The aim for 'Calm for Kids Club' is to teach children about mindfulness and meditation techniques.  We have talked about how to be mindful in stressful situations and tried some meditation.  Some of the children have done it before and were able to talk about the benefits of it to their friends.

Over the weeks of this club we have looked at:

*  Breathing meditation

*  Guided meditation

*  Mindfulness exercises

*  Introduction to Tai Chi

*  Movement meditation

*  Making our own candle holders to aid with meditation at home

*  Mindfulness in school

*  Kindness and compassion

*  How to reduce stress and anxiety

The children have enjoyed a variety of activities in phonics club. We have made our own Metal Mikes to play at home, read books together and used the laptops to play phonics games.

Cross-stitch Club - Autumn 2015

Year 5 & 6 pupils have been learning to cross stitch and follow a pattern to make a picture out of tiny crosses.  They worked really hard and never game up - even when their needle fell off for the hundredth time!  

Knitting Club Summer and Autumn 2015

Knitting Club ran for 10 weeks over the summer and autumn terms this year. Megan, Martyna, Bianca, Ishrat and Rain in Year 6 and Funke in Year 4 came along and learnt how to knit using a Garter Stitch.  They knitted and nattered with Mrs Withrington during each session and each produced a wonderful knitted square.  Mrs Withrington showed them how to sew this up and put in some stuffing so that it could be turned into a lovely rabbit.

Rodrigo, in Year 5, saw the rabbits when they were finished and decided he would like to make one of his own.  He asked if he could learn to knit during his lunchtimes and went on to create a Christmas rabbit for his Christmas tree at home

Gardening Club

The gardening club meet on Wednesday evening and have been weeding, digging and planting.

The children really enjoyed making minibeasts with Mrs Rafter.  They loved using the clay and getting messy!

Gymnastics Club 2015-16

This term Years 5 and 6 are able to attend the Friday morning club, run by Premier Sports teacher Mr Clarke.  Next term Year 4 will have the chance to demonstrate and improve their skills, and in the Summer Term Years 2 and 3 will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Sugar Craft and Cupcakes - Summer 2015

Welcome to our new and exciting club!   Some Year 6 pupils are learning to make cupcake toppers, pipe buttercream swirls and make delicious cupcakes!  Come along to the summer Fayre on the 10th July and buy one of our delicious cupcakes!!!  

Keep watch for what we learn each week on this page...

Week 1

We learnt how to colour Flower Modelling Paste and then rolled out the icing to make owl decorations using cutters.

Recipe for buttercream

Ingredients:

500g of icing sugar

250g of butter (take out of fridge to soften)

4 tablespoons of milk

1 tablespoon of vanilla essence

Instructions:

1. Sieve the icing sugar into the bowl

2. Chop the butter up into small chunks and place carefully in the bowl

3. Add the milk and vanilla essence

4. Cover the mixer with a towel (if your mixer doesn't have a lid over the bowl!)

5. Mix on a slow speed and then get faster

6. Once it is well combined scoop into your piping bag!

Equipment:

If you would like to pipe roses you need a nozzle like this...

You can buy Wilton 2D Flower Nozzles from most shops that sell cake decorating supplies.  A local stockist is Lakeland at Lakeside, Thurrock.

If you would like to pipe swirls you will need a nozzle like this...

Disposable piping bag

1. Cut a hole in your piping bag

2. Place your nozzle in the end

4. Fold over the top edge of the bag

3. Add your buttercream

5. Unfold the top of the bag, twist and tighten

Recipe for Cupcakes - the way my Mum taught me!

Ingredients

2 eggs

4oz of sugar

4oz of butter

4oz of flour

1/2 tsp of baking powder

1tbp of vanilla essence

Equipment

Cupcake cases

Cupcake/muffin tin

Food mixer (whisk attachment)

Oven

Oven gloves

Cocktail stick

Instructions

1. Add the butter & sugar and mix together until a creamy consistency 

2. Add the eggs, vanilla essence and flour

3. Mix on slow until most of the flour is combined and then speed up for a few minutes!

4. Spoon in to cupcake cases (2/3 full)  *If you want all your cupcakes exactly the same and with a flat top then 40g each is the perfect weight for the uncooked cupcake.

5. Cook in the oven 180º for about 18 minutes. 

6. Put a cocktail stick through the centre of a cupcake to see if it is cooked.  If it comes out clean then it is cooked - if it has cake mixture on it then the cupcakes are not ready.  They should also be golden brown on top.

7.  Once cooked, ask an adult to remove from the oven using the oven gloves and let them cool.

8.  Decorate the cupcakes however you wish.

Remember there are millions of cupcake recipes with all different flavours on the internet so why not be adventurous and try something different when you have mastered this recipe.

Knitting Club - Summer 2015

Some KS2 children have been learning to knit with Mrs Withrington and Mrs Mangham.  This club started because Funke in Year 3 showed great skill and enthusiasm when she brought in some knitting which she had made at home.  Funke now helps teach her friends in the club how to knit.

Salsa Club - Summer 2015

Year 5 & 6 pupils have been learning to Salsa with Mr Remmer.  In July some of these children will be performing at the Broadway Theatre and everyone is invited to watch them dance at the Marsh Green Music Festival on the 15th July in the playground.

Cricket club 2015

Mr Remmer's cricket team represented the school at the 2015 Kwik Cricket Barking and Dagenham tournament. Unfortunately we didn't get through to the quarter finals however played extremely well. Well done boys!

Cross-stitch club - Autumn 2014

Year 6 pupils have been learning to cross stitch and follow a pattern to make a picture out of tiny crosses.  They worked really hard and never game up - even when their needle fell off for the hundredth time!