Melons

Last week we harvested the last of the melons. We grew Cantelope melons in the polytunnel, which aren't the biggest but they are the most tasty.

We enjoyed making funny shapes out of them aswell as eating them!

Comma Butterfly and Squirrel

Today Mr Roe photographed this Comma butterfly.  It's not exactly rare but it's the first we've seen in the wildlife area.  Maybe we are getting the range of plants right.










We have also seen a squirrel eating our apples.  Again this is the first time we have seen this creature.

Pumkins from pumpkins from pumpkins ...

Today was our Harvest Celebration.

Afterwards we had a sale of produce.  The massive pumpkins were very popular and these alone raised £68 towards a solar water pump for an African village.

The pumpkins were grown from seed from one of last year's pumpkins bought by Mrs Noyes.  She brought back seed for us to grow this year's crop.  Mrs Noyes (pictured) bought two pumpkins herself!

Elm Tree Conservation Foundation

We have updated our Elm tree data on the Conservation Foundation site. Click the image if you would like to see it or know more.

Weird and wonderful pumpkins

Last year we planted Atlantic Giant pumpkins and Turks Turban pumpkins, we grew them together and made a new type of pumpkin. We named them Giant Turbans. Two of our massive pumpkins were grown in our polytunnel and we found out that because they are tropical fruits they grew bigger and better in the hot moist air. Whilst all the other pumpkins were grown in big tyres.

They were so big and heavy that two people had to carry them, and even Mr Chatwin struggled to carry them.

The pumpkins we grew are going to get sold at our Harvest Festival tomorrow which is on 31.09.10.

Bloomin Marvellous!

What an amazing day we had at the Yorkshire in Bloom Awards Ceremony at the Royal Armouries Leeds.

The bronze group winners?  We weren't in that group.  Silver we weren't in that either.  Silver gilt?  No sign of our school.  Gold?  We weren't in that either.  Then on the screen we read ''gold and category winner'' and then in a flash our name ''St John of Beverley RC Primary School'' ... magic!

Thank you to all those children, parents, teachers, governors (not forgetting an amazing caretaker) who made this happen.

New Club Members

This term we have got a new group of gardeners these members will carry on until the end of November. Today we harvested our first pepper along with courgettes, tomatoes, and beans, and cleared out and replanted our pots on the ramp. The new gardening club members are Alice, Lily, Peter, Eva, Monica, Francesca, Aidan, Kelsey, Ryhannan.

Veggie beds

Bed A "Donaghy and Woodmancy" Orchard

2007/2008 1 pear and 1 apple

2008/2009 3 pears, 3 apples, 2 plums

2009/2010 3 pears, 3 apples, 2 plums
2010/2011 3 pears, 3 apples, 2 plums

Bed B "Frog Pile"

2007/2008 composting area

2008/2009 stick pile that was taken over by lots of frogs

2009/2010 stick pile that is a home to dozens of frogs
2010/2011 stick pile that is a home to dozens of frogs

Bed C Poly Tunnel

2009/1010 tomatoes, aubergines, melons, pumpkins, peppers, cucumbers

2010/2011 striped cucumbers, striped tomatoes, melons, bananas, red aubergines, lemon grass, spikey cucumbers, basil

Bed D Native Trees

2007/2008 potatoes, Pink Fir Apple, King Edward
2008/2009 potatoes, Arran Pilot, Home Guard

2009/2010 horse chestnut, oak, elm, ash, silver birch, beech, field maple
2010/2011 horse chestnut, oak, elm, beech, rowan

Bed E "Squash" Tyres

x6 Car Tyres (well rotted cow manure/bedding on gravel bed)

2007/2008 pumpkin Invincible

2008/2009 pumpkin Turks Turban

2009/2010 hybrid turks turban x

2010/2011 various varieties of gourds

x2 Tractor Tyres (well rotted cow manure/bedding on gravel bed)

2007/2008 butternut squash (one from saved seed one from packet seed)

2008/2009 courgettes

2009/2010 courgettes

2010/2011 various varieties of gourds

Large Tractor Tyre (well rotted cow manure/bedding on gravel bed)

2007/2008 pumpkin Giant

2008/2009 pumpkin Atlantic Giant

2009/2010 hybrid turks turban x

2010/2011 various varieties of gourds

Bed F (raised bed)

2007/2008 Peas and sweetcorn

2008/2009 Strawberry Popcorn

2009/2010 Peas

2010/2011 Potato, carrot, beetroot, parsnip, red lettuce

Bed G (raised bed)
2007/2008 carrots, beets, spinach, leeks, onions, turnips, radish

2008/2009 beetroot, snowball turnips, parsnips, perpetual spinach, rhubarb chard, endive, radishes and carrots

2009/2010 beetroot, carrots and turnips

2010/2011 radish, carrot, red lettuce

Bed H (raised bed)

2007/2008 carrots, beets, spinach, leeks, onions, turnips, radish

2008/2009 celery, leeks, parsnips

2009/2010 onions, shallots, fennel, dahlias 

2010/2011 peas, sweet peas

Bed I (raised bed)

2007/2008 celeriac, tomatoes, parsnips

2008/2009 sprouts, cabbage, globe artichoke

2009/2010 sweet peas, runner beans, globe artichoke, cabbage

2010/2011 kale, leek, carrot, parsnip

Bed J (raised bed)
2007/2008 soft fruit - Raspberries, Blueberries and Tayberries

2008/2009 soft fruit - Raspberries, Blueberries and Tayberries

2009/2010 soft fruit - Raspberries, Blueberries and Tayberries

2010/2011 soft fruit - raspberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant

Bed K (raised bed)

2007/2008 broccoli and cabbages

2008/2009 onions and shallots

2009/2010 potatoes

2010/2011 red onion, shallot, sunflower,sweetcorn, nasturtians

Bed L (raised bed)
2007/2008 broccoli, cabbages, runner beans

2008/2009 broad beans, peas and runner beans

2009/2010 potatoes

2010/2011 kohl rabi, brussels sprouts (red), purple sprouting broccoli

Bed M (raised bed)

2007/2008 celeriac, courgette, shallots

2008/2009 radishes, purple sprouting broccoli

2009/2010 potatoes, radish, endive, Swiss chard
2010/2011 borad bean, potato

Bed N (raised bed)

2007/2008 herbs

2008/2009 herbs

2009/2010 herbs, nasturtiums and tomatoes

2010/2011 french climbing bean, runner bean, carrot, radish, beetroot

Bed O (raised bed)

2007/2008 strawberries and rhubarb

2008/2009 strawberries and rhubarb

2009/2010 strawberries and rhubarb

2010/2011 strawberries and rhubarb

Bed P (raised bed)

2007/2008 sweetcorn

2008/2009 tomatoes

2009/2010 broad beans, parsnips

2010/2011 pak choi, lettuce, rainbow chard, celery

Bed Q Composting Area

2007/2008 plastic compost bins

2008/2009 plastic compost bins

2009/2010 pallet built double compost area
2010/2011 pallet built double compost area

Bed R "Back Bed"

2007/2008 plastic compost bins in this area

2008/2009 plastic compost bins in this area

2009/2010 sunflowers
2010/2011 "waste" soil reclaim area

Bed S Wildlife Area

2007/2008 maintained the wildlife area and created a wildlife pond

2008/2009 maintained the wildlife area and created bird-cam box

2010/2011 maintained the wildlife area and created bird-cam box

Bed T - Willow Sculpture

Bed U - Hayfeeder Baskets and Tub Planters

Bed V - Flower beds

Bed W - Key Stage 1 Bed

2007/2008 Hollyhocks and buddleia

2008/2009 Hollyhocks, buddleia and cosmos grown as a Year 6 enterprise project

2009/2010 tomatoes and courgettes alongside buddleia and hollyhocks

2010/2011 buddleia and herb bed (herbs transplanted from organic veggie garden)

Bed X - Potato Tyre Stacks

2008/2009 Class 1 and Class 6 grew potatoes together as part of a Potato Council project.

2009/2010 Class 1 and Class 6 grew potatoes together as part of a Potato Council project.

2009/2010 Class 1 and Class 6 grew potatoes together as part of a Potato Council project.

Cold Frame

Built by Mr Chatwin in 2008. We have used it for hardening off seeds grown on windowsills.

Daffodil Snail Trail

Created by parents in October 2009.

Anderson Shelter
June/July 2010 - constructed as part of Class 4 and Class 5 studies into WWII in summer 2010.

Eco Club Minutes

04.11.10
In Attendance:  All Ickleveggies and Mr Roe and Mr Chatwin.
Reduce Electricity Poster Campaign


14.10.10
In Attendance:  All Ickleveggies and Mr Roe and Mr Chatwin.
Review of Action Plan so far this year.  Need to get cracking with our Peace Garden Plans once Richard Lancaster has drawn them up.  


Eco Schools Action Plan


16.09.10

In Attendance:  All Ickleveggies and Mr Roe and Mr Chatwin.
Today was our first meeting of the new term. We reviewed our action plan and found it was almost all done. We considered what we wanted to achieve this coming year and created a new plan which is on the Eco-Club notice board.

14.07.10

Today was our "Green Day". We had a range of eco-activities happening across the whole school including;

• paper making using recycled paper
• making bunting for our WWII Dig For Victory garden using old fabrics
• making carrot muffins from produce grown in the garden

The whole school also took part in a sponsored "Walk for Water" to raise money to give to CAFOD to provide an African village with a solar powered water pump. We raised more than £700 pounds today!

24.06.10

We are still waiting to hear about the possibility of getting solar panels installed. Mr Roe has to get the Council to survey the roof to make sure it can manage the weight. Some felt that that we need to check how the younger children are recycling paper as their bin seems to have things in it that shouldn't be there. Mr Roe informed us that we have been successful in getting money for our Peace Garden from Awards for All.

20.05.10

We checked our progress on our Action Plan. We now have our double glazing so we can cross that off the list. Mr Chatwin has also installed the 2 water butts that we got from our Morrison Vouchers so we can say that that is completed as well. Mr Roe has also reapplied for our Green Flag.

22.04.10

Today we put up our polytunnel which will let us grow tropical fruits like melons, cucumbers and aubergines. We have all these seed germinating in class.
All children have made plans and sketches of what they would like the peace garden to look like.

18.03.10
We checked our action plan. We have the go ahead and the money to get double glazed windows throughout the whole school. We have got our Green Award from The Big Wildlife Garden Scheme and a plaque to put up in the wildlife area.

24.02.10
The Governing Body has agreed the action plan.
Eco Code
28.01.10
The School Council has met and has decided to go ahead with the "Peace Garden" idea. We had feedback from Mr Bailey-Dalton about all the work parent helpers have been doing in the shcool garden. Mr Chatwin took us into the boiler house to monitor how much oil we have used since the beginning of January. It is 800 gallons which is about 3600 litres! We need double glazing.

21.01.10
The New Eco-Team for this year are Robert, Peter, Alys, Katie, Ryhannan, Monica, Aaron, Aran, Laura, Max, William, Jack, Aidan, Mr Roe (teacher), Mr Bailey-Dalton (Governor) and Mr Chatwin (Caretaker). Today we carried out our Full Environmental review and agreed our action plan;

• Double glazing throughout the school
• Investigate solar power on the school roof
• Get our Green Award from Big Wildlife Garden
• Design and make a Peace Garden and whole school nature trail
• Get Water Butts round the back of the school.

16.10.09
Today we finished our review of our action so far as we are working towards getting our Green Flag again. We will then carry out our detailed review in January and get the suggestions to the Head, School Council and Governors.

29.09.09
Visit from Paul Barker of Energy Options Ltd. The quote for solar panels is £29,000 plus vat. Maybe double glazing should be our priority.

12.06.09
Continued our audit of the school environment. Talked with Mr Roe who will look into finding someone to talk to us about solar power.

22.05.09
Began our Audit of the school environment. Went litter picking.

13.03.09
Visit from Angela Merrills (School Travel Plan Coordinator) who showed us our school travel plan and encouraged us to try out some new ideas to encourage paople to travel to school without burning carbon.

12.02.09
Recycled paper in the whole school. Finished detailed drawings of the school wildlife garden and veggie plots. Started to think about Action Plan for 2009.

22.01.09
Recycled paper in the whole school. Completed our survey of all the raised beds. Added organic compost and some topsoil to those beds that needed it.

15.01.09
Recycled paper in the whole school. Checked all the birdboxes in the school grounds. Took down those that were damaged for Mr Chatwin to fix. Repositioned wonky ones.

04.12.08
Recycled paper in the whole school. This week members of Eco club have been recycling, and gathering ideas for our bird day to raise funds for our bird box camera.

27.11.08
Recycled paper in the whole school. The members of Eco Club today have been recycling the waste paper from each class room and the office. They have also been completeing the travel surveys from last week and thinking of ways we could raise enough funds to buy a bird camera.

20.11.08
Recycled paper in the whole school. We continued investigating travel to school patterns and distances. We also put up our Green Flag.

06.11.08
Recycled paper in the whole school. This week we began a review of how well we are doing as an EcoSchool. We carried out a simple environmental review and have chosen 2 areas to investigate more fully - water use and how we travel to school.

23.10.08
Recycled paper in the whole school. The members of the eco-club that aren't drawing are visiting the boiler room to see how much energy each room in the school uses. I'm not sure of their results yet but will yet you know when they have finished/bring their results back to class. Oh yes, our eco-club has won the Eco-Schools green flag award. In a few years, it will be taken away from us unless we prove that we deserve to keep it. I expect that this blog will be part of the entrance to that.