"Anchored in Excellence"
Pupils and staff gathered together at 11am today to pay their respects in a 2-minute silence.
We discussed why we have a 2-minute silence on 11th of November, the significance of the poppy and how it came to be a symbol of remembrance, and how the money raised from the sale of poppies helps veterans. Pupils enjoyed watching a Newsround special explaining all about the importance of Remembrance Day.
Lest we forget.
Primary 5 – 7 helped Sian give the willow dome a much needed trim today. Sian enlisted the help of the children to cut back the stems of willow. The boys and girls managed risk safety using loppers and secateurs appropriately. Everyone helped sort the cut willow strips into piles of small, medium and large. These were re-weaved back into the dome structure.
Sian explained how we weave backwards, ending with the cut end which can then be pushed into the soil at the edge of the structure. These strips will then form roots and regrow, ready for the process to repeat.
Our pupils were delighted to welcome Alison and Mrs Ross back for lunchtime badminton sessions today. This will continue to be offered for several weeks, each Monday.
The children were very enthusiastic and there was lots of team spirit evident as they played Champion vs. Challenger matches.
Alison also presented certificates to our P5 – 7 pupils, who had previously completed the Active Schools Athletic Challenge. This comprised 20 different physical challenges to be completed by all.
Thank you to Alison and Mrs Ross for taking the time to provide this opportunity to the boys and girls. And, well done to our super active crew!
Today, with Bonfire Night just around the corner, we received a safety talk from the fire brigade to help keep us safe.
Robert came along from our local fire station to advise the children on how to enjoy fireworks and bonfires safely. He talked about the the laws and dangers surrounding fireworks and fires. He also instructed everyone on what to do if clothing caught fire. Everyone tried on filtered glasses to experience the impact of eyesight damage from a firework. Atticus showed us how to hold a sparkler safety and Stephen demonstrated the Stop-Drop ‘n’ Roll strategy beautifully for us. We were also reminded of the need to be respectful of the very important job the fire services, and indeed all the emergency services, do to keep us safe.
There was lots of discussion and many a question from the pupils as they fully engaged in the safety briefing. It was a very informative session. Thank you Robert.
# Resposible Citizens
P1-4 were joined by Leswalt and Kirkcolm Infants classes on Thursday morning for a trip to Kitchen Coos and Ewes owned by the lovely Neale and Janet McQuistin. All 50+ of us bundled onto the trailer and headed to the hills where we quickly caught the eye of 30 Highland ‘coos’ 🐮
The friendly bunch of coos followed us up through the hillside while Janet explained to us how the coos are fed, how their coats and horns grow and most impressively of all, how she managed to remember all of their fabulous names – including Madonna, Rihanna and Britney. 🎤
Of course we couldn’t take a trip to New Luce without a visit to their play park, so we enjoyed a little snack and a play before heading back to school on the bus after a fun-filled and well enjoyed farming trip 🙂
# Successful Learners
We are delighted to announce that the North Rhins Partnership primary schools in the Rhins has achieved a Silver Rights Respecting School Award by UNICEF UK. Leswalt, Kirkcolm and Portpatrick primaries have worked collaboratively to meet the standards for this UNICEF prestigious accreditation.
UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school. Silver is given to schools that make excellent progress towards embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum.
Mrs Baillie, said, “Having achieved our Bronze award in 2021, we are all very proud to have now to celebrate achieving our Silver award. Our school community has worked very hard to embed children’s rights in everything we do. We can see the positive impact of the Award on pupils and the school as a whole. Thank you to our responsible pupils, staff and families for working together to make this achievement possible.”
The Award recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies and practice. A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.
The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK. Schools have reported a positive impact on pupil behaviour, relationships and well-being by enhancing pupils’ self-esteem, leading to less truancy and bullying, better learning and improved academic standards.
Have a read of our report: Kirkcolm-Leswalt-Portpatrick_RRS Report
We can now proudly display our Rights Respecting Schools Silver Logo!
