The mod is good because we all have fun and we won. It’s too bad that the big girls and boy are leaving. I learned that singing is fun but singing in Gaelic is AMAZING!!!!!!!
By Elizabeth.
P4/5 science.
Hi my name is Ciara and yesterday we were doing science in class in the afternoon. This is what we did, we got a bowl and put plastic over it and put sugar on and banged a drum loud and the sound made the sugar move. We learned
that sound is faster in water and if someone bangs the wall quietly you can hear it far away. We did three other experiments.
Ciara
Science
Yesterday we where learning about science. One of the things we learned was if you put your ear to something metal and get your friend to hit something hard on it you will hear it faster than through the air. If you put your ear to the wall and get a friend to hit it round the corner you can hear.
Annie
Science And Experiments
We did some experiments on sound today. We learned that sound travels 15 times faster through metal and bricks than air. In the ear there is a little bone that sends signals to the brain, it tells it if it’s a high sound or low, loud or quiet and the bone is above the ear drum. Sound is shock wave of vibration. We did an experiment on making something move without touching it. First you get a bowl and wrap it in cling film, second put sugar on it and then get an instrument and bang it and the sugar moves.
By Abbie
Science
Hello, my name is Jodie, and our new Topic is sound. It is interesting because we did an experiment. You get a
musical instrument and and a drum and put salt on it and bang the instrument and the salt should move and I learned when you speak sound waves come out.
By Jodie
Stornoway 2011 mod
Hi my name Eleanor, I am going to tell you about the when Port Ellen primary choir went to Stornoway for the 2011 National Mod. They won 3 trophies and they stayed in a lovely hotel and the food it was lovely too. I enjoyed singing because I like people watching me.
By Eleanor.
Science
Yesterday we were learning about Science. Two interesting facts I found out were that sound travels eighteen times faster through
metal than air and if you want to measure sound you have to use a Oscilloscope.
By Emily
Big Islay Hotel
At the Islay Hotel they have a lovely bar and out side there is a lovely pace to sit and have a drink.
By Eleanor
Viking Feast
Hello my name is Jodie.
On Thursday 6th October p4/5 were having a viking feast and we did a power point. My one was about Vikings on Islay.
Our mums came to see us and each group had something to do, my group was doing weaving we had a good time.
Viking Feast
At the Viking feast there was weaving and I did weaving. For food there was stew, bread, fruit and mackerel and there was the 
viking name generator and runes. We made up a saga with Jeremy. We made our own sagas for display and we sang Godred Crovan and showed our anamation and a power point.
By Robbie
Finlaggan Museum
On Tuesday 4th October P4/5 went to Finlaggan museum and we found out lots of interesting things about Vikings and how Vikings lived.
By Emily
Finlaggan
We went to Finlaggan this week and found out about Vikings on Islay. Then we found out about where they had council meetings if something went wrong. Next we got to see the chapel that had a fire place. Finally we got to go inside and see some viking things. The first thing you could see when we went in was the information desk with a real wooden carved tail and head. They let us look at a model viking ship in a glass. After that we had lunch and came back to school and had our break.
by Danni
Blood and Body Bits
We had Body Works in the school, they were from Glasgow science center. We had lots of fun, do you know if you get a blow torch and icing sugar you put the icing sugar near the blow torch and it will go up in flames. The presenter was talking about the throat and vomit it was funny.
By Alicia
Viking Feast
Hello my name is Annie.
On Thursday we had a Viking feast and we made stew, fruit salad and bread. Then we did some weaving and we got to see what our Viking name was in runes. Our mum’s and dad’s got to try the food and they did some weaving and got there names in runes. They watched our power point and our animation we made.
The Gaelic Awareness Day at Port Ellen School.
There was a Gaelic awareness day at Port Ellen primary school and all through the day we were doing lots of Gaelic activities. Clare Jorden came in to help us sing Godred Crovan and she let us do harmonies and play musical instruments. After lunch we had a game of Gaelic bingo and I was the first person to get a house. This is what you say when you get a house in Gaelic ‘thi’ that means house and we did exercises as well.
by Maisie, primary 5
P6/7 remember local hero
Major General Alexander McDougall was one of the most important men involved in the American War of Independence. At Portantruan where he was born, a cairn to him was unveiled last Thursday, 1st September. This young boy, born on Islay in 1732, grew up to be a truly great man.
We went to Portantruan in a minibus and then we climbed a small hill to get to the cairn. It was overlooking the Major General’s place of birth. Lord George Robertson, people from the Bank of New York, Mr Oglivary and Mr Reavey from the Museum of Islay Life were there along with some invited guests. Lord Robertson gave a speech and then we left. The others went to have lunch.
The Major General was born in 1732 at Portantruan. His family left Islay to go to America when he was only 6 years old. When he was 14 he became a merchant seaman and then a privateer. The British put him in prison for five months because he thought that America should not be ruled by the British. After the war, he became the first President of the New York Bank. He died when he was only 53. His last act was to be carried on a stretcher to vote against paper money.
I was very honoured to have been invited to the unveiling and I thought that it was very interesting what Major General Alexander McDougall did. It proves to me that if you work really hard you can do anything you want. I wonder what he could have achieved if he had lived longer?
By Elinor Baker (P6)
Kilmartin
Today we were visited by port Charlotte and Keills school because we were having a visit from Kilmartin Museum. We were doing woodworking, viking food, weaving and spinning, runes on clay and Viking music. We were were chopping wood with an axe and turning wood with a pole lathe, and I liked making the wood round on the lathe. I learned that Vikings used some horns for blowing to make music and had a spinning bone that made music.
Elizabeth
Islay Book Festival
For the Islay book festival this year we had lots of visitors and authors. One was Ruth Rendell and another Allan Burnett, also John Fardell and Debbi Gliori. I went to see Allan Burnett and brought three books and got them all signed. I got to dress up as Columba again. I learned how to be an author and I love Allan Burnett’s books. Thank you to the Islay book festival.
Oliver
Allan Burnett at Port Ellen Primary School
Allan Burnett was at Port Ellen primary school and he was talking to us about his history books. These are some of his books Columba, Wiliam Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Rob Roy, Robert Burns, Robert the Bruce and Invented in Scotland. Oliver dressed up as Columba and looked like Darth Vada. It was great fun!
Maisie
THE VIKINGS
We have been learning about the vikings. We found out our viking names, my one was Robstaf the Wise. The vikings were great sailors. The Vikings came from Denmark, Sweden and Norway and they made their clothes from wool and leather fron animals. They also washed their clothes in cow pee!
Robbie
Welcome Back Everybody!
Hope everyone has had a great holiday and is settling down to the new term in school. We have already hosted the Islay book festival, where we were visited by author Ruth Rendell! We also enjoyed some interesting talks by children’s authors Allan Burnett, John Fardell and Cathy Macphail. Thanks to the book festival organisers for providing us with such great events.
Coming up this term is a visit from Kilmartin Museum to discover all things Viking, and a Gaelic awareness day on the 30th September. Keep in touch to find out what the pupils think.
Beach Clean
On the 21st of June p4/5 and p1/2 from Port Ellen primary went to the local beach for a beach clean in the afternoon. They picked up lots of rubbish and lots of plastic bags. They had a play after and made sand castles and then made a boat out of sand.
ANDY STANTON AUTHORS LIVE
On Thursday 16th June 2011 primary 4/5 had a glow meet with the great author Andy Stanton, he writes Mr Gum books,they are really funny. He talked to us about his first book which was called You’re a Bad Man Mr Gum, he wrote it for his cousin 9 years ago. Then he warned us about him drinking water then going aaahhhhhh! It looked really weird, so he did that almost every 10 minutes but it was really funny and I think all of Primary 45 loved it.
by Emily P5
QUAIL EGGS HATCHING.
On Monday 20th June the first quail egg hatched it was Reece’s egg.It hatched two days early. It took the chick a long time to hatch from the egg. James’s egg was the second to hatch. James was holding the egg when it hatched Mrs McDonald also saw the egg hatch. We took the incubator which the chicks were in downstairs for school grounds open day. Alica’s egg hatched downstairs. Now some of the chicks are in a brooder which is a box with a heat lamp. Another few chicks have hatched over night. One of the chicks died, which is sad.
Elinor.
Port Ellen Primary School’s Open Day
On 20th July 2011 was Port Ellen primary schools open day. It was a very exciting and busy day! We had the giant monopoly, the lovely baking, a book swap and even real live chicks! While the open day was running, Lord Robinson came to our school and he was talking to us about our school and he just wasn’t here to talk to us he was also here to judge a photo competition. All the photos were amazing but he had to choose a 1st a 2nd and 3rd. Mrs Cusworth came to plant her lovely tree in the front of our school, it was a weeping cherry tree and it was a very nice moment. Lord Robinson said the 3rd is Beth 2nd is Ellen and 1st is Elinor! So that was a good time for everybody. Everybody would of been tired but it wasn’t over there was a yummy barbecue on at night! There were mums and dads selling burgers, there was nail painting, football and a big photo exhibition for people to look at. There was also a disco on on while the barbecue was going. and there was kids dancing for a long time but then sadly it was time to go home and everybody enjoyed their day at Port Ellen primary school.
By Ellen
P4/5’S SHOCK
On Monday 20th June 3 0f p4/5’s quail eggs hatched. My egg was the first egg to hatch. When we came in it had a wee crack in it then we had to go for a business meeting and when we came back up it was hatched. A while after another egg was hatching. It was james’s egg it was 2nd to hatch. James’s hatched on his hand. Then Alicia’s egg hatched. Over night Eilidh’s egg hatched but it’s not well. When the quails came out at first they were all slimy but two hours after they get all fluffy.
BY REECE P5
THE PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION.
On Monday 20th June it was the photography competition. It was also school grounds open day. All the children in the school took photos to enter the competition.Lord Robertson judged the competition. Some of the pictures were of plants others were of animals there were also some landscapes. It looked like a very difficult decision Lord Robertson had to make. Beth came in 3rd, Ellen in second and I came first. We all got a prize and had our photo taken. Ellen and Beth got sweets and I got a book token.
Elinor.
MRS CUSWORTH’S RETIREMENT CONCERT
On Wednesday 15th June 2011 all the children and parents came to the school to join Mrs Cusworth’s retirement concert at 6:30. during the night we had piping,highland dancing,solo singing,class songs and duets. The whole night was wonderful, at the end Mrs Cusworth was in tears but she still read out her speech that she had written that morning and for the finally we got a bunch of people from the school,2 from each class went up behind the stage and got her presents.we got her a big weeping cherry tree,a wooden chair with a brass sign so that she can remember us , we got her a box of chocolates and a really big card.the whole night was absolutely fabulous and we hope that Mrs Cusworth had a really great night.by Emily P5
Helen and Ellen at the Islay Mod.
On Saturday 4th June we went to the Islay Mod. It was an exciting day, people shivering with tension. ELLEN-I did a solo and a poem, and it was the best experience ever. The choir sang 4 songs, and won three firsts. We really liked the 2 part.
It was amazing to win so much and sing in the concert. It was such a thrill.
Ellen and Helen
Click below to hear a gaelic poem read by Ellen and Ruby
P5 Science Trip
On the 9th June me and Scott went to the Science centre in Glasgow along with Ellen, Emily, Ewan and Eilidh. We did a presentation in front of 4 judges of our Mission SOS topic. Afterwards we did some STEM challenges, they were fun and quite tricky. After that we went to the Imax to find out we had won an amazing prize of £250 for the best presentation on the day. It was a really great trip.
Jason and Scott.
