St Columba’s

The Pipe Band in New York

During the Easter holidays, a cohort of 60+ pipers and drummers, along with an entourage of friends and family, flew to New York to take part in the iconic Tartan Day Parade up 6th Avenue (see cover photo). These pupils – ranging in age from 11 to 18 – are all dedicated members of the School’s Piping and Drumming programme, many of whom were part of Band I when it was crowned Novice B Champion of Champions in 2022.

They had a jam-packed schedule, including performances in Bryant Park and, of course, the Tartan Day Parade itself; however, it wouldn’t be a trip to the Big Apple without some sightseeing. During their visit, our pupils took trips to see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, as well as paying their respects at the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero. This was an incredible trip, filled with amazing memories. A highlight for many took place on the last night when the Band performed a flashmob right in the middle of Times Square! It was an unforgettable experience for everyone!

Early Years Coronation Party

Coronation fever took over the Early Years room in the run up to King Charles III’s big day. Earlier in the week, the children had lots of fun making bunting, glittery crowns, and decorations with help from their friends at Campbell Snowdon. At the party, the children welcomed their parents and family into the school for tea, biscuits, and lots of other delicious treats. This was a wonderful occasion for everyone in Early Years and we hope that they will always remember how they marked this historic event.

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Kilmacolm Playgroup

It was an incredible farm week for the children at Kilmacolm Playgroup! We had a lovely day when Andrew and Laura from ‘Moovin Milk’ brought some calves and a tractor in to see us!! We were able to go into the trailer to see the cows and take turns sitting in the big tractor seat! We also had a visit from a new lamb that was brought in by one of our playgroup parents, the children enjoyed seeing what his fleece felt like! It was a real treat being able to let the children see these beautiful animals up close. Thank you ‘Moovin Milk’!!

Kilmacolm Playgroup operates during school term time on Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 9.30am - 11.30am from St Columba Church Hall for children aged 2 years & 4 months to 5 years old. We provide a wide range of activities to promote physical, creative, imaginative and social development while inspiring confidence and building friendships. We also have our toddler group on a Wednesday morning 10am - 11.30am, this is a drop-in session that you can attend with your children from birth onwards. If you would like to reserve a space for playgroup please contact us at playgroupmembership@gmail.com

Duchal Nursery

We were blessed with a sunny Birkmyre Park for our annual Sports Day. Our budding young athletes rose to the occasion putting on a fine display. Supported by family and friends it was a morning that truly encapsulated everything that makes Duchal such a special Nursery. It was lovely to be part of the Kilmacolm Show, the children were very excited to see so many of their exhibits win prizes in the Industrial tent, and our stand gave welcome shelter from the glorious sunshine for children to play and relax.

The excitement is mounting for our summer trip which begins with a bus trip to Pollock Park where we are continuing our mini beast adventures, it will most definitely be a memorable day.

Thank you to those parents that have participated in our fun “mystery reader” sessions, the children love trying to guess who is joining us and really appreciate their special visitors, and we know the parents enjoy spending time with us.

As the end of year approaches fast, our older children are ready for that next step on to primary school, it has been lovely to welcome teachers from the local primary schools where our children will be progressing to in August, we know they are all well prepared for their next stage.

New Entries to Duchal: We now offer free pre-school education for 3 – 5yr olds every day (during term time) through the funded nursery scheme in conjunction with Inverclyde Council, ensuring Duchal is available to all children in the local area. Please get in touch for more information, we are open daily 8am – 6pm, offering greater flexibility of care for parents. Please visit our website for more information – www.duchal.com and find us on Facebook. If you would like to come and visit the Nursery please get in touch on 01505 874358 or email: info@duchal.com

Strathgryffe District Girlguiding

On Monday 8th May, 1st Bridge of Weir Guides took part in the village litter pick as part of The Big Help Out 2023. It was designated as a day of volunteering during the coronation bank holiday weekend. On a very wet day we spent an hour picking litter in the main car-park in Bridge of Weir and collected 10 full bags of rubbish. Afterwards we enjoyed afternoon tea in Freeland Church. Girlguiding Units of Rainbows, Brownies and Guides in Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm could not run without volunteers. If you could spare a few hours a week to help, please get in touch. At present we are urgently looking for volunteers for our Guide Unit in Kilmacolm. This Unit will close if we do not get more adult volunteers. Please register your interest at www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested There’s never been a better time to join in, lend a hand and make a change!

Old Course Ranfurly Golf Club

Over the past month, we have seen the start of the golf season proper and The Old Course Ranfurly has been busy with the start of our 2023 competitions across all sections and the course is in fantastic order for this time of year which is a testament to our hard-working green keeping staff. The club was extremely proud to recently host the 2023 Gents Count Championship which was won by our very own club Champion Stewart Watt (pictured) who posted excellent rounds of 68 and 70 in testing conditions to claim the trophy. Well done Stewart!

At the beginning of May we said a fond farewell to our catering team and everyone at the club wishes Heather and Louise all the best for the future and a huge thank you for their fantastic service over the past 14 years.