Category Archives: Topics

Global Citizenship and IDL at St. Joseph’s, Helensburgh

Communities and Culture, Early Years, Events, Expressive arts, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Primary schools, Topics

Assembly at St. Joseph’s Primary School in Helensburgh this morning was a well attended affair. The children of P2a demonstrated beautifully their learning from their Interdisciplinary Learning Study ‘Handa’s Surprise’ to the whole school (including Pre-5) and to a vast array of proud parents. A plethora of educational experience was in evidence from the creativity of Curriculum for Excellence to the evidenced planned partnership with the local links to the Nora Docherty school in Malawi.

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Rockfield P2 visit Oban Fire Station

Communities and Culture, Events, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips, Topics, Training

As part of our “People Who Help Us” topic, the P2 classes visited Oban Fire Station this week. The children were split into two groups, one had a presentation about the role of the Fire Service and how to keep themselves safe in their homes. The other group got to look around the fire engine, climb inside and play with some of the buttons. The children also tried on the fire officer’s uniforms and each had a turn of using the hose, aiming for a traffic cone.

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P6/7 AT ROSNEATH PRIMARY – VISIT TO YOUR RADIO STUDIOS

Communities and Culture, Events, Expressive arts, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Primary schools, School trips, Topics,

On Friday of last week some very excited children from our school arrived at the Your Radio Studios in Dumbarton. The visit was part of our Interdisciplinary topic on Entertainment.

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Luing Trip to the Falkirk wheel

Eco Schools, Events, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips, Science, Topics,

The first and second level pupils from Luing Primary School had a fabulous trip to the Falkirk Wheel. They experienced going on the Wheel, learned how canals were built and had lots of fun in the play park and water park. My favourite part was on the wheel. We went on a huge canal boat that went extremely slowly. Once we were on the wheel it only took four minutes to go from the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Union Canal. It was so amazing and it was so quiet for its size. On the Union Canal we went through a massive tunnel called the Roughcastle Tunnel. Continue reading Luing Trip to the Falkirk wheel →

DGS COMPUTING SCIENTISTS MEET ‘FATHER OF THE INTERNET’

Conferences, Events, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Outdoor Learning, Projects, School trips, Science, Secondary schools, Topics, ,

DGS COMPUTING SCIENTISTS MEET ‘FATHER OF THE INTERNET’
Pupils attend Q&A session with ‘Chief Internet Evangelist’ Dr. Vint Cerf
Four pupils from Dunoon Grammar School recently attended a question and answer session with Dr Vinton G Cerf, an American computer scientist, who is recognised as one of only two “fathers of the Internet” and is currently employed as Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist.

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DGS Pupils Capture the Biggest Highland Games in the world?

Communities and Culture, Enterprise, Events, Expressive arts, Interdisciplinary, Learning Tech, Outdoor Learning, Projects, Secondary schools, Topics,

DGS PUPILS CAPTURE COWAL HIGHLAND GATHERING
School TV crew film at games for future broadcast
A team from Dunoon Grammar School’s DGSTV initiative are working hard in school during lunchtimes to edit and produce a range of videos from footage recorded at last month’s marvellous Cowal Highland Gathering.

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Tobermory P6/7, Renewable energies on Mull

Communities and Culture, Competitions, Eco Schools, Events, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Projects, Science, Topics,

Mr Finch from Mull and Iona Community Trust came to our class on 17th September to talk to us renewable energies on Mull and show us the Nissan Leaf.

Firstly Mr Finch judged our ‘car of the future’ competition. We had lots of ideas like solar powered, wind powered, hydro powered and biothermal cars. The winner was Finn’s Cow Pat Car. Mr Finch liked the idea of using the methane in cow pats to power a car and thought it would put cow pats to good use.

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Community Planned Partnership at St Joseph’s!

Communities, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Topics

Community planned partnership is alive and well at St Joseph’s in Helensburgh. Throughout the academic session all classes will be involved in planning their IDL studies in conjunction with a community partner. This term both P1 and P3 involved the partnership of the local Dog Groomer as they each approached the study of ‘Pets’ at a basic and more advance level respectively.
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Felting at Benmore Gardens

Active Schools, Communities and Culture, Eco Schools, Events, Expressive arts, Forest Schools, Geography, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Projects, School trips, Science, Topics,

On Thursday 5th September P5 and P7 spent an amazing day at Benmore Botanical Gardens with their teachers and support staff. On Friday 6th September P6/5 and P7/6 also enjoyed a fabulous day at Benmore. Cath and Katie from the Education Service in Edinburgh’s Botanical Gardens were the superb instructors during the visits. Each class got the fantastic opportunity to make felt, incorporating an image of a plant or greenery. These had been freshly picked from the gardens to provide inspiration for the felting project.

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PRIMARY 6&7 VISIT MESOLITHIC DIG ON ISLAY

Communities and Culture, Events, Geography, History, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Science, Topics

On Tuesday 27th August Primary 6&7 went on an archaeological dig to Rubha Port an t-Seilich on Islay because they are doing a topic on life in Mesolithic times. The dig was run By Professor Steven Mithin from Reading University and a team of archaeologists.
The site that they were visiting was found when a gamekeeper bought pigs to dig up the bracken, but instead the pigs dug up a piece of flint that was over 9,000 years old. Continue reading PRIMARY 6&7 VISIT MESOLITHIC DIG ON ISLAY →

Barcaldine & Ardchattan win an Oscar!

Awards, Communities, Competitions, Events, Expressive arts, Geography, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Projects, Topics, Training, ,

Over the last few months Sam Harrison of Open Ground has been working with several schools on making outdoor films. The project involved children exploring their own habitat and then when back in the classroom decide how to make and produce their own film. Sam Harrison joined each school for two days when one day was spent exploring their own landscapes and then acting out their ideas. When Sam Harrison came back for his second visit, schools then had an idea of where their film was going and all Sam had to do was film it. Continue reading Barcaldine & Ardchattan win an Oscar! →

P1-3 Gaelic Katie Morag Day on the Isle of Tiree

Communities, Events, Gaelic, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Modern languages, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Topics

Primary 1-3 Gaelic had a lovely Katie Morag afternoon to round off their Katie Morag theme last Thursday at Tiree Primary. Parents and family were invited (especially Grannies!) to watch and listen to the children display their work and we also had a very unexpected guest who just had time to squeeze in reading one our favourite Katie Morag stories! The children showed off their Katie Morag puppets and read some of their imaginary Katie Morag stories before leading their parents on a tour of their work. We hope Granny Mainland made her way to the Isle of Struay for her holidays!

Barcaldine Australian themed day with goodbyes to Mrs Morrison and Mrs MacEachen

Active Schools, Awards, Communities, Competitions, Events, Geography, Health and Wellbeing, History, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Sport, Topics

Our topic for this term was Australia and it seemed fitting that we finish off the term with an Aussie day!! We were all prepared with our Aussie style hats (corks and all!!), green and yellow colours, several boomerangs as well as a didgeridoo.
Parent Council members kindly offered to make us our lunch – Australian style!! We had a variety of meats cooking on the BBQ with salads and rolls to go along with them. We finished off our lunch with ice-cream cones with an Australian flag instead of a flake!!
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Health Week at St Joseph’s

Active Schools, Communities, Events, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Sport, Topics, Training

Health week got off to a wonderful start at St Joseph’s this week with P3 producing a very interesting and exciting assembly on their recent topic “Health and Fitness”. It was all very appropriate as Health Week is featuring greatly in everyone’s thoughts in the school. Miss Trainer, acting PT, has done a sterling job of co-ordinating all the activities for the whole school…and hasn’t left out mums and dads either! As well as a number of exciting activities for the children, Miss Trainer has embraced the talents of a number of qualified parents to put on a few activities with a difference for parents and staff. Continue reading Health Week at St Joseph’s →