News from RHET Ayrshire & Arran CI
NEWS
April 2013:
Honeymoon
Gail, the RHET AACI Project Coordinator is now Mrs Gail Ferguson!
Gail was married on Friday, April 12th and is now honeymooning in the States and will be back in the field from May 1st.
For any requests such as classroom speakers/farm visits, please see the main site and download the relevant forms: http://www.rhet.org.uk/inyourarea/ayrshire
Please email the completed forms to Gail at Ayrshire@rhet.org. Any other enquiries may also be sent here, and she will reply on her return.
For any questions regarding Ayr Show (below), please contact Clare, RHET Countryside Intitiative Developer on 0131 335 6240 or email Clarea@rhass.org.uk
Ayr Show
Ayr Show 2013 is on at Ayr Racecourse on May 10th & 11th. RHET Ayrshire & Arran have a stand there both days offering educational activities on food, farming and the countryside and invite schools to attend on the Friday.
Ayr Show Competition!
A "Make-A-Better-Pizza" competition is also open to all schools in the 3 Ayrshire areas (whether attending the show or not) with a fab prize on offer!
The overall winning class will be treated to a trip to Dumfries House where the resident chef will re-create your winning pizza in his first class facilities.
In addition, the top placed entry from each of the council areas (North, South and East Ayrshire) will be rewarded with their own personal Pizza Party courtesy of Frankie & Benny’s Restaurants in Irvine, Ayr and Kilmarnock respectively.
Your School's design, of max 15" diameter pizza, can be dropped off at the Show ground on Thursday evening or the Friday morning of the show - times TBC. For more information see the guidelines below:
February 2013:
Schools Newsletter!
This will be posted out to all schools in the North, East & West Ayrshire & Arran areas, throughout February!
If you would like a PDF version, click on the Front Page image.
January 2013:
Happy New Year!
And with the New Year, we have a new RHET Ayrshire & Arran Project Coordinator - Gail Cisman.
"Hello, my name is Gail Cisman
"Hello, my name is Gail Cisman (soon to be Ferguson!). I have just taken over the role of Project Co-ordinator for Ayrshire and Arran, following Susan MacDonald’s retiral at the end of last year. My background is in environmental education, having worked as a Countryside Ranger for around 10 years and qualified as a Forest School Practitioner. I am also a fully qualified Primary Teacher, who found the call of the outdoors too strong to stay in the classroom! I am looking forward to getting to know everyone in the area, and hope to work with you soon. Susan will be a hard act to follow, but I am keen to take on the challenge! Gail"
Gail can be contacted on mobile: 07539 251216 or email: ayrshire@rhet.org
Find out about what Gail &AACI can do for your school this year in the RHET AACI Schools Newsletter, coming soon to a staffroom near you!
December 2012:
Susan MacDonald, the RHET Ayrshire & Arran Project Coordinator is stepping down from her post at the end of the year. A new coordinator will start in the New Year. Meanwhile, a few words from Susan:
A huge thank you...
...to all Ayrshire and Arran volunteers who have supported RHET for the past six years! When I started the job in November 2006, I had no idea what to expect as I was the first Project Co-ordinator in Ayrshire. The enthusiasm of the Committee and all the volunteers make this Initiative work.
Each year the involvement of schools has increased, reaching record numbers last year with 83 farm visits and over 400 pupils participating on one day alone – Ayr Show. Other events have included Estate Days and Food &Farming Days at Auchincruive, Woodland Bay, and Dumfries House. Perhaps our “biggest” day was the Countryside Fair at Auchincruive in 2011. Four hundred pupils enjoyed a wide range of activities that day. Each day has its own memories; the one thing that most of them have in common is rain! Fortunately, inclement weather never seemed to diminish the enjoyment of pupils or volunteers.
A special thanks also to the staff at Auchincruive who contribute their expertise and facilities to AACI and male it possible for many of these days to take place. I look forward to working with all of you in the future – as a volunteer! And I predict that 2013 – the year of our 10th anniversary - is going to be better than ever for RHET here in Ayrshire.
Susan
October 2012:
Read the latest RHET Ayrshire & Arran CI Supporters' Newsletter - Autumn 2012
June 2012:
Pupils from Mauchline Primary in the Ayrshire joined 15 other schools from the AACI Area at the Royal Highland Show.
They came on the 'school days', of the Thursday or Friday of the Show and took part in various sessions offered by RHET and our partners/activity providers.
However Mauchline had been chosen by the AACI Project Coordinator Susan MacDonald and her Committee to participate in the 2nd ever RHET main ring performance, this year entitled Scotland's Produce Champions!
Each of the 12 schools taking part were given a Scottish Produce to advertise, Mauchline had PORK & BACON. They promoted this by using costumery over their RHET/RHS T-shirt and in their Rhyme.
Ross McCulloch led the school in as a torch bearer. To introduce the school, Ellie McCardle spoke followed by her classmate Kristin Milligan who read aloud their Rhyme:
"Bacon rashers and pork chops, buy them from the butcher's shops.
Gives us muscles so we're strong, keeps us going all day long!"
Nick Terry then ran in the 50m sprint. After the dance routine to The Proclaimer's "I'm on my Way", Beth Gibson lead the school out as the torch bearer.
More information can be found on the Royal Highland Show page of the website, along with a short film featuring highlights of the 30-minute educational entertainment spectacular that was Scotland's Produce Champions.
The Royal Highland Show 2013 is on the 20th-23rd June, with RHET organising School Groups on the Thursday/Friday. Full information will be available as of January 2013.
NEWS ARCHIVE:
Dec 2010:
Read about Newmilns Primary School's snowy visit to Dumfries House and the Morrison's Farm
Click here for the online article posted by the Prince's Charities Community
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE:
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