We are delighted to announce that Applegrove Primary has successfully renewed its Eco-Schools Green Flag Award status. This was a great whole-school effort.  We have now held the Eco-Schools Green Flag Status since 20/06/2006.  Applegrove has the longest continuous Green Flag Status in the Moray Council area.

It was noted in our report that we worked hard to encourage safe, sustainable travel to school, promote healthy snack choices and develop our grounds as a marvellous resource for learning and recreation and a haven for wildlife. We also monitored progress well throughout, celebrated our successes via the school website and the local press and worked collaboratively with useful partners like Morrison Construction. In addition, our environmental work is well-integrated into the curriculum and calendar through our work on Global Citizenship, our focus on Outdoor Learning and our participation in the John Muir Award, plus events like our Waste Awareness Weeks and Switch Off Fortnight. Furthermore, it noted that we are to be warmly commended for our promotion of the Rights of the Child in school and for our community litter picking activities as part of our “Slam Dunk the Junk” campaign. They commented that our young people are truly responsible citizens and well-placed to explore the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as part of our ongoing Eco work.

WELL DONE!!

P7s have been learning about tobacco smoking and its effect on the body as well as how culture, the media, peer groups, their own attitudes and values can influence them. We studied the Scottish and UK laws about tobacco, statistics and facts, the financial cost and the effect is has on health and looks. To round up our investigations we discussed why people, and especially young people start smoking.  We linked this to our previous understanding of what peer pressure is.

In our Science context we are learning about changes in materials.  Today we made observations about what happens when substances are added to water.  We mixed salt, flour, soil and sand with water and found that the salt dissolved but the others didn’t. The next step was to investigate the filtering process to separate substances from water.  This helped us to understand more about the differences between soluble and insoluble substances.  Our next step will be to use our notes and findings to write up our experiments.

P7H took to the playground to revise their mental and written multiplication methods.  Groups had 3 minutes at each question station where they had to decide on a method and find the answer together.  If they finished with time to spare they played clapping, chanting and racing games to help memorise their multiplication facts.

Today P7H met the Press and Journal competition deadline by making up some newspaper front pages.  First we learnt about the features of a front page which included the mast piece, teaser, adverts and jumps.  We then went in to groups and collaborated to make up a story and news in brief.  We could choose to write about fictitious or factual events and when completed they varied from natural disasters, netball victories and escaping elephants!  This fun activity helped us to learn more about journalism and develop our skills for success.

The TOPS Engineers group have been busy this term working on flight challenges.  However our first challenge was a team building task where we had 18 minutes to build a structure made from spaghetti that would hold a marshmallow on top.  All we had was a bit of string and tape to help us. This was really challenging, especially when our spaghetti kept snapping!

We then moved on to our flight activities.  First came the balloon jet engine task where we had to create a balloon  rocket.  This was thrust along a piece of string. We had a little competition to see whose balloon jet flew across the classroom first .

Next we made a hoop glider that floated through the air. It worked because the two sizes of the hoop helped to keep the straw balanced as it flew, producing lift.

We also followed instructions to make a paper helicopter.  The helicopter had to be held high and thrown upwards to launch it.  We tried slow motion filming to capture the movement through the air.

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Written by the TOPS Engineers  group.

We were very lucky to have a visitor today to talk about engineering,  Mrs McKenzie.  She was an Applegrove and Forres Academy pupil.  Mrs McKenzie studied engineering at Aberdeen University and went on to become a subsea engineer, working onshore and on ships.  Mrs McKenzie told us all about the career path and skills needed to become an engineer.  Many of these we already study at Applegrove such as problem solving, presenting, working collaboratively and being creative.

To inspire the pupils to build on their natural curiosity and ability to problem solve, today was filled with science and engineering challenges.  The pupils learnt about engineering, one of the fastest growing industries in the world before turning their hand to working collaboratively to solve a variety of problems.  The final challenge was to build a marble run that would allow the marble to run for 60 seconds.  The pupils soon realised that their prior knowledge of Forces needed to be applied. Their constructions will be finished and tested on Thursday.

The 60 second marble run.

The jelly cube challenge.

The 60 second marble run.

Keeping a paper clip afloat.

Making a crumple zone.

Can you make a paper clip float?

Chopstick Jelly Challenge

What shape will go through a square, triangular and circular hole?

Building a marble run

Building a marble run

Designing a crumple zone

On the first day of ski week, P6 and P7 pupils not skiing, took the lead to teach the children at Applegrove how to play the Beetle Drive.  After learning how to play the game themselves, they wrote instructions, made game sheets and planned out how they would deliver their lessons.  They then set off in groups to work with P1 through to P5, great fun was had by all.

Now that the children know how to play the game, we hope that they can come along with family to the PTA Beetle Drive on Friday 24th for a fun evening – and maybe win a prize!

P7H, along with 6W and P6/7M have been going to Forres Academy for PE lessons. While there we have been able to experience new activities such as paddling skills, circuit fitness and boxing.  It has also helped us in our transition phase, allowing us to become more familiar with the school as well as experiencing  the busy corridors when the Academy pupils change classes.