Ambassadors

Eco Ambassadors

Last year there were 7 Eco Ambassadors. This year we have many more children working towards their badge. Bryden is leading the way here, encouraging and supporting those younger children who would like to join him.

Things that can be done to earn the badge include:

Litter picks at home

Writing letters to persuade people to address eco issues

Working with parents to make a bug hotel for school  (see photo below)

Helping to make another bug hotel at school

Making wildflower seed bombs with younger children

Running assemblies on eco issues

Raising eco-awareness among families through newsletters and events such as the Curiosity Cafe

A typical Eco Ambassador report can be read below:

Following a visit from Mr Naulls, who came from the Rivers Trust, a group of Hedgehog pupils shared a Powerpoint with the rest of the school, during an assembly. It was about the effects of litter on our environment. We were really surprised (and shocked) at the amount of litter we found on our school litter pick - around 190 pieces of plastic wrapper waste that children had dropped. Our class thinks it's important to remind our whole school why we should not drop litter and why it is a good idea to recycle. Hopefully, some children will have taken this important message home and shared with their families. The next day, two of the group shared a book on plastic pollution with Owl Class - it was a story called The Adventures of Scout - and it hopefully helped the younger children to understand the message.

STOP PRESS!!!

We have five new Science Ambassadors - Alfie, Maisie, Larna, Lucia and Alice. They did a wide range of activities to achieve their badge and are already planning more exciting activities. A big well done to them and welcome to the team. There are six other people currently working towards their badge, doing such things as running lunchtime clubs and running fun activities for Rabbits Class.

The Eco Crew

Five members of Hedgehogs have made it their mission to encourage children to think about the effects of litter on the environment. Several of them are Year 6s who can remember Mr Naulls' visit last year, when we learned about the way litter usually ends up in the sea because it travels through the river system. The group have done two litter picks around the school grounds and were sad to see how much is still being dropped. They have planned an assembly to raise awareness again, which they will deliver in the next couple of weeks.

The Great Egg Drop Egg-speriment

Recently some members of Hedgehog Class invited 6 people from Owl Class to take part in an experiment. We wanted to see which materials would protect eggs the best.

First we attached a cardboard tube to a plastic bag using string. Then the Owls stuffed some felt or tissue paper around the eggs so they were secure.

Next we began to drop the eggs with the parachutes attached, standing on a table and letting them go from as high as we could. One broke the first time (it was wrapped in tissue paper). Two broke the second time. The Owls then tried eggs without any parachutes at all and they all broke first time!

We think the parachutes helped to slow down the eggs so not so many broke and we also think the felt was better at protecting the eggs.

We all enjoyed this experiment and are hoping to do more with our younger friends soon. Please see a photo below.

Grace and Elodie

Sponsored Litter Pick

On the 21^st January, Kate, Abigail, Eleanor, Alice, Barnaby and Francis carried out a sponsored litter pick. Together they litter picked around Great Hockham, covering the whole area. Altogether they gathered 4 bags of litter. Thank you to people who have sponsored them, they have raised over £200 for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust! By Kate and Eleanor

Message from Mrs Fowler – I am so proud of the children – this was all their idea. The older girls are working towards their Eco-Ambassador’s badge and, as you can see, are well on their way! If you would like to donate, please visit our JustGiving page – Great Hockham Eco Ambassador Litter Pick. Thank you.

2022-2023

STOP PRESS! Congratulations to Layla who has just earned her Science Ambassador badge - very well deserved, too! Please see below for a report on the great Strawberry DNA project she helped to run. 

We have started the year off brilliantly, with many new Year 5s working hard to become Ambassadors. Projects in the planning include: Pop-up Clubs; Litter Picks; Wow Science sessions with Rabbits Class and improving biodiversity in the school. The last of these projects has already been started. Here is a report from two Science Ambassador wannabees! 

The Lavender Project

This half term we have been working hard towards earning our Science Ambassador badges. We decided to increase biodiversity by planting lavender in a small area at the front of the school. Biodiversity means the variety of plants or wildlife in the world or a particular habitat. The reason we chose lavender is because it is a bee friendly plant and is also very hardy and easy to care for.

Once the plants had been placed, we took cuttings to grow in the classroom in test tubes. Hopefully new young plants will grow, and we can plant those alongside the established ones.

We think this project is very worthwhile and important, not only for the bees and wildlife but also to improve the appearance of our school - not to mention the wonderful aroma!

By Jemima and Olivia

Science with Strawberries 

Last week, four of us from Hedgehog class joined together following an idea from a science book about extracting DNA from a strawberry. We decided to invite a few of the Deer pupils to join us. 

Once we had placed the fruit into a see-through plastic bag, we squashed it until it was completely soft like a pulp. Then we added salt, washing-up liquid and water and squashed it again. 

We poured the mixture through a paper filter and sieved into a beaker. After enough of the liquid had drained, we placed small amounts of surgical spirit using a pipette into the strawberry juice. 

Once there was a small white circle showing, which was the actual DNA, it was possible to remove it and place it into another very small container. We were able to take it home and show are parents real DNA. 

We all felt as if we had accomplished something exciting and were glad to have helped some younger children be involved in our scientific experiment.  

Written by Freya, Layla, Eleanor and Kate. 

2021 - 2022

STOP PRESS! The latest science ambassadors are: Daniel and Harvey. Congratulations to them - I know they'll be great addition to the team. We have another four children currently working towards their badge.

Pop-Up Clubs

Existing and aspiring ambassadors regularly run pop-up clubs for younger children. In the pictures below, the children have made lollystick launchers. 

2020 - 2021

New Ambassadors!

It was great to see four more children earn their Science Ambassador badges this week.  Max J won his after adding to his impressive in-class science by planning and running a science club activity for all of Year 5 and 6. He showed them how to make two paper planes which everyone then tested outside.  He was skilled and patient and thoroughly deserved his award.

(This session was notable, too, for being the one that earned the children their Crest Science Awards for having taken part in at least 8, 1 hour science sessions during science clubs. Well done, Hedgehogs Class.)

George, Owen and Reggie won theirs for excellent classwork and a great presentation explaining the work we are doing to promote awareness of ecological vulnerability. 

The Science Ambassadors have been working very hard to share their love of science across the school.  Firstly, Isobel ran a footprint identification activity for Owls and then a tornado challenge for Deer (more of which later), Mollie ran a spot-the-planet activity for Owls, and Tomas, Max B, Archie, Daisy and Rachel ran a hunt-the-dinosaur activity for Rabbits.  Next week, Maisie, Ruby and Mollie are running a 'Match the animal to its habitat' activity with Rabbits and Owen, Zak and Max will be teaching Deer Class about the science of exploding coke bottles!

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Well done, Ambassadors!