School Events – Dalry Secondary Blog

A trip to Millport

The S3 and S4 pupils have just returned from a great two day field trip to Millport FSC. The aim of the trip was to study Biology and Geography, with the hope of improving their key skills for the exams and to give them a taste of working in a different environment from what they are used to.

We left Dalry at 9am and drove up to Largs to catch the 11:30 ferry.

The pupils were excited by the short crossing to the island and for some of them it was their first time on a ferry.

The first day started off looking dull and grey but soon cleared up when we got to the base. There is an excellent view of the nearby Nuclear power station from the centre.

After settling into our rooms and having lunch, the pupils met their tutors and set of down to the rocky shore to practice their fieldwork.

The tutors explained the task and the pupils set about gathering data.

We found lots of different animals and plants of the shore and learnt how the organisms survive through their adaptations.

We then head back to the base for fish and chips. After our evening meal, we set different kind of traps around the area to see what wildlife was present in the night.

Next morning, the sunrise looked promising. We checked our results from the previous nights experiment before heading out to study soils.

Again, the tutors explained the task and the pupils got busy measuring and recording.

Soon it was time for lunch, and we returned to the base to pick up our sandwiches. We then drove into the town on Millport to let the pupils see the sights and but some sticks of rock.

Finally, we headed back to Largs for some food and then home to Dalry to recover from a wonderful trip.

The staff and pupils would like to thank Drax for a significant contribution with made it possible for many of the pupils to attend. I’m sure they will all have had an experience they will never forget,

P7 Transition Trip

P7 pupil Christy writes, “On the first day of Carlingwark we went to the beach to go rock climbing. When we got to the top we could see England in the distance. Then we had to climb back down! On the second day we went in the loch and went sailing and canoeing to an underwater island. Then at the end we went swimming in the loch.”

Metal working with Cathbad the Viking

Following on from their Hidden Histories trip last week, s2 -4 learned ancient metal working techniques from Cathbad the Viking who set up his forge outside Dalry Secondary.

Quest for the Ancient Heart of Gallovidia

S2/3 pupils from Dalry Secondary met characters from the past at Threave Castle, Dundrennan Abbey and Buittle Castle on a trip put together by CatStrand and Sleeping Giants. The fun-filled trip presented the history of local monuments, and set the scene for follow-up activities this month such as craft workshops using ancient methods of metal working and stone carving (watch this space…)

S1-2 Pupils’ Pop-up Café for Staff

Staff at Dalry Secondary were treated to a delicious two-course meal, made and served by S1-2 pupils. The choices were:

Breaded Haggis Balls / Halloumi Fries with Dipping Sauce / Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Brownie with Cream or Ice-cream / Lemon Cheesecake / Apple Crumble with Cream or Ice-cream.

Dumfries & Galloway College Schools Competition

Well done to all of S3 for being a credit to the school on Friday whilst participating in Dumfries and Galloway College Schools Competition. Special congratulations go to our prizewinners:

Hana and Sarah – 1st Prize Digital Photography

Andrew and Andy – 2nd in Wallpapering Challenge

Grace and Euan – 3rd in Visual Communications

Author Visit – Martin Stewart

S1-4 pupils enjoyed a fantastic talk on reading and writing by Penguin author Martin Stewart, who read from his new novel and spoke to children about finding inspiration for writing.

Night of Drama and Song

We held a night of Drama and Song which was a great success and a credit to parents and pupils who attended or were involved. Pupils performed “Archie Dobson’s War”, a story of friends and family as history takes them down the path of WW1.

Proceeds from the night all went towards Poppy Scotland’s 2018 Poppy Pledge. Throughout the year we have been holding events to raise money for this cause. On Thursday, we counted everything up and the grand total is…………a whopping £2,295.30, which is fantastic I am sure you will all agree. Poppy Scotland send their thanks personally to everyone and state that the school will receive a certificate in the new year. Next year, Dalry Secondary School will have their name erected with the rest of the ‘Poppy Pledgers’ in the newly refurbished Lady Haig Poppy factory in Edinburgh.

More importantly, the pupils have actively contributed to helping ex-servicemen around Scotland with shelter, PTSD and other issues. They have taken pride in this and worked together to achieve a common goal. Some pupils have challenged themselves and achieved more than they thought possible, and others have shown real leadership and commitment.

Poppy Pledge – Upcoming Events

Dalry Secondary School have signed up to Poppy Scotland’s “1918 Poppy Pledge” to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice and the end of WW1.

The 1918 Poppy Pledge aims to raise money for honouring the many men and woman who fought in the First World War and in the many conflicts since. The Poppy Pledge will also raise vital funds to help continue to support the Armed Forces community in Scotland today. Poppy Scotland has asked organisations around Scotland to each try to raise £1,918 to help improve the lives of ex-servicemen.

The young people of Dalry Secondary have already raised several hundred pounds through themed fund-raising activities. Watch out for the following events, and let’s see if we can reach the grand total of £1,918.

Thursday 11^th October – Coffee Morning in Dalry School, 10am – 12noon – come along for a selection of delicious baking, teas and coffees, as well as bric-a-brac, toys and a chance to win prizes. Any contributions of cakes, traybakes, bric-a-brac and raffle prizes would be greatly appreciated, and can be handed into the school.

Wednesday 7^th November at 7pm – Dalry Secondary School presents “Archie Dobson’s War” – a BBC play set in 1914, featuring drama, music and dance. During the interval refreshments will be served. All proceeds from the evening will go towards the Poppy Pledge.

Closer to Christmas, keep your eyes peeled for details of our popular lunchtime Pop-up Café, which will be open to the community. Again, all proceeds to Poppy Scotland.

Bin it! Road show

Today the Bin it! road show arrived in Dalry. P6-S2 pupils enjoyed an entertaining presentation aimed at confronting the effects of littering on society.