PUPILS in S1 at Peterhead Academy have been making cards and small gifts this week to share with Ukranian refugees as a ‘Welcome to Scotland.’
Young people spent Monday and Tuesday afternoons preparing their packs to pass on to Aberdeenshire’s refugee resettlement team who will share these with families.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
Why? Free to subscribe, no paywall, daily business news digest.
The activities are part of delivering interdisciplinary learning which has a focus on supporting communities and health and wellbeing. The school’s hope is to make a difference to children and young people arriving in Scotland from Ukraine, raise awareness of what it is like to be a refugee and help young people celebrate equality and diversity.
Five S1 classes enjoyed Technical, Home Economics or Art during the afternoons, creating wooden toys, biscuits and cards to put into the packs. They also took part in Social Subjects, Personal and Social Education or Modern Studies, and had the opportunity to learn to write a message in Ukranian in the welcome cards.
Peterhead Academy Head Teacher, Shona Sellers explains: “We hope this small gesture will help Ukranian children and young people arriving in Aberdeenshire feel welcomed. It is an important learning opportunity for our young people and they are really pleased to be making a difference to our wider community.”
Some feedback from the young people who took part included:
“It’s been great to know that we’re learning new things but also helping someone who is having a really tough time right now so it’s doubly good.”
“I’ve learned new skills, helped people in Ukraine by showing kindness and am excited to try baking shortbread at home. It’s been a busy afternoon!”
“I was scared at first about using the drills and didn’t find everything easy but loved it and I hope the Ukrainian children like our toys. We tried really hard and it was amazing to see it at the end as I just finished it in time!”
“It was so cool to get to do practical activities as we’ve never been in Technical before and I really enjoyed using the drill!”
“I don’t really have many art skills but I had fun making cards and really worked hard to make sure it was decent enough to give to someone in need.”
The giftbag consists of a wooden robot toy that comes with its very own birth certificate created in technical, two shortbread biscuits from Home Economics and a handmade card created in Art with a message in Ukranian that pupils wrote in Modern Languages. A representative from Scotland Supporting Ukraine collected the bags for distribution today.
