Olympic spirit

PE

Every East Ayrshire primary school has been allocated its own Olympic country in an Active Schools project aiming to get children into the Olympic spirit in the run-up to London 2012. Schools will represent their designated country in six competitions throughout the year. The first festival, cross country, took place this week. The project will conclude in a full-day Olympic fun festival in June next year.

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Gets Set for the Games initiative will see about 2,000 primary pupils take part in a series of cultural and sporting events leading up to the Olympics. International university students will be paired up with primary schools to contribute to projects around their country.

Pond life

Environmental education

Aspiring film makers at Bankton Primary in West Lothian have created an animated film entitled The Pond. Pupils wrote and performed the scripts and songs, designed the sets and built animated characters for the film about the damage litter and vandalism can do to a pond. It was premiered at a West Lothian Council meeting this month and is available online, bit.lypMmWsg

Deaf support

ASL

The National Deaf Children’s Society is to receive support from the Inspiring Scotland Early Years Action Fund. This will allow it to offer parenting courses, family sign language training and support weekends to families of deaf children across Scotland over the next year. The fund is delivered by Inspiring Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Meal matters

Citizenship

Pupils in all East Ayrshire schools are supporting children in Malawi by buying their healthy school lunch in a new ethical incentive scheme. Points earned by buying lunch will be converted into meals for children in Malawi and delivered by Mary’s Meals. The initiative began at Kirkstyle Primary, where children tasted Malawian food.