At ESMS supporting the wider community has always been an important part of school life. It is one of the many ways we live our values of kindness and responsibility. Spending time helping others is also good for our mental health. Despite the ongoing restrictions this term, there has been lots of activity, across our three schools, to make us proud. Here are some of the highlights:
The Junior School has been busy. Five girls from P7 completed a 30km walk together to raise money for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS). To date they have raised in excess of £7,600, which is phenomenal! In the lead up to Christmas Primary 6 and 7 are doing a reverse Advent Calendar foodbank collection for the Edinburgh Food Project which provides meals for families in need around Edinburgh. As well as raising funds for the charity, it has also helped the children to learn about the tough reality facing many vulnerable families this Christmas. Primary 4 pupils have also been collecting gifts for Edinburgh children through the charity Social Bite. The whole school will also be raising money for the Chesney Trust charity through its Christmas jumper day. Staff will also be involved!
Stewart’s Melville College has been busy collecting donations for Forth One’s Mission Christmas. November saw them fundraise during Earth Aid week for the WWF and World Land Trust, with a pop-up Eco stall. They sold sweets, refillable water bottles, shampoo bars, plants, and bamboo toothbrushes. It was a great success and encouraged pupils and staff alike to reconsider which products they buy and how they can be more eco-friendly.
The Mary Erskine School has been supporting Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness Christmas Appeal. They were incredibly grateful for all that we gave last year and we are delighted to be involved again this year. Social Bite helps the homeless, the vulnerable and those living in poverty, by donating new or unused gifts. Their campaign mission is to provide 300,000 meals, gifts, and essential items to homeless and vulnerable people.
Due to current restrictions, The Mary Erskine School could not hold the Christmas Fair in school so this week they held a Christmas Accessory Day with pupils and staff wearing Christmas hats, earrings or slippers to raise money for their three charities – The Chesney Trust, Health in Mind, and Cyrenians.
Our Sixth Form students have also been busy helping to raise money for various charities. They delivered an amazing 25 bags full of donations to the Edinburgh Food Project and they have been collecting goods for the Christmas Food Bank Appeal. They have also had lots of fun raising money through events including football tournaments and a Zumba competition!
Happy Christmas everyone! We look forward to supporting many of these charities (and new ones!) in 2022.
