P7 pupils at Parliament with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland

On Wednesday 20th September 2017, P7 pupils Sorley, Lucy B and Faye alongside Ms Christie and Mr Hutchison cycled down to The Scottish Parliament  to join forces with Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) as they handed over 17,000 signatures calling for a strong Climate Change Bill which is going through Parliament. The children were joined by the Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham MSP. In the Summer term last year, the children worked incredibly hard learning about, and raising awareness of the dangers of air pollution to the environment and around our school. With the support of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) the school had an air pollution monitor installed by our school gates for two weeks. The children were able to interpret the data, create charts, analyse the findings and brainstorm ideas for the causes of and solutions to the pollution spikes at certain times of the day.

Eco friendly travel to the parliament on our bikes!

Lucy, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Faye and Sorley.

Fantastic active travellers at Sciennes with completely full bike shed!

We are all immensely proud of how aware our pupils are of the dangers of global warming and pollution. They are a credit to their generation for taking the steps forward to bring about positive environmental change.

If you would like to learn more about the work of SCCS please follow the link below:
http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/
Here are some other excellent websites with great resources for children:
http://www.learnaboutair.com/
http://children.scottishairquality.co.uk/

PLANT YOURSELF Amazing Parent Led P1-S1 Planting Project

Runner beans grown from seed and planted in tyres

"The idea is the p7's to grow some at Sciennes to be a happy welcome  for the new P1's starting, and to have some planted in  the high schools to welcome the new S1's as they get  rooted in their new schools."

 Kirstin Unger, Parent ECO Group

Parent Kirstin Unger has successfully led an extraordinary and ambitious project enabling all our 655 pupils to plant throughout the year.

Kirstin Unger, Parent Council ECO Group

Sciennes' Parent ECO Group  is a dedicated subgroup  of our Parent Council  which supports pupils, staff and our Pupil ECO Group, in close liaison with Business Manager Angela Christie.

An ambitious whole school aim this year to provide an opportunity for each of our 655 pupils (22 classes from P1-P7) to experience planting and tending for plants throughout their school year has been realised, thanks to the tireless dedication and efforts of our Parent Council ECO Group and most particularly parent Kirstin Unger. Kirstin has in fact also managed to extend the project to S1, by passing on sunflowers grown by P7 from seed to James Gillespie's High School, putting down roots to help them establish themselves as S1s in August.

For several years our Parent Council ECO Group has supported a project whereby each of our new P1 pupils has an opportunity to plant something soon after they arrive, to 'make their mark' on the school and feel an immediate sense of belonging. This year the Parent Council ECO Group has managed to extend this to all our pupils as part of a planned, seasonal programme, to build a school career long love of and interest in the environment and to improve our school grounds. A main theme has been 'Giving Nature a Home' and P6 pupils recently planted some of the sunflowers P7s grew from seed to encourage more bees and birds into our school grounds. In January, Kirstin kindly spoke at our Assemblies to promote participation in RSPB' s Big Garden Birdwatch which stimulated a great deal of interest in our pupils.

Raised beds have already been introduced as well as pallets for our school grounds with inbuilt watering facilities which allow pupils to tend plants in school time and to maintain plants in the summer holidays. 

The Parent Council ECO Group also work throughout the year with our Primary Three pupils in a programme of planting, tending and harvesting. Produce from the ECO Garden is harvested by pupils and used within curriculum healthy eating and cooking lessons. This year has also seen potato chitting and cultivation in the Meadows by P2s and P3s.

We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support of Kirsin and our fantastic Parent ECO Group, who continue to enhance pupils' practical experience and environment at Sciennes.

P6s and some of their parents helped plant strawberries in pallets

P5A planted this lovely display

Lavendar tree planted in Quiet Area by P5A

Growing from seed

P2 potato chitting

Planting in the Meadows

P3 planting in the ECO Garden at the rear of the school

P3 potato planting with parent Laura Bird

Thank you parent Cath McCormack and all the other parents who have supported the Parent Council ECO Group with an extraordinary amount of planting!

This visitor also enjoyed the ECO Garden!

We also thank parent Colin Sim for submitting a successful bid for funding and Gus and his team from Earth Calling for planting fabulous willow structures

Thank you very much, wonderful Kirstin, for all your time and efforts!

Feel Good Factor from Volunteering to Litter Pick

What a great way to end Mental Health Week on Friday 12th May with members of our ECO Group and P6 pupils, led by Mr Hutchison, volunteering to make a difference to our School Grounds and local area with an Eco Schools Clean Up Scotland litter picking session, sponsored by Keep Scotland Beautiful and Greggs.

Togged up, litter pickers at the ready, briefed and ready to go!

The team was very pleased to note that there was actually hardly any litter at all in our school playground so we had to look further afield in the surrounding area. P6 and P7 efforts can contribute to their Junior Award Scheme for Schools (JASS) awards in 'Me and my World.' Well done, all, and thank you very much for taking the time to make a difference!

 

Mrs Noble gave everyone a Headteacher's Award sticker

After tidying up and handwashing it was time for some yummy treats, courtesy of Greggs.

Thank you, Mr Hutchison, for organising and leading the event.