On Monday 11th June 2018 Port Ellen primary school had their sports day. Every year for sports day, their is a girl sports champion and a boy sports champion, so to be able to do that primary’s 6 and 7 had to do some sports activities to be able to win the sports champion winners trophy. All the class of 6/7 did activities from high jump and long jump to cross country and football dribble, as well as many more. As tiring as it seems everyone whom participated did exceptionally well and really tried their best which pleased lots of people. On the day of sports day all the school (as well as some of the adults) did the races to add points onto their house for the shield. All of the school was stunning and they were all fantastic at giving everything a go and not giving up. The sports champions where announced, Boys: 1st Jack, 2nd Taylor, 3rd Matthew and Donald. Girls: 1st Lauren, 2nd Sophie, 3rd Rebecca. Thankfully the sun was shining, meaning everyone was having a splendid time.
WW1 Letter And Art
Primary 6/7Â have just finished our world war one topic. During this course of time we have learned about the Tuscania, Otranto, ww1 itself and the heroes of our island. Myself personally has been reasearching an Argyll and Sutherland Highlander called Alastair Mackinnon. Alastair had no Brothers, but he had two sister: Margaret and Sheila, and lived in Kildalton house. To be able learn about people of Islay back in 1918 we had to have relevant primary and secondary sources of evidence to combine and make a morally excellent piece of writing. The writing had to be a letter from whoever we were reasearching about to their family and I chose to write to Alastair’s Mother. We also had to combine our knowledge about life in/during war to create a detailed art media to tell the story’s of war life on land, sea, and sky.
This is what my letter looks like;
Somme
France
Mametz
February 7th 1916
Dear Mother,
Tally Ho, Tally Ho. For a long time I have missed you all very dearly and I would feel very passionate if I could have to opportunity to come back home soon but unfortunately I cannot. At the moment I am currently in the Somme. The weather right now has dawned dry and bright down at us but soon it will be flushing down with rain, filling the trenches and making the mud more hazardous and unsafe. Even worse it could make it easier for people to drown in the mud. Anyways, how was the ploughing match and who won? I can hear the shells Screeching down on us crashing hardly on the ground frantically firing pieces of metal all about.
How are my lovely sisters Sheila and Margaret getting on? I know Sheila wants to be a teacher, how is that going? I know for a splint fact that Father is still doing a splendid job as the Minister of kildalton Parish. I know dad visits the school quite often, how are the port Ellen children and Mr Maglocklen doing as I know he was my head teacher? How are Duncan and Jane getting on? My mind always stays positive when I think of you all and our McAlpine neighbours. Its something I will think of till the end of time. I have positive news for you all; the officers have told I that I am a young general favourite in the district of the soldier! Ever since I have been told that I have had my back up right and marched on through the troubles and worries, Proud and Tall. I have also ranked up to a Lieutenant and that I am honoured and blessed gratefully about.
I am currently in the trenches whilst writing to you. Despite having lots of nice chaps that I have already known and unexpectedly never met, the trenches are small, cramped and very uncomfortable to sleep in. We are all like old beggars under sacks. Especially without a bed or plumped pillow to lay my head on. I can hear the shells Screeching down on us crashing hardly on the ground frantically firing pieces of metal all about. Every time I open my eyes in the morning I feel tearful, abandoned, astounded, welling, disappointed, devastated, and heart broken because I am not with my loving family that misses me greatly. Perished I am, men scurrying one after another some blind, some deaf all because of gas. Foggy and thick gas smothering all over their faces, makes me think death.
As I have said before I am hoping I can leave the revolting war shortly and be able to come back to Islay. The Smokey breeze of the explosions sends me back warm and loving memories. Especially I want to be able to be here in the spring helping with the cow milking that I have missed out on. I love you all very dearly and I hope you are having a spiffing time. I must get heading, bye for now. Sending you all my warmth love. Pip Pip cheerio
Alastair MacKinnon xxx
Lieutenant soldier
This is what my Art Media looks like:
WW1 and Alastair Mackinnon
We have been learning loads of fascinating information about world war one, ships torpedoed/sunk, the soldiers that served for our county, and the community heroes all because of one thing… Its been one hundred years since world war one (also known as the Great War) ended and since the Tuscania got torpedoed by a German U-boat. We all remember this tragic, heart-touching moment because not only was their lots of American Soldiers on the Tuscania and killed but their was loads of Islay and Jura Soldiers on the Tuscania as well! In memory of the brave, and mighty Soldiers we lost, in the front school grounds we have made the most remarkable WW 100 sign that some of primary 6/7 made created and planted a variety of plants; Tulips, daffodil, poppy, bulbs and many more. In p6/7 we went down to the pier to venture the war memorial. Everyone chose someone from Islay and Jura to find facts and figures about them. I decided to learn more about A. Mackinnon. Alastair Mackinnon. Some miraculous facts I found out about Alastair was:
Alastair went to Port Ellen Primary School when he was a kid. In 1908 he went to Fettes Collage in Edinburgh. Fettes Collage looked like quite a posh school for someone to go to in 1908. After Collage he went to Edinburgh University. Eventually Alastair set off to go to war.
He Died on 14/10/1916
Aged 21
8th Bn.
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Son of the Rev. James Mackinnon, M.A. and Margaret Mackinnon, of the Manse of Kildalton, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay.
Alastair home was Kildalton House.
People/family living with Alastair in 1901: James Mackinnon (head) aged 35, Margaret Mackinnon (wife) aged 34, Alastair Mackinnon (son) aged 5,
Sheila Mackinnon (daughter) aged 3, Margaret Mackinnon (sister) aged 30, Maggie Mckay (Servant) aged 31
Mary White (servant) aged 13.
Alastair Mackinnon had and inscription on his grave;
“BEATAE MEMORIAE”
The facts about Alastair I found most interesting was who lived in his home at the time of 1901 because I now have a good image in my head of what it was like to be him at the time especially with two servants.
Energy
What is energy? Energy is a source of power that can’t be created or destroyed but can be in the form of electricity. Different types of energy; potential, kinetic, solar, sun, light, wind, heat, sound and more. How is energy a danger for the world? For several reason energy is a danger for the environment, because it is using a lot of the worlds resources. All over the world things like trees are being cut down and even destroyed just to be used for fires. Another reason why energy is bad for the environment is because of overheating. So many farmers are growing their crops in greenhouse with a lot of heat and light because where they are it is to rainy or sunny to grow the crops they want. So they are producing alot of CO2 into the atmosphere which is leading to over heating, temperature rise and climate change to the world. so by using less energy, reusable energy or green energy then we will have a trouble free world.
Farmers Feast
On Tuesday 3rd October 2017 primary 6/7 made a delicious buffet for elders in the local community. Some of the delicious food that were available: Bramble muffins, pancakes, tomato soup, egg sandwiches, oat and apple cookies, bramble and apple cakes and jam sandwiches. After everyone got welcomed and took a seat the P6/7s told everyone about the feast. While everyone ate some people from the class were on a table with each other and we had to talk to the people on our table. Soon after everyone had had a wee bit to eat the Gaelic choir sang some beautiful songs and some of the choir did poems and solos. After the Gaelic choir sang the Primary School band played some songs. The instruments that were played were the flute and the clarinet. The final thing that happened was primary 1,2 and 3 did some poems and they sounded lovely. Everyone had a great time, enjoyed the entertainment and very much appreciated our lovely foods.
Computational Thinking Science
On Wednesday 15th March 2017 primary six and seven from all over the island and Small Isles went to the Islay High School to do STEM. S stands for Science, T stands for Technology, E stands for Engineering and M stands for Maths. We learned what Computational Thinking was and examples of when we can use it. An example of Using Computational Thinking is Debugging because Debugging means fixing and finding Errors and an Example of when you use Debugging is if you are coding a game and it glitches you can debug the glitch so your game does not glitch. I felt like the Computational Thinking was really helpful to understand what I was doing with technology.
Making a Fire and Gutting Fish
On Wednesday 5th October p5,6,7 went on a trip to the woods. After we had made our dens and completed some challenges we went to have our lunch near the beach.  When we went to the beach Mr Gairns had set up a fire for us to have our lunch round, and we had brought firewood from the woods to put on our fire. When we had finished all our lunch some of us went to gut some trout so we could put it on the fire to cook and we also got to roast home grown apples as well. We put the trout and apples on sticks to cook them and when they were cooked they tasted delicious. We also got to try other Mesolithic foods for our lunch, cockles and nuts. Not many people liked the cockles but we did like the trout and apples. It was interesting to see what food would have been like in Mesolithic times.
