Last day fun for 2024. The pictures speak for themselves. 🙂

Following on from the children’s musical workshops, please find below a link to watch a video of their experiences.

Thank you

UNCRC – Article 31: Rest, Play, Culture & Arts

After a verification assessment today, we are delighted to announce we have been awarded our shiny, new Digital Schools Accreditation. Portpatrick, Kirkcolm and Leswalt are the first schools in Dumfries and Galloway to achieve this recognition for our ongoing commitment to a digital technologies approach for our school.

We can now share our certificate and new award badge.

UNCRC Rights of the Child – 28 Access to Education, 29 – Aims of Education

Our Partnership Primary 6 pupils attended Operation Safety at Stair Park on Tuesday as part of an education and awareness service operated by our emergency services.

The children participated in workshops on a range of key themes to help educate them on dangers they may face and how best to manage risk to keep themselves as safe, healthy and trouble free as possible.

The workshops attended were:

• Coastguard – keeping ourselves safe when rescuing someone drowning
• Ambulance – assessing the situation and recovery position
• Police – alcohol and its effects
• Fire Brigade – Dangers in the home
• Police – Vandalism
• Scottish Power – Electricity and its dangers
• Police – Social media safety
• Police – drugs

Our pupils developed a deeper awareness of the potential risks and discussed strategies to help them cope sensibly with risky situations.

Thank you to our emergency services for a very informative day and worthwhile day.

UNCRC Rights of the Child:

6 – Life, survival and development

16 – Protection of Privacy

17 – Access to Information

33 – Protection from harmful drugs

Sustainable Development Goals:

3 Good Health and Wellbeing

Pupils from Portpatrick and St. Joseph’s primaries joined together to enjoy a day of outdoor learning at Logan Botanical Gardens.  The children headed off in the sunshine for two workshops.

Primary 4 – 7 pupils explored different ways of experiencing our local habitat to find out some of the ways that environmental factors shape the biodiversity and the landscapes we live in. They practiced creative mapping techniques using scale.  They learned how to represent and connect to their surroundings by recognising the four cardinal directions using compass bearings between features in a landscape. This helped them develop the meta-skills of sense-making and curiosity.

After the workshops there was time for the children to enjoy a picnic lunch in the beautiful gardens.  It was a fantastic day thanks to the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh.

• UNCRC Rights of the Child: Article 24 Health & Environment
• Sustainable Development Goal: 3 – Good Health & Wellbeing, 15 – Life on Land
• SHANARRI – Healthy, Active, Included

Janet from Creative Stranraer came to visit our school on Monday this week to tell the children about the exciting Cycling Festival which is happening in Stranraer soon. She was looking to gather ideas from the children as to what type of activities they would like to see at the event. As expected, the children were full of fantastic ideas including…

Janet was delighted with the children’s suggestions. She plans on seeing if any can be used for the event. She hopes to see the children and families at the Cycling Festival soon – keep a look out for dates!

• UNCRC 5 – Children have the right to be guided by their communities
• UNCRC 12 – Respect for Children’s Views
• UNCRC 13 – Sharing Thoughts Freely
• SHANARRI – Responsible, Respected, Included

Portpatrick and St. Joseph’s football teams enjoyed a practice session in the sun today. Our two coaches, John & John were on hand to offer tips, advice and guidance to our eager team players. Wishing our teams good luck at the Academy tomorrow.

UNCRC Rights of the Child – Article 15: Joining groups, Article 24 – Health

SHANARRI – Healthly, Active, Included

Well done to our great wee team of football players for playing their first matches at the inter-school 7-a-side matches on Friday. There was great team spirit from everyone. Thank you to Mr Morrison as our team coach. There will be a replay again in a fortnight’s time.

UNCRC Rights of the Child – Article 15: Setting up and Joining Groups, Article 24: Health

SHANARRI – Active, Included

Primary 5-7 were invited to attend the Ryan Centre this afternoon for a musical experience. This was presented by the Stranraer Music for All team.

We were able to listen and enjoy a range of of instruments from guitar to harps.

This afternoon we went to the Music for All workshop at the Ryan Centre. When we got off the bus, we went into the theatre and sat down. There were two people playing instruments: Ron playing the guitar and Rachael playing the clarsach (a small harp).

They started with a few tunes then Rachael told us about her clarsach – she told us that it was made of Canadian wood and that the strings were made from cows guts. Then Ron and Rachael played some traditional Scottish songs while we played air harps along with them!

They finished off with some questions from the audience then a final song. We had a great afternoon!

UNCRC Article 31 – Right to take part in cultural and creative activities.

We are pleased to receive this letter from Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland.

She is delighted with our work in celebrating our Scots Language.

Have a read for yourself.

Well done everyone!

UNCRC Rights of the Child: Article 7 – Nationality

Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education

SHANARRI – Included