Category Archives: Learning Stories

Learning Letters P2/3

Dear Parent/Carer,
Welcome to Term 3 in Primary 2/3. All of the children have settled well into P2/3 and we are looking forward to a busy and fun term. Last term we enjoyed the BFG topic and our performance for a school panto. The highlights of the term ahead include our trip to Modern Art 1 in Edinburgh to look at the work of Joan Eardley and the sculpture gardens. All pupils have also now joined a Junior Leadership Team and look forward to making positive changes within our school this year.
Miss Brolls
P2/3 Teacher

 

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P7/6 All things Scottish!

This week we have been busy in primary 7/6 learning all about Scots language. In our reading groups we have been learning to identify Scots, to do this we have been looking at some Scottish poems. We identified Scottish words from a poem and,using the Scottish dictionary, we found out what they meant in English. We had a lot of fun thinking about what Scottish words we already knew and were surprised by the amount we came up it. We transferred these skills when  writing our ‘Oor Wullie’ comic strips. We have also been doing some pencil drawings where we had to complete the face of Robert Burns. We were given a copy of half of his face and had to draw and shade the remainder, it was quite hard but they all look fantastic.

Rosie Finningham P7.

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Horrible Hurricane Histories in P5B

We are learning to research a significant natural disaster from throughout history.

Success Criteria:
I can identify reliable websites and understand when a website is trying to influence me
I can organise my notes under appropriate headings
I can summarise my findings using my own words
I can use my notes to contribute to a class OneNote

As part of our IDL context, Natural Disasters, this week Primary 5B have been learning all about hurricanes, tornadoes and cyclones. First of all, we learned that the main difference between these weather phenomenons is the location where the storm is formed. Next, we used our own and the school devices to research a well known hurricane in pairs, taking notes on our findings.

We also used our findings to contribute to a class OneNote, where we had to input the cost of damage caused by our hurricane, and the number of lives lost in the disaster. We then used the data handling skills we have been learning in our maths lessons to transfer this information into a pie chart and a bar chart using Purple Mash. We posted our charts onto our Natural Disasters Yammer page.

We then brought all of this information together to write a newspaper article about our hurricane. We imagined that the disaster had just happened and we had been given the job to tell the world about it.


What a whirlwind of a week for P5B!

Primary 1 Learning Letter

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to Term 3 in Primary 1. The highlights of last term included looking more closely at a variety of Fairytales through reading the story of The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.   We read all our favourites, and enjoyed exploring characters and settings. Creating a happy, alternative ending to the story of The Gingerbread Man was a lot of fun too! Thank you to everyone who came along to our Open Afternoon during Scottish Book Week. The children very much enjoyed sharing their learning with you.

Performing the Nativity was another highlight of Term 2, and I’m sure that you will all agree that the children did a fantastic job.

Mrs Smith          P1 Teacher

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Nursery Learning Letter

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to Term 3 in Mid Calder Nursery. We had a very busy time in Term 2, looking at different materials and how we could use them to build and using vocabulary such as hard, soft, rough and smooth. We participated in several science experiments, where we investigated how a car would move down a ramp when travelling on different surfaces and we also looked at the changes in ice as it freezes and melts again in changing environments. We loved the excitement in the run up to Christmas and enjoyed sharing this special time with your children. The children enjoyed taking part in a variety of Christmas activities and we hope you agree, performed brilliantly at their Christmas show. This term as part of the school Burns celebrations the children are learning “Wee Willie Winkie” in Scots.  The children are working hard to learn this and will be sharing it with the other children in the school.  Please help your child to learn this poem.  A copy can be found on the school blog.  Please feel free to wear some Tartan to nursery on 25th January.

Kind regards,

Mrs Murray, Mrs Diamond, Mrs Aikman and Mrs Findlay.

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Primary 2/1 Learning Letter

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to Term 3 in Primary 2/1. The highlights of last term included our Cops and Robbers IDL context for learning. Thank you to everyone who came along to our Open Afternoon during Scottish Book Week. The children very much enjoyed sharing their learning with you. Performing in the Nativity and the BFG Christmas was another highlight of Term 2, and I’m sure that you will all agree that the children did a fantastic job.

Miss Burton & Mr Glancy

P2/1 Teachers

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Burns Poems/Winter Ready

In P7/6 have been learning our Burns poems during our quick start every morning, we have also been identifying Scots language and how this is different to some of the words that we use today.

As mentioned in class, can children please comment ‘Winter Ready’ and the poem that will be reciting below, to let me know that, in the event of any adverse weather, you are able to access the blog.

Many thanks – Miss Anderson

P6 – Breakin’ Rainbows

He wis jist a wee lad
dibblin in a puddle,
glaur fae heid tae fit,
enjoyin haen a guddle.
He micht hae been a poacher
pu’in salmon fae the beck.
He coulda been a paratrooper
swamp up tae his neck.
Oneywey, he wis faur awa,
deep wandered in his dreams.
It richt sobered me tae mind
dub’s no whit it seems.
An while ah watched an grieved
the loss that maks a man a mug,
alang the road fair breenged his Maw
an skelpt him roon the lug

To a Mouse

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,

O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

Wi’ bickering brattle!

I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee,

Wi’ murdering pattle!

 

I’m truly sorry Man’s dominion

Has broken Nature’s social union,

An’ justifies that ill opinion

Which makes thee startle

At me, thy poor, earth-born companion

An’ fellow-mortal!

 

I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;

What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

A daimen-icker in a thrave

‘S a sma’ requet;

I’ll get a blessin wi’ the lave,

An’ never miss’t!

 

Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!

Its silly wa’s the win’s are strewin!

An’ naething, now, to big a new ane,

O’ foggage green!

An’ bleak December’s win’s ensuing,

Baith snell an’ keen!

 

Thou saw the fields laid bare an’ waste,

An’ weary Winter comin fast,

An’ cozie here, beneath the blast,

Thou thought to dwell,

Till crash! the cruel coulter past

Out thro’ thy cell.

 

That wee bit heap o’ leaves and stibble,

Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!

Now thou’s turned out, for a’ thy trouble,

But house or hald,

To thole the Winter’s sleety dribble,

An’ cranreuch cauld!

 

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,

In proving foresight may be vain:

The best-laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men

Gang aft agley,

An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,

For promis’d joy!

 

Still thou are blest, compared wi’ me!

The present only toucheth thee:

But Och! I backward cast my e’e,

On prospects drear!

An’ forward, tho’ I cannot see,

I guess an’ fear!

 

P7 Red Red Rose

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands 
o’ life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ ’twere ten thousand mile!

To a Louse,

On Seeing one on a Lady’s Bonnet at Church

 

Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlan ferlie!

Your impudence protects you sairly:

I canna say but ye strunt rarely,

Owre gawze and lace;

Tho’ faith, I fear ye dine but sparely,

On sic a place.

 

Ye ugly, creepan, blastet wonner,

Detested, shunn’d, by saunt an’ sinner,

How daur ye set your fit upon her,

Sae fine a Lady!

Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner,

On some poor body.

 

Swith, in some beggar’s haffet squattle;

There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,

Wi’ ither kindred, jumping cattle,

In shoals and nations;

Whare horn nor bane ne’er daur unsettle,

Your thick plantations.

 

Now haud you there, ye’re out o’ sight,

Below the fatt’rels, snug and tight,

Na faith ye yet! ye’ll no be right,

Till ye’ve got on it,

The vera topmost, towrin height

O’ Miss’s bonnet.

 

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,

As plump an’ gray as onie grozet:

O for some rank, mercurial rozet,

Or fell, red smeddum,

I’d gie you sic a hearty dose o’t,

Wad dress your droddum!

 

I wad na been surpriz’d to spy

You on an auld wife’s flainen toy;

Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,

On ’s wylecoat;

But Miss’s fine Lunardi, fye!

How daur ye do ’t?

 

O Jenny dinna toss your head,

An’ set your beauties a’ abread!

Ye little ken what cursed speed

The blastie’s makin!

Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread,

Are notice takin!

 

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as others see us!

It wad frae monie a blunder free us

An’ foolish notion:

What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us,

                And ev’n Devotion!

Primary 7 are Winter Ready!

With our up and coming Burns celebrations, we are learning to recite some of our national bard’s best loved poems.

Please leave a comment below to show that you can log onto the school blog, in the event of any Winter weather issues – leave your name and which poem you are learning for reading homework.

Please also find the choices for P7s Burns poems at the bottom of this blog post.

Many thanks, Mrs Ross.

 

Red Red Rose by Robert Burns

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands 
o’ life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ ’twere ten thousand mile!

To a Louse, on seeing one on a Lady’s bonnet at church by Robert Burns:

Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlan ferlie!

Your impudence protects you sairly:

I canna say but ye strunt rarely,

Owre gawze and lace;

Tho’ faith, I fear ye dine but sparely,

On sic a place.

 

Ye ugly, creepan, blastet wonner,

Detested, shunn’d, by saunt an’ sinner,

How daur ye set your fit upon her,

Sae fine a Lady!

Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner,

On some poor body.

 

Swith, in some beggar’s haffet squattle;

There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,

Wi’ ither kindred, jumping cattle,

In shoals and nations;

Whare horn nor bane ne’er daur unsettle,

Your thick plantations.

 

Now haud you there, ye’re out o’ sight,

Below the fatt’rels, snug and tight,

Na faith ye yet! ye’ll no be right,

Till ye’ve got on it,

The vera topmost, towrin height

O’ Miss’s bonnet.

 

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,

As plump an’ gray as onie grozet:

O for some rank, mercurial rozet,

Or fell, red smeddum,

I’d gie you sic a hearty dose o’t,

Wad dress your droddum!

 

I wad na been surpriz’d to spy

You on an auld wife’s flainen toy;

Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,

On ’s wylecoat;

But Miss’s fine Lunardi, fye!

How daur ye do ’t?

 

O Jenny dinna toss your head,

An’ set your beauties a’ abread!

Ye little ken what cursed speed

The blastie’s makin!

Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread,

Are notice takin!

 

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as others see us!

It wad frae monie a blunder free us

An’ foolish notion:

What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us,

And ev’n Devotion!