This afternoon our school will be building wind powered vehicles ready for a great egg race with parents tomorrow. We will be put into teams (which will include all of the classes). Once the teams are picked we have to design a vehicle that will transport our egg with out the egg breaking. We will be using a hair dryer to blow our vehicle so that it will move. There will be points for: Lightest design, prettiest design, vehicle that goes the furthest and whose egg gets least damaged.There will also be points getting taken off. Points will be taken off for: Wasting materials and damage to egg. We are doing the egg race to help us with our engeneering skills and it is also part of Rolls Royce Science Prize. We are doing a lot of engineering activities because engeneering can help the world with climate change. The engeneering activities are a lot of fun because it challenges us. I think that engeneering is very helpful to be doing in school because it uses math and science and it is also helpful because it tests us with our team working skills. I would like to do engineering challenges again.
Scottish Math Challenge Success
The Scottish Math Challenge is something that P6/7 have the chance to do every year. You get a set of three questions one in November, one in December and the final one in January. If you get up to 29 points that is a bronze 30 points that is a silver and if you get 33 points that is a gold. I got 32 points and that means that I got a silver which means that I get to go away to get an award and I was really pleased to get this and I want to keep on pushing myself further in STEM. Everyone else who took part in our class got a bronze. It is really important to know how to do some equations because it could help in a well paid job like being an engineer.
By Matthew Campell
Community Funding
This year the council is trialling an exciting new way of giving out funds to community groups, where people living in Argyll and Bute make the decision.
We want everyone to know about this and have the chance to vote.
To find out more and to vote for the projects you would like to be funded please go to the website: www.abpb.argyll-bute.gov.uk
If you have any questions, or need support to vote, please contact communitydevelopment@argyll-bute.gov.uk. 01369 708669
Egg Drop ‘Egg’speriment
In class we have been learning about Newtons 3 laws of motion. The first one is the law of inertia. That law means that an object will stay in motion in till a force is acted upon it. The second law is Force=Mass x Acceleration. The third law is every action has an equal and opposite reaction. We have been looking at how strong an egg is. We did a an ‘egg’ speriment in class on how much an egg shell can hold. The egg shells cracked after 6kg and I was very surprised on how much it did hold. We also watched a short clip on how much at least 100 eggs can hold and it held 2 cars, and the were not boiled eggs. So eggs are stronger that you think. In class we have also been wanting to do an egg drop. So in groups we designed two ideas, one with a parachute and one without one. Then we decided on who’s idea we were going to do. Then we started building. Me an Donald made the idea without the parachute. Our idea was that we were going to have a cup that the egg was going to be in then four balloons around it to keep it floating But there was a problem. When we checked to see if it would float and it kept on tipping to the side so we had to find a solution. Then we thought of an arrow and at the end of an arrow there is something to keep it keep flying straight so we decided that we were going to make them and put them on our balloons and it would look like an arrow and when we tested it out with the egg in it and when it dropped to the ground the egg had no crack and was safe.I was so glad that our idea worked. Our second idea was with the parachute. Ellen and Abi made this one. The idea was that they made a pyramid to put the egg in and then the put pieces of straws around it so that when it dropped it wouldn’t put force on the pyramid with the egg in it it would put the force on the straws around it. Then they attached the parachute. When they tested it out with the egg in it there was no crack so both of our ideas worked and my group got 1st place.
Rowan
Easter Assembley
On the twenty ninth of March Port Ellen Primary School Primary 4/5 performed a assembly for World War One. Katyn was paper 3, 6 and 9 and Harmoni was narrator five .The main character was Archie (who was Scott) the play was called Archies War.
We sang eight songs. Katyn’s favourite songs were “Over There” and “When this Lousey War is Over.” Harmonis favourite song was “In Flanders Fields”. At the end of the play when we sang “In Flanders fields” most people started to cry.
Paper Bridge Engineering
As part of our Engineering project this year we wanted to show we could get better at engineering. At the start of the project we had to build bridges, and ours were made from straws and did not work well or hold a lot of weight. We did the bridge building test again to see if we had improved, but this time we were only allowed to use paper to build our bridges. The point of it was to try and engineer a bridge that could hold a calculator, at first it was quite hard to make a bridge that could hold one. Me and Rowan decided to apply what we had learned in maths about 3D shapes and put cylinders under our bridge so that it could support the weight of a calculator, a lot of the bridges ended up being able to support a lot more than a calculator. Our bridge managed to hold 6kg in weight! I was surprised that it could hold that much because it was just paper and tape, eventually we over tested it and wrecked the cylinders on the bridge. Everyones bridge could hold at least a calculator and some bridges could hold more, our bridge could hold the most in the class which I was surprised about. We applied our engineering knowledge to building the bridge and this showed how much we improved!
By Holly
Spaghetti Engineering
Continuing on the sweetie theme, STEM club challenge this week was to build a structure with four levels to support Creme Eggs using only spaghettis and jelly babies. It was quite a challenge!
Chocolate Engineering
We had a great STEM club on Wednesday with the Young STEM Ambassadors from the High School. We were engineering with chocolate!! Our welded Milky Bar bridge held 8.5kg. Amazing…and tasty when it collapsed!
Thinking like Engineers
P1/2/3 have been using their engineering skills to design and build models that incorporate a working electric circuit. They worked hard to solve problems and try to improve their designs as they went along.
Mission Adoption Accomplished
After Katie suggested to the class that we adopt a polar bear, P1/2/3 have not raised the £50 required from selling popcorn and adopted a Svalbard polar bear. We’ve named him Snowball. We have learned that polar bears are becoming endangered due to global warming. Less ice means that there is less of an area for them to hunt, they have to swim longer distances between ice and they are coming into conflict with humans when they approach towns in Alaska and can get shot. We found out that they have polar bear jails where they can catch them and then release them back where it is safer and not near where people live.
Trip to Murrayfield
One day after rugby club we where pulled in and I was chosen to be the mascot for the Scotland Rugby Team through the Islay Minis Rugby club, which is a club for people who want to play rugby till there in s2 and then they have to go to the one in high school. On February 24th me, my dad and my grandad headed to Murrayfield to see the Scotland vs England rugby match as I was the mascot. When we got the stadium we had to meet up with the rest of the mascots to go and sit in a room and wait for some other people as they were late. When every one was in the room our parents went to there seats and we were taken into the tunnel where we waited for the game to start. When the game was just about to start the players came out and lined up. I was partnered with Stuart Hogg who was my favourite player. When we ran out we had walk forward and kneel as Princess Anne walked behind us and shook the players hand. After that we went off and went to our seat and watched the game. Where we were sitting we had the subs right behind us. After half time we back to our seats and the game started up and it started up. When England were progressing through our defence, Jamie Bhatti, another one of my favourite players, he was injured and carried off and when he came up the steps to his seat he almost fell as he had torn something in his leg. After the game we went down and had to wait till the players got ready and got changed then they came out to sign our t-shirts and other stuff. I was really thrilled that Scotland won!
By Taylor
Family dynamics and your child’s self-esteem
A guide for parents on the importance of family influence on helping build body confidence in teenagers, with advice from the dove Self-Esteem Project
Starting conversations with your child about positive body image
Tips to boost your child’s positive body image from the Dove Self-Esteem Project and Parent Info
P6/7 Space Station
On Friday 24th P6/7 started to make Space Stations for living on Mars. They are all made out of paper they all have to be made from 3D shapes. Some had oxygen tanks, rocket ships and living quarters. It took P6/7 a couple of days and all of the Mars Space Stations are finished.
Switch Off Earth Hour
In our school we did switch off. That’s when you switch off your lights, WIFI and electronics for 1 hour so that we can help the environment. Sadly the environment is getting destroyed by global warming and only we can stop polluting the sea, sky and our earth. I don’t wont a bad environment that is polluted. I want a good and healthy environment. In school switch off was organised by P123.
Day Of Dance
Last Friday, all the schools on Islay and Jura met together in Bowmore hall to have an afternoon of Scottish country dancing. We do this so that people can meet up with and get know know the other kids in there year that their going into high school with. We danced the Gay Gordans, the Virginia Reel, the Canadian Barn dance and the Flying Scotsman. We all had loads of fun and enjoyed it very much.
By Sophie
Body image and the media
Young people, body image and the media: a guide from the Dove Self-Esteem Project
Easter Egg Competition
Yesterday we had a Easter egg competition there were lots of excellent ideas. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a good egg for the competition. The Easter egg competition is when you make an egg into something and then you bring it to school and the judge will judge it and then after a while you will find out who won from the Nursery up to primary 7. The winners were:
Nursery: Erin
P1: Jacob
P2: chloe
P3: katie
P4: Christopher
P5: Evie
P6: Donald
P7: Taylor
Making Wind Streamers
In the ELCC we have been learning about the weather and how the wind makes things move. We have enjoyed making these wind streamers and have hung them in the trees in the outdoor area.
Props for PEPS assembly!
On Thursday 29th of March was P4/5’s Easter Assembly. Everyone had a role and they all did well with their roles. All the parents helped paint and craft other props like hats, poppies and backdrops. Children in our class were put into pairs and given a propaganda poster to recreate by hand drawing it. We all had fun preparing for the assembly and we all had fun doing the assembly. When we were doing our propaganda posters people took almost 4 different days to finish their propaganda posters and most of them looked brilliant. When our giant poppies were all made we researched soldiers that we found information about them and wrote it down. Then Miss Brown had put it down on the giant poppies because Miss Brown had laid them down on stage so at the end one by one we would go pick up a poppy and read out what it said to the audience.We had much fun doing and practising the assembly and we are doing it again this year for others that had not seen it. People found it very emotional hearing about the people from Islay that had died.
Science Club
On Wendnesday we have after school science club. We got in 3 groups and in my group there is me, Matthew,Charlie and Rhuraidh. We are called MIB. We have been looking at solving problems to do with flooding. We made rain guages so we got a big bottle and chopped the top off. Then we got a measuring jug and poured water in to it and kept marking 100ml. Then we turned the bottle tops upside down and stuck in the bottle and put the bottle out in the school grounds, and wrote down how much rain there was each week. We also made pulleys to rescue people from buldings and emergency warning devices which buzzed when the water level rose too high.
We also did chocolate engineering with STEM ambassadors from the High School. We got milky bars and hot glasses of water and we had to rub the milky bars against the hot glasses of water to make it melt so we could stick it together to make a cuboid. Then we had to put weights on it to see how much it could hold, I felt very excited. After when the cuboid broke we got to eat it. It was very helpful for me because I learned how strong 4 combined milky bars are and that improved my building skills.
March Diary
Renewables Engineering Islay – March Diary
A key part of what we wanted to do with our project this year was to involve other primary schools on the islands. There are primary schools in Bowmore, Port Charlotte and Keills as well as Small Isles Primary School on the Isle of Jura. With National Science & Engineering Week coming up we decided that this would be an ideal time to get everyone together to work on a series of engineering challenges organised by Maggie Harrison, with the support of Jo Clark and Kate Brown.
Fairytale Engineering
The first session we ran was for children working at Early/First Level – from P1-P4. On the day we had 60 children meet together to work on some fairytale engineering. The focus was on developing creativity and children’s ideas for problem solving. The tasks were linked to the story of Rapunzel; first they had to build a tower for Rapunzel using mini marshmallows and cocktail sticks, exploring the strength of different shapes; then they had to work out a way for Rapunzel to escape the tower. Back in Port Ellen, P1/2/3 continued this learning, coming up with some amazingly good ideas – a glider, an elevator, a parachute, a hot air balloon and a zip wire.
At first I thought it was impossible but now I really want to do it again – Aiden, Port Charlotte Primary.
It was so much fun. My best bit was building the tower with marshmallows – Evie, Port Ellen
I loved getting to see the other school classes. I like working in a team. It was fun getting Rapunzel out of the tower – Callum, Bowmore Primary
Disaster!
Primary 4/5s from Port Ellen and Bowmore Primary Schools worked together to learn how engineering can be an important aspect of disaster relief. They thought about earthquakes and hurricanes that can devastate communities and lead to situations where emergency aid is unable to reach those who need it and how essential structures like air control towers need to withstand the powers of nature. Their first task was to design and build a mountain rescue stretcher to transport a patient (potato) to hospital; then all groups were given the same resources to build a tower which supported a tennis ball and withstood a hurricane!
I really enjoyed building with a time limit and enjoy building models that are real things but we make them mini – Millie, Port Ellen Primary
I loved it because we had to do challenges – James, Bowmore Primary
My class were all absolutely engaged in both activities. There were lots of discussions, problem solving and pride – Miss Brown, Port Ellen Primary.
Let’s Roll!
Older students met for a session looking at the engineering process, focussed on testing and improving. Groups of children from different schools built rollercoasters for marbles, trying to incorporate loop the loops and still catch the marble in a paper cup. Continuing on a marble theme, they then had to work out ways to increase the time taken for a marble to run down an inclined plane from 2.7 seconds to 10 seconds. It was fantastic to see the children from different schools work together, completely absorbed in solving the problem. Young STEM Ambassadors from Islay High School came along to help out on the day.
I enjoyed the session and learned a lot more about engineers – Neil, Port Charlotte Primary.
It was challenging because there were lots of different activities and we had a certain amount of time to do it in and we had to stick to the resources we had – Oliver, Keills. Primary
It was fun! – Elisa, Small Isles Primary.
I want to have another engineering day with all the schools again – Charlie, Port Ellen.
The activities were fun, engaging and appropriately challenging for the group. The children were actively involved and clearly developing their problem solving skills – Mrs Baker, Keills Primary
This session was held in Islay High School. Maggie Harrison and Maureen MacDonald are now in discussion with the Headteacher of the High School to look at delivering a similar workshop for S3 children.
Rescuing Humpty
National Science & Engineering week could not go by without involving out Pre-5 children. They had to find ways of rescuing Humpty so that he didn’t crack his head open getting down from the wall. Bubble wrap and cotton wool were turned into jackets and we also built a zip-wire and engineered baskets to help him get down from the wall safely!
Budget
| Date | Purchases | Cost |
| 22nd February | 4 copies Rosie Revere Engineer (for cluster schools) | £42.15 |
| 22nd February | External Hard Drive | £47.68 |
| 6th March | Pack cardboard tubes | £18.05 |
| Solder | £1.90 | |
| 3x Giant Lolly sticks | £5.88 | |
| 12xSellotape | £9.95 | |
| 3 packs masking tape | £10.77 | |
| Card | £4.99 | |
| Giant straws | £18.98 | |
| Wooden beads | £4.98 | |
| KNEX Imagination Makers Age 5-10 | £30.26 | |
| 2xKNEX Imagine Age 7+ | £61.02 | |
| The Boy who harnessed the Wind | £11.89 | |
| Bioengineering Projects | £12.49 | |
| 7th March | 4XKNEX Renewable Energy (for cluster schools) | £721.80 |
| Total Expenses | ||
| Remaining Money | £3280.99 |
P6 Engineering At The High School
On the 14th March the Primary 6’s from all over the island came to the high school for an engineering day. The P7s also came. Everyone got put into groups of three by Mrs Harrison. The first one was about a roller coaster, you had to make a marble get into a cup with some type of dip or loop. Most people were successful but some weren’t. The second challenge was to put your table at an angle using bricks. You had to try and make youre marble take ten seconds to go down a table. Some people added zig zags and peices of paper to try and slow down the marble. Overall the day was good and I would go back.
Fairytale Engineering
P1/2/3 joined P1/2/3 from Bowmore Primary and P1-4 from Port Charlotte Primary for some engineering challenges based on the fairytale Rapunzel. After a quick recap of the story, they used cocktail sticks and mini marshmallows to try and built the tallest tower that they could. Then they had to design and build ways to help the Rapunzel to escape from the tall tower. There were lots of ingenious designs – here is one of the ladders.
P7 Science Trip To I.H.S
On Wednesday 14th March P6/7 went to I.H.S. P6 did engineering and P7 did science. All of the primary schools from all around the island came. We did this because it would give us a chance to see what the classes are like in the high school, meet new friends from different schools and do science. The P7’s got split up into 3 groups and first of all my group was with Mrs McNaughton. When we were there we got a paper boat and filled it with boiling water and put it in a paper boat a checked the temperature. Then we got clay shapes and checked which shape would go to the bottom of the glue first and we found out that the sphere went down the fastest. The next class we went to was Mr Kitching’s class and there we were looking at crystals through a microscope. After that we went to Mrs Moran’s class and there we were doing experiments and saying whether the things we were doing were exothermic or endothermic. Overall I think that the day was fantastic and I would definitely go again.
By Rebecca Morris
Let’s Roll Engineering
P6 worked in groups with P5s and P6s from the other primary schools to hone their engineering skills. We talked about the range of engineers and the engineering process and how engineers continually have to assess their designs and improve on them. The children were given the challenge of building a roller coaster and then a marble run.
Disaster Engineering
P4/5 got together with P4/5 from Bowmore Primary for some engineering challenges based on disasters. The children learned about the range of different engineers and how their problem solving abilities really come in to their own is disaster situations. First the children had to design a collapsible, portable stretcher to transport a patient (potato) to hospital. They then learned about the hurricane which resulted in the air traffic control tower being destroyed and having to be quickly rebuilt to allow aircraft in with aid and other supplies. They had to build a tower of at least 30cm which would support a tennis ball in a simulated hurricane.
WW1 Letters
This term we have been learning about WW1. We have been looking at the sinking of the Tuscania and the Otranto, how the war has changed Islay and we have been looking at life in the trenches. We have also been researching our own person from the trenches in the war. I am reaserching someone called Walter Whyte. He was a Lance corporal and his regiment was the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Part of our learning we were hoping to write a letter back to the family of the person you were researching. I found out lots of very sad and interesting facts about Walter Whyte. I found out that when Walter was still in school his older brother went to war and then Walter’s brother Colin went to put on the light of the lighthouse with his dad on a windy night and Colin fell into the water and his dad went in to catch him and they both drowned that night. It was very sad and a few months erlier Walter’s older brother Doughald died in the war. His other older brother went to war and was allowed to go home as their mum was struggling. Then later on Walter died in the war. One of the weird facts is that when Walter was alive he was injured by a grenade when it hit his nose. The whole of our class wrote a letter to the families of their people and this is my letter to Walter’s family.
Dear Mother,
I am having a spiffing time here, making some new friends and I only got injured a few times. I miss all the family very much. Well, I hope that soon enough the war will be over and I will be able to come how to see you all and in one piece. So how is the weather has it changed much from when I left. What I miss most is waking up every morning to see your warm, loving and caring smile, the lovely landscapes of Islay and exploring the island. I hope everything is spiffily good over there and everything is going very well. Have you found anyone else to go over to the lighthouse? I am extremely sorry I did not make it to the funeral I tried to explain but the Sargent wouldn’t let me go. I hope that you are managing ok with all the others at home and I will be as careful as I can because I know you don’t want another one of us to die.
Over here although in the trenches it is mucky, cold and full of lice and rats. Waking up every morning with rats crawling all over me and over everyone else. Itching and wriggling as the lice pinch and suck my blood. It is always a nuisance lice sucking my blood and the only way we can get rid of them is if we get the end of our cigarettes and burn them. I can’t even get started with the trenches. Water up to our ankles and mud suffocating our legs as we squelch through the trenches. Slowly making our way through sludge. When it comes to night there is not even one bed to sleep in. Most of us has to sleep on the floor and over here we have to look after our self. The worst thing is that the kilts we wear attract lice. I wish so much that I was home with you and the rest of the family. The ground is mostly muck and dead bodies. The weather over here is sometimes ok but most of the time the breeze is blowing heavily against my face.
Right now I am in the battle of the Somme in France. Every two seconds BANG! Another shell comes down failing to hit us another time. The guns firing and hitting our trench. Every time another man falling, dying and in deep pain. I am scared Mother I really want to come home. Even my friends can’t help some of them have died during the battle and some in the hospital beds. Sometimes it gets silence and just when I think that it stops another fire comes our way but that time it was different. My first gas attack. I got really scared. The gas came, some of the soldiers falling some chocking and drowning. I made it out alive. Just. I just can’t any more I want to come home mother.
Soon enough I am hoping that I will be home and everything will be back to normal. I hope you are doing very well and I am hoping to see you very soon.
Cheerio
Walter xxx
Here is a piece of art I did based on my learning.
WW1 Letter And Art
Primary 6/7 have just finished our world war one topic. During this course of time we have learned about the Tuscania, Otranto, ww1 itself and the heroes of our island. Myself personally has been reasearching an Argyll and Sutherland Highlander called Alastair Mackinnon. Alastair had no Brothers, but he had two sister: Margaret and Sheila, and lived in Kildalton house. To be able learn about people of Islay back in 1918 we had to have relevant primary and secondary sources of evidence to combine and make a morally excellent piece of writing. The writing had to be a letter from whoever we were reasearching about to their family and I chose to write to Alastair’s Mother. We also had to combine our knowledge about life in/during war to create a detailed art media to tell the story’s of war life on land, sea, and sky.
This is what my letter looks like;
Somme
France
Mametz
February 7th 1916
Dear Mother,
Tally Ho, Tally Ho. For a long time I have missed you all very dearly and I would feel very passionate if I could have to opportunity to come back home soon but unfortunately I cannot. At the moment I am currently in the Somme. The weather right now has dawned dry and bright down at us but soon it will be flushing down with rain, filling the trenches and making the mud more hazardous and unsafe. Even worse it could make it easier for people to drown in the mud. Anyways, how was the ploughing match and who won? I can hear the shells Screeching down on us crashing hardly on the ground frantically firing pieces of metal all about.
How are my lovely sisters Sheila and Margaret getting on? I know Sheila wants to be a teacher, how is that going? I know for a splint fact that Father is still doing a splendid job as the Minister of kildalton Parish. I know dad visits the school quite often, how are the port Ellen children and Mr Maglocklen doing as I know he was my head teacher? How are Duncan and Jane getting on? My mind always stays positive when I think of you all and our McAlpine neighbours. Its something I will think of till the end of time. I have positive news for you all; the officers have told I that I am a young general favourite in the district of the soldier! Ever since I have been told that I have had my back up right and marched on through the troubles and worries, Proud and Tall. I have also ranked up to a Lieutenant and that I am honoured and blessed gratefully about.
I am currently in the trenches whilst writing to you. Despite having lots of nice chaps that I have already known and unexpectedly never met, the trenches are small, cramped and very uncomfortable to sleep in. We are all like old beggars under sacks. Especially without a bed or plumped pillow to lay my head on. I can hear the shells Screeching down on us crashing hardly on the ground frantically firing pieces of metal all about. Every time I open my eyes in the morning I feel tearful, abandoned, astounded, welling, disappointed, devastated, and heart broken because I am not with my loving family that misses me greatly. Perished I am, men scurrying one after another some blind, some deaf all because of gas. Foggy and thick gas smothering all over their faces, makes me think death.
As I have said before I am hoping I can leave the revolting war shortly and be able to come back to Islay. The Smokey breeze of the explosions sends me back warm and loving memories. Especially I want to be able to be here in the spring helping with the cow milking that I have missed out on. I love you all very dearly and I hope you are having a spiffing time. I must get heading, bye for now. Sending you all my warmth love. Pip Pip cheerio
Alastair MacKinnon xxx
Lieutenant soldier
This is what my Art Media looks like:
Engineering Art
Today on Friday 9th March Port Ellen Primary School had Elaine Johnston come and help the whole school create art. Primary 6/7 did an engineering abstract picture where we drew things that related to engineering like screws, cables and cogs. We used the art Eduardo Paolozzi as an inspiration for our work. We then had to paint them in only black, white and yellow we were allowed to mix the colours together. Once the paint had dried we outlined the picture in black and used metallic pens to add effect and texture to our pictures. It was a lot of fun and we would like to say thank you to her for helping us. The pictures will be on display for our year of engineering.
