon it was the best moment ever. I just grabbed about ten stacks. You know it’s going to be a beautiful day when you’ve just eaten that breakfast!"

James B

What happened on the day?

The venue for the competition, Harrogate Convention Center, was absolutely huge.  We were all struck by its size and impressive design when we got off the coach.  Naturally we had to pose for some team photos before going any further!

When we made it into the venue, we soon discovered that it was even more impressive from the inside.  A huge stage with LED screens and stage lighting dominated the first room, along with about 2,000 chairs all lined up and ready for the competitors and their supporters to take their places before the Opening Ceremony.

Both teams get a photo with Mr Woolcock and Paul outside the Harrogate Convention Centre

"On Saturday morning I was absolutely terrified but also very excited. Going to that huge place as a team on the coach was amazing, but yeah, I was terrified too! But we all has such a fun time together and now I'd love to do it all again!"

Miles

LEGO Leaders made their own customised placard to place on their stand in the Pit Area

Before we sat down we decided it would be sensible to find our ‘Pit Area’. This was to be our base of operations for the day and was decked out with water bottles, lanyards, badges, stickers and all sorts of other goodies for the teams to enjoy when we got there.

This was a space we’d come back to throughout the day as we regrouped and planned our next steps.

After this we headed straight back into the main auditorium for the Opening Ceremony and managed to nab some great seats near the stage.  

James B and Sienna were taken off to one side by the organisers as they were to be the teams flag bearers for the ceremony – getting their moment in the spotlight as they represented their teams on the main stage stage.

James and Sienna take to the stage as their team representatives in the Opening Ceremony.

"It was so surreal and amazing being on stage for the opening event. Seeing how many people were in the audience made everything feel so real! When we first found out we’d won I felt like it was all a dream, but being on the stage and seeing everybody changed that into a reality."

Sienna

Our hosts for the day: Maddie Moate, Greg Foot and Tom Deacon

After some very exciting build-up (and a chance to meet the hosts for the day: Maddie Moate, Greg Foot and Tom Deacon), the children were ready to leap into action.

Both teams had to be at certain places at pre-determined times throughout the day and in order to make this work it was decided that the teams would go off separately.  Creative Coders teamed up with Mr Woolcock and Mr Pollard and LEGO Leaders worked with with Paul, Chelsea (our mentor from RNAS Culdrose) and Miss Ball.

"When I met Maddie Moate, I don’t really have many words to describe it, but I was speechless. She was so friendly!

After going to this event I really want to try and become an engineer or a coder. Those jobs sound really exciting and I'd love to try them!"

Piran

The first stop for both teams was the Practice Tables, which would prove the first chance to test their robots and code to ensure that everything worked on the day.  As neither team had been able to have a run through with their Robot element over Half Term, this time to practice was invaluable.

Thankfully everything worked well for both teams and the robots (and teams!) were all ready for their big moment.

James and Paul ensuring everything is ready for the first round of the Robot Games

Part 1: The Robot Games

It was then time for the first of three rounds of the Robot Games.  I think this was the moment that it really hit home to us all just how different this was going to be compared with competing virtually in the Cornwall competition.

Each team headed to the main arena and line up on their designated number.  Then they were escorted to their competition table (one of sixteen all set up and ready to go) and introduced to the two referees that were to score and monitor their match.  Each team was battling head-to-head against a second team from another school and they had two and a half minutes to score as many points with their robot as possible.

However, I don’t think any of us realised just how intense the competition room would be and how much of an impact that atmosphere and energy would have on our teams performances…

It was a really busy place and so it was very stressful at times, but we all supported each other and carried each other through. Most of all we all had fun doing it! It definitely felt very, very nerve-racking watching the Robot Games team compete, but in the end we were all ecstatic about the scores we managed to get.

Georgia

Rather than crumble under the pressure, the children turned it into excitement and eager anticipation.  Before each Robot Games match the hosts came around to meet the teams and have a chat with them about their game strategy, further adding to the excitement in the air.

When all the referees were ready (and their white flags were held high in the air) it was time for the countdown.  Three.  Two.  One.  LEGO!

Two and a half minutes was all that stood between the teams and their chance of glory.

Relief from Piran, Ernie and Sienna as their Robot (Cookies and Beans) completes a mission successfully

There is no doubt that this was an incredibly tough part of the day. A millimetre out with positioning the robot cold spell disaster.  One slight change of course could have a knock on effect on the second part of a mission.  Under the pressure of a live audience, referees and dozens of other teams competing at the same time, it was inevitable that mistakes would be made by all teams competing.

But perhaps what was surprising was the way our teams dealt with these setbacks.  Instead of throwing in the towel or walking away they kept on going. They battled through. They regained their composure and re-focussed their energies onto the next match.  They didn’t let anything stop them – even when it seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong.

The children (and parents!) supporting from behind the line were willing the Robot Operators on with every fibre of their being and it was clear that the teamwork and perseverance paid off for both teams.

Taking a moment to regroup and have a practice run thorugh before the third round of the Robot Games
LEGO Leaders having one last full run-through before heading to their second round on the Competition Tables

"My favourite memory was running around the competition centre with all my friends and of course taking photos with all our medals and my proudest moment was probably the presentations and doing the robot games - especially the last run of the robot games because that was really fun."

James S

Through the day each team would come back here three times to try and set their highest score – all the while keeping an eye on the live scoreboard around the venue to see where they were currently positioned.  

The final scores for both teams were as follows…

240

Points in
Round 1

175

Points in
Round 2

250

Points in
Round 3

215

Points in
Round 1

240

Points in
Round 2

270

Points in
Round 3

As you can see both teams saved their very best performance for last – earning an incredible 250 and 270 points each!  These scores were enough to ensure that both teams placed in the top half of the entire Final, beating dozens of other teams including both Primary and Secondary students.

"My proudest moment at the competition is probably when we were announced on the scoreboard that we came 24th overall. I just felt amazed because out of all the UK there were 2,400 teams and in the finals there were still 64 teams. I feel so proud of where we came!"

Caio

To top it all off the final matches for both of our teams were played on the ‘live stream tables’ which meant that family and friends could watch both of their final runs from home!  And excitingly they’re both available to watch again below so you can see just how well each team performed in this aspect of the competition.

Creative Coders

LEGO Leaders

Part 2: Core Values

Whilst the Robot Games certainly is very exciting, it only accounts for 25% of a teams total score.  An equally important element of the competition is known as Core Values and is judged throughout the whole day by the referees, judges and other volunteers working at the event.

They are trained to keep an eye out for teams demonstrating the six Core Values, which are:

Discovery

we explore new skills & ideas

Innovation

we use creativity and persistence to solve problems

Impact

we apply what we learn to improve our world

Inclusion

we respect each other and embrace our differences

Teamwork

we are stronger when we work together

Fun

we enjoy and celebrate what we do!

These are all really important qualities for the teams to embody and both Creative Coders and LEGO Leaders displayed all six in bucket-loads during the day.  

From the way they interacted with and greeted other teams to the way they asked questions and enquired about people they met, throughout the day the judges were very impressed by their Core Values.

LEGO Leaders did an exceptional job of showing the Core Values all day, supporting each other, exploring together and having fun
The Creative Coders put their team name up in bricks on the LEGO Graffiti Wall

I could share many examples of particular moments throughout the day where the children embodied these different skills, but one value that resonated particularly strongly on the day was without a doubt the value of Teamwork.  The whole day was very busy and full of high-pressure situations that could have proven overwhelming.  However, when one of these situations arose, the teams were both incredible at supporting each other by reassuring their teammates and ensuring that everybody was able to perform to the very best of their ability.

It was great because everyone bought something special to our team. For example Ernie has lots of energy, then Piran just brings a real sense of fun into everything. Felix had some really creative ideas throughout the day and Georgia gets very excited (just like Ernie).

During the Innovation Project Sienna had a really hard job of being the link between managing both sub-teams but handled it incredibly well and Amélie had some really innovative ideas for the presentation which really bought it to life.

Ethan

The Core Values are scored on a scale of 1 to 4 for each value where:

Beginning

1 point for a team who are beginning to demonstrate the value.

Developing

2 points shows that a team is developing that value.

Accomplished

3 points is where a team has accomplished the particular value.

Exceeding

4 points is where a team has gone above and beyond and exceeded the expectation.

After the event we were able to view the children final scores for Core Values and we were blown away by how well they did.

LEGO Leaders

Impressively the LEGO Leaders got scores of 3 for every single Core Value - a fantastic achievement.  

Creative Coders

Creative Coders also got 3's in each Value, with the exception of Impact where they managed to score a 4.  The judges commented that they got this bonus point as they had clearly explained in their presentations how much each of them had been impacted by taking part in the LEGO League. 

Part 3: Innovation Project

The next element of the competition (worth another 25% of the marks) was the Innovation Project.  This 5 minute presentation required the teams to explain their solution to a serious global problem – this year linked to the theme of Cargo.

The children were required to research their problem, reach out to experts in the field and then plan and create a viable and creative solution to the problem.  You might think that alone is pretty tricky – but that’s nothing compared to presenting all of that to a panel of complete strangers… the judges!

Creative Coders and Mr Woolcock in their official Team Photo
LEGO Leaders and Paul in their official Team Photo

When the time came for the Presentations, the teams had to assemble outside of the judging area and wait patiently for their turn.  We were then led into a small room in the convention centre where two judges were waiting to meet us.  The children were really interested in finding out who the judges were and what their background was, especially when they found out one of the judges had travelled up from Cornwall too!

"I really enjoyed the research element of our project. For example we searched for information on the internet and then that led to more ideas which we hadn’t thought of. That led to more searches and before we knew it we’d learnt loads! It was very good because we were able to write about it and present it to everyone. It was actually quite shocking going to a supermarket to see the plastic in real life. I decided to go later in the evening to see it all as the pallets were unpacked. I was surprised how much plastic was used in just one night - it was quite weird to see it happen."

Amélie

The presentations had all been very well practiced in the build-up to the competition, whether that was at school, through voice notes on Showbie over Half Term, on the coach journey or even the night before the competition after dinner.  This meant both teams knew their lines, knew their cues and were ready to go.

So, you might be wondering what the presentations were about and what problems they chose to solve?  Look no further than this handy little guide…

Creative Coders getting ready to go into their Judging Session with their bungie cords and Earthquake Simulator

Innovation Project

The Problem

Packages are delivered to shops, warehouses and distribution centres in cardboard boxes on large pallets.  But these pallets are wrapped in metres and metres of plastic shrink wrap to stop them falling off.  This is not environmentally friendly at all!

The Solution

The team researched different methods of securing boxes to pallets, including building an Earthquake Simulator to shake their 3D-Printed pallets.  They settled on using paper and bungie cords to secure boxes as these could be reused time and time again.

Feedback from the Judges

The judges said that the presentation was very interesting and that they chose a great topic. They also really liked positive energy and their Creative Coders song which grabbed the judges attention.

Innovation Project

The Problem

In many countries Donkeys are used to carry heavy and unbalanced loads of cargo.  These donkeys are often underfed, maltreated and end up getting badly injured by carrying too much weight.

The Solution

The team considered a number of alternatives to donkeys, but eventually decided that cost would be a prohibitive factor.  They settled on trying to improve the standard of life for these hard working donkeys by creating a ‘code of conduct’ for donkey owners which encouraged them to treat their animals with more care and respect.

Feedback from the Judges

The judges were really impressed with how the team approached different organisations for research and how they went for a very novel idea for their project – big marks for ‘thinking outside of the box’.

As you can see the judges were impressed with both the Creative Coders and the LEGO Leaders, remarking on how confident both teams were and how well they presented their problems.

The presentations themselves were scored by both judges using the same 1-to-4 scale as the Core Values.  The points the teams earned are as follows:

Innovation Project Scoring

Team:

LEGO Leaders

Creative Coders

Identify

2

3

3

2

Design

3

2

3

2

Create

2

2

3

3

Iterate

3

3

2

3

Communicate

3

2

4

2

Part 4: Robot Games Presentation

The last part of the competition was the Robot Design Presentation. This name is slightly deceptive as it isn’t just about the robot that the teams have built. Yes it is largely about this, but it is also a chance to share the story that the children have been on since starting in their teams back in October.  This is a chance to share their learnings, their new skills, their strategies, plans and anything else that they want to with the judges.

"My proudest moment of the LEGO competition was when we were all doing the presentations. I enjoyed that we all did the presentations together as a group because we were a great team and we had a really important message to share in our innovation project."

Jenna

Both teams were able to eloquently explain the rationale that went into their projects, the reasons they chose certain challenges first and how they crafted individual attachments for the robots.

The children also shared personal stories of what the competition meant to them.  From making new friends to developing new skills, missing holidays to giving up lunchtimes to work on their presentations.  Everyone had a story to tell and the judges were interested to hear just what it meant to everyone who took part.

LEGO Leaders getting their official team photo taken in the Photobooth

"At first we were all really worried about the judges because we didn't know who they'd be - what if they were scary?! It was really nerve-racking learning our lines because we didn't want to make a mistake and get it wrong. On the day it all came together and the judges were really nice and helpful and we all smashed our lines.

I felt so pleased that we'd done an absolutely amazing job of our presentations."

Felix

The Robot Design presentations themselves were scored by both judges using the same 1-to-4 scale as the Core Values and Innovation Project.  The points the teams earned are as follows:

Robot Design Presentation Scoring

LEGO Leaders

Creative Coders

Identify

3

2

3

3

Design

3

3

2

3

Create

3

3

3

2

Iterate

2

3

3

2

Communicate

3

2

3

3

What happened after the teams had competed?

Look how huge this room is! This is where the Robot Games took place in front of everyone

After all of the competition elements were complete, the rest of the day was ours to explore and meet other teams.  We got to watch the Knockout Stages of the Robot Games, where the very best teams in the country pitted their robots head-to-head in a winner stays on tournament.

These robots were incredible to watch and were earning scores far beyond anything we even thought possible.  I hope the teams have picked up plenty of ideas there for next years robots!

There was also the opportunity to explore a whole variety of different STEM experiences from different companies and employers who all have a focus in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths sector.  The children visited dozens of stalls to find out what each one had to offer and to explore different types of robotics that are used in the real world.

It was very inspiring to see just how far a career in engineering or coding could take our students and the children responded to these stalls with great interest.

Sienna, Amélie and Georgia discussing engineering with some experts
Gathering together to watch the Closing Ceremony on the main stage.

At the end of a very, very busy day we finally returned to where it all started in front of the stage. Here the closing ceremony was held, along with awards for the teams who won in the different categories.

This proved a wonderful chance to reminisce, relax and remember just how fortunate we all were to be there in Harrogate representing both Penpol School and Cornwall too.

Whilst in the end we didn’t win any awards at the National Finals the experience alone more than made the trip worth it.

I think it would be safe to say that the children who left this event in Harrogate were not the same ones who boarded the coach from Penpol School on Friday morning.  

They were more tired, yes.  But they were also more confident, more resilient and better friends than ever before.  This shared experience will hopefully be one that stays with them for a very, very long time.

They have truly done themselves and all of us at Penpol School proud.

The Creative Coders managed to convince Maddie Moate to take a group selfie with them!

"I have learnt to always enjoy what you do, especially when it’s not going so well. Always be happy and see the positives in everything.

I think this whole experience will help me in the future because I really want to be a coder and make games. So by doing hard code on Cookies and Beans and learning teamwork by being a part of my team - I think these skills will really help me."

Ernie

Thank you to our supporters

This whole event simply wouldn’t have been possible without some very kind and generous local supporters.  As you may have seen on the backs of the team t-shirts, we were sponsored by the wonderful people at Philps Pasties, TigerX and Birdies Bistro.  They very kindly help us pay for the experience and without that, the children wouldn’t have been able to take part in such an awesome opportunity.

Creative Coders have a last minute run-through of their Robot Games on the practice table in their team t-shirts

I’d also like to thank the parents and families of our team members for being so accommodating and supportive, helping us organise such a massive trip in just two weeks.  Thank you all.

Y5 have a Virtual Visit to an Amazon Warehouse

This afternoon our two teams of Year 5’s who are taking part in the FIRST LEGO League competition were treated to a (virtual) VIP tour inside an Amazon Warehouse.

As part of their Cargo Connect challenge for the competition, they are researching more about how goods are shipped around the world and delivered, in order to hopefully find some creative solutions to improve these processes. 

As well as being given a tour around the different departments, from ordering & picking to packaging & shipping, the children were given the chance to ask some questions to a trio of Amazon Engineers.

Throughout the tour the students were jotting down questions on some post-it notes and by the end they had amassed quite a collection! Luckily there was plenty of time for the Q+A and lots of our questions got answered.

Here are some of the interesting facts we learnt during the tour:

“I learnt that the items are stored randomly in the warehouses, with robots being used to pick the items” – Ethan

“The SLAM machine that puts the label and address on the packages doesn’t actually touch the package at all – it drops the label on top” – Amelie

“The shortest delivery was done in under 30 minutes and they use satellite images to check addresses and to update their maps when new roads are built.” – Sienna

“They use algorithms to help find and move parcels, with robots following QR codes on the floor” – Caio

Year 5 wowed by Spaceport Satellite exhibition

On Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th of September, Year 5 were fortunate to be offered a visit to Newquay Airport where Spaceport Cornwall currently have an exhibition taking place – ‘Story of a Satellite’. With VR headsets allowing us to explore unknown planets, being able to see a 70ft rocket in person and lots of other valuable information and resources dotted around the huge hangar, there was plenty to see and do. Mr Pollard’s twin brother, who works for Spaceport, also held a highly informative Q&A session and the children came up with some excellent questions. This will tie in brilliantly with our Space topic which begins in January, giving everyone a great head-start in recognising the importance of satellites to our world.

 

Josh – “I wish we could go again tomorrow. I really enjoyed the VR headsets. The lava-filled planet was my favourite.”

Kids Invent Stuff visit Penpol School

Last week Penpol had a very exciting visit from Ruth and Shawn – otherwise known as Kids Invent Stuff – to talk about all things engineering, inventing and creating!

The day started with the whole school having the opportunity to enjoy an assembly with Ruth and Shawn, where they introduced a challenge for us all to take part in.

 The challenge is simple – to invent something new that utilises wearable technology, a switch or a bicycle.  This competition is being run to celebrate the IETs 150th anniversary and entries from schools all around the world will be collected up, carefully considered and then one will actually be built in real life!  It’s very exciting and over the course of the day our students showed just how creative their ideas are.

Below are some pictures of the visit, including some of our Year 5’s working away on their own invention ideas.

Summer Sunshine and Year 4 Learning in the Wildlife Garden

This term, Year 4 have taken great joy from learning outside in our wildlife garden.  From Science through to Music, the wildlife garden has provided the perfect setting to enjoy not just forest school, but also all of their learning.

Just before half term, Class 9 wrote a description of the wildlife garden from each of their perspectives.  The class really enjoyed sharing their descriptions in the mini amphitheatre.  This task drew out all of the benefits of looking after the fantastic wild areas that we are lucky in our community to have, a particularly poignant topic of discussion with the G7 summit taking place this week.

I really like spending time in the wildlife garden.  It makes me feel happy and calm.  Alex, Class 9

In Science, Year 4 have also been learning about habitats and had to create a powerpoint/ pic collage on what habitats could be found in the wildlife garden, along with the features and residents of each habitat.  Students were particularly surprised to find centipedes, tadpoles and even a wandering Wilf (our very own resident school dog) in the wildlife garden.  

Finally, Year 4 have taken dusted off their vocal chords and sang a classic song, ‘Let it Be’, by the Beatles, a song which we studied last half term in music.  It was a great song to finish off last half term and listen to students singing in a big group again.  Enjoy the video below!

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Designing Mars Rovers in Year 5

Last term, as part of our Space topic, the children were inspired by the landing of Perseverance on Mars and so created their own versions of a Mars rover, complete with a motor so that it could move forward and, most impressively a lever system to enable it to pick up ‘space rock’ to study. The children had a great time making and designing their own rover and, who knows, maybe this activity will have inspired our next rover designers of the future. 

After they’d made their rovers, the children used the iPads and iMovie to virtually transport their creations to the surface of Mars with some Green Screen magic.  

You can enjoy some of these videos below:

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"I enjoyed making the Mars Rover. My favourite part was designing and decorating the rover, but we did have some trouble with our electrics"
Emily
Class 11
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Class 2 STEM Week

 

Class 2 have done some great learning as part of STEM week and enjoyed becoming scientists, engineers and mathematicians for the week.

On Monday, after listening to the story of The Three Billy Goat’s Gruff, the children were set the challenge of building a bridge for the goats to cross, using only spaghetti, masking tape and teamwork! Once built, the class tested their bridges to see which was the strongest and came up with ideas to improve their bridges next time.

On Tuesday, we took part in an experiment using skittles and watched what would happen as water was added. After waiting a few seconds, the children loved seeing the patterns that emerged and looking at how different the other patterns around the class were.

On Wednesday came one of the children’s favourite activities of the week – making volcanoes! In small groups, the children were challenged to build a volcano using whatever they could find around the classroom, making sure they left a space for the volcano to erupt.  Once the volcanoes had been constructed, it was time for them to be filled with lava (a mixture of baking soda, vinegar and red food colouring) and to erupt!

The children put their maths and engineering skills to the test on Thursday by creating ramps for cars and measuring how far each car travelled. They predicted how far each car would travel and then tried raising and lowering the ramp to see if that would make a difference. After recording our results, we then talked about what might have affected how far the cars travel as a group.

Finally, on Friday we created some artwork using a swinging bottle/bucket and watched the different patterns it created when the children pushed harder or gentler on the bottle. We’re really pleased with how the artwork came out and hope to have it up on display in our outdoor area for you all to see soon!

Well done Class 2 on some great STEM learning, it was brilliant to see you enjoy becoming scientists/mathematicians/engineers and artists!

Year 4’s Remarkable Remote Learning!

These past few weeks, Year 4 have taking amazingly well to the activities set for remote learning. Their perseverance and creativity has been awe-inspiring and it’s been wonderful to see the exceptional work being shared on Showbie.

Having completed the book ‘Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes, this week, we have been focussing on the RSPB’s ‘The Big Birdwatch.’ From creating alluring bird feeders full to the brim of nutritional food to entice birds into their gardens, to keeping a tally of all of the birds that pay a visit to their gardens and then drawing their favourite birds. The children have blown us away with their ingenuity and clear fascination for the wild outdoors. This has been shared by the children through their photos, sketches, collages and models of their favourite birds (as shown below).

In addition, Year 4 have complete a weekly summary quiz of the topics they are studying and this has proven a clear favourite time of the week on Google Meet. Students definitely proved this week that they were up to speed with their Cornish wildlife!

It’s been a great few weeks of learning and it’s clear Year 4 have really enjoyed the taking part in the ‘Big Birdwatch’ – well done Year 4!


Writing Code that is “Out Of This World”

This week the children in Year 5 have been taking part in an international event which is quite simply “out of this world”!.

Astro Pi is a fantastic event run by Code Club and the European Space Agency whereby school children can write a computer program to be run on a modified Raspberry Pi computer on the International Space Station.  Yes, IN SPACE!

Each child in Year 5 has worked in a team to design and code their programs, which will display messages, pictures and the current temperatures to the astronauts onboard the ISS.  The children then decided on their team names before finally submitting their error-free code into space.

As soon as their program has been run on the Space Station the children will receive a certificate which will show the exact time and location of the International Space Station from when their code was run.

Class 11 Team Photos

Class 12 Team Photos