Have you heard of STEM? Science. Technology. Engineering. Maths.

In a World where technology is quickly overtaking anything we could’ve imagined, STEM is becoming more important than ever. Emma a scientist came to visit P6A and she brought with her a box of robots.

P6A learned how to code their robots to move in different directions, shapes and to even make noises.  Pupils had to use a range of STEM skills including knowledge of speed, angles and bearings. They had so much fun and Emma said they are future STEM scientists in the making. 

Both Primary 7 classes have been on a woodland adventure this week. At sunny Kergord both groups were busy balancing, climbing, building and experiencing the wild. One group spotted a robin and another found two frogs! Pupils were even lucky enough to eat their lunches alongside an open fire.

Primary 7 were invited to the Methodist Kirk to Experience Remembrance. Reverend Fox and some of his congregation shared information about Shetlanders who served during the First World War. They told us stories about family members who fought and showed us artefacts. They learned about the significance of the Poppy and how it helps War Veterans in the UK. While we were there we visited the War Memorial at the Town Hall in Lerwick and learned interesting facts about the War Memorial and the Roll of Honour.

On the Friday after Up Helly Aa our P7 were invited to a party at Bells Brae with their P7s. This was a great opportunity for them to meet each other before our more formal transition events start next term.

All our P7s danced traditional Shetland Dances with their new friends from Bells Brae.  The Jarl and his squad paid a visit and joined in with the games and dancing.

Kieran from the NHS Pharmacy department taught us about medicine and keeping safe around it. We learned what we should do if we find tablets that don’t belong to us.

Bruce from NHS Education showed us what’s inside our bodies. We had to label the organs and match pictures to descriptions of what they do. We learned where each organ is in the body. Putting the organs into the body was like doing a jigsaw puzzle.

The NHS Childsmile team taught us how much sugar is in different food. They also showed us how to brush our teeth. These activities were fun and we learned loads.

Kim is a nurse. She taught us Basic Life Support skills. This was really interesting. We had to make sure we pressed the manequin’s chest 30 times then we had to breathe into his mouth to resuscitate him. It was difficult but we all managed and were given certificates when we completed our training.

Tavish Scott came along to our p4-7 Assembly.  He is a member of the Scottish Parliament for Shetland.  He told us all about his job.  Pupils then asked really good questions. His job sounded varied and interesting.

WeP4A had a visit from Michael Dunnet from  Historic Scotland. Mr Dunnet is a stonemason who works with stones and helps to keep the historic monuments in Shetland in good repair.

He had lots of tools to show us.

       
He knew lots about how the Egyptians built the pyramids and he showed us some of the techniques they would have used to get straight lines and level surfaces when building the pyramids.

Mr Dunnet showed us some of the tools that he used to work with the stones and we had a shot of using the mail and chisel. We had to use the mail whilst keeping a maths book under our arm. It was tricky! Our arms were not allowed to move much and we tapped the chisel gently.

He showed us a modern spirit level and how to use it. We tried this out on our tables – our desks are not all level!
We then made a level using water. We put water in a plastic container then let it settle. We had to be careful not to knock into the container or the water would become wavy and would not lie in a straight line. Then we drew around the water line using a felt tip. This gave us a level mark in a straight line.

We also found a level using two set squares. They were lined up on the table and we had to look through a hole and see if the second set square matched up to the first. They didn’t match up which confirmed our findings earlier about the level of our desks.

We had a brilliant time and are very grateful to Mr Dunnet for coming in to show us so many exciting things,

Today Primary 7 have enjoyed a visit from Michael Coutts and Thor, his detection dog The class have been learning about the effects of different substances on the body. Michael explained how the dogs are trained to detect illegal substances and discussed the work his team do. He gave the class lots of useful advice on how to keep themselves and others safe.