Rights Respecting School – Fetlar Primary

January 23, 2019

Martin Luther King Day

Monday 21st January was Martin Luther King day, a federal holiday in the United States of America where Mr King came from. We found out about him and how brave he was. We discussed how we would feel if we had to be kept separated from our friends because of colour, gender or faith as examples. Then we wrote about an experience we have had in the past which needed qualities that Dr King had like encouragement, strength and motivation. We then linked that example and Dr Kings example to our Children’s articles of rights. Our P7 children thought among others that Article 29 – Using education to be the best you can and to live peacefully and Article 12 – Every child has a right to have a say in all matters affecting them.

Linking texts and articles of rights to Dr Kings life and work

P7 – sharing their speech bubble thoughts

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019

Surprise anonymous gift!

https://twitter.com/FetlarS/status/1085545696244232198

“We were gifted a train set by an anonymous person based in Florida, USA. It’s an amazing piece of kit. We got to decide how to design the track and the carriage order. We started using Kapla blocks to make towers around the track” said a P7 child.”I would want it to go faster but the cool thing about it is that the train detail is good and you can put something in one of the goods carts” volunteered another P7 child.

Nursery said “I made it go fast and it made me happy!”

“There are a lot of things that can go on it like some sheep and fencing which makes it look like a real train station” said P3.

“We have had a lot of fun building the track, making it work and imagining the world around us in miniature. Thank you to our generous Donor who has helped us achieve our right to play and relax!” said Mrs Kavanagh

December 21, 2018December 21, 2018

Joyeux Noel et Bonne Annee La Frayere Bocca, Cannes!

Kaitlyn and Darcy show off their Christmas card

Our tree (sapin) with questions and statements

Today we sent Christmas greetings to our partner school in Cannes, France. The nursery children there showed us their cadeux (presents) from Pere Noel (Father Christmas) and their sapin (Christmas tree). We found out about Christmas traditions in France and asked them some questions about the galette des Rois, a special pie which they slice up and whoever finds the bean inside becomes the King or Queen.

December 19, 2018December 19, 2018

International Migrants Day

Yesterday we found out why people come to different places to live. We found out that people have moved around for a long time even people on Fetlar had to move when they were cleared off the land in the 1700’s and 1800’s. We researched about migrants in Scotland and how there are not many of them or refugees so people shouldn’t be worried. We also thought that if we help them they could help us by teaching us new things. We sent a letter to Tavish Scott to ask him to let more migrants come here. We also found our that the UNCRC says in article 22 that migrant or refugee children should have the same opportunities as children here in Fetlar. @UN #migrantsday

November 27, 2018November 27, 2018

Geographical and cultural partnership with school in Cannes

Fetlar have a partner school La Frayere in La Bocca district, Cannes on the Cote in France. This morning we shared some British songs with the nursery (maternelle) department and they sang some songs in French and English to us. One of our children said ‘I was a little confused about what to say to them at first but that will get easier’ another said ‘It was funny to see them having a group hug but that’s what nursery children do sometimes’. Our nursery child liked that they learned a song which we can sing in French and English as well.

We are going to meet up every few weeks to share Christmas preparations with them.

November 12, 2018

UK Parliament Week #vote100 Women’s right to vote in Shetland

Thanks to Marsali Taylor for giving us a presentation on the fight for the right to vote in Shetland. We had lots of drama activities to help us understand aspects of a complicated and long drawn out campaign. We also made a timeline and found out about the main reasons for women wanting the vote then. We then completed a ‘diamond 9’ reasoning poster to display what we thought the order of those main ideas were. Aaron thought that some of the reasons just ‘stood out’ for him so it was easy to order them.

https://www.vote100.uk/

November 8, 2018

Discovering the Archives and King Magnus Lawmender exhibition

https://www.shetlandmuseumandarchives.org.uk/exhibitions/miserabiles-personae-the-poor-in-society

Record of food distributed to Fetlar crofters in 1804

Minutes of Suffrage meetings held in 1909. Very few left in the world.

Finding the location of a document in the repository.

How to treat naughty children in the middle ages.

Part of the exhibition on medieval Norway.

Comparisons of life for children from different social classes in Shetland during the medieval times,

Yesterday the children from Fetlar visited the Shetland Museum and Archives and gained VIP access to the repository (place where very important documents about Shetland are held). The found the oldest, largest, smallest and animal hide written documents held there. The documents are held in a specially protected vault and they got to press the button to operate the storage mechanism. They looked at documents as part of their topic on Fetlar past and present including school records and minutes of suffrage meetings held in Shetland. They also were shown around the exhibition showing how children and the poor existed in medieval Norway and Shetland, and how King Magnus Lawmender‘s new law code of 1274 affected society here and in Norway. Thanks so much to the amazing team at the Museum.

November 6, 2018

I’m a scientist get me out of here!

Today the children at Fetlar teamed up with scientists from the Wellcome institute in London to find out what was involved in being a scientist. They’d previously decided on chatting with scientists in the sustainability zone due to the work they’ve been carrying out on Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals.

In order to prepare the children prepped by discussing the qualities they felt that a scientist needed to effectively carry out their jobs. They then thought up some questions they’d like to ask and we scheduled a live chat session for half an hour.

Once the live chat started time flew and an incredible number of questions and answers were carried out. ‘It was amazing because I loved how there was always a new question being asked either by us or the scientists’ was Aarons comment and Jack said ‘ I really enjoyed the chat because I learned lots of new things and also liked teaching the scientists!’

October 23, 2018October 23, 2018

Mrs Kavanagh’s trip to Cannes

Mrs Kavanagh went to Cannes in the south of France during the holidays with other teachers from Shetland. She visited some primary schools, taught some lessons, visited centres of cultural important and experienced traditional cuisine. She’s really looking forward to sharing her knowledge with children on the northern Isles.

As part of the Erasmus programme and facilitated by LfEE’s Richard Tallaron and Julie D’Eathe in Shetland, Fetlar will link up with L’ecole primaire Bocca la Frayere. We will hopefully grow in understanding of each other through discussion in each others languages and sharing information. Thank you to everybody involved, including the Head teacher Gerard and teacher Aline at la Frayere, who along with other French teachers will be visiting Shetland at the beginning of November. We look forward to showing them a warm Shetland welcome.

October 2, 2018

NSPCC Visit 2nd October 2018

Thank you Heather Smith from the NSPCC for your visit to Fetlar Primary School today. The children are much more aware of the rights in the context of their personal safety than before and what they can do to get the help of a trusted adult.