14 November 1940

Bombs screeching
Like an angry baby
Impossible damage
Tackling like wrestlers
Zooming fire roaring viciously like a hungry lion.

By Megan (Yr6)

I can still…

I can still hear the old townsfolk

The jet black columns of smoke.

I can still feel the pain

Tonight for dinner we’re the main.

I can still see the children in their dance

Now I’m staring into death’s glance.

I can still taste the sooty, crisp air

This war with Germany it’s not fair.

I can still smell fear

Now I’m afraid the end is near.

By Grace (Yr6)

Blitz

We thought it was another day, another life, well we were right.

We could hear people crying, crying

Devastated to see their husbands, daughters and families gone.

The city centre crumbled it was falling apart .

The sky was completely red, smoke surrounded the sky.

We could smell flesh, blood and fire.

Water flooded the ground .

By Amy  M (Yr6)

After Alan and Ivy's visit, Year 6 have listened to an audio clip of a man recounting his time in the volunteer fire service during the Blitz and watched a documentary about the bombing of Coventry. Here are a few of our poems.

Blitz 

The full Moon I was daunted
I felt like that night we were haunted
Then loud and clear came the air raid siren.
Finally came the roar of German planes
We were stuck in a prison of horror and shame.
14th of November who would guess
I felt like Coventry would never rest.
I could feel the pounding of my heart.
It was speeding like a car
But it wasn’t getting very far.
I could hear the screeching of a bomb
Maybe later our house would be gone.
I looked out of the taped window.
There was dark red blood all around
Bricks and burnt body bits on the ground.

By Eli (Yr6)

Match Report: Workington v Cockermouth

On the 22 September Workington played Cockermouth. (We play for Workington.) As the game kicked off the ball went straight to Workington. The ball was kicked down the pitch to the right winger, and all of a sudden he crossed it into the box and the ball deflected off the goalkeeper. It went in the bottom right corner. Only two minutes into the game and Workington were 1-0 up.

When Cockermouth kicked off again they just thumped it up the field to Workington’s keeper. He played it to the left-back and he knocked it up to the left-winger. As the winger took a shot it deflected off another player and fell at the left-back’s feet. He took a shot from the halfway line. It went over all the players and landed at the back of the net. He raised his arms in joy. Then it was half time. Workington were having the time of their lives but Cockermouth were furious.

Ten minutes into the second half and Workington were teasing them as they took another shot and another goal was created. A few minutes on and Cockermouth were even more frustrated, so they decided to play their type of game and while they were attacking they decided to pick up a goal (3-1). But it didn’t stop Workington scoring another astonishing goal. It was all over as it was too late for Cockermouth to come back.

The whistle went.  Game over. 4-1. It was the best game of our season so far as we were on top form. 

By Danny and Matthew (Yr6)

Alan and Ivy

On Tuesday 25 September Alan (an evacuee during the WW2) and Ivy (who lived in Maryport also during WW2) came into our school to talk about their experiences in the war. Alan told us about gas masks, ration books and being evacuated whereas Ivy told us about life in Maryport. Ivy told us about the time when a German bomber  fired and missed an aerodrome hiding Spitfires in Silloth. The bomber needed to get rid of all of its bombs so he dropped them on the nearest town which was Maryport. The bombs destroyed Ivy’s school and most of Main Street.

Alan was evacuated from Bristol when he was 8 to live with his grandparents in Teesdale, Durham, for 4 years. He was evacuated with his sister. His sister was only 4 so their grandparents’ farm was like home.  

Mr Bishop had a gas mask and Alan told us how important it was to have it with you all the time. It had a small tube on the front of it, no longer than 10 cm and a piece of shiny plastic and he said he liked making rude noises with it.

He also said that in school in those days they had a gas mask practice every Friday. Then Alan told us that because the people had their gas masks the Germans made even more toxic gas. So the people who had the gas masks then made an extra piece that was blue to protect them from the toxic gas.

He also talked about a ration book which contained coupons that shopkeepers cut out or signed when people bought food and other items.

Alan and Ivy helped increase our knowledge of WW2. We will be using this knowledge to write poems and memoirs.

Thank you Alan and Ivy.

Alan and Ivy

Alan talking about his boyhood as an evacuee

Michelle and Grace, Ivy and Alan 

By Grace & Michelle (Yr6)

 Feel The Force

Yesterday Year 6 went to the Carnegie Theatre in Workington. As soon as we all walked in there we each chose a seat. I sat on the second row. On my right was my friend Matthew. And on my left was Cory. Then the show started. We all shouted hello. A man told us his name was Richard and that he was from the Science Museum in London.

Richard was there to tell us about forces like pushes and pulls, gravity, air resistance, aerodynamics and friction.

People say that Sir Isaac Newton was sitting under an apple tree when an apple fell on his head and he suddenly thought about gravity.  Also, we learnt about his three laws of motion.

We also got to meet Phil the Frog, a stunt frog from Hollywood.  Richard showed us Phil’s Ferrari stunt car (actually it was a red skateboard).  Phil was pushed on the skateboard and when it stopped Phil flew through the air until gravity brought him to the floor. 

Phil was also taped to a rocket launcher (a bottle attached to a foot pump).  There was water inside it and when Richard pumped air into the bottle the water was pushed out and the rocket and Phil flew through the air. It was funny.

There were many other things that happened including some tricks with a tea pot and a tablecloth.

It was a great afternoon.  I would love to see it again.

By Elliot  (aided by Danny) (Yr6)

The Year 3s have been writing diary entries based on the Princess from the story The Princess and the White Bear King.

Dear Diary

Today I climbed a gigantic mountain. My hands were broken and I thought they were going to drop off. I could feel I was going to let go, but I didn’t let go. I finally got to the top of the mountain.

Love Princess Xxxxx


By Katie V (Yr3) 

Dear Diary

It was the worst day of my life. I was climbing a glass mountain it was freezing. I saw the sun shining behind the mountain. My hands and knees were bruised. When I got to the top it was voiceless. I saw an enormous grey castle in front of me.

Princess xx

By Simeon (Yr3) 

Dear Diary

Today was a scary day because I had to climb a freezing, chilly, sharp mountain. When I got half way I didn’t want to look up or down. So I just looked at the rest of the mountain and said to myself I can do this.  Eventually I got to the top. Then I saw the great grey castle and my heart started to beat faster and faster.                                       

Princess      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

By Katie H (Yr3)

Dear Diary

Today I had to do the hardest task ever! I climbed a massive mountain. If you had seen it you would be amazed.  I could hear birds squawking. I was tired and my hands were bloody. I was nearly there soon I came across a grey castle it was very gloomy.  

Princess   xxx

By Jessica (Yr3)

Dear Diary

Today I climbed up a glass mountain and my hands were so so so freezing.  I felt anxious about climbing the mountain and what the weather would be like. After I got to the top I saw the gloomy grey castle. My hands were bloody and my legs were aching.

Princess xxx

By Evan (Yr3)

Dove Cottage

On Wednesday the 19 September the Year 6 pupils went to Dove Cottage, Grasmere. Home of the famous poet William Wordsworth. The journey was an hour drive but it was worth it in the end! When we finally got there we got put in to groups. We all went off and did separate activities, one group went off into William’s house, another group went into the museum and the last group read a poem about a little girl named Lucy Grey.

The group that went into the house had a look around and wrote poems about some of the things in Williams’s house. Then they went into the garden. The guide said that when William lived at Dove Cottage there were no walls around the garden, but now there is a stone wall around the whole cottage.

Meanwhile group two went to the museum which was next door to his house and they got a question sheet on William Wordsworth’s life. You had to look all around the museum trying to find out the answers to the questions!

The last group went into the education room to match up some verses from the poem Lucy Grey. Then they read the full poem, some people even said it out aloud. The guide said the black verses and the pupils said the red verses.

Writing poems in Dove Cottage

 

 By Holly and Jayme (Yr6)

More Tales from Dunkirk

Bit by bit Private Robinson scanned the beach; it was like a living nightmare. The muddy sand, the smell of smoke and flesh, the sound of people singing and praying. It was all too much for him. Thoughts were flying through the Private’s head as a boiling sweat ran down him.

Then Private Robinson started walking, not going anywhere just walking. After a bit he found himself gazing at a group of soldiers singing hymns with their heads held up high. Just then a tear rolled down Private Robinson’s cheek, tickling him as it did. He knew there was no hope.

Before long Private Robinson started walking again, he felt like his body was deceiving him, like his blood had stopped. Finally a speck started to crawl across the ocean. Private Robinson could tell it was a boat,  “I…I…I’m going home!” he cried.  

By Elias (Yr6)

Visit to Stainburn School

Well done to Megan who won a book when she visited Stainburn School.  She answered all the questions in a book quiz. Also, thank you to Stainburn for their kind donation of the books. 


Megan with her prize



Author visit

Yesterday a children’s author visited us.  Adrian Townsend has written 7 books so far, the most popular is Gran's Gang.

He lives in Oxford and has to travel to different schools to talk to children on how to stick at reading because people who read are more successful in life! He also taught us how to be a writer. He gave us tips: 1) choose a place to write where you will feel comfortable and calm, 2) have a nice pen, and 3) have a good notebook to write in.  Adrian told us to look at things and then think 'what if?' For example he saw a gang of boys and thought what if they were a gang of grannies. 

He also mentioned about following your dreams,  because when he was little he wanted to be a writer and look at him now, he is not just any random person who writes stories he is actually a published author. It takes him 2 to 3 months to write one book.

He also writes scripts for plays (for adults). He would usually write a bit of a book one week and then do a script the next. He has written roughly 10 plays.

Adrian reading to us

We listened and enjoyed his story

By Lucy and Katie (Yr6)

Dunkirk

There he was on the edge of the beach. He saw the steel, grey sky. Men marching then two or three collapsing onto their knees from exhaustion. All of a sudden tears rolled down his cheeks. Quickly wiping them away, he took a step onto the beach. He tripped over an arm, Corporal Darlington looked down to find his friend lying there, lifeless eye’s wide open. He died helplessly. There was nothing Darlington could do.

Darlington continued walking towards the edge of the sea. He took a deep breathe of the sea air and began to smile, until he saw out of the corner of his right eye. His horse being shot. That’s what sent him over the edge. He started to cry, his loyal beast had just been shot.

Black Beauty they called her, a fine stallion. Big, bigger than any of the other horses. Everyone wanted her but she had been Darlington’s. He loved her like one of his own children. Then as he looked into the distance he could see something. It couldn’t be? Could it? Men started running to the shoreline.

“I’m coming home!” one man shouted. Everyone started jumping and waving to signal where the boats must come. Darlington started to jump up and down. Then turned around and looked at the remaining wounded and his horse.

“What a waste, so many people and loyal beasts died for nothing but greediness,” Darlington thought to himself.

Jayme-Leigh (Yr6)

A new school year.  Year 6 are studying World War Two this term.

This is Lucy's writing on Dunkirk.

Dunkirk

Sunrise. He saw the beach tattered, blown up, the shine of the sun trying, just trying to reach the wrecked beach, blocked by the sandy smoke. The surviving, the wounded, the worried and the calm. All huddled up under the misty sky above, he dropped to his knees, the miserable claggy sand seeping through the jagged holes in his army overalls.

Bringing one leg up then followed by the other, lifting his weight, he dragged himself towards the desperate soldiers. ”Ah Private Jones welcome to the force,“ shouted a war weary Captain. The Private walked away. And never looked back. He stood watching soldiers die in agony, and others laugh in pain.

Right there, right then a gunshot went off, the bullet case fell onto the pack of sand like an empty grenade. He carefully studied the bullets travel, then without warning a worrying noise,  it sounded like something heavy hitting the mucky sand. He looked up. It was. The silk, skinned horse hit the floor. The horses started to panic.

As he collapsed to the ground thinking what’s the point, he shaded his eyes from the smoke as he hid himself from the devastating place. He lifted his hands away and just made out a figure in the distant background, he traced it with his finger. It was a boat. The only thing that crossed his mind at that very moment was I can go home! He started to cry with joy.

Lucy (Yr6)