pupilblackhall :: Blog

We have been trying to find out ways to save energy we came up with some pretty good ideas. We got into  two teams and we got a Ideas trail .We had to think of 50 ideas the first team got 50 the second team got 42.We used sticky notes and the best were put on a energy poster.

blackhalls sky is blue

there is no toxic goo.

the grass is green

and nobody is being mean.

the birds are singing

the school bell is ringing

we use the recyling  bin

so are bins are not filled to the brim

if there is polluition

we have a soluition

do a liter pick with your hat and stick

most of us walk to school

so we dont use much car fule

we turn of the light

when it is bright

we go out doors

to do are wildlife chores

if you are an eco school

then you are a cool school

blackhall is a eco school

so we are a cool school. 

projecter

lights

radiators

smart board

computers

speakers

head phones

hoovers

secruity cameres

cd player

security lights

switches

cooker

remotes

printer

phones

coffee machine

chargers

libary computer

tv in drama room

p1 tv

  

How can we find out if we have managed to save energy?

Energy meter - how much energy used in a week? Find out and see if we can make it less.

Look at energy bill - see if it is less.

Measure how much one appliance uses in a hour?

Plan an assembly

Make posters

Plan challenges to do at home.

Energy monitors

Think of a goal - how much energy can we save? 

 

 

We are thinking about our new Eco Schools Area - Energy

 

Here are our first ideas about saving energy:

Turn off projectors

Turn off class lights when at gym or drama

Think about energy at home

Turn off power when not needed

Turn off toilet lights when no one is in

Renewable sources of energy - Use solar panels, wind power

Think about sources of lights

Only use lights when needed - open the blinds to let light in

 Turn off the red power switch off (in extension) when not in use.

Turn off hot taps

Fit shelves above radiators

 

Think about energy at home.

Don't put things on standby - turn them off.

Turn heating off when you don't need it. Keep doors and windows closed to keep the heat in.

Close blinds and curtains at night to keep the heat in.

 

Shut down computers when you are finished with them. Turn off at the wall at end of the day.

Gym hall lights turned off

 

 

 

Ms Sangarabalan, a teacher at Blackhall Primary, went round the classes telling and showing pupils the kind of food she had when she stayed in Malawi for six weeks.

She stayed with a family in the mountains, of Malawi. Every day for lunch and dinner she had a type of curry with rice and a type of corn bread. The pupils were shown a picture of this food and were asked if they thought it was healthy or not. Opinions were mixed as some people thought it was healthy just because it was home-made or because it looked like it had vegetables and rice in it. (Remember, the pupils didn't actually know what was in it.) But others thought the meat would have a lot of fat.

Miss Sangrabalahn then explained what was in it and also how they got the food. Goats and chickens which were living just outside the house and were soon made into the food that she ate every day. To make the corn bread all the corn was collected and left to dry and harden and was then scraped and mixed with water.

 Then she showed the pupils pictures of the city that she also visited. The photos showed supermarkets and fast food restaraunts and asked the pupils if they thought that the Malawans should have access to this food. This was a very difficult question to answer for the pupils. Some said that they need that because they need to come in touch with the modern world and get used to it. Others said it would be unfair if they don't get allt that and we do. Pupils that thought otherwise said they wouldn't be used to it and would get very fat very fast or others said, it doesn't matter because they can't afford it anyway.

 I would just like to say a big thank you to Ms Sangarabalan for going to the work to share her experiences in such an interesting way, that we all enjoyed. You've been great!!!!!!!!

On Monday during Health Week in assembly two representitives from the 'Edinburgh Capitals' came in to talk about ice hockey and healthy eating. They told us what a normal weakend would be like and it sounded very hard and tiring but also exciting. Jason who played for the Capitals and who also played for Scotland Under 19's told us about what they ate during a week. They said how important nutritional value is and the right amount of quantities are. The told us some of the basic rules like how many players per team. They then chose a pupil from p6 to try on all the gear and it looked like you would get very sweaty in it. The information was very very useful and i am sure you have inspired lots of the children to play ice hockey. A very BIG thank you to the representitives from 'Edinburgh Capitals' and Anna Bisset for organising it!

Last week a Harvey Nichols chef (Stuart Muir) came in to Blackhall primary school to show us about healthy eating. He showed us lots of interesting skills that would come in handy in the kitchen. We were introduced to lots of different exotic fruits and vegetables. Every class that took part in this delightful workshop had to create an exotic and delicious fruit smoothie.Once we had decided what we wanted to put in the smoothie we put all the fruit in the blender then once it was ready we poured it out between us and then we tried a sample. Stuart let us try vanilla, smoked salmon and cinnamon.Thanks very much to Stuart and Chris we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

Last week Mrs Duncan came in to Blackhall Primary, for health week, to show the pupils, from the older classes, the difference between an economy burger and a healthy home-made one.

Mrs Duncan started off by explaining how the pupils were getting more responsibilities to chose what they eat when they go out. She told them that they need to consider what goes into their food.

She showed all that went into an economy burger and why it was unhealthy. Only a little proper meat went into the burger. The rest was fat, flavourings, colourings, and even water. After being out for just two minutes it went grey. 

It was a bit hard to watch for some people but it was a very rewarding experience and i hope they have taken away a new responsible, healthy way of thinking. A big thanks to Mrs Duncan of "Good Beginings," it was a very interesting workshop that we all enjoyed.

Last week during Health Week the pupils of Blackhall joined in lots of sporting activities and learned about healthy eating. Every class in the school had an aerobic session with Miss Jeavons. Aerobics is a challenging yet rewarding activity and is very good for your body. Each session was 45 minutes long and we were all puffing afterwards. I am sure everyone thourely enjoyed it as i loved it! A very BIG thank you to Miss Jeavons, you've been a star! P.S. I hope you enjoyed as much as we did!

Transport Action Plan [application/msword]

Blackhall Primary School Eco Schools Group

Date: 14-11-08 present: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a,7b, Roza & Mr Galloway   Mrs Laurie

Agenda

Mark Simmons – travel what we need to do to have safer routes to school

Matters Arising

-    Travelling to schools safely and healthily, do we have completely safe roots to school ?
-    How can we get dryer areas for bikes and scooters
-    Think of how to make shelter for bikes and scooters
-    To raise awareness of road safety, the environment and health
-    The JRSO need to collect travel figures more often (i.e termly, monthly)

Action points

-    JRSO need to update notice boards more often and have an assembly to raise awareness of the JRSO
-    Try to find a link with a business (Sainsbury’s) or Derek Laign – “Blackhall cycle”
-    Climate challenge fond collect information from JRSO
-    Think of how to make shelter
-    Assembly poster competition
-    Speak to local shops and have a community event – eco fair
-    Invite Mary Erskines and Stuart Melville to the eco fair
-    Advertising papers for eco fair
-    Competition banners design – find out who makes banners for a fair price
-    Try to get a notice board in Sainsbury’s / local shop
-    Share information from parents
-    Ask Sustrans to help with shelter

We had our Great Green Garden Gala on Tuesday  24th June. Each class made some bunting from recycled paper to put around the field when we were having a picnic. Each class got into groups and told stories  to another class.

After we told the stories we had fruit and juice. We went round to the Primary 1 area to see the opening of their new Supergrounds playground. Pauline Lindsay from RBS came to speak to us because she helped us raise money to make the new playground.

 Mrs Morris spoke to us then the oldest and youngest pupil council and Gus cut the ribbon.The oldest and youngest eco-rep and Roza cut the grape and blueberry cake. The Russian Club did a play called THE ENORMOUS TURNIP.

We all enjoyed the celebration and we are happy that we are an eco-friendly school with a green flag. 

 

Section 4

Lilac: Deciduous tree native in china. Up to 10m high, produces flowers it is called the Syringa Vulgaris.

Copper beech: large tree ornamental forms of common beech with the copper coloured leaves. The seeds are called beech mast.

Horse chestnut: large tree with arching branches. White flowers produce conkers. Assaults hippocastanum.

Willow twigs are very brittle and green female carkins appear in May. Salix glabra.

Turkish oak: large tree with whiskers on its buds and at the base of its leaves.
It produces acorns with mossy cups in autumn. Its bark is ridged. Latin name: Quercus Cerris.

When we go to wildlife rangers we meet in the sensory garden every month and we learn about the wildlife in it. Last time we learned how to identify trees by looking at their leaves and seeds. Once we had collected one leaf from each tree in the section we had to identify them.

LS  AND CC

Section three

Turkish Oak

Large tree, Whiskers on buds and at base of leaves. Produces acorns with mossy cups in Autumn. Bark is ridged Latin name, Quercus Cerris.

English Oak

Large tree, small female flowers on the end of new growth in May. Acorns ripen in September/ October. Seed’s are called Acorns Latin name, Quercus Robur.

Norway Spruce 

Large tree used at Christmas, Piciabies, long hanging cones from Park, Garden, Plantations Latin name – Piciabies.

Larch

Large tree upright cone egg shaped, soft light green needle’s fall out in winter. Latin name- Larix Decidua. 

Section 2

Scots Pine (Pinus Swlvesteris): Very tall growing, with flaky bark (orange underneath). It has twisted needles in pairs. The cone ripens every 2 years. It is Scotland’s only native tree.

Elder (Sambulus Nigra): It is a deciduous tree up to 7 metres tall with grey stems found in damp woods, river banks and waste ground. Fertouses sweet smelling flowers and juicy berries in the Autumn.

Silver Birch (Betula Pendula): its height is medium, silvery bark. Catkins in April. White bark peals in ribbons. Grows in the wild, on hills and on mountains.

Rowan (Sorbuancu Paria): its height is medium, grows clusters of white flowers in May. Shiny grey bark with dots. Red berries ripen in September sometimes called the mountain ash. The Celtic people called this tree fid-na-driud meaning wizards tree and it was supposed to ward of evil spirits.

We were doing a tree survey in the sensory garden.We were split into 4 groups we were group 1. Our section was from the Scots Pine to the pond, on the left hand side. After that we went inside to discuss and identify the leaves. We wrote a list of the different trees in the sensory garden. You can read the facts below.

KM DC MTJB

Turkish Oak

Large tree, Whiskers on buds and at base of leaves. Produces acorns with mossy cups in Autumn. Bark is ridged Latin name, Quercus Cerris.

English Oak

Large tree, small female flowers on the end of new growth in May. Acorns ripen in September/ October. Seed’s are called Acorns Latin name, Quercus Robur.

Norway Spruce 

Large tree used at Christmas, Piciabies, long hanging cones from Park, Garden, Plantations Latin name – Piciabies.

Larch

Large tree upright cone egg shaped, soft light green needle’s fall out in winter. Latin name- Larix Decidua. 

The compost that p4a made has been changing a lot over the past few weeks. The first week a lot of the compost has gatherd webby stuff and the compost has seiriusly gone down.some people thought it realy SMELLED!

The seconed week it hadn't changed much and the smell had gone down and so had the compost and some mud is splated right up the sides of a few of them.

The third week not much of a change there is loads of white stuff aroud the edges and its gone REALLY down.

 

 

 

we have been working on a banana break down experement.One of the tables have been recording  how the banana changed in water. it has changed a lot e.g the water has went down. 

P4a made bottles with banana in.The one we are going to talk about is the one that was stored in light.We stuck bottles together and then put the banana in the bottles and left it. 

Over the weeks the banana has changed a lot, and now it's shriveled up.

Ways it had changed,

SMELLY!,

shriveled and black.

In our week without waste  for five weeks we have been doing a banana breakdown record. A banana breakdown is were some banana skin goes in a bottle and we are reporting on a banana skin in a bottle with no air.

Every week we check the banana skin and every week it has changed rapidly and got really black and some have even gone hard very very hard.

CC JM    

P4 have been doing banana breakdown experiments. The banana left with no air It has got more and more brown.It has shriveled up and has got smaller. 

We went outside to pick up leaves and flowers for our designs. When we came back in we made the paper.Once the  paper was in shape.We were split into group to do it. One group used leaves and flowers and the other group used string and glitter and once you put things on leave it  to dry.                                                     SR