Primary School

Primary 1/2

Primary 1/2 started this term with a ‘Storybook Tour of Scotland’ where we have used a range of Scottish fiction to learn about the location of various cities and famous landmarks in Scotland.

We then moved on to ‘The Journey from Farm to Fork’ with an initial focus on Scottish farming/food. We have learned about how all food comes from plants and animals and looked at sorting products into plant or animal groups. We also learned about what happens to some of our foods before we eat them and the journey the food must make to get to our plates.

The children have worked together in teams to investigate the journey of different types of food and made posters which they confidently presented to the rest of the class.

P2/3- The Romans

This term p2/3 have been learning about the Romans. They brainstormed things that they wanted to find out and came up with some questions. They investigated life in Roman times and used books and the internet to develop our research skills. They looked at the features of non-fiction writing and creating reports. The class have found out about Roman numerals and have tried using them in their maths for the day. P2/3 were very interested in food in Roman times and made their own Roman menu using ICT.

Mr Smith from the Smith art gallery and museum brought along artefacts with him to show the class and shared lots of stories about the Romans in this area. The class enjoyed getting to hold some Roman coins and seeing bits of pottery from the museum. Mr Smith showed us some pictures of mosaics and P2/3 are going to make their own as part of a class display.

The class held a Roman day during the last week of term to celebrate all that they had learned during the topic. .  They made headdresses, dressed up and tried some different foods.

“It was great fun getting to dress up and sit at the small tables”

Bryony P2

“We have learned so much about the Romans this term”

Erika P3

Movie Makers

Through their ‘Movie Makers’ topic, p4/5 have been learning about how movie making has evolved over time and the technology which supports it. Pupils have explored different methods of movie making, considering the differences and benefits of each. They have developed the ability to work as a team, taking on different roles in small groups to create short animated movies of their own alongside the other P5 pupils, thinking about the suitability and sustainability of different materials, working to budgets, and the impact which they want to have on their audience. Linked to their topic, p4/5 will also be participating in the school show, Dragon Days. Through rehearsing this, they have been learning about the actor’s craft and performing for a live audience. They are also using drama to explore themes of emotion and friendship and develop their ability to use voice, facial expression and body language to give an expressive performance.

Fairtrade Focus

P5/6 have been learning about Fairtrade during term 3. The children have been discovering ways in which consumers can help protect both the environment and workers by supporting Fairtrade initiatives. Products such as tea, coffee, cotton and gold are common products protected by the schemes. As the pupils discovered, Fairtrade Premium is an extra sum of money that farmers receive which allows them to invest in their local communities by building schools, hospitals or better homes. They may spend on training to develop ways to better conserve their natural environment and promote sustainability. The children worked in groups to investigate ethical trading and looked at the journey our goods take and the lives of those who help to make them.

They discovered that many cocoa farmers live on less than a dollar a day and that 1 in 3 bananas sold in the UK is Fairtrade. Many cocoa farmers have never tasted chocolate! Some of our p5’s made a digital animation to carry the Fairtrade message as part of their IT learning.

We highlighted this important topic at our ‘Daffodil Tea’ day and sang a song ‘We are the Earth’ to show that it is important that young people have a voice in matters affecting their world.

Primary 6/7’s Trip to Sky Academy Studios

Primary 6 & 7’s trip this term was to Sky Academy Studios in Livingstone. The state-of-the-art studios were opened up to our class, allowing them to create their very own news programme using the very latest broadcast- quality technology. Working in co-operative groups, the children had to create a short film surrounding a sci-fi theme. Whilst at school, they brainstormed and storyboarded their short film, assigning roles to be carried out on the day of filming. When they arrived at the studios, they rehearsed their scripts and were then sent to their recording pods to create their very own film. They had great fun working with the cameras, editing suite and green- screen technology, all of which really helped to bring their report to life.

The Sky technicians then edited all the segments, producing four exciting and original films for each of them to take home on their very own wristband USB stick! They had a wonderful day and they all worked together effectively to create their final product. Steven Spielberg, watch out!