The Creative Learning in Schools Team (CAST) have been piloting a project in primary schools in Kintyre, “Take One Picture” installing artworks from the Argyll Collection in six schools to inspire cross curricular creative learning. Pupils and teachers from Carradale, Castlehill, Dalintober, Drumlemble, Gigha and Rhunahaorine Primaries have been working with artists Sian MacQueen, Nicole Heidtke and Stefan Bamberger and dancer Tony Mills to create new work inspired by the artworks, taking part in workshops on conductive printmaking, relief sculpture, dance, digital sculpture, life drawing, shadow puppetry, collage and painting.
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Category Archives: Co-operative Learning
St Andrew’s Primary School (World Down Syndrome Day)
Our HT Miss Seery introduced the teaching of Makaton and BSL and the children LOVE it. They sing and sign simultaneously and it is wonderful to listen to and watch. It has become a normal part of our school week so we don’t really think it’s out of the ordinary.
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Literacy Fun at St Mun’s Primary
St Mun’s Primary staff and pupils enjoyed a very successful evening when they invited family and friends to an end of term Family Literacy Night.
The evening began with Primary Seven pupils reciting a famous Roald Dahl poem ‘Television’ that warns of the danger of too much TV, whilst reminding us of the joy to be had from books and reading.
Curriculum Development Event
On Wednesday 3rd October, Garelochhead Primary held a curriculum development event in school. The Pupil council and house captains wrote a letter of invitation that was sent to all the local businesses to invite them to come and work with us on 4 questions related to the 4 contexts of learning. 20 representatives from the Ministry of Defence, school health, dental service, accountancy, engineering (Babcock and Jacobs), outdoor learning, the local bus driver, Police Scotland, Pre-5, the local minister and youth worker and parents took part.
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Residency in Campbeltown October 2018
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) have been working with primary and secondary school pupils across Kintyre as part of a week-long residency in Campbeltown. Pupils have taken part in performances and song writing workshops with BBC SSO musicians, including a special workshop on Gigha. The pupils created their own songs based on Mussorgsky’s “Pictures From an Exhibition”, inspired by characters in the paintings which inspired the music, including the “Troll King” and the “Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks”.
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Fyne Homes Competition
Last term, pupils at St Mun’s Primary, Dunoon, were set an unusual family challenge. The school worked in conjunction with Fyne Homes, who were building a new housing development near the school. Families were invited to choose a name for the estate. There was a good response to the competition and a wide range of names were suggested.
Drumlemble School Committees
Drumlemble Primary School has formed four pupil committees to encourage the children to take an active part in many aspects of school life.
The purpose of the committees are to be able to work in smaller groups that deal with only one issue. The committee system keeps the meetings focused on the issues, one at a time. Each committee is headed by a member of staff and will meet each Friday morning.
The delights of a rural school
The delights of a rural school where the pupils sow, nurture, harvest, prepare and distribute the harvest from the school grounds. The pupils of Minard Primary school made plum and apple crumble to give away to members of the community along with harvested parsley, carrots and leeks. The gifts were delivered almost as soon as they were gathered from the gardens. The feedback from our small community was excellent with several pots of soup on the go locally that night.
Luss harvest
Early Harvest for Waitrose Grow to Sell at Luss
Children at Luss have been enjoying eating the vegetables that they have grown from their Waitrose Grow to Sell box. They have grown lettuce, radishes, spring onions, pak choi, rhubarb , raspberries and herbs. They have been enjoying eating the salad with their lunch and have taken the extra lettuce home. They have also painted signs to show all the skills they use when working in the garden.
Heartstart training for P6/7s at Sandbank Primary
The Primary 6/7 class at Sandbank were all lucky enough to receive training in first aid last week, as part of their Health Week activities. Heartstart trainer, Melville, visited our class and showed us how to deliver basic first aid, including CPR, and what to do if someone is choking. We all enjoyed trying out CPR using the Resusci Annie mannequins and practising to deliver abdominal thrusts using the choke vest.
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The 489 Bus and Food for Thought at Kirn Primary
Kirn Primary School applied for Food for Thought Funding with DGS. Our intention was to embed in our school and local community an understanding of food education which permeates all areas of school life, curriculum and home.
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Castlehill Primary School
The Cooperative in Campbeltown are very kindly donating fruit to each class at Castlehill Primary school over the next few weeks. This is part of the Pupil Council’s initiative to encourage all pupils to eat a healthy snack. Below is a photo of the Pupil Council receiving the fruit from staff from the Coop. Primary 1 and Primary 2 children were the first to receive their free fruit, with the other classes receiving fruit over the next few weeks.
The Pupil Council would like to thank the Co-op very much for their kind donation of fruit for the school.
World Book Day
Dunoon Primary School had a tremendously fantastic day! The pupils took up the challenge of dressing up as their favourite book characters! This was to celebrate World Book Day. It’s a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind,designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.
Early Level Children at Tarbert Academy
The Early Level children at Tarbert Academy have been very busy learning about Transport. Working with our local Co-op the children also celebrated Fairtrade fortnight, learning how the food gets to the shops.
Fifth Eco-Schools Green Flag for Luing Pupils
The children of Luing Primary were very pleased to receive their fifth green flag, which involved studying Sustainability, Transport and Litter.
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Southend Primary – Eco Schools Green Flag
Southend Primary School have successfully renewed their Green Flag Award by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful in recognition of their Eco-Schools journey.
Part of the focus has been on beach and marine litter with workshops undertaken with the GRAB trust and developing their outdoor space as a resource for learning and recreation. They have also been improving their natural habitat for birds and insects. The children’s health and wellbeing has also been a major focus with the installation of a play/climbing frame to provide exercise and role play whilst outside.
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Where does the fish for our dinner come from ?
During December Andy Crabb (filmmaker) and Dr Suzi Billing from SAMS came to Taynuilt Primary to teach the children how to make short animation films based around aquaculture.
One of Taynuilt’s entries (The animation of Billy the Scallop and the naughty Octopus, by Bernadette McMullen P7) was judged to be 3rd overall. The film will shortly be available on the Aquaspace website.
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Family Story Club at Furnace Primary
On Monday February 19th Furnace Primary school began a brand new Family Story Club in parnership with the wider community. Volunteers came in to experience and share their story reading skills on a one to one basis with pupils from Minard and Furnace Primary schools.
Christmas Fair
A Wonderful festive Joint partnership with the communities and schools of Minard and Furnace on Saturday at the Christmas Fair. The weather outside was cold, cold, cold but the locals and pupils turned out amid the festive snow and ice to support the school. The Children and Staff put on an amazing range of Christmas Gifts along with local stall holders who regularly support the school and its enterprises. The pupils were enthusiastic fund raisers especially on the tombola and even Elsa turned up for the raffle!
Maths Week Clan Challenges at Strath of Appin
As part of Maths Week pupils at Strath of Appin Primary worked together in their clans to solve a daily maths-themed challenge. The challenges were varied and drew on a range of mathematical skills as well as encouraging good communication skills and effective teamwork.
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