Going For Gold
Primary 7 have been extra busy with their ‘Ready Steady Grow’ Industry Matters Challenge. The project began with the setting up of their own company, to sell salad boxes containing seedlings which they had grown themselves. They hoped this would also encourage people to try growing their own vegetables so they would have fresh produce at their back door.
First they had to delegate the jobs, including management, sales, publicity and distribution; then there was the research which included a visit to a garden centre to learn about the plants they wanted to sell. They also had to approach investors to obtain the start-up capital. They planted seeds for all sorts of salad fruit and vegetables, and as the orders came in they made up the boxes to the customers’ specifications. Their business has been most successful, realising a healthy profit, some of which was invested in a day out for all the ‘workers’.
Their sterling efforts were rewarded with a gold award and an invitation to the finals in the Odyssey Arena last week. Six representatives manned the display of work and talked to the judges and to their great delight Kilrea Primary were announced the overall winners, returning home with the trophy and £100 for the school.
Apart from the obvious benefits the project has sparked an interest in gardening among the pupils involved and many have also discovered their entrepreneurial spirit. Alan Sugar had better watch his back!
First they had to delegate the jobs, including management, sales, publicity and distribution; then there was the research which included a visit to a garden centre to learn about the plants they wanted to sell. They also had to approach investors to obtain the start-up capital. They planted seeds for all sorts of salad fruit and vegetables, and as the orders came in they made up the boxes to the customers’ specifications. Their business has been most successful, realising a healthy profit, some of which was invested in a day out for all the ‘workers’.
Their sterling efforts were rewarded with a gold award and an invitation to the finals in the Odyssey Arena last week. Six representatives manned the display of work and talked to the judges and to their great delight Kilrea Primary were announced the overall winners, returning home with the trophy and £100 for the school.
Apart from the obvious benefits the project has sparked an interest in gardening among the pupils involved and many have also discovered their entrepreneurial spirit. Alan Sugar had better watch his back!
Class Catch-Up
P1 & 2 have been talking about their holidays, painting summery pictures and surveying what they like to put into their picnics. They have even enjoyed one of the few sunny days with a trip to the beach at Portrush, where they explored rock pools, built sandcastles and ate ice-cream. They were so inspired they now have their own ice-cream van in the playroom.
Primary 3 & 4 have been studying mini-beasts. They have searched the wildlife area to find lots of interesting creepy crawlies and have even had some caterpillars of their own in the classroom to watch turning into butterflies. They had a day out at ‘The World of Owls’ where they saw some more sizeable bugs and beasts, including giant cockroaches, lizards and snakes.
The Primary 5-7 topic for this term is trees and they have been looking at the variety of trees in our own school grounds and in the local area. They have also been learning about the rainforests, the people who live there and the products which come from them. They are now more aware of how dependent we are on them and the problems created by their destruction.
P7 have been very busy this month putting together their records of achievement and looking back on all the fun they’ve had at Kilrea Primary. They have also completed their cycling proficiency award , and after many hours of training from Mrs Anderson they have all passed with flying colours. The PSNI community officer also came in for a visit to talk about cyber-bullying.
Safety First
Mr Sean Keogh, from the Health and Safety Executive came along to give each class a talk on the dangers of the farmyard, especially with large machinery around.
P5 also had a visit from Mr Martin McAllister from Kilrea Fire Service who talked about the importance of having a working smoke alarm and an escape plan to use in case of an emergency.
Out and About
P7 have been getting very crafty this month by taking part in a community quilt project, organized by Kilcranny House. They took some inspiration from the Kilrea Community Quilt, created by a group of local women, which depicts a range of scenes and organisations from the local Kilrea area. Then each group created pictures of their pastimes and interests.
P5 pupils have also explored their more artistic sides with an art day at St Columba’s, as part of the All Set project. They created some beautiful pictures with acrylic paints and then voted on the best 2 which the groups turned into larger versions of the originals. Each school will now have a picture to display in their own school.
P6 & 7 have completed this year’s salmon project with a visit to the fish hatcheries at Bushmills on Wednesday 8th June. They saw where the fry are reared, the laboratory where they are monitored and they walked along the River Bush to see the waterfall which the adult fish have to leap up. They were amazed by how big the adult salmon were.
Kilrea Primary School will be featuring in another Ulster-Scots Agency production. It’s a CD recording of songs, poems and stories which will be distributed to schools all across Northern Ireland. All ages have been taking part. Younger pupils have been learning nursery rhymes and the older ones ‘Do your ears hang low?’ in Ulster-Scots.
P7 have been getting very crafty this month by taking part in a community quilt project, organized by Kilcranny House. They took some inspiration from the Kilrea Community Quilt, created by a group of local women, which depicts a range of scenes and organisations from the local Kilrea area. Then each group created pictures of their pastimes and interests.
P5 pupils have also explored their more artistic sides with an art day at St Columba’s, as part of the All Set project. They created some beautiful pictures with acrylic paints and then voted on the best 2 which the groups turned into larger versions of the originals. Each school will now have a picture to display in their own school.
P6 & 7 have completed this year’s salmon project with a visit to the fish hatcheries at Bushmills on Wednesday 8th June. They saw where the fry are reared, the laboratory where they are monitored and they walked along the River Bush to see the waterfall which the adult fish have to leap up. They were amazed by how big the adult salmon were.
Kilrea Primary School will be featuring in another Ulster-Scots Agency production. It’s a CD recording of songs, poems and stories which will be distributed to schools all across Northern Ireland. All ages have been taking part. Younger pupils have been learning nursery rhymes and the older ones ‘Do your ears hang low?’ in Ulster-Scots.
The Mitre Trust
Thanks to all those who participated in the Portglenone Forest Walk, which raised £1515 in aid of the Mitre Trust, Musgrave Hospital. Once again your generosity has been amazing and every penny is much appreciated.
Thanks to all those who participated in the Portglenone Forest Walk, which raised £1515 in aid of the Mitre Trust, Musgrave Hospital. Once again your generosity has been amazing and every penny is much appreciated.
Curtain Call
The term ended with a faulous performance of 'The Vikings Are Coming', written by P7, on Thursday 23rd June. All classes sang their hearts out and were greeted by rapturous applause from the many parents and friends who packed the hall.
The term ended with a faulous performance of 'The Vikings Are Coming', written by P7, on Thursday 23rd June. All classes sang their hearts out and were greeted by rapturous applause from the many parents and friends who packed the hall.
The annual awards and prizes were then presented by Mrs Winifred Gribbon, a past member of staff and three new prizes were presented to the school by the Kelso Family, Mr Crawford and Mrs Gribbon. Mr Crawford was also presented with a token of our esteem as we bid him farewell and wished him all the best in his new post in D.H. Christie Primary School.
On Monday we held our Potted sports and team games and after the points were all counted the overall winner of the house cup was Movanagher.
Good luck to all the P7s in their new schools, enjoy your holidays and we'll see you all again on 1st September.