Rosshall Academy pupils making choices

We've been in Rosshall Academy, Glasgow today working with S2 classes.

Many of the classes in Rosshall have made paper boats for the Hogmanay launch and the S4 class made a big boat for the Boat Shed. A great structure, very solid, very secure.

We were introducing the classes to the wider work of George Wyllie, talking to them about the new website for schools which features his boats, trains and 'burds' and looking in depth at Stones of Scotland, 32 Spires for Hibernia and The Difference of Hiroshima.

Jan Patience, journalist and Chair of Friends of George Wyllie spoke about three pieces which she particularly likes and pupils were encouraged to use the archive of images which schools can access, to identify their own favourite pieces.

We were also talking about the links with other subjects such as drama, music, English and it was great to hear the pupils making those links themselves, choosing different aspects of Wyllie's work which particularly interested them, funny, serious, big, small.

They're going on to make their own scul?tures which we're hoping to feature at the Mitchell.

It was good to have a look, with the pupils, at some of the things and people which influenced George Wyllie and to begin to consider his influence on others. There's a section in the schools' website where Scottish artists, dramatists, musicians, writers, politicians, broadcasters have all been contributing 140 words saying just what that influence has been. Interesting takes, memories, reflections.

So, thanks to S2 at Rosshall Academy. We're looking forward to seeing your own scul?tures now. Definitely a future blip.

(BTW One of Jan's favourites is the Pipe Band, which Shine-A-Light blipped about yesterday so we projected his blipfoto entry so they could see it in detail. Good shot.)