Year 1 children have been exceptionally busy this half term linking work into their challenge of ‘The Jolly Farmer’. The staff and children have barely had time to take a breath as they have been fully immersed in their new challenge.
Their first activity and challenge was to make a healthy snack to be sold to members of the community. Using their TASC wheels, the children arrived at the idea of designing and making a recipe for healthy soup for their parents to purchase. After their market research was carried out; it was clear that more soup would be sold if it was a vegetarian type soup. This is due to the fact that in school we embrace a diverse range of cultures.
Three popular flavours for the soup were chosen: tomato, vegetable and leek and potato. It was difficult to know where to start – Mrs Thompson our school chef shared her knowledge and expertise and assisted the children during their challenge. She taught the children how to handle and use knives correctly and safely. Very cautiously, ensuring all children had counted ten fingers at the start, the chopping of the vegetables began. At the end all fingers were recounted to make sure everyone STILL had the ten they started out with! While the children were preparing the vegetables the chef and teachers were using their noticing torches and keeping their eyes open to see if there were any budding chefs in the making.
Next the children were treated to a soup cooking master class. The year group had decided that the most popular soup to make was leek and potato. The children gave our school chef a run for her money and Marco Pierre White should definitely be on his guard! The wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen caused many a mouth to water. The soup was made and everyone was ready for the ‘souper’ soup sale.
On the day of the soup sale, the school’s heating system had broken down – some may say that this was fate – the children were concerned that the soup sale might be postponed; the fact that there was no heating wasn’t going to deter them! The soup sold like hot cakes or rather hot soup. Parents chatted with one another and to the school’s chef, about the exciting meals available to the children on a daily basis all over a cup of hot, healthy leek and potato soup. The pan was completely empty by the end and parent’s comments were extremely positive: ‘You should do this more often.’ ‘It’s amazing what the children can do.’ ‘Amazing soup, amazing school!’
All in all, the ‘souper’ soup sale was an overwhelming success. The children’s learning was taken to the next level; there was a distinct ‘buzz’ within the year group coupled with a tinge of disappointment when the challenge was finally over. However, the sighs of disappointment soon turned into shouts of glee as the children were informed about the impending allotment visits.
What are allotments? Would it be scary? What will we be doing? All the teachers would say is, “Wait and see!”