Congratulations to 24 of our young people from Primaries 3 and 4 who made their First Reconciliation on Thursday evening. We had a beautiful celebration of faith with a very prayerful atmosphere in our church. My thanks to all the children and families for participating so well and also to the staff who prepared our children and came along to support them on Thursday evening. Finally, my thanks goes to Father Dornan for his continued support.

Primary 1 have been learning to identify coins up to £2 in Numeracy. They can add amounts up to 5p and will be continuing up to 10p next week. They have been learning about the impact of weather and packed their suitcases for their trip to the wet and windy Isle of Coll. 

Primary 1/2 have been learning about weight in maths. They can use a 2-part balance and can state whether items are heavy or light. In art they have been mixing primary colours to make secondary colours. 

Primary 2/3 have been learning about time. Primary 2 have been reading and writing o’clock and half past times and Primary 3 have been doing quarter past and quarter to. In Science they have been learning how to use a thermometer to measure the temperature outside. The children recorded the temperature every hour. They then put the information they gathered in a table onto a bar graph. 

Primary 3 worked very hard to prepare for their Reconciliation this week and are very proud of themselves. In maths they have been learning about change from £1 and what coins they could use. In Health & Wellbeing they looked at the 5 food groups and designed a healthy snack which they will cook very soon! 

Primary 4 have worked hard with multiplication learning 6, 7 and 9 times table. For their First Holy Communion preparation they learned the story of the last supper and re-enacted this together. In science they have conducted dissolving experiments. In literacy they have been improving their writing with adverbs.  

Primary 5 have been tackling fractions and learning about mixed numbers. They have also been designing bridges and building models from lollipop sticks. They have also been preparing for their Mandarin showcase. 

Primary 6 have carried out research into famous scientists and inventors. They have made anemometers and were able this week to measure wind speed. They had to make adjustments but by Thursday they worked! Their reading comprehension was on British Science Week but it was still very enjoyable.  

This week Primary 7 have been learning about prime numbers and how to find prime factors. In ICT they have been started work on their i-Movies and they are looking forward to seeing the finished movies.  

In the nursery, they are continuing to enjoy traditional stories. This week they have been concentrating on The Three Little Pigs. The children were all excited to try out the new Literacy Den in our outside area. The boys have requested torches and the girls would like fairy lights. We also had the suggestion of central heating from one of our children! We will address the lighting requests for this week and then think about the other area!

This week is our annual fundraising week. All details can be found on the most recent newsletter and on the school app. In the nursery please bring in a hat so children can decorate this week for the Easter Bonnet parade.

Many thanks for reading my blog and thanks to Miss McKendry for sending me the information on Friday!

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

Well what a week we returned to in St. Cuthbert’s after our snow days.

Firstly we said goodbye to some very large chicks on Monday morning. Mrs Cathcart did a splendid job caring for our furry friends.

Following on from our successful World of Work days in previous years we embarked on a week full of World of Work activities as part of our school improvement efforts this year. We were delighted to welcome a wide range of partners into our school to share their experience in the world of work. Our pupils, as always, were very engaged and impressed all with their behaviour and insightful questions. The inputs form each class this week give further details about the highlights for each class. Please follow us on Twitter and the school app as many updates and photographs were posted throughout the week.

We also welcomed back Miss Ferrie and Mrs Collins this week to our school staff. P6 and 7 also had a Road Safety themed play, The Journey, performed by The Baldy Bane Theatre Company.

Here’s what was happening in the classes ….

Primary 1 had a lot of fun dreaming up what they wanted to be in the future. They found it tricky to identify their favourite speaker but they did find the photographer and the police very interesting!

Primary 2 loved dressing up as their future career and drew pictures of themselves in the future. Their favourite was the police officer who brought a wide range of equipment and let the pupils try on his hat and hold the baton and handcuffs. They enjoyed listening to the doctor as he discussed his role in helping injured footballers.

P2/3 also dressed up as many different future careers. Their favourite was the doctor who brought along photographs and demonstred how to use an inhaler and a stapler! They also enjoyed the cabin crew input and all agreed that it was very hard work indeed!

Primary 3 thoroughly enjoyed the week and liked talking to their friend’s about their costumes. They had two favourites the doctor and cabin crew!

Primary 4 told Mrs Boyd they loved this week of learning! Their favourite was the police officer. Many pupils in P4 are really interested in joining the police. They asked lots of questions. They also enjoyed learning about the role of G4S and prisoner transport.

Primary 5 were inspire by the many different visitors in many different ways. They learned the importance of perseverance and never saying ‘I can’t’. They learned that even when people are faced with difficulties if you persevere you can follow your dreams and achieve great things!

Primary 6 had a fantastic week and really enjoyed the variety of speakers. It was impossible to identify their favourite but they were impressed with G4S and how they trusted them with so many pieces of their equipment. This made the experience very real. The most interesting speaker was David Goutcher the author due to his determination to achieve his dream through a very exciting work life.

Primary 7 also enjoyed the full week finding the talks very interesting and motivational. They loved having the opportunity to speak to former pupils who are now in sixth year at St. John Ogilvie about their achievements and challenges after leaving primary school.

A huge thank you to Mrs Cran, all the staff of our school, many friends and family members and our community partners for enabling our pupils to have such a wonderful learning opportunity this week.

In the nursery Fairyland continues to develop. The dragon brought another letter this week and left Fairyland books for every child. We are beginning to draw our favourite characters. Our new outdoor construction site has been fantastic and children had great fun pretending to make cement and build walls. In the gym hall we have been developing our understanding of positional language moving under and over, through and in and out. We also completed our Stay, play and share week after the snow days last week.

Our latest newsletter has been published so please access this through the app.

This week I would ask you to pray for 25 of our young pupils who will make their Sacrament of Reconciliation on Thursday evening for the first time. Thursday in International School Meals Day so there will be a change of menu communicated through the app.

Our P5-7 pupils have been busy preparing their Mandarin Showcase. This was unfortunately postponed due to weather. P5-7 will perform their showcase in the school hall this Friday, 16^th March, all welcome to join us.

May I wish all mothers and grandmothers a Happy Mother’s Day.

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

We have enjoyed a very busy week of learning this week in many ways. The Living Eggs arrived in P7 to help us learn about caring and nurturing for the very young. The senior Nurture Group visited the Dementia Café on Thursday afternoon and had a super experience spending time with the guests making memory jars and singing. The children were a credit to their school showing empathy and understanding for others. George McAleenan from Let the Children Live gave a super presentation at assembly sharing the work of the charity in caring for the street children of Columbia. We assured George of our continued support. We finished with the week with M and M Productions performing Charlotte’s Web! The whole school and nursery thoroughly enjoyed the show!

Primary 1 have almost finished all their sounds! This week they learned the cheeky sound ‘th’. We started our descriptive writing al about our grans. We also learned about healthy and unhealthy foods and made our very own healthy lunchbox!

This week P1/2 enjoyed learning about the lifecycle of a hen and visiting the living eggs before they hatched. They are eager to see the chicks progress next week. They have been learning about descriptive writing and created their own story about friends in school.

P2/3 have been ordering numbers in numeracy. P2 have looked at numbers to 100 and P3 numbers to 1000. The children have been redrafting their recount writing pieces and learning to give ad accept feedback to one another. They have been learning about the Lost Sheep and the meaning of this story for us as part of the preparation for Reconciliation.

P3 have been learning about Zaccheus and why he wanted to change his ways after he met Jesus. In numeracy they have been learning about money collections to £5 and giving exact change. In art they have been learning all about the Argyll print.

P4 have been continuing with their novel Charlie and the chocolate Factory. They have developed their summarising skills and also about coco beans. In numeracy they have been revising their tables and learning to multiply by 100. They began their preparation for the sacrament of First Holy Communion and received their special Family Workbooks.

P5 have been learning about the structure of the Forth Bridges as part of their Roads and Journeys learning. They have created their Lenten promises this week and working hard to fulfil them.

P6 have been learning how to add to 2 place decimals in the standard written method. We are exploring the Kingdom of God in RE and have begun to explore narratives through poetry. In science, we have looked at renewable energies and made anemometers.

P7 have had a very exciting week learning about the life cycle and development of chickens. Eight of our eggs hatched and we have 4 boys and 4 girls. P7 also started to learn about World War II and have had some excellent learning opportunities to develop their understanding of life during the war.

There was great excitement in the nursery this week as a dragon came to visit! He was very sad as Fairyland had disappeared because boys and girls were not reading fairy tales any longer. He was a friendly dragon and left a very old letter. The boys and girls agreed to help the dragon. Mrs Egan found some magic beans and left them in the nursery. The very next day the children could not believe their eyes as a giant beanstalk had grown where the beans were lying. The children read the story Jack and the Beanstalk and acted out the story on our new outdoor stage. The children also made fabulous green leaves to decorate the beanstalk. They also made a giant boots and a golden egg! I wonder what will happen next week…..!

The other fantastic news in the nursery is that the igloo is complete! What an achievement! Thank you so much for all your recycling that helped make this happen. The children decided to make the igloo a den for The Three Billy Goats Gruff. We hope the dragon likes it!

A busy week of learning in our school and a further one ahead! Please remember to come along to our Lenten Prayer services on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8.45am.

The March Newsletter will be issued this week with further updates and information.

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

I hope everyone had a relaxing February break. A very short blog this week to update you on a busy few days in school.

Wednesday marked the beginning of the season of Lent. This is the time of preparation for the great feast of Easter in our church. Miss McKendry has been working with all pupils and will be issuing the calendar this week detailing all the events taking place in our school as we work together as a community of faith to prepare for the great feast of Easter. Mrs Hall and Miss Prentice have started their Lenten Prayer Programme. This takes place on the mornings of Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the school hall at 8.45am. We would encourage all pupils, friends and family members of our school community to come and join us as we pray the rosary, stations of the cross and engage in quiet prayer during these times. My thanks to Mrs Hall and Miss Prentice for providing this wonderful opportunity in our school.

On Wednesday the staff worked very hard developing their knowledge and skill about Scotland’s Young Workforce. Mrs Cran shared important information with our staff and we look forward to taking this forward with our pupils in the coming weeks.

On Friday P4-7 had the opportunity to engage in hour long workshops on the Wild Bus provided by Edinburgh Zoo. The pupils learned about the diverse nature of Scotland’s landscape and also about the importance of animal wildlife and protection. As always our pupils were complemented for their positive behaviour and engagement during activities.

The nursery children celebrated Chinese New Year this week. They enjoyed tasting some traditional foods and also made their own lucky envelopes. The children are looking forward to getting outside this week and trying out some of our new resources in the outside area.

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

This week was Catholic Education Week in Scotland. Our pupils have been discussing the theme, Serving the Common Good, in various ways within their classes. At assembly on Tuesday the children learned the story behind the beautiful icon, Jesus our Teacher, commissioned to celebrate 100 yrs of the Education Act. On Wednesday evening, educators, pupils, parents and clergy from the Diocese of Motherwell gathered for the annual Education Mass in Motherwell Cathedral. It was an uplifting occasion with mass celebrated by Bishop Toal. The music liturgy provided by St. John Ogilvie High was excellent. I was immensely proud of Katie Hogan who read her bidding prayer with confidence as did the other children representing our cluster primaries.

This weekend many pupils and staff will represent our school at St. Cuthbert’s parish. Our noticeboard in the porch of the church has also been updated with a variety of photographs of events showcasing how our school community serves the common good.

Many thanks to our new parents who came along to the Parent Council on Monday evening. We had 13 people present and at least 6 apologies. It is great to see so many parents willing to work together to benefit our pupils.

In the classes ….

P1 have enjoyed making their own maps this week as part of their Katie Morag topic. They went for a walk and then drew a map of their local area. They are currently creating Katie Morag’s island in the class. In numeracy they have continued with addition and are improving their speed at completing calculations.

P1/2 have been thinking about they can help others as part of Catholic Education Week. They participated in quiet prayer and then discussed ideas in a circle time. In Literacy the focus has been nouns.

P2/3 have also been considering how they can serve the common good by helping friends, families and each other. They have also planted class plants and are taking care of them and nurturing them to help them grow.

P3 have been practising some meditation as they consider how they can serve the common good. In numeracy they have been mentally subtracting 2 digit numbers by 2 digit numbers. As part of the preparation for reconciliation they have been learning about the symbols of Baptism.

P4 had a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed week. They wrote a descriptive passage about Charlie. They also considered the difference between fact and opinion. Three lucky boys and girls found a golden ticket! They have also continued with their learning around farm to fork. They watched a programme about the creation for fish fingers.

P5 have focussed on caring for God’s creation during Catholic Education Week and learned about plastic pollution. They have also carried out a power investigation and have been monitoring power use in our school.

P6 have been learning about equivalent fractions and how to order and compare fractions. They have also been learning to change noun endings when they become plural. The focus in Mandarin has been animal names and the focus in IDL, energy.

P7 have continued to develop their ability to apply their knowledge of division and multiplication to word problems. In their study of Divided City they have been discussing two main issues – Asylum Seekers and Sectarianism. In art they have been studying the work of Steven Brown.

In the nursery…

Recycling continues to be our focus in the nursery. The igloo is taking shape so please continue with your donations of milk cartons. The children this week created their own junk models and painted them. They also used the junk to make a variety of musical instruments.  The children made jelly in a variety of containers that had been recycled. This week the boys and girls will enjoy role play in our shop area using the variety of cartons and containers. Most parents and carers now have access to our online journals and have been able to view their child’s progress in nursery. Targets have also been set this week. Please speak to staff if you have still to discuss targets or access to the journals.

We look forward to celebrating mass as a school community on Monday afternoon at 1.30pm in the school hall. Primary 2 are leading the liturgy. Family and friends are most welcome to join us. The latest newsletter has been published on our app. Please contact the school if you require a paper copy.

Please remember next Monday 12th Feb and Tuesday 13th Feb are holidays and the school and nursery are closed to pupils on Wed 14th Feb as it is a Staff Development Day. No blog next week due to the holiday weekend.

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

We were grateful that the weather did slightly improve this week although the rain and ice resulted in more in plays! Let’ s hope this week we can get out to play!

We completed the Primary 1 enrolments and look forward to welcoming our new Primary 1s during our induction programme.

In the classes ….

Primary 1 have had a very Scottish themed week. They have been learning Scots language singing Donald where’s yer troosers! They were very excited to perform their song to their nursery friends on Thursday. They have been learning Scottish dance and on Burns’ Day enjoyed tasting traditional haggis, neeps and tatties!

Primary 1/2 also learned about Robert Burns. They created their very own tartan and learned a Scottish dance. They enjoyed eating shortbread and listening to traditional Scottish music. In Science they have been developing their knowledge of food chains.

Primary 2/3 also had learned about who Robert Burns was. They discussed the pattern of tartan designs and created their own tartan using icing on shortbread. In Literacy they have been learning about nouns and verbs. In RE they have been identifying the characteristics that make us all unique.

Primary 3 have been learning about the concept of subtraction using the method of exchange. This tested our knowledge of place value! They have also been studying the work of Andy Warhol as part of the pattern study in Art and Design. Preparation is well underway for our Sacrament of Reconciliation. They have been identifying our talents and gifts and know that they are all unique.

Primary 4 have been developing their knowledge of descriptive adjectives. In numeracy they have been developing mental strategies for subtraction within 100. They have been learning about Scots language and studied the Jeely Piece Song.

Primary 5 have been learning about long multiplication. They have been developing their knowledge of the compass and using this to locate directions. In Art and Deisgn they have been drawing using one point perspective. In Writing they have been writing imaginative stories about snowmen.

Primary 6 have concluded their writing about crocodiles with a particular focus on the sue of adverbs. They have been converting proper and improper fractions to decimals! They too looked about the life of Robert Burns and recited the Selkirk Grace.

Primary 7 have been learning about asylum seekers and about the reasons why they leave their own country. In numeracy they have been learning about long division. The work in Science has continued to look at physical states and they have been introduced to the Periodic table.

I hope you can see the development of learning in our school from P1-P7 – particularly in numeracy. Our pupils have the opportunity to learn and develop their knowledge and skills year on year. This is hugely important and will enable our children to achieve and attain thei very best.

However, it all starts in our wonderful nursery!

This week the boys and girls have continued to learn about recycling. They are sorting materials into different groups. They have had great fun using the materials to build towers and structures. There was great excitement on Friday as everyone gathered to start making our igloo. The children sorted the milk bottles into size and shape and then counted them out to make the igloo. Please continue to donate empty, clean and dried 4 pint plastic milk bottles. There was a Scottish theme on Thursday with the children wearing tartan, listening to Scottish music and enjoying haggis, neeps and tatties for snack!

This weekend starts the beginning of Catholic Education week. The theme this year is Serving the Common Good. It is also the centenary of the1918 Catholic Education Act. Please see our newsletter, to be published this week, for more details.

Parent Council meeting on Monday 29th January at 6.30pm in the staffroom. We did ask all members of the council last meeting to try and bring at least one friend along on Monday evening. Let’s see if we can increase our Parent Council. The meetings are very relaxed and informal – the focus is simply working together to make our school the best it can be for every child. Come along on Monday evening you will be very welcome.

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

Well our second week back has been quite eventful! The weather took a very wintery turn and made for tricky travel to and from our school and nursery. A very short blog as our P7 blog collectors were in the middle of their task on Friday when the decision was made to close all schools!

A sincere word of thanks to all staff, pupils, parents and carers who worked together this week to ensure school and nursery were open, children made it safely to school and staff were there to meet them!

The snow did provide some wonderful learning opportunities with the nursery children investigating melting with ice, building snowmen, and our school children wrapping up warm and exploring the snowy outdoors. Primary 4 have been studying the forecasts and we may have some future forecasters in our midst!

As always, our school embraces every opportunity to learn!

It was Primary 1 enrolment week too! We welcomed many families to our school throughout the week and names have been added to ‘the big list’! A few appointments scheduled for Friday afternoon were cancelled and alternatives given for this week. Please contact the school asap if your child has not registered for school and is due to start in August 2018.

The weather forecast looks more hopeful for this week!

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

Welcome back everyone and may I wish all associated with our school community a very, happy, healthy and successful new year.

We have had a very positive first week of term with 2 new pupils joining our school and 4 new recruits in our nursery. All have settled extremely well. We finished our week with our second COGS meeting. Pupils gathered in their house groups to discuss listening and talking, school lunches, certificates at assembly and extra curricular opportunities. Miss McKendry will provide feedback on the groups very soon.  Our Homework clubs will begin next week with P1-3 on Tuesdays and P4-7 on Thursdays in the school library. To encourage attendance at the clubs pupils will receive a free raffle ticket for the chance to win a Vue cinema voucher and some goodies to eat just in time for the February break. Please come along and spend some time enhancing your learning during this time.

In the classes ….

Primary 1 have been busy settling back into routine. They have continued with their learning about addition number stories. They have also started their new writing project and are excited to write their first independent stories.

P1/2 have also settled back into routine well. P1 continue with their addition learning producing some super work! Primary 2 have been working on missing number facts – this is always tricky! They started to learn about the supermarket this week sorting foods into different groups.

P2/3 have had a focus on recount writing this week and the structure of this type of work. P2 have been working on missing numbers in subtraction stories and P3 have been learning about the written method of subtraction for two digit numbers. They have also been learning about direction to complete mapping activities.

Primary 3 have been learning about descriptive writing and wrote about their favourite present. They started their new focus Adventure Ted and are excited to be developing their knowledge of the local area while developing their mapping skills.

Primary 4 have been writing a recount of their Christmas holiday. In Science they have been learning about the properties of materials. The focus in maths has been telling the time and calculating durations.

Primary 5 have began their focus on multiplication and also tessalation. They have been learning about the life of Thomas Telford and have discovered some of the amazing things he built in Scotland and England. They have also been learning about the compass rose and using atlases to find out more about Scotland’s geography.

Primary 6 began their Willow Plate story in Drama. Miss Chen shared all about the Spring Festival during Mandarin and also the names of our extended family members. In maths the focus has been nets of 3D objects. In RE the focus has been learning about Christian unity and they have been studying the Acts of the Apostles.

Primary 7 have been developing their information report writing skills – ensuring they use appropriate language. In numeracy they too have been multiplying, with 4 digit numbers. In Science they have been learning about a physical change of state and a chemical reaction.

In the nursery our second intake of pupils made a successful start to their nursery career. Our returning boys and girls were sharing their experiences at Christmas and retelling the Christmas festivities in nursery as they all completed their big books. The boys and girls used this week to explore the Winter weather and made patterns by printing and using glitter. They made sparkly playdough too! Everyone visited the library this week to select a new book and they also went to the gym hall. In the hall children were developing their understanding of over and under in various ways. We have started our new topic – Recycling! Children are excited to recycle in various ways. Mrs Egan shared her dream of creating an igloo for milk cartons. The boys and girls were all very excited to take this forward. So please remember to donate any empty and CLEAN 4 pint plastic cartons to the nursery.

We are ready to now share our online Learning Journals with all parents and carers. The staff have been developing these journals since September. Mrs Egan will be available at the start and end of sessions on Tuesday to register parents on the system. All you need is your email address. Please see Mrs Egan this week so we can move forward with our target setting using the Learning Journals online.

This week coming is our annual enrolment week for P1 starting in august 2018. We have many appointments already made. Enrolments will take place each afternoon in our school.

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher

I was immensely proud this week of each and every child from nursery to P7. Every child in the school participated in a superb performance telling the Christmas story through word, song and dance. We began the week with P1-3 spreading the news with Angel Express. It was then Strictly the Nativity when P4-7 performed Lights, Camel, Action and finally our youngest children performed A King is Born on Friday. The school hall was full to capacity for every performance. The sense of joy and pride was evident as people left with a smile on their face, congratulating the children and sharing that they now feel it is Christmas.

Enjoy the photographs – they tell the story!

The choir were also on top form spreading Christmas cheer on Thursday at Aberglen Care Home and Gilmour Church. Unfortunately, we were pipped at the post in The Regent Centre Choir Competition coming second. Congratulations to the winners Udston Primary and thank you for all your votes. There is always next year!

This coming week is party time. P1 and 2 children on Monday, P3-5 on Tuesday and P6-7 on Wednesday. Thursday morning is the nursery party for ALL children. No nursery on Thursday afternoon. At 1.30pm on Thursday afternoon we have our Advent Mass in the school hall. Everyone is welcome. School and nursery close on Friday at 2.30pm. May I wish everyone a happy and holy Christmas.

Many thanks for reading my blog,

Mrs Hendry

Head Teacher