Scottish Borders CI
RHET Scottish Borders Countryside Initiative works to support schools in the region with projects and topics on food, farming and countryside.
We are currently the leading provider of year-round risk-assessed farm visits throughout the area. We have 30 host farms across the region who are able to provide tailored visits for both Primary and Secondary schools.
NB: Funding is often available for transport costs for farm visits.
Last academic year we facilitated 45 Farm Visits and 142 Classroom Speaker Talks.
In addition to Farm Visits, we have a network of trained Classroom Speakers who can deliver bespoke talks on a whole range of rural topics in schools.
Schools can order direct from us a range of classroom resources. We have a hands-on nursery resource box and a number of interactive materials covering subjects such as meat production, farming across the seasons, standard grade Geography and a newly developed Higher Biology online resource.
On top of all this, RHET Scottish Borders is involved with a number of regional and national projects and competitions.
All our services are FREE to schools!
Click here for a copy of our Spring Schools Newsletter 2010
Farmhouse Breakfast Competition 2010
RHET Scottish Borders are pleased to announce the winners of the Healthy Breakfast Competition 2010, funded by Scottish Borders Education Department and Quality Meat Scotland.
WINNERS 2010
P1: Abbie, St Ronan's
P2: Lily, Edenside
P2: Lucy, St Mary's
P3: Luke, Langlee
P4: Sam, Eddleston
P5: Chloe, Drumlanrig
P6: Eilidh, Swinton
P7: Frazer, Denholm
This year’s competition was a resounding success with more than 1,500 primary children taking part in the Borders. A huge thank you to all schools involved!
Younger children were asked to draw some of the food “Hetty”, a farmer’s wife, might serve in her Healthy Café, whilst the older pupils designed the menus, featuring dishes containing healthy Scottish produce. The high standard of entries meant the judges had a tough job! We hope to display as many of the entries as possible at Kelso Show (30th-31st July) - pop along to the RHET tent to see for yourself.
All winning children received a Farmhouse Breakfast for their class cooked in school, served by volunteer farmers, plus book tokens. Lily from Edenside was the overall champion, winning £100 for her school. The children were given a talk on how some of the foods they were eating were produced and all these classes will be taken on a free visit to a local farm in the summer term.
We hope to launch this competition again before Christmas next year, so please look out for the 2011 flyers, or contact Lesley (see bottom of page).
Tattie-Tastic Fun with Count & Grow
36 primary school classes are currently taking part in this year’s Count and Grow potato-growing project, in association with Clydesdale Bank. This has again proved to be a hugely popular initiative with numbers increasing thanks to many schools re-using their pots from last year.
Each class has now planted their tatties with the help of a volunteer farmer, and are working on various maths projects while they watch their tatties grow.
Taking the title of ‘heaviest tatties in Scotland’ last year was St Boswells Primary School. The heat is on to see whose tatties make the grade in 2010!
In Your Area
Kelso Show: 30th—31st July
Our tent will be very interactive with a Farmhouse Breakfast theme, so there should be lots of animals to see, foods to try and wheat to grind into flour.
Peebles Show: 14th August.
Children can learn about eggs and milk. There will be lots of things to make, competitions and healthy smoothies to try.
“The Story of Milk”:
A new primary resource with interactive DVD and comic style workbook. If you would like a copy for your class please contact Lesley (see bottom of page).
Contact RHET SBCI
If you would like to arrange a farm visit or classroom speaker for your school, or for any other information, please contact the local Project Co-ordinator:
Lesley Mason
Tel: 01899 880 200
Email borders@rhet.org
