 The School has always endeavoured to pursue outreach for the sake of doing so. So, it was fascinating to watch our senior boys teaching primary school pupils at the Primary Schools Science and Technology Day. Merchiston's link with the charity, Place2Be, has seen the training of 20 of our Upper Sixth Forms in counselling and mentoring skills and they have already started visiting Balgreen Primary School. Moreover, 20 members of staff have taken part in their first training session in emotional intelligence and literacy, and plans continue to consider the best way of providing a base for Place2Be at Merchiston so that, as a school, we can develop even more in this area, although I like to think that as a boys' school we are subliminally concentrating on this aspect of education all the time. Sports fixtures with maintained schools and primary schools have always happened at Merchiston as part of spreading the fun of sport - this term we have played matches against four Scottish High Schools and three rugby clubs. Two charity balls were held at the School, and at the end of term our choir sang carols in Woodthorpe (residential home for the elderly) and in Jenners, with other pupils collecting for Shelter. 
Finally, at the end of term, the Colinton & Merchiston Choir (conducted by David Turner) produced an interesting programme, which included The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace (Karl Jenkins), 3 Poems of Robert Bridges(Gerald Finzi), Organ solo: Variations sur In Dulci Jubilo (Denis Bedard), Ave Maria (Franz Schubert), 3 Traditional French Carols and O Holy Night (Adolphe Adam). This Choir has been running for many years and if any parents are interested in joining it, they should come to the first session in the New Year on Monday 14 January in the Robertson Hall at 7pm. No auditions are required. Be brave, be bold, be broad! |
