P6 made Duruma dolls that are traditional talismans from Japan. They made them by moulding clay into the shape of a doll and when they clay dried they painted them loads of different colours. When you paint the doll you don’t paint the eyes because when you have a wish you colour in one eye and when it comes true you colour in the other eye. The main colors of a Duruma doll are white and red because the Japanese flag is white and red.
This Is a Duruma doll
P7’s Fantastic Visit to West Calder High School
This afternoon Primary 7 were able to finally make a spatula that they had been working on during Dr Cherry’s visits. Dr Cherry is Craft, Design and Technology Teacher from WCHS .
Dr Cherry has been working with the children for 4 weeks. This and next week, Primary 7 will be visiting the high school to experience a lesson. The children really enjoyed making their spatulas from wood. They handled the equipment really carefully and listened well to instructions. We look forward to next weeks lesson.
Competition winner
To celebrate Burns Night, Morrisons (Livingston) organised a Scots poetry competition for local p7 pupils. We handed in lots of entries and were delighted to hear today that Katie has won. Katie wrote a funny poem ‘I want a dug’. Well done Katie. We will find out soon what Katie has won and there is also a prize for the school.
Printmaking Piccies
Robert burns night
As you might know its Robert burns night on the 25th of January our school tradition is to learn a Scots poem and this year we’re doing it on the 1st of February. we have filmed a video telling you facts all about Robert burns .we all give you good luck.
- Robert burns was born on the 25th January 1759 and died on the 21 July 1796 at the age 37.
- Robert Burns originally spelled his name ‘Burnes’
- Robert Burns was going to move from Scotland to Jamaica. He decided against this when sales of poetry collection Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (also known as the Kilmarnock volume) took off. He moved to Edinburgh instead, and a second edition of his poetry book was published.
- Robert Burns was voted ‘The Greatest Scot’ by viewers of STV in 2009. He beat William Wallace, Sir Alexander Fleming and Robert the Bruce.
P5s’ Magical Mystery Journey in Art
Magical Mysteries in Art in P5C and P5A
Master Printmaker Nick Devison ran a workshop for the P5s on Burns Day and what a magical event it was. We had worked on Pressprinting and how to make a clean, clear print and Nick showed us how to develop our skills and play with the materials showing developing skill using line, shape and texture (EXA 2.03a). P5C extended this with the addition of watercolour to their favourite artwork on the 26th.
We used a specialist safe etching ink and experimented with cut-out shapes, making lines and creating textures with our hands, pens, cotton buds and cocktail sticks.
As you can see from the pictures we had abstract artworks which were quite mysterious as well more figurative works. P5C gave constructive comment on their own and others’work (EXA 2.07a)
Megan and Tiegan loved that they were not directed in their themes and could make as many works until the paper ran out! Megan even made a collaborative work with Annabel. Most of all the magic of turning over the monoprints to see what had been printed was the most magical thing of the morning.
It was great P5a got to find out more about the career of an artist and it was a lot of fun. Clearing up was not quite so much fun for the class teachers but nobody said learning had to be clean:-)
A HUGE thank you to Nick. It was a finale to our lessons on printmaking.
House Party
Last term Calderwood were our house winners, so Olivia and James decided they’d like to organise an ice cream party. A great time was had by all and the food was a huge success and much appreciated. There was a selection of different flavoured ice creams, doughnuts, sweets, ‘scooshy’ cream, cherries, marshmallows and juice. Thank you to Olivia, James and the other P7 helpers for organising the games and prizes and for compiling their extensive shopping list too! Thanks also to Mrs Combe and Miss Robertson for all their help with setting up and serving. 
P1 Term 3 Learning Sways
Please find below Primary 1’s new learning Sways for Term 3.
An Avalanche of Arctic Advice
We are learning about the Arctic
I can describe the climate of the Arctic
I can describe the living things found in the Arctic
I understand how the climate and the landscape affects the living things
This week, a special delivery arrived for Primary 3. We used our skills of prediction to guess what was inside the box, using the clues on the wrapping to help us to make a realistic prediction. That is how we met Gamba the Giraffe. Gamba was lost and needed our help to find his way home. First of all, we had to use our research skills to find out where Gamba came from. We used iPads and netbooks to discover that we needed to help him get back to Africa, then we sent him on his way.
However, we soon heard back from Gamba to let us know that he hadn’t quite made it back home. He asked for our help to find out about this strange land that he had arrived in. He needed to know about the climate, landscape and living things that he might see in, what we quickly discovered was, the Arctic. Again, we used our research skills to find out new information, using key words to help us find out the facts quickly and easily.
We then used our Glow accounts to email Gamba to tell him what we had found out and give him advice about what to do next. We learned how to add a recipient, include a subject heading and how to layout an email.
We can’t wait to hear back from Gamba to see if he manages to get back home…
