As a Microsoft Education Global Showcase School, we are pleased to be shortlisted for the Independent Schools of the Year Award in the "Best Use of Education Technology" category! ๐
Weโve been using immersive technology to support neurodivergent students in the Junior School, which also helps their peers develop neuroempathy.
This innovative approach, led by our Head of e-Learning, Mr Simon Luxford-Moore, alongside our Digital and Support for Learning teams, has produced fantastic outcomes, as Joshua articulately confirms in this video! โถ๏ธ
Independent School Parent Microsoft Education
Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools
ESMS Nursery & Junior School | Stewart's Melville College | The Mary Erskine School | ESMS Sixth Form
Welcome to our unique family of independent schools in the heart of Edinburgh. Together these schools have been providing world-class education for girls and boys for over 150 years. To find out more about ESMS, please visit our website www.esms.org.uk
Operating as usual

We are award-season-ready! ๐
We're so pleased to share that ESMS has been shortlisted in three categories of the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2024! ๐
Among them is the "Best Prep School of the Year" category. This nomination recognises the amazing work of our Junior School staff who create an extraordinary environment for our Nursery and Primary children. ๐ซ ๐ค
We will share more about the other two categories we are shortlisted for this week, but you can read about them now in our comments! ๐
With Euro 2024 semi-finals tonight, we look back at our Junior School's amazing football season. โฝ๐ซ
Our P6 and P7 Boys' and Girls' football teams played some amazing games this session and trained hard under the watchful eyes of their coaches, Mr Raeburn-Garbett and Mr Allison. ๐ช
Watch our Girls' team reflect on their season prior to giving their all in the ISFA national finals at St George's Park, and read more about the exciting ESMS Junior School football season in our comments! ๐๐ฅ

It's election time! ๐ณ๏ธ
MES students got the full voting experience before the end of term in their own Mock Elections. They grilled candidates in election hustings, evaluated their party policies and election videos, and, finally, cast their votes in ballot boxes. โ๏ธ
We're sure they will be well prepared to play their democratic part in the real deal when they turn 18! ๐
Our P7s have raised an incredible ยฃ16,040 for Children's Hospices Across Scotland by taking on the epic 96 mile trek of the West Highland Way! ๐ฅณ
Mark, Alexander, Amber and Nora sat down with us right after they got back from the trip to reflect on the amazing three days they shared with their classmates and teachers. ๐ค
We hope they inspire you to go out for a long walk today! ๐๐ณ
ESMS Community

Sean (P6) is an avid reader, and we now have the stats to show just how much he loves a good book! ๐๐
He has read an incredible 20 million words this session alone! ๐คฏ This makes him the top reader in the UK, placing him 1,000 points ahead of the other 1.1 million students in the Accelerated Reader Programme by Renaissance Learning that tracks his progress.
Well done to Sean for breaking this record! ๐ It's certainly inspired us to do more reading this summer! ๐ค

Great work by our P3s for a great cause! ๐ฑ
Thank you for sharing Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, fingers crossed you hit your goal to restore the Palm Houses! ๐
ESMS Community

All six Houses have been working on their Youth and Philanthropy Initiative projects throughout this term, advocating for local charities of their choice to qualify for a grant provided by the Wood Foundation and Partners.
There could only be one winning team, and it was the S2 group supporting North Edinburgh Dementia Care. The ยฃ3000 they won in the YPI Final Showcase has been added to the ยฃ1256 they raised from their sponsored walk, which makes for a brilliant total! ๐
All groups worked hard to support their chosen causes, including one group completing the Supernova Kelpies fun run and raising an amazing ยฃ2511 for Children First.
Well done to the winning group, and to all the teams who took part this year!
YPI Scotland

We had an amazing time at our P1, P2, and P3 Sports Days! ๐
Our budding Junior School athletes showcased their skills in a variety of fun challenges, with the Class Relays adding some extra excitement, and friendly competition to the day.
A big thank you to all the parents and teachers for their enthusiastic support! ๐คธโโ๏ธ๐
๐

We're so glad to be a part of the 2024 Read with Pride Relay! ๐๐
SMC staff and pupils are proud to present "Borrow A Boyfriend Club" by Page Powars, published by Hodder Books. ๐ It's a charming rom-com about finding your place and discovering friendships where you least expect them. ๐ค
Looking forward to seeing tomorrowโs books from Armadale Academy and Portsmouth Grammar School!
School Library Association (UK) Dulwich College

Euro 2024 who? ๐ โฝ
Itโs been a fantastic season for our Junior School football teams!
Just this week, the P6 and P7 Girlsโ team won the EPSSA Cup, the P6 Boysโ team won the School Board Cup, and P7 Boysโ team gave their all in the Inspectorโs Cup final. ๐
The Girlsโ team is also through to the ISFA U11 Cup Final, taking place at St Georgeโs Park - please keep your fingers crossed for them! ๐

The P7 Cricket Festival was an exciting highlight of a great cricket season so far. ๐
Well done to all the Junior School players who took part, and best of luck to the MES and SMC U15 and U18 teams who are through to the Scottish Schools Cup Finals Day! ๐ค

Our S4s spent their Community Engagement Days lending a hand to some fantastic local causes as part of the new S4 Programme. ๐ค
The gardening gloves were out at Lauriston Castle, Cammo Estate, the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, and Pilton Youth and Childrenโs Project, and they also helped to sort donations for Kids Love Clothes at the Dean. ๐ฟ
Itโs great to see them giving back to the community in so many ways. Thank you for having us! ๐
Water of Leith Conservation Trust
Kids Love Clothes
Pilton Youth and Children's Project (PYCP)
ESMS Community

Today is the first-ever International Day of Play and everyone at ESMS celebrated! ๐
The Eco Carnival, organized by the SMC Eco Committee, was one of the highlights of the day, with stalls offering books, cotton candy, and games. ๐ญ It was a perfect way for students to exercise their right to rest, relax, and play - and throw a wet sponge at Mr Balfour and Mr Robertson! ๐
Inspired by the "Fun 31" Article from the UNCRC, today reminds us that play is a fundamental right of all children - and an essential part of learning. It's great to see the school community celebrating this in such creative ways!
United Nations UNICEF

Grand opening today of the new Junior School playground and Zen Zone at Queensferry Road. ๐
These fantastic new spaces were funded by the Thrift shop. ๐
Huge thanks to our estates team and above all, our Thrift Shop volunteers for enabling us to create this wonderful facility! ๐ค

"So, how did you hear about this job?" ๐
Students from across our Junior and Senior Schools practised their interviewing skills on their teachers. The mock job interview session, led by our HR department, is ahead of the students getting involved in recruitment interviews for new staff! Itโs a way of giving our students more of a say in big decisions made at ESMS.
This was just one activity in the recent Rights Respecting Schools Pupil Steering Group event. It was a fantastic opportunity for students from different year groups to get together, learn more about their rights, and give feedback directly to our Heads of Schools and the Principal.

Anthony Simpson, Principal of ESMS, welcomed guests to a reception last night to thank them for all they do for our Schools, as part of the 40th anniversary of National Volunteer Week. To all who came, and to those who couldnโt make it, a heartfelt thanks from all the staff and pupils at ESMS for the incredible contribution you make through volunteering. We are very grateful to Witherspoon Motor Services for kindly sponsoring this event.
ESMS Community

We were deeply saddened by the news of Miss Margot Christie's passing. The obituary by our FP Jack Davidson is a lovely tribute to a dedicated teacher - please see the post by ESMS Community if you would like to read it.
Thank you very much to FP Jack Davidson for submitting this touching tribute for Miss Margot Christie in The Scotsman. She was an unforgettable teacher, who taught many of our pupils at Melville College and then later at the combined schools. See the comments for the link to the full obituary.
Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools
โWe have so much to learn from one another.โ ๐ญ
This time last week, over 70 educators from across 27 different schools were settling in for our first ever Wellbeing Conference. We welcomed external speakers, and both our staff and students delivered workshops for the delegates. ๐งโ๐ซ
Conference lead and RMPS Teacher, Dr Woodshore, dives into the topic of wellbeing in schools, and how we can better support our students and staff, in our latest article - head to our comments to find out more! ๐

No AI-generated art here! ๐๐จ
Our Junior School students have been putting their digital art skills into practice.
Luke, Evan and Amelie were the top three winners of the P6 Pixel Art contest - you can see their colourful creations below! ๐พ
Well done! ๐

Our keen mathematicians were invited to the Scottish Mathematical Council Challenge Awards at Napier University last week. โ
They worked out several tricky maths problems, and their confident methods and explanations added up to bronze, silver and gold certificates. ๐ฅ
Well done everyone! ๐

Budding scientists! ๐งโ๐ฌ
Our P6s visited Mr Balfour in SMCโs Science Labs this morning to try some fun experiments and learn about lab safety. ๐ฅผ
What a great way to get a flavour of Senior School life! ๐

The ESMS Pipe Band and Highland Dancers had a great time performing at Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace for the Scottish Schools' CCF Beating Retreat. ๐ต๐ฐ
They also met the Duke of Edinburgh, which made the day even more special.
Well done! ๐

The "Fearless Women" webinar series continues next Monday, 3 June, to celebrate 150 years of the Girls' School Association! ๐ฃ
Kilgraston School invited Detective Chief Inspector Gina Brennand to talk about her incredible career with the Greater Manchester Police Force - it's definitely not one to miss! ๐จ
Check their for details and the link to book. ๐
๐ Join us for the Kilgraston 'Fearless Women' webinar featuring the inspirational Detective Chief Inspector Gina Brennand! ๐
๐๏ธ Date: Monday, 3rd June
๐ก Time: 6:30 PM
This is a unique opportunity to meet an extraordinary and fearless woman who has made a significant impact in her field. Don't miss out on this chance to be inspired and empowered!
๐ https://forms.office.com/e/x1A2R64Zvx

Congratulations to Jason Conlin who was named "Volunteer of the Season" at the Scottish Rugby 2024 ๏ปฟCommunity and Recognition Awards! ๐
๏ปฟThe inclusive Community Sports Days he has been organising with ๏ปฟwith the Stewart's Melville Rugby Club and the Mary Erskine School are a brilliant initiative, and we're excited to see how they develop in the future. ๐ค
It's great to see Jason's work recognised this way, and to be a part of this initiative!
ESMS Community Stewart's Melville RFC

2024 marks 900 years of the City of Edinburgh. ESMS, together with the Royal Company of Merchants, is joining the celebrations! ๐
Our School Captains, Paige and Sam, and Mr Robertson, our Community Engagement Lead, attended a reception at the City Chambers last week. They learned more about the exciting plans for events taking place across the city in 2024/25, and briefly spoke to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Look out for further announcements on how we're getting involved! ๐
ESMS Community

We are saddened to hear of the passing of our former pupil and accomplished athlete, David Wilkie MBE (class of 1972).
His record-breaking legacy began at school, setting a British breaststroke record in 1970 and winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games in the same year. David went on to win gold and silver medals at the Olympics, becoming one of the greatest breaststroke swimmers of all time.
His achievements will continue to inspire young people everywhere, and we are proud to call him our former pupil.
ESMS Community

As we near the halfway point of the Summer Term, our Nursery children are getting ready to take a big step into P1. ๐ซ
Our staff make sure they're ready for this next chapter, both through their day-to-day classroom activities, and special transition events.
Head to our comments to find out exactly how they do it! ๐ฐ

We had a fantastic day of tennis at Kilgraston School - well done to all the players, and thank you for having us! ๐๐พ

Our budding P5 artists! ๐ท
๏ปฟOur P5s took advantage of the lovely weather to do some al fresco sketching. ๐จ
๏ปฟWhat a lovely way to explore nature! ๏ปฟ๐
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ESMS
Welcome to our unique family of independent schools based in the heart of Edinburgh. Together, our schools have been turning out world-class boys and girls for over 150 years. For more information please visit our website www.esms.org.uk
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