MESSENGER

SPRING 2010

MESSENGER

JANUARY 2010

HELPING OTHERS

10:10 CAMPAIGN

Merchiston has committed itself to the national 10:10 Campaign (www.1010uk. org). This commits the School to reducing its carbon footprint by 10% during 2010. Over the past few months the Maintenance Department has been working hard at reducing the School’s energy wastage. Schemes include better management of the School heating system, the replacement of traditional light-bulbs with low energy equivalents and installing flow regulators on hot taps. The changing of the lighting system has been especially successful in areas such as the Memorial Hall where the wattage of the lighting has been reduced by 60%, and yet the quality of the lighting maintained. For some time now, the School has recycled paper, glass, cardboard, plastic bottles and tin cans, and now there are better recycling systems in

the boarding houses such as collection bins for additional items which can be recycled - including unwanted text books and batteries. Merchiston is also part of the well-known Eco-Schools scheme and this has been particularly active in Pringle. Pupils are involved in litter picking, saving energy by turning off lights and computer monitors and improving awareness of Eco issues within the School.

READ INTERNATIONAL BOOK DONATION

Merchiston was pleased to be able to support the READ International project at Edinburgh University by donating some unused textbooks. These books were collected by the project for distribution in 20 secondary schools in Uganda. “On behalf of students like the boys at Mbamba Bay Secondary School, we would like to say a huge thank you from everyone at READ International HQ and our local team at READ Book Project Edinburgh. Thanks to your book donation we are on track to send over 300,000 books to students in East Africa this year.” READ International

BURNS AT OLD FARM COURT

Members of the Pipe Band recently entertained residents at Old Farm Court Retirement Home on Burns Days.

PLACE2BE

The Place2Be is a charity that offers support and mentoring to primary school children. As well as raising funds for this charity, a number of Senior pupils are trained as mentors each year, to work with children at Balgreen, Murrayburn and Canal View Primary Schools one afternoon each week.

CHARITY FUND RAISING

The School regularly raises money for charity from Pringle bake sales to whole school initiatives including Wear it Pink Day, Kilts for Kids and collecting Christmas gift boxes for the troops in Afghanistan.

17 Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20