Sandbank visit to Benmore Gardens.

The upper primary classes at Sandbank Primary enjoyed a fabulous day at Benmore Botanical Gardens where they took part in fun, outdoor learning activities inspired by the book ‘The Lost Words’ by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

The children were split into two groups. One group worked with the poems in the book and had to guess the subject of the poems by a series of clues in a bag.

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NA GAISGICH- Gaelic Folk Tales Retold

 

The comic, “Na Gaisgich” was written by primary seven pupils from Islay, Jura, Mull and Tiree as part of a transition project for going into secondary school. The pupils were all learning Gaelic as a second language at school and were able to create the comic as a result of funding from the Scottish Government. The book is based on folklore and fables from the islands, and all ideas were collaborated to form the final product. Social Enterprise Company, Magic Torch Comics, travelled to each of the islands involved to deliver workshops to enable the children to adapt the stories, characters, illustrations and plots into comic strips. The comic is accessible to all as it is written in Gaelic and English. Click HERE to discover the comic.

 

Depute First Minister John Swinney Visits Tiree High School

Pupils at Tiree Primary school were delighted to have a visit from the Depute First Minister John Swinney on 20th August.
Mr Swinney MSP was given a very warm welcome by the Tiree High School Pipe Band and Tiree Primary Gaelic Choir.
Mr Swinney MSP kindly took part in a ‘Depute First Minister Question Time’ and answered lots of our questions!
Our guides did a wonderful job showing Mr Swinney MSP around our school and did so with pride!

GET CREATIVE MUSIC CPDs 2018-9

Are you interested in developing your skills in delivering music in the classroom?

Creative Arts in Schools Team (CAST) launched Get Creative in 2018, a music resource aimed at all primary teachers, packed full of creative ideas, activities and learning outcomes to enable you to deliver musical activities with your class, regardless of your musical experience. Continue reading GET CREATIVE MUSIC CPDs 2018-9

1+2 Languages Newsletter

To discover the latest edition of the Argyll & Bute 1+2 Languages Newsletter click  HERE.  This contains all the most recent updates on resources, training and innovative language projects.

Update: the deadline for the Open University course designed for primary practitioners to learn French, Spanish or German has been extended to the 24th August 2018.

Farewell Doreen

“After more than 20 years teaching in Dunoon Primary Learning Centre, Doreen MacDonald, will retire on Friday. Doreen has been invaluable in working with children with severe and complex needs and ensuring an inclusive environment for all within Dunoon Primary. Doreen’s support to colleagues and families has also been outstanding. She will be sorely missed by all and we wish her well for the future.”

Luss harvest

Early Harvest for Waitrose Grow to Sell at Luss
Children at Luss have been enjoying eating the vegetables that they have grown from their Waitrose Grow to Sell box. They have grown lettuce, radishes, spring onions, pak choi, rhubarb , raspberries and herbs. They have been enjoying eating the salad with their lunch and have taken the extra lettuce home. They have also painted signs to show all the skills they use when working in the garden.

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Kirn visit Scotland Street School

P4 and P5 enjoyed a fun day at Scotland Street Museum in Glasgow. P4 learned about the design of the famous building and how Charles Rennie Macintosh used shapes and colours to tell stories throughout the school. P5 were given an insight as what life was like for Scottish children in school during Victorian times.
Thank you to all our volunteer helpers.

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Edinburgh Celebration Event

Rockfield Primary Gaelic classes were delighted to receive an invitation from The Scottish Book Trust to showcase their hard work and endeavour at a celebration event for The First Minister’s Reading Challenge. The event was held at ‘The Hub’ in Edinburgh on the 20th June and Rachael Deans (Principal Teacher Gaelic), accompanied by Gaelic pupils Rufus Hughes (P5) and Bethan Neil (P4) had a great time sharing their work with the 400 strong audience as well as The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon herself.

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Mini Beast Quest for Minard and Furnace Primaries

Minard and Furnace Primary Schools had a fantastic shared Summer trip out with a Mini beast hunt at Bellanoch on the Crinan Canal. This was at the end of our Nature detectives and Minibeasts topic. Oly and Pete from the Heart of Argyll wildlife Project took the pupils and staff on an amazing quest for wildlife and flowers in the wild grass verges of the canal. It was amazing what we found from spiders to caterpillars and even some unidentified egg-like items. Oly and Pete have promised to let us know what they are.

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Christian Aid Netball Tournament 2018

On Thursday 22nd May, 9 teams from different Primary schools in the Helensburgh and Lomond area took part in the annual Christian Aid Netball tournament. The tournament took place in Lomond Sports Hall and was a most enjoyable evening with some great play and teamwork shown by all the pupils involved. In the preliminary rounds Hermitage Primary and Cardross Primary came out top, with Colgrain Primary and the All Stars coming runners-up.
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Heartstart training for P6/7s at Sandbank Primary

The Primary 6/7 class at Sandbank were all lucky enough to receive training in first aid last week, as part of their Health Week activities. Heartstart trainer, Melville, visited our class and showed us how to deliver basic first aid, including CPR, and what to do if someone is choking. We all enjoyed trying out CPR using the Resusci Annie mannequins and practising to deliver abdominal thrusts using the choke vest.

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Hermitage Primary School – Christian Aid Football Tournament – Hermitage Academy

The Hermitage Primary school football team travelled to Hermitage Academy to take part in the annual Christian Aid football tournament. The boys played very well on the night winning all of their group games, scoring 17 goals and conceding 0. In the semi-final they played Lomond and despite conceding their first goal of the tournament they won the game 7-1. In the final they faced Cardross who they had already beaten in the earlier group stages.

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The 489 Bus and Food for Thought at Kirn Primary

Kirn Primary School applied for Food for Thought Funding with DGS. Our intention was to embed in our school and local community an understanding of food education which permeates all areas of school life, curriculum and home.

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Castlehill Primary School

The Cooperative in Campbeltown are very kindly donating fruit to each class at Castlehill Primary school over the next few weeks. This is part of the Pupil Council’s initiative to encourage all pupils to eat a healthy snack. Below is a photo of the Pupil Council receiving the fruit from staff from the Coop. Primary 1 and Primary 2 children were the first to receive their free fruit, with the other classes receiving fruit over the next few weeks.
The Pupil Council would like to thank the Co-op very much for their kind donation of fruit for the school.

Dunoon Grammar School – Apps for Good final

Dunoon Grammar School have two teams shortlisted for the people’s choice award at this year’s Apps for Good UK finals.

Dunoon Grammar School

The Apps for Good Awards are an annual competition to showcase some of the best apps created by student teams. Over 25,000 young people from 1250 establishments have participated this year – so it is a real honour to have two teams at this year’s awards.

This people’s choice award is a public vote. DGS is up against schools from geographically denser areas – so we are looking for as much help as possible with the vote.

Please could you take a wee minute to vote for one of the DGS ideas viewed at these direct links: (Both open in a new window)

NightLight or SafeSocket

All of the entries can be viewed here:

https://www.appsforgood.org/public/awards/2018/peoples-choice