Category Archives: Information for Parents

Capturing the Decisive Moment

Second Level have been working on digital photography leading up to and during Digital Learning Week. Primary 5s led the way after their successful photography trip to the National Museums. The latest challenge involved the young photographers looking at the work of French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson who specialised in street photography in Paris and who was describes as trying to capture ‘the decisive moment’.

They went round the school trying to hunt down interesting subjects and then had the advantage of digitally manipulating their efforts – a luxury in the digital age of i-pads and apps that Cartier-Bresson did not have. They used Art Set, Snap seed and Photoshop express to change a few selected images. The children had to narrow down their winning shots to one and these were then printed off for a school exhibition. They were helped by the Technical troopers from P6 and P7 and Miss Sherlow was on-hand to offer advice on downloading and printing.

A lot of the school-life images focussed on portraits and here is what the pupils said, thought and felt. Some captured the moments of school life in black and white just like the master himself.

Primary 7 Digital Learning Week 2018!

In P7 this week, we have completed lots of different exciting tasks using digital technologies to enhance our learning!

We completed a VR session with P1 and P3 all about space.  We looked at the International Space Station and taught our P3 buddies how to use the VR headsets.  We also looked at a variety of castles with P1.

Calum – “It was very fun teaching the P3s how to use the VR headsets and seeing their faces when it came up!”

Jamie – “It was good listening to what they thought about the VR headsets.”

Zachariah – “It was an immersive experience.”

We also had a teaching session from a young, budding teacher – Miss Murchison – who taught P7 and P3 about how to access and use Glow FORMS.  We learned how to create a range of questions, upload them our Yammer page and how to answer the surveys we had created focused on our transition to high school.

We also spent some time on our newly formed class Yammer page – which will be used until the end of term as an excellent way to share our learning and successes in P7.

#ndlw18

 

 

 

Important dates for some P7 pupils

Some important dates for P7…..more information will follow as soon as we have it.

 

  • For pupils going to West Calder High School from August 2018 

Tuesday 5th June, Wednesday 6th June, Thursday 7th June – Transition days

 

 

  • For pupils going to James Young High School from August 2018

Thursday 17th May – Health Day.  Pupils should arrive for 9.30am, dressed and ready in PE kit and suitable footwear.  Outside jackets may be required as some activities will be outside.  (It is preferable that they arrive dressed in PE kit, although there will be changing rooms available).

Pupils must all take a packed lunch as they will not be able to purchase food from the school dinner hall that day.

The event will end at 2.30pm.

Pupils should make their own way to and from JYHS.

 

Tuesday 12th June and Wednesday 13th June – Transition days

 

Thank you for your continued support.

 

MCPS Staff

Head Teacher: Ms Thurlow (starting soon)

Acting Depute Head Teacher: Mrs Ramsay

Principal Teacher: Mrs Ross (returning 14th May)

Nursery: Mrs Murray

Primary 1P: Miss Prior

Primary 1W: Mrs Walker

Primary 2: Mrs Smith

Primary 3: Miss Sherlow

Primary 4: Miss Clark

Primary 5A: Miss Anderson

Primary 5C: Mrs Campbell

Primary 6: Mr Renshaw

Primary 7/6: Miss Richmond

Primary 7: Mrs Redmond/Mrs Ramsay (Mrs Ross from 14th May)

Support for Learning: Mrs Kellner

Reduced Class Contact Cover:  Ms Brolls

PEF Numeracy Development Officer: Ms Allsopp

Nursery EYO: Mrs Findlay

Nursery Nurses: Mrs Aikman Mrs Murphy Mrs Williamson

Pupil Support Workers: Ms Smith, Mrs Combe, Miss Robertson, Mrs Rashid, Ms Anderson, Mrs Clark

Brass Instructor: Mr Traynor

 

Admin Staff: Mrs Bokhari; Mrs Mackay

Business Support Manager: Mrs Deerness

Facilities Management Staff: Mr King, Mr Sommerville, Mr Bowie

 

Calderwood news!

Calderwood

As we were the winning house last term, we will be having another House Party!  This will be on Friday 11th May, 9.30am until 10.30am.

We have decided we would like to have a Pyjama Party, so if you are in Calderwood House, please bring your pyjamas/onesies/slippers to change into that morning.  We will be playing games and having fun (and food!) in the Hall.  We will come round classes and remind you nearer the time.  Thank you 🙂

Olivia – House Captain

and James – Vice Captain

Curious and Curiouser at The National Museum and P5s

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!

LUSH in school

LUSH Livingston will be in school on Tuesday 24th April (this was previously arranged as part of Fairtrade Fortnight, was then cancelled due to snow/school closure and has now been re-scheduled) and after a presentation with the whole school, they will have a LUSH stall, where some products will be available to buy.  If children wish to buy anything they should bring money in a purse/wallet/envelope.  It would help if the younger children also brought a note of what parents would like them to buy and if the older children knew too.  Please note that these products are subject to change depending on their delivery so LUSH can’t guarantee full availability on the day.

Cream Candy Bubble Bar £2.95
Ickle Bot Bath Bomb £1.95
Rocket Bath Bomb  £2.95
Cheer Up Buttercup Bath Bomb £2.95
7 Deadly Spins Bubble Spinner £4.95
Deep Sleep Shower Jelly £4.25
Whoosh Shower Jelly £4.50
Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion £1