The Spring Term ended on schedule on Friday with an in house Easter Service for those children still in school, presided over by our school Chaplain, the Very Rev Dr Barr.  There has been much to celebrate this term, but to see the way in which staff, parents and children have pulled together so well over the past few weeks, shows the strength of our community and despite the difficult and uncertain times we are now experiencing, we must look after each other and think about all those within our community who might need help at the moment.

Have a good holiday, rest up but above all, be kind to each other and to those around you.  We shall be back in April, hopefully at school, but if not, our remote learning platform is ready to start!

The Spring Term ended on schedule on Friday with an in house Easter Service for those children still in school, presided over by our school Chaplain, the Very Rev Dr Barr.  There has been much to celebrate this term, but to see the way in which staff, parents and children have pulled together so well over the past few weeks, shows the strength of our community and despite the difficult and uncertain times we are now experiencing, we must look after each other and think about all those within our community who might need help at the moment.

Have a good holiday, rest up but above all, be kind to each other and to those around you.  We shall be back in April, hopefully at school, but if not, our remote learning platform is ready to start!

The Nursery enjoyed a fun filled final day of term focused on Easter. Lots of eggs and some lovely bonnets too. Well done, everyone!

The Nursery enjoyed a fun filled final day of term focused on Easter. Lots of eggs and some lovely bonnets too. Well done, everyone!

We say a sad goodbye to gap students Georgie and Matt today, who are heading home to be with their families at this difficult time. Thank you so much for all you have done, good luck and travel safely #goodbye #cargilfield

We say a sad goodbye to gap students Georgie and Matt today, who are heading home to be with their families at this difficult time. Thank you so much for all you have done, good luck and travel safely #goodbye #cargilfield

Listening to music – is that even a skill?  Surely everyone can listen? Surely it’s natural to enjoy music? Or maybe it’s just something that musical people do?

The more I teach and observe young children interacting with recorded or live music, the more I realise that there is a lot more to it than that. I am no psychologist, so this may not be the correct terminology, but it seems to me that listening to music is a cultural behaviour that quite definitely does need teaching. Yes, there are definitely those who from a very young age seem particularly transfixed by musical performances, but not being one of those people doesn’t seem to relate to a lack of musical ability at a later age – just a different personality type.

In the classroom I try to instil good listening behaviours and attitudes in the firm belief that doing so opens a whole new paradigm of human experience, joy and discovery that is there for everyone, not an elite ‘musical’ few.  From nursery onwards, I ask the children to sit still and let their ears do the work. I also ask them to hold their thoughts about the music in their heads until the end, when we will share them.  Whilst reacting physically to the music (for example jiggling around to the beat) seems like a natural childlike behaviour, my observation is that it is a behaviour found mainly in the more gregarious personality types, and that their response to the music is distracting to the quieter types. Indeed their communication about what they feel about the music will tend to override what another child feels, as they start to join in the lead-child’s behaviour rather than reacting to the music itself. I ask myself whether a physical response is in some cases learned (we praise children obliquely ‘look how s/he’s enjoying the music’) and I have also noticed that the type of movement is rarely modified to the type of music.  Yes, movement to music is a useful skill and there is a place to practice and encourage it, but in a world where we very rarely give ourselves up to the pleasure of auditory input alone, I think there is a definite case for showing children how keeping still and just being with the music brings a very real pleasure.

Obviously as children grow, their ability to listen to longer pieces of music intently also grows, but another thing I have learnt during my time at Cargilfield is how easy it would be to underestimate children.  Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, one concerto at a time, for example, work well for P1 in the Summer term, and they enjoy responding through art work whilst listening a second and third time. P1 recently amazed me with their enjoyment of a 20-minute version of the Carnival of the Animals and were able to tell me all about their favourite bits by the end.  There was a bit of fidgeting and yawning in the slower sections (for example the Tortoises), but then some of the fidgeters told me that these were their favourite animals. The lesson taught me, once again, to trust the music – there’s a reason why the famous classics are famous classics – they just are really good and we don’t need to mediate between the music and the children or apologise for asking for their attention.

In the older classes, where good listening behaviours have generally been learnt, attitudes to music play an important part.  Here I see my role as one of showing the children what is out there and why it is interesting; I always stress that it is up to them to like or dislike the music, but they should be able to say why, so we practice discussing the music, gradually introducing more technical language, since it is often the vocabulary that can make music seem a closed book to those not initiated into its mysteries. By Form 6, children have developed musical likes and dislikes that, like clothing styles, reflect their developing sense of self.  My job is to stop these from becoming restricting.  Just because you really like dogs, doesn’t mean that, when you go to the zoo, you go around sulking because there are no dogs there; you can like dogs best but still find elephants and giraffes and iguanas interesting.  In the same way, there is no limit to the music that you can listen to, but it does help to know a bit about the background of the piece so that you can understand why it is the way it is. (I’m not that keen on ants, but finding out more about them certainly makes you admire them!)

Changes to the technology of how we consume music in the last 20 years have opened up so many opportunities. I do have a small regret that the opportunity to ‘gift’ music, in the way that I was given tapes and CDs, seems to have gone.  Those first 5 tapes I was given when I got my own tape player aged 9 had a completely transformative effect on my life, and I would have enjoyed giving my nieces and nephews music ‘packaged’ in that way. However, set against this the availability of quality live performances on demand both in the classroom and at home, where Youtube, Spotify and other platforms open up such an enormous library to everyone.  Here is a wonderful opportunity for children to go on a personal voyage of discovery, indeed, the that fact that such programmes will suggest music based on what you have been listening to can make it difficult to stop at times!  

May I wish you happy listening over the Easter holidays?

Listening to music – is that even a skill?  Surely everyone can listen? Surely it’s natural to enjoy music? Or maybe it’s just something that musical people do?

The more I teach and observe young children interacting with recorded or live music, the more I realise that there is a lot more to it than that. I am no psychologist, so this may not be the correct terminology, but it seems to me that listening to music is a cultural behaviour that quite definitely does need teaching. Yes, there are definitely those who from a very young age seem particularly transfixed by musical performances, but not being one of those people doesn’t seem to relate to a lack of musical ability at a later age – just a different personality type.

In the classroom I try to instil good listening behaviours and attitudes in the firm belief that doing so opens a whole new paradigm of human experience, joy and discovery that is there for everyone, not an elite ‘musical’ few.  From nursery onwards, I ask the children to sit still and let their ears do the work. I also ask them to hold their thoughts about the music in their heads until the end, when we will share them.  Whilst reacting physically to the music (for example jiggling around to the beat) seems like a natural childlike behaviour, my observation is that it is a behaviour found mainly in the more gregarious personality types, and that their response to the music is distracting to the quieter types. Indeed their communication about what they feel about the music will tend to override what another child feels, as they start to join in the lead-child’s behaviour rather than reacting to the music itself. I ask myself whether a physical response is in some cases learned (we praise children obliquely ‘look how s/he’s enjoying the music’) and I have also noticed that the type of movement is rarely modified to the type of music.  Yes, movement to music is a useful skill and there is a place to practice and encourage it, but in a world where we very rarely give ourselves up to the pleasure of auditory input alone, I think there is a definite case for showing children how keeping still and just being with the music brings a very real pleasure.

Obviously as children grow, their ability to listen to longer pieces of music intently also grows, but another thing I have learnt during my time at Cargilfield is how easy it would be to underestimate children.  Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, one concerto at a time, for example, work well for P1 in the Summer term, and they enjoy responding through art work whilst listening a second and third time. P1 recently amazed me with their enjoyment of a 20-minute version of the Carnival of the Animals and were able to tell me all about their favourite bits by the end.  There was a bit of fidgeting and yawning in the slower sections (for example the Tortoises), but then some of the fidgeters told me that these were their favourite animals. The lesson taught me, once again, to trust the music – there’s a reason why the famous classics are famous classics – they just are really good and we don’t need to mediate between the music and the children or apologise for asking for their attention.

In the older classes, where good listening behaviours have generally been learnt, attitudes to music play an important part.  Here I see my role as one of showing the children what is out there and why it is interesting; I always stress that it is up to them to like or dislike the music, but they should be able to say why, so we practice discussing the music, gradually introducing more technical language, since it is often the vocabulary that can make music seem a closed book to those not initiated into its mysteries. By Form 6, children have developed musical likes and dislikes that, like clothing styles, reflect their developing sense of self.  My job is to stop these from becoming restricting.  Just because you really like dogs, doesn’t mean that, when you go to the zoo, you go around sulking because there are no dogs there; you can like dogs best but still find elephants and giraffes and iguanas interesting.  In the same way, there is no limit to the music that you can listen to, but it does help to know a bit about the background of the piece so that you can understand why it is the way it is. (I’m not that keen on ants, but finding out more about them certainly makes you admire them!)

Changes to the technology of how we consume music in the last 20 years have opened up so many opportunities. I do have a small regret that the opportunity to ‘gift’ music, in the way that I was given tapes and CDs, seems to have gone.  Those first 5 tapes I was given when I got my own tape player aged 9 had a completely transformative effect on my life, and I would have enjoyed giving my nieces and nephews music ‘packaged’ in that way. However, set against this the availability of quality live performances on demand both in the classroom and at home, where Youtube, Spotify and other platforms open up such an enormous library to everyone.  Here is a wonderful opportunity for children to go on a personal voyage of discovery, indeed, the that fact that such programmes will suggest music based on what you have been listening to can make it difficult to stop at times!  

May I wish you happy listening over the Easter holidays?

In P3 this week we have been learning about 3D shapes.  We have been identifying and sorting different shapes, making shapes out of different construction materials and completing shape challenges to build our own 3d shapes.  We have used magnetic shapes, play doh with matchsticks and other materials to help us make 3D shapes and then used them to work out the numbers of faces, corners and sides.  Well done P3!                     

In P3 this week we have been learning about 3D shapes.  We have been identifying and sorting different shapes, making shapes out of different construction materials and completing shape challenges to build our own 3d shapes.  We have used magnetic shapes, play doh with matchsticks and other materials to help us make 3D shapes and then used them to work out the numbers of faces, corners and sides.  Well done P3!                     

Yesterday, as part of British Science Week, the Upper School held their first STEM day. This year, to highlight the concerns around continuing plastic pollution in the oceans, the pupils took part in a variety of activities around plastics.

The day started with an excellent talk from Mr Flower, who works with a company called 'Bottle Up' producing reusable water bottle made from sugar cane. The pupils then worked in their Divisions to: come up with a product to reuse plastic bags, make some bioplastic out of milk or cornflour, and find out a bit more about the problems of plastic pollution. At the end of the day, the Divisions came back together to present their product ideas to each other. Well done to all of the pupils for taking part so enthusiastically, and for coming up with such creative product ideas. Some of our favourites were a skipping rope made of plaited plastic bags, a kite, a fashion range, and a waterproof (and surprisingly comfortable) pillow.

Congratulations to Graham who won some seed pencils for their idea and presentation. 

Read more here. 

Yesterday, as part of British Science Week, the Upper School held their first STEM day. This year, to highlight the concerns around continuing plastic pollution in the oceans, the pupils took part in a variety of activities around plastics.

The day started with an excellent talk from Mr Flower, who works with a company called 'Bottle Up' producing reusable water bottle made from sugar cane. The pupils then worked in their Divisions to: come up with a product to reuse plastic bags, make some bioplastic out of milk or cornflour, and find out a bit more about the problems of plastic pollution. At the end of the day, the Divisions came back together to present their product ideas to each other. Well done to all of the pupils for taking part so enthusiastically, and for coming up with such creative product ideas. Some of our favourites were a skipping rope made of plaited plastic bags, a kite, a fashion range, and a waterproof (and surprisingly comfortable) pillow.

Congratulations to Graham who won some seed pencils for their idea and presentation. 

Read more here. 

Many thanks to Mr Flower who came in to talk to us all at the start of our whole school STEM Day about Bottle Up. It is a company that produces recyclable water bottles made from sustainable sugar cane. It was a fascinating talk and all the children enjoyed receiving a sugar cane water bottle too!

Many thanks to Mr Flower who came in to talk to us all at the start of our whole school STEM Day about Bottle Up. It is a company that produces recyclable water bottles made from sustainable sugar cane. It was a fascinating talk and all the children enjoyed receiving a sugar cane water bottle too!

What a wonderful choral concert we had today at St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh with The Chorister School from Durham. The Chapel Choir performed superbly and it was lovely to hear some beautiful singing from the Choristers’ choir too. Thanks to all who made it happen and who came along to watch!

What a wonderful choral concert we had today at St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh with The Chorister School from Durham. The Chapel Choir performed superbly and it was lovely to hear some beautiful singing from the Choristers’ choir too. Thanks to all who made it happen and who came along to watch!

An intrepid team of Year 5 mathematicians triumphed at The Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh Maths Day today. 

They spent the morning working on puzzles and after a delicious lunch, then took part in a relay competition answering as many questions as they could. After a very interesting talk by Professor Mc Bride, we heard that we had come first out of 32 teams! Fettes B came third with 656 points, George Watson’s B came second with 790 points but Cargilfield were far in the lead with an impressive total score of 880 points! 

Very well done to the team of Patrick, Daniel, Natasha and Joseph and thank you to Merchiston for hosting a day that was so much fun!

An intrepid team of Year 5 mathematicians triumphed at The Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh Maths Day today. 

They spent the morning working on puzzles and after a delicious lunch, then took part in a relay competition answering as many questions as they could. After a very interesting talk by Professor Mc Bride, we heard that we had come first out of 32 teams! Fettes B came third with 656 points, George Watson’s B came second with 790 points but Cargilfield were far in the lead with an impressive total score of 880 points! 

Very well done to the team of Patrick, Daniel, Natasha and Joseph and thank you to Merchiston for hosting a day that was so much fun!

The Pre Prep celebrated STEM and Science Day today with a fun filled day of experiments, workshops and science based activities! 

The nursery and pre-prep children learnt all about; cell biology using microscopes and magnifying glasses, they extracted DNA from strawberries, learnt all about the health professionals in the NHS through role play, took part in a Q & A discussion with a space engineer, watched fire and combustion experiments with Mr Tinkler in the science lab and learnt all about hibernation, nocturnal animals and scientific fieldwork from Donald the zoologist! 

It was a fabulous day of science discovery and investigation. Well done everyone!

Read more here.

The Pre Prep celebrated STEM and Science Day today with a fun filled day of experiments, workshops and science based activities! 

The nursery and pre-prep children learnt all about; cell biology using microscopes and magnifying glasses, they extracted DNA from strawberries, learnt all about the health professionals in the NHS through role play, took part in a Q & A discussion with a space engineer, watched fire and combustion experiments with Mr Tinkler in the science lab and learnt all about hibernation, nocturnal animals and scientific fieldwork from Donald the zoologist! 

It was a fabulous day of science discovery and investigation. Well done everyone!

Read more here.

7M have been reading ‘The Winslow Boy’ by Terence Rattigan this term and have spent time looking at the Suffragette movement. Having created factsheets and filmed some interviews with famous Suffragettes, they marched down to see 4W to tell them all about these brave women who campaigned for the vote just over 100 years ago. Thank you to 4W for asking such sensible questions and to 7M for being excellent teachers!

Read more here.

7M have been reading ‘The Winslow Boy’ by Terence Rattigan this term and have spent time looking at the Suffragette movement. Having created factsheets and filmed some interviews with famous Suffragettes, they marched down to see 4W to tell them all about these brave women who campaigned for the vote just over 100 years ago. Thank you to 4W for asking such sensible questions and to 7M for being excellent teachers!

Read more here.

The Under 11B and 11C hockey teams went up to Kilgraston, where they took on Craigclowan.  The B team took to the field first against Craigclowan's A team and put up a determined fight despite the poor weather conditions.  They worked hard to get the ball up the field but the speed of the opposition made it difficult to retain possession of the ball and eventually their opponents were able to put the ball in the goal.  They continued to battle on and created a few good opportunities but were unable to convert any into goals.  The match eventually ended with Craigclowan winning by two goals to nil. 

The C team’s match against Craigclowan's B team began immediately afterwards and this was again a closely fought affair.  Freddie and George provided a strong defence for the team and Milo’s pace helped the midfield to keep pressing the opposition.  Theo, Rory and Leo created a few chances up front but some good goalkeeping else narrow misses kept the ball from going in.

After a piece of good fortune, Craigclowan were rewarded for their effort with a goal in the second half of the match.

Well done to all the boys for their effort in the matches.

The Under 11B and 11C hockey teams went up to Kilgraston, where they took on Craigclowan.  The B team took to the field first against Craigclowan's A team and put up a determined fight despite the poor weather conditions.  They worked hard to get the ball up the field but the speed of the opposition made it difficult to retain possession of the ball and eventually their opponents were able to put the ball in the goal.  They continued to battle on and created a few good opportunities but were unable to convert any into goals.  The match eventually ended with Craigclowan winning by two goals to nil. 

The C team’s match against Craigclowan's B team began immediately afterwards and this was again a closely fought affair.  Freddie and George provided a strong defence for the team and Milo’s pace helped the midfield to keep pressing the opposition.  Theo, Rory and Leo created a few chances up front but some good goalkeeping else narrow misses kept the ball from going in.

After a piece of good fortune, Craigclowan were rewarded for their effort with a goal in the second half of the match.

Well done to all the boys for their effort in the matches.

It was a great afternoon for a netball match today. It was a little chilly but calm conditions. The girls played really well putting in a very strong performance. Cargilfield got off to a flying start with 9 goals in the first quarter with none scored by them. Lucy scored 5 and Izzy 4, many from a very long range. A similar pattern of play continued in the second quarter. The girls were a very strong unit with Bea at centre, who passed the ball fast and cleanly to Jessica and Loretto found it difficult to get the ball into their third due to some great defence from Athena, Maddie and Amalia. In the second half, Loretto found their feet a bit more, especially in defence slowing our scoring rate down a little. Lyla played well at centre, helping to keep the flow of play. I am very proud of the girls for working so well as a team throughout the whole match. They also adapted well to playing in different positions. Well done girls.

Final score - Cargilfield 20  Loretto 2

It was a great afternoon for a netball match today. It was a little chilly but calm conditions. The girls played really well putting in a very strong performance. Cargilfield got off to a flying start with 9 goals in the first quarter with none scored by them. Lucy scored 5 and Izzy 4, many from a very long range. A similar pattern of play continued in the second quarter. The girls were a very strong unit with Bea at centre, who passed the ball fast and cleanly to Jessica and Loretto found it difficult to get the ball into their third due to some great defence from Athena, Maddie and Amalia. In the second half, Loretto found their feet a bit more, especially in defence slowing our scoring rate down a little. Lyla played well at centre, helping to keep the flow of play. I am very proud of the girls for working so well as a team throughout the whole match. They also adapted well to playing in different positions. Well done girls.

Final score - Cargilfield 20  Loretto 2

The under nine girls were excited to be playing their last match of the season. We started out a little nervously with some inaccurate passes and uncharacteristically scrappy play. However, it did not take too long before we got into our stride and our shooters, Nadia and Emilia were on top form. By half time we were 8 goals ahead. We swopped some players around to try to even up the match. Savannah found it odd not to be centre but she still managed to get the ball moving. Valentina and Bonnie worked well as our new shooters and Isla took on the centre position. Loretto were better in the last quarter but we were clearly the stronger team and the score ended up Cargilfield 19 Loretto 0. It was nice to see the girls try their hardest in different positions and well done to Bonnie and Valentina who showed us that they too can shoot! Well done, girls! It has been a great season and you have all improved very well.

The under nine girls were excited to be playing their last match of the season. We started out a little nervously with some inaccurate passes and uncharacteristically scrappy play. However, it did not take too long before we got into our stride and our shooters, Nadia and Emilia were on top form. By half time we were 8 goals ahead. We swopped some players around to try to even up the match. Savannah found it odd not to be centre but she still managed to get the ball moving. Valentina and Bonnie worked well as our new shooters and Isla took on the centre position. Loretto were better in the last quarter but we were clearly the stronger team and the score ended up Cargilfield 19 Loretto 0. It was nice to see the girls try their hardest in different positions and well done to Bonnie and Valentina who showed us that they too can shoot! Well done, girls! It has been a great season and you have all improved very well.

Team 1: W 3-0
Team 2: L 4-1
Team 3: W 2-0

Playing through a plethora of weather conditions, Cargilfield took on Craigclowan on opposition turf. With the first two teams having to endure freezing winds and sleet, I was particularly pleased to see them both persevere and work well as a team. Our attacking play has got a lot better, with Team 1 scoring some absolute crackers using the width in their match and Team 2 & 3 driving powerfully through the middle. Our tackling was also good, having worked on it in training. The area that we all still need to work on is our positioning; it is far easier to beat the opposition if we stretch the game and draw out defenders from the middle of the pitch.

Well done, boys!

Team 1: W 3-0
Team 2: L 4-1
Team 3: W 2-0

Playing through a plethora of weather conditions, Cargilfield took on Craigclowan on opposition turf. With the first two teams having to endure freezing winds and sleet, I was particularly pleased to see them both persevere and work well as a team. Our attacking play has got a lot better, with Team 1 scoring some absolute crackers using the width in their match and Team 2 & 3 driving powerfully through the middle. Our tackling was also good, having worked on it in training. The area that we all still need to work on is our positioning; it is far easier to beat the opposition if we stretch the game and draw out defenders from the middle of the pitch.

Well done, boys!

Well done to the 1^st Netball girls who had a successful afternoon at Ardvreck.  Despite the cold and wet conditions the girls played well, coming 2^nd in their group and meeting Fettes in the semi finals.  Fettes were that bit too strong but we fought hard and enjoyed and end to end game with our neighbours.

Won 10-0 v Ardvreck

Won 4-0 v Fettes B

Won 7-0 v Kilgraston

Lost 4-1 v Loretto

2^nd in group

Lost in semi v Fettes

Well done to the 1^st Netball girls who had a successful afternoon at Ardvreck.  Despite the cold and wet conditions the girls played well, coming 2^nd in their group and meeting Fettes in the semi finals.  Fettes were that bit too strong but we fought hard and enjoyed and end to end game with our neighbours.

Won 10-0 v Ardvreck

Won 4-0 v Fettes B

Won 7-0 v Kilgraston

Lost 4-1 v Loretto

2^nd in group

Lost in semi v Fettes

It was a pleasure to welcome George Watson’s College U12 Boys’ team to Cargilfield for the first time.  Kenny had set the pitch up in such a way that would help prepare us for the IAPS finals. Without our captain Cody, who went to play at the Strathallan Sevens, we played an 8 a side match on the bigger pitch. 

We began on the front foot, taking the game to the visitors, passing the ball nicely through Xander and James particularly. James got the first goal with a well struck shot from the edge of the D after an initial save from their goalkeeper.  James’s distribution from the right was excellent today and helped Maximilian score about seven goals.

Tom was electric up front, moving around to find pockets of space in which to collect the ball. He pressed their defence, forcing them to make mistakes which allowed our wide players in James and Hayden the opportunity to attack. 

At the back, Harry and Charlie were solid and passed the ball confidently to one another and using Xander as that linch pin in front.  Xander worked tirelessly in midfield, showing a calmness on the ball with some skills to give himself room before picking the right pass nearly every time. 

Hayden played some terrific balls into Maximilian from the left hand side and got a second half hat trick including a lovely finish from a through ball from Charlie. 
We really did work hard as a team and Thomas made some crucial saves to ensure we kept a clean sheet and give him that feeling he was playing a part as many of the matches he’s played in this term, he’s been very much a spectator. 

Well done to the whole team who had to work very hard given we had no subs. It was exhausting on the bigger pitch and against a more physical side but we held our own and I am immensely proud of the quality we showed today. 

Player of the match was Maximilian who took his chances in front of goal well but also supported the front 3 very well. 

It was a pleasure to welcome George Watson’s College U12 Boys’ team to Cargilfield for the first time.  Kenny had set the pitch up in such a way that would help prepare us for the IAPS finals. Without our captain Cody, who went to play at the Strathallan Sevens, we played an 8 a side match on the bigger pitch. 

We began on the front foot, taking the game to the visitors, passing the ball nicely through Xander and James particularly. James got the first goal with a well struck shot from the edge of the D after an initial save from their goalkeeper.  James’s distribution from the right was excellent today and helped Maximilian score about seven goals.

Tom was electric up front, moving around to find pockets of space in which to collect the ball. He pressed their defence, forcing them to make mistakes which allowed our wide players in James and Hayden the opportunity to attack. 

At the back, Harry and Charlie were solid and passed the ball confidently to one another and using Xander as that linch pin in front.  Xander worked tirelessly in midfield, showing a calmness on the ball with some skills to give himself room before picking the right pass nearly every time. 

Hayden played some terrific balls into Maximilian from the left hand side and got a second half hat trick including a lovely finish from a through ball from Charlie. 
We really did work hard as a team and Thomas made some crucial saves to ensure we kept a clean sheet and give him that feeling he was playing a part as many of the matches he’s played in this term, he’s been very much a spectator. 

Well done to the whole team who had to work very hard given we had no subs. It was exhausting on the bigger pitch and against a more physical side but we held our own and I am immensely proud of the quality we showed today. 

Player of the match was Maximilian who took his chances in front of goal well but also supported the front 3 very well. 

With heavy rain on arrival at Ardveck, it’s fair to say the girls weren’t in best spirits but that cleared and we had a cold but dry afternoon for some great netball. The girls were competing in the U11 tournament and faced Loretto, Kilgraston and Ardveck in the group stages. Cargilfield won all of these matches; progressing through to the semi final against St Mary’s. Having lost to them earlier in the season, the girls knew it would be a tough game but they stepped up and earned their place in the final against Belhaven. After a shaky start, the girls found their stride and came away as clear winners. It was a real team effort today but our shooters were certainly key. Judith, Esme and Tunrayo were brilliant up front and captain Venetia was a force to be reckoned with in defence. This was a good confidence boost before their tour next week. 

With heavy rain on arrival at Ardveck, it’s fair to say the girls weren’t in best spirits but that cleared and we had a cold but dry afternoon for some great netball. The girls were competing in the U11 tournament and faced Loretto, Kilgraston and Ardveck in the group stages. Cargilfield won all of these matches; progressing through to the semi final against St Mary’s. Having lost to them earlier in the season, the girls knew it would be a tough game but they stepped up and earned their place in the final against Belhaven. After a shaky start, the girls found their stride and came away as clear winners. It was a real team effort today but our shooters were certainly key. Judith, Esme and Tunrayo were brilliant up front and captain Venetia was a force to be reckoned with in defence. This was a good confidence boost before their tour next week. 

Hello everyone, some of you may not know who I am so my name is Heather Thomson and I have been a matron for 30 years in various schools up and down the country. Here at Cargilfield I look after a wing full of lovely girls between the ages of 7 and 13. Believe it or not a lot of people who have not worked in a boarding school don’t have a clue what a matron is and what their specific role is…Well now I am going to give you a sneaky insight into what I do.

My day starts at 6:20am, that’s the time I wake up, it’s lovely in the summer with the glorious sunrise over my flat however in the winter it is a little trickier. I go around my boarding wing at about 7:10am and wake the girls up, the radio blares and often the girls are woken up to me singing!  The younger ones jump straight out of bed but the older ones need a prod. We all attend breakfast at 7:30am and join the boys.

At about 8:00am I will go around my boarding wing and make sure that the girls have done the regular things of making their beds, brushing their teeth etc. At 8.20 I am in the laundry room sorting the boys and girls laundry and ironing shirts.

The rest of my day varies. I spend some time sorting the boys (for whom I am also responsible for along side the Housemaster) and girls’ dormitories. I am also responsible for checking the registers and following up on children who are not in school, sorting out any flexi boarders and booking children in for weekends. Plus the inevitable emails that need responding too.

I usually have a bit of time to myself over lunch and I enjoy making cakes for the staff to enjoy or at the end of term for the boarders.

The afternoons are spent in the changing rooms and catching up on anything I didn’t have time to do in the morning. On Wednesdays from 2:00pm until 4:00pm on match days, my day is spent on the games field, summer is fabulous, winter…cold.  I also get called to help with medical issues if the nurse is off duty.

My favourite part of the day is the evenings. After supper and clubs the girls come up to the boarding wing we have a good old chat about the day, there are lots of laughs and giggles but  it’s also a great time to also hear if they are worried or concerned about anything.  I read a story to the younger girls before lights out and the older ones just to want to chat. Lights out start at 8.40pm for the young ones and finish at 9.10pm for the seniors. It’s amazing that just as you are about to switch the lights out the girls will ask you questions (yep a little extra time of the light being on). Once all the lights are out and the girls settled, the gap student takes over which is about 9.20pm, I get to go to my flat, by this time I am a little tired. I do now have a bit down time, until 10.00pm, often catching up on a bit of Netflix watching, but you are always on your toes in case the bell goes off overnight for anyone who is unwell or upset, thankfully this doesn’t happen too often (famous last words!)

There you have it, the mysterious job of a Matron…Of course this isn’t all of it. There isn’t a day that goes by where there isn’t an entertaining moment but you will have to wait a little to read those. This job is unique and unsual but very rewarding and most of the time I love it! until next time, this matron has lots of jobs to do.

Hello everyone, some of you may not know who I am so my name is Heather Thomson and I have been a matron for 30 years in various schools up and down the country. Here at Cargilfield I look after a wing full of lovely girls between the ages of 7 and 13. Believe it or not a lot of people who have not worked in a boarding school don’t have a clue what a matron is and what their specific role is…Well now I am going to give you a sneaky insight into what I do.

My day starts at 6:20am, that’s the time I wake up, it’s lovely in the summer with the glorious sunrise over my flat however in the winter it is a little trickier. I go around my boarding wing at about 7:10am and wake the girls up, the radio blares and often the girls are woken up to me singing!  The younger ones jump straight out of bed but the older ones need a prod. We all attend breakfast at 7:30am and join the boys.

At about 8:00am I will go around my boarding wing and make sure that the girls have done the regular things of making their beds, brushing their teeth etc. At 8.20 I am in the laundry room sorting the boys and girls laundry and ironing shirts.

The rest of my day varies. I spend some time sorting the boys (for whom I am also responsible for along side the Housemaster) and girls’ dormitories. I am also responsible for checking the registers and following up on children who are not in school, sorting out any flexi boarders and booking children in for weekends. Plus the inevitable emails that need responding too.

I usually have a bit of time to myself over lunch and I enjoy making cakes for the staff to enjoy or at the end of term for the boarders.

The afternoons are spent in the changing rooms and catching up on anything I didn’t have time to do in the morning. On Wednesdays from 2:00pm until 4:00pm on match days, my day is spent on the games field, summer is fabulous, winter…cold.  I also get called to help with medical issues if the nurse is off duty.

My favourite part of the day is the evenings. After supper and clubs the girls come up to the boarding wing we have a good old chat about the day, there are lots of laughs and giggles but  it’s also a great time to also hear if they are worried or concerned about anything.  I read a story to the younger girls before lights out and the older ones just to want to chat. Lights out start at 8.40pm for the young ones and finish at 9.10pm for the seniors. It’s amazing that just as you are about to switch the lights out the girls will ask you questions (yep a little extra time of the light being on). Once all the lights are out and the girls settled, the gap student takes over which is about 9.20pm, I get to go to my flat, by this time I am a little tired. I do now have a bit down time, until 10.00pm, often catching up on a bit of Netflix watching, but you are always on your toes in case the bell goes off overnight for anyone who is unwell or upset, thankfully this doesn’t happen too often (famous last words!)

There you have it, the mysterious job of a Matron…Of course this isn’t all of it. There isn’t a day that goes by where there isn’t an entertaining moment but you will have to wait a little to read those. This job is unique and unsual but very rewarding and most of the time I love it! until next time, this matron has lots of jobs to do.

Scholarship success! 

Many congratulations to Rose (Academic and Music), Jack (Drama) and Bethany (Music) who have all been awarded scholarships to Glenalmond College. A terrific achievement!

Scholarship success! 

Many congratulations to Rose (Academic and Music), Jack (Drama) and Bethany (Music) who have all been awarded scholarships to Glenalmond College. A terrific achievement!

As part of our Three Little Pigs theme the Nursery have been exploring forces. They have build houses and used a hairdryer to blow them down and have been investigating how to move object without touching them.

As part of our Three Little Pigs theme the Nursery have been exploring forces. They have build houses and used a hairdryer to blow them down and have been investigating how to move object without touching them.

On Monday P1 ran a toy sale to raise money for Dogs for Good. They persuaded other children to give up toys they rarely play with or have outgrown and organised these into different stalls. They made posters advertising the event and the cost of the toys. They managed to count out money and drive a hard bargain on the day of the sale. All customers went home happy (some having re-bought their original donations!) and the children were thrilled to have raised £220 for their chosen charity. Well done and thank you to parents for their generosity!

On Monday P1 ran a toy sale to raise money for Dogs for Good. They persuaded other children to give up toys they rarely play with or have outgrown and organised these into different stalls. They made posters advertising the event and the cost of the toys. They managed to count out money and drive a hard bargain on the day of the sale. All customers went home happy (some having re-bought their original donations!) and the children were thrilled to have raised £220 for their chosen charity. Well done and thank you to parents for their generosity!

As part of our Three Little Pigs theme the Nursery have been exploring forces. They have build houses and used a hairdryer to blow them down and have been investigating how to move object without touching them.

As part of our Three Little Pigs theme the Nursery have been exploring forces. They have build houses and used a hairdryer to blow them down and have been investigating how to move object without touching them.

Having been back in the classroom again after a few years of not being a full time teacher, it has made me reflect on the teaching of children and why the prep school experience is such a fantastic environment for children to grow up in.

A long time ago I went to a talk where a visiting speaker described a child’s brain as containing a series of elastic bands. If each elastic band represents different skills and experiences then some of those elastic bands will be more stretched than others. For example, if a child is good at maths or reading then those particular bands will be stretched more than say the bands representing writing or sport. When a child is good at something, the temptation, as a teacher or a parent, is to keep stretching that particular elastic band by giving more exposure to that skill. Whilst it’s important to do that, the down side is that the other bands will be left unstretched or not used at all.

The beauty of a prep school, particularly as the children get older, is that they have a number of opportunities to try different subjects and to take part in different activities where they are being challenged and more importantly are learning resilience and managing their mistakes. The trick as a teacher is to make sure that a child’s strengths are maintained but that other experiences and subjects are given as much time to enable your child to have as many of those bands stretched as possible. Hopefully, by the time they are ready to leave Cargilfield, a good many of those elastic bands will have been stretched. In the process, many children will discover that they have a strength that they never knew existed!

Sarah Taylor

Having been back in the classroom again after a few years of not being a full time teacher, it has made me reflect on the teaching of children and why the prep school experience is such a fantastic environment for children to grow up in.

A long time ago I went to a talk where a visiting speaker described a child’s brain as containing a series of elastic bands. If each elastic band represents different skills and experiences then some of those elastic bands will be more stretched than others. For example, if a child is good at maths or reading then those particular bands will be stretched more than say the bands representing writing or sport. When a child is good at something, the temptation, as a teacher or a parent, is to keep stretching that particular elastic band by giving more exposure to that skill. Whilst it’s important to do that, the down side is that the other bands will be left unstretched or not used at all.

The beauty of a prep school, particularly as the children get older, is that they have a number of opportunities to try different subjects and to take part in different activities where they are being challenged and more importantly are learning resilience and managing their mistakes. The trick as a teacher is to make sure that a child’s strengths are maintained but that other experiences and subjects are given as much time to enable your child to have as many of those bands stretched as possible. Hopefully, by the time they are ready to leave Cargilfield, a good many of those elastic bands will have been stretched. In the process, many children will discover that they have a strength that they never knew existed!

Sarah Taylor