We had a wonderful Culture Day in Nursery this week. Lots of children wore their traditional clothes. We tasted fruits and breads from around the world. We looked at photos from different countries and some parents stayed to share their wedding photos with the children. We made flags and looked at maps. Thank you to all the parents who made the day such a success.
Following an unforgettable trip to the beach at Weston Super Mare this half term, Year 2 set to work creating their Rocket Radio show all about the magic of the seaside. Tune in to hear stories, quizzes, reports, history, music, poetry, and all the best memories from their trip! All Year 2 classes from each site met at Starbank Road this morning to broadcast the show to parents! Tune in below: –
Searching for ladybirds
Today we went out into the garden to explore ladybirds. We investigated what they look like and how they move. Afterwards we used our observations to create an interesting word bank bursting with adjectives and verbs to describe ladybirds. Tomorrow we will use this vocabulary to create our very own ladybird poem in the style of James Carter’s Caterpillar poem. 
Look at our fabulous animations of how a plant grows
Buying books
Second hand books can be found very cheaply in charity shops and, (if you’re lucky!), at car boot sales. Ebay and other auction sites are also worth looking at.
Cut price new books can be found at The Works; they have stores on many high streets and they also sell online at
http://www.theworks.co.uk/home
The Book People sell discounted books in workplaces and online. They are especially good for sets of books, which would make a really special present or could be split up.
http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_home_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100
Waterstones is this writer’s preferred source for new books which can’t be found at any of the above sources.They have a great website, but a visit to one of their shops is highly recommended. A happy hour or more can be spent browsing in the children’s department – and there are plenty of seats if the adults want a rest. Waterstones have branches in Birmingham city centre and Solihull town centre, and are online at https://www.waterstones.com/category/childrens-teenage
A Waterstones voucher is a great present for a bookworm – they can be redeemed in store or online.
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/ is much more than an online bookseller and is highly recommended. The site has a bookfinder tool which is great if you’re trying to choose a suitable book for a particular child. Children can review books and also join an online book club – if you have a very bookish child they will like this site. There are also tips on sharing books with children.
Children from 4P had an amazing morning at the ECO Park hunting for mini beasts and dipping for water creatures in the ponds.
This has helped us with our science topic about classifying animals and thinking about their habitats.
This was an amazing trip which we all really enjoyed!
The children were really well behaved and were very sensitive with the animals they found!
Well Done!!!
“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf on the wall. (Roald Dahl – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Welcome to the all-new Reading Support area on the Starbank Blog.
The aims of this section of the blog are to promote reading and to foster a love of reading in our children. Reading is central to all areas of the curriculum, and being able to do it well can enhance learning, and also provide a lifetime of pleasure. I hope you find the suggestions to support your child’s reading useful.
Providing your child with books
One of the most important things you can do to help your child develop a passion for reading is to let them see you reading regularly. Children also need plenty of access to books and other reading matter. Books are expensive, but there are many ways to cut costs.
Public Libraries
Libraries offer children access to thousands of books absolutely free of charge so should be your first stop. It’s never to early to take your child to the library – they can join from birth, either in the branch or online. A trip with the family to a library is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours – even the smallest local branch will have a children’s area with comfortable seats just right for curling up with a good book. Books are available to suit all ages from babies to teenagers, and they can borrow up to eight books each.
Small Heath Library has a good children’s section with helpful and knowledgeable staff. They often run special activities for children, including regular parent and toddler sessions and homework support. The following link will give you more information.
http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/article/smallheathlibrary/smallheathlibrary-events
The Children’s Library, which is part of the Library of Birmingham in the city centre is well worth a visit as it has a huge collection of books and holds many events for children and young people and their families.It has books for children written in over fifty languages, many of them picture books. The following links will tell you more about the services offered.
http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/younglibraries
http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/article/younglibraries/childrenslibrary-about
If you haven’t already, you might want to think about joining the library yourself when you enrol your child; it’s free for adults too, and again there are books in many languages other than English. Remember – the best way to inspire your child to become a keen reader is to be one yourself.
We had an amazing time celebrating Eid with all our friends.
We had so much fun dancing and making party food to share with our friends.
Let Year 6 thrust you into the the world of fantasy, fairytale, magic and madness, with their special Alice in Wonderland radio show. This programme is a complete insight to their end of year production with songs, interviews, reviews, and all of the back stage scoops! Get ready to visit Year 6 on stage, as all three sites come together to perform on Thursday 6th July, at Hob Moor Road. Enjoy listening to the preview show below!
