School blogs

Emotional goodbyes…. ….to Mrs Ross this morning as the children from Morning Nursery had their graduation ceremony. Always a few damp eyes around, but today there were also parents and childminders saying heart felt farewells, not just for the summer, but ‘for good’, to Margaret Ross. Margaret joined Pencaitland Nursery when it opened and has been there ever since. 23 years of looking after our youngest PPS pupils – but with changes to the numbers for next session, Margaret is being re-deployed. This is very hard for all the staff who have worked, laughed, cared and shared with Margaret for so long. And hardest for Margaret herself. As memories and special times are shared – we, the Parent Council, join all the other voices past and present, in saying we wish you more laughter, more happiness and more wonderful experiences in your new place of work and we hope you will keep in touch and know you always have a home from home in Pencaitland. We will mi...

#GetConnected East Lothian Council. Parents and Carers of Children and Young People with Additional Support Needs will be pleased to hear about the work of Get Connected East Lothian. Get Connected is an project that aims to make it easier for young people with additional support needs and their families to find and contact activity providers. The mission is to find what groups, clubs, organisations and activities can and do support children and young people with ASN. Whatever the nature of the additional support need, East Lothian wants to make this information far simpler to discover – AND – build networks, share how to make other activities (etc) inclusive through different groups / individuals sharing their experience and expertise encourage the support of children and young people to enjoy as many opportunities socially as possible. A new site and a lot of opportunity contained within it. Contact is through Lauren Ritchie (pictured here on the right, with Sharon Saund...

Hot on the heels of the Avengers in Edinburgh – is  Ironman 70.3 in East Lothian!  Pencaitland is one of the locations which will have the event running through our picturesque environs. Heading out to support the competitors on Sunday 2nd July will be worth getting up for – and cheering them on during the first visit to E. Lothian for this event.   They will cycle through Pencaitland after having already swum in Preston Links – and they will finish with a run through Holyrood Park. (I’m exhausted typing it!). IRONMAN 70.3 EDINBURGH Sunday 2 July 2017 View road closures and timings here:  imed access leaflet 2017 04 24 : (see bottom of post for jpeg format).     Dressing up as Ironman or other superheroes is optional, but bound to spur them on I reckon          

A.S.D. – Family Information Service. Plans are afoot…..can you take part and help with a pilot in East Lothian? With the right collection of information, it is hoped to create a family based approach in E. Lothian Book your (free) space for this event – and share with others too, but be quick – time is running out for this 1st event. For families / carers with children 0-18 yrs on ASD spectrum.

There are lots of ways to help our kids as they journey through time in Pencaitland Nursery and Primary School.  Team PPS Check out our  PTA and Parent Council pages…. ….and to help the easy way, right from where you are sitting now –  this  is what you need 

Biased is as biased unconsciously does? Posted on 6/6/17 by Jim Fraser Some of us hardy members of the parent council have been checking out the possibility of having some training on the subject of equality and diversity. It’s a fascinating area, and one which challenges some of the most deeply-held perceptions (and self-perceptions) we can have, often without even being aware of them. We hope to bring you news of that initiative quite soon, but in the meantime I thought I’d share for your delectation a BBC radio programme (and associated article) which explore the subject, and some of the issues surrounding it (see the links below). I was particularly struck by the following passage from the article: “How early in our lives do we absorb these cultural stereotypes? Sarah Jane Leslie conducted one study with children. Boys and girls were told about a person who was really clever, and given no clue as to the person’s gender. Then they were shown four pictures, two women and two men...

Memories that last a lifetime.   No two children are the same, no two adults are either, but there’s no two ways about it, when adults play with children and children invite adults to play with them, it’s like a whole load of fairy dust is sprinkled around.  “Giving our time to our children is one of the most magical gifts we can ever bestow upon them.” Remember that feeling when you were young and your mum and dad joined in a game with you? When they taught you a game they used to play? When you just all had a whole heap of fun together? Maybe it was a favourite aunt or uncle – or your friend’s parents that included you – whoever it was, it was a very special time in your childhood. So now, we have a very special chance to share in some break-time with our kids. Join them in the playground Mon-Thurs (any day that suits you, and more than one if you can) during lunch break. Have fun together. If they have hit that age that they don’t t...

We are having a competition to see who can design the best gala poster for the Muir of Ord gala.  P3 to P7 from Mulbuie and Tarradale Primaries are entering the competition.  Whoever wins will have their poster put up … Continue reading →

Inside the polytunnel is a gardening throne and lots of plants and tubs.  .  The Muir of Ord gardeners use the polytunnel and today they will be coming to plant lots of seedlings.  We also got a new tap to … Continue reading →