This afternoon we were delighted to welcome Mark Pogson into school to do a session with the boys and girls on QiGong – a Chinese art of breathing, and meditation. They were taken through a mixture of movements and breathing techniques designed to make them feel super zen – perfect for this time in the school calendar when everything is so busy 🙈!
Both classes took part in a 30 minute session. They used their arms and legs to create different poses while imagining a ball in their arms, they used this ball to create body poses and help to control their breathing – making them very quite, concentrated and most importantly relaxed. The time just flew in and they were all surprised when the sessions ended as it felt like no time had passed ☺️🥋
A huge thank you to Mark for delivering this session, it was definitely a big hit at Leswalt Primary.
Meta Skills – Focussing Fergus
Rights – (Article 31) The right to play and relax · (Article 13) Freedom of expression
P1-4 have been getting into bowling as part of their P.E focus this term.
Dan, Colin, Bobby and and co. from Kirkcolm Bowling club were happy to bring some of their bowling gear to the school and this gave the pupils some hands on expert experience in developing their skills in bowling and learn more about the game.
They had an excellent time and we are very grateful to the gentlemen at Kirkcolm Bowling Club to make the time and effort to come into the school and take time out of their own personal lives for us. It is much appreciated and another example in how our local community continues to support us!
⚽️ Our partnership football team kicked off their debut in style , in the Primary league on Friday. Despite the two schools never having played together as one, they did us proud on the pitch .
Our top team won two games ( and lost two) on their very first outing. ⚽️ Well done ! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Today we were delighted to welcome Mike from Bikeability to our P6/7 classroom to kick-off our practical cycle sessions!
This starts officially next week but today’s session dealt with an introduction, getting to know Mike and about his lifelong interest in bikes and safety checks on our bikes. What a fabulous opportunity for us 🚲
Our sessions will take place over 6weeks and we help us to become safe and responsible cyclists – lifelong skills! Mike has been cycling since he was young and has cycled in lots of countries! He used to be a primary school teacher in Coventry and used to cycle to work on VERY busy roads. He has also completed cycle challenges (a one day 161 mile ride from the Irish Sea to North Sea challenge!), cycled the Hebridean Way Ride 2023 from Barra to Lewis and taken his bike on holidays camping on the way. He shared his love of cycling with us – a hobby which helps him to keep fit too!
Our Bikeability sessions will focus on building confidence, developing our safe cycling and road user skills and having fun! Roll on practical session 1 next week ♥️
The Cycling Code
♥️ Resilience ♥️ Respect ♥️ Kindness ♥️ Patience and a smile 😊
Thanks to funding from the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, Leswalt Primary’s playground is now the proud owners of two new, colourful playground markings!
A fabulous Snakes and Ladders game is ready and waiting for the pupils to enjoy at breaktimes – as well as a numbers to 10 rocket which they can use to play Hopscotch! Both games offer the perfect opportunity to have lots of fun with their friends whilst using their counting skills too. A win win I would say!
Many thanks to the EMS for their financial help – it is very much appreciated.
UNCRC Article 31 Rest, Play, Culture and Arts Article 29 Aims of Education
Meta Skills Communicating Cate, Collaborating Cora and Integrity Imani 🙂
Our future budding engineers Rebecca and Rachael travelled to Dumfries yesterday to participate in the Glasgow Science Festival Creating Engineers Regional Final! The girls had won the local Rhins competition last term and we now competing on a bigger stage!
As expected, they were exemplary representatives of our wee school and they worked hard to complete the tough challenge of planning, designing and building a K’Nex digger complete with a cab, steering wheel, arms and a bucket. We may be a little biased but we thought their finished product was FABULOUS!
Although the girls did not win the regional competition, they are winners in our eyes and we are very proud of them. Well done you two 🙂
UNCRC Article 29 Aims of Education
Meta Skills – Collaborating Cora Communicating Cate Adapting Aleksander
This week, the pupils of Leswalt have had an egg-citing time exploring the Easter story through arts and crafts, baking, finding out about cultural traditions and becoming quiz masters! 🐣
Working together, the older pupils buddied up with their younger friends as they planned, designed and decorated hard boiled eggs.
Mrs Baillie had the unenviable task of judging the decorated eggs – tough decision as they had all been so creative! The winners were…
P1-4 1st – Beathan and his Minion
2nd – Aria-Rose and her fluffy bunny
3rd equal – Eilidh with her Ninja Turtle and Cameron with his witch
P6/7
1st – Ewan with his couped ewe(!)
2nd – Ben G with Pikachu
3rd equal – Rachael with her butterfly and Isla with her Minecraft egg
They then had great fun rolling their eggs down ‘the burn’. We talked about the symbolism of the eggs being rolled too.
As P1-4 had learnt lots about the Easter Story before the holidays, they taught the older ones all they knew and then everyone worked in pairs to create quizzes for one another using Microsoft Forms! 💻✝️
P1-4 also baked a Simnel cake with the help of Mrs Kyle and James made some yummy chocolate crispy nests! Cameron could tell me that they had decorated the cake with 11 toppings representing the disciples – not 12 as Judas had betrayed Jesus. This cake is traditionally eaten at Easter time and the boys and girls enjoyed munching it up! What a fun week we have had learning about Easter 🐣
James looks chuffed.
Busy working together!
The witch and the couped ewe
The finished results!
Thumbs up from Betty
P1-4 egg decorating winners!
P1-4 warm up for egg rolling
Busy busy…
Smiles from Hannah!
Gregor supervised Mrs Kyle as she cut the cake
P6/7 Egg decorating winners!
Jorgie had a taste
Will Beathan like the cake?
P6/7 take their positions…
Ingredients ready…
Hard at work
Hannah gets creative
UNCRC
Article 14 – Freedom of Thought and Religion
Article 31 Rest, Play, Culture, Arts
Article 29 Aims of Education
Meta-Skills
Collaborating Cora Leading Li Initiative Ivy Communicating Cate
P6/7 headed to Green Valley this morning for the annual Rhins Primary Cross Country event.
All pupils ran/walked a mile and represented their school with exemplary behaviour – so proud of them!
Colin came 2nd in the P6 boys category and Rachael was 1st in the P6 girls – superb effort!
As part of their RME topic learning about the Hindu festival of Holi, P6-7 pupils donned some very old clothing and headed outside on Friday afternoon to take part in paint throwing! Pupils learned all about the origins of the festival and how Hindus celebrate this by lighting bonfires and throwing colourful paint powder at each other, so we thought we’d have a go ourselves! Have a keek below at the fun in action! Apologies if any children still have bright red or blue faces and hands tomorrow!
P6-7 pupils visited Leswalt Church on Friday morning as part of their RME topic, learning about Christian artefacts, worship and rites of passage. Rev. Marlane Cash kindly met us at the church and was on hand to explain to everyone about the significance of various artefacts, including the font, pulpit, lecturn, chalice, communion wafer, organ, Bible and cross. Pupils even got the opportunity to try one of the communion wafers – but emphasised that this hadn’t been blessed! Pupils were all of a sudden keen to attend church for Communion after learning that even children get offered the red wine!
Marlane then explained how Sunday worship usually looks and spoke about hymns, Bible readings, the sermon that she leads, the Lord’s Prayer and the benediction. Pupils asked lots of questions to further their learning.
We had a great afternoon learning about Christianity in an interactive way – thanks to Marlane for giving up her time to speak to us.
UNCRC Article 14 – freedom of thought & religion
Trying the unblessed communion wafer
Marlane showing us a very old version of the Bible
