Sciennes@Benmore2020

Dear Parents/Carers

P6 pupils will board buses from 9.45am and set off for Benmore Outdoor Education Centre on Monday 3rd February around 10am.

BUS ONE P6B and P6A Boys

BUS TWO P6C and P6A Girls

A clothing list can be found on this Benmore blog and we have issued a copy on A4 (with tick boxes for packing and repacking). Old and warm clothing is best, with layers of clothes recommended. Labelling all items of clothing is extremely helpful and we would advise packing plenty of old socks. Please note that jeans are not recommended for activities. It is important that pupils are involved in packing their suitcase so they can identify their belongings when repacking. Marking every item with a Sharpie pen will dramatically increase our chances of reuniting you with any unclaimed lost property!

Thank you in advance for your support in signing and returning our Benmore Behaviour Contract. Please impress upon your child the seriousness of any rule breaking at school camp.

A table for each class will be set up in the Gym Hall on Monday morning. Please drop off luggage behind the table and then wait outside in the playground. From 8.30am, pupils can register that they have arrived in school – and give the class teacher any medication in a clear, plastic bag with an accompanying KIC medical form – before going back out into the playground.

MEDICAL

Medical KIC forms should be kept with any medication handed to the Class Teacher on the day of departure.

N.B. KIC Medical forms have been issued to those pupils who indicate on the KIC Consent form that they will require medication. Additional forms will be available on the day. These should be completed and placed in a sealed, clear plastic bag with your child’s medication. Please also label medication with your child’s name.

If your child is on medication and can self- administer, they may do so. We recommend pupils carry any blue inhalers on their person, though a spare may be handed to the class teacher. If it is appropriate for Sciennes staff to administer medication, please place the medication in a sealed plastic bag with the KIC Medical form. KIC medical forms will be issued if you indicate on the KIC Consent form that your child will require medication. Remember to hand any travel sickness medication for the return journey to the Class Teacher. (It is often useful to pack lip salve and moisturising cream.)

All children should have visited the toilet before coming back into the Hall at 9.15am.

£5.00 spending money is adequate and we would suggest a maximum of £10.00 though there is a very good selection of souvenirs available as well as sweets. We will limit the children to one purchase of sweets per evening and would discourage families from packing lots of sweet treats. Money should be looked after by your child in a named purse or wallet. Loose change is best. We strongly discourage pupils from bringing any valuables (such as expensive cameras or MP3 players). Pupils should not bring mobile phones.

We will gather in the Hall at 9.15am until the buses arrive. (Parents are kindly requested to wait outside to ease congestion.) Pupils will then carry their own luggage and board the buses one class at a time around 9.45am. Suitcases will be placed in the hold and cannot be accessed until we reach Benmore, so pupils must make sure they take a day bag with packed lunch, snack and drink onto the bus.

When pupils get on the bus, Sciennes’ staff will help stow jackets and day bags and check seat belts are fastened correctly. Families are welcome to wait to wave us off around 10am.

It is extremely difficult to obtain a signal at Benmore and the main purpose of our blog is to provide a record for pupils to use in follow up work back in the classroom. However, we will aim to publish a few photographs and posts on our blog to update families during our adventures, adding more when we return home. Please note that we will not hesitate to contact you by telephone should any need arise.

We expect to return to Sciennes around 12.30pm on Friday 7^th February.  If there is any significant change to the expected arrival time then school will send a text message to all parents. We will post to the blog throughout the journey home to keep you updated on our expected arrival time.

Pupils always really appreciate mail at camp and families are encouraged to send post to:

Benmore Centre
by Dunoon, Argyll
PA23 8QX

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments.

Lucy Gallagher

Depute Head Teacher

lucy.gallagher@sciennes.edin.sch.uk

Thank you very much to those families who attended the Information Session on Thursday 24th October. We hope all families will be able to find the information here that you require for the P6 residential in February 2020, but do not hesitate to contact if you have any questions or comments.

lucy.gallagher@sciennes.edin.sch.uk

Consent KIC forms and suggested clothing lists will be issued next week.