Strath of Appin Pre-5 unit and P1 pupils went on a long cycle ride on 17th Sept. The event was suggested by a pre-schooler who enjoyed cycling and as the school is next to the Route 78 track the group took full advantage of this. The children were joined by staff and parent helpers. The children completed a total of 6km, which was a brilliant effort. All children gained a real sense of achievement, enjoyed keeping physically fit and were very responsible whilst cycling as they had to be aware of other users of the track. We were very fortunate with the weather too! Continue reading Strath of Appin Cycle Ride
Author Nicola Davies comes to Kirn Primary
Recently at Kirn Primary children in P4, P5 and P6 were treated to a fantastic morning with zoologist, author and BBC presenter Nicola Davies. Nicola told us about her work as a zoologist and drew us a picture of one of her favourite (but most weird) animal, the sperm whale. Then we all transformed into whales, and dived to the bottom of the ocean, holding our breath and clicking frantically to ‘see’ down there in the dark depths. We caught a giant squid and swam back up to the top of the ocean again to learn about whale skin, whale poo and whale tails. Continue reading Author Nicola Davies comes to Kirn Primary
“Mapping” at Minard
As part of their mapping topic this term the children of Minard Primary School had a very enjoyable and informative morning with Mr Andy Craven learning all about compass points and mapping. The weather was kind to them and they had super fun recognising and matching map symbols, locating compass directions and reading orienteering maps. A huge thank you goes to Andy and the children look forward to working with him again soon.
Dalmally Restaurant Opens for Business
Yesterday the boys and girls of Primary one and two were very busy in the preparation of a feast of organic delights. Come along to our restaurant and you could sample a moss stew, some mud muffins or a sandy pancake with a drizzle of grass syrup. The outdoor kitchen has proved so popular that there is now a playtime rota for every class!
Staff have found that taking a back seat brings up lots of interesting observations- already we know that the children need writing materials for menus, they need plates and cups to serve up their delights and possibly a set of scales to measure with!
Continue reading Dalmally Restaurant Opens for Business
Dunstaffnage Castle Visit
This term Primary 2 and Primary 3 in Park Primary School are working co-operatively to learn about Life in a Local Castle. As part of this we visited Dunstaffnage Castle on Friday 12th September and had a great day exploring the remains of a real castle. We identified the main features of a castle and imagined what life would have been like for those living in the castle hundreds of years ago.
Outdoor Learning at Strone Primary
The P1-4 class took their maths lesson outdoors this week, and went in search of brambles. Back in the classroom they used ten and twenty frames to count the brambles and are hoping to collect enough to make some jam!
News from DGS
MOVING MOMENTS AT THE MOVIES
As part of this year’s Dunoon Film Festival, S3 pupils from DGS organised a special screening of the Japanese cult classic animation ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ for local primary school pupils and DGS Learning Centre students.
Gaelic Transition through Local History
Ms Howitt from Dunoon Grammar School initiated a transitional topic for the Gaelic medium pupils of Sandbank Primary School where they could gradually get to know the staff, subjects and building during their last couple of years at Primary. The pupils were already working upon an enquiry based local history project which allowed many opportunities for interdisciplinary work, some of which were suitable for the Grammar staff to lead.
Success at Barcaldine
Barcaldine Primary School have won a total of 11 firsts, 11 seconds and 9 third prizes at two local horticultural shows at Benderloch and Connel, over the past weekends. They put on fine displays of vegetables, flowers, baking, arts and crafts. The pupils are delighted to be the first primary school to win the Duncan MacPherson Trophy for a selection of mixed vegetables. Many thanks to Marion Fisher for all her hard work gardening with us.
Primary 7 St. Mun’s At The Edinburgh Fringe
Primary 7 Turn Theatre Critics At The Edinburgh Fringe
Returning from the Summer holidays, you would think pupils would want to break themselves in gently to their final year at Primary School, but not the Primary 7s at St. Mun’s who are studying Shakespeare this term.
On the 19th of August, pupils travelled to Morningside, Edinburgh and Venue 132 of the world famous Fringe Festival, where they were due to watch Shakespeare’s A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, as performed by the students of Fife College.
Continue reading Primary 7 St. Mun’s At The Edinburgh Fringe
Furnace Primary “Brave”ly explore Carnasserie Castle
Furnace pupils spent the day at Kilmartin House Museum and Carnasserie Castle learning about the early historic period in Scottish history. They looked for items left behind by Merida and her family around the museum, investigated the carved burial stones in the neighbouring church yard and then prepared pottage, oatcakes and fruit & honey for lunch over an open fire. In the afternoon we explored Carnasserie Castle to try and picture how Merida and her family lived. The castle will feature in an upcoming film to be written, produced and performed by the pupils.
Food to Fork Adventure for Rothesay Primary
Rothesay Primary Eco Committee visited Tesco in Greenock this week to learn more about where their food comes from. Ruth Sharkey set us our first task – to find a rainbow of fruit and veg, name them and find their country of origin. Robin was amazed to find his bananas came all the way from the Cameroons! Next we ventured into the deep freeze! At -12 degrees we had to dress up very warmly. Ruth told us that it is important to keep the food very cold and that the freezers usually run at minus 20 brrrrrr!
Continue reading Food to Fork Adventure for Rothesay Primary
Thumbs-up for Scoular Anderson at Kirn Primary
Primary 5/4 gave local illustrator (and former pupil) Scoular Anderson a big ‘thumbs-up’ after his visit to their class in Kirn Primary as part of the Creative Words around Cowal festival.
Scoular showed us his cartoon-style historical illustrations and explained how he goes about drawing them. He introduced us to one of his characters “who didn’t like blood”, so was given a “safety sword with a boxing glove on the end!” Continue reading Thumbs-up for Scoular Anderson at Kirn Primary
Tuesday Afternoon Skills Clubs at Strone Primary
This week was the start of our weekly skills clubs and pupils could choose between Golf, Cookery, Outdoors and the Mystery Minibus Club. The pupils who chose the Mystery Minibus club were transported to a magical mystery tour of Pucks Glen! The clubs enable pupils to take the curriculum outdoors whilst experiencing different activities which develop new skills in community settings.
Luing Pupils Visit Atlantic Island Site
All of the pupils of Luing Primary School were invited to visit the building site of the Atlantic Islands Centre in Cullipool. In preparation of this, they compiled a long list of questions. On arrival they were met by Andrew Pinkerton, the project development manager, Shona Cameron the architect, and Neil the site manager from McLeod Construction. All children were given a high vis jacket and a hard hat to wear. They then ventured into the building taking great care not to stand on the underfloor heating pipes, Andrew explained the layout and then answered lots of questions.
Strone Primary School’s Benmore adventure
Strone Primary School attended an activity day at Benmore Gardens, and had great fun making amazing colourful creatures from willow and tissue paper. Here the P5-7’s show off their creations.
Achaleven investigates life on a fish farm.
As part of their topic on the sea Achaleven Primary asked Scottish Sea Farms if they could visit. The staff were fantastic organising all the health & safety involved (including buying in special child lifejackets) and arranged for a trip out to one of their farms at Shuna.
They were taken to the workboat, ‘Endeavour’ and headed out to the farm. It amazed them that amount of technology there is in the middle of the sea – all the computers and cameras!
Continue reading Achaleven investigates life on a fish farm.
LAB IN LORRY DELIVERS AT DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Science lessons with a twist for DGS pupils.
Pupils and visitors to Dunoon Grammar School last week were greeted with a curious addition to the school car park – a science laboratory based in an articulated lorry!
During the week a number of pupils worked in the lorry on a number of physics related experiments. Lab in a Lorry – organised by the Institute of Physics and STEM – is an interactive mobile science laboratory which gives young people the opportunity to explore science through open ended experiments. Continue reading LAB IN LORRY DELIVERS AT DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
DGS Time Travellers Captivate the Clans Pupils re-enact Dunoon’s turbulent past
On Cowal Games Friday, 13 pupils from DGS put on a marvellous performance in front of members of the Lamont and Campbell Clans in Dunoon’s Queens Hall – re-enacting the siege of Toward Castle and the Dunoon Massacre of 1646.
The pupil’s had been given an initial story line from the Clan Lamont Society on the lead up to the performance – but then had to develop the story into a creative re-enactment.
Continue reading DGS Time Travellers Captivate the Clans Pupils re-enact Dunoon’s turbulent past
Would you like mud with that sir?
Achaleven Primary have taken mud to a whole new level with a new addition to their outdoor learning space.
To co-incide with International Mud Day at the end of June, the school had a grand opening of our mud kitchen which Mrs MacPherson designed and Mr MacPherson very kindly built for us. The toddler group came along and shared in the mud-themed ceremony (which also included some very delicious edible goodies). Continue reading Would you like mud with that sir?
