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. Despite the ongoing restrictions there have been lots of example of kindness in action across our three schools. Here are some of the highlights from the end of 2021:
The Junior School
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 did a reverse Advent Calendar foodbank collection for the Edinburgh Food Project (EFP), which provides meals for families in need around Edinburgh. As well as raising funds for the charity, EFP helped the children learn about the tough reality facing many vulnerable families in the city.
Primary 4 pupils collected gifts for Edinburgh children through the charity Social Bite. The whole school raised money for the Chesney Trust charity through its Christmas jumper day.
Stewart’s Melville College
Stewart’s Melville College collected 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
The Mary Erskine School supported the Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness Christmas Appeal. Social Bite helps the homeless, the vulnerable and those living in poverty. Its aim is to provide 300,000 meals, gifts, and essential items to homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland.
In place of the usual Christmas Fair, the school had a Christmas Accessory Day, with pupils and staff wearing Christmas hats, earrings, even slippers to raise money for The Chesney Trust, Health in Mind, and Cyrenians.
Sixth Form
Our Sixth Form students were also busy helping to raise money for various charities. They delivered an amazing 25 bags full of donations to the Edinburgh Food Project, and collected goods for the Christmas Food Bank Appeal. They also had lots of fun raising money through events including football tournaments and a Zumba competition!
