P3/4 have been learning about parts of a plant and what each part does. They have also learned about photosynthesis – the process where plants make energy for carbon dioxide and water using energy from the sun and chlorophyll in leaves. They used a new app on the ipads called Explain Everything to show what they had learned.
Seeds from Space
P3/4 are now officially plant scientists. Along with lots of other schools from across the country we are taking part in a scientific experiment to find out about the effect of space on plant growth. We were given two packets of seeds from the Royal Horticultural Society – one normal rocket seeds and the other a packet that have been to the International Space Station with Tim Peake. We have learned all about fair testing and randomisation and the seeds are now sitting waiting to grow. We will keep you posted of progress and our results!
RAF Endeavour
I got the idea because I want to work in the RAF when I am older.
I planned to make a model plane and research about most of the planes and drone. wanted to work in the RAF when I am older.
I have started my model plane and done a lot of research about all the planes because I got a recruitment package of the RAF with lots of facts about the planes.
Starting my model plane was something I overcame as well as doing a lot of research.
Mrs Clark helped me do my model plane with the glue and knife.
I will share a sway a model plane and a lot of reaserch. I will let them fly the plane out side along the grass and they can look at the recruitment package.
Writing My Story For Endeavour
For my Endeavour this year I chose to write a story. My Story is about a Storm that hits the west coast of Scotland, when the storm hits a village in Scotland called Pugsville a family that are called the Camerons. One of their dogs run away then late at night they realize their dog is missing and they go looking for her.
Where Did I Get My Idea From?- Since I love reading and writing I thought I would do it as my Endeavour.
What Have I Achevied?- So far I have achevived my first draft of my story and some of my pictures.
Who Helped Me?- Mrs.Clark, Mrs.Cuthsworth and my mum.
What Will I Share With People At The End?- At the end I will try sell my book.
What Problems Have I Overcome?- The problem that I have overcome was finding out how to put my book onto a kindle.
How Did I Plan My Endeavour?- I planned my my characters by drawing them twice to see which one was better then I picked it to be in my book, I planned my story by doing a storyboard.
First Rocket Seed Germinates
Our first rocket seed has germinated!! It was only planted 2 days ago!!
Fashion In The Past Century Endeavour
For my Endeavour this year I am studying clothes in the past 100 years because I am really interested in what people wore in the past compared to what people wear now. I got my idea from sewing and clothes designing because it includes sewing and different clothes designs. I planed my Endeavour with a long term planner which helps me with what I am doing for as long as I do Endeavour this year and I also use a short term planner which I use to help me plan what I am going to do for our Endeavour afternoon on Thursdays. I have achieved sewing my drindle skirt from the 1950s but I still need to finish another dress. For my Endeavour Mrs MacFarlane has helped me and so has my Mum. At the end of my Endeavour I will have two dresses to show.
Architecture Endeavour
This year my Endeavour is Architecture. I got the idea of doing Architecture because I don’t know anything about Architecture and I wanted to learn more about it. I have achieved a model house, a plan for my model and lots of research to help do my Endeavour. I planned my Endeavour by doing my long term planner. Long term planner is a planner that has writing on it which what I wanted to do in my endeavour. A problem I have overcome is when I was making my house it broke and I had to start again. My mum has helped me with my Endeavour at home and my teacher Mrs Clark has helped me in school and a teacher from the high school Mr Pollack sent me an email. At the end of my Endeavour I will have to show my model house my plan for it research and a big board of what I have have done in my Endeavour.
Wooden Toys Endeavour
My Endeavour is on making wooden toys. I choose this Endeavour because I wanted to try something new and this year your Endeavour had to relate to the world of work. This project I can sell the products I make to people at the Endeavour fair.
I got my idea one night when I was watching my dad make a gate for where he was working this inspired me to chose this project.
I got my plan from looking on the internet where I saw loads of cute and really good ideas so I took some put them together and made my plan.
I have achieved lots of things like a pram, 2 jigsaws, lots of plans and wooden box with alphabet letter.
Trip to the Pontoons
On Monday 25th April P3/4 went to see the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust boat. It is called the Silurian.
The Silurian was fancy. It had ten beds, a toilet, a shower and a galley. On deck there was a huge steering wheel and dials. A digital map was on top of the steering wheel. There was a thing that tells you how much knots the wind is going. The boat is 20m long, double the size of my dad’s boat because my dad’s is only 10m.
I learned about whales and dolphins. The biggest whale in Scotland is the minke whale and the smallest is the porpoise.
By Drew, P3
Whale and Dolphin Boat
On Monday we went to visit the Silurian. It was awesome. There were ten beds. We had to search for things up on top of the deck and down below the deck. They had toilets and showers on the boat.
Then we did learning about whales and dolphins where we listened to the sounds they made under the water. I learned that sperm whales have 40 teeth in their mouth and they go deep down into the sea and use clicks to see their prey.
By Donald, P4
Silurian Visit
On Monday 25th April we went down to the pontoons at the pier to see the Silurian which is the boat of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. We had to put on life jackets.
The Silurian was a yacht. It was very nice and fancy. First we investigated the boat. We found out that the boat had ten beds, a galley, a bathroom, a dining room, a crows nest, a steering wheel, two masts and sails. The front of the boat is the bow and the back is the stern.
I learned about basking sharks. I also learned about the sounds of dolphins and whales and that people listen for the sounds underwater using a hydrophone.
By Ciaran, P4
Port Ellen Primary School’s Clubs.
We are now starting clubs for the summer term since P567 have had training in leadership skills. A club will run every day lunch break. On Monday is football run by Ross, Ronan and Darren, on Tuesday is rounders run by Ruaridh, Bronagh and Matthew, Wednesday is fitness club run by Struan, Katie and Taylor, Thursday is art club run by Mirren, Sophie and Joe, Friday is book club run by Eva, Ellie and Kaitlyn. All of these clubs will be starting next week on Monday 25th april 2016. The clubs will be enjoyed by every single person in the school.
Respect Value
Port Ellen Primary School has 4 values they are respect, resilience, honesty and success. We have been talking about respect. We have come up with different ideas of how to show respect here are some of our ideas. Be kind and caring to everyone around you, remember your manners, Don’t be cheeky to adults. We have been talking about this at our early assembly’s on a Monday morning. We are going to have a character for respect value and all the other values. We always get told on assembly’s on a Friday to always respect one another. Every week we will pick a new value and we will discuss that one until the next week.
My Amazing Baking Project!
I have been doing a Endeavour Project on Baking. I chose Baking for my Endeavour because I had never done Baking before. I planned it by using a Endeavour planner. I wrote all the things that I wanted to do for it. I have achieved doing baking for all the class and making pizza for the whole school to eat. I have also achieved on nearly doing my Recipe Book with all the recipes that I have cooked so far. There has been a few problems that I have overcome. Sometimes I can’t go baking with Mary because she is busy and I had problems when I could not find books with recipes that I need in them. Mrs MacFarlane helped me when I was going baking at school. Mrs Holyoake also helped me by lending me her recipes for me to use. Out of school, Holly’s gran Mary helped me bake things for my sisters bake sale for her Endeavour. Nearly every Saturday, I go to Mary’s house to do some baking. At the Endeavour fair, I will be showing a recipe book, A taste table with all the recipes typed on a sheet of paper, and a video of me baking, and top 5 recipes that you can bake at home.
Sweet Making Endeavour
For my Endeavour this year I have picked to do sweet making. The reason I have picked to do sweet making is because I really like sweets and I really wanted to learn how to make them myself. I have made lots of diffrent types of sweets such as honeycomb, peppermint creams and lots more. The only problem I have had so far with my Endeavour is running out of time for the sweet to set so I had to leave the sweet till the next day. Mrs MacFarlane has helped me in the kitchen with making sweets and she has also helped me come up with sweets to make for the week after. At the end of my Endeavour I will have lots of sweets to show and for people to try and a video of me making sweets and I will share some recipes and even have invented my own sweets.
SHARING THE LEARNING
The culmination of the Endeavour project for the students is the Endeavour fair. For primary 7 pupils they join other primary 7s from around the island in High School for an afternoon alongside S1 and S2 pupils to showcase their learning. There is also an Endeavour fair in school for P5-7.
The High School Endeavour fair is an opportunity for students to see what others have managed to achieve in their projects and chat with them about their journey. Teachers from High School also have a chance to meet with students and discuss their learning alongside members of the public. It is a great opportunity for children to
demonstrate their communication and presentation skills.
Our school fair is always widely supported by parents and we have had food, cake, plants for sale, live lobsters and chicks and exploding volcanoes to entertain the visitors, as well as music and videos and games. Sharing the learning is the final an most crucial part of the Endeavour project and it is an opportunity and motivation for children to make the effort to complete their projects.
What I Achieved Through The Holidays
Through the holiday I managed to achieve 2 walks up to Lagavulin with my mum and my dog both times , we didn’t meet anyone and 2 trips to the Singing Sands. The first time I went to the Singing Sands it was just me, my mum and my dog but the second time I went it was me, my mum, Emily, Eva, Charlet-Rose, Patricia, Eva’s Auntie Katie and Chloe. Eva’s mum and auntie brought their dogs as well and luckily there were no goats to chase!
I also managed to find a website called “plot a route.’’ It is where lots of people share different places to walk, cycle, run and many more activities. Its a great website:)
The Scottish Mathematical Challenge
This year pupils at Port Ellen primary school took part in the Scottish Mathematical Challenge where they had to answer problem solving questions 3 times over the year showing their working out. To get a bronze award you couldn’t lose more than 10 points, to get a silver award you couldn’t lose more than 6 points and to get a gold award you couldn’t lose more than 3 points. Rebecca, Katie, Ross and Matthew got a bronze award and I got a silver award missing out on a gold award by only one point! I feel happy because I got a silver I am also very surprised because I didn’t think my problem solving was that good. One of the questions was “Maureen, Alice and Siobhan are three young sisters, in that order of age. Alice is two years older than Siobhan. Each year, their wealthy aunt gives each of them, for each year of her age, as many pounds as she is years old. For example, on her first birthday a girl would receive one pound and on her third birthday nine pounds. The aunt has promised to continue this family custom with each girl until her twelth birthday. This year Maureen received as much as Alice and Siobhan put together.
How much will Siobhan receive next year?” I found this quite tricky. There was also a question about a diagram that represents a rectangular net, which is made from string notted together at different points. Another one was about a diving competition where there are 5 judges that each awards a whole-number from 1-10 and you had to work out all the possible scores awarded. It was really challenging but helped me get better at my maths problem solving. There is an award ceremony in June in Glasgow. Next year I will try to get a gold.
Beat the Flood
For National Science and Engineering Week P3/4 were trying to Beat the Flood. This was a challenge set by Practical Action to try and design and build a floodproof house that could stand up to flooding and monsoon rains. The design also had to be sustainable, use materials available on a small Pacific Island and be cheap to build. This innovative design has a water catcher and grows food on the roof so that people can still eat if the land around has been flooded.
Wild Weather
P3/4 investigated extreme weather events as part of their weather topic. Charlet Rose found out about the flash flooding in Boscastle in 2004. She discovered the cause of the flooding and used weather data to show the rainfall pattern over this event. She found out how the flash flooding affected the people and the disruption it caused. This was a great piece of work that pulled together learning in literacy, numeracy and social studies. Well done Charlet Rose.
Easter Assembly
P3/4 put on a fantastic Easter Assembly and Daffodil Tea for parents afterwards. The audience enjoyed the performance and great singing. We even made our own stained glass window backdrop for our assembly, which told the Easter story.
Investigating Microclimate
P3/4 have been investigating the microclimate in the school grounds. They used digital thermometers on loan from the Royal Meteorological Society to record the temperatures at different places in the school grounds. It was a great way to consolidate all they had learned about maps as part of their orienteering. They then worked in the group to produce a scientific report complete with prediction, method, results, bar chart and explanation. A great piece of work!
TOP SEVEN TIPS FOR ENDEAVOUR
Here are some of our top tips for carrying out Endeavour:
- INVOLVE PARENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY
- THOROUGH INITIAL PLANNING ESSENTIAL
- REGULAR REVIEWS OF PROGRESS
- KEEP A FINAL GOAL IN MIND
- ENSURE THERE IS CHALLENGE AND NEW LEARNING
- REMEMBER SET BACKS HELP US LEARN
- PLAN, DO, REVIEW OFTEN
Waste Week
Last week the Eco group decided to do a waste week and try to find out how much packaging gets wasted at lunchtime in school.
We collected it for only three days. There was quite a lot and I don’t think that it was very good. I think we should do the waste week again because on Tuesday 15th we collected 650 grams and to me that is very wasteful. On Wednesday it got a little better and then on Thursday it was the same as Monday, terrible. Hopefully we might be able to do it again and try to improve and have less packaging that gets wasted.
by Rowan
The Rock Cycle
P567 at Port Ellen Primary have been doing Geology. This includes learning about rocks. So, we learned about how all the rocks are formed. They are formed by a cycle which is the Rock Cycle. There are 3 types of rock groups: Sedimentary rock, Metamorphic rock and Igneous rock. First, little broken up pieces of rocks, called Sediments cement and compact together to make Sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rock then heats up and gets lots of pressure building up on it. Then it turns into a Metamorphic rock. Next the Metamorphic rock travels to the core of the Earth and melts into magma. When magma crystallizes, it makes Igneous rock. Finally, Igneous rock then experiences Weathering, Erosion and Depostition. Then the Igneous rock turn back into Sediments. Then, It starts again. The process of the rock cycle takes millions of years to complete. When we were learning about the Rock Cycle, we all made A3 posters and we drew a diagram on the Rock Cycle. I thought learning about The Rock Cycle was really fun.
Science Club
Mrs Clark has started a club called science club on Wednesdays from 3:30am to 4:30pm. We have done it for 2 weeks; the 1st week we did it we were doing looking for worms for citizen science. The next week we did balloon rockets and the boys won by 2 meters with 1 balloon because we put more air in it for the pressure.
The Great Day of Sport Relief
On Friday the 19 of March all of Port Ellen primary walked down the streets collecting money for Sport Relief, even the nursery. The places they went to ask for money was the park, the Cyber, the Islay Hotel, Lennox Street, the Columba Hall, the whole village streets and the doctors. But before that long walk we sold lots of cake to everyone in the school. The amount of money we raised was £405.17. Well done and thanks.
Scottish Country Dancing
For the Day of Dance, which is when children from other schools come to Bowmore hall and we all do different dances, we have been practicing different dances in partners. We have learned the Dashing White Sergeant and much more. It has improved our level of fitness and we have learned to work together in groups and partners better. We have also improved our listening skills because we have to listen to the teachers so we know how to do the dances.
It is energetic and you can meet your friends and maybe new friends when we practice the dances and go to the day of dance and we will learn and get better at Scottish country dancing.
Fitness Club
Struan and Ronan are starting up a new club on a Wednesday and will be taking p 3,4,5. It will be running in the hall and out side when it is nice. Thy are going to be taking them for runs around the school and doing circuit courses in the hall. They are doing it as part of Struan’s Endevour which is fitness. It will be running at lunch time.
Orienteering Club
On Monday afternoons after school ends Mrs Harrison takes orienteering club from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. It is for classes 4-7 it is a great way for the children to get fit and more healthy. We either do 3 courses or 1 course. At the last club we did 3 courses, 2 timed ones and one just for fun.
The timed course had 3 different levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. There were 10 numbers in all the courses you had to get as many numbers done in the fastest time you could. There was a tie for 1st place between Ruaraidh Macdonald and Bronagh Newman. In orienteering club we start 20 seconds after the person in front so when you finish you take off your starting time. Today is the last orienteering class before the holiday.
We have all enjoyed it!
