Lostock Gralam C of E Primary School
7.5.20
Date: 6th May 2020 @ 9:00pm
Hello Starlings
I hope you all had a lovely day in the sunshine yesterday. As Friday is our special VE Bank Holiday, we would like the children to try out some fun VE activities today. Choose a few which take your fancy and have fun learning about why we will be celebrating VE Day tomorrow.
Some of the activities you can try:
- Learn the Lindy Hop Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=1TmPHBgn1Es&feature=emb_title
- Watch BBC Newsround to learn about VE Day:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48201749
- Listen to the Horrible Histories VE song:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/watch/horrible-histories-songs-ve-day-song
- Send love to our NHS heroes:
Nurses and others - employed by the NHS and any other part of health and care - we have never needed them more. So let’s show them some love, and create a living map of gratitude from every corner of Britain. By dropping a heart on this map, you’re saying you appreciate the efforts undertaken daily in the NHS.
- Do your hair in a victory roll:
This rolled and pinned hairstyle was popular during the war and became associated with the victory
manoeuvre of fighter aircraft during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Watch the tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=JiNuMHD_vcM&feature=emb_title
- Visit an online museum:
The Imperial War Museum is inviting people to 'visit' from home by listening to a soundscape it has created to commemorate VE Day. ‘Voices of War’ is a four minute work featuring first-hand accounts of VE Day selected from IWM’s vast sound archive. It will be available to listen to at iwm.org.uk/history/victory.
- Cook a 1945-style meal by following these recipes:
Most food was rationed during the war and often cooks had to get inventive with their recipes. Meat shortages meant things like Spam or corned beef hash became staple dishes, while carrots were used to sweeten cakes and biscuits in place of sugar. Other commonly-eaten dishes included the potato, cheese and onion-filled homity pie, supposedly first made by the Land Girls. And where would any British occasion be without scones?
- Join in a national sing-along with Dame Vera Lynn:
The 103-year-old singer will perform from a window at her Sussex home just after 9pm, following the Queen's special address to the nation, and viewers are encouraged to join her.
- Make your own VE Day Anniversary Colour-in Bunting:
Celebrate 75 years of VE Day by decorating your home or classroom with this DIY downloadable colour-in pictorial bunting. https://www.bakerross.co.uk/craft-ideas/teachers/ve-day-anniversary-colour-in-bunting/
- Complete this VE Day Quiz:
- Which came first – VE or VJ Day?
- Which Prime Minister led Britain through WW2?
- Who were Britain’s allies during WW2?
- Where did crowds mainly gather to celebrate the end of the war?
- What happened to Adolf Hitler following the end of the war?
- Choose from some of the attached sheets from Twinkl:
Including make your own Spitfire plane, Morse code-cracking, fact files, themed colouring pages, reading activities etc.
- Look at the English Heritage for some fun activities:
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/siteassets/home/visit/ve-day-75/eh-ve-day-at-home-pack.pdf
On VE day itself join in with the celebrations:
- At 11am, a national two-minute silence will be held to reflect on the sacrifice of those who fought in the war.
- At 3pm, Britons are being invited to take to their doorsteps to raise a glass, cheer and clap during The Nation's Toast to the Heroes of World War Two. The official VE Day website reads that there'll be a chant of the phrase: "To those who gave so much, we thank you."
- A pre-recorded speech by the Queen will be broadcast at 9pm, the very moment her father, King George VI, addressed the people over radio on May 8 1945. It will form part of televised musical event VE Day 75: The People's Celebration on BBC One from 8pm.
I am quite sure that you will all find your own ways to have lots of fun and celebrate VE Day, whether it be by using some of our ideas or your own. However you choose celebrate VE day tomorrow, I hope you all have a wonderful time together with your families.
With love from
Miss Gillam
Message from Mrs Powell
Just over 80 years ago, the Second World War began. It was a huge war that involved most nations of the world. On 8 May 1945 at 3pm, Winston Churchill, the UK prime minister at that time, announced to the nation that the war in Europe was over. This meant an end to nearly six years of war that had cost the lives of millions of people and had destroyed families, homes and cities. Millions rejoiced at the news that Germany had surrendered, relieved that the intense strain of war was finally over. In towns and cities across the world, people marked the victory with street parties, dancing and singing. Can you imagine how it felt? What could you make today for a street party? My Gran Peggy told us that she danced all through the night as she had really missed dancing.