Totternhoe Academy
With God’s love, we seek adventure with our minds and find a home for our hearts
Forest School Gallery and News
Sycamore: Spring 2020
Some comments from our Year 5s:
I think that Forest School is very educational for people and is very adventurous. And crafty!
Oscar
I think Forest School is one of the most fun things in the world because it’s got lots of things you can do. I’d like a few more sessions though.
Timothy
I thought Forest School was amazing! Better than it was at my old school!
Millie
Poems inspired by Forest School:
Forest School Reflections
Den building
Respecting others
Resilience
Tree observing
Caring branches
Team work
Hot chocolate
Biscuits
By Amelia
Forest School Reflections
Blackbirds and thrushes sing in the forest,
When you’re running you can see the tallest trees.
The dens we build are humungous,
On logs, there is long, disgusting fungus,
In the summer, bees zoom across.
By Ashton, Harrison, Oscar and Timothy
Forest School
Freezing!
Oh, so fantastic!
Respect property and wildlife,
Exciting Friday afternoons,
Saws
Teamwork.
Singing birds,
Clove hitch knot
Have fun with friends
Obstacle course over trees,
Oh, how cool and amazing!
Lovely, marvellous hot chocolate with biscuits!
By Lilia, Millie, Maya and Leah
Impact of COVID-19 March-July 2020
Unfortunately, official Forest School sessions were curtailed due to the pandemic and lockdown, however, the children who still attended school throughout the remainder of the Spring and Summer terms, utilised the outside areas and environments as much as possible. Many enjoyable experiences and activities were shared in and around Wonderwood, and we were blessed with such amazing weather for the most part!
Such outdoor learning opportunities are so beneficial to the emotional health and wellbeing of our children.
We are looking forward to resuming our Forest School sessions again, as soon as possible, in the new term ahead.
Rowan Class 2019
Rowan have had a wonderful time in Wonderwood Forest School. They have seen the autumnal changes in the trees and plants and learned about the spread of different types of seeds: the 'wings' of the hornbeam and sycamore spread by the wind, and the sticky burrs of 'goosegrass'/'sticky weed'/common cleaver spread by contact.
We have enjoyed exploring the Wonderwood in our games of hide and seek, which have become more difficult as the weeks have gone on! We have discovered fruits, berries, seeds and leaves all in a variety of colours, and a wide variety of fungi, too, over the past few weeks; done some woodland management, clearing the dead growth of plants that are strangling our trees and done a little burning in the incinerator.
We loved getting creative with natural materials and thinking about woodland animals and hibernation.
We observed, first hand, the importance of light and water for good plant growth as we noticed the lack of growth underneath the tarpaulin shelter in the den area.
Most weeks, we have had a warming hot chocolate drink, made using the Kelly kettle, and the children have all tried very hard to light a 'fairy fire' using a flint and steel. We definitely have some very talented super strikers!
In our last session we sang 'London's burning, in a round, as we gathered to have our snack. It was great to hear our little woodland choir!
With perseverance and determination, we have mastered reef knots, and some managed a figure-of-eight knot. It was lovely to see children helping each other and sharing their skills once they had mastered the knots.
We have enjoyed exploring the Wonderwood in our games of hide and seek, which have become more difficult as the weeks have gone on! We have discovered fruits, berries, seeds and leaves all in a variety of colours, and a wide variety of fungi, too, over the past few weeks; done some woodland management, clearing the dead growth of plants that are strangling our trees and done a little burning in the incinerator.
We loved getting creative with natural materials and thinking about woodland animals and hibernation.
We observed, first hand, the importance of light and water for good plant growth as we noticed the lack of growth underneath the tarpaulin shelter in the den area.
Most weeks, we have had a warming hot chocolate drink, made using the Kelly kettle, and the children have all tried very hard to light a 'fairy fire' using a flint and steel. We definitely have some very talented super strikers!
In our last session we sang 'London's burning, in a round, as we gathered to have our snack. It was great to hear our little woodland choir!
With perseverance and determination, we have mastered reef knots, and some managed a figure-of-eight knot. It was lovely to see children helping each other and sharing their skills once they had mastered the knots.
Rowan Class Year 2: 2018 (Now Year 4 in 2020/21)
