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Pupils and staff have been enjoying numerous activities today which look at improving physical and mental health.

Chef, Fraser Cameron from 21212 restaurant in Edinburgh has been wowing pupils with his culinary delights. Pupils have been very keen to sample his dishes.

Becky-Rose has been taking Yoga sessions with all the groups. The sessions have been very calm and engaging.

Ross McMeeken has been running workshops on reducing stigma attached to Mental Health problems.

Tesco kindly donated fresh fruit for our P1/2 class to taste.

Tomorrow is our “active” day. Pupils are aware that they need to come dress appropriately for the weather.

The S3 geography class took advantage of the good weather to investigate their local stretch of the River Ken. The group set about answering two questions:

1. At what stage upper, middle or lower is the River Ken at Dalry?
2. What processes are taking place in the River Ken at Dalry?

Through close observation of the river, its sediments and the surrounding landscape the group were able to ascertain that the river was most likely in its middle course. Evidence of attrition, abrasion, hydraulic action, fluvial sorting, deposition and braiding were also observed. Well done S3 geographers!

The first two weeks has seen the group practice their fly casting skills. Despite cold temperatures and strong North Westerlies two good sized wild brown trout have been landed. Both fish were taken on an olive dry fly and landed by Rory. With the weather improving every day, prospects for the coming weeks look good.

What really matters?

As a finale to the RME/PSE course, S4 students spent an evening in Mabie Forest experiencing what life in the Ironage may have been like.

Looking in at the graveyard at Sweetheart Abbey on the way to Mabie, helped put the impact of living in harder times in context, as students noticed the number of people who died either in infancy or very young.

Discussion about how we now expect our children to outlive us, helped to bring home how lucky we are to live where we do and when we do.

Spending the night in the Ironage roundhouse was an exercise in community living from a bygone era. Also recognition that in many parts of our present day world, the conditions many people live in, would be more like the Roundhouse than our usual homes.

Cooking on open fires, eating communally, sleeping communally, making sure the fire stayed in overnight, mastering the composting toilet and experiencing the biting North wind with it’s attendant snow showers over the hills – all broadened experience and raised awareness.

The clear, cold night gave a breathtaking view of the night sky from the Roundhouse and the dawn this morning was special too. Having completed homework last night by candlelight, S4 returned to school today where they are working hard in preparation for the exams which start next week. We wish them well.  

A group of S1- S3 pupils have been working with a professional ceramicist – Ruth Jones, from Moniavie to create large coil pots.

S4 pupils are very busy working on their final paintings for their folios. These are to be sent away after the Easter holidays. Watch this space to see their final pieces. They are going to be lovely.

Extract from BBC news

Scotland’s newest professional sports team, the Sirens, lost 57-43 to Wasps as they made history on Tuesday evening in front of a sell-out crowd.

The first Scottish team to join netball’s Vitality Superleague were always behind against the visitors from London at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena.

Sirens and Wasps are two of three new clubs this season after the league, now with teams from England, Scotland and Wales, was expanded to 10 teams.

A crowd of 4000 – more than attended three of the weekend’s Scottish Premiership football matches – watched the match.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/netball/39046624

The Dalry Netball team were there to see this historic match and to be part of that 4000 strong crowd. Having played all season in the Dumfries and Galloway School’s league, they were more than impressed by the speed and skill of these professional players. They also learned lots about the warm up and pre match drills.

This minibus dash up to Glasgow and back made a fitting end to a season where the Dalry players have shown real sportsmanship and determination. An aspirational and inspirational evening!

Pupils from Dalry School visited the Dalry Town Hall for a public engagement event. They were invited to share their knowledge and reactions to the landscape they live in, whilst talking to Archaeologists and Landscape specialists about their jobs. Pupils  were given a brief presentation about the project itself and have a better understanding of the opportunities it may create in the future.

Some of the old maps captured attention as young people related the current landscape to what it may have looked like in history. Of particular interest were the various fording points of the rivers in the past and how they relate to the roads and bridging points of the present

This morning members of   the Light Dragoons visited St John’s Town of Dalry as part  of their preparation for a NATO exercise in Europe later in the year.

The focus was on community engagement and their visit was unplanned.

Pupils from Dalry School formed small groups for the troops to talk to- explaining why they were in the area and to let the young people become a little more familiar with the Jackal (4 wheels) and 2 X Coyote (6 wheels) vehicles.

The visit gave staff chance to talk to young people about how it may feel to have military vehicles move into the area where you live and the variety of roles that the military has in peacetime.