Portpatrick Primary

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.

This week, pupils from Primary 1 to 7 at Portpatrick Primary enjoyed a special soundbath experience! The session gave everyone the chance to relax, unwind, and explore the calming power of sound.

The children listened to peaceful tones created by singing bowls, chimes, and gentle percussion instruments. They also had the opportunity to play some of the instruments themselves, experimenting with rhythm and vibration to make their own soothing sounds.

It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged — some pupils stretched out quietly to relax, while others loved discovering how different instruments could create unique tones. The soundbath was a lovely way to bring mindfulness and creativity together, leaving us all feeling calm and refreshed.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped make it such a peaceful and memorable experience!

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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

• Curiosity: Exploring different sounds and discovering how they make us feel.
• Creativity: Using instruments to create original and calming soundscapes.
• Self-management: Learning how to relax, focus, and take care of our wellbeing.

UN Global Goals

• Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing – supporting mindfulness and emotional wellbeing.
• Goal 4: Quality Education – learning in creative and inclusive ways.

On Thursday 6th November, our P5–7 pupils set off on an exciting adventure to the Glasgow Science Centre for a full day of hands-on learning and fun! They were joined by their Partnership friends from St. Joseph’s RC. Primary.🚌✨

When we arrived, we were amazed by the Science Mall – three floors of fascinating exhibits and experiments waiting to be explored. Pupils investigated everything from forces and motion to sound, light, and space, all while discovering how science connects with our everyday world. 💡

Some highlights from our day included:

• BodyWorks, where we learned how the human body works, tested our reaction times, and explored our incredible senses.
• Powering the Future, where we discovered how energy is created and how we can build a more sustainable world.
• A Question of Perception, where optical illusions and light experiments tested our brains and eyes!
• Outer Space (Space Zone), where we journeyed through the Solar System and imagined life as astronauts.

We also had time to explore the outdoor exhibits and enjoy lunch together.

To end the day, we relaxed in the IMAX Theatre to watch an awe-inspiring Space film, learning about rockets, astronauts, and the future of space travel. 🌌🪐 The enormous screen made us feel as though we were soaring through the stars!

Everyone had an amazing day, full of curiosity, laughter, and learning. It was a brilliant experience that brought our classroom science to life and inspired many of us to think like scientists of the future! 🔭💫

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the trip possible — it was a fabulous day of teamwork, discovery, and fun! 💛

🌍 UNCRC Link

Article 29: Education should help children develop their talents and abilities to the full.

🌱 Sustainable Development Goal

SDG 4: Quality Education – providing opportunities for all learners to grow through meaningful experiences.

💚 SHANARRI Indicator

Achieving: Pupils deepened their understanding of scientific ideas through interactive exploration.

💡 Meta-skill

Collaborating: We worked together to explore, question, and share discoveries.

🌟 The Four Capacities

Successful Learners: Investigating, experimenting, and asking thoughtful questions throughout our visit

Today, our school community came together to mark Remembrance Day with respect and reflection. We were joined in school by Reverend Breakey and guest Major Orr-Ewing, who helped lead a thoughtful and meaningful service. Community members joined us for the service.

Our senior pupils read poignant poems which encouraged everyone to think about the courage and sacrifice of those who have served, and those who continue to serve today. The whole school observed a two-minute silence, holding the moment with great maturity and understanding.

Although the rain prevented us from gathering outdoors as planned, our pupils adapted calmly and respectfully to holding the service inside. Later in the day, a remembrance wreath, carefully created by our pupils, was laid at the village war memorial on behalf of our school.

We are very proud of how responsibly and thoughtfully our pupils took part in this important occasion.

Links to Learning and Wellbeing:

• UNCRC Article 15: Pupils exercised their right to come together in a respectful group to mark an important event.
• SHANARRI (Responsible): Pupils demonstrated responsibility through their behaviour, participation, and reflection.
• Four Capacities (Responsible Citizens): Pupils showed understanding of history, values and remembrance, contributing to our community with respect.
• Metaskills (Adaptability): Pupils adjusted calmly and sensibly when our plans changed due to the weather, showing confidence and flexibility.

We are delighted to share a photo of our West Rhins Partnership football team, proudly wearing their new team strips, kindly funded by the Portpatrick Community Development Trust.

The children from St. Joseph’s R.C. Primary and Portpatrick Primary were thrilled to receive their smart new kits — especially as the strip design was chosen by the pupils themselves! The design brings together colours from both schools, symbolising teamwork and partnership across our community.

Our team will represent both schools in inter-school matches, and we hope the new strip will spur on motivation and a real sense of pride as they play together and show great sportsmanship.

In the photo, the children are joined by Trustees Ian and Linda, who presented the strips on behalf of the Trust. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity and continued support of our schools and local community.

A huge thank you to the Portpatrick Community Development Trust for helping our young sports stars look and feel like a real team! 🌟

🌱 Learning Links

• UNCRC – Pupils had a say in the design.
• Metaskills – Teamwork and creativity.
• SHANARRI – Being active and included.
• SDGs – Health and partnerships.
• Four Capacities – Responsible citizens and contributor

What a brilliant day we had with our friends from St Joseph’s Primary 1–4! Miss Scott, Mrs Copeland, Miss Stevenson, and Mrs Henry led us in a day full of creativity, teamwork, and fun.

In the morning, we used our technology skills to plan and build a bug hotel using sustainable materials. It was amazing to think about how we could help our environment and local wildlife. 🐞 We also made a beautiful poppy wreath from recycled materials to remember and reflect in a meaningful way. ♻️

After a tasty lunch prepared by Mrs Campbell, we joined Alison for an energetic game of boccia. We all showed great teamwork and sportsmanship — and had lots of fun before heading home.

Our activities linked to important rights in the UNCRC: Article 29 (learning to respect the environment) and Article 31 (the right to rest, play, and take part in activities). We also showed we are Safe, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, and Responsible through our SHANARRI wellbeing indicators.

By using natural and recycled materials, we supported Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 15 – Life on Land. It made us think about how our choices can make a positive difference to the planet. 🌍

It was a wonderful day of learning, creativity, and friendship — well done everyone! 💚

UNCRC Articles:

• Article 29 – Learning to respect the environment
• Article 31 – Right to rest, play, and take part in activities

SHANARRI Indicators: Safe, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, Responsible

Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 15 – Life on Land

This week, our class explored how to make healthier snack choices by learning to read food labels carefully. We focused on understanding the traffic light system that appears on many food packages — those little red, amber, and green circles that tell us about the amount of fat, sugar, and salt in our food.

The children brought in their usual break-time snacks and investigated what was really inside them! Using the labels, they checked for:

• Red – high amounts (less healthy choices)
• Amber – medium amounts (okay sometimes)
• Green – low amounts (healthier choices)

They looked especially closely at salt and sugar content, discussing how too much of these can affect our health. It was brilliant to see the children comparing items, asking thoughtful questions, and deciding whether their snack was a healthy choice or one they might swap next time.

This activity wasn’t just about food — it was about making informed decisions. The children practised critical thinking, self-awareness, and problem solving, which are key metaskills for lifelong learning. They learned that every choice we make can affect our health and wellbeing, helping them to become responsible citizens.

We also linked our learning to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing: understanding how healthy eating supports a healthy life.
• SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production: thinking carefully about what we buy and eat, and reducing waste.

Our discussions also connected with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC):

• Article 24 – The right to good health, nutritious food, and a clean environment.
  Through this activity, pupils learned that they have the right to access healthy food and the knowledge to make choices that support their wellbeing.

By the end of the lesson, pupils proudly shared which snacks were the healthiest and which could be improved. Most importantly, they left the classroom empowered to read labels, ask questions, and make smarter choices for themselves and their families.

Sorry a few of the videos never uploaded to Blogs so I can send through dojo 🙂 Thanks for watching

This term, we were thrilled to welcome the Lighthouse Musicians into Portpatrick Primary School to work with our Primary 1–4 pupils. The children had a fantastic time learning all about music, rhythm, and dance through fun, hands-on sessions.

During the workshops, the children discovered how to keep a steady beat and learned about different musical notes, including crotchets (one beat) and quavers (half a beat). They also explored lively Scottish jigs and dances, moving, clapping, and playing along to the music with great enthusiasm!

The Lighthouse Musicians helped everyone see that music isn’t just about sound — it’s about teamwork, listening, creativity, and joy. The sessions encouraged pupils to express themselves, develop coordination, and build confidence while learning new skills.

This wonderful experience links to our MetaSkills focus on creativity, communication, and collaboration, as well as the United Nations Global Goals for Quality Education (Goal 4) and Good Health and Wellbeing (Goal 3). It also connects to our UNCRC Rights, especially Article 29 – the right to develop talents and abilities, and Article 31 – the right to relax, play, and take part in cultural and artistic activities.

A huge thank you to the Lighthouse Musicians for bringing music to life in our school — you certainly struck the right note with us! 🎶✨

This week, we were delighted to welcome the DG9 Foundation into Portpatrick Primary School for a special CPR learning session. The team helped us understand how important it is to know what to do in an emergency — and how anyone, even children, can make a difference and help save a life.

During the workshop, pupils learned about the DRS ABCs, an easy way to remember the steps to take if someone needs help:

• D – Check for Danger
• R – Check for a Response
• S – Shout for help
• A – Open the Airway
• B – Check for Breathing
• C – Start CPR if needed

Everyone enjoyed practising chest compressions on the CPR manikins and talking about how staying calm and acting quickly can really help someone in trouble.

This hands-on learning links closely to our MetaSkills focus on self-management, empathy, and communication, and supports the United Nations Global Goals for Good Health and Wellbeing (Goal 3). It also helps us uphold our UNCRC Rights, particularly Article 6 – the right to life, and Article 24 – the right to good health and education.

A big thank you to the DG9 Foundation for teaching us such an important life skill — and inspiring us all to be confident first aiders! 💪❤️