Category Archives: Curriculum Areas

Loch Insh Residential

As our residential week comes to end, I would like to say a big well done to all the pupils who attended. They all demonstrated their resilience and perseverance by trying all activities and not giving up. They also showed our school values of being responsible and respectful when visiting Culloden and the Highland Wildlife Park.

A big thank you also to Ms Richmond, Miss Sherlow, Miss Anderson, Mrs Combe and Mrs Findlay got attending camp with the pupils and making this trip possible.

It was great to see all the likes and comments on Twitter and we will try and add more photos to the blog next week.

Hope you all don’t have too much washing!

Surprise visit to mark Digital School Award

Pupils at Mid Calder Primary and Nursery School had a surprise visit from Donna McMaster, West Lothian Council’s Head of Service for Education Curriculum, Quality Improvement and Performance, recently.

Mrs McMaster dropped in to congratulate the school on gaining national ‘Digital School’ status for excellence in digital technology in teaching and learning.

The Digital Schools Award recognises the dedication and innovation shown by Mid Calder Primary in areas of leadership and vision, digital technology for learning and teaching, school culture, professional development and resources and infrastructure.

Donna McMaster commented: “I was delighted to have been invited to Mid Calder Primary School to congratulate pupils and staff personally on their achievement.

“Mid Calder is the second primary school to achieve the Digital Schools award in West Lothian, earlier this year Kirknewton Primary School was also recognised as a digital school.

“Bathgate Early Years Centre was the first facility to pick up the prestigious award in West Lothian, and it is believed to be the first early years centre in Scotland to achieve the accolade.

“It is fantastic to see the work which has been achieved to embed technology into the school ethos and how technology is being embraced by the pupils, staff, parents and carers.”

Depute Head Teacher, Sarah Burton, Mid Calder Primary, West Lothian said: “The Digital Schools programme offered our school a supportive structure to evaluate our digital learning journey and where we needed to go.”

“It has also enabled our Technical Troopers pupil group, to take on a valuable leadership opportunity within our school. We are very proud of how digital learning is embedded in our school from nursery to primary 7, and this award was a chance to celebrate this work and share with others.”

P5 Bowling

Rain couldn’t stop play for Mid Calder Primary School’s young bowlers on Thursday. Weather conditions meant that a planned trip to the local bowling club was switched to the school gym hall instead but that didn’t lessen the enthusiasm or enjoyment for the youngsters, who have been undergoing bowling sessions held by Mid Calder Bowling Club.

The bowling club are keen to start a junior section when the new outdoor season starts next May.
And they are also looking for size 00 bowls, to allow juniors to play in competitions. Anyone able to donate a set should contact Jim White at 01506 880412 or 07766 834 491.

The Mid Calder pupils enjoyed this afternoon’s indoor session, but are still looking forward to a trip to the outdoor green in May.

Thank you to Mr Anderson for coming to take our photos.

Coin Trail Winners

On Friday, the PSA and House and Vice Captains organised a coin trail for money week and to raise money for school funds.

Longest line winners:

  1. Linhouse – 100 points & extra break
  2. Almondell – 75 points
  3. Cunnigar – 50 points
  4. Calderwood – 25 points

Total raised:

  1. Cunnigar – £181.10 – 100 points
  2. Linhouse – £152.84
  3. Almondell – £103.77
  4. Calderwood – £54.98

Total: £492.69

A big thank you to the PSA for counting the coins!

 

 

Crazy Coordinates in P7

We are learning to explore the use of coordinates to plot points and describe positions and movements on a grid.

Success Criteria:

  • I can use coordinates to describe and locate a point on a grid.
  • I can plot coordinates on a grid and connect them to complete a 2D shape.
  • I can make journeys on a grid, following instructions about the coordinates to visit.
  • I can give the coordinates of points on a grid.

Primary 7 have been learning to work with coordinates. We have been working on drawing grids accurately then plotting points for our partner to identify. We have also been identifying the coordinates of shapes and creating our own shapes. We will continue with our coordinate challenges this week.

P6 Artland Adventures in the Natural World

P6s have been engaged with Environmental Art for the past few weeks.

LI – EXA 2.07a to look at others’ artwork and use these ideas as inspiration for their own work

SC- I can create a hall display to detail my Land Art experiences

I can create a blog response of my thoughts and feelings

They also created artworks in teams and on their own in the school playground using natural and scavenged items that they found.

They researched the art of Andy Goldsworthy and other sculptors whose work they saw on a visit to Jupiter Artland near Wilkieston.

After their tour the pupils were set a challenge to create an artwork with a repeating pattern or sequence in the outdoors.