Welcome! We hope that after having a look at our blog you will find out some more information about life at little Leswalt Primary School.
It is not the quantity – but the quality that counts!
Welcome! We hope that after having a look at our blog you will find out some more information about life at little Leswalt Primary School.
It is not the quantity – but the quality that counts!
Today, we participated in Safer Internet Day 2025 – an annual event which explores all the ways in which we can use the amazing source that is the internet in the safest way possible!
This year’s theme is ‘Too Good to be True’ and gave us all a chance to consider all the offers which we might see online and how to keep ourselves protected from scams.
Our learning this morning was led by our Digital Leaders Rachael and Murray. They presented the whole school with an information powerpoint, held a quiz to check everyone had been listening and set a ‘Design an Cyber Superhero’ competition for all to get to involved in! Working as buddies, older and younger pupils worked together to create their best designs and what wonderful superheroes they all produced!
The Digital Leaders then had the unenviable task of judging the Cyber Superheroes!
And the winners are…
P1 – Gregor Runner-up – Erin
P2 – Jorgie Runner-up – Cameron
P3/4 – Hannah Runner-up – Keira
P6 – Rebecca Runner-up – Roman
P7 – Ellie Runner-up – Ela
We all joined the BBC Live lesson at 11am which was a fun 30 minutes of interactive games and top tips about how to stay safe online. P6/7 followed this up by using this theme for their Literacy Comprehension lesson.
A busy Safer Internet Day!
UNCRC
Article 17 – Access to Information
Article 29 – Aims of Education
Meta Skills
Initiative Ivy
Integrity Imani
As winners of our in-school K’Nex Challenge before Christmas, Rachael and Rebecca were chosen to represent Leswalt Primary at the Rhins Cluster Creating Engineers Challenge held yesterday at St Joseph’s Primary Stranraer. This exciting K’Nex Challenge is run annually by the Glasgow Science Festival.
The girls were set the task of designing an exercise bike using K’Nex. They needed to sketch their plan, work together and have a finished product ready to be judged – all within a one hour time-scale!
Rachael and Rebecca were super role-models for our school – they were polite and mannerly, listened well and worked together co-operatively. Mrs Kyle, who had accompanied them, was very proud of them.
Two judges took the time to look at all the K’Nex models before leaving the room to discuss their findings.
They then returned to tell the waiting competitors who had won and…drum roll please… Rachael and Rebecca WON!
Next stop…the regional K’Nex finals in Dumfries! Well done girls – you have done our wee school proud!
UNCRC
Article 29 Aims of Education
Article 31 Rest, Play, Culture, Arts
Meta-skills
Initiative Ivy, Adapting Aleksander, Focusing Fergus
Our Primary 7 pupils enjoyed a taster coaching session in curling today. Under the expert guidance of Gail Munro MBE and all the coaching staff at Stranraer Ice rink our senior pupils were brushing and curling their way to victory!
All pupils have arrived back at school with certificates for their participation and details of how they can enjoy more curling at an after school club – please look school bags for details.
We could have the next Bobby Lammie or Vicky Wright ( Olympic gold medallists) in our schools again!
Today we enjoyed our annual Burns’ Lunch – a little later than we had initially planned due to the storms but it was worth the wait!
Daisy led the celebrations in her role as chairperson inviting Betty in P1 to carry in the haggis, our ‘Address to a Haggis’ P7s to recite the poem with gusto (thanks Ben G, Ela, Sean, Holly and Ewan!) and Sean to say the Selkirk Grace before we all tucked into our tasty lunch!
Following this we enjoyed listening to the toasts. Ben G and Ewan gave the Toast to the Lassies – with a little bit of teasing thrown in! Holly and Amelia gave the Reply to the Lads with an equal measure of joking. Isla and Ellie were invited to give their Toast to the School which celebrated all things good about our wee school. Ela rounded up our lunch with a Vote of Thanks before we all joined in with a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne.
A braw wee afternoon with the weans!
Today we had the pleasure of welcoming Kathryn Purchase from History Alive to the P6/7 classroom! The pupils have been investigating Scotland at the time of Wallace and Bruce and Kathryn’s presentation brought this history period alive and visual – and what an amazing morning we all had!
Kathryn took us on a whistle-stop tour of Scotland (and England and France!) at the time of the 1280s onwards. We learnt about the influence of the French Normans, the rule of Edward I, the importance of the Church and the power struggle which was taking place in Scotland caused by the death of King Alexander III. We enjoyed sharing what we had already learnt about this – we have researched as far as Wiliam Wallace so far – and Kathryn told us about the battles and key figures which followed next culminating in the reign of Robert the Bruce.
My goodness but the battles were gruesome! Kathryn had some replicas and explained about the Scottish victories and defeats and how important weaponry was.
The class enjoyed exploring the replicas and costumes – it was such a great way to learn!
Just take a look at the photos below…
The pupils of Leswalt Primary have had a super busy month with all things Scots! Each pupil was set the challenge of learning a Scots poem, writing it out in the very best handwriting and creating some fabulous artwork to go with it. These formed January’s homework tasks.
On Monday, Mrs Buchanan had the unenviable job of judging this – she was ably assisted by Mrs Cash Leswalt Church’s minister. Phew! They had a very tricky job on their hands!
But, to keep the excitement going…. the pupils only found out who were the winners today at our annual Scots’ Showcase Afternoon to which friends and family were warmly invited to attend!
The audience were treated to Scots’ songs, wonderfully expressive recitations and a display of fantastic artwork and handwriting. Well done to all the weans!
Leswalt Primary School Burns Results 2025
Class 1
Poem – Wee Red Motor
Recitation winners:
1. Erin
2. Ada
3. Jessica
Illustration winners:
1. Erin
2. Betty
3. Jessica
Handwriting winners:
1. Gregor
2. Jessica
3. Erin
Class 2
Poem – The Elephant
Recitation winners:
1. Cameron
2. Jorgie
3. Beathan
Illustration winners:
1. James
2. Cameron
3. Beathan
Handwriting winners:
1. James
2. Jorgie
3. Cameron
Class 3
Poem – The Circus
Recitation winners:
1. Hannah
2. Kiera
3. Emma
Illustration winners:
1. Kiera
2. Thea
3. Emma
Handwriting winners:
1. Hannah
2. Eilidh
3. Aira-Rose
Class 4
Poem – Magic Pizza
Recitation winners:
1. Ellie Burton
Illustration winners:
1. Lily Bennewith
Handwriting winners:
1. Lily Bennewith
Class 6
Poem – A Dug a Dug
Recitation winners:
1. Colin
2. Roman
3. Murray/ Rachael
Illustration winners:
1. Murray
2. Roman
3. Rebecca
Handwriting winners:
1. Rachael
2. Rebecca
3. Ben
Class 7
Poem – Anything by Burns
Recitation winners:
1. Ela
2. Daisy
3. Holly/Isla/Ben
Illustration winners:
1. Ellie
2. Sean
3. Ela
Handwriting winners:
1. Holly
2. Amelia
3. Ewan/Ela
UNCRC Article 31 Rest, Play, Culture, Arts
Another fabulously fun session with Niamh today (who did say this class was her favourite one to visit!) Every pupil listens well, follows instructions and gets stuck in – oh my do they get stuck in?! The state of their clothes and hands is testament to that!
Niamh is super keen for each and every one of them to come along to the Junior Rugby sessions on a Sunday as they all show great promise! It would be fantastic to see some of them take her up on this offer… 🙂
UNCRC Article 31 Rest, Play, Culture, Arts
Big thank you to Ellie and Sean for representing Leswalt Primary so well at the recent Rotary Lunch. Their polite manners were as expected from this pair and we were delighted to nominate them to attend.
Mr Alec Ross talked about To a Mouse by Robert Burns and gave an excellent recitation and explanation of this. Ellie and Sean enjoyed the chat with Rotary Club members and other P7 pupils representing our local area. They also enjoyed a slap-up lunch!
A lovely way to start the week – and a chance to thanks 2 very Responsible Citizens for their great behaviour!
UNCRC
Article 31 – Rest, Play, Culture, Arts.
Article 29 – Aims of Education
Primary 1-4 were delighted that their input from Lighthouse musicians today had the added bonus of a special visitor in the form of Mr John Harvey and his bagpipes.
John played some traditional, and not so traditional songs on his bagpipes for all to jig along to. He also allowed pupils the chance to have a go playing them and try on some kilts.
This musical input ties in perfectly with the current Scots literacy focus we have in school for the month of January. The children enjoyed the pipes being played – and Mrs Baillie had some explanations to people on the phone to her this afternoon!