Author: Mrs Baillie

We were very proud of our two confident individuals, Jorgie and Colin last night.  They stepped on the stage at the Ryan centre, in front of a packed audience and recited their Scots poetry word perfect, with great expression.  It was a great evening of entertainment and both Jorgie and Colin represented our school so very well.

Well done to both our stars! 👏👏👏

Our Primary 6 and 7 pupils recently had an amazing time during their residential trip to Edinburgh . 

They crammed so much into their two days away, and were so very well behaved.  Several people commented on what delightful pupils they were and how they represented the school impeccably.  Well done all – we are very proud of you .  Many thanks must got to he staff for supporting the pupils when away.  Everyone had the best time!

Have a look what they got up to here – 

 

Residential trips are powerful because they combine challenge, independence and new environments, which naturally develop meta-skills such as resilience,  self-management and confidence

School residential experiences support several rights outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by providing opportunities for children to learn, participate, and develop independence in a new environment. During residential trips, pupils exercise their right to education (Article 28) and the goals of education (Article 29) through experiential learning and personal challenge.  Time spent engaging in  social activities also supports Article 31, which recognises children’s right to rest, play and take part in recreational activities. Together, these experiences help promote wellbeing, confidence, resilience, and positive relationships among pupils.

Today Olivia and Lily got the chance to represent Leswalt Primary and travelled to Sheuchan Primary school to take part in the cluster heat of the KNEX engineering challenge.

It  is a great opportunity where pupils have the chance to demonstrate their creative design and build skills by solving set engineering challenges using the construction set K’NEX.

Our girls used their communication skills alongside their design
and build skills to compete against fellow pupils from all the other schools in the Stranraer area. 

The challenge was to make something for a children’s playpark which had a handle to turn to make it move.  Our team made a swing.

They did a great job – well done Olivia and Lily!

META SKILLS

Collaborating

Communicating

Creativity

Critical thinking

A big well done must go to our confident individuals who took part in the recent Leswalt community Christmas concert.

Nine little people gave up their Friday evening to entertain everyone in Leswalt Memorial hall with their super singing of festive tunes.

Mrs Baillie rewarded all with a merit for being such confident individuals and a sweet treat as thank you for their time.

This little choir will be joined by some more of their friends to perform at the Christingle service in Leswalt Church on Christmas Eve.  Look out for them on their next stop on their tour!

 

 

 A huge congratulations and well done to Rachael Drummond and Olivia Fidler who both managed to secure third place in the Rhins cluster Badminton competition!

Rachael and Olivia have regularly been attending the Active schools club with Alison Murray and have been training up their skills in the sport to smash it in the inter schools championship.

A massive well done to  both girls.   It is a fab sport and a great opportunity to meet pupils from other schools.   Rachael came third in the P7  girls  and Olivia came third in the P6 girls .

We are very proud of both of you! 🏸🥉🥉

The pupils of Leswalt Primary school have created their own very unique Christmas tree which will be on display in Leswalt village Church for the next two weeks, as part of the Crhistmas tree festival which has invited different groups and people in our community to submit their tree creations.

We do not only have one star on our tree – but lots of stars! 🌟

How fantastic does this tree look?

 

Leswalt and Kirkcolm Primary 7 pupils both went along together to learn more about the World of Work and options available at the local campus in town.

While at the college, our senior pupils took part in 4 different rotations;

1.  STEM – activities focussing on Science, technology, engineering and maths
2. Meta skills – what they are and what skills are required for different occupations
3. Shark Island – a problem solving activity in which pupils had to collaborate and communicate
4. A tour of the college, showing all the different courses available ( including catering, childcare, beauty, hairdressing, mechanical engineering and construction) 

All the activities really got everyone thinking about the wealth of possibilities for life after school – including the skills needed for these jobs.  As well as coming together with Primary 7 pupils from other schools we were re-untied with the teacher formally known as Mrs F, from Leswalt Primary.  She was on hand to lead one of the activities and have a chat with some of the familiar faces from our schools.

After a snack stop midway through the activities, all came together at the end for a quiz – with the grand prize of a £10 Greggs voucher.  Sadly , none of our crew were lucky enough to win this, but they did have all of the correct answers ( but their name was not pulled out the hat!)

All and all it was  a fun morning, focussing on what the future could bring.

 

🎓 Key UNCRC Rights Linked to a College Visit

• Article 28 – Right to Education
  • Every child has the right to education. Visiting a college supports this by helping children understand pathways to further education and inspiring them to pursue learning beyond school.
• Article 29 – Goals of Education
  • Education must develop a child’s personality, talents, and abilities to their fullest potential. A college visit exposes children to new environments, subjects, and aspirations, helping them envision their future and grow in confidence.
• Article 12 – Respect for the Views of the Child
  • Children have the right to express their views in all matters affecting them. A college visit can include discussions about future choices, encouraging children to voice their interests and ambitions.
• Article 13 – Freedom of Expression
  • Children have the right to seek, receive, and share information. Exploring a college campus allows them to ask questions, gather knowledge, and engage with new ideas.
• Article 17 – Access to Information
  • Children have the right to access information that is important for their well-being and development. College visits provide valuable insights into academic and career opportunities.

Primary 1-3 started a weekly block of Rugby training today – taken by staff from Wigtownshire Rugby club.

Our younger pupils enjoyed all the fun activities, and the brief shower of rain only served to help make the ground and them all the muddier!  It was certainly big smiles, and big fun all round.

Meta Skills being developed-

• Resilience Players face intense physical and mental challenges—bouncing back from setbacks, injuries, or a tough loss is crucial.
• Collaboration Rugby is a team sport through and through. Success depends on trust, communication, and working together under pressure.
• Adaptability Game plans shift, opponents surprise you, and conditions change. Being able to adjust quickly is a major asset.
• Decision-Making Whether it’s choosing when to pass, kick, or tackle, players need sharp judgment in split seconds.
• Self-Leadership Staying disciplined, motivated, and focused—especially when things get tough—is vital for personal and team growth.
• Emotional Intelligence Managing emotions, reading teammates’ moods, and staying composed helps maintain team cohesion and performance.

🏉 UNCRC Rights Fostered Through Rugby

According to Gregor, today has been the “best Friday ever!”.  This judgement was based on all the sweet treats provided in school today.  

At breaktime the boys and girls of Leswalt were treated to some birthday cake from Noah, in Primary 1.  Noah is only 4 today, but tomorrow he will turn into a big 5 year old! Happy birthday to Noah ! 🎂

After lunch,  the boys and girls of P1-3 enjoyed some jelly, cream and sprinkles from Mrs Mc Knight.  Yesterday, they had all made the jelly in school as part of their writing and writing the procedure on how to make jelly. 🍹

Then, to end the day the younger children enjoyed some Oreo biscuits – this time as part of their Science learning and teaching.  They enjoyed taking bites out of the biscuits to demonstrate the different phases of the moon.  🥮

So, fruity Friday was replaced for one week only with some sugar.   By the smiles on their faces, I do not think they minded!

Normal service shall resume next week…..

 

 

The sun was shining.  The uniform was crisp and clean.  And, all the boys and girls were smiling as they arrived at Leswalt Primary for their first day back at school after the Summer holidays❤ .

All our new pupils – Jack, Noah, Leo, Ellis, Merida, Olivia and James tootled off into their new classes when the bell rang like they had always been here.

And, everyone was in for a treat, as the fabulous Mrs Ferguson had left a playtime snack for all – crisps and chocolate treats for all the boys and girls, as a thank you for her fond farewell at the end of last term.

All the boys and girls had brought a snack with them today.  So, tomorrow for one week only we will forget fruity Friday and they can help themselves to something from the treat box!😋

It has been a great first day so far – here is hoping everyone come back to school tomorrow smiling too! 😁