Here is a video on our entry to the 2016 Junior Saltire Awards where we had to build a Wave Device that would generate electricity. Thanks to Gus Newman for his help.
https://vimeo.com/169715308
Waste Week
Last week the Eco group decided to do a waste week and try to find out how much packaging gets wasted at lunchtime in school.
We collected it for only three days. There was quite a lot and I don’t think that it was very good. I think we should do the waste week again because on Tuesday 15th we collected 650 grams and to me that is very wasteful. On Wednesday it got a little better and then on Thursday it was the same as Monday, terrible. Hopefully we might be able to do it again and try to improve and have less packaging that gets wasted.
by Rowan
Upward and Outward Bound
Every year all the P6/7 from Islay and Jura schools go on a trip. It is to make friend from other schools but you also have to have FUN! This year it was an outboard bound trip called Stramash. We all met at Port Ellen Pier at 9:00 clock sharp on the 15TH of September. We got the ferry to Kennacraig then a bus up to Oban. The ferry was fine but I didn’t like the bus. There was nobody to sit beside on the bus so I got the pleasure of sitting next to Mrs MacDonald’s bag!
When we arrived we went into a jam-packed lounge to get introduced to the Stramash crew. After that we got a bit of tour around the hostel, but we got to stay in the lodge.
We got on a bus to go to a beach to do team games. Our first game was to get across imaginary lava on hovercrafts, which was made of carpet. The fist 4 or 5 people got across but forget about the rest of us. So we had to work together to get across. Our strategy was to jump onto the carpets with two of us on one bit of carpet. Once we got onto the carpets there should be one without someone on it and then the person at the end would quickly grab the empty carpet then pass it to the people at the front.
After we did a game where we stood on an upside-down tarpaulin without stepping of the tarpaulin. That was my favourite game out of them all. Minutes later we finally finished, kind off, then moved on to the next activity. On this one we had to get a can of what we pretended to be toxic waste with only a rope. There was a rope on the ground and we pretended that was toxic waste so we weren’t allowed to step inside the circle. After we had chilli for dinner. It was good but all I wanted was a good nights sleep!
The next day we had Gorge Walking first thing so after breakfast we all put on wetsuits on top of our swimsuit. It was group 5 and 6 going up the Gorge. When we got to the Gorge we had to walk through the woods to get to the Gorge. When we got to the start of the Gorge Rob, the instructor, told us a rhyme about the colour of the rocks that went:
White is alright
Grey is OK
Green is mean
Black stay back
So then we got into the Gorge. It was FREEZING! A wee while later we came to a deep pool. Rob said we had to do a belly flop in here to warm up. When it was my turn I ran but I slipped but it was really deep so it wasn’t that bad. We then had a choice to go through a cave like bit. I decided I would do it. After I went through we carried on clambering over rocks. We came to a big rock but it was to high to climb so we all went through a wee cave. After we climbed through the caves we carried on climbing up wee waterfalls and swimming through really deep pools. After a while we all came to a stop. It was time to get out. Rob climbed up the rock first then took out a rope for us to pull ourselves up with.
Once we were back at the Youth Hostel we had to haul ourselves out of the wetsuits, it was a struggle but I managed it in the end.
Canoeing was next so we went down to a Loch and got a buoyancy aid. We got to pick who was in the Canoe with you. Me, Morven and Anna went in a Canoe together. I got really sore arms after canoeing but it was fun though. When we got back it was time for dinner we had curry.
The next day we had archery. It took me ten arrows before I was able to hit the board. I learnt that archery isn’t my strongest activity. I managed to burst 4 balloons with a BANG! It was really fun.
After lunch we went to do Coasteering. We clambered over rocks and jumped in to the sea. We came to a wee bay and swam around a bit. We then got a choice to swim round to the last bit or go over the rocks. I swam round. When we got there I jumped in and I also faced my fear of heights.
Back at the Hostel we had a baked potato for dinner. We then played the cereal box game where we had to grab the box with our teeth without touching the floor. We all managed to get it.
We all then packed our bags and went to bed.
In the morning we went climbing and then went home! I was glad to get home but it was a really great trip. Thanks to all the teachers who helped on the trip, we couldn’t do it without you!
By Mirren Brown
Duolingo Link
Here is a link for P567 to join Duolingo and learn French,
https://www.duolingo.com/o$o=josephine.clark@portellen.argyll-bute.sch.uk&s=P567%20PEPS
LEAVERS ASSEMBLY VIDEOS
Port Ellen Election Madness!
We are currently learning all about how to run an election with Primary 5-7. We have learned about democracy and how elections work and the different sorts of government. We are now organising our own political parties for an in school election next week, debating, writing speeches, making party political broadcasts and a manifesto. Who would you vote for and why?
Poetry Success
Every year the National Galleries of Scotland run a competition called Inspired? Get writing! for children and adults. Port Ellen has 2 successful poems. Abbie was a runner up with her Poem The Ghost Fiddler, inspired by a photo of Aly Bain by David Williams. Asher achieved a special merit for his poem Old Defence, based on a painting of Inverlochy Castle by Horatio McCulloch. Both have been invited to hear their poems read aloud at an awards ceremony at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh on the 17th April.
Here are the two poems:
THE GHOST FIDDLER
In the center of a humid room,
Sat a figure hunched close to his fiddle,
Moonlight gleaming, his body glows,
Body bitter and cold, heart scorched by music,
His instrument in gentle, airy hands, notes drift like phantoms.
The room awakens, comes alive,
Louder, louder, the room screams with anticipation,
Its eyes dance to the energetic melody,
The soft, faint feet are tapping, thumping the rhythm,
As the room dances to his tune.
Stop.
The room falls to a sudden stillness,
The majestic figure sits in complete silence again,
Drifting away into the dark,
Like his last notes fading into the heart of the room.
By Abbie
OLD DEFENCE
An elderly defence,
Confronting a forceful hill,
Protecting a village from destruction,
Now smoke stacks curl,
Weavers weave,
Fishermen fish just for fun,
Once mighty land of feasts and splendour,
Is now just a traveller’s rest.
The Loch is poisoned,
With a potion of inattention,
Blinding one’s eyes from danger,
Discarding the view of marching armies,
Watching for unclaimed lands,
The slumbering dragon rests behind,
In a million year slumber it reposes,
Preparing itself for plunder,
A storm gathering, engulfing the sky,
Like wisps of a snoring volcano,
Isolating the village from help.
As if on the banks of Loch Ness,
A stronghold remains searching,
For a long ago enemy,
Waiting for its time to strike.
By Asher
Our Visit to the Dump
Yesterday we all got into school and Mr Gairns went to Bowmore to get the minibus. We got our coats on and gloves and hats. On the way over to Bowmore me and Abbie smelled a fishy smell. It was because the lorry in front of us was the bin lorry on the way to the dump. Mr MacIntyre came to talk about working at the dump and gave us lots of interesting facts. We got a tour of the dump. There is an old landfill site called Teletubby hill. Then we went to Rejig to get some things to upcycle. We got bags, dresses, ties and wool kindly donated by Ina. It was fun!
By Rowan, P3
Wolf Brother Homework
Wolf Brother HW
Primary 6&7 reading homework this week is to listen to the link above which is chapter 7-9 of wolf brother. In your reading journal write down any clues as to what life was like in Mesolithic times.
