Kirkcolm Primary School

On Friday morning the pupils in P4-7 at Kirkcolm Primary left school at 9:30. After a quick stop to pick up our buddies from Leswalt we headed over to Portpatrick Primary for a fun packed trio partnership Science morning. Pupils and family in our  P4 – 7 classes from Kirkcolm, Leswalt and Portpatrick came togetherto participate in a wide range of STEM based activities (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) as part of British Science Week.

The showpiece of the event was a mobile planetarium provided by the Galloway Forest Astronomical Society, organised by Mrs Ferguson (Leswalt).  Mr Antony Berrett, Dr Douglas Snell, Mr Hunter McCall and Mr Brian Rice, gave up their time voluntarily to bring a night sky experience to the children.  We were taken on a journey through the planets and moons of our Milky Way, learning fascinating facts on our travels. This resource has been kindly funded by the Kilgallioch Community Fund and is being made available to schools within our region.

The planetarium will be part of the attractions on offer to all ages on Saturday 9th March during the weekend programme for the Wigtown Big Bang Weekend event. (11-4pm, £5 per entry)

When not in the planetarium, the pupils were given a carousel of hands-on challenges to select from; ranging from electrical circuits to tower construction and from pin the organ on the body to parachute making.  For example, they had to design an electrical circuit that would sound an alarm in the event of a flood.  Our little engineers didn’t let us down and were up to the challenges of all the problems presented to them.

There was even an opportunity for social time during break, which the children made full use of. Pupils loved having the opportunity to join back up with all their Lockerbie manor buddies. Finally pupils thanked everyone for the wonderful experience and bid them and their friends a farewell to return back to Kirkcolm for a late lunch and a run in the sun.  A Fantastic Friday had by all

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Today at assembly, all pupils received a small cardboard battery box as part of the Big Battery Hunt. This is a recycling scheme which we have signed up to as part of our Eco Schools work. Pupils should fill the boxes at home with used batteries, before bringing them into school and emptying them into the large plastic containers in the foyer. These will then be sent away to be recycled.

Please pass on the message that your batteries can be recycled at Kirkcolm School! Thank-you in advance for your support in this initiative.

Primary 5-7 pupils from Leswalt, Kirkcolm and Portpatrick Primary Schools headed to Lockerbie Manor on Wednesday for a 3-day outdoor residential trip.

After stopping at Springholm Primary for some lunch and to stretch our legs, we reached Lockerbie Manor early in the afternoon. Everyone was given a tour of the building and grounds by the instructors and got shown to their rooms. After a quickly unpacking, we split into 4 groups and headed to our first activity. Activities included archery, rifle shooting, obstacle course, climbing wall, abseiling, orienteering, fencing, canoeing and kayaking. After activity one, some pupils required a shower as they were caked in mud after army-crawling on their bellies underneath netting! By this time we had worked up quite an appetite, and were served with the most delicious dinner – what a selection on offer! At night time, we had an evening activity before getting all cosy in our jammies and spending time getting to know pupils from the other partnership schools.

Day 2 saw an early morning wake-up call at 7.20am. We had 5 activities spread out over the day, with some pupils getting an early afternoon bath after falling into the lake whilst kayaking! That night, having been exhausted from all the physical activity, pupils were sound asleep before 11pm – much to the staff’s delight!!

On Friday morning, we were up early to get our rooms packed and emptied. Some rooms looked like a bomb had hit them, there were clothes everywhere! We then headed out for our final 2 activities before the bus arrived at 1.30pm to return us to Stranraer. It was a very quiet journey back, with lots of pupils catching some shut-eye!

Everyone had a brilliant time away, making new friends across the partnership and trying new activities.

Photos below from day 3:

Primary 5-7 have reached Lockerbie Manor on a 3 school, 3 day adventure of outdoor education and fun!

After a lunch stop at Springholm Primary they went onto Lockerbie and have unpacked and are now off on their first activity.  They are all very happy and excited campers!

It was an exciting afternoon yesterday in Kirkcolm Primary’s infant class. The boys and girls in primary 1-4 have been learning about healthy eating since returning in January. Pupils have been exploring the different food groups and recognising the importance of a balanced and varied diet. They recognise how people may choose to follow different diets and eat different foods depending on where the live, their culture and individuals likes and dislikes. In order to embrace the diverse range of foods available, the boys and girls at Kirkcolm held their very own fruity Bushtucker Trial. With the classroom decorated in Australian flags and cork hats at the ready, pupils tried out some familiar and some unfamiliar fruits. On offer was; Avocado, Kiwi, Pomegranate, Pink Grapefruit, Sharon Fruit, Lychees, Passion Fruit, Figs and Goji Berries. We all had a lovely afternoon trying something new.

On Friday 1^st February primary 4-7 at Kirkcolm Primary had a lovely visit from Kathryn Purchase at History Alive. Pupils explored the lead up to WW2, rationing, air raids, The Blitz, blackouts, evacuees and the evacuation process. Pupils were particularly interested in the significant role that our local area played within the war. After the presentation pupils were given the opportunity to interact with some of the artefacts. The vast historical collection included uniforms, posters, and old weapons that would have been used during the war. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the hands on experience that enabled them to become fully immersed in the past. What a wonderful opportunity and a great morning enjoyed by all.

The Eco committee were delighted to receive some new gardening tools which will help us in our bid to achieve our first green flag. We have received litter pickers, seeds, buckets, watering cans, gardening gloves and long-handled tools.

Huge thanks to Kirkcolm Community Council for the funding which enabled us to buy all of the new equipment.

Today we celebrated International Safer Internet Day! This year the theme was: Together for a better internet. Over 160 countries participated, with over 2000 UK schools and organisations too.

The world wide web is a fantastic resource that our parents, grandparents and teachers did not have when growing up – but we do! But all great resources need to be used wisely and there are things to be aware of. We learnt today how to be super computer savvy…

1. Choose to be aware 

Make sure you know the rules about how to behave and stay safe on the sites, games and apps you like to use. Look out for buttons that let you block, mute and report other users who aren’t behaving and always ask for help if there is something you are not sure about.

2. Choose to make sensible choices online 

Always keep your personal information safe and any personal information belonging to your friends and family.  Check with an adult before signing up to a new game or online service and before downloading a new app or game .

3. Choose to ask if it’s okay 

Always think about how your online actions might make others feel. Be a respectful friend online and remember to ask for permission before sharing something about someone else. This could include a picture, video or piece of their personal information like where they live or their full name. Take a look at our Safer Internet Day film to see what other young people think about asking for consent online.

4. Choose to be a role model 

Always be kind to others online and support your friends if they are having a difficult time. You can help your friends by showing them how to block and report in games and apps or by going to talk to a trusted adult with them.

5. Choose to ask for help

If you are ever unsure about something you see online, or anything makes you feel worried, upset or confused then ask a trusted adult for some help and advice.

Remember! Think SMART – Safe, Meeting, Accepting, Reliable, Tell.

Check out www.saferinternet.org.uk for more information including a section with top tips for parents/carers.

Pupils can easily access the ThinkUKnow website via their GLOW launch pad. This has some fantastic games and a Parents/Carers section too.