In Term 1 we had two Art trips – one to the Modern Art Gallery and the other to Jupiter Artland.
This led to many creative artworks including salt crystal paintings, digital photography and digital art using apps on the i-pads. Here is the first in the gallery of what the P5s and P6s achieved. Amazing!
The P5s, Mr Renshaw, Miss Brolls and four parent helpers went to the Scottish National Modern Art Galleries (MOD1 and MOD2) off Belford Road in Edinburgh on the 13th of September to take part in an Art Workshop and a tour around our national collections of modern art and enamelled and bejewelled works by the artist Raqib Shaw.
We split into two groups with Art Educators Poppy and Heather
and headed
outdoors to explore the sculptures and question, “What is Art?” We went onto the Charles Jencks’ landform, looked at Reclining Figure by Henry Moore and touched Conversation with Magic Stones by Barbara Hepworth.
The childrens’ responses were fascinating. What interested them was very different and they recorded their focus of interest with our i-pads. They then selected from these and used Pic-collage and Book Creator apps to make photo-journals of the day.
Then we took part in using our imaginations and making sculptures ranging from wind turbines, a fox linked to a carving in the artscape, faces within faces, castles, and other ideas based on conversations, digital images or their imaginations. It was fantastic to see them so immersed in the creative task that some children didn’t want to leave to go for a sneak tour at the Emil Nolde colourful paintings exhibition.
Lunch was outside amongst the artworks and a temporary art playground where you are encouraged to touch the works. The Sun Gods were kind and we enjoyed our picnics on the benches.
Then it was inside to see the Tesco Bank Competition winners to give us inspiration for next year and a look at the incredibly detailed artworks by Raqib Shaw. Utterly mesmerising but don’t just take my word for it. Ask your child what inspired them the most from the day and what was their favourite artwork and why.
Most of the two modern a
rt galleries are free and you are welcome to picnic in the Resource Room there or outside on the picnic benches. They invite you to Walk, Talk, Move and Make. See nationalgalleries.org. or sign up for their newsletter at nationalgalleries.org/ebulletin. They are always looking for volunteers!
Other outdoor family fun ideas at RSPB.org.uk/families.
Perhaps you would have chosen another winner. Can you explain why?
Why do some artworks shine for you? 
Last week, Primary 6 took part in a cross country competition at East Calder park. Several schools from the local area were involved with over 150 pupils participating. Our pupils embraced the challenge and ran their hearts out! We enjoyed taking part in a large event like this which was run very professionally. Special mention should go to Joel Greig who achieved 3rd place in the boys’ race and was rewarded with a bronze medal. Furthermore, all pupils taking part did their very best and should be proud of themselves.
Despite a slight Scottish drizzle yesterday morning, P1-3 took to the field and gave it their all in a fantastic Sports Day. There were a range of activities on offer including football shoot out, welly throwing, obstacle races, hurdles, sack races and lots more. A big thank you to Mark, our Enjoyaball specialist, for organising such a successful and enjoyable Sports Day and thank you to all the parents and families who came along to support the event. Thank you to the PSA for providing ice poles as a refreshment, which we enjoyed despite the wet weather.
A big congratulations to Cunigar who were the overall winners!
Some Primary 7 pupils had a fantastic morning at the West Lothian Track and Field Championships, held at Craigswood Sports Centre. Brilliant effort by everyone and super support!
Yesterday, over 40 pupils from P5, P6 and P7 took part in the West Lothian Triathlon at Deans CHS. Pupils had to swim, cycle and run through a course laid out by a team of brilliant volunteers, high school students and members of Active Schools and Triathlon Scotland. In all, hundreds of pupils took part throughout the day. By all accounts, it was a fantastic time. The pupils really enjoyed the opportunity to take part in something totally different to what they had previously experienced. Staff and parent helpers were so impressed with the level of determination and enthusiasm shown by the pupils and also the confidence to have a go at something new. Well done to everyone involved. Bring on next year’s event!
Curious and Curiouser
The P5s and 6 parent helpers went on a STEAM outing to The National Museum of Scotland on the 23rd of April 2018. We were met by the two Ruths – Ruth the Enabler and Ruth the Director of Public Programmes (and a parent of Theo) and were introduced to the curious world of possibilities that are our National Museums. Ruth told us about the 25000 objects on display and roused our interest in how we might explore further the excess of 1 million artefacts across all their museums. We were told we might see only 100 in 1 day! Lots to spark the imagination…
We started in the Wildlife Photography exhibit with the finalists in a worldwide annual competition and some very young entrants under 10 years. We then had the challenge to find interesting ways to digitally photograph some of the animals in the Natural World galleries. We are going to select and edit from these to have our very own wildlife photography competition. Our next creative challenge was to sketch in some of the other galleries. Theo suggested the diorama of Scottish wildlife in the basement and we started to draw in our artists ‘sketchbooks’ and did quick drawings as well as more detailed studies with notes. These will be used in creating an artwork back in class.
Finally, we went to the Science and Technology galleries where there is a lot of fun stuff in their great new exhibition spaces – highlights were:
My favourite part of the museum was the Energy exhibition because of the Fun activities:Matthew C
My favourite part was the basement because I saw all the fossils and I also liked the exhibition Oliver doak
My favourite bit is when we got to do free time I loved the hamster wheel. And the exhibition the pictures were cool: Sophie G
I loved playing with the plasma ball and I loved looking and at the pictures though some were really sad . Charlotte C
I had a good time at the museum my favourite part was seeing what we weigh as an animal : Kaylie P
My favourite bit was all of it especially the exhibition we saw weird crazy funny happy and sad things it was a really good experience I had a amazing time me and primary 5 had a great time and I deffinetly go back : Freiah T
The museum was very big and packed with enormous adventures it was also extremely fun one team which was my team lost track of time and almost missed the coach until Miss Anderson found us. We got lost because we were so amused by the wonders of the museum. My favourite area was the animal area because it was very interesting and mesmerising (did you know most of the stuffed animal skin is real!) I also had fun designing a bike but I only got 1/5 stars my star was for her position apparently she could see well. I would go back to visit the museum again to see the art exhibition again and to see Tim Peakes space craft. I HAD AN AMAZING TIME! :Joni Rafferty
I loved when we went to the energy bit it was my fav bit I liked the hamster ball it was fun :katy
It was very fun when we sketched the animals .My fav part was the dinosaur bones and the stuffed animals .I found the Viking grave cool because it was a skeleton bones.Emme E
I HAD to then take Miss Anderson’s class to visit my favourite secret part but I’m going to keep that a secret and you will have to discover it for yourself. The only clue that I can divulge is that it is watched over by a mysterious Bog Lady?! AND I didn’t even get to take the pupils to the rooftop for a great view of Edinburgh. A million or more reasons to return. Miss Brolls and P5A
Look out for P5C blogpost of their recount of the visit and for our photography exhibition!
Today we welcomed parents and friends along to our Celebration Assembly so that pupils could receive their STEM Super Star and Successful Speller awards.
Certificates and prizes were also given to the children who won our Bookworm, STEM and Fairtrade Junior Leadership Team’s challenges and competitions, and to the 5 pupils who represented our school at the West Lothian Burns Contest. We also announced the Top Scorers for each house, along with our house winner.
A big thank you to Hannah Rarity for inspiring us by sharing her interpretation of our school motto, Believe, Achieve, Succeed, and for sharing her journey of hard work and determination to become the successful singer she is today. Thank you also to Leah, P6, who impressed us with her own musical talents and played ‘Clowns’ for us on the piano.
Well done to all of our award winners!
Move over George Clark and your Amazing Spaces TV programme. I hope some of you took up the Igloo Challenge. Did you manage to make a roof? How did you build it? How could you make it better next time? I know some people made an igloo that could fit ten people inside. How big would that need to be? What questions would you ask an Innuit about their igloo-building skills? What other small shelters are there in warm countries? There are great design ideas on the Tiny House/Homes website and in Scotland some people build huts in woods that can be very inventive so look at the Reforesting Scotland 1000 Huts Movement. How would you design a great den/hut?
I hope you are working on using French every day. In class we are using French colours and in P5-7 Spanish too. Use Google translate or YouTube to find ways to practise these – rouge, orange, jaune, vert, bleu, rose, noir, blanc.
Finally, I hope some of you tried to help others that may have found it difficult to get to the shops for milk and bread. For some people who are HOUSEBOUND this is a problem that faces them every day and not just a Snow Day.
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