Parent Council Support for Swim and Cycle Aims

For many years it has been our ambition to ensure that each of our children can cycle and swim by the end of P7. Funding for cycling and swimming initiatives was again approved this year, so we wish to thank our Parent Council, Chair Kristel Torokoff, Vice Chair Tanya Boughtflower and the wider school community for continued partnership, including financial support, in realising ambitions.

Sciennes is a Cycle Friendly School and we are fortunate to have tremendous parental support in maintaining a long established culture of promoting Active Travel. Thank you to all the parents who are volunteering their time and energy supporting our participation in City of Edinburgh's School Streets pilot and to all the families who regularly join in with Cycle to School days. Classes record how pupils travel to school on a daily basis using Living Streets 'Travel Tracker', to highlight and promote active travel. Parent Council Eco member Phoebe Cochrane phoebecochrane@hotmail.com is organising a school feeder group to Pedal on Parliament on 23rd April. Parent Council Eco Member Corinne is working with Class Teacher Kirsty Gallagher and Pupil Eco members to create a new display which reflects our Active Travel ECO topic (as well as School Grounds and Litter).

Ms Christie has again organised Cycle Proficiency next term for P6, funded by the Parent Council, and there are considerable opportunities for our children throughout their schooling to develop confidence and skills in cycling, supported by friend of the school, Chris Hill. Ross Crook's Bike Club (organised by Parent Council Club Co-ordinator Tim Pask) on Mondays for P1 and P2 and on Friday afternoons for P1-7 also has a very positive impact on building cycling confidence. Parent Council Health and Wellbeing Group members, Bethan McEwan, Fiona Denvir and Jane Mc'Eachan, are taking part in the Etape Caledonia Cycling Challenge to raise funds for school Emotional and Mental Health and Wellbeing resources, as well as for Marie Curie.

Curricular swimming, led by our P.E. and Swimming Specialist Beth Walker, and many extra-curricular swimming clubs, led by our P.E. and Swimming Specialist Cynthia Walker, help all our pupils to gain confidence in the water. Lunchtime swimming lessons, funded by our Parent Council, help us target support for individual pupils so they can progress. Our Parent Council is again leading the whole school Swimathon 25th-28th April. In addition to being a fun event and fundraiser, it also helps us identify pupils who may benefit from additional swimming lessons.

Many of our families devote hours of their time to support pupils who participate in local club swimming and competitions and/or attend RCP's Diving programme. Recent - remarkable - success in the Edinburgh Schools Swim and Dive Gala bears testament to a climate of high expectations for all our pupils from our whole school community and we are grateful to all who contribute to maintaining that ethos.

Thank you and Happy, Active Easter! We look forward to welcoming pupils back to school on MONDAY 11th APRIL.  Please note that Monday 18th April is a holiday.