You may remember that before Easter, children were asked to design posters to promote the events leading up to and the Deans Gala Day itself.
These posters are now with the committee, and may be appearing in the library or local businesses very soon!
We have chosen a selection from some of the classes…
As part of Mental Health Awareness week we have continued to learn about strategies to support us, however we may be feeling. Mindfulness and trying to be in the present, helps us to focus our minds and slow down our thoughts.
P5 and P7 pupils worked together last week to design and make their own jars – either for themselves or to gift to someone.
They loved the process and the finished results!
Primary 5 have the responsibility of running The Stationery Station as their ongoing Business Enterprise. The children work in committees covering marketing, sales, finance and stock. Money raised is used to buy more supplies and part fund the upkeep and developments of our school garden.
Prices range from rubbers at 10p to pencil cases at £1.00.
We will now be open for business on a THURSDAY morning.
Come along and keep yourself organised and help improve our gardens too!
“Lucy’s Blue Day” is a story of a little girl who has magical hair which changes colour according to her mood. One day she wakens up to discover her hair is blue and she doesn’t understand why…… this beautifully illustrated story aims to simply explain our emotions and how they affect us.
We discovered this book by having it recommended by a parent on Parent’s evening , who is the cousin of the author Chris Duke! Having bought it and shown it to the whole school at assembly, it has quickly become a firm favourite! There is also a version, suited more to older children, which is now on pre-sale.
We are thrilled to have arranged a visit from the author himself on Tuesday 4th June. He will speak to P1 – 3 and P4-7. If you are interested in getting copies of the books, we have a special code which will mean we don’t pay postage and packaging and he will bring us signed copies when he visits!
Check out www.lucysblueday.com – DEANS (code) 
or follow on Facebook.
In Mental health week it is encouraging to have our children speak openly and identify their feelings, and to realise -as Lucy does that it’s – #OKNotToBeOK
It is only a few months now until the Deans Gala Day (on 15th June) and the support group- who organise the events- are asking all the local primary schools to create posters. The purpose is to advertise the variety of activities and events that happen in the run up to the gala day, and on the day itself.
With all children invited to take part, we thought we should begin by looking at “What makes a good poster?” P6/7 discussed this and agreed on certain things that should be in a poster and created their own “Best Poster “examples.
We also used copies of previous Gala Day programmes to find information and to create a factfile of information that classes could use. A number of children then took their posters to each class to display ,and explained the competition.
Classes began by watching a clip of a previous Deans Gala Day Crowning Ceremony – much to the delight of the children who then saw themselves on the screen! Children then discussed ideas , looked at how to make a great poster and then set about their task- while listening to Scottish bagpipe music from a local World famous pipeband.
I think you may agree we are off to a great start already …. 
Primary 7 have spent time this week learning about Remembrance in preparation for this Sunday when we learned that it will be 100 years since Armistice Day – which marked the end of the first World War.
We wrote emotive poems , designed a poppy bench or Poppy Garden and also sketched flowers inspired by the poem “Flander’s fields” and poppies from our own school garden!
Primary 7 are very pleased to have completed their SNSA testing this week and have been looking forward to their DCHS transition morning where they will be studying social subjects.
Choir will begin again this week- but this year as an after school club- for anyone in P5 – 7. We will be meeting on a Wednesday from 3.15 – 4.00. There has already been a positive response and many of our previous choir members are returning. Our first task will be to choose our selection of songs for WL Council Christmas choirs and to get our voices warmed up and ready with a few favourites first of all!
Primary 7 have been given letters today with information regarding choice of Secondary schools for next year! Hopefully they have brought them home to you!
Also given out today were letters and permission forms for this week’s visit on Friday morning, to DCHS, as part of our transition programme. These need to be returned by Wednesday please.
We are learning about Remembrance day and the work of the organisation Poppyscotland this week. Poppies will be on sale to the whole school each day.
Primary 7 were excited to meet some of the staff from DCHS last week when they came for a visit and the class did experiments about filtration.
The Halloween disco proved as popular as ever with lots of fabulous costumes and even scarier dance moves!
P7 made their P1 Buddy classes Autumn collage pictures labelled with key aspects of an Autumn day and events at this time of the year. They worked together collaboratively in their table groups and were delighted when they had a great response from P1 classes!
This week we began SSNA testing in reading and numeracy. Whilst creating a quiet environment, with half testing and half completed ; the children used our large selection of topic books to find out about key spelling words for their topic of WW2.
Thursday was the last of our swimming sessions and everyone enjoyed the chance to have a more relaxed session.
We have been discussing the 4 part lesson model and how we can use “steps to success “- beginning with a walk down the stairs ! We have an inspirational verse on the wall that reminds us that there is no easy or quick way to be successful – you have to do the hard climb
!
Congratulations to all of our 10 prefects who were introduced to the whole school at a special assembly on Friday! They were all thrilled to be given this important role and were excited to have the support of many family members on the day.
Primary 7 enjoyed their first visit to Deans Community High School swimming pool, as part of their transition programme. They were pleased to meet some of the staff and enjoyed the chance to be in the High school.
As part of Health and Wellbeing this week P7 discussed what is bullying? We have our own simple definition- after much debate- which is :
“when someone sets out to put you down “ –
whether it be verbal, physical, online or in person. Children were very open and honest about situations they have been in and are now designing posters they would like to give to each class to share their learning.
