This term our topic has been India.  For the end of term we thought it would be fun to do a Shadow Theatre project.  Shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images.  It is still practised in countries like Indonesia, China, Thailand and India.

In Science – we discovered:-

• how shadows are made using sources of light and opaque materials and how to make shadows big and small using a source of light.

In Language – we wrote a short fable which is a simple story that teaches a life lesson.

In Technology – we used our problem solving skills to build a model which is our shadow theatre and create silhouettes of the characters in the fable.

And through Drama we presented the fable to an audience (P3s) while using expression, voice and movement.

It was great fun and the P3s wrote us lovely thank you cards and said how much they enjoyed our shows.

In February both P7 classes took part in a Tobacco Workshop run by the NHS.  In the morning, we learnt about what goes into a cigarette and why smoking is so bad for you.  We learnt lots of yucky facts and figures.   We then practised a play where everyone had a part.  It was great fun and then we performed it to the P5s while teaching them about the dangers of smoking.

As part of our topic on India, we invited one of our local Indian restaurants to visit us.  Praveen fromTabla Restaurant in Perth told us about all the different spices used in Indian cooking and brought in examples of spices which made up Garam Masala which means ‘mixed spice’.    The smell in the classroom was amazing because Praveen also brought in lots of warm pakoras for us to taste.  They were delicious!

On Wednesday 28 March, 20 P7s and 1 P6 from Newhill Primary School took part in the Perth and Kinross Council Primary Schools Cross Country event which took place at Perth Racecourse on a dry, fresh day.  There were hundreds of children attending and all our pupils did their very best and achieved great results.   Newhill is very proud of them all.  

On the 13th November Primary 7 took a trip to South Queensferry to learn more about the 3 bridges that cross the Firth of Fourth. As our topic is bridges the  pupils already had a lot of background knowledge around the 3 structures and were keen to learn more.

The trip started in the activity centre with the pupils looking at models of the various bridges and asking questions to a structural engineer.  Pupils were then led in creating strong shapes that worked together to create a sturdy structure. They worked together in smaller groups and then as a larger cohort to create a huge structure (almost as tall as the lights!). To complete the day we walked across the road bridge and had a better view point of the other bridges.

On Monday, the two P7 classes came together to enjoy their first HIIT session led by Joe Wicks, The Body Coach.  HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training.  The P7s showed tremendous perseverance and followed the routines very accurately.   The P7s’ feedback was extremely positive with the majority saying that they would like to do it again.

We followed this by some fitness circuits so a very good workout by all involved.

Well done P7!!

After a 3 week election campaign consisting of making manifestos, video speeches, posters, canvassing for votes, speaking to all adults and staff  saying why they would make good house/vice captains and culminating in a very exciting election afternoon where pupils visited their respective houses’ polling stations, the house captains and vice captains were given their badges from Mrs Patton at the weekly assembly.   All candidates worked very hard and showed a good understanding of how democracy works and the importance of voting.

This week is Maths Week Scotland across Scottish schools. (11th-15th Sept). As a result P7 blocked out a whole morning to just focus on maths. The year group was split into teams of 6 to visit 8 stations all morning until lunchtime whilst using various skills.

Stations included:

Symmetry in Nature (outdoor learning)

Maths Trail (working in pairs around playground/recording/investigation thinking)

Sumdog (to tie in with the current Maths Week Contest)

Make 24 online game (mental maths)

Problem Solving (critical thinking skills)

Tangrams (2d Shape/Creativity/problem solving)

Gameboards (working with others)

French Number Game (cross curricular)

The pupils really enjoyed looking at different aspect of maths and found that they used a range of skills.

P7 have been using their new class step tracker during their daily mile. Using the grass pitch we are trying to run a mile and setting ourselves goals each week to either meet or exceed this.

As part of our Wolf Brother topic we have been using the local environment to support our learning. Taking advantage of the local woods we have been using natural resources to enhance our learning experiences.

Using our knowledge of Wolf Brother we were working in our clan groups to create shelters. We had to think about location, materials and size. We were really proud of our achievements!