Portpatrick Primary

Our local unpaid worker team of dedicated volunteers from the Community Payback Team kindly gave up their time to help sort, clean and refresh the school’s outdoor benches. Their hard work has made a huge difference to our playground and outdoor learning spaces, making them safer, brighter and more welcoming for everyone.

The volunteers worked tirelessly—washing, repairing and arranging the benches—ensuring pupils have comfortable places to sit, chat and enjoy their breaks. Their efforts show the strength of our school community and how much can be achieved when people come together to help.

We are incredibly grateful for their time, energy and generosity. Thank you to our brilliant volunteers for helping make our school an even better place to learn and play! 🌟🛠️🪑

UNCRC – Supports children’s Right to Play (Article 31) by improving safe, enjoyable outdoor spaces.

Four Capacities – Encourages pupils to be Responsible Citizens by valuing community contribution.

SDGs – Connects to SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities through caring for shared environments.

SHANARRI – Enhances pupils’ Safe wellbeing indicator by improving the quality and safety of outdoor seating areas.

A huge well done to Freya, Ella, Adam, Harry and Arran for their fantastic performance in the recent badminton competition! Each of them showed determination, teamwork and great sporting spirit throughout the event, representing our school with pride.

Their success links closely to important UNCRC Rights, including Article 29: the right to develop talents and abilities and Article 31: the right to play and take part in sports and cultural activities. By taking part in this competition, the pupils had the opportunity to grow their skills, challenge themselves and celebrate what they can achieve.

The competition also supported several UN Global Goals, especially Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, as the children stayed active and looked after their physical fitness, and Goal 4: Quality Education, where sport contributes to confidence, resilience and personal growth.

Throughout their training and on the day of the event, all five pupils demonstrated key metaskills—including focus, resilience, teamwork, self-management and problem-solving. These skills not only helped them succeed on the court but will support them in learning and in life.

We are incredibly proud of Freya, Ella, Adam, Harry and Arran for their achievements and the positive example they set. Well done, badminton stars! 🌟🏸

Portpatrick Primary pupils recently joined the local Rotary Club to plant crocuses as part of the Crocus Campaign, a global initiative to eradicate polio. Each purple flower represents hope and progress toward a future where all children are free from this preventable disease.

The project also supported key UNCRC Rights, giving pupils the chance to learn about their right to health (Article 24) and their right to be heard (Article 12) as they took an active role in a meaningful global cause. Through teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and responsibility, pupils strengthened important metaskills that will support them in learning and in life.

By taking part, the children also contributed directly to the UN Global Goals, especially Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Their actions show how local community efforts can connect to worldwide change.

As these crocuses bloom, they will brighten the village and stand as a living reminder of Portpatrick Primary’s commitment to making a positive impact—locally and globally—one flower at a time.

UNCRC – Highlights children’s Right to Health (Article 24) through active involvement in a global health campaign.

Four Capacities – Builds pupils’ skills as Responsible Citizens contributing to their community.

SHANARRI – Promotes pupils feeling Included in meaningful community action.

A Wonderful Day of Stories, Songs, and Creativity in Portpatrick!

Pupils from Portpatrick Primary and St Joseph’s Primary enjoyed a fantastic joint learning experience this week as they spent the day together in Portpatrick. After a lovely lunch, the children took part in an engaging and energetic storytelling session with author Alan Windram, creator of the much-loved One Button Benny series.

Alan brought the stories to life through expressive reading, actions, and interactive moments that had every child joining in with excitement. Pupils explored how illustrations are created by looking closely at drawings from the books, inspiring their own creativity and curiosity about how stories are made.

A highlight of the day was working together to create an original song, linked to the themes in Alan’s books. The children sang, moved, and even finished the session with a dance, celebrating their learning in a fun and memorable way.

Linking to SHANARRI

The experience strongly supported the SHANARRI Wellbeing Indicators:

• Safe & Healthy: Children were supported in a safe environment while being active through song, actions, and dance.
• Achieving: They developed literacy skills through storytelling, listening, and contributing ideas.

Building Meta-Skills

The session also helped pupils develop key meta-skills, including:

• Creativity: Designing a song, acting out stories, and exploring illustrations.
• Communication: Listening carefully, joining in with actions, sharing ideas, and singing together.

🎅✨ Sponsored Santa Stroll – Join the Festive Fun! ✨🎄

Portpatrick Primary is delighted to invite everyone to our Sponsored Santa Stroll on Thursday, 18th December, from 2.00pm to 3.00pm!

We’ll be taking a cheerful route around the village, and whether you choose to stroll 🚶‍♂️, saunter 🚶‍♀️, or sprint 🏃‍♂️, we’d love to see you there. Don’t forget to dress in your most festive finery – think Santa hats 🎅, tinsel ✨, Christmas jumpers 🎄, and plenty of jingling bells 🔔!

After the stroll, please join us back at the school for some warm and welcoming refreshments ☕🍪.

To help support our school, families and friends are invited to collect sponsorship. Sponsor forms are available from the school office, or you can download one by clicking on the document below 📄⬇️.

A huge thank you for supporting our school and helping us spread some Christmas cheer 🎁❤️. We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you!

We are thrilled to share that our school has been awarded the Silver School Sport Award for 2025! This recognises our commitment to high quality sport and physical activity, supported by sportscotland.

A special thank you to Alison from Active Schools for her fantastic support. With her help and the enthusiasm of our pupils and staff, our after school club, Daily Mile and many other activities from providers such as Wigtownshire Rugby, we continue to help our children stay active, healthy and engaged.

We are extremely proud of this achievement and our ongoing commitment to the wellbeing of all our children.

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This achievement links to:

• UNCRC: Article 31 the right to play and sport
• SHANARRI: Active, Healthy, Included
• SDGs: Goal 3 Good Health and Wellbeing
• Meta skills: Teamwork, resilience, self management
• This is Our Faith: Nurturing every child’s God given potential

We are delighted to share the fantastic achievements of two of our pupils at the recent Dunskey Golf Club Awards!

🌟 Harry McKie was awarded:

• 9 Hole Order of Merit
• Junior Weekend Handicap Trophy
• 9 Hole Wedge Cup
  All presented by his grandfather, Captain Quentin McKie — a wonderful family moment!

🌟 Arran McCulloch proudly won the McWilliam Junior Cup.

A huge well-done to both boys — outstanding effort, skill, and sportsmanship. You are a credit to yourselves and our school! 👏⛳

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🌱 Learning Links

• UNCRC Article: Article 29 – Every child has the right to develop their talents and abilities to the fullest.
• SHANARRI Indicator: Achieving – recognising success and progress.
• Metaskill: Focus – commitment, practice and continuous improvement.
• Four Capacities: Successful Learners – motivated and enthusiastic about learning.

Well done, Harry and Arran — we are all extremely proud of you! 🎉

At our school, we love to celebrate the achievements of our pupils both in and out of the classroom—and today we are delighted to share some brilliant news about one of our P3 pupils, George!

Over the weekend, George attended the annual prize-giving ceremony at Dunskey Golf Club, where he was presented with the Coach’s Pupil of the Year Award for his performance.

Although Duncan, one of the club’s coaches, was unable to present the award in person, he had some truly heart-warming words to say about George. He described George as:

• “A joy to work with throughout the year”
• Polite and refreshingly honest
• Full of flair, enthusiasm, and a wonderful ability to entertain and encourage fellow competitors
• Always smiling and communicating at every opportunity
• A pupil who gives 100% effort, shows determination, and has a clear will to succeed

And as if that wasn’t exciting enough—George also achieved a hole in one this year! ⛳️ What an incredible accomplishment for such a young golfer.

George has been absolutely over the moon all weekend, and we are chuffed to bits for him too. This award recognises not just his golfing ability, but the fantastic attitude and character he brings to everything he does.

A huge well done, George—your school community is so proud of you! Keep smiling, keep trying your best, and keep enjoying every moment of your golfing journey. 🌟⛳️👏

🔗 Links to Learning Frameworks

• UNCRC Article: Article 29 – Every child has the right to develop their talents and abilities.
• Metaskills: Growing Confidence, Focus and Learning Agility.
• 4 Capacities: Successful Learner – showing motivation, enthusiasm and achievement.
• Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing.
• SHANARRI: Achievement – celebrating personal success and effort.

This week, Portpatrick Primary welcomed a Fire Safety Officer to speak with pupils from Primary 1 to 7 about how to stay safe on Bonfire Night and around fire.

The session helped everyone learn about the importance of fire safety — from handling sparklers carefully to making smart choices about what can safely be burned. Pupils were amazed to discover just how hot sparklers can get, and how quickly accidents can happen if we don’t take care.

We also discussed the impact of fires on the environment, and how burning the wrong materials can release harmful smoke and chemicals into the air. The Fire Safety Officer gave pupils practical advice on how to keep themselves, others, and the planet safe during Bonfire Night celebrations.

Everyone listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and showed great understanding of how to celebrate responsibly. A big thank you to our visitor for sharing such important safety messages with us all!

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🚒 Links to Learning

UNCRC Rights Articles

• Article 6: Every child has the right to life and to be kept safe.
• Article 24: Children have the right to a clean and safe environment.
• Article 29: Education should help children learn how to protect themselves and others.

Metaskills Developed

• Critical Thinking: Understanding cause and effect when learning about fire and safety.
• Self-management: Making safe, responsible choices during celebrations.
• Curiosity: Asking thoughtful questions about how to protect ourselves and the environment.
• Integrity: Showing care and respect for others and the world around us.

UN Global Goals

• Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing – keeping ourselves and our communities safe.
• Goal 13: Climate Action – understanding how our actions affect the environment.
• Goal 15: Life on Land – protecting nature by making safe, eco-friendly choices.

Portpatrick Primary was full of spooky excitement last week as pupils from across the school came together for our Halloween Party! Everyone dressed up in their most creative costumes and joined in with a whole host of frightfully fun games and activities.

The hall was alive with laughter and music as pupils took part in Creepy Corners, racing to find a safe spot before the corner card was picked. Teams worked brilliantly together in Mummy Makers, wrapping up their classmates in toilet roll to create the best mummies in school!

Our talented dancers shone in Disco Devils, with prizes for the best boy and girl showing off their devilishly good moves. The competition was just as fierce in Musical Tombstones, where everyone had to freeze like statues when the music stopped.

Of course, no Halloween celebration would be complete without Dunking for Apples — but with a fun twist! Pupils tried to drop forks from their mouths to catch the apples, and there was plenty of laughter (and splashing!) along the way.

We also celebrated some amazing costumes with prizes for the Best Dressed, recognising the creativity and imagination pupils put into their spooky looks!

It was a fantastic afternoon full of fun, teamwork, and Halloween spirit. A big thank you to Ms. Whorlow for getting prizes and components for the games, Kim for decorating the hall (it looked fabulous!) and Mrs. Henry for providing children with treats. The house captains and vice captains organised the games and made sure everyone had a brilliant time!

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🕸️ Links to Learning

UNCRC Rights Articles

• Article 29: Education should help children develop their talents and abilities to the full.
• Article 31: Every child has the right to relax, play, and take part in cultural and artistic activities.

Metaskills Developed

• Creativity: Designing costumes and showing imagination through themed games.
• Teamwork: Working together in activities like Mummy Makers.
• Self-management: Following rules, showing fair play, and celebrating others’ success.
• Resilience: Trying again in games and keeping a positive attitude.

UN Global Goals

• Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing – promoting fun, active play and positive mental health.
• Goal 4: Quality Education – encouraging creativity, inclusion, and teamwork.
• Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – fostering fairness, respect, and community spirit in school life.