Portpatrick Primary

Yesterday, the boys and girls of Portpatrick Primary School delighted audiences with their wonderful Christmas show, The Christmas Gift That Money Can’t Buy. Written and directed by Mr Morrison and Mrs Copeland, the performance beautifully captured the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.

The stage sparkled thanks to our brilliant prop master, Kim, who was always on hand in the wings to prompt and support the cast. Our lovely student, Miss Millar, also provided invaluable support, caring for and encouraging our younger performers throughout the show.

Both the afternoon and evening shows were packed with family members, friends and members of our wider community, all coming together to support the children and enjoy a thoroughly entertaining production. The show offered a fantastic mix of joyful singing, laughter and thought-provoking moments that reminded us all of the true meaning of Christmas. A special mention goes to Freya, whose solo was a highlight of the performance and Harry who clearly narrated the Christmas tale. Our wonderful cast and their roles are shown in the list image below.

We are incredibly grateful for the support behind the scenes and on stage. Reverend Ogston seamlessly managed the lighting and sound, while Reverend Breakey and Barbara brought extra magic to the show as both elves and angels. Our regal wise men were wonderfully portrayed by Mr Ross, Mr Cerexe, Mr Gordon and former pupil Lewis McCulloch. Mrs Henry was a huge hit with the audience as the Grinch, proving that Christmas cheer sometimes comes with a wicked grin.

Following the performance, families stayed to enjoy a raffle generously supported by donations from friends and families of our school. Our Parent Council worked hard to organise the raffle, with a special mention to Nikki for her support in putting together the fabulous main prize hamper. After a very quick count, we are delighted to share that approximately £600 was raised for our school. This achievement is entirely thanks to the kindness and generosity of our amazing community.

Following the performance, families stayed to enjoy a raffle generously supported by donations from friends and families of our school. The Parent Council and Nikki organised a fabulous main prize hamper, and after a very quick count we are delighted to share that just over £600 was raised for our school, with a little more to hopefully still to come in. This achievement is entirely thanks to the kindness and generosity of our amazing community.

Well done to all involved for creating such a memorable and meaningful celebration. 🎶🌟

---

This experience supported learning and values through:

• UNCRC – Children’s right to express themselves and participate in cultural life
• Four Capacities for Learning – Confident individuals and effective contributors
• Metaskills – Creativity, collaboration and communication
• SHANARRI – Children feeling included, confident and supported
• RE Curriculum for Excellence – Exploring values, beliefs and the true meaning of Christmas

This week our school was delighted to welcome the Glasgow Science Centre, who delivered an inspiring, hands-on workshop for all classes from Primary 1 to Primary 7. Their team helped pupils explore the fascinating journey oxygen takes around the body, introducing them to the roles of the lungs, larynx, arteries, veins, and other vital body parts.

Throughout the session, pupils developed key MetaSkills, including curiosity, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity, as they investigated how their bodies work. The presenters made scientific ideas accessible and exciting, encouraging children to ask questions, think deeply, and work together to explore new concepts.

Families were also invited to join the fun, taking part in a wide range of oxygen-themed activities such as:

• Oxygen-carrying races
• Heartbeat drums
• Exploring how heart rate changes during exercise
• Investigating DNA and what makes each person unique

These activities supported our learning in the UN Global Goals, particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and Goal 4: Quality Education, by helping children understand how to look after their bodies and by promoting high-quality, inclusive learning experiences.

The visit also reflected our commitment to children’s rights under the UNCRC, including:

• Article 28 – the right to education
• Article 29 – education aimed at developing children’s talents and understanding of the world
• Article 31 – the right to relax, play, and join in a wide range of activities
• Four Capacities for learning: Successful Learners

The day was filled with laughter, learning, and hands-on discovery. A huge thank-you to the Glasgow Science Centre for inspiring our young scientists and helping them see just how amazing the human body truly is!

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.

---

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! 👏⛳

---

🌱 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.