Dunstanburgh Class 2023-24
Beach Day - Monday 24th June
On Monday the 24th of June, Dunstanburgh had their final beach day as Year 2s! It was a super hot day, the tide was low- it was perfect for a day on the beach! We started our day off looking at ID charts for sea creatures. We then explored the rockpools for creatures, using our nets and pots. The children found, shore crabs, hermit crabs, top shells, clam shells, fish, barnacles, sea anemones and many other creatures. Following this, the children made their own rockpools in the sand. We looked at each groups' pool and then headed to the Hindmarsh Hall for lunch and some well needed time out of the sun!
In the afternoon, we collected driftwood off the beach and worked together to make pirate ships. The children had some time to play in their ships which they really enjoyed. To end our beach day we sketched the sea creatures that we had found today, explored the plants in the dunes and had a play in the park. Another brilliant, sunny beach day!
KS1 Beach Day - Monday 20th May
On Monday 20th of May, Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh had another super beach day! This time, our focus was the history of Alnmouth. We started the day off by discussing the Duchess Bridge on the way, then visiting the Old School Gallery and sketching it in our beach books. We looked at the different features of the school such as the different entrances for boys and girls and the school bell. After this, we climbed to the top of Bracken Hill, visiting the Battery and sketching the view. We then recreated the features we had seen in the sand.
After lunch, we discussed different types of bird nests and made these in the sand. We looked over to Church Hill and shared our knowledge about the great storm that changed the course of the river and destroyed the church. On our way back to the park, we stopped to watch a river survey that was taking place. We ended the day with a play in the park- we had a lovely time!
KS1 Beach Day - Friday 10th May
Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh Castle class joined up for their first joint beach day of the term. We had a fabulous day and really enjoyed learning in the sunshine! In the morning, we visited the friary gardens and allotments to look at plants. After this, we classified different leaves in the woodland area. Before lunch, we made our own gardens in the sand- there were lots of creative ideas! In the afternoon, we made the life-cycle of a butterfly in the sand. As well as this, we visited the park and played a bee game. A super day had by all!
Beach Day - 18th March
Dunstanburgh castle class had another super, sunny beach day. We started our day in the forest making different types of nests. The children very carefully considered the materials they selected and did a fabulous job! Following this, we discussed the human body and worked in teams to make a giant body in the sand. Before lunch, we took some time to enjoy the surroundings and recorded some lovely poems/stories in our beach books. The afternoon involved creating human and physical geography features in the sand. We had a wide range including the Eiffel Tower, Etihad stadium, Mount Everest and pyramids! We ended the day with an extra long play in the park since we didn't have time during our last visit!
Beach Day - 12th February
Dunstanburgh Castle class had the most lovely beach day on 12/2/24. The weather was beautiful, blue skies and sunshine all day! On the way to the beach, we hunted for signs of Spring coming such as daffodils and snowdrops growing. We also explored the many different habitats present along the walk such as wetland and woodland. We were super lucky to see a pheasant in the woodland who surprisingly came up very close to us! Following this, we consolidated our geography knowledge about the USA and created North America and it's many landmarks in the sand. In the afternoon, we walked up Bracken Hill which had the most beautiful, clear view. We drew the habitats we had seen and the view from the top of the hill. Some of the children even wrote and shared poems about the view to the class! Alongside this, we explored many different points of interest such as the St John's Church and the Battery. It was a super day.
Christmas Beach Day
On Friday the 15th of December, Dunstanburgh class had their Christmas beach day. It was a fabulous day. In the morning, we played lots of fun warm-up games and created our own sand tower. Following this, we made Santa's sleigh in the sand. After our lunch, we made Santa traps. The traps included lots of inventive ideas such as trip wires, slides and nets! Our final activity was to make and decorate a Christmas tree in the sand. We had a great day!
Beach Day - Monday 2nd October
Dunstanburgh Castle class had a fabulous first beach day! We used all of our knowledge about the Great Fire of London to build what London looked like during 1666 in the sand. Each group included key features such as close houses, narrow streets, St Paul's Cathedral, Thomas Farriner's bakery and even a hole for Samuel Pepys to bury his cheese! Following this, we had a go at creating sparks using a flint and steel. Throughout the day, we discussed the season Autumn and collected different types of leaves that had fallen off the trees. After lunch, we collected materials that had been washed up on the beach. In groups we created museums to display and categorise our collected materials. We had an amazing day!