The children of Minard Primary School conducted surveys last term to discover how much litter there was in school and around the village. They realised that there was quite a bit of dog mess in the village but nowhere to dispose of it. After writing letters to The Environment Officer in Lochgilphead they were very pleased when David came to meet them and to discuss what they wanted. They decided to install a special bin and display notices round the village to encourage people to pick up after their pets. The bin was installed during the summer break much to the delight of the children.mi
Category Archives: environment
Essay Success – What does ‘sustainable living’ mean to you?
Each year the Trust for Sustainable Living organises a global essay competition, which this year invited schoolchildren to outline their ideas for sustainable living and the steps needed for societies to achieve them. This year 73 countries participated and essays were received from 1,094 children. We had several finalists from Port Ellen and in July Asher travelled down to Oxford to attend the international schools debate, which was attended by children from 23 countries.
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Auchindrain / Achadh an Droigheann
On the last week of term, June 2014, the pupils of Sandbank Gaelic Medium Unit visited Auchindrain as part of their local history project and Crofting Connections work. They had brainstormed a set of questions that they wanted to ask the curator, Mr Bob Clarke, which would help us to understand the forces of change in the lives of local people through the last couple of centuries. Mr Clarke took us on a tour of the houses, telling us about some of the inhabitants and their way of life. We learned so much that we would not be able to write it all down in one report!
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GUARD at Tigh Caol
Sandbank Gaelic Medium P6/7 class were fortunate enough to be invited to participate in an archaeological dig at Tigh Caol near Glendaruel along with many other schools in the area. The dig was performed by GUARD (Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division) with support from the local community (Forestry Enterprise and Strachur and District Local History Society). Kilmodan and Sandbank both attended on the same day and the pupils were given the opportunity to metal detect, trowel and bag finds, draw the plans of the site and sieve the spoil heap.
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Safety at Sea
As we are learning about the Sea this term, Achaleven Primary took up the kind offer from the volunteers at RNLI Oban Lifeboat to visit and learn all about the work they do. We had great fun trying on all the safety gear and seeing all the equipment that is on board the boat. Following on from this trip we have decided that we want to help raise money for RNLI next year. Thank you to the volunteers who took the time to show us around. Thanks also to Alba Sailing for lending us life jackets for our trip.
Playground Art At St. Mun’s
P.6. pupils have been using their art creativity skills to enhance the school fencing with old inner tubes woven into the mesh to make fun images. Bicycle inner tubes are a waste product which can be difficult to dispose of, so recycling is a great solution.
The pupils have also been working in groups across the school and have lots of ideas about what to do next. So watch this space for next session! They are ‘tyred’ out after all this effort and are all looking forward to a great break!
Barcaldine Primary and Stramash
Last week the children from Barcaldine Primary School had two excursions with Stramash. On Tuesday the children enjoyed a hiking adventure and went along to Ben Lora in Benderloch. The weather wasn’t kind to us but we managed to reach the viewpoint without too much mud on our wellies. On Thursday we were taken along to Loch Creran where we went canoeing. The children had a ball and we even found a starfish! Thanks very much to Stramash for two amazing days.
Achaleven Primary sponsored walk
Achaleven Primary raised a fantastic £198.95 at their recent sponsored walk from Dunbeg to Ganavan and back. Some of the incoming primary one pupils also joined them for the event to help raise funds for the school garden. The sun shone and they had a wonderful picnic with the toddler group at Ganavan beach to rejuvenate them for the journey back.
Exciting News from St. Muns!
St. Mun’s Pupils Awarded Blue Peter Green Badge
The Rolls Royce Science Project, ‘If You Go Down In The Woods Today’, has definitely inspired a number of children in the school. None more so than 3 Primary 7s, Leonie Cuddahy, Ewan McIntosh and Scott Stewart, who decided to write to Blue Peter and tell them what they had been up to over the course of the last year.
News from Cardross Primary School
Commonhealth games
Cardross Primary had a visit from Hopscotch theatre company. They performed ‘The Commonhealth Games’, it was a super production enjoyed by everyone!
Marine Biology Visit to Luss
Pupils in P5-7 at Luss Primary School were lucky enough to have a visit from the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust. Ms. Bryce, who is a marine biologist and Mr. Adams, showed the children a wonderful slideshow of photographs explaining all about the native and invasive species which live in Loch Lomond.
WALKING THE KINTYRE WAY
Pupils from Drumlemble and Carradale Primary Schools spent a day walking part of the Kintyre Way. We were accompanied by Duncan Leckie and Sharon Baikie.
Pupils used their map reading skills and the waymarkers to plot their route and took photographs of interesting features of the landscape.
We would like to thank Anne, Duncan and Sharon from the Kintrye Way for supporting us and engaging us in our learning.
Troll Hunting on Inchcailloch Island
Helen Kennedy, Park Ranger, got in touch with The Sunshine Room Nurture Group at Parklands School to ask for their help with some anti-social trolls on Inchcailloch Island, the trolls were causing all sorts of havoc but the pupils were able to show off their troll hunting skills and teach them to respect their habitat. We also had time to look at some native wildlife, toast marshmallows on a campfire and play some team games on the beach.
CLEAN SWEEP AT DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Local residents of Kirn witnessed a welcoming sight last Friday afternoon (30 May 2014) as an army of school litter pickers took to the streets with one mission – to clean up the town.
Over 100 S1 pupils and staff – equipped with grippers and high visibility jackets supplied by the school’s facilities management providers Mitie – worked tirelessly scooping up and bagging litter from the school’s surrounding neighbourhood.
Lismore’s mountain adventure
May has been Mountain Month at Lismore Primary School. The children began the project by comparing the highest mountain on each continent with Ben Nevis and Lismore’s own highest point of Barr Mor. They made scale pictures of each mountain to compare the range of heights. They then went on to look at how mountains are actually formed and travelled to Glencoe to look at the volcanic and ice age activity that shaped the landscape. They also looked at the basalt, slate and quartzite layering in the Ballachulish Quarry.
Busy Bees at Luss
The children at Luss Primary have been learning all about the ways in which bumblebees are very important to us.
P5-7 are taking part in the Big Bumblebee Discovery science adventure and received a free experiment pack and lavender plant. They have also been learning about habitats of bees, how to create a nesting site or bee box and how to rescue a bee that has run out of energy due to cold or wet weather.
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Kilmartin P7-4 Take the Bear Grylls Challenge!
To test how good our children’s survival skills are, the P7-4 children were set a task to organise an emergency camp, find dry tinder, for a fire and forage for some food. They received no help from adults and had to agree as a team who would be responsible for each task.They had to revisit what they had already learned to help them and give their best effort to achieve the outcome.
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Art in the Outdoor Environment at Rhunahaorine
Children in Rhunahaorine Pre 5 Unit were interested to see the daffodils blooming in the garden. This could only mean…Spring had arrived! They wondered about all the flowers that grow in Spring and looked closely at some daffodils and other flowers. Then they decided to paint some daffodil pictures- outdoors of course!
Now all the daffodils have gone we are learning more about summer flowers growing around us and how the bees help the plants to grow fruit.
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Jamie Oliver Food Revolution!
The children at Kilmartin P.S. today took part in Jamie Oliver’s Global Food Revolution. As part of Forest Schools, the children are already very familiar with what they can gather and eat from their local environment and have previously made a wild salad with sorrel, wood sorrel, dandelion leaves, wild garlic, golden saxifrage, primrose flowers and beech sapling leaves. Jamie Oliver’s Global Action Day gave us another excuse to forage and make our own food; this time, nettle and wild garlic soup. Continue reading Jamie Oliver Food Revolution!
Hedgehog House at Garelochhead Primary School
P1 in Garelochhead Primary School have been extending the accommodation in the Anniversary Garden to include a Hedgehog House. Some distance from the newly opened hotel, in a corner so as not to upset the guests, they constructed a home for Hedgehogs. Using materials found in the garden and some recycled waterproof resources the children set to work enthusiastically, so much so that we now have two houses.
Look out birds, you will be next.
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