Category Archives: Co-operative Learning

2016 Argyll and Bute Writing Competition

Awards, Co-operative Learning, Competitions, Creativity, Interdisciplinary, Personal Development, Primary schools, Writing, , ,

CAST is happy to announce that the following young writers have won prizes in the 2016 Argyll and Bute Writing Competition, supported by Scottish Book Trust.

First – Mischief – Anna McCulloch, age 10, Lochgoilhead Primary School
Second – The Artist’s studio – Calum Ellis, P7, Dalintober, Primary School
Third – Bubble trouble – Bel van den Groenendaal, Age 10, Arinagour Primary School

Once again decisions were difficult to make, the standard of writing was superb – imagination abounds! Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to the winners.

Hermitage Primary School P7 Technology Challenge

Co-operative Learning, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Maths, Modern Studies, Personal Development, Presentations, Primary schools, PSE, Science, Topics, Writing,

hermitage-ps-dec-2016-tech-challenge-1On Tuesday 6th December the Hermitage Primary School P7 Technology Challenge came to a close with the group presentations to an audience of invited judges and guests. Using skills in Technology, Maths, Language, Science and PSD, the pupils had to work in cooperative groups to plan and design a working electrical vehicle which was supported by a good business plan. They kept track of their progress in a booklet using the Book Creator Ipad app and delivered their presentations supported by a Keynote presentation

Continue reading Hermitage Primary School P7 Technology Challenge →

Digital Leaders at St Columba’s

Awards, Co-operative Learning, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Interdisciplinary, Personal Development, Primary schools, Science, Topics,

st-columbas-digital-award-2016Some of the pupils in St Columba’s, have been awarded the title of Digital Leaders. The school works in partnership with iTeach, an education company who supports staff and pupils to embed the use of technology into their curriculum, who have helped to train some of the pupils to ensure that they can, amongst a wide range of things, troubleshoot and create video tutorials to support other pupils and staff. Every child in the school has their own iPad that is used to support them in all areas of the curriculum and to ensure that the children in St Columba’s have the very highest standard of digital skills possible.

Kirn Primary School

Co-operative Learning, Communities and Culture, Creativity, Early Years, Events, Expressive arts, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Personal Development, Primary schools

kirn-new-primary-school-planting-1The Contractor building the new Kirn Primary School, Morrisons, invited pupil to design posters which would be enlarged and placed on the hoardings outside the building site. Last Thursday the winners, accompanied by the nursery pupils, visited the site to see their pictures being displayed. While there, the pupils helped plant bulbs at the front of the Site Office.

Continue reading Kirn Primary School →

Furnace and Minard Pupils Go Gruffalo Hunting

Active Learning, Active Schools, Co-operative Learning, Communities and Culture, Curriculum for Excellence, environment, Events, Forest Schools, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Modern Studies, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips, Topics,

furnace-and-minard-gruffalo-2Last Friday, while the ‘bigger’ pupils were off learning how to become Digital Leaders, Furnace and Minard ‘littler’ pupils decided to go off on a Gruffalo Hunt to Ardkinglas Gardens to have some outdoor fun and learn some more Scots words. The crispy cold day added to the sense of adventure, especially as we had recently read The Gurffalo’s Child. We followed the little mouse’s directions past Tod’s ‘deep-dooon hoose’, Hoolet’s “tree-tap hoose” and Snake’s “log-hoose”.

Continue reading Furnace and Minard Pupils Go Gruffalo Hunting →

Pupil Digital Leader Event – Tell us what you think

Co-operative Learning, CPD, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Learning Tech, Primary schools, , ,

week7-2The pupil Digital Leaders event took place in Inveraray on Friday 18th November.   This event was attended by 244 pupils from 40 schools.

It is important that our pupil’s opinions are heard and we would like feedback from our digital leaders via the survey emailed to staff.

The survey will close on Monday 28th November at 5pm and will take around 10 minutes to complete.

Minard PS Win CRNS School Challenge

Awards, Co-operative Learning, Communities, Conferences, Eco Schools, Events, Global Citizenship, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Projects, PSE

minard-crns-4-conference-2016This month Minard Primary fought off stiff competition from across Scotland to win a national competition for its innovative ways of making waste go for further.
Instead of using traditional recycling methods for disposing of waste paper, pupils at Minard Primary School have been turning it into recycled paper briquettes which can then be used in the community as fuel. As a result of this ingenious idea, Minard Primary was crowned the winner of the Community Resources Network Scotland (CRNS) School Challenge Competition.
Continue reading Minard PS Win CRNS School Challenge →

Rockfield Rocks Fasanta!

Co-operative Learning, Communities and Culture, Competitions, Creativity, Events, Exhibition, Interdisciplinary, Personal Development, Primary schools, Social Enterprise

rockfield-fasanta-1A number of pupils in P4,5,6 and 7 took part in Castle to Catwalk, a costume design competition for schools in and around Oban, run by Dunollie Projects Ltd, as part of their Fasanta Festival of Fashion and Textiles.
The winning three designs were made into real wearable costumes by Dunollie’s volunteer Threads and Yarn group and were paraded on stage at their Annual Fasanta Community Catwalk in the Corran Halls on Saturday 22nd October 2016.

Continue reading Rockfield Rocks Fasanta! →

Willow Lantern-making twilight session

Co-operative Learning, Communities and Culture, environment, Events, Outdoor Learning, Personal Development, Primary schools, Topics, Training, Workshops

The Oban & Lorn satellite group of Argyll OWL (Outdoor & Woodland Learning) Group are hosting a willow lantern making session at Barcaldine Primary School this week.

Anyone interested in the workshop and outdoor & woodland learning is invited to come along at 4.30pm to have a chance not only to make lanterns but discover what the OWL group can do to help promote outdoor learning.

Continue reading Willow Lantern-making twilight session →

Digital Leader Labs – 18th November 2016 (Event Full)

Co-operative Learning, CPD, Events, Learning Tech, Primary schools, Training, Workshops, ,

img_20161026_155611The senior pupils’ digital leader training event will take place in Inveraray Primary School on Friday 18th November 2016 from 10:00 till 15:30.  The event is aimed at pupils from P5/6/7 and will include training for pupils on computational thinking, troubleshooting and introduction to computer programming using Drones and Sphero’s.  There will also be a CPD session for staff. Continue reading Digital Leader Labs – 18th November 2016 (Event Full) →

Prints of Play! at Cove Park

Co-operative Learning, Communities, Creativity, Events, Expressive arts, Learning Tech, Modern Studies, Personal Development, Primary schools, Secondary schools, Topics, Training, Workshops

cove-park-prints-of-play-lauraspringThe Hands-On Cove Park Holiday Art Club offers a blast of creativity every day!
Prints of Play! is for children aged 8-11 interested in art, experimenting with colour, shape, texture and pattern. During a course of four daily sessions, 09:30-11:30 from Monday 17 – Thursday 20 October 2016, children will experiment with ideas around the theme of ‘play’ to create a series of quick, inspirational paper collages that will be used to inform a stencil design to print one or more t-shirt designs that they can go on to wear.
Continue reading Prints of Play! at Cove Park →

JLB Harvest the Seeds of Success

Co-operative Learning, Communities, Enterprise, Events, Fundraising, Gardens, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Social Enterprise, Topics

jlb-harvest-the-seeds-of-successChildren at John Logie Baird Primary School have been working with Waitrose to develop Enterprise and business skills across the school. Following the pupils planning, measuring building and filling their own raised beds, Waitrose donated seeds to the school. Each class divided them up and planted them. Over the summer term, each class tended to their crop, and to their astonishment, after returning in August, a huge crop was ripe and ready to harvest.

Continue reading JLB Harvest the Seeds of Success →

Minecraft at Dunoon Primary!

Co-operative Learning, Learning Tech, Primary schools

img_20161004_134941On Tuesday 4th October Steven Simpson from the Argyll and Bute Council Learning Technologies Team came into our school to show our P7 class how to use Minecraft Education Edition. The session was very interactive and the pupils had lots of fun learning this new skill. They were able to challenge each other in the same world which had been created by Steven.

Continue reading Minecraft at Dunoon Primary! →

Right on Track at Rockfield Primary!

Active Learning, Co-operative Learning, Communities, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Topics, Workshops,

rps-scotrail-workshops-1Pupils from Primary 6 and Primary 7 in Rockfield school recently took part in active workshops, which focussed on being safe around trains, train stations and railway tracks. These safety workshops were provided by Scotrail and encouraged the pupils to think about all of the issues surrounding rail safety. The workshops included discussion work and drama activities, which the pupils really enjoyed.

Continue reading Right on Track at Rockfield Primary! →