Our Weekly News December 14th

December 14, 2018 by Mr D Tyson | 0 comments

Our Weekly School News – Sharing our learning with the school Community.

Christmas Card Competition – well done to Lacey Davies in P5 who is a runner-up in our Westminster MP’s Christmas Card competition.

Listen out to West Sound’s Breakfast Show next Tuesday and possibly Wednesday when recordings of some of our classes singing Christmas Songs will be played 🙂

The school now also has a Twitter page and it is hoped to make regular tweets on class and school activities. Search for us using @castledps

The Reading Ambassadors’ Booksale was a success and lots of people left excited to read their new book.

Here are some photographs from our Infant Christmas Celebration earlier this week.

Families are invited to read and chat together about what we have been learning this week in some of our classes.

Primary 1a

We’ve had a very busy week in P1! We worked so hard towards the school show and hope you enjoyed our performances! Our favourite song was definitely Boogie Woogie Blitzen!

During the week, we’ve also been taking part in other Christmas activities. We have been practising wrapping presents, writing some Christmas cards and making decorations.

We’ve really been enjoying receiving Christmas stories from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer! Every day a new story arrives for us to read as a class. It’s making the wait for Christmas just a little bit easier.

Reminders
Our Christmas Craft afternoon is on Tuesday at 2pm. If you are hoping to attend, please sent back the RSVP slip.

Primary 1b

What a busy and fun filled week we have had! I want to say a HUGE well done to all of the children for their hard work and fantastic singing and dancing at the Christmas Concert. I am proud of all of them – superstars!

We have enjoyed making Christmas art in the classroom – making baubles with tissue paper and gems and Christmas trees with sticks.

Conall: “I like playing football with Zane, Zach and Kai and Ziya and Floyd.”

Zane: “I like playing football with Conall’s game and I like seeing Santa! I like playing with Elliot, Conall, Ziya, Zac.h”

Kai: “I’m going to see Santa at the Fire Station.”

Ellie: “I love playing outside, I love playing with Lego and I love playing football.”

Charlotte: “I like playing with Mya and I like learning with Mrs Thompson.”

Flynn: “I like playing with Eddie, Zane and Brodie and Archie.”

Mya: “I like playing with Charlotte, Willow, Beth and Tiffany. I like playing in the builders yard.”

Hannah is taking home Ben the Bear for the weekend – have fun Hannah and Ben!

Reminders

Tuesday 18th at 2pm – Christmas Craft afternoon.

Primary 3

We have had a very busy week in P3! The pupils were history detectives on our town walk and were learning about how Castle Douglas has changed over the years. We were developing our map reading skills and using signs and pictures to look for clues.

Ewan “I liked going to the Fire Station to see the old fire engine.”

Fallon “I learned that the swimming pool used to be a drill house.”

Kahlen “I learned that horses used to pull the postman’s cart.”

Alexander “I liked standing where the railway track used to be.”

Harrie “I learned that the path near my house used to be train tracks.”

We have been learning how to ask good quality questions and how to use a question mark in our writing. This week we had a lovely visit to Hanover court to speak to the residents and develop our talking and listening skills. We shared some of the lovely songs we have been learning in music with Mrs Teale.

Lewis “I tried to make people happy by singing to them.”

Rose “I made people smile because I asked them good questions.”

Ferne “I gave someone a handshake and I answered and asked good questions.”

Imogen “I was kind because I made the ladies happy.”

Harriet “I had good manners.”

Milly “I liked having conversations with the people and learning more about them.”

In I.C.T we are currently making a short film about what we are thankful for at Christmas time which we hope to share with all our visitors next week.

Reminders

Monday 17th December P3 and P3/4 Christmas party, please bring clothes in a labelled bag.
Wednesday 19th December P3 and P3/4 Christmas sharing afternoon.

Primary 3/4

What a busy week we have had!

We started off the week with a lovely visit to Hanover Court to visit the residents and spread some Christmas cheer. We shared some of our wonderful Christmas songs that we have been learning in music and developed our listening and talking skills by asking the residents some super questions.

Alex – “At Hanover we sang lovely Christmas songs. They sent us a lovely thank you card”

Caitlin – “We took some chocolates and biscuits with us to share with the residents”.

Coby – “We had a lovely chat with the residents. We had to ask good questions”.

Fern – “I handed out the chocolates”.

Ruby – “My question was how do you like to spread Christmas cheer”.

On Tuesday we visited the church to see our artwork and look at the Christmas trees that are displayed. We had a wonderful time and are working hard to learn our songs in preparation for the Christmas service on Friday. We are really looking forward to going back.

“Emma – “I enjoyed unscrambling the nine letters we found to make a word”.

Zak – “I liked looking at the lovely Christmas trees”.

This week we also went on a walk around the town to see how Castle Douglas has changed. We were super detectives and used the clues around us to look for evidence of change.

Ruby – “The swimming pool used to be the drill hall. The soldiers would train there”.

Kaidi – “I learned that there is evidence of the past all around us like signs and street names.”

Fern – “We can also find evidence of the past by looking at brickwork”.

Coby – “We found two brick signs when we left the school. These were from the old school and the girls and boys used to line up there”.

Lucca – “There used to be a train station where Tesco is. We looked at the bridge that the train would go under”.

We have also been preparing a Thankfulness at Christmas film in ICT. We can’t wait to share it with you.

Reminders

Monday 17th December – P3 and P3/4 Christmas party, please bring clothes in a labelled bag.

Wednesday 19th December – P3 and P3/4 Christmas craft afternoon.

Primary 4

On Monday we visited the church to see our art work and the decorated Christmas trees on display. We found out about what happens in the church at Christmas time. We have been singing our Christmas songs and look forward to visiting the church again on Friday for the Christmas service. We brought our mischievous elves to school and wrote an adventure story about what they have been up to. We had to write about something that goes wrong but gets sorted out in the end. With P4/5 we have learned the military two step and the dashing white sergeant in P.E ahead of our Christmas party on Tuesday. We have made paper strip trees in art, measuring, cutting and weaving paper to create triangles.

Thank you to all the P4 parent helpers who accompanied the children to the Church on Monday.

Reminders

Christmas Party – Tuesday 18th at 1:30pm. Please bring your party clothes to change into after lunch.

Primary 4/5

This week we have been busy selling the last few Christmas Chorus CDs. It has been a great success and the final amount raised is now over £600. Thanks again to all who purchased it.

In maths we have continued to learn about fractions. We now know how to place fractions on a number line in the correct order.

In PE we have learned the Military Two Step and the Dashing White Sergeant with P4/5, in preparation for our Christmas Party next week.

We have also been writing letters to Santa Claus. We had to include an address, a greeting and a closing farewell.

Shea – It was fun learning the Scottish dances in PE.

Charlotte – I’m so happy we made so much profit with our CDs but I feel quite sad that it is all over.

Murray – I have enjoyed dancing with pupils from other classes.

Brooke – I know how to lay out a letter the correct way.

Lhlyaijana – I remembered to include all the important information in my letter to Santa.

Reminders

Christmas Party – Tuesday 18th at 1.30pm. Please bring your party clothes to change into after lunch.

Wednesday 19th – Visit to the Church to see the decorated Christmas trees – remember to bring an appropriate coat as we will be walking there.

Primary 5

This week we have looked at Christmas television adverts and how different companies use a variety of product placement, themes and key messages to influence their audience. We will design our own Christmas adverts next week with a focus on persuasive writing. We have continued our work on fractions with Miss Mackintosh and measurement with Mrs Starkey in numeracy. We had a visit from Mrs Mckechnie from the Scottish Government Building last Friday which was great fun and we took part in our own debate, created manifestos and voted for a political party. In P. E. we have been learning the Canadian Barn Dance. We have also written Christmas cards with meaningful compliments and grateful messages and have been making snowballs. Next week we will look at the results from our survey of what people think about living in Castle Douglas.

What children have learned from our topic this week:

Lacey “I learned that the Scottish Parliament is in Hollyrood in Edinburgh. We also learned that you have to be 16 to vote and there are five main political parties. My favourite part was when we had to think of things to say at the vote.”

Rebecca “I learned how to debate and how to vote. My favourite part was when we were doing the debate.”

Shannon “I learned how to debate in a nice way.”

Douglas “I learned about if something is devolved or resolved. My favourite part was when I smashed the hammer as presiding officer.”

Anna “I was the leader for the political party for Animal Welfare. We learned how to debate and how to vote. I loved being the leader.”

Ruby “I learned what political party logos look like.”

Jack “I learned how to vote and my favourite part was the car races which explained how the voting system works.”

Eilidh “There are five main parties for example labour and SNP. My favourite part was when we had parties and we voted for our favourite!”

Summer “I have learned that you have to do a cross when you vote.”

Skye “I loved voting.”

Erin “My favourite part was when we were in groups and we had to think what we would do if we had to make Scotland the best.”

Well done to Alper who has recently started at a boxing club.
Congratulations to Eilidh and Isla who have received new belts in karate.

Reminders
Our Christmas party is next week on Wednesday 19th December at 1.30pm. Children should dress as normal for school and take their party clothes with them in a bag.

Primary 5/6

Please see our Twitter feed for our class news 🙂 https://twitter.com/mr_coulthard

Primary 6/7

This week we have been learning about the importance of budgeting. We made our Christmas Card this week also to send to our loved ones! We also visited the church to see the Christmas Tree Festival.
Abbie W has moved up a level at swimming lessons and can now swim in the deep end.