Category Archives: Primary schools

Thank You RHET For A Farmtastic Day at Duchlage!

Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips

As part of our Food and Farming work P6/5 from Garelochhead Primary visited Duchlage Farm on Luss Estate.  It was a fabulous day and we all had such a great time and learned a lot from all the experts there.  We were able to milk ‘Mable’ the fibre glass dairy cow, make butter, look at various pieces of farming machinery, investigate biodiversity, make delicious venison burgers, learn more about Scotch beef and Scotch lamb. Thank you so much for such a great event!!

Continue reading Thank You RHET For A Farmtastic Day at Duchlage! →

Animal Antics

Events, Primary schools

Primary 1 pupils at Lochnell have been finding out more about how to care for pets.  As well as visits from kittens, a terrapin and some day old chicks with a mother hen they were treated to some snake handling and a visit from Barney, the new pup who we all decided looked exactly like Floppy from the stories we’ve been reading in school.

Next in store are our investigations of animals who can help us ….. with a guide dog and a horse poised to enter the playground.

Continue reading Animal Antics →

Roald Dahl Celebrations continue

Literacy, Primary schools

Children in Lochnell primaries 2 – 7 were delighted, on Author’s Live day, to have  the chance to find out more about one of their best loved authors.  As Primaries 2 and 3 have been enjoying the BFG and P4 are investigating writing their own “revolting rhymes”, Roald Dahl  is already a firm favourite.

Many children have read and continue to read his stories and poems in school and at home and use him as a role model for their imaginitive writing.

Recycling

Eco Schools, Primary schools

Friday at St Joseph’s brings everyone’s mind to recycling.  The Eco Committee have worked hard to develop a recycling policy to which all children and adults adhere.  P7 are responsible for collecting all recyclable materials on Friday and placing them in the requisite containers for the council.  The Eco Committee has worked hard alongside parents to produce an environmentally friendly school.  We easily earned our Green flag status and will continue towards making our school as ‘Eco Friendly’ as possible.

Mid Argyll Orienteering 2012

Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips, ,

On the 6th September 2012 the P4-P7s from Lochgilphead Primary took part in the orienteering event organised by Stramash.  The day was held in Kilmory Gardens and attended by many schools from across Mid Argyll.  The four different courses challenged all the children, the longest being 3.6km for the P7 girls and boys.

When you weren’t taking part in the orienteering, there was a natural art competition and a scavenger hunt.  The winners of the natural art competition were Tayvallich Primary.  The fabulous day impressed everyone and Stramash is thanked for the spectacular day and we hope that there will be more to come!

Continue reading Mid Argyll Orienteering 2012 →

Primary 7 at Park School celebrate Roald Dahl Day

Literacy, Primary schools

As Primary 7 are currently setting up the school library, they thought celebrating Roald Dahl Day would be a great way of promoting the library and encouraging younger pupils to read.

The class organised a shared reading session with Primary 1 to show them that reading can be fun.  They chose Roald Dahl’s ‘The Enormous Crocodile’ to read to the infant class and what a success it was!  Primary 7 showed great patience and enthusiasm throughout the session and it was thoroughly enjoyed by Primary 1, so much so, that the classes are now talking about setting up a weekly slot to continue promoting reading within the school.

Continue reading Primary 7 at Park School celebrate Roald Dahl Day →

Dream Catchers at St. Mun’s

Literacy, Primary schools

Celebrating 30 years of the BFG 

With lots of celebrations going to celebrate the BFG’s 30th Birthday, the Primary 7 pupils at St. Mun’s decided to investigate some really ‘Big Dreamers’ who had their dreams come true.  They were set the task of working collaboratively in small groups to produce a fact profile for a number of famous people including Thomas Edison, Galileo, Amelia Earhart and Marie Curie to name just a few.  The children then had to present their findings to their peers.  Amazingly, some of them had never heard of these ‘Dreamers’ and admitted they were much more knowledgeable after everyone had presented their findings.

Later the children wrote about their own dreams  and stored them in jars just like The BFG.

P6 Finance Assembly

Primary schools,

P6 children of St Joseph’s displayed their excellent learning on their ‘Finance’ topic at assembly recently.  The children staged a drama for the whole school where ‘mum’ took along her child to speak to the ‘bank manager’ about the advantages of saving with a credit union.  This of course helped re-launch the ‘Supersavers’ scheme in school where all the children have the opportunity to save and belong to a subsidiary of the ‘real’ Credit Union.

Continue reading P6 Finance Assembly →

Luing exploring differences

Primary schools

All of the children from nursery to P7 had the opportunity to experience what it felt like to be in a wheelchair.  The children each had a turn sitting in and pushing the wheelchair.  They found the experience interesting, the scariest thing they found was that they had to trust the person pushing them.

The children also wore blindfolds and had to find their way around the school.  A new experience of goalball (with blindfolds) was introduced in the classroom and then extended into a full P.E. experience in the hall. Continue reading Luing exploring differences →

LOCAL MOD & FOREST PARTNERS

Expressive arts, Primary schools, School trips

On Friday, 7th September Bunessan Primary went to Tobermory to the local mod.  Some people sang a solo and some people were in the choir which came second.   Byron came first in the chanter.  Everyone got a certificate.  We liked seeing other people singing and everyone had a good time.

At An Tobar we looked at leaves which we had made at school as part of the Forest Partners project.  They were made from clay, glass and bronze.  There was a film that the P5, 6, 7 class were in.  We wrote our names on leaves and they were put on the floor of the exhibition.  The whole exhibition looked really cool and amazing.  There were lots of leaves hanging down with fairy lights shining.  It looked like an enchanted forest.  We had lots of fun and got goody bags.  By Claire, Iain & Amy – P4

Intrepid campers on Lismore!

Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips

Friday 7th September was Camping Day at Lismore Primary School.  Following the disappointing cancellation of last term’s planned camp due to high winds, everyone was determined that  this one would go ahead – even if there was a little rain!  The children arrived at school with tents and sleeping bags.  Some were a little apprehensive as this would be their first night away from home or in a tent.

During the morning, the children learned a bit about survival skills, finding out about equipment they would need to survive in the wild for the night, and what to do if they were lost or injured in the wild.  They then pitched their tents and made a fireplace before going home. Continue reading Intrepid campers on Lismore! →

The Great Escape!

Primary schools

When we were mending our Willow Dome last week, we found and collected nine caterpillars and put them into an old Butterfly Net house. We left school on Friday and thought they were safe in their enclosure or so we thought.  When we came in to school today (Monday) we stood in amazement at an empty enclosure – they were all over the classroom! The first three were easy to find then we found one more and then another until only one caterpillar was missing.  

Continue reading The Great Escape! →

Tobermory High – Digging up the Past at the Baliscate Chapel Excavation

Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Secondary schools,

Like other schools on Mull, P3-S2 pupils from Tobermory High recently visited the Baliscate archaeological site for an opportunity to talk to the archaeologists, ask questions and see this fascinating find right on our doorstep.

Secondary pupils took part in a simulated dig in class, before they went to understand how an archaeologist works.  The visit links in with the work secondary pupils complete in Social Subjects and RME on Christianity and Columba.

Continue reading Tobermory High – Digging up the Past at the Baliscate Chapel Excavation →

Shining Bright at Night

Outdoor Learning, Primary schools

Road safety officers June Graham and Kay McGhee visited Southend Primary today to talk to the pupils about some new cycling resources which are under development.   The senior pupils hope to use the new resources when they do their cycle training next year.   June and Kay handed out some reflective items for the children to wear and asked them to start thinking about keeping safe on the roads in the darker evenings.

Mince and Tatties

Health and Wellbeing, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools

From plot to plate at Southend Primary.  The children were busy digging the tatties they had planted earlier in the year and pulling some enormous carrots which went straight to our cook for the mince that day. 

Later in the month any produce we have not used will be sold at our MacMillan Coffee Afternoon at the produce stall.

Continue reading Mince and Tatties →

Salen Primary Pupils Baliscate Visit

Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips

On Monday 3rd September Salen Primary pupils went to the Baliscate site in Tobermory which is being excavated by Argyll Archaeology and Mull Museum (sponsored by the Nati­­­­­­­­­­­­­onal Lottery and others).   At the site we met Olive and Hylda. Once we were there we saw archaeologists digging for evidence of an old chapel (7th C).   Luckily enough we were able to see the artefacts found in the chapel such as: teeth, the Bullen stone and the Leacht that the cross would stand on, and lots more fascinating and interesting things!   

Continue reading Salen Primary Pupils Baliscate Visit →