On Friday 4th May we continued with our current HWB topic ‘Take A Moment’ from City of Edinburgh’s ‘Be Resilient’ programme. We reminded pupils of key messages and practised the Fischy Music song “Bad Times Won’t Last” in the lead up to our whole school Mental Health Week 14th-18th May. (Please look out for Flyers from Ms Anstruther and the Parent Council Health and Wellbeing and Communications Groups that were sent home in schoolbags on Friday.)

At next week’s Assembly, pupils have been invited to share strategies they use to cope with life’s ups and downs.

The Gender Equality Group explained the ‘UN Day of the Girl’ and shared their own inspirational female role models. We have been fortunate to discover from their surveys and campaigns that Sciennes’ pupils are very gender neutral in their outlook. The group responded to concerns that have been raised by some of our P7 boys that they were creating an imbalance by focusing on female equality issues. Rather, their intention is to raise awareness of global inequalities that exist beyond our school gates. Also in response to concerns raised, the group of four P7 girls designed their own application forms, interviewed 10 out of more that 50 P6 applications to continue their work next year and sought to appoint two boys and two girls. The new pupils were introduced at Assembly and were articulate in explaining why they had applied to join.

P6 and P7 pupils have been asked to ‘Take A Moment’ to reflect on all their achievements this year in order to complete their Bronze and Silver Award applications in eJASS (Junior Award Scheme for Schools). They have also been asked to give a five minute talk to their classmates on how they achieved the award by the end of May. FoTA (Friends of the Duke of Edinburgh Award) have contacted recently to invite selected Sciennes’ pupils to contribute to a Case Study in early June and there may be press interest. There is still time for pupils to record additional hours for the ‘Me and My World’ section of the award by getting involved in leading activities and events at the Summer Fair on Saturday 26th may 12.30pm-3.00pm.

P5 pupils should bring PE kit to wear underneath costumes at their Scottish Opera performance on Wednesday 9th May at 2.15pm in the Hall.

Pupils were reminded school is closed to pupils on Monday and Tuesday.