The Courier Schools Scrapbook provides a regular round-up of news and pictures from pupils and their teachers.
From around Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross it features schools’ and nurseries’ photographs and reports of successes, events and what’s happening in their communities.
To see your school feature in The Courier Schools Scrapbook email your snaps and details to our Schools and Family team.
Auchlone Nature Kindergarten
The Queen’s representative in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland visited Auchlone Nature Kindergarten in recognition of work during lockdown.
Lord High Commissioner, the Right Honourable Lord Patrick Hodge, was shown round the outdoor nursery near Crieff by its children.
Auchlone Nature Kindergarten was home to Virtual Nature School while schools were closed, reaching 40,000 families as part of the Scottish Government’s emergency response.
Nursery founder Dr Claire Warden said: “We were honoured to have been chosen to host his Grace.
“There were lovely conversations with children about how to make popcorn, the joys of wearing a top hat and how tricky it is to look after chickens.
“As we walked through the forest, we shared stories of childhood when his Grace went for walks, played outside and embraced adventure.”
Perth High School
Visitors to Ninewells Community Garden can now identify plants using QR codes created by pupils at Perth High School.
A group of pupils developed the codes for the Youth and Philanthrophy Initiative project – and won £3,000 for the garden which will be used to buy tools, accessories and a laptop for garden volunteers.
S3 pupils Spencer, Archie, Euan and Euan were mentored by computing principal teacher Matthew Mackie.
The volunteer-run garden, in the grounds of Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, allows horticulture to support wellbeing, therapy and rehabilitation.
Oakbank Primary School
Red squirrels at insurance firm Aviva’s Perth office are safer thanks to the artistic efforts of Oakbank Primary School.
Pupils created posters which have been made into road signs to warn drivers approaching the building of the presence of the protected species.
They visited the site at Pitheavlis to see their artwork in situ and try to spot some of the squirrels.
Madderty Primary School
Madderty Primary School pupils have their own tree in the grounds of Crieff Hydro, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy.
The oak is one of 70 in the hotel’s new Jubilee Woodland to mark the platinum jubilee as part of a nationwide tree planting campaign.
The Perthshire school’s eco-committee has been learning about how planting trees can help the environment, and can identify their tree by a plaque engraved with their school’s vision.
Hotel general manager Kristian Campbell said: “It was heart-warming to see how excited they were about having their very own tree in the hotel’s grounds and hear how our gift had sparked lots of interest in the classroom.”
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee Junior School has become the first in Dundee to gain gold status as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School.
The award demonstrates a school’s commitment to children’s rights at all levels of school life, recognising that it has fully embedded the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum.
Lisa Carrie, who leads the school’s RRS work, said, “Achieving gold status was confirmation that our pupils are knowledgeable about their rights, able to advocate for the rights of those who don’t have a voice and fully aware of the powerful role they have in the High School community and beyond.”
Conversation