Earlston News
News: Autumn Term 2011
Primary Round Up:
Junior Active Schools Coordinators (JASCs)
This year Earlston Active Schools has rolled out the Junior Active Schools Programme. Of the eight primary schools in the cluster, five have recruited JASCs, while in two others Active Schools will work alongside the Healthy School Groups. Each term coordinators will be set challenges to help their school become an ‘active school’. These may include: talking at assemblies, keeping notice boards up-to-date, surveying pupils and teachers about their involvement in sport, celebrating school sporting achievements, writing reports for newsletters and promoting after school clubs.
Champions in Schools
The Active Schools team is now in its third year of running the Winning Scotland Foundation ‘Champions in Schools’ programme which places some of Scotland’s high performing athletes in the classroom to deliver a series of inspirational workshops. Pupils will be encouraged to set and achieve personal goals, pursue a healthy and active lifestyle, appreciate the value of hard work and adopt a positive, winning attitude. This year’s lucky pupils taking part, the primary seven class at Newtown Primary School, are excitedly awaiting their first visit from their Champion (yet to be disclosed!).
Sunshine Shocker....
A miracle occurred on Wednesday 28th September……the sun shone for the annual primary 6/7 hockey and primary 5 rugby festivals in Melrose! The sun-kissed pitches at Melrose RFC and Gibson Park saw representation from all 8 primary schools in the cluster in the form of 18 teams for the hockey festival and over 150 primary five pupils for the rugby. Both festivals were a feast of fun played in tremendous yet competitive spirit. As always, many thanks go to Youth Rugby Development Officer Ross Miller of Melrose RFC and to all PE teachers and school staff for the time and effort they put in preparing pupils for the festivals, and to all volunteers who helped umpire.
Earlston Girls Dance Themselves Fit
After school dance has started up again this term at Earlston Primary School and will continue in the run up to Christmas. Sessions, led by senior dance leaders Rebecca Winsland and Lauren McCulloch, have proved a huge success, with 12-15 girls regularly attending. Active Schools would like to thank Rebecca and Lauren for their continued involvement and commitment.
Pupils Throw Themselves in to Judo Demos
One of the roles of Active Schools is to build links with local community clubs and help strengthen pathways between school and club sessions. Local club Sportif Judo has been working with Active Schools to promote its clubs in Lauder and Earlston Primary Schools, and community club in Darnick. Primary 1-4 pupils in no fewer than four schools got a taster of the Japanese sport this term, learning some judo games and hold downs. Thanks to Preeti Gardiner for the time she took out to deliver these sessions.
Special mention must also go to Sportif Judo for topping the medal table at the Scottish Championships in Motherwell on 17th September. No fewer than six pupils from the Earlston Cluster helped the club gain a total of 12 gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze medals. Huge congratulations to primary 7 Imogen Walls of Melrose Primary School and Abbi Blackie, Calum McDonald, Robin Sharp, Ruairi Campbell and Stuart Allison of Earlston High School.
Secondary Round Up:
Community Sports Leaders Award
Earlston High School is again running the Sports Leaders UK, Community Sport Leaders Award Level 2. Lead by the Active Schools team, 17 S5 and 5 S6 pupils have undertaken the course this year, which teaches generic leadership skills, such as organisation, planning, communication and teamwork through the medium of sport. Along with seven units of work, pupils will also complete 10 hours of voluntary leadership in the local community.
Youth Sport Trust: Young Ambassador Programme
The role of a Young Ambassador (YA) involves increasing participation in school sport and PE, spreading the word of the Olympic and Paralympic Values – respect, friendship, personal excellence, courage, determination, inspiration and equality – and promoting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. YAs are selected due to their sporting talent, and more importantly, due to their outstanding commitment and ability as young leaders and volunteers. Eight of the nine High Schools in the Borders are taking part in the YA programme, and this year Lauren McCulloch and Tanatswa Jamera have been selected as the Adistar YAs who will represent Earlston High School at the Scottish Borders Young Ambassador Conference on the 21st October. It is here the pair will learn more about their role as a YA and the challenges they will be facing over the coming year!
Netball Girls Set Their Sights on Scottish Cup
Last year Earlston High School started its very first netball club with one team competing in the Scottish Schools cup. This year with the continued hard work from parents and support of Active Schools the club is going from strength to strength. They have entered two S1 teams and two S2 teams into the Scottish Schools Cup and are awaiting the draw. The school is also competing in the new Aitken Turnbull League with matches being played on Sundays at various venues. The girls did well in their first games, winning one and losing one. Onwards and upwards for the rest of the season!
Cashback for Communities ‘Hockey Nights’
Cashback for Communities is a programme of activities which looks to increase the opportunities for young people to develop their interests and skills in an enjoyable, fulfilling and supported way, using funds recovered from criminals. Delivered by Scottish Hockey, the ‘Hockey Nights’ at Earlston High School were free of charge to attend and allowed youngsters aged 10-19 to have fun, learn new skills and make new friends. The programme was a success with no fewer than 12 youngsters turning up regularly each week.
Senior Pupil Training Programme
Due to the success of last year’s programme, the Active Schools team coordinated another October holiday training programme for senior pupils across the Borders. Held at Earlston High School, pupils were given the opportunity to gain training in netball and disability inclusion activities, as well as completing a safeguarding and protecting children workshop. Once again, the courses proved popular and the Active Schools team now looks forward to working alongside these pupils at after school clubs and festivals.
And in Other News....
School Community Sport Partnership
All staff should now have received a copy of the School Community Sport Partnership (SCSP) which Active Schools has created to ensure that all work carried out by schools in conjunction with Active Schools and the wider community, have been assessed in line with Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). The SCSP identifies which CfE outcomes and experiences will successfully be achieved through delivery of Active Schools projects, as well as detailing evidence which supports the requirements of HMIe inspections. It is hoped this agreement will both simplify and clarify the role of Active Schools whilst also enabling schools to provide further evidence of how they are achieving the outcomes and experiences outlined within CfE.
School-Club Link Partnership
Every sports club in the Earlston cluster should now have received a copy of the Active Schools School-Club Link Partnership booklet. It explains the importance of creating links between school and community sports clubs, giving young people the opportunity to continue participating in worthwhile sport and physical activity throughout their lives. By linking with Active Schools, clubs can hope to see a number of benefits including: increased participation and junior membership, talent identification opportunities and raised profile in the school and community. Any club who thinks they have yet to receive the booklet should contact Gemma on the above details.
Training Programme
The annual Active Schools Training Programme is out. Courses will help increase knowledge and skills to deliver activities to school-aged pupils. Courses are available to parents, school staff, community volunteers, and senior pupils. For up-to-date listings go to the SBC online CPD system or the SportBorders website.
**For news and photos from 2010-2011 please take a look at the newsletters at the bottom of the main Earlston Active Schools webpage**
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