AMOPA-Écosse competition

On Tuesday, 24^th March, Emeritus Professor Philip Bennett from the University of Edinburgh came to present the graded certificates to the four AH pupils from Currie Community High School and Balerno High School who entered the AMOPA-Écosse competition "Parlons Français" this year. Robbie Forbes, Rebecca Laidlaw, Hayley Valentine and Cara Kennedy (Balerno High School) acquitted themselves very well and were very pleased by the feedback received. The Modern Languages Department was also awarded a French DVD :)

The Head Teacher, Mrs D. Mackinnon and the Senior Depute Head Teacher, Mr P. Farren were also present at the little reception hosted by the Department afterwards.

A well-deserved “Bravo!” to Robbie, Rebecca, Hayley and Cara!

AMOPA-Écosse competition

Blytheswood Care Shoebox Appeal 2014 - 21st Anniversary!

Once again, with the help from our friends and colleagues, we are bringing hope and joy to many people living in poverty.

Through donations of shoeboxes, empty or filled and items to make up these boxes, plus donations of money to buy for additional items we have collected the incredible amount of 65 full boxes.

As Christmas is not all about receiving, it’s so nice to think that we will be bringing a smile to these people’s faces.

Christmas Shoeboxes

This week at lunchtimes a team of keen helpers have been sorting and packing Christmas Shoeboxes to send to Eastern Europe through the Blythswood Appeal.  It has been so encouraging to see the enthusiasm of pupils and supervising staff.  We will do a final count of the boxes next week but we have 50 ready now!

 

 

Transition Event – Rights Respecting Schools

On 11 April a group of 20 third year pupils accompanied Mrs Mackenzie to Juniper Green Primary School for the afternoon to attend an inspiring afternoon event. The Primary 7 pupils and teachers from our cluster primaries met together and took part in activities on the theme of Rights and Respect. The pupils from the different schools played a game of human bingo during the welcome time while enjoying juice and biscuits. The pupils were guided into mixed groups with the High School pupils helping and supporting the Primary 7 pupils to play some games and discuss issues of human rights in the context of a school. The informal atmosphere gave the primary pupils an opportunity to ask questions and air their fears about coming up to High School.

The afternoon was enjoyed by all and the High School volunteers gave ideas on how the activities could be improved for next time. We look forward to meeting the Primary 7 pupils again soon.

News from Chogoria HS

We have recently heard some news about two of the pupils that we have sponsored at Chogoria High School. Betty Kendi Maina who finished school in November last year did very well in her school leaving certificate exams. She was one of the top pupils of the year and gained A passes in English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Religious Education, Agriculture and B in Physics and Kiswahili. We will hear in due course what she hopes to do next. Giselle Iradukunda who left school in 2011 is now doing a BA in Sociology at Nairobi University. Our support over the years at Chogoria High school has allowed them to achieve their full potential and the possibility of a good career.

S1 One Planet Badge Design Competition

All S1 pupils were asked to design a badge which illustrated and raised awareness of Global Citizenship, as part of their Art & Design homework. We received many excellent designs and found it very difficult to choose a winner! On the judging panel were Mrs McKinnon, Dr Nind, Mrs Steel and some of our discerning Advanced Higher Art & Design students. Runners up were Sarah Brown, Peter Sawkins, Nicola Crowe, Jenni Baillie, Rebecca Drever, Jack Gold, Charlotte Brock, Abigail Odetayo, Craig Haggart, Mairi Mitchell, Jenny Park, Asha Mullen, Zelal Amir, Nasra Masoud and Katie Wicksted; well done! Lauren Flint of 1K2 won the competition with her bold and effective design. Her image was then printed and turned into 200 badges with the help of S4s Christine Combe and Claire Twist. Thanks to Dean Park Primary for the use of their Badgemaker! The badges were sold to pupils and staff at One Planet Market Stall by Eco Committee members. The proceeds went towards the fees of pupils at Chogoria High School. Thanks to all involved!

One Planet Week

From 4-8 March, we celebrated a whole-school ‘One Planet Week’, looking at many aspects of Global Citizenship. There were relevant learning experiences across many departments and a fantastic ‘One Planet Marketplace’ in the Assembly hall on Thursday lunchtime.

Pupils learnt about International Women’s Day (8 March) in RME, learnt how to reduce food waste and make tasty Bubble & Squeak out of leftovers from home in Health & Food Technology and wrote letters in Modern Languages to pupils in our partner school in Chogoria, Kenya. S1 pupils in Art designed a ‘One World’ badge, and Lauren Flint’s winning design was made into badges and sold to raise money for the pupils we sponsor in Chogoria. The school canteen did themed dishes from a different country each day of the week, and all S1 and S2 pupils had an assembly from the Refugee Survival Trust about the life of refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.

 

 

The lunchtime marketplace was really buzzing, with stalls and activities from pupil groups and external organisations. On stage, pupils performed drama skits relating to human rights, and the school choir did a fantastic rendition of Gary Barlow’s ‘Rule the World’. 

 

The Amnesty International group organised a fun quiz on the right to education and a giant visual petition for the ‘Enough Food for Everyone IF’ campaign. Hospitality pupils served tasters of food from around the world, and others organised games based on geographical knowledge of countries. Joe Hind from the Soil Association had a stall raising awareness of our Food for Life project in the canteen and attracted lots of attention dressed as a huge carrot (it’s a seasonal vegetable!). Other organisations providing stalls and activities included LGBT Youth and Transition Edinburgh Pentlands. 

 

Many pupils and staff participated in the CCHS ‘Fair Trade Bake Off’ as part of our Fair Trade Fortnight festivities. Judges were wowed by the inventiveness and artistic nature of many of the entries. Sophia Purcell in S4 won first prize with her extraordinary chocolate cake, and Mrs Mulvey won the wooden spoon prize for the least edible entry! All the cakes were then sold to raise money for Comic Relief. The Fair Trade group also ran a tombola, a human slot machine and their normal weekly tuckshop.

A huge thanks to all the pupils and staff involved in making One Planet Week such a success.

Currie High School sponsors four pupils who attend Chogoria Girls High School in Kenya. As part of the ongoing partnership work, Chogoria GHS and Currie CHS both have a 'link noticeboard'. The group below will be helping to manage this board and yhey are very excited about sharing information in this way.

Chogoria Link Group

Africa Week trailer 2011

Check out this trailer for Africa Week. It gives a flavour of the activities that were on offer.

Holocaust Memorial Day

On Friday 27 January Kate Bailey and Charlie Posnett in S6 made a presentation to senior pupils and staff about their visit to Auschwitz earlier this session. They were part of a group of 200 Scottish senior pupils who had attended a course run by the Holocaust Educational Trust. They chose this date for their talk as it is the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp at Auschwitz –Birkenau. The aims of the day are to remember all victims of Nazi persecution, reflect on those affected by recent atrocities such as in Bosnia and to educate about the dangers of intolerance and discrimination.

Kate and Charlie provided a moving and highly informative talk which was greatly appreciated by the audience. The two students related not just their experiences and impressions but raised uncomfortable issues such as to how far any of us would take risks to help those in our community who were the victims of persecution. They concluded that it was essential that we too do not act as bystanders when we witness things which we know to be wrong. At any time in any era it is vital to speak up and speak out.

Kate and Charlie proved again what excellent representatives they are of the Sixth Year at this school.

Kate and Charlie

Thanks from Chogoria Girls High School

We have just received letters of thanks from Winjoy Karendi, Dorkin Mkiende, Betty Kendi Maina and Iradukunda Giselle for helping to pay their fees at Chogoria Girls High School.
Without the generous support of pupils, staff and parents these girls would not have been able to attend secondary education.

Some quotes from the letters include:

“thank you for the significant impact that you have made on my life”
“I really want to express my gratitude to you for your help in my education”
“I promise you that what you have done for me, I will also do it to someone else when I grow up”
“I am very grateful and pleased for your whole heartedness and kindness towards me.”
“Thank you for paying my fees. My mum passed her great appreciation.”