Managers and Head teachers from Early Learning and Childcare settings across Argyll & Bute welcomed a recent conference on ‘Building the Ambition’*. The document’s writer, Liz Paterson, an adviser with the Scottish Government, delivered presentations and workshops on this new National Practice Guidance. The conference was held in the Three Villages Hall, Arrochar. Parents with their children joined the conference for a short period as Bookbug made an appearance, all attendees and visitors joined in with the singing.
Category Archives: Literacy
St. Mun’s Election Results
After long hard-fought election campaigns and a lot of research, interdisciplinary learning and even a visit to the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh, the polls opened for the pupils and staff at St. Mun’s to vote for the new head boy and girl and their deputies and representatives for each class for the pupil council. Continue reading St. Mun’s Election Results
NEWS FROM DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Former SPL Star Visits DGS
It’s not every day that DGS pupils can boast of being part of a football training session with a national cup winning manager – but that is exactly what happened last week, when Dylan Kerr visited the school.
Dylan enjoyed a very long and distinguished playing career, including successful spells with Leeds United and Kilmarnock.
Argyll Collection Writing Competition Winners
CAST is happy to announce that the following budding graphic novel creators have won prizes in the 2014 Argyll and Bute Writing Competition, supported by Scottish Book Trust. First prize is scooped by Ellie Grierson from Lochdonhead Primary, second place goes to Holli Wilson from Rhu Primary and third is awarded to Morvern Paisley from Clachan Primary. There were many, many high quality entries this year combining a love of language and poetry writing with some pretty special artwork. Continue reading Argyll Collection Writing Competition Winners
Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2014 at Rothesay Primary
Rothesay Primary had a fantastic start to the day today with an inspiring talk and production by Neil Adam and Judy Turner, visitors from Australia, as part of the 2014 Scottish International Storytelling Festival. Our visitors were organised by Patricia McArthur from Rothesay Library and they were a huge hit with Primary 6 and 7 pupils from RPS.
Continue reading Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2014 at Rothesay Primary
Really Small Scientists Win Prizes
Following the Nano-Science workshop in September, Primary 3 and 4 pupils from Dunoon Primary School produced posters about Nano-Jelly. During the workshop, run by the Really Small Science Group from Strathclyde University, the pupils became ‘Really Small Scientists’ for the day and learned about the world of Nano-Science. They discovered how everyday items such as jelly and even their own bodies are made up of tiny nano-sized molecules.
Continue reading Really Small Scientists Win Prizes
Victorian’s trip
Primary Six pupils at Rhu Primary School journeyed back in time to find out what life was like for Victorian children.
The class visited New Lanark Heritage Centre, which was well-worth the slightly longer travel time. New Lanark is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and proved a perfect venue to stimulate interest in this 18th Century topic.
Continue reading Victorian’s trip
Port Ellen Success at the Mod
Port Ellen Primary School have again been very successful at the National Mod, which this year was held in Inverness. The schools gaelic Choir, Coisir Bun-Sgoil Port Ilein, won the choral unison rural primary, choral Puirt-a-beul and choral 2 part harmony learner. Their was success for individuals also, with Rebecca coming first and Rowan coming second in the solo singing 7-8, Eva coming first in the solo singing 9-10 and Abbie coming first in the solo singing 11-12 girls and Asher in the boys category. Continue reading Port Ellen Success at the Mod
News from DGS
Marvellous Macmillan Coffee Morning at DGS
DGS Staff and invited visitors enjoyed a fantastic coffee morning organised by pupils from the school’s learning centre on Thursday, 2 October – all in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Strachur Primary School Coffee Morning
Primary 6/7 at Strachur Primary School held a very successful coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
The children organised the event and did all the baking themselves. They created posters to advertise the coffee morning and encouraged other pupils in the school to try their hand at baking too. They were very pleased with the turnout in the Memorial Hall in the village and raised the sum of £367.05
St Joseph’s Wins Local Street Naming Competition!
Recently Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) ran a local competition to name a new housing development in Helensburgh and invited local schools to take part. This month Ms. Collins, Head Teacher of St. Joseph’s, received information from ACHA to inform her that St. Joseph’s had won the competition! The whole school was delighted! A P7 pupil had submitted the winning entry and as a result ‘Duchess Court’ has been chosen by ACHA as the name they wish to submit for the naming of the new development next to Hood Court.
Continue reading St Joseph’s Wins Local Street Naming Competition!
Stuart Reid visits Dunoon
The pupils of Dunoon Primary School were treated to a visit from children’s author, Stuart Reid. Stuart’s current Book Reading Tour has seen him reading to over 30,000 children across Scotland and England. Stuart’s uniquely entertaining readings are wild, wacky, and hilariously funny for everyone involved. He feels because he talks to little people a lot, he has developed the ‘Ninja Signing Stance’, in order to come down to their eye level. Continue reading Stuart Reid visits Dunoon
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Continue reading Essay Success – What does ‘sustainable living’ mean to you?
Annual Primary Writing Competition
Welcome to our Annual Writing Competition which is now in its fourth year and supported by Scottish Book Trust. This year, we are doing things slightly differently!! Please see PDF below for information or go to http://argyllcollection.com/competition/
The competition is open to all primary schools within Argyll & Bute and entries are invited from second level pupils. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners will receive books and the winner’s school will receive £250 worth of various early, first and second level books. Click HERE for the information PDF.
