November | 2014 | A Day in the Life of a Gourock Primary Pupil

Yesterday, Primary 6 delivered their Scottish themed assembly to a large school audience and our parents. We were so excited as we had been rehearsing for the past week and had lots of eager performers!

We started with a little comedy skit from some very funny pupils who included information about traditional Scottish food, drink and culture. We then told the story of St Andrew, giving the history behind today’s celebrations of our Scottish identity.

The highlight of the assembly had to be the music and dance! A rendition of ‘Donald where’s your troosers’ put smiles on lots of faces as our very own Andy Stewart and Elvis took to the stage!

We had pupils dancing and swinging their kilts to the music!

A favourite with the younger pupils in the audience was ‘Three Craws’

This year we’ve been lucky enough to give our pupils the opportunity to learn to play the penny whistle. Mr McPherson, our music teacher, very kindly taught our group of Musicians a Scottish tune called ‘A Highland Fairy Lullaby’ (in Gaelic this translates to ‘An Cóineachan’)

It is such a beautiful piece of music, played so well by 4 talented pupils.

We were supporting the charity Children 1st who organise a national fundraising event called Kilts for Kids.

Everyone can take part in Kilts for Kids with activities happening around key Scottish dates such as St Andrew’s Day (30 November), Burns Night (25 January) and Tartan Day (6 April).

It’s a way to fundraise and celebrate all things Scottish! Throughout the week we had members of our class selling Children 1st tartan heart badges and then on the day of our assembly, the whole school came dressed in their finest tartan and donated £1.

All round, a great day! We wish you all a very Happy St Andrew’s Day!!!!

Primary 6 have been busy learning about the Victorian Era. This week’s learning focused around comparing the lifestyles of the rich and poor.

Our class novel, Street Child by Berlie Doherty, highlights the plight of a disadvantaged young boy, Jim Jarvis, who ends up in the workhouse after living in the slums and losing his mother to illness. We learn of his suffering and the deprivation he faces on a daily basis. We compared this to the lifestyle of Miss Toward, whose preserved tenement house still stands in Glasgow today.

After our visit to Miss Toward’s home, we were very aware that the comfortable lifestyle she led was in stark comparison to that of Jim Jarvis.

A grand piano for entertainment.

A large fireplace to keep warm.

High Tea treats.

A comfortable bed.

A dresser for beautifying.

Washing basin.

Miss Toward was fortunate enough that she did not to have to leave the tenement and visit the outhouse to go to the bathroom. Her indoor toilet and bath were a real treat!

We loved learning about the daily chores and how they would have been completed during Victorian times. We were given the chance to try out the mangle, which would have been used to wring out the clothes once they had been washed. After this, the clothing would have been hung over the pulley and raised high in the ceiling to dry fully.