Roley meets Sarah Mack from Landward

Some of you may know that our very own Roley Walton received a Life Time Achievement Award in the first RSPB Nature of Scotland a few weeks ago.

Landward, the BBC Scotland programme, came to Currie to do a piece about her decades of involvement with environmental education and school grounds development at CCHS.

 

 

 

 

Earth Hour 2012

Earth Hour 2012, 8.30pm on Saturday 31 March

Turn off the lights for one hour to show you care,

Currie pupils from the Eco Committee and Energy Group are taking part in the high profile launch of Earth Hour 2012 at Edinburgh Castle. We’re also turning all the lights off at school Periods 1&2 on Friday 30^th and having a ‘Wear It Bright’ Dress Down Day.  Earth Hour is a simple idea that has turned into a global phenomenon - hundreds of millions of people turning off their lights for one hour, on the same night, all across the planet. It’s about appreciating the brilliant world we all share – and how we need to protect it. Not just for an hour a year, but every day. You can get involved easily – just visit www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour

S1 SDE Successes!

This year has been the first for our revised Sustainable Development Education course for S1s. As part of this course, the pupils work in groups to plan, implement and evaluate a project of their own choosing to increase the sustainability of the school.   The first rotation of S1s have recently completed their projects and there have been some real success stories.

In 1L1 for example, Ben, Jack, Ross and Scott did a school-wide survey of ‘turn off’ stickers on light switches. They then designed a new label to go on all the light switches and put them up in every classroom in the school. 

Kristen, Rebecca, Emma and Kayleigh cared for the Green Garden for the 9 week project, doing regular litter picks, filling the bird feeders with seed and monitoring which birds were using the feeders.  Charlie, Fiona and Milo organised a competition for all S1s to design a new logo to go on the school rubbish bins.  Their chosen winner, Jonathan McVinnie of 1E/1L2 did a fantastic design encouraging pupils not to drop litter. His new design will go onto professionally produced stickers on all the school bins when they are refurbished later in the year. 

Roley's Award

Roley Walton, a former Biology teacher at Currie and long-term friend of the school, has just been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in the first RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards.   The honour recognises Roley’s outstanding dedication and enthusiasm for the natural world, particularly her decades of work developing the school grounds and environmental education at Currie High and the ecological restoration work she’s helped drive near her home in Livingston.   Roley, and her work at Currie and in Roley’s Wood, will feature in a Landward programme on BBC 2 in April!

Fair Trade Fortnight

This year the Fairtrade Foundation is asking everyone to ‘Take a Step for Fair Trade in 2012’. At Currie HS a display of posters was prepared by pupils in Modern Languages and the Fair Trade Group prepared  information and a video clip which was shown during extended registration. Pupils were then asked to consider if they would be willing to ‘Take a step for Fair Trade’.  We had a wonderful response, the pledges they made are displayed on  two huge feet in the foyer and we have taken 436 steps for Fair Trade! Four Senior pupils also visited Currie Senior Citizens group to talk with them about Fair Trade, one of the topics discussed was ‘Is Fair Trade affordable on a pension?’ Cupcakes made by pupils using Fair Trade products in the ingredients and coffe served to staff were also very popular!

One of our two new giant feet in the foyer

Apple Orchard Planting

Pupils from Currie Community High School and Woodlands School have come together to plant 8 new fruit trees in a shared orchard. Pupils from the Eco Committee at Currie High supported young people in the Woodlands Eco Committee, who have complex, long term additional support needs, to plant the apple and plum trees.  

The orchard area now contains 13 fruit trees of 11 different varieties. The apples and plums will be used in cooking lessons for both schools, and will also be available for community use. Thanks to the Central Scotland Green Network Orchard Grant Scheme who provided the funds to buy the trees.

More photos from the tree planting...

Pupils and staff from Currie Community High School and Woodlands School planting apple and plum trees in our Orchard.

Is that a hole or half a hole?

Tree...mendous work!

A good job well done - by the kids!

Who's the guy with the camera?

The 'A' (for Apple) Team

Saving Sakineh

Pupils in S1 and S2 classes have been learning about Rights and Responsibilities in their Modern Studies classes. They have learnt about the case of Sakineh Ashtiani, an Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Her sentence has now been commuted to death by hanging. Amnesty International is campaigning for Sakineh to be spared execution and granted a fair trial. Pupils at Currie have written letters to support this important campaign.

Sakineh Ashtiani

Our Fourth Green Flag

Some of our Eco Committee with our Fourth Green Flag from Eco Schools Scotland. We're all very happy to have received this award. We're one of only five High Schools in the whole of Scotland to have our Fourth Green Flag.

The Litter Lads

Around 50 S6s helped clear the litter that had been building up around the entrance to Roleys Wood last Friday. They cleared 14 full black bin liners in one double period! Here are a few of the fantastic volunteers.

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