-My Achievements, Literacy and English, Numeracy and Mathematics

Problem Solving in Primary 7

March 22, 2016 Gayle Santi

Primary Seven’s Problem Solving

In Primary Seven we decided that we would like to update our Numeracy and Mathematics wall with a brand new Problem Solving display.

We didn’t take this challenge on lightly. We each came up with some challenging problems for our classmates to solve. Some questions involved acting out the situation and others involved some difficult calculations. They all involved a lot of brainpower. We made sure that we were using our problem solving skills to complete these questions.

We split into our maths groups: Red, Blue and Green, and answered the question that someone in our group had come up with. We also made some very eye-catching posters and symbols of our learning.

This activity helped us show our understanding of all the problem solving skills that we had learned throughout our time in Primary 7. Now all of our posters, questions and answers are up on the primary seven wall, we even colour coded them to make it easy to match them up! We are all proud of what we have done and we can’t wait to continue to improve our knowledge of problem solving. We think it might get even more challenging in High School.

I asked Iman what she thought about the Problem Solving activity:

“I think that it was a fun activity and I enjoyed completing other people’s questions to see what they came up with.”

By Lilah Cowen.

-My Achievements, Health and Wellbeing

Football Tournament…the sequel

March 22, 2016 Gayle Santi

East Renfrewshire Football Festival

Coming up shortly, is the East Renfrewshire Football Festival. Sadly, last time, Calderwood were not very successful. However, we are adamant to try our hardest and prove ourselves at the tournament as worthy opponents.

Personally, I am extremely excited, as I love playing football whenever and wherever possible and I am definitely sure my teammates are equally as eager to play and perform to their best level.

At the tournament, we will have some Primary Fives, Primary Sixes and Primary Sevens playing in our team.

In Calderwood, we are counting on our best players to help others to become better at football. It is a great opportunity for people, as some schools may have pupils who aren’t the most avid players. This means that these pupils can experience something new and it may turn out they enjoy it more than they thought they would.

There may be some tough competition, but I feel that Calderwood are ready for the games. Especially for a school that doesn’t have a proper team and does not participate in training. I believe that Calderwood can improve and develop our skills and efforts from last time.

Calderwood Lodge definitely have the ability to win, which is very important. Football comes with a great deal of sportsmanship and teamwork which are two aspects of our team which we possess.

Wish us luck!

By Freddie Hyman

-My Achievements, Health and Wellbeing

The Muddy Mile

March 22, 2016 Gayle Santi

The Muddy Mile

On Sunday the 20^th of March, I travelled with my family to Craufurdland Castle, to take part in the Muddy Mile.

Although I was 15 minutes late, I was still able to run. My little sister Albie, who is in Primary 2, ran with me. The others were already ahead of us because they had started earlier than we had.

At the start of the mile, my sister and I kept saying that we didn’t think it was really that muddy. However, we then came to a big patch of mud and it was really quite deep! Not as deep as some of the ones we were about to come up against. My little sister’s shoe even came off in one of the puddles, so I ended up holding her shoes the whole way around.

We came to a swamp where they had to have somebody there to help you across because it was so deep. It wentall the way up to my neck.

When we crossed the swamp we went through very thick mud and I got stuck in the middle of it, but thankfully Albie helped me out.

I was very proud of myself and also I had carried my sister most of the way so I was extremely tired. I ran to the finish line and was given a treat bag and met up with the rest of the Calderwood Lodge Team. We got a picture taken with Mrs Carlton, which I will put up here once we get a copy of it.

Well done to all the Calderwood Lodge Muddy Mile runner. We will all be wearing our t-shirts proudly!

By Lyla Gaizely-Gardiner

-My Achievements, Class Trip, Expressive Arts, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education, Technologies

Yom Hashoah

March 22, 2016 Gayle Santi

The Yom Hashoah Project

The Primary 7 class has been working on a project led by Mrs Hyman (Freddie’s mum!). We were all given the task of going away and creating our own ICT collages based on a person who lived through World War II.

We have been learning about Ben Helfgott and ‘the boys’. Many of the people that we have chosen to work on were children in the Holocaust and separated from their families. Many now live in the U.K and we have looked at and learned a little about what their lives are like now.

With the people we have chosen, we have selected pictures and words that link to them and help people to learn more about them.

When we had all finished our collages, we had them printed on to fabrics which are now going to be sewn onto a cloth which we will keep, as a pillow or a tea towel.

Our collages will also be shown at an event for people to see them. Ben Helfgott is also going to be coming to the Yom Hashoah event at Giffnock Synagogue to speak. He was actually in the Olympics as a weightlifter and even won a gold medal!

In these lessons with Mrs Hyman, we have put colour on to the cloth to brighten it up, we have also been stitching the fabric into the cloth and some of us were just learning how the stich.

The people we have chosen, we have picked because there was something about them or their story that stood out to us and inspired us.

By Susie Tenby

Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education

Rabbi Rubin and Primary 7

February 15, 2016 Gayle Santi

Recently our school’s Rabbi, Rabbi Rubin, visited the Primary Seven class to answer any questions linked to Judaism that we had before leaving for High School.

He answered many of our questions that we were desperate to know the answer to. None of the pupils in Primary Seven will be transferring to a Jewish High School because there is not a High School like that in Scotland. Therefore, we will no longer be taking subjects such as Kodesh and Ivrit.

His visit was very educational and helpful for the Jewish and non-Jewish children in our class. All pupils got something out of the visit, including our class teacher, Mrs Santi. Even if we thought we already knew the answer to a question he expanded our knowledge on it.

We had lots of questions and we didn’t get through all of them. Luckly, we have the advantage of having a monthly visit from Rabbi Rubin where we will be able to ask more questions and receive more answers.

This means, that when it is time for us to go to High School, we will remember all the fascinating facts that Rabbi Rubin told us during these visits in Primary Seven and we hope that this will help us to carry on with our own traditions and faith even once we leave Calderwood Lodge.

By Maddie and Amy

-My Achievements, Latest News, Literacy and English

Class Debate

February 15, 2016 Gayle Santi

In Primary Seven, we have been working on our debating skills. We were challenged by Mrs Santi to think of a debate spontaneously. We were given ten seconds to think of a topic. We voted on which topic we should then debate on and the final decision lay between:

This house believes that there should be more toys for the Calderwood Lodge playground

and

This house believes that animals kept in captivities such as zoos, should be encouraged.

The final verdict was to debate on animals being kept in captivity. We were divided into two sides where we were given fifteen minutes to come up with points and information without any prior research.

It was a challenging activity to think of information and points to persuade people to agree with our thoughts. We felt pressurised but we were developing our confidence levels at the same time. We had to work well together and make sure we were communicating properly to avoid people saying the same things.

In the end, the opposing team won.

It was very fun but quite a challenging activity. It helped us to understand the format of debates and what skills we still need to develop. We would like to do it again so we can continue to improve. Mrs Santi was able to give us constructive criticism and pointers, so next time we will be even more prepared.

By Freddie and Lilah

Literacy and English, Technologies

Class Kindles

January 22, 2016 Gayle Santi

In Primary 7, we have been introduced to kindles, that we are reading our class novel on. We have all been taught how to use them properly and get the most out of them.

Our class think that the kindles are a new great way to read because some people prefer reading on a kindle because it is easier to find out what a word means when you aren’t familiar with it. All you need to do is select it, and it tells you what that means. We can also change the font size and the way the writing sits. This allows us to enjoy the reading a bit more.

Some of my classmates have told me a few of their opinions on the kindles,

“I think the kindles are a more fun way of reading.”
Lilah Cowan

“The kindles are much lighter than a book to carry around”.
Amy Quigley

I also think that the kindles are great because when we use them, we have the responsibility of looking after them and this responsibility helps prepare us for our future.

By Susie Tenby

-My Achievements, festival, Literacy and English, Social Studies

Robert Burns

January 18, 2016 Gayle Santi

Recently in Primary Seven, we have been learning about Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.

Burns was a man with ideas and took his ideas and made poems and songs. We have been listening to some of his poems and analysing them, finding out what they mean, and what they are based on.

Burns’ birthday is not long away, the 25th January. We have decided to create a Robert Burns wall, allowing our school to see what Primary Seven have been learning about and who Robert Burns was.

For homework, Mrs Santi, has given each pupil in class the choice to find out what Burns’ poems mean and re-writing his poems. Robert Burns was voted as the Greatest Scot by the Scottish public and is widely respected worldwide. He wrote his poems in different ways. Some he wrote in Scots and some in Standard English. Although he is popular and respected by people today, he was never treated this way when he was actually alive.

He lived in poverty and was very poor, however, this did not stop him from resuming poetry writing. He taught us resilience and showed his personal feelings. He is a very important person to the Scottish public and people in other countries across the world and is an iconic figure in music history. He influenced people and music in many, many ways.

Freddie Hyman

Expressive Arts, festival, Religious and Moral Education

Calderwood’s Chanukah Disco

December 21, 2015 Gayle Santi

Every year I’m extremely excited to attend the Chanukah Disco and this year was no exception.

Most of my class were able to come along. This was my last disco at Calderwood Lodge and I really didn’t want to miss out. I was there to celebrate with my friends, my class and the rest of the school.

At the disco we all danced and enjoyed the sweets from the stall. I played and laughed my friends all night. There was prizes to be won from the DJ and a few of the younger stages won them and looked extremely happy with themselves.

The Chanukah disco was very fun and our class loved it. It will be sad to think that we will never get to go again but I hope that the tradition is carried on, and that the next classes continue to go along and celebrate.

Lyla Gaizely-Gardiner

Expressive Arts, festival, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education

Chanukah Assembly

December 14, 2015 Gayle Santi

Madeleine and Hassan have been telling you all in earlier blogs about Chanukah. As part of our celebrations, we went to see the Primary 4 class performing a Chanukah Show. The parents all came along to watch.

There was a short play that included songs and the story of Chanukah. The story talks about the Maccabis and how they went to war with the Greeks because the Greeks said no to Shabbat. They only had enough oil to light the candle on the Menorah for one night and miraculously, it lasted for 8 days.

The choir completed the show with the traditional Chanukah songs. There was a lovely electric atmosphere and all the children were excited for the celebrations. It is a special assembly every year.