Napier Uni Robots Science Festival Preview for P6!

Grateful thanks to Brian Davison, Lecturer and Teaching Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University's School of Computing, and his students for fantastic robot workshops on Thursday 24th March for each of our three P6 classes.

Excellent feedback from pupils and staff ahead of the team's Edinburgh International Science Festival free workshops next week at the National Museum, and wonderful to link up with the University. Remember to say hello to the team if you get a chance to visit, P6. Thank you to our Science and Technology Specialist, Mr Mark McKenna, for co-ordinating and donating use of his classroom for the day!

Drop in sessions open to all ages.

Pop-Up Science: Robots

Monday 28 — Tuesday 29 March

Join us in this hands-on activity making LEGO® robots perform simple tasks using the Scratch programming environment. The drag-and-drop interface is easy to pick up with no experience – even parents can do it! You can also have a play with pre-prepared robot-based activities – robot sumo, anyone?
Presented by Edinburgh Napier University

Age: All Ages
Time: 10:00 –17:00 (drop-in)
Venue: Hawthornden Court, National Museum of Scotland

P4C Froglife Script Writing Competition Winners!

Congratulations to prize winning script authors in P4C who won absolutely fantastic prizes - including an android tablet! -  from conservation group Froglife who visited the class on Thursday 18th June and gave them a wonderful workhop about amphibians. Fantastic! What an exciting week for P4C!

Very proud of my class receiving their Froglife competition prizes today; they were so delighted to be awarded with a Froglife workshop, android tablet, personalised trophy and lots of other Froglife goodies! Together P4C wrote a wonderful play script and came overall first in the UK. Their play will be acted out to schools and youth groups to help teach children about nature conservation.

Miss Gladstone, P4C Class Teacher

Froglife is a national wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles – frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards – and saving their habitats. Download their free 'Dragonfinder' app.

See P4C's winning playscript and more photographs on the P4 Class Page. 

 

Fun with Flowers in P1

Anjalie's mum, Jay, ( a scientist! ) came in to teach us about what plants need to grow. We mixed food colouring into water and chose a colour to put our carnation in. The next morning, we were all amazed! Our flowers had changed colour. We learned that the water travels up the stem to the petals. We also wrote up our investigation and Jay showcased our work at the summer fair. A big thank you to Jay! 

Miss Dougal

I

 

Volcano Workshop

We were at Chambers Street Museum for a workshop giving us an insight into how scientists, the government and local people responded to the possibility that the volcano on Monserrat might explode. The different groups had to make some difficult decisions, some of which in the real life situation had profound consequences.

 Ms French

Parent Led Summer Science Fair A Resounding Success!

At Sciennes, we recognise that we are incredibly fortunate to enjoy such strong partnerships with families and to have such ongoing marvellous parental support.

Saturday 6th June, saw the culmination of tireless efforts to create the most remarkable parent led Science Fair : organised and led by parents - supported by staff and pupils - with many workshops and presentations delivered by parents and also supported by the multitude of parents who attended.

Aileen Nimmo, as Convener of the Fundraising and Events subgroup of the Parent Council (assisted by parent Stuart Robertson) and Claire Wheeler, as Chair of the Parent Council, have worked innovatively with teams of parents, staff and pupils to achieve a most magnificent day of learning about Science, as well as providing all the fun of the summer fair. Meticulous planning ensured the entire event ran extremely smoothly on the day. Thanks also to Science Specialists Mr Mark McKenna and Ms Wendy French for their support.

We are indebted to all our contributors for providing FREE Science Activities for the children, as a thank you for all the incredible fundraising this year for playground inprovements. Special thanks to the huge and invaluable contribution made by the University of Edinburgh Scientists led by parents Dr Geoff Bromiley, Dr Pau Navarro and Dr Alison Hulme and their wonderful colleagues and PhD students.

These photographs are an attempt to capture just a glimpse of an extraordinary day:

Aileen Nimmo, Convener Fundraising and Events

Claire Wheeler, Chair of the Parent Council, with some of our P7 'Fair Makers' Leah and Ruyuan

Glossy leaflets designed by parent Jimmy Chow were issued by our P7 Fair Makers

Science Fair leaflet

Maps (produced by Stuart Robertson and Lee Healy)  helped everyone find their way round the many attractions -  all free!

KEYNOTE INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER

Dr Andrew Murray

Dr Andrew Murray is a highly accomplished athlete and sports/ expedition doctor.  He has smashed records and won races in some of the most incredible places imaginable, whilst working with some of the world's leading athletes in a range of sports.

BIOGRAPHY

 In 2011 Dr Andrew Murray ran from John O’Groats to the Sahara Desert in 77 days and 8 hours, covering a staggering distance of 2659 miles. This epic run was filmed by BBC Scotland for  1hr documentary ‘the Ultimate Marathon Man'.

In November 2012, Andrew was the first to run 7 ultra-marathons on 7 continents in just over 5 days. Travelling to Antarctica, Patagonia, Atlanta, London, Egypt, Dubai and Australia, he completed the challenge in a bid to promote exercise as part of his role as the Scottish Government’s Physical Activity Champion.

In 2014 Andrew broke new ground by running the 10 highest mountains in the UK in a day, while he has placed first overall in races in some of the world’s most extreme environments including the North Pole marathon, the Sahara Race, the Gobi Challenge, the 6633 Arctic Ultra, and the Indo Jungle Ultra. He has climbed the highest peaks in Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa.

His work as an expedition doctor has taken him from the Himalaya to the North Pole, working on 6 continents while in sport he has worked at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Ryder Cup, Commonwealth games, as well as an advisor for the Scottish Government.

His running has raised over £150k for charities he is passionate about, whilst his first book is called "Running Beyond Limits".

 

Inspirational Dr Andrew Murray encourages Luca and Jessica to try to walk in his shoes.

Keep on running, even in the North Pole!

Special desert running shoes.

 

Dr Andrew Murray very kindly delivered his fully booked presentation twice and has generously accepted Ms Anstruther's invitation to address our Assemblies next year. Thank you to parent Bruce Crawford, former Chair of the Parent Council, for introducing and hosting Dr Murray's presentations.

 

Victoria Telford from Mercy Corps delivered a presentation on how Science can be used to help deal with natural disasters. We are grateful to parent Jacqui Wright for re-establishing our link with Mercy Corps, City of Edinburgh's Partner Charity, and grateful to Victoria for her time and support.

Aileen Nimmo and the Parent Council welcomed all our visiting guests and workshop providers.

Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions in the Sensory Room
Thank you to parent Andrew Johnson and his team from Camera Obscura for providing a hugely popular station in the Sensory Room.

Thank you to Andrew Johnson, Manager at Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions.

The Living World Zone featuring the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Badgers; Forrestry Commission, John Muir Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Thank you to parent Jo Pike (Deputy Chief Executive of SWT) and son Ben for manning the Scottish Wildlife Trust stall.

 

Thank you to the team from Scottish Badgers.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds with help from former pupil Oliver Grothey and parent Marian Grothey.

The Neuroscience Zone 

Led by Dr Pau Navarro, Dr Matthew Broadhead and their teams from Edinburgh University

Build your own cells. Learn about your Brain with Team Synapse from Edinburgh University.

Thank you to parent Stuart Robertson for assisting Aileen Nimmo with ideas for the Science Fair.

Thank you to parent Dr Pau Navarro, Dr Matthew Broadhead and the team from Edinburgh University's Neuroscience Department.

Thank you to University of Edinburgh Neuroscience Department
and to former parent, Professor Catherina Becker for her support.

 

Thank you to the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Science, Edinburgh University and to parent Dr Pau Navarro.

The Geology and Geoscience Zone 

Led by Dr Geoffrey Bromiley, Dr Kate Saunders and their teams from Edinburgh University.

The incredible edible earth: make your own models of the earth and different types of volcanos and eat them. Learn about volcanic eruptions with jelly and custard, plunge your hands into a box of sticky molten lava and learn about the different types of rocks lava can form. The Beauty of Rocks under the microscope.

Thank you to Dr Geoffrey Bromiley, Lecturer in Experimental Geoscience and Earth Materials Science at Edinburgh University.

Computing and Technology Zone: 

Led by Dr Eilidh Troup of Edinburgh University

Sort balls like a computer and race your own dinosaur.

Dr Eilidh Troup from Edinburgh University races dinosaurs!

Thank you to Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC),  Edinburgh University

EPCC

Fan Duel online software designed by parent and CEO Nigel Eccles. Children loved shooting hoops for free mini sports balls and sweets! Thank you to the Eccles family for their very generous donation of an iPad Air as First Prize in the Grand Raffle.

 

The Physics Zone:

Led by Dr Jayanthi Santhanam, Edinburgh University and Pauline Ritchie Have fun trying to make bubbles of all shapes; make your own sundials;see the p1A and 1B children show how capillary action works in carnations and play with ooze and see why breaking “Newtonian “rules can be fun. 

Learn about the exciting world of Geophysics with Sean Walker and find buried treasure with a magnetometer.

Wonderful examples of science experiment recording by P1 pupils on display, with Ms Carolyn Anstruther looking on ... and bubbles!

Sophia kept a careful score sheet for the magnetometer challenge.

Talented family! Thank you to Tanya Boughtflower for all her fundraising efforts and for superb promotion of the Fair and to her husband and daughter for providing a geophysics stall.

CHEMISTRY ZONE - 

Led by Dr Alison Hulme and her team from Edinburgh University

Make a rainbow in a box, write secret messages, spin Newton’s wheel of fortune and discover the magic of colour!

 If you look closely you can see the rainbow Isla is holding

 

Ellie's very own rainbow

Thank you to parent Dr Alison Hulme, Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at Edinburgh University, and her team.

Thank you to Edinburgh University's School of Chemistry.

The Maths Zone: 

Led by Dr Kristel Torokoff, Dr Ivan Cheltsov of Edinburgh University, Vanya Cheltsov

Magical maths and chess.

Welcome back to former pupil Vanya Chelttsov with his friend Charlie, mum and P6 brother Fedya. Thank you to Dr Ivan Chelstov from Edinburgh University

Thank you to former pupil Robert for assisting in the Chess Room

Thank you to parent Kristel Torokoff for setting up and supervising the Chess room

The 'Break Out' Zone: bodies and bones

Thank you to Amanda Hogg and Carlton Clinic and Fitness Studio  - based in the Grange and providing Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Massage, Pilates, Yoga, Fitness for Seniors and Personal Training.

CHARLIE AND THE SOUND FACTORY

Thank you to parent Charlie Silverton for his workshop on making and explaining noise.

Esther hands out tuning forks to help her Dad with his workshop

Inventor Donald Naylor brought his bike-powered kettle and invited people to boil their own water for tea before their burger was cooked!

And all of these wonderful science activities were free, as a thank you to all our amazing fundraisers.

As well as the magnificent Science Fair, there was also all the fun of the Summer Fair!

LUNCH : BBQ, Papa Johns Pizza, Asian Snacks, Noodles, Ice Cream, Teas, Coffees and Soft Drinks

Thank you to Papa John's Pizza for generous donations to Friends of Sciennes School Trust

 

Cooking up a storm - parents Alison Aitken, Jack Cadell and Stuart Sheehan. Grateful thanks to Sainsbury's Marchmont Road Local for heavily discounting BBQ foods.

Thank you to supercooks Linda Bjork and her husband.

Many thanks to the 'Stanley Denvir Campervan' and the Ice cream Ladies

MAKEOVER STALL Face and nail painting

 Thank you so much to former pupils Lorna, Abi and Sophie

HOMEBAKING STALL

Thank you to parent Susan MacGregor for running the Bake Stall and to everyone who donated such delicious sweets and treats.

TOMBOLA STALL

 Thank you to Bethan McEwan, Claire Marshall and P6C Class Teacher Ms Wendy French

PLANTS AND FLOWERS STALL

Thank you to parents Laura Bird and Nikki Crawford for organising and running the Plant Stall

Thank you to Homebase in St Leonard's Street for their generous donations of plants.

SCIENNES FOOTBALL STALL

CIRCUS SKILLS

Thank you, Susie!

BOOKS AND DVDs STALL

Lauren Peden mans the Book Stall

P4C Class Teacher Miss Gladstone lends a hand at the Book Stall

SECOND HAND UNIFORM

Thank you to parents Ms Phoebe Cochrane and Mrs Mary Ross

SECOND HAND BIKES

Thank you to parents Gillian Clarkson and Mr Andreas Grothey for manning the secondhand bikes stall

TOYS

Parent Lorraine Gormley and daughter Isla

 Lucy Casot with Jessica and Luca

Rhona McMurdo and Jessica

Class Teachers Mrs Fiona Barker 7C, Ms Bethan Owen P5A and Mrs Jane Maguire P5B (PTA Rep)

 

Thank you to all staff who supported in preparing for the Fair and on the day itself, including Mrs Ford, Ms Dodds, Mrs Maguire, Mrs Barker, Ms Owen, Miss Gladstone, Mrs Helen Robertson, Ms Jenny Gaffney and Mrs Helen Anderson. Thanks to Mr Mark McKenna and Ms Wendy French for Science support and to Mr Forrest Howie for organising the P7 Fair Makers.

Mr Mark McKenna (Science Specialist) and Aileen Nimmo

 
RAFFLE TICKETS

Thank you to Lesley J Stewart, Fiona Anthony and Leanne Boyle.

Toby is hopeful!

Gathering for the Grand Raffle. Who will win the iPad Air? Grateful thanks to parent Emma Melvin for overseeing the Grand Raffle and to all the families and companies who so generously donated prizes, including parent Mr Macsween for the haggis hamper and the Eccles family for the iPad Air.

Grateful thanks to Jimmy Chow for superb artwork in the Science Fair leaflet and poster and for kind sponsorship from the Grange Association, Papa John's Pizza,  Macsween's, Gift Experience Scotland, Sainsbury's, Homebase, Edinburgh University and Fan Duel  as well as many other generous contributors. Thank you!

HIGH FLIER PAPER AIRPLANE CHALLENGE: P1 Winner

Presented by Headteacher Mrs Alison Noble. Thank you to Business Manager Ms Angela Christie for all her support with the Fair.

WIN FAIR BEAR: Congratulations Rebecca! (We know Ian Murray MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, was also keen to win Fair Bear! Apologies for earlier typo.) A winning week for Lauder!

And the total sum raised...? Will be announced soon, but yet again set to break all records!
 Thank you, Sciennes Family, for a fantastic day!

A special thank you to Mr John Reid, Service Support Officer and we are all sending our love and best wishes to Mr Neil Scott, hoping his recuperation goes well.