We have a full diary of events for our Health Week and hope to see you at some of the activities. The itinerary is listed below. Should there be any changes, we will let you know.
Mon, 26th
Primary walk to Tolquhon Castle
9.30 am
Please ensure your child has appropriate clothing, a drink and a healthy snack. You are welcome to join us.
Nursery walk along Old Aberdeen Road
9.30 am
Please ensure your child has appropriate clothing. You are welcome to join us.
Tue, 27th
Aerobics classes with Mrs Lusher (PE Teacher)
9.20 – 9.50 am Nur & P1/2
9.50 – 10.30 am P3/4
10.50 – 11.45 am P5/6/7
Parents are welcome to join us.
Wed, 28th
School Sports
9.30 am Nur - P7 CANCELLED
Early lunch – starting 12 noon.
Potted Sports
1.20 – 2.30 pm CANCELLED
All primary classes
Scottish Country Dancing – taster session with Mr Stott
7.30 – 9 pm for Adults
TO BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO PTA MEETING
Thu, 29th
Satrosphere Trip – Healthy Body
9.00 – 1 pm (approx) P4/5/6 & P6/7
Packed lunches needed.
Skipping jump off
1.30 – 2.00 pm P1/2/3
2.00 – 2.30 pm P4/5
2.30 – 3.00 pm P6/7
Please come along to some or all of this and watch the skills our pupils have learned.
Fri, 30th
Tae Kwon Do – taster sessions
with Grand Master David Harrell
9.30 – 10.00 am P1/2/3
10.00 – 10.30 am P4/5
11.00 – 11.30 am P6/7
Pupils to wear gym kit.
Yoga – taster sessions with Ruth Matthew
1.30 – 2.00 pm P1/2/3
2.00 – 2.30 pm P4/5
2.35 – 3.05 pm P6/7
Please supply a towel or mat for your child to lie on.
ANY CHAMGES WILL BE EDITED
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Primary 7 School trip to Poland
By the 17th May 2008 the boys and girls from our Primary 7 class were more than ready to take on their adventure to Poland.
We made our way down to Prestwick by coach and soon found ourselves queuing up at the airport. To add to the excitement of having 14 of our pupils, we also had 11 adults travelling with us, 3 of those, Ms Smith, Mr Stott and Mr Gorski being staff members.
Wizzair did not disappoint, allowing us to get on the aeroplane first without having to fork out extra for the privilege. Once in our seats we were off bang on time. Some two hours and twenty minutes later we were in Katovice, Poland. So far, so good.....however where was the bus that was to pick us up?
After some 40 anxious minutes I saw this gentleman eyeing me up and down and rather timidly asked him if he was looking for someone. He replied that he was. In fact he was looking for one rather large Englishman with a bunch of kids.
I obviously did not fit the bill as I was sitting on a bench with a baseball cap emblazoned with Scotland on it and 14 children milling around me......but amazingly it was MY bus driver who had been plucking up courage to ask me for fifteen minutes.
We were soon on our way down the dual carriageway towards Pszczyna, our 'base camp' for the next four nights.
The scenery and novelty of driving on the 'wrong side of the road' soon led the children to pass comments on what they saw. In particular Mr Stott drew my attention to the pollution still pouring out of the chimneys of this heavily industrialised part of Poland. After all...where would we be without Polish coal being shipped all over the world and steel plants churning out parts for Fiats made in Poland?
Yes, you could smell the sulphur in the air but as we moved past this industrial heartland, we proceeded to the beautiful greenery and serenity of Pszczyna.
We grabbed a delicious meal at the hotel and I was pleased to note that not a lot had been left of 'foreign food'. As ever, the vegetables seemed to be the least popular being a combination of different grated vegetables piled high on the plate.
To end off the day we took a stroll into Pszczyna to see the market square and palace lit up.
Oh! Did I not mention the weather? Well by the time we had eaten our supper it had started to rain and it had cooled down a bit.
Then it was back to the hotel - an ex-prison - comfortably kitted out and 'we', the parents and staff, relaxed over some 'amber tea' after putting the 'bairns' to sleep. Next day was going to be particularly busy!
Early breakfast kicked off with problems for me as the staff at the hotel had kindly bought large rolls for our lunch, but had decided that ONE slice of ham or cheese was enough for us! Add to that the problem of not having cling-film to wrap them in or a bag to carry them in, and that was just the tip of the iceberg!
I explained that I wanted copious amounts of ham and cheese and cucumbers and tomatoes........Oh how I was to regret those words by the time the holiday was finished!!
Breakfasts took many forms in those first four days. The children prepared their own rolls from a selection of hams, cheeses, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Our first full day in Pszczyna saw us visiting a splendid, hundred roomed palace with rooms that took your breath away. We had been treated to a free guided tour round the Palace and armoury, all paid for by the local council who had been alerted to our second trip to this area by our partner school in Czarkow. I did my best to translate the salient points, without going into too much detail, but even doing that, we spent over one and a half hours visiting.
The children then had their lunch and jumped on board the pedal go-carts that had been hired for them for an hour to explore the extensive grounds of the palace.
The morning had been a mixture of cloudy, yet warm weather and the afternoon saw that changing, with us making our way on a guided tour round Pszczyna, culminating in a visit to a museum showing the types of dwellings and stables in earlier times.
By 17.00 the sky had begun to look menacing and we had settled in the square to listen to some Silesian singing and music. Of course, as it does in this part of the world, the skies opened up and we had a downpour that destroyed the amplification system for at least twenty minutes. Some of our more musically endowed people - ie Mr Stott - took this as a blessing!
Eventually we managed to run the short distance to the hotel to board our bus for the swimming pool where the children indulged themselves for two hours.
By 20.00 we were ready for our evening meal, which for some turned out to be a revelation! We dined at the Castle Restaurant and had a splendid three course meal. Then it was back to the hotel to gather our strength and a good night's sleep before our adventure on Monday.
Waking up early, we were dismayed to see that it was pouring and had been for most of the night. This was to have been the day of our visit to Ustron Park and a a gentle walk on the Beskidy mountains. Instead it turned out to be a drive in the pouring rain that became heavier and heavier. Instead we headed for Bielsko Bialy and a tour of the shopping centre there.
We disembarked the coach and ran the hundred metres towards the shopping centre. By the time we reached it, we looked as if we had all taken a shower with our clothes on. We did not stay very long, but instead decided to double back to the hotel and go swimming to another pool.
After our journey of around twenty-two miles, we were told that the pool had a closed session and that we could not swim until later. Instead the boys and girls went ten-pin bowling for two hours followed by an hour and a half of swimming.
Then we had to find a place for us to eat, as our earlier planned 'pit stop' had changed and we were left to secure meals for twenty-five at a restaurant at our new destination. The places we tried were less than enthusiastic at taking this on, however we did find an up-market restaurant where we eventually settled to have what was to be our evening meal. Then it was back to the hotel.
Next morning the parents had the day off shopping and exploring the gastronomic delights of the town, while the children and teachers travelled to Czarkow School to attend three forty-five minute lessons.
By 13.30 it was school dinners! We enjoyed a delicious meal put on by our partner school and the children 'relaxed' for an hour and a half playing four-a-side football against their Polish friends.
Our parents turned up in time to support them, and even I got carried away shouting out the odd instruction in the PE hall of this large, well equipped school by our standards.
The high point of the visit was to be a show hosted by our Polish School in the adjacent village hall, with the deputy mayor as a guest. We were not to be outdone as Mr Stott and the children presented their part of the show to rapturous applause. George Davidson in particular had a show stopping performance on a borrowed violin and had to mount the stage again after the audience would not let him leave until he played an 'encore'.
Presentations were made by the deputy mayor and a commitment made towards 'working together' with Tarves School and its community. This was reciprocated by cllr. Paul Johnston who presented a Quaich or 'friendship cup' to the deputy mayor.
The show went down a treat and there was a varied programme of dancing from the children at both the Polish and Scottish schools. The children from Scotland were presented with hand-made fired keepsakes marking the occasion, as well as t-shirts provided by our guests.
The children 'relaxed' at a disco held in the school, while the parents engaged in conversation with teachers and parents, indulging themselves in home bakes prepared for the occasion.. After a very long, but enjoyable day, our whole group was whisked away to our hotel to sample some Polish 'pierogi' - a large form of ravioli filled with a variety of fillings such as potatoes, cheese and onions in one, cabbage and mushrooms in another, and finally the fruit version stuffed full with strawberries.
Next morning we were to be up bright and early as we were departing for Zakopane, in the very south of Poland, nestled below the imposing Tatra Mountains. Our journey was to take around three and a half hours and for most of the time the low cloud and rain obscured much of the beautiful countryside.
Our Pensjonat (Guest House) turned out to be well hidden from the main road, however the owner decided to guide us to our destination by coming out for us. We were soon disembarking the bus and in 'snake convoy' proceeded down a country road towards our accommodation.
The guest house turned out to be of a very high standard. After we unpacked, we spent part of the afternoon on the bus being shown round Zakopane by a guide who spoke excellent English. For the remainder of the time we went by ski-lift to the top of the mountain and walked on the ridge. We spent some time there with the children, having artificial sledge rides which they all enjoyed.
We descended by funicular railway and made our way to the main shopping area in the town. Then after two hours it was back to the Guest House to have a meal from the 'Scandinavian Buffet Table'. This consisted of hams, cheeses, cucumber, tomatoes and boiled eggs.
The next morning we boarded the bus to travel to Slovakia to enjoy some time in thermal waters.
Anyone who hasn't visited it must make it a MUST before commercialism steps in and swamps it! STUNNING would be the best way to describe it!
Our stay was for less than a day and it proved difficult to spend some money there m as they did not accept credit cards or our foreign currency.
We ended up having a breathtaking journey through the Tatra Mountain Range on our way back to Poland and then we undertook more shopping in Zakopane.
Meals were by this time getting very HEALTHY but monotonous!! Scandinavian Buffet tables became the order of the day for breakfasts and evening meals.
On Friday we departed for Krakow, the old capital of Poland and visited the Mariacki Church with its world famous triptych as well as spending time shopping in the vast Sukienice Square.
Finally our last port of call was to be the Wieliczka Salt Mine where the party went round a conducted tour for two and a half hours.
We then returned to our hotel in Krakow, where to our great surprise.......we were served yet another Scandinavian Buffet...of you guessed it....ham, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, chicken in aspic and a selection of fruit.
The next morning was an early start as we made our way to Katowice airport. We were not to know at that stage that our wait would be a long one....in fact an additional five hours!!
We finally swept into Tarves on Saturday at 11.45pm to the jubilant hugs of the waiting parents.
Mr Stott & Ms Smith have a 'humorous moment' in Slovakia.
(He looks a bit Bavarian doesn't he?).
The group minus 'one mum' taking the photo outside our last hotel in Krakow.
We made our way down to Prestwick by coach and soon found ourselves queuing up at the airport. To add to the excitement of having 14 of our pupils, we also had 11 adults travelling with us, 3 of those, Ms Smith, Mr Stott and Mr Gorski being staff members.
Wizzair did not disappoint, allowing us to get on the aeroplane first without having to fork out extra for the privilege. Once in our seats we were off bang on time. Some two hours and twenty minutes later we were in Katovice, Poland. So far, so good.....however where was the bus that was to pick us up?
After some 40 anxious minutes I saw this gentleman eyeing me up and down and rather timidly asked him if he was looking for someone. He replied that he was. In fact he was looking for one rather large Englishman with a bunch of kids.
I obviously did not fit the bill as I was sitting on a bench with a baseball cap emblazoned with Scotland on it and 14 children milling around me......but amazingly it was MY bus driver who had been plucking up courage to ask me for fifteen minutes.
We were soon on our way down the dual carriageway towards Pszczyna, our 'base camp' for the next four nights.
The scenery and novelty of driving on the 'wrong side of the road' soon led the children to pass comments on what they saw. In particular Mr Stott drew my attention to the pollution still pouring out of the chimneys of this heavily industrialised part of Poland. After all...where would we be without Polish coal being shipped all over the world and steel plants churning out parts for Fiats made in Poland?
Yes, you could smell the sulphur in the air but as we moved past this industrial heartland, we proceeded to the beautiful greenery and serenity of Pszczyna.
We grabbed a delicious meal at the hotel and I was pleased to note that not a lot had been left of 'foreign food'. As ever, the vegetables seemed to be the least popular being a combination of different grated vegetables piled high on the plate.
To end off the day we took a stroll into Pszczyna to see the market square and palace lit up.
Oh! Did I not mention the weather? Well by the time we had eaten our supper it had started to rain and it had cooled down a bit.
Then it was back to the hotel - an ex-prison - comfortably kitted out and 'we', the parents and staff, relaxed over some 'amber tea' after putting the 'bairns' to sleep. Next day was going to be particularly busy!
Early breakfast kicked off with problems for me as the staff at the hotel had kindly bought large rolls for our lunch, but had decided that ONE slice of ham or cheese was enough for us! Add to that the problem of not having cling-film to wrap them in or a bag to carry them in, and that was just the tip of the iceberg!
I explained that I wanted copious amounts of ham and cheese and cucumbers and tomatoes........Oh how I was to regret those words by the time the holiday was finished!!
Breakfasts took many forms in those first four days. The children prepared their own rolls from a selection of hams, cheeses, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Our first full day in Pszczyna saw us visiting a splendid, hundred roomed palace with rooms that took your breath away. We had been treated to a free guided tour round the Palace and armoury, all paid for by the local council who had been alerted to our second trip to this area by our partner school in Czarkow. I did my best to translate the salient points, without going into too much detail, but even doing that, we spent over one and a half hours visiting.
The children then had their lunch and jumped on board the pedal go-carts that had been hired for them for an hour to explore the extensive grounds of the palace.
The morning had been a mixture of cloudy, yet warm weather and the afternoon saw that changing, with us making our way on a guided tour round Pszczyna, culminating in a visit to a museum showing the types of dwellings and stables in earlier times.
By 17.00 the sky had begun to look menacing and we had settled in the square to listen to some Silesian singing and music. Of course, as it does in this part of the world, the skies opened up and we had a downpour that destroyed the amplification system for at least twenty minutes. Some of our more musically endowed people - ie Mr Stott - took this as a blessing!
Eventually we managed to run the short distance to the hotel to board our bus for the swimming pool where the children indulged themselves for two hours.
By 20.00 we were ready for our evening meal, which for some turned out to be a revelation! We dined at the Castle Restaurant and had a splendid three course meal. Then it was back to the hotel to gather our strength and a good night's sleep before our adventure on Monday.
Waking up early, we were dismayed to see that it was pouring and had been for most of the night. This was to have been the day of our visit to Ustron Park and a a gentle walk on the Beskidy mountains. Instead it turned out to be a drive in the pouring rain that became heavier and heavier. Instead we headed for Bielsko Bialy and a tour of the shopping centre there.
We disembarked the coach and ran the hundred metres towards the shopping centre. By the time we reached it, we looked as if we had all taken a shower with our clothes on. We did not stay very long, but instead decided to double back to the hotel and go swimming to another pool.
After our journey of around twenty-two miles, we were told that the pool had a closed session and that we could not swim until later. Instead the boys and girls went ten-pin bowling for two hours followed by an hour and a half of swimming.
Then we had to find a place for us to eat, as our earlier planned 'pit stop' had changed and we were left to secure meals for twenty-five at a restaurant at our new destination. The places we tried were less than enthusiastic at taking this on, however we did find an up-market restaurant where we eventually settled to have what was to be our evening meal. Then it was back to the hotel.
Next morning the parents had the day off shopping and exploring the gastronomic delights of the town, while the children and teachers travelled to Czarkow School to attend three forty-five minute lessons.
By 13.30 it was school dinners! We enjoyed a delicious meal put on by our partner school and the children 'relaxed' for an hour and a half playing four-a-side football against their Polish friends.
Our parents turned up in time to support them, and even I got carried away shouting out the odd instruction in the PE hall of this large, well equipped school by our standards.
The high point of the visit was to be a show hosted by our Polish School in the adjacent village hall, with the deputy mayor as a guest. We were not to be outdone as Mr Stott and the children presented their part of the show to rapturous applause. George Davidson in particular had a show stopping performance on a borrowed violin and had to mount the stage again after the audience would not let him leave until he played an 'encore'.
Presentations were made by the deputy mayor and a commitment made towards 'working together' with Tarves School and its community. This was reciprocated by cllr. Paul Johnston who presented a Quaich or 'friendship cup' to the deputy mayor.
The show went down a treat and there was a varied programme of dancing from the children at both the Polish and Scottish schools. The children from Scotland were presented with hand-made fired keepsakes marking the occasion, as well as t-shirts provided by our guests.
The children 'relaxed' at a disco held in the school, while the parents engaged in conversation with teachers and parents, indulging themselves in home bakes prepared for the occasion.. After a very long, but enjoyable day, our whole group was whisked away to our hotel to sample some Polish 'pierogi' - a large form of ravioli filled with a variety of fillings such as potatoes, cheese and onions in one, cabbage and mushrooms in another, and finally the fruit version stuffed full with strawberries.
Next morning we were to be up bright and early as we were departing for Zakopane, in the very south of Poland, nestled below the imposing Tatra Mountains. Our journey was to take around three and a half hours and for most of the time the low cloud and rain obscured much of the beautiful countryside.
Our Pensjonat (Guest House) turned out to be well hidden from the main road, however the owner decided to guide us to our destination by coming out for us. We were soon disembarking the bus and in 'snake convoy' proceeded down a country road towards our accommodation.
The guest house turned out to be of a very high standard. After we unpacked, we spent part of the afternoon on the bus being shown round Zakopane by a guide who spoke excellent English. For the remainder of the time we went by ski-lift to the top of the mountain and walked on the ridge. We spent some time there with the children, having artificial sledge rides which they all enjoyed.
We descended by funicular railway and made our way to the main shopping area in the town. Then after two hours it was back to the Guest House to have a meal from the 'Scandinavian Buffet Table'. This consisted of hams, cheeses, cucumber, tomatoes and boiled eggs.
The next morning we boarded the bus to travel to Slovakia to enjoy some time in thermal waters.
Anyone who hasn't visited it must make it a MUST before commercialism steps in and swamps it! STUNNING would be the best way to describe it!
Our stay was for less than a day and it proved difficult to spend some money there m as they did not accept credit cards or our foreign currency.
We ended up having a breathtaking journey through the Tatra Mountain Range on our way back to Poland and then we undertook more shopping in Zakopane.
Meals were by this time getting very HEALTHY but monotonous!! Scandinavian Buffet tables became the order of the day for breakfasts and evening meals.
On Friday we departed for Krakow, the old capital of Poland and visited the Mariacki Church with its world famous triptych as well as spending time shopping in the vast Sukienice Square.
Finally our last port of call was to be the Wieliczka Salt Mine where the party went round a conducted tour for two and a half hours.
We then returned to our hotel in Krakow, where to our great surprise.......we were served yet another Scandinavian Buffet...of you guessed it....ham, cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, chicken in aspic and a selection of fruit.
The next morning was an early start as we made our way to Katowice airport. We were not to know at that stage that our wait would be a long one....in fact an additional five hours!!
We finally swept into Tarves on Saturday at 11.45pm to the jubilant hugs of the waiting parents.
Mr Stott & Ms Smith have a 'humorous moment' in Slovakia.
(He looks a bit Bavarian doesn't he?).
The group minus 'one mum' taking the photo outside our last hotel in Krakow.
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