Weeks 36 & 37: Adventures, Learning, and Sunshine!

We hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful long weekend—the fabulous weather certainly made it extra special!

What a Busy two weeks it has been! Our pupils have been on quite the adventure over the last fortnight.

Paddleboarding at Pinkston

The highlight of our outdoor trips has been our continued visits to Pinkston for paddleboarding! Our pupils have been having an absolute blast on the water. The energy, the laughter, and the sense of achievement as they master their paddling skills has been brilliant to watch. It’s the perfect way to make the most of the beautiful weather!

Learning About Caterpillars in the Katrine Room

In our Katrine room, we’ve been on our own mini nature adventure—we’re learning all about caterpillars, and we even have our very own! Watching these fascinating little creatures has been both educational and captivating. Our pupils have been observing their movements and behaviours. It’s wonderful to see nature bring learning to life in such a hands-on way.

Sunshine, Fresh Air, and Local Walks

With the sun shining brightly, we’ve been taking full advantage of our local area. Regular walks and outdoor time have become a highlight of our week, giving everyone a chance to enjoy fresh air and explore our community. One of our pupils looked particularly cool sporting some stylish sunglasses during our outings!

An Exciting Trip to Amazonia

This week, we ventured to Amazonia, and our pupils absolutely loved it! Being surrounded by so many different creatures was thrilling, and the highlight? Getting the chance to hold a snake! It was a brave and memorable moment for many of our young learners.

Looking Ahead

Next week, we’re delighted to welcome back our senior pupils who have been on study leave. We look forward to having everyone back together!

Pinkston Water Sports Begins! 🚣

Our pupils have kicked off an exciting week at Pinkston! Students have been enjoying canoeing sessions and making the most of this opportunity with free time in the water—jumping, splashing, and having an absolute blast. A huge shout-out to some of our staff members who got stuck in too, joining in on all the fun. It’s brilliant to see our pupils having fun together!

Local Radio Success! 🎙️

One of our talented S1 pupils was given the fantastic opportunity to visit Go Radio last Friday, and they absolutely loved the experience! He had so much fun during the tour and the chance to have a go at some of the radio equipment.

New Timetables in Full Flow 📚

Our new timetables are now in full swing, and we’re delighted to see pupils thriving in their subject choices:

• One of our pupils is making creative 2D models in Business and Computing.
• Another pupil is thoroughly enjoying their new Health and Food Technology class and already impressing with their enthusiasm.

  

  

  

📢 Important Reminder: Four-Day Week Ahead

Next week is a four-day week due to our long May weekend.

Best of Luck to Our Senior Pupils! 🍀

As our senior pupils begin their exam season, we’d like to wish them the very best of luck. You’ve got this!

MAAP Activities in Full Swing

Our MAAP activities continue to go from strength to strength in week 2! With plenty of fun and learning happening across the board, the highlight was our celebratory visit to Linn Park. A fantastic time was had by everyone.

Senior Pupils Explore the Mackintosh Tearooms

Our senior pupils enjoyed a wonderful trip organised in partnership with the National Trust for Scotland to The Mackintosh Tearooms. The pupils had a brilliant time exploring this iconic venue — and they definitely enjoyed the delicious cakes that were waiting for them! 🍰
Our senior pupils also channelled their creativity in an art class, creating  pictures inspired by their visit to The Mackintosh Tearooms.

Junior Pupils Cook Up Halloumi Fries

This week in cooking class, our junior pupils got creative in the kitchen, making halloumi fries. A tasty lesson in culinary skills! 🍽️

📅🔔 Important Reminder

We will be closed on Monday, May 4th (first May weekend) and Thursday, May 7th (in-service day). Meaning next week is a three-day week!

Welcome Back!

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter break! It’s been fantastic to have everyone back, and what a week it’s been.

Exciting Activities for Our Senior Pupils

Our senior students have had an action-packed week experiencing some brilliant activities. Several pupils visited the local police station and speaking to different police officers.  They also took part in the MAAP programme at Pinkston. The highlight for many was getting outdoors—the beautiful weather this week made these experiences even more special!

Mrs Murray is Back!

We’re delighted to welcome back Mrs Murray, who has now returned. It’s wonderful to have her back with the children.

Creative Talents on Display

One of our S3 pupils has been showcasing some impressive creativity this week, designing and creating his own board games. We hear he’s been unbeatable—even our staff members have struggled to beat him! A fantastic effort.

Save the Date: Summer Festival

Mark your calendars! Planning is underway for this year’s Summer Festival, and we’re excited to announce a new date and time:

Friday, 29th May | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

More details coming soon!

It’s been a great week back, and the lovely weather has made it even better. We’re looking forward to what’s ahead!

Welcome to another week of exciting activities and community engagement!

This week, we continued our fantastic boxing program at Southside Boxing Academy & Community Hub. This incredible local facility is dedicated to empowering young people through sport, fitness, and personal development. Beyond teaching boxing skills, they foster confidence, discipline, and resilience in a supportive environment. We’re grateful for their commitment to our students’ physical and mental well-being!

This week we also marked and celebrated Neurodiversity Week. Our school hosted a Coffee Morning where staff and students came together to learn more about neurodiversity and the importance of creating inclusive spaces for everyone.

Our coffee morning was a wonderful opportunity for our community to connect, share conversations, and reflect on how we can continue building a more inclusive and accepting school for all.

Finally, a huge shout-out to our wonderful students who took on a challenge this week to make a positive impact! A couple of our young people headed out into our school grounds and local area to litter pick and remove rubbish, showing real environmental responsibility and care for the spaces we share.

Keep an eye out for more updates and happy first day of Spring! 

It has been a lively and rewarding two weeks here at the Caledonia Centre! We recently set up two new BGE classes, and it’s wonderful to see all our pupils feeling much more positive and engaged with the new arrangements. A special moment was when one of our S1 pupils was joyfully reunited with a friend from S2—having spent lots of time together in primary school, their reunion brought smiles all around.

In the BGE Katrine room, pupils have been combining creativity and learning by using playdough to explore French numbers. It’s great to see hands-on activities making language learning fun and interactive!

Last week, we were delighted to welcome a visit from our QIO, Mrs. Sim, who recognized many of our S1 pupils from their primary schools. It was a lovely chance to catch up and share progress.

Our cooking sessions are back in full swing, and this week the pupils made some delicious fruit breads. We’ll be sharing photos soon—stay tuned!

Meanwhile, our S3 pupil has been leading an exciting project, building a bridge as part of pupil-led learning. The big question now is: How many bricks can it hold? We can’t wait to find out! Our S4 English class have been developing skills in communicating straightforward information through letter writing, focusing on clarity and purpose. This practical work helps pupils express ideas clearly in everyday situations.

Read more

This week in Katrine Room, our learners explored 2D shapes, developing their understanding of geometry through hands-on activities. Using a variety of materials, they enhanced their creativity and problem-solving skills while making different shapes.

Our S2 pupil demonstrated leadership and teamwork as team captains in basketball, applying his physical skills and working collaboratively in a fast-paced game.

In Design and Technology, an S3 pupil showed practical skills and creativity by completing a fantastic egg holder project, reflecting the CfE focus on designing, making, and evaluating.

Meanwhile, our S1 students brought energy and enthusiasm to the Friday lunchtime radio  skills through music and broadcasting.

Read more

This week, one of our pupils began a placement at the Clay Cafe, attending one day a week for the next seven weeks. They enjoyed making brownies from scratch, using the dishwasher, and helping with customer service by taking orders. Well done!

Two of our pupils have been working on a self-directed LEGO project during lunch and break times. They were excited to proudly showcase their creative LEGO design  today.

Another pupil completed a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle over the week during lunch and break times this week—an impressive achievement!

A massive thank you to the Chemistry department for inviting our S1 pupils to join the Shimadzu Science class this week. They had the opportunity to take part in spectrometry and chromatography—a truly enjoyable experience for all involved.

This week, our S1 pupils had their photographs taken for their NEC cards. The NEC card  provides free bus travel and various discounts in shops. If any parents need assistance with lost NEC cards, please feel free to contact us.

At the Caledonia Centre, we proudly watched our senior pupils take an important step in their post-16 transition as they began their weekly college placements. The courses included Professional Cookery, Creative Arts, and Hotel Skills. Our pupils have already formed new friendships, and we look forward to hearing more about their college experiences throughout the year.

Finally, we were delighted to welcome Kirsty from the Marine Conservation Society as part of their Education Road Show. We learned a great deal and had a fantastic time.

To find out more about this opportunity please visit https://www.mcsuk.org/news/the-ongoing-success-of-scotlands-marine-education-roadshow/