Food to Fork Adventure for Rothesay Primary

Communities and Culture, Eco Schools, Events, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Primary schools, PSE, School trips, Topics

Rothesay Primary Eco Committee visited Tesco in Greenock this week to learn more about where their food comes from. Ruth Sharkey set us our first task – to find a rainbow of fruit and veg, name them and find their country of origin. Robin was amazed to find his bananas came all the way from the Cameroons! Next we ventured into the deep freeze! At -12 degrees we had to dress up very warmly. Ruth told us that it is important to keep the food very cold and that the freezers usually run at minus 20 brrrrrr!

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Thumbs-up for Scoular Anderson at Kirn Primary

Communities, Events, Expressive arts, Literacy, Primary schools

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 →

Tuesday Afternoon Skills Clubs at Strone Primary

Communities, environment, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Topics

This week was the start of our weekly skills clubs and pupils could choose between Golf, Cookery, Outdoors and the Mystery Minibus Club. The pupils who chose the Mystery Minibus club were transported to a magical mystery tour of Pucks Glen! The clubs enable pupils to take the curriculum outdoors whilst experiencing different activities which develop new skills in community settings.

Luing Pupils Visit Atlantic Island Site

Communities and Culture, Events, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools

All of the pupils of Luing Primary School were invited to visit the building site of the Atlantic Islands Centre in Cullipool. In preparation of this, they compiled a long list of questions. On arrival they were met by Andrew Pinkerton, the project development manager, Shona Cameron the architect, and Neil the site manager from McLeod Construction. All children were given a high vis jacket and a hard hat to wear. They then ventured into the building taking great care not to stand on the underfloor heating pipes, Andrew explained the layout and then answered lots of questions.

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Achaleven investigates life on a fish farm.

Communities and Culture, environment, Geography, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, School trips, Science, Topics,

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!

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LAB IN LORRY DELIVERS AT DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Communities, Events, Interdisciplinary, Leadership, Learning Tech, Maths, Personal Development, Science, Secondary schools, Topics, Training,

Science lessons with a twist for DGS pupils.
Pupils and visitors to Dunoon Grammar School last week were greeted with a curious addition to the school car park – a science laboratory based in an articulated lorry!
During the week a number of pupils worked in the lorry on a number of physics related experiments. Lab in a Lorry – organised by the Institute of Physics and STEM – is an interactive mobile science laboratory which gives young people the opportunity to explore science through open ended experiments. Continue reading LAB IN LORRY DELIVERS AT DUNOON GRAMMAR SCHOOL →

DGS Time Travellers Captivate the Clans Pupils re-enact Dunoon’s turbulent past

Communities and Culture, Events, Expressive arts, History, Interdisciplinary, Literacy, Secondary schools, Topics

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.

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Would you like mud with that sir?

Communities and Culture, Early Years, Eco Schools, environment, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Topics

Achaleven Primary have taken mud to a whole new level with a new addition to their outdoor learning space.

To co-incide with International Mud Day at the end of June, the school had a grand opening of our mud kitchen which Mrs MacPherson designed and Mr MacPherson very kindly built for us. The toddler group came along and shared in the mud-themed ceremony (which also included some very delicious edible goodies). Continue reading Would you like mud with that sir? →

Campbeltown Grammar School golfers get up close to the Ryder Cup

Events, Health and Wellbeing, PE, Secondary schools, Sport

Campbeltown Grammar School golfers get up close to the Ryder Cup Pupils from Campbeltown Grammar School welcomed the Ryder Cup to Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club in Kintyre on a tour of Scotland before the Gleneagles event tees off on 26th September. On that date Europe’s top golfers will take on those of the USA for the 2014 Ryder Cup  – from 26th to 28th September. Richard Hills, Europe’s Ryder Cup director, says: ‘This is about sharing the magic of the Ryder Cup. It also highlights just how wide-reaching the legacy effects of the event will be.’ Continue reading Campbeltown Grammar School golfers get up close to the Ryder Cup →

Dunoon Primary Pupils do Really Small Science

Events, Primary schools, Science

Pupils from Dunoon Primary School discovered the world of nano-science with researchers from the University of Strathclyde. The ReallySmallScience group, led by Joy Leckie from the Chemical Engineering Department at Strathclyde, demonstrated nano-science to P3 and 4 classes using hands-on experiments. Each class learned how tiny nano-sized things are and that everyday items such as wobbly jelly naturally contain lots of nano-things. Continue reading Dunoon Primary Pupils do Really Small Science →

Kodu computer games design – getting started help

Learning Tech, Science,

Kodu is a free application developed by Microsoft to introduce young people to computer games design.  This visual programming language allows students to design and build three dimensional games.  Kodu can help young people to learn the core concepts of computer science within the context of a project which includes narrative writing, design and maths.

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Cycling Proficiency Success at Rothesay Primary

Awards, Communities, Events, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, PE, Personal Development, Primary schools, Training

After many weeks of studying cycling and road safety theory and practical sessions in the playground and on the road, Primary 6 were finally ready to sit their cycling proficiency in June. We were all very proud of everyone who took part and passed with flying colours.
Rothesay Primary would like to thank the parents and staff who worked with the pupils enabling them to achieve success. The smiles in the photo say it all!

Rothesay Primary Young Green Fingers!

Awards, Communities and Culture, Competitions, Events, History, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Science

After months of sowing, weeding, transplanting, weeding, watering and weeding (!) Rothesay Primary were delighted to have some fine produce for the Rothesay Horticultural Society Show. We carefully choose our best fruit and veg and got them ready for the show bench. We entered two varieties of tomato, black grapes, peppers, yellow courgette, runner beans, peas, curly kale, pears, rhubarb, onions, carrots and a whopping marrow!

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CAST CPD menu 2014/15

CPD, Expressive arts

Please see below for the CAST CPD menu for 2014/15. Local funded twilights covering a variety of arts related topics, please read! To book a place on any of our courses please email: fiona.blakey@ea.argyll-bute.sch.uk
Courses will run from approx 4pm till 6pm latest EXCEPT BIG RHYTHM SESSIONS which are programmed from 1pm till 5pm. Tea and coffee will be available. There are no charges for these courses. All venues TBC. Hope you can come along! Continue reading CAST CPD menu 2014/15 →

Minard Primary School

Communities and Culture, environment, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools

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

Dervaig Primary School Know Their Onions

Commonwealth, Communities and Culture, Competitions, Events, Interdisciplinary, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools,

Dervaig Primary pupils successfully grew onions and peas in their raised beds area this year and were delighted to win a 1st for the peas and a 3rd for the onions at the Tobermory Horticultural Show on Saturday 23 August 2014. The pupils are now looking forward to making a large pot of soup with the rest of their produce. They also won a 1st and 2nd in the photographic category, and a 3rd for a commonwealth painting.

Essay Success – What does ‘sustainable living’ mean to you?

Awards, Communities and Culture, Competitions, Debate, Eco Schools, environment, Events, Geography, Global Citizenship, Health and Wellbeing, Interdisciplinary, Learning Tech, Literacy, Primary schools, Projects,

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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