P6/7 have been making anemometers and wind turbines in S.T.E.M. ( science, technology,engineering and maths ) we worked in groups of 6 with the P5/6. On Monday in problem solving we were making spaghetti towers using team work to build the structure of the towers. We also had to be careful because the spaghetti is very fragile and it can break or snap easily.Our towers weren’t very successful because the spaghetti kept snapping.

Our school ski team attended the Boyd Anderson Ski Competition on Monday and it was well organised event. The children had a great time; squeezing LOTS of runs in on the 2^nd slope whilst waiting for their turn to ski. The way they supported each other was fantastic; once the experienced skiers had finished their run they cheered/shouted their school mates down the slope and for the 2^nd run each team cheered on the other and jingled the cow bells my sister had brought along! They were definitely the most vocal of all the children and it was great to hear.

There were 2 categories: Boyd Anderson for experienced skiers and a novice category for children that been skiing for a year or less.

A team consisted of 6 members with the aggregate times of the fastest four to count for a team score. The competition was an open slalom from the Middle Station with eight gates to be negotiated

Each child got 2 timed runs.

Torphichen were placed 1^st in the Boyd Anderson category and won a trophy to be kept at the school along with the Boyd Anderson one, which they will have to return next year.

South Morningside and St Peters came joint 2^nd with a total time of 59.48 seconds and then Pentland with 59.95 seconds. Low Port just missed out on a medal with 60.74

In the novice category they won bronze

Thank you to all the parents who support the Ski team and for Julia Miller who organises all of this for our pupils.

Please be advised that the minutes from the last PTA meeting are now available on our website.

https://torphichenprimary.westlothian.org.uk/

Wow – what a day.

The team just missed out on a podium place: 4^th out of 21 teams (last year they were 23^rd out of 35 teams). Low Port Primary finished in 9^th place.

There was a medal in the individuals though: Martin won bronze in the P1-4 boys category with a time of 20.35 seconds with Marcus close behind in 5^th place with 20.79 seconds!

Theo was the fastest on the day with a time of 19.54 seconds, which put him in 19^th place in the P5-7 boys category whilst Alexanders time was 21.32 seconds putting him in 36^th place (out of 65 children)

Please find attached the ‘First Minister’s Christmas Maths Challenges’ which you can carry out with your child at home, if you wish too.

Maths Challenge single pages (English)