Author: Margaret-Anne McBean

Just to say a very heartfelt thank you to everyone at Pencaitland. I am of course sorry to be leaving this wonderful school but like the Primary 7s looking forward to new challenges and making lots new friends. I have been very privileged to work here with  great headteachers and a fabulous staff who have all taught me something. A huge thank you goes to the parents too-you all made me so welcome. Many thanks for your generous gifts and surprising me at the final assembly. The garden  is such a testament to what pupils, staff, parents, friends and community can achieve together.  I know Pencaitland will go from strength to strength. Have a lovely summer everyone.

Best wishes

Mrs McBean

Thanks to the volunteers for helping in the garden. Eilidh will be in touch.

Over the summer holidays we are all hoping for lots of fine warm weather…..but we can’t forget the garden! The children have been busy planting and there is already a good splash of colour and some crops growing well. Over the summer weeks we need people to keep an eye on the weather and the garden!  Can you help to water and keep the garden tidy over the summer?

There are vegetables and plants in the plots which will need watered and some to be harvested and watering needed in the polytunnel.There is a water butt, watering cans and an outside tap.

Parents,children and friends of the school are welcome to help. If you could pop in a couple of times in a week that would be a great help. It would be a shame if the children’s hard work withered over the holidays.

Please leave a comment, phone us at school or send a note in to let us know when you could help. What about signing up against a week?

w/b Mon 5July, w/b  12 July, w/b 19 July, w/b 26July, w/b 2 Aug, w/b 9 Aug

Many thanks.

It’s always good to say thank you and on Monday Mrs McCall and Mrs McBean took the younger children who had helped in positions of responsibility this year out to the park. Boys and girls from the Pupil Council and the Eco Committee went off to the park with a pile of toys and a picnic. We played on the swings and made ouselves dizzy on the roundabout. Then we played football. It was P5 and P6 against the rest. Poor Mrs McCall lost her sandals and ended up playing barefoot at one point. Watch out the World Cup! A big thank you to all this year’s helpers.

P7 were recently the guests of honour at the Special Table. We wanted them all to know how much we have enjoyed them being P7 this year and give them a bit of special treatment. As usual the table was decorated and Irene the cook had made them one or two wee treats. Wine glasses and napkins -nothing but the best for the top of the school. Mrs McCall, Mrs McBean and Mrs Kerr were all on hand to attend to the boys and girls. The dining staff all commented on how appreciative the pupils were and said it had been a pleasure to do this for them. Thanks to everyone!

Flying high was this month’s theme at the special table decorated with balloons, bubbles and kites! Again this month we were really pleased to invite a group of children to celebrate their lovely manners and helpful attitude in the dinner hall. Mrs McCall and Mrs McBean escorted the special guests to the table and became waitresses serving the children. Everyone enjoyed their lunch and the fresh fruit salad was especially delicious. Well done boys and girls. We are proud of you!

As part of our Eco schools work we have been round classes today to show everyone how we can reduce the throw away packaging in our packed lunches.
Tomorrow Wednesday 5th May is our first focus on reducing waste at lunch time. In school we are going to eat up our lunch and try not to throw away food.
In our packed lunches here are some tips: Use plastic boxes which can be washed and used again. Bring your water or juice in a refillable bottle or flask. Include fresh fruit-it doesn’t need wrapped.
Finally we are joining with our cluster schols too to try and not use new plastic bags. Tomorrow is also a plastic bag free day in school.
Help us reduce waste. Keep Pencaitland Green.

The Eco committee have been busy recently thinking about what we should be doing in our school garden over the winter. Eilidh Wilson came to a meeting and we asked her about planting bulbs in our class plots. She explained that bulbs don’t like to be dug up or disturbed so it would be better to plant them in tubs around the school. This way in the spring we can plant more vegetables in our plots. She even gave us some bulbs to plant. Look out for these in the spring time.

Another day we went out to plant winter flowering pansies in the boxes at the front of the school. We hope these make it a nice cheery entrance for visitors. We checked the compost and dug out some to put it in our plots to feed the ground over the winter. It was a busy morning clearing weeds and old plants out. Poor Erin had to clear away a soggy pumpkin. So if you have a garden this is a good time to clear up all the dead plants and leaves and put some compost on top of your soil to keep it rich for the spring planting.