Author: Mr Morrison

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.

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.

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! 💪❤️