Published: Thursday, 4th September, 2008 08:30
Parading to school
Comments (1)
Print Article
STAFF and pupils of Sanderson’s Wynd Primary School celebrated the long-awaited move to their new, £10 million state-of-the-art school building on Monday, with a colourful parade through Tranent.
Clad in purple – the school colour – around 400 excited pupils and teachers marched along Robertson Avenue and Lindores Drive before arriving at the new primary, to the east of the old school’s playing fields.
As Tranent Pipe Band led the parade through the streets, the atmosphere was “incredible”, said headteacher Fiona Waddell.
She told the Courier: “It was really stirring.
“So many people in the community came out to take part and it was a wonderful way to arrive at the new school.”
After a two-week delay in moving to the building, teachers and pupils now have access to its 12 classrooms, two specialist activity rooms and a nursery unit.
There is also provision for 15 schoolchildren with additional support needs in ‘The Hub’ base, and they will begin fulltime education there in October.
Added Fiona: “It is a beautiful building, the colours and design are wonderful.
“Our old building was past it, whereas now we have so much, like a separate games room and dining hall.”
“I have to acknowledge the support of my staff who worked so hard last Thursday and Friday (while the school was closed) setting up their classrooms and getting everything ready.”
Like the nearby Windygoul Primary School – which opened its doors in Tranent last August – the new Sanderson’s Wynd benefits from a range of eco-friendly features, including automatic lighting that reacts to the level of daylight in the room, and switches off when there is no one there, a windmill and solar panelling.
A panel in the school hall has also been erected to show children how much energy they are generating at any one time.
Other environmentally friendly features include recycling rainwater from the roof to flush the school’s toilets, with any leftover water used in the school’s pond and aquatic garden.
Tranent-based charities Home-Start and Children 1st, and East Lothian’s Community Learning team, are to be based in the school’s early years wing. Local playgroups are also to be allowed access to the facilities.
Education and children’s services convener, Councillor Peter MacKenzie said: “The purple parade is a great way to celebrate the new Sanderson’s Wynd, and to say goodbye to the old school buildings.
“There will be a formal opening later in the year, but this is a really fun way of marking the fact that the new is building up and running.
“I am very impressed with the new facilities and I think they will provide an ideal learning and teaching environment, and a fine community resource.”
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Further Details
Callous break-in at church deprives poor kids abroad of Xmas gifts