Gardening Club/EcoWarriors Forest School

GARDENING CLUB

Another successful year for the gardening club! From fl owers to vegetables, Year 3 and Year 4 have enjoyed being involved, taking part on alternate weeks to observe the different bubbles. The boys worked hard digging out, potting in, and sowing a variety of plants turning the small garden into a blooming fest. There was a lot of enjoyment when the fi rst beetroot and spring onion seedlings started to pop out of the earth, and this certainly encouraged boys to experiment at home with growing from seeds.

Y6 GROWING CHALLENGE All four Year 6 groups were given a growing challenge in the Summer Term. They received a tray of earth, two packs of seeds and a watering bottle at the beginning of May with the only instruction to work together as a form to grow tomato plants from seeds. Boys showed great organisational skills and team work to make sure that their seeds grow successfully. They also had to agree who would take care of the plants during May half term. This certainly developed their curiosity and resilience further. Congratulations to 6KL for winning the growing challenge!

2020 2021

FOREST SCHOOL ECO WARRIORS

Not content with making the Prep School better for everyone by keeping it clean and tidy, our Y3 and Y4 Eco Monitors set themselves a new challenge over the Summer Term: to earn ‘green’ Blue Peter badges by being climate heroes. To gain their special ‘green’ badges, our 11 Eco Monitors selected three pledges, one from each of the following areas: Power, Plastic and Plants, to complete for two weeks. The boys also committed to one supersized pledge: to turn off lights at school when they are not in use as well as making a piece of art work which summed up their ideas about helping keep the environment healthy. We are pleased to say that they have been busy completing their individual pledges and the supersized pledge with great commitment and effi ciency.

The boys even went over and above the requirements of the Blue Peter challenge by joining our Science Technician, Mr Roberts, for a special lunchtime environmental science session. Using equipment usually reserved for boys in Y7 and Y8, the Eco Monitors looked at various working models and saw how they produced and used energy. They learned about the need for energy throughout history, covering steam engines, wind power, solar power, hydroelectric power and even water wheels in the fun and hands-on session.

Mr Roberts told us, “I was interested to hear where the project was going and what the Eco Monitors felt that they could achieve. It was great to listen to their answers. They varied from switching off lights to electric cars and other methods of using less energy. The session was great fun and well worth the effort.”

The green Blue Peter badges were awarded during the end of term Y3 and 4 Assembly and make a marvellous accompaniment to the Eco Monitor badges the boys already proudly wear.

“I am so proud of all the boys; they have proved real climate heroes!”