On VE Day, the children learnt Makaton for the song “We’ll meet again”, quoted Winston Churchill and released planes to symbolise the end of the war. We were extremely impressed with how much the children cared about making this day special. Well done!

The children had a fantastic time celebrating VE Day today. They had a really fun-filled day creating bravery medals for people of their choice, decorating tea-cups and launching planes to celebrate the end of the war. They all worked really hard and had smiles on their faces the whole time! Happy VE Day everybody!

As VE Day is approaching tomorrow, here is a Free VE Day Podcast from History Storytime.

Sophie (aged 7) and Ellie (aged 4) are sad to be missing the VE Day celebrations because of the Coronavirus. They had been planning a VE Day street party but now they are trapped at home. So with their Daddy they tell the story of the VE Day celebrations. They learn how awful World War 2 had been. They understand just how relieved ordinary people were to put it all behind them. They get swept up in the VE Day Party atmosphere of 75 years ago.

https://historystorytime.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ca0570aaed98beda7a30dfe2e&id=2bab31b427&e=39b856ce3b

Leanne Mee, the Managing Director of the STEM Workshop, has emailed schools to inform them of STEM activities she is doing online for everyone.

Leanne created a bank of prerecorded activities which are all accessible via Kids You Tube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5LL4_akNrPr2fKT6EGCuBw?view_as=subscriber

You Tube Tutorials 

Leanne has created a range of short focused activities (as tutorials) that the children can get involved in using materials that you they find in and around the home. The tutorials are all linked to the STEM curriculum.

The tutorials she has created so far focus on: Computer Aided Design, Mechanisms (joining materials and components to explore movement) and structures. They can be followed step by step, but she encourages everyone to explore and experiment with size and materials etc.

She is adding a new tutorial every Monday, and is working to create ones that can be carried out at home but will also have more complex ones too. Leanne said it would be wonderful if the children wanted to share ideas with her of what type of products or themes they would like to see, and she will happily mention and credit them for their idea.

Challenges

Every month Leanne is planning on setting a challenge with a prize attached to make it a little more fun and engaging.

This months challenge is to design and make the tallest freestanding structure, details of this can be found on The STEM Workshop, You Tube Channel (above). You will find the challenge, the criteria and date the entry needs to be submitted.

Entries to be submitted as either a photo or a video:

Date of submission – Friday 29th May 

Winner Announced – Monday 1st June

It would be great to see some STEM projects being completed at home and for children from Apley Wood, competing with other children from other schools in the area.

If you complete any STEM activities, please send over your photographs to me and I can upload them onto the website for all to see – helen.gilbert@taw.org.uk

Good luck and stay safe!

Miss Gilbert