Caring for One Another
As December arrives, we turn our attention to our next Learner Profile Attribute - Caring. And how fitting that, today, our Class Reps alongside Senior School pupils, loaded the school van with books, toys and games for the North East Fife Toy Drive - all donated by pupils and families of St Leonards, and for which we are truly grateful. These gifts will go to babies, children and teenagers who would otherwise not have something to open this Christmas, and it is a small, but very important, way of showing that we care about those around us.
Some families will be marking the start of advent today, whether that be with chocolate calendars, advent rings, decorations or perhaps putting up a Christmas tree. As we embark on what is always a busy time of year at home and at school, we look forward to the many moments where we will come together as a community to celebrate this festive time of year. These opportunities allow us to reflect on the importance of caring in every aspect of our lives, both for one another and ourselves.
Claire Robertson, Head of Junior School
Island of the Week
Congratulations to Lewis for being named Island of the Week, this week!
Knowledgeable Certificates
There was an impressive number of Knowledgeable certificates to award during Monday’s assembly. Congratulations to all Year 6, Class 2C, Eowyn V, Xander S, Toby D, Emerson C, Patrick M, Theodore L, Rupert G, Hudson O, Clodagh K, Julia M, Catherine TI, Layla K, Emma P and Noah I. The Junior School is buzzing with this abundance of shared knowledge!
Island Charities
This week, the Island Leaders announced which charities the Junior School will fundraise for, throughout the year. The students thought carefully and collaboratively to decide on the final organisations they would like to support.
Mull elected the Cupar Foodbank, Harris decided on the SSPCA, Lewis chose the RSPB and Skye opted for the St Andrews Aquarium’s Restoration Fund. Thanks to all the leaders for their caring ideas. The money collected from any fundraising activities will be split equally amongst the four charities.
Additionally, The Eco Team are leading a project to decorate four Christmas trees, one in each Island colour. They warmly invite pupils to craft decorations in their Island colours, specifically made of recycled or recyclable material, avoiding plastic and glitter. At the end of term, the trees will be donated to local care homes and hospices so that others can enjoy them for the festive season.
Toy Drive
A huge thank you to everyone who generously contributed toys for the North East Fife Toy Drive. Students from both the Senior and Junior Schools gathered the donated gifts and skillfully packed them into the van for delivery. These thoughtful gifts will bring joy to the young ones in Fife who might not have had presents to unwrap this Christmas. Great work from the whole school community!
Musical Moments
Our Informal Concerts are always a calendar favourite and the Years 4 to 6 event this week was no exception. A festive feeling filled the newly-refurbished Auditorium as the Junior Orchestra kicked off the proceedings with a spirited rendition of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’. This was followed by performances featuring a delightful array of instruments, including the flute, chanter, piano, violin and unexpected bassoon! Huge congratulations to all the talented performers who made it another memorable occasion!
Swimming Gala
Well done to the swimmers who had a successful Swimming Gala against Kilgraston this week. Excitement filled the air as the students prepared to dive into the pool, showcasing impressive technique and determined efforts from them all. Thanks to the PE team for their expert organisation and support for the event!
Year 1
St Andrew's Day
This week, Year 1 have been immersing themselves in the traditions of St Andrew’s Day. The pupils explored the celebrations cherished by Scots globally, including lively Ceilidh dancing. The class enthusiastically embraced learning the traditional ceilidh dance, ‘The Flying Scotsman’. Take a look at them below!
Adding a creative touch to their celebrations, Year 1 practised weaving techniques, creating their own personalised ‘tartans’ to commemorate St Andrew’s Day. Excellent work, Year 1!
Year 2
Fife Folk Museum
On Tuesday afternoon, Year 2 were visited by two ladies, Sue and Marjory, from the Fife Folk Museum in Ceres. They kindly brought with them many artefacts and replica items from the museum’s collection. The class enjoyed using these items, including washing clothes with a wash board and ‘dolly’, and hammering tacks into a pair of old hobnail boots. The pupils also played an animal-noise version of the popular card game ‘Snap!’, and explored old school equipment such as slate boards and old-fashioned early reading books. There were vintage toys to play with, the chance to use an old mincer to mince bread, and they were shown how to create paper chains stuck together using glue made from flour and water. However, the highlight of the visit for many was the chance to see Marjorie’s immaculate clockwork train set in action; it was surprisingly speedy! A big thank you Sue and Marjory for taking the time to visit Year 2!
Year 3
Local Heroes
Last week, Year 3 had an exciting visit to the McManus Gallery in Dundee where the children had the opportunity to walk around the galleries to learn more about local heroes. The staff from the museum told the pupils about Winkie, the pigeon who delivered a message under exceptionally difficult weather conditions, contributing to the rescue of an Air Crew, while serving with the RAF in February 1942. The courageous pigeon and the medal are showcased within the gallery.
The children also learned about the life of Mary Slessor, who was raised in Dundee and worked in Nigeria in the late 19th century. Her amazing work and strong personality allowed her to be trusted and accepted by the locals while spreading Christianity in Nigeria, promoting women’s rights and rescuing orphaned children.
The pupils enjoyed strolling through the galleries, discovering iconic figures like Oor Wullie and Dennis the Menace, a gigantic whale skeleton, and much more!
Year 4
Jack and the Beanstalk
Year 4 treated families, teachers, and peers in their pantomime this week, with a magical rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk. The young performers took centre stage, bringing the classic tale to life and captivating the audience, who joined in with enthusiastic claps and joyful sing-alongs. The enchanting characters included Simple Simon, Daisy the Cow, a Princess, the King and a Giant who was as grumpy as “Ms Boissiere on a bad hair day!” Bravo, Year 4!
Year 5
RSS Discovery
Year 5 embarked on a voyage to The RRS Discovery on Monday, where they were given a personalised tour of the ship. They then learnt all about Antarctica and what makes it such a fascinating continent. The students had the opportunity to try on the clothing that would have been worn over one hundred years ago during Scott's expedition. The pupils were excellent ambassadors for the school, embracing many of the IB Learner Profile attributes, asking intelligent questions and sharing their knowledge with their guide, Stuart. Year 5 had a brilliant day and this hands-on experience brought history to life!
Year 6
COP23 Reflections
Year 6 had a very successful COP23 event last Friday, and were under some tough judging from Years 4 and 5. The two younger classes voted Bella as the winner of the most persuasive presentation, with Florence as runner-up. Following the busy presentations last week, Year 6 took some time to reflect on what they’d learned. Take a look at some of the observations they’ve made:
Thea: “I think having a deadline helps but more than that, showing my work to other people pushed me to research the best I can.”
Sophia: “I was shocked about all the people that did not have clean water.”
Michelle: “I don’t think anything can be done to make this Unit better. It has been amazing, thank you.”
Magnus: “I liked this Unit because I got to research a lot and find out new things about countries, water poverty and others so I enjoyed it.”
Jos: “I liked this Unit because of the independence and all the research. I found it very fun.”
Claudia: “I liked the unit because I could learn about different peoples lives and just realised how lucky we are.”
Jess: “This year I think that I got better at learning what I need to research… and I find it better to work with a checklist.”
Bella: "In my opinion (the presentation) was a success because I gave loads of information and facts. If I did it again, I would think more about why Burundi is living in poverty."
Ella: "I know a lot more than I did because of all the work I did for the St Leonards COP23, learning about countries who have difficulties acquiring food."