Primary 4/5 had a fantastic day at Clyde Muirshiel Country Park, being out in nature and exploring.

Firstly, we took a walk along the Old Mine Track and were being Professional Photographers. Our challenge was to take pictures of three different topics, wildlife, flowers and a landscape picture, thinking about what people would like to see and if we were to sell them people would buy. Just like a professional photographer would do.

After a short break to recover, we set out to climb Windy Hill and explore even more. I am proud to announce that everyone made it to the very top of Windy Hill, which is 316 metres high!

After having lunch with a view, we climbed back down the hill and done some final exploring (with some of splashing in our wellies) before it was time to get back on the bus home.

P4/5 became teachers for a day! They were sharing their learning on electricity and building electrical circuits with P2. They all had a great time and were enthusiastic to learn from each other. So much so that they asked if next time P2 could be the teachers. Here are some of their comments on what they learned…

Kameron- “That lightning is electric.”

Leo-“Learning about all the symbols.”

Iain-“Static electricity made my hair go up.”

Alfie-“How to wire light bulbs up.”

The great outdoors is a place where learning can take diverse shapes and forms. Take a look at how Primary 3 strengthened their numeracy and maths skills.

The pupils came in to class this morning to plan their own day, working within their Co-operative learning groups.

We set up for the day by gathering the resources that the pupils needed and wanted to take. They decided to spend before playtime in the school grounds and then over to Rannoch Woods after play time.

What are we going to do?

“We are going to make 3D shapes using twigs, sticks and clay” – Lily-Anne

“I’m going to make arrays to help me multiply” – Chichi

“I’m going to build a town using 2D and 3D shapes”- Jakub

“If we make shape art we can look at making lines of symmetry and then look to see how many angles are in the shape” – Ryan

What did you enjoy about Outdoor learning day today?

“I enjoyed building 2D shapes” – Hannah

“I enjoyed making a pyramid because it was quite tricky and I wanted to add more sticks. I had to make sure it had at least 4 sticks”- Gemma

“I enjoyed making a person out of clay, sticks and stones. I tried my best to make it symmetrical” – Stephen

“I was learning to do multiplication using arrays and also gems” – Josh

“I was measuring and counting I used the trundle wheel to measure long distances” – Kristian

What is tinkering?

“Tinkering is about making things or fixing thinks with basic tools. It is a hands-on practical activity, that  children just love. Why do children love it? Because they’re using real tools – not toys – real tools. They’re being trusted to follow instructions, work safely and make fun things!”

Primary 1 have added a Tinkering table to their classroom this week and today had their first delivery of electrical equipment to explore. We used a range of tools to open up a DVD player and even stripped the wires down to see what was inside. There was lots of great team work and discussions going on! If you have any broken electrical equipment, tools, nuts and bolts or any other loose parts that you could donate we would be very grateful.

Congratulations to all of our pupils who received this special sacrament this evening.  We know how hard they have been working in preparation for this and how well supported they have been by their families, our staff and St Margaret’s Parish.