w/e 22.4.22
Welcome back to school Cygnets. It is a short week this week but we have been busy. The children have enjoyed spending time with their friends again and sharing stories about what they did in the Easter holidays. We had a super trip to Gressenhall to see Spring on the Farm 150 years ago which was enjoyed by all. One of the highlights was, of course, the trip on the coach with Swan Class. The weather was just right and we were able to spot signs of spring on the journey including pigs and birds. When we arrived we were met by John and Kate who took us to the chapel so that we could leave our lunches there. Then we went down to the farm. Cygnets went on the tractor ride first and enjoyed seeing the Suffolk Punch ponies grazing in the field and the Norfolk Horn sheep with their newly born lambs. We then went into the barn and did a craft activity by making a horse. We then went to see the piglets who were lying sleeping in the sun with their mum who was a Large Black pig. We learned that pigs are intelligent animals and the mum had been trained to press a lever to release the water when she wanted a drink. Shepherd John showed us his shepherd hut and the root chopper for chopping beets and mangelwurzels to feed the sheep. He taught us about the different products we get from sheep; wool for clothes, woolen dusters and insulation, meat, lanolin for soap and skin cream, halloumi and feta cheese. We all enjoyed having a picnic lunch outside on the grass. Afterwards we headed back down to the farmhouse and learned about Spring cleaning. We dusted the palour with woolen dusters and polished the furniture with beeswax. We swept the kitchen floor and then learned about using salt and a little water to scrub the table. We then used a carpet beater to beat the dust out of the rug. Lastly we learned about how people used to wash their clothes before electric washing machines were invented. Kate showed us how to draw water with the pump, how she heated water on a copper in the wash house and how she used carbolic soap, a dolly, a scrubbing board and a mangle. We then pegged the clothes onto the line with old fashioned pegs which were hard to press down. By the end of the day we were all tired and walked back up to the hall ready to rejoin the 21st Century for the bus journey back to school.
