January has been a very busy month in school and in our nursery.
Our pupils and staff all returned after Christmas with renewed energy and drive to make 2020 our most successful year yet.
Alongside a range of learning opportunities within our school day a large number of pupils are also benefiting from our extensive our of hours learning experiences. This is due to the fabulous commitment of our staff (and pupils) who give of their own time both a lunch time and after the school day to extend our children’s talents and skills.
Here’s a wee taster of some of the Come Clubbing @ Cathedral activities:
The Euro Quizzers:
Our Christmas Storytelling – back by popular demand!
Primary 4 football club:
P4 pupils having fun at the afterschool football club, at come clubbing at Cathedral. Each week we have been focusing on a different ball skills, playing as part of a team and most importantly having FUN !!!:
Let’s get Knitting!
Cross Country – a well established success in our school:
‘Rain, hail or shine our hardy cross country pupils, staff a volunteers brave all weathers to continue to prepare for the North Lanarkshire Trials.
The cross country after school sessions recommenced on 6th January. The children are building up their strength, speed and stamina as they prepare for the forthcoming trial on 19th February at Dalziel Park in Motherwell. Each week the training intensity increases as the children prepare to be race ready. This week the children were given some homework to help them improve.
This consisted of 2 x10 minute continuous runs before next Monday. Next week we will be working on interval training and hill training to help prepare for the race. Consent letters have been issued to children and must be completed and returned as soon as possible. Parent helpers are required on the day of the race so if you are free please come along and support your child. Spaces are available on the bus.
Celebrating Burns:
Two of our Come Clubbing @ Cathedral are centred around the Burns Competition. On Friday 24th January the children who attend our Burns verse speaking and singing clubs attended the Forgewood Community Centre to perform for the local community at a Burns lunch event.
The children gave a fantastic performance which made the event a huge success. They really looked the part in their tartan sashes.
A wonderful way to share the talents and skill of our pupils with all in our community. We wish you all well on 18th February at our local Burns competition.
Our Wonderful Choir:
Our choir continues to flourish with this session over 70 boys and girls from P4 to P7 participating weekly. Currently we are preparing for The Glasgow Music Festival Hymn Singing where the choir will perform in The Royal Concert Hall singing All Things Bright and Beautiful (set piece) and Get On Board The Train (own choice). Wish us luck for March!
The above is a taster of what’s on-going in our school day and daily. I am indebted to the huge number of staff, pupils and parent/carer volunteers who give so freely of their own time to ensure we provide excellent learning opportunities to promote our children’s talents and skills. Long may it continue.
January also saw P5 intent on learning new hockey skills in P.E. As you can see, not all P.E takes place in the gym hall. P5a used our dining hall to develop their skills. It is great to have such flexible spaces in our school.
At our very first school assembly of the year we celebrated the success of our Junior Road Safety Officers challenge to all. Our pupils were asked to design a poster promoting safety on our roads. We had a number of children all ‘highly commended’ for their efforts. Here they are with our very proud Junior Road Safety Officers.
We ended January with a superb Primary 3 assembly, all based around ‘Toys’. This was outstanding. Once again, our pupils showcased their learning through song and dance. A thoroughly enjoyable assembly. Well done to all pupils, staff, support staff and parents/carers in P3. Thanks to all who came along to support our fabulous P3 pupils.
It has been a busy month for P3, they also enjoyed their Enrolment for Reconciliation, marking the period of intense preparation for this lovely sacrament of forgiveness. We look forward to celebrating the sacrament with P3 and their parents/carers on Tuesday 10th March in Cathedral Church at 6pm.
Meanwhile, down in the nursery…….
January has been a fantastic month of learning experiences down in the nursery as it was transformed into a Space Station and Solar System. The children have been learning facts through stories, props, costumes, factual books and action songs which helped them gather information as they learn new words and phrases about Space.
Our Astronaut Cadets have been in training to ensure full fitness before embarking on their trip to the Moon and they have even experimented with powdered food watching it change form as liquid was added. Smash potatoes and Angel Delight have proved popular amongst our young learners.
Throughout the topic the children have been creating rockets and Space stations with 2D and 3D shapes and have even used pens to create their own 2D shapes. What great imaginations our children have!
The feedback from parents about the Space topic has been excellent as the children discuss their learning at home. Here are a few of them.
‘This looks amazing fun! my daughter was so excited to tell us all about it. She has decided we are going to make space helmets by cutting paper plates and she is going to take the family on a mission to the moon. Great activity. Thank you.
‘My daughter has us all star gazing at night through the front window, the moon was very big the other night and she was very excited’
‘He has loved this topic… loved everything about the planets!
As we came to the end of January we celebrated Burns Day with Scottish stories, music and dancing, haggis neeps and tatties and as always welly wanging outdoors. A super Scottish Hoolie was had by all.
This final week we have celebrated Chinese New Year. The children listened to the story of Nian the dragon, performed a dragon dance inside and outside, made dragon masks and explored the red playdough and the sand using chopsticks. In snack all children had the opportunity to taste some Chinese food such as noodles and prawn crackers.
As always, many thanks for taking the time to read our Monthly Blog, please leave a comment or two.
Mrs Shields
Both of my children have had of fantastic learning opportunities. My daughter is loving cross country and knitting and my son is enjoying learning about space in nursery!
Terrific to see such a busy programme of curricular and extra-curricular activities continuing throughout the school and nursery. Great variety and experience for the children to have the opportunity to participate in so many ways. Thanks to all the staff and volunteers involved.