We have had great fun trying some simple orienteering tasks in PE.  Orienteering is an activity that requires you to follow a map to navigate your way around a course in the shortest possible time.  We have learnt how to follow a map, what a key is and how to use it, keep the map orientated to the group, what a control is and how we use them, work with others and many other useful things that help us to navigate around an orienteering course.

Maths

This week the kids have done a great job doing some assessments in maths. Everyone was really focused and tried their very best which was great to see.

Writing

Our theme for writing this week was Disney.  First the kids had to write a persuasive letter to Mr Clark asking him to arrange a school trip to Disneyland Paris, unfortunately we were successful with the writing lesson but not the trip!

They then wrote cinquain poems about a Disney character, I wonder if they can tell you about the features of a cinquain poem?

Outdoor Learning

Making the most of the beautiful weather.

A Park, a Library and a Power Cut

On Wednesday we headed out for a class trip.  First we went to the King Harald Street Playpark and had a ball using all the play equipment, especially in the new accessibility part of the park.  Unfortunately, but quite hilariously, one of the kids had their entire, unopened packet of crisps stolen from the picnic table by a very brave scorrie! I am sure the residents of King Harald St had a good laugh at me, Kay and some of the kids chasing after it!  Next we popped in to the library to browse the books and have our snack, no disasters here.  The kids loved being able to choose a book to take home, if they wanted to.  Finally we wandered down to Mareel for our film, the reason for our trip, but alas a power cut squashed that plan so we headed to the bus to go back to school.  The kids were so well behaved throughout the trip, it was a delight to be out with them and I hope they had a good time despite the disappointment of the cancelled movie.

Big Question

This week we have been learning about the difference between medicine and illegal drugs.  We have learned about Sir Alexander Fleming and the contribution he made to medicine.  Finally we learned about vitamins and discussed the need, for some people, for supplements.  The children then worked together to ‘invent’ a multivitamin.

Haiku

In writing this week we used the Forbidden Forest from Harry Potter to inspire both balanced arguments and haiku.  A haiku is a Japanese poem made up of 3 lines with 5-7-5 syllables respectively.  The kids did an mazing job writing their own Haiku, each even managing to include a simile effectively!

Special Visitor

We had a very special visit from Mrs Dade and baby Tommy!

Amazingly Different, Amazingly Wonderful

Almost everyone in P6/7 and P4/5 completed their homework project Amazingly Different, Amazingly Wonderful and it was incredible to see the diversity, the creativity, the determination and the sensitivity of our young people when they presented their work.  On more than one occasion I had to fight back tears of pride while watching the kids share their learning with the class.  I think that this has been such a valuable project in so many ways and I hope that you agree.

Big Question

We have been learning all about Roman Soldiers and these are the amazing child-sized paintings that the kids made to show the uniforms and equipment that they had. Many thanks to our model who was drawn around 5 times!!

Happy Holiday

I hope that everyone has a fantastic Spring/ Easter Break, if you are staying home, fingers crossed we get some fine weather days and if you are going away, safe travels.  Thank you for your ongoing support this term, as always it is a delight to come to work and teach your kids every day.

This term has been a busy one for P.4-5 in the music class; from learning the words for Auld Lang Syne to doing music which related to their class topic on water to preparing for and performing a song at the Shetland Youth Music Festival, they have excelled themselves.

The class chose to sing a song at the festival called ‘My Ship Rolls Over the Ocean’ and they sang in two groups and even added a harmony part which sounded beautiful.

The adjudicator Lynn Proctor was very impressed with the performance and awarded the class a GOLD AWARD and asked for the class to return to Mareel to perform at the Gala Concert which showcased some of the highlights from the week!

She commented on the big clear sound that the class made especially considering that there were only 15 pupils.

Have a listen to the recording below:

Congratulations and Well Done! from Mrs Pottinger 🎵

Music Festival

On Monday we headed up to Lerwick for the music festival.  This was the first festival since before COVID and a fantastic opportunity for the kids to perform to a larger audience.  There were a few teething problems with the timings but the kids had an absolute ball and did such a fantastic job that the were invited to return for the gala performance on Thursday evening. Well done  and thank you to the organisers, to Jenna (who accompanied them on piano), to Mrs Pottinger (who did all the preparations) and, most importantly, to the kids who were absolutely phenomenal.

Brighter Days

It has been lovely to see a bit of sunshine this week and the kids have really enjoyed getting outside to play and enjoy the fresh air during 31 for 31 time.

Big Question

This week we have been learning about Roman soldiers.  The kids have loved learning about how they used their shields to create almost impenetrable formations in battle, they liked the turtle formation best.  Later in the week the kids worked in groups to create a (child) life-sized Roman soldier of their own.

Outdoor Play/ 31 for 31

31 for 31 replaced Golden Time, it is related to Article 31 of the United Nations Children’s Rights Charter which states that children have the right to play.  In P4/5 the children get 31 minutes of free play 3 times per week which cannot be taken away from them.  Additionally they get ‘playful’ learning opportunities throughout the week, these are different to 31 for 31 because they are tasks that are required by the teacher but the children have free choice about how to do them.

On Wednesday we headed outside for 31 for 31.  As always, it was great to see  the children of all ages playing together outside. Some P4/5 girls learned how to play hopscotch!

Big Question

This week’s big question focused on the inventions that the Romans brought to Britain.  One thing we learned about was aqueducts, these helped to artificially channel water to different areas of the country.  I am so impressed with the fantastic aqueducts that the kids created!

We spent a fantastic afternoon building Roman Forts after having learned about Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall both of which had fort build along them.  We watched an incredible video on YouTube about someone who had build a model fort out of Lego and then the class got into teams and had a go at creating their own models. There was lots of learning both about the forts of the ancient Romans and about the skills needed to work effectively as a team.  I think they did an amazing job!

Big Question 

This week we have been learning all about Boudicca.  I wonder what the kids can tell you about her?  The kids then did some fantastic portraits of her.

Writing

In writing this week we have been working on engaging the reader by thinking about how we present information.  The kids have created posters about 2 different gods that the Romans believed in.  I think they have done an absolutely phenomenal job.

Roman Mosaics

Last week we when we started our Romans project we also started some Roman mosaic portraits.  We finished them off this week and I think they are absolutely fantastic!