Furnace pupils spent the day at Kilmartin House Museum and Carnasserie Castle learning about the early historic period in Scottish history. They looked for items left behind by Merida and her family around the museum, investigated the carved burial stones in the neighbouring church yard and then prepared pottage, oatcakes and fruit & honey for lunch over an open fire. In the afternoon we explored Carnasserie Castle to try and picture how Merida and her family lived. The castle will feature in an upcoming film to be written, produced and performed by the pupils.
Category Archives: Geography
Achaleven investigates life on a fish farm.
As part of their topic on the sea Achaleven Primary asked Scottish Sea Farms if they could visit. The staff were fantastic organising all the health & safety involved (including buying in special child lifejackets) and arranged for a trip out to one of their farms at Shuna.
They were taken to the workboat, ‘Endeavour’ and headed out to the farm. It amazed them that amount of technology there is in the middle of the sea – all the computers and cameras!
Continue reading Achaleven investigates life on a fish farm.
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?
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!
Continue reading Auchindrain / Achadh an Droigheann
Whole School Orienteering at Sandbank Primary!
A whole school orienteering event took place at Sandbank Primary School on the last Thursday of the June term 2014. The pupils of Gaelic medium P6/7 had walked up to the Heritage trail the previous week, chosen a safe but challenging area for a star-orienteering exercise, drew the maps and planned the course. Back at school they prepared the materials (bilingually (Gaelic & English) and laminated the maps ready for the big day. Miss Wombwell split the rest of the school into mixed ability teams.
Continue reading Whole School Orienteering at Sandbank Primary!
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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Allt na Blàthaich
During May – June 2014 the pupils of Sandbank Gaelic Medium Unit P6/7 began to explore and record some old ruins amongst the trees at Ard na Blàthaich on the side of Loch Eck. First of all we mapped the area, photographed the ruins, and measured the walls using tape measures and measuring wheel. We also used a compass to give us the direction that the walls were running in and used some GPS machines that we’d borrowed from Clyde Muirshiel Countryside Ranger service. These gave us a grid reference number that we can now plot on a map.
Danke und auf Wiedersehen
Pupils, parents and staff from Dunoon Grammar School gathered at the school at 6.30 am last Thursday (26 June) to bid a fond farewell to German partners as the 2014 edition of the Dunoon Grammar School and Hardenberg Gymnasium exchange came to a close.
The tearful goodbyes from both sets of pupils as the German bus pulled away from DGS illustrated the success of this year’s exchange and the bond forged between the pupils involved. Continue reading Danke und auf Wiedersehen
Sizzling Summer Spectacular to end school year at DGS
Over 180 S6 pupils, staff and their families enjoyed a samba inspired BBQ last Thursday evening (26 June) to mark the end of a successful school year.
The school yard was transformed into the ‘Copacabana Courtyard’ – complete with inflatable palm trees – as pupils and staff enjoyed a World Cup themed afternoon that included a bbq, beach volleyball, limbo dancing, football target challenge and trampoline.
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DPS Commonwealth Concert
Dunoon Primary hosted a spectacular Commonwealth Grand Concert on Tuesday 24th June. The Concert began with a parade of all the countries and the choir then sang ‘Heres to our Commonwealth’. P1 – P7 then followed with a selection of songs relating to their chosen Commonwealth Country.
St. Joseph’s children always happy to help!
The children and parents of St Joseph’s were delighted to lend a hand to Helensburgh Rotary Club’s Aquabox Appeal last term. This year the children were not asked to bring in small toiletry items etc. as in previous years but to collect money to assist in buying an Aquabox which was already full of essential items for those people in third world countries. St Joseph’s gladly embraced the request and held a non-uniform day solely for the purpose of raising funds for the appeal.
Continue reading St. Joseph’s children always happy to help!
Robert Miller Baton Bearer Visits Dunoon Primary!
Robert Miller, a 4th year pupil at Dunoon Grammar School recently visited Dunoon Primary School to talk about his recent nomination as Baton Bearer in the Queen’s Baton Relay. During his enthusiastic presentation he said he was surprised to hear he had been selected from so many community nominations as up to 4000 Baton Bearers from 34 local authorities will take part in the relay.
Continue reading Robert Miller Baton Bearer Visits Dunoon Primary!
P7/6 WW2 Drama Production & 1940’s Street Party
As a finale to their pupil led World War 2 Interdisciplinary Study, the pupils of P7/6 warmly invited parents & family members to their World War 2 Drama Adaptation of Carrie’s War on 15th of May 2014.
As a thank you to family members for allowing pupils to bring in fantastic artefacts & interesting resources from home eg vintage ration books & genuine war medals, the class also invited family and friends to join them for a splendid Street Party after the production. Continue reading P7/6 WW2 Drama Production & 1940’s Street Party
Ben More S1 induction
The annual Tobermory HS S1 Induction excursion to Mull’s Ben More resulted in another fantastic top out on a clear summit. Views to neighbouring Islay, Arran, Jura and as far reaching as Ireland and Skye greeted the new enthusiastic and energetic S1s. The objective of the day is getting to know each other better and so reaching the summit is a brilliant bonus.
Keills and Small Isles do Samba!
A clear blue sky, sunshine warming the air and a gentle breeze – the perfect conditions for an outdoor Samba Drumming Performance for the family and friends of Keills and Small Isles P.5-7 pupils. The rhythmic sound of surdo drums, agogo bells, tamborims and ganza shakers playing together was heard throughout the school grounds, probably most of Keills village and quite possibly Port Askaig!
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.
Commonwealth Games on Lismore
The North Lorn Primary Schools – Lismore, Strath of Appin, Ardchattan, Barcaldine along with Achaleven and Kilchrenan from further afield, held their own Commonwealth Games on Lismore on Thursday 5th June. Calmac very kindly ran two special ferries to accommodate the 70 visiting children together with staff and parents. The Games began with an Opening Ceremony where each school representing a different Commonwealth country paraded with a flag and a banner before performing a dance or song from their chosen nation.
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.
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.
Commonwealth Breakfast at Parklands
School The social in-reach group at Parklands School had an interesting morning in the kitchen cooking and tasting two very different breakfasts. The pupils followed a recipe to create a potato and lentil curry, a traditional Indian breakfast and compared it to a traditional Scottish breakfast of porridge. The boys said they much prefered the curry and would have it everyday for breakfast if they could!
