St Martin's School, Bournemouth

☀️A huge thank you to our wonderful PTA for organising such a fantastic Summer Fayre yesterday!

With the sun shining, there was a wonderful atmosphere as families came together to enjoy an afternoon of fun. There were some wonderful songs from the band and choir. There were a variety of stalls, hot dogs and ice creams. The children were thrilled to win prizes, and the ever-popular bottle tombola proved to be a firm favourite once again!

It was lovely to see so many members of our school community supporting the event. The sense of togetherness, laughter and community spirit throughout the afternoon made it a truly memorable occasion. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped organise, volunteer, donate and attend. Your support helps make events like these such a success!

As part of our Science topic, Year 2 enjoyed a fascinating visit last week from a parent who runs their own company, Brothers Make specialising in recycling and reusing plastics.

The children learned about the importance of recycling and explored how different types of plastic can be transformed into new and useful products. They examined shredded plastic materials and discovered where they had originated, including items such as CD cases, containers and bottle lids. They were also introduced to the technology used to identify different plastics, watching as items were tested with a scanner to determine their composition.

The highlight of the session was seeing the recycling process in action. Using a specialist desktop extruder, the children helped turn the shredded plastic into something entirely new. They selected their own colour combinations, took turns operating the machine, and assisted in releasing the finished products from the moulds.

Each child created a unique item to take home, choosing either a pen or a spinner. It was a wonderful hands-on learning experience that brought science, sustainability and creativity together, while helping the children develop a deeper understanding of the importance of reducing waste and reusing materials.

A huge thank you to Brothers Make for sharing their expertise and inspiring our children.

Last week, St Martin's held its annual Science Fair, providing children across the school with the opportunity to explore their scientific curiosity through independent investigations.
Children were challenged to think like scientists by posing a question, planning and carrying out an investigation, collecting and presenting data, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.

We were incredibly impressed by the creativity, enthusiasm and scientific thinking demonstrated by all who took part. The winners were announced during Friday's assembly, where we celebrated the hard work and dedication shown by all participants.

We are delighted to share that our winning scientists will be showcasing their experiments at the Summer Fair on Monday 29th June. We look forward to seeing them inspire others with their fascinating discoveries and investigations. Congratulations to all of our young scientists!

Year 1 and 2's current topic is Journeys, and the children have been thoroughly engaged in their learning. The children have been exploring maps and developing their understanding of direction, including north, south, east and west.

As part of their topic Year 1 created their own aeroplane, deciding it should be a Jet2 aircraft! They also made passports, tickets and boarding passes, and even planned in-flight meals, bringing their learning to life through imaginative and creative role play.

To further enhance their learning, the children made use of our extensive school grounds yesterday, taking part in a range of outdoor activities linked to their current topics. These included creating giant maps and designing and building bridges.

Outdoor learning provides valuable opportunities for children to apply their knowledge in practical ways, while encouraging collaboration, creativity and problem-solving skills.It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, teamwork and engagement.

St Martin's Sports Day, which we held on Friday, is always a day we look forward to in our summer term. Although the sun didn't make such of an appearance, we were fortunate that the rain stayed away and the event could go ahead as planned.

From our youngest pre-school children right through to our Year 6 pupils taking part in their final Sports Day with us, every child joined in with enthusiasm, determination and great sportsmanship. It was wonderful to see the children encouraging and supporting one another throughout the day.

A huge thank you to all the family members and friends who came along to cheer the children on. The sense of community and support was evident throughout the day and helped make the event so special.

Well done to all our pupils – we are incredibly proud of you all.

Ahoy there, mateys! Yesterday, Reception and Preschool had a wonderful, fun-filled day launching their new topic of pirates. The children created tea-stained treasure maps and telescopes, helping to develop their fine motor skills and early mark-making skills. They enjoyed "walking the plank", practising careful balancing before jumping into the "sea", which supported their physical development and coordination in movement.
The children also learnt a pirate sea shanty, developing their listening, language and memory skills, and took part in their own treasure hunt, following clues to find a treasure chest filled with jewels. To finish the day, they learnt all about Harry Paye, a real-life pirate from Poole, building their understanding of the world and helping them make connections between their learning and local history. It was a fantastic start to the topic, with the children demonstrating curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the day!

🐥Today we were very lucky to welcome two very special visitors into school! Mrs Ribton brought in her adorable baby chicks, Phoebe and Brownie, for the children to meet.

Mrs Ribton explained how she incubated the eggs at home for 21 days before the chicks hatched. Now 5 weeks old, Phoebe and Brownie were happy to meet the children, who had the wonderful opportunity to hand-feed them and learn how to handle them safely and gently.

The children were fascinated and asked lots of thoughtful questions about the chicks’ life cycle, how they grow and how to care for them properly. It was a lovely hands-on learning experience which brought our science learning to life and created lots of excitement across the school!