Week 5 & 6
This week Primary 7 took part in a Safer Internet Day live lesson. The theme this year was around learning how to stay safe and identify scammers online. They took part in 3 activities during the lesson to identify clues linked to scams then learned how to create a safe and secure password.
We also had lot of excited pupils all set for Lockerbie manor this week. Please check out Mrs Duncan’s daily updates on the main school page and on Facebook!
Week 4
This week we have worked hard on our P7 Burns Art competition. Pupils were tasked with choosing a part of the Tale of Tam O’Shanter to recreate using a range of different media. I am pleased to already see so much creativity shining through with the ideas and different approaches being adopted by pupils.
A gentle reminder that our Burns poetry initial judging will take place on the 12th February. Pupils are expected to make an effort to learn all, or at least some, of their poem by this date. Following judging on the 12th, our finalists will go forward to perform for the Burns club representatives who will come to school on the 18th February. 
Home Learning – 24th January 2025
Below I have included a grid of potential home learning tasks that can be completed during our school closure. These tasks are suggestions of work that can be completed and are not a compulsory list of tasks needing finished. I have included my email address at the bottom of the grid incase you have any questions or would like to send me photos of any completed work. Stay Safe!
Miss Rodger and Miss Clendinning
P7 Home Learning Grid
Week 3
Mrs Howie has asked me to alert pupils to a writing competition that is run by the Rotary Club which they are free to take part in if they wish. We unfortunately will struggle to fit this in during class time but if anyone would like to take part at home and bring entries in, I am happy to make sure they get to the right people.
Please see the information in the poster below.
We have continued to use the iPads for coding this week. We have been writing code to manipulate characters through a range of popular games. The children are working through each set of levels at their own pace ensuring for constant challenge as they progress. We have been looking at terminology and skills required in coding such as debugging, programming, creating and looking ahead.
Week 2
Another busy week in Primary 7 with some muddy experiences for all. This week we took part in our first of two Cross Country sessions with the Sports Leaders. There were a few ‘dread’ faces before the session began but by the end there were plenty smiles and lots of laughs! The photos speak for themselves!! Miss Clendinning.
This week in our electricity topic, we have been exploring different types of switches, their use in a circuit and importance in real life design. Using a range of resources provided, P7 were able to create slide, toggle, selector and push button switches. They were then able to add their switch into their working circuit to see if it worked. We were all successful in building a working switch which we could manipulate to make the bulb turn on and off! As well as being able to build and test their switched, P7 displayed great reasoning whilst reflecting back on their switch and how they could have improved the design. Great work! Miss Rodger
TERM 3 – Week 1
Hello everyone and Happy New Year! 
We’ve had a busy week in P7 and have come back from the holidays raring to go!
This week pupils had great fun at Sports Leaders, taking part in Movement skills with Mr Drennan and the Sports Leaders.
We also learned about Robert Burns’ famous Tale of Tam O’Shanter. We listened to the poem, discussed the Scot’s language and created storyboards to demonstrate our understanding of the story.
Choosing a part of Tam O’Shanter to recite is one of two options for the P7 Burns Competition. We will look at another Burns poem next week before we choose parts. Miss Clendinning.
As a follow on to our electricity topic, this week we have been looking at conductors vs insulators. P7 experimented with a range of different materials, by adding them into a working circuit, to see if it conducts and makes a complete circuit or is an insulator and stops the circuit from working. We were able to identify the importance of checking the circuit works before adding our materials as well as the importance of only changing one piece of our circuit at a time. Curiosity was displayed throughout the lesson as the class experimented with a range of resources and materials. Miss Rodger
Christmas Party 20.12.24
What a great afternoon with P7 at their Christmas Party. The children applied their learning from sports leaders and demonstrated their Scottish Country Dancing at the party. There was also lots of fun and laughter in all the games that we played. Well done P7 a great afternoon. Mrs Duncan
Week 8
This week has been packed with lots of festive challenges focusing on developing and assessing our meta-skills, dance practises and end of term assessments.
I hope all pupils have a brilliant last day and enjoy their final primary school party on Friday!
Merry Christmas everyone, have a super holiday!! Miss C
Click the link at the top of the page to see P7 dancing Life on the Ocean Waves during Sports Leaders. Mr Drennan was so impressed with their efforts that he challenged them to complete the dance to a very different song… check it out!!
Week 7
At sports leaders this week, P7 have been learning Scottish country dances in preparation for their Christmas party. It was great to see pupils demonstrating our school values by being respectful, responsible, included, kind and committed.
Week 5&6
Primary 7 have been learning about inheritance, genetics and DNA over the past two weeks. We learned where DNA is found, what it looks like and how gene base pairs connect to provide every person with a unique set of DNA code.
We used this information to create hypothetical families based on shared genetics.
Week 4
Week 4 Reflection
Primary 7 have been reflecting back on what they have been learning this week. This was some of their highlights:
“I have enjoyed using the Djembe drums in music” – DC
“I enjoyed curling because it was fun” -AW
“I liked learning about the bus timetables” – JL
“I enjoyed doing bike-ability and going onto a new road” -KC
“I liked calculating speed, distance and time” – OW
“I enjoyed creating our scientist posters” – LA
“I enjoyed doing time, distance and speed in maths” – IT
“I enjoyed the Djembe drums” -EM
“I liked curling competition” -AD
“I enjoyed the curling because it was fun and my team won” -SP
“I enjoyed learning about bodmas” – KLG
“I have liked doing my writing” -KS
Curling Competition – 20th November
Please see our post on the main school page to read all about our Curling success!
Science
This term we have a focus on a science and have been learning about the classification of plants and animals. This week we dissected some flowers to identify the different parts. We were able to locate the male and female parts of the plant and explain the different ways that plants reproduce.
PE with Mrs Gray
P7s have been working in their Netball skills with Mrs Gray this term and I had the pleasure of watching some of their games on Monday. I observed some amazing shooting and passing as well as great team work. Well done, P7!
Week 3
Week 3 Reflection
“We have learning to use bus/train timetables for maths” -HC
“We have been learning how to use a Djembe drum” -DC
“We are learning to do BODMAS in maths” -KC
“We have been learning to change 24hr time to 12 hr time – LB
“We have been learning about Alexander Graham Bell – IT
“I enjoyed doing rounders at sports leaders” -LA
“I enjoyed making a scientist poster” – EW
“I enjoyed doing stained glass window art” – AW
“I enjoyed doing hockey with sports leaders” – AD&SB
“I enjoyed doing rugby at sports leaders” -CH
“We have been researching a scientist that we chose to learn more about” -DB
“I enjoyed rugby at sports leaders and afterschool club” – KLG
“I enjoyed bike-ability” – KC
A busy week in Primary 7. On Monday we participated in a 2 minute silence for Remembrance Day then created some eye catching stained glass window artwork to display around school (photos of the finished pieces to follow!). In maths the Hexagons and Pentagons began a block of work on Order of Operations. They learned about the acronym BODMAS and create some helpful posters for their jotters to refer back to when carrying out their calculations.
In Sports Leaders this week we evaluated our first activities then began our second activity rotation.
Week 2
Week 2 Reflection
“We have been learning about Sir Alexander Fleming” -KC
“I enjoyed doing time in maths because I enjoyed colouring the matching clocks” -JL
“I liked writing an information report on Alexander Fleming” -SP
“I enjoyed doing bikeability” -EM
“I enjoyed playing rounders in sports leaders” -CH
“I have been learning about reading bus and train timetables in maths” -HC
“We have been solving word problems in maths” -AW
“We have been improving our dribbling and tackling at sports leaders” -KS
“I enjoyed doing my maths scavenger hunt” -DC
“I enjoyed learning everything about time in maths” -HD
“I enjoyed using book creator in ICT to make a story” – DB
“I enjoyed doing hockey at sports leaders” -LA
“I enjoyed play leader training with Amy” -IT
“I enjoyed converting time in maths” -KLG
Sports Leaders
This week was the last week of the current activity rotation. Next week pupils will evaluate their progress and move on to their next activity. Over the past 3 weeks I have noticed some super leaders within the groups, great team work and some lovely words of encouragement between pupils.
Maths
In maths this week, one group worked on their formal multiplication and challenged themselves to some very large numbers, demonstrating great application of some of our metakills – initiative, sense-making, leadership and adapting! Keep up the good work, folks!!
Term 2 – Week 1 Reflection
We have had a busy first week back at school with lots of learning about Halloween and the excitement of bonfire night. P7 have shared what they enjoyed most this week and what they have been learning.
“I have enjoyed doing halloween art” – DC
“I have learned how to tell the time” -DB
“We have been researching scientists” – IT
“our new topic is living things, I liked learning about MRS GREN” – JL
“I enjoyed doing a Halloween mosaic in maths” – LA
“I have been multiplying 3 digit numbers by 3 digit numbers” -HC
“I have enjoyed learning about the scientists Orville and Wilbur Wright” – KS
“I enjoyed my day of the dead art” -EM
“We made day of the dead art” – LL
“I liked writing a poem about bonfire night using figurative language” -EM
“I enjoyed bikeability and rounders at sports leaders” – CH
“I enjoyed all of the Halloween art activities” – KLG
“I enjoyed hockey at sports leaders” – KC
“I liked football at sports leaders” – KS
Great work in week 1, Primary 7!
TERM 2 – Week 1
It has been lovely to welcome everyone back into class this week and hear all the October holiday news. 
A few updates/reminders for this term:
- PE continues on a Monday morning. Please come to school in kits and bring school clothes to change into afterwards.
- Sports Leaders – continues on a Wednesday between break and lunch. Please come to school with PE kits in bags to change into.
- Homework for this term is as follows:
Thank you,
Miss C & Miss R
TERM ONE REFLECTION
Primary 7 have been reflecting on term 1, thinking about what we have been learning and what we have improved on since the start of term. This is some of their views:
“I have improved at my times tables” – DC
“I have learnt how to do formal sums in maths” – EM
“I have learnt to calculate the area of a square, triangle and rectangle” – LM
“One thing I have learned this term is how to dribble better in football” – KS
“I’ve got better at maths this term.” – MM
“I have learnt how to calculate the area and perimeter of different shapes” – EM, HC, LA
“I have been learning to be safe online” – KLG
“I have improved in maths” – DB
“One thing I learned this term is how to stay safe in or out your house” – EM
“I have got better at area and perimeter” – AA
“We have been learning about Operation Safety” – LP and AW
“I can find the area of a triangle” – SP
“I enjoyed going to Operation Safety and learning about it” – AG
“One thing I have learned this term is the area of a rectangle/triangle” – AD
“My learning about safety has improved” – JL
“Something I have enjoyed is the pirate game” – CH
It has been a very busy term in Primary 7.
Enjoy your October holidays! 
WEEK 8 – 07.10.24
OPERATION SAFETY
Today, P7 travelled to Dumfries to attend Operation Safety, a whole day event consisting of a variety of workshops ran by professionals from various emergency services e.g.
– The Scottish Ambulance Service; learning how to help a casualty by checking their ABC (airways, breathing & circulations)
– The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service; learning about the dangers of open water and fireworks
– Scottish Power; learning how dangerous electricity can be when used incorrectly
– DGYouthWork; learning about the dangers of smoking and vaping
– Police Scotland; learning about the importance of online safety.
We all had a great day out and enjoyed sharing our learning from class in the workshops.
A big thank you goes out to all involved in the organisation of this event!
WEEK 7 – 30.9.24
PERSUASIVE WRITING 
This week we started the prep work for writing our persuasive writing pieces.
Group 1 were tasked with researching the topic “should school uniforms be banned” and were asked to pick a side – for or against.
Group 2 were tasked with researching and determining their opinion on the topic “should every S1 pupil be given an iPad for use throughout their high school education”.
Both groups worked really hard to pick out 3 strong arguments for their chosen point of view and have completed their plan ready to begin their writing next week. We used the meta-skills collaboration, critical thinking and integrity to complete this task.
I can’t wait to read their finished pieces of work. Well done, P7. 
P7-S2 HALLOWEEN DISCO
Homework for Weeks 7 & 8
Spelling – TASK 1 – Pupils should write 5 sentences each week in their jotter using their spelling words for the week. These will be written in at school and brought home.
Spelling – TASK 2 – Play Sumdog Spelling for a minimum of 15 minutes throughout the week to practice their spelling words.
REMINDER
Operation Safety Trip is next Monday (October 7th). The bus will collect us at 9.30am and and we will be returned to school for 3pm. Please ensure your child comes to school in school uniform, with a waterproof jacket, water bottle and their packed lunch (unless stated otherwise). Thank you!
WEEK 6 – 23.9.24
Maths Week Scotland
This week for Maths Week Scotland, P7 took part in various maths related activities. These included the Sumdog National Maths Week Scotland Challenge, finding out about how maths is used in real jobs and applying this knowledge to think about what maths will be needed in jobs we are keen to explore in our futures as well as a virtual escape room. Please find some photos below.
LITERACY – 24.9.24
This week in P7 we learned about palindromes. These are words or phrases which can be read both forwards and backwards.
We looked at lots of different examples of palindromes before looking at a very powerful poem by Brian Bilston called Refugees which linked nicely to our class novel this term.
First we read the poem from top to bottom and were shocked at how negative and unkind it was. We then read the same poem but this time started at the bottom and worked our way to the top. It blew our minds how the whole essence of the poem suddenly changed and we were relieved with the message it now portrayed.
Check out our video to hear the poem for yourself.
READING SKILLS
Over the last two weeks we have been working on note taking and the skill of summarising. We listened carefully to Ahmet’s story of his journey to the UK in our class novel, took notes then created these fab comic strips to retell the main points in our own words. Don’t they look brilliant! Well done P7!!
More pics to follow!!
HOMEWORK 
17.09.24
***PLEASE READ***
Hi all,
P7 were issued with spelling homework today (sorry this has taken a little while to put in place, we have been waiting on the delivery of our new spelling workbooks and so have been doing spelling assessments and revision for the past few weeks).
Homework for the remainder of this term is as follows:
- Pupils will complete one unit of their spelling over two weeks during class time. Each week they will write down half of their units words in their homework jotters to bring home to practice.
- For the remainder of this term we would like the children to try to write 5 quality sentences using 5 (or more, if more than one of the words can be incorporated into a sentence) of the words – unless stated otherwise in jotters.
- Please encourage your child/children to use high quality vocabulary, connectives and correct punctuation when completing sentences.
- Homework must be handed in by Friday each week.
Thank you for your support and co-operation!!
Miss C
ART – 11.09.24
This week we were inspired by our novel study to draw exotic fruits after the protagonist searching high and low for a pomegranate for the ‘boy at the back of the class’.We started by creating pencil line drawings of our chosen fruit before using watercolour paints to add colour and tone to make the fruits appear more 3-dimensional.
The 3 main meta-skills that we agreed we used and developed today included: Adapting, Creativity and Focusing.
More photos of the finished products to follow!
WRITING – 10.09.24
We started a block of learning this week on persuasive writing by looking at and discussing examples of persuasive texts then learning about the acronym AFOREST. This acronym helped us to remember and identify the key features of this text type – alliteration, facts, opinions, repetition/rhetorical question, exaggeration/emotive language, statistics and three (the rule of).
The meta-skills we linked to our learning today were: focusing, collaborating and critical thinking.
Welcome to P7
Hello 
and welcome to P7 with Miss Clendinning (Mon-Wed) and Miss Rodger (Wed PM to Fri).
We are thoroughly enjoying getting to know everyone and have lots of exciting learning opportunities and experiences planned for the year ahead. We are really looking forward to working with you this year to help your child achieve their full potential and prepare for their transition to Dalbeattie High School.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or queries via the email addresses below, as well as any wider achievements that we can share with the class and wider school community.
Miss Clendinning (Mon-Wed) gw11clendinningfiona@glow.sch.uk
Miss Rodger (Wed – Fri) gw18rodgershauna@glow.sch.uk
META-SKILLS – 19.08.24
Last week we were introduced to Meta-Skills. These are the set of skills that we are all born with, which can be developed and transferred into all walks of life.
We were learning why it is so important to develop these transferable skills to support us in life, learning and work in the future.
We will have a big focus on these skills this year and will be linking them to our learning throughout the year.
MATHS CHALLENGES – 28.08.24
Amidst assessments this week, P7 have given their brains a kick back into gear by working together on various maths games and challenges.
Today we completed a problem solving challenge with a partner to find out who owned the crocodile. 
After completing the task we revisited our meta-skills to see which ones we thought we had used. We were so surprised to see just how many we had used, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration and adapting.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE – 02.09.24
As part of our ongoing novel study of “The Boy at the Back of the Class” P7 have been looking at techniques writers use to enhance their work and engage their readers.
This week we have been revising some figurative language techniques that we had been introduced to in earlier school years, such as metaphors, alliteration, similes and onomatopoeia, as well as learning 3 new figurative language techniques: personification, hyperbole and idioms.
We worked in groups on Monday to sort statements and phrases into the correct headings and today, when introduced to idioms, worked together to find as many hidden idioms as we could in the image known as “the idiomatic man”.
It was hard work but our knowledge of these techniques is growing and we are getting better at defining and identifying each type within a piece of text.
How many idioms can you find?
