That’s right! Today our pupils engaged in a masterclass in chocolate making by our fantastic experts, David and Olivia from Doncaster College. It was an absolutely brilliant morning full of intrigue, information and of course, in decorating their own chocolate lollies, imagination. Willy Wonka eat your heart out.
Have a lovely bank holiday everyone.
Better World Day is EL Education’s annual event showcasing student learning that contributes to a better world. Students work in partnership with each other and their local communities on this day to engage in and celebrate meaningful student work that positively impacts the world around them.
As a partner and friend of the EL Schools Network, XP Trust contributes to this every year. Like students at EL, all of our students are active citizens who engage in acts of service to their community – so naturally we have lots of Activism to share with the EL Crew.
This year, we’re celebrating all of our schools and their collective work. They’ve planted trees, created artwork for hospitals and raised money for worthy causes. Here’s just a few examples from this year of XP Schools making the world a better place.
Last week we welcomed a delegation from Catalyst Schools, an organisation in Northern Ireland that supports school leaders and teachers by exposing them to innovative educational experiences. Over the visit, they learned all about Crew and Expeditions from our awesome students at XP and XP East – including going to see world from across the Trust in Doncaster City Centre. As always we are delighted to welcome visitors into our Crew and share the beautiful work our students do every single day with the world.
A few months ago, Jake in Year 6 approached the school and his Crew with wanting to raise awareness around Motor Neurone Disease. Being a big fan of Leeds Rhinos, he has been inspired by Rob Burrows’ bravery and the superb effort of his ex-team mate, Kevin Sinfield.
Last week, Jake and his Mum organised a coffee morning fundraiser – including a bake sale, raffle and more! With the help of the Green Top Community, they have raised over £2600.
You can donate here: xptrust.info/MND – please leave a note to say ‘care of Jake at Green Top School’!
We would also like to give a massive shout out to Elsie from Class 6 and her family, who raised an outstanding £275 to buy raffle tickets. This is a cause very close to their hearts as they sadly lost Elsie’s Grandad to the disease in 2011. You can read more about it here.
Once again the generosity of the Green Top community has blown us away. We are Crew!
A remarkable new exhibition about Sir NIgel Gresley has opened at the Danum Gallery in Doncaster – and our XP Schools Trust is playing its part! Our Rail City book, which is on sale in the gift shop at the gallery, was one of the catalysts for the invitation to contribute to this important collection of work – and the inspiration for the brochure which has been delivered by our Comms Crew. Our students’ study of our city’s rail story has given them a real overview of how important the work of Sir Nigel Gresley, who created Flying Scotsman and Mallard at the Plant, is in the history of steam and speed.
Letters and personal objects such as his hat and portrait are part of the exhibition, which has been curated with the collaboration of the Gresley Society, the Doncaster Grammar School Railways Archive and Doncaster City Council. Students from XPD are creating an audio experience for exhibition visitors and our Primary School Pupils are being invited to create rail related illustrations for colouring books that will be part of the gallery’s summer holiday resources for children across Doncaster.
Seb, who joined us at the launch said: “Going to the private viewing of the exhibition was great. It is important that young people carry on the legacy of our ancestors!”
Mel Cocliff added: “It was a privilege to be invited to the launch of the Sir Nigel Gresley exhibition at the Danum Gallery. To watch students from XP interact with people involved, including our Civic Mayor, was truly heartwarming. It’s vital that young people in our communities continue to appreciate the rail heritage of Doncaster, and pass on that baton as they grow up, too!”
The exhibition runs until September.
Following the playhouse being removed from the Reception outdoor area, it was in need of a revamp so the children decided to create a sandpit in this space! What a perfect opportunity to work collaboratively to create a purposeful learning space for their Summer term expedition ‘What happens where the sea meets the shore?’ The children designed the space and made a list of resources and jobs – beautiful work!
Beautiful displays were installed this week at Carcroft School – a culmination of last term’s Expedition ‘There is no Planet B’.
To finish our exciting hook week, 5HJ investigated the amount of salt in certain foods and sugar in drinks. The children were also given the opportunity to taste a whole range of exciting and unusual fruits and vegetables. We tasted pak choi, avocado, bean sprouts, dragon fruit, rhubarb and lots more! Some were definitely more popular than others!
During hook week, Yr 5 completed fieldwork at New Hall Farm in Barnsley where we learned all about who wheat and barley is grown, farmed and milled to make flour which is supplied to Warburtons to make bread. We also discovered how important hedgerows are to the many different animals and creatures that live there. Finally and most importantly, we had so much fun digging for worms in the cabbage field. Check out the size of some of the whoppers we found!
As part of our first case study, we have continued our study of Ancient Egypt. We were lucky to have an Egyptian scribe join us today where we took part in a few different activities. We started with a demonstration of the mummification process and had the opportunity to write like an Egyptian, play Egyptian games, build an Egyptian city and explore Egyptian artefacts.
Last week Y3 kicked off our summer expedition “What is the cost of a bar of chocolate?” with an absolute bang! We started the week blind taste testing a range of different chocolates and discussing our favourites.
Then, we baked some delicious brownies to be sold at a bake sale to help raise funds for our final (top secret!) products!
We finished the week off in style, holding a competition to see who could build the tallest chocolate tower using melted white chocolate. We even built towers that were over 30cm tall!
This week, as part of our Happy, Healthy Me expedition, 5HJ planted seed potatoes which are to be grown and used in the food meal preparation boxes for our final product. The children have been lovingly watering them daily and encouraging them to grab with daily chants and affirmations.
To launch our new and exciting expedition – Happy, healthy me, the children were fully immersed in all things Egyptian on the first day back after the Easter break. 5HJ created mind maps of background knowledge about the Egyptians which they added to over the course of the day after looking at a variety of different sources.
As the title suggests, this week has been a brilliant introduction into our new expedition… Unwrapping the Bar: What is the cost of a bar of chocolate?
From the first day back until the last, our children have engaged in a variety of ‘chocolate themed’ experiences and of course, fully engaged with each activity. We have been part of a chocolate taste test; collected and presented data about our favourite confectionery; evaluated and designed our own chocolate bars; made and sold chocolate brownies; debated whether chocolate is good or bad and even used welding techniques to melt chocolate and build towers. NB. The latter activity suggests that we have just as many demolition experts as we do budding builders!
A tiring week, but a brilliant one. Have a lovely weekend.
