SCEN at Edinburgh Zoo

The RZSS/SCEN Global Classroom at Edinburgh Zoo on 20 May was a great success! It was marvellous to see the busloads of pupils arrive, from Aberdeen, Ayrshire, Fife and the City of Edinburgh. Stephen Woollard, Head of Discovery and Learning, was a splendid host, as ever. First of all he had arranged the weather so it suited all of us, including Tian Tian and Yuan Guang.  Our precious Giant Pandas were happy to be their independent-minded selves and chewed plenty of bamboo for us. Sandie Robb and her team led great workshops, building on her very well received outreach programme, Beyond the Panda.

We heard from the Chairman of the RZSS Board, Jeremy Peat. Mr Pan Xinchun, the new Consul General of the PR of China, engaged us all, and managed to elicit responses in Mandarin from young members of the audience! Heartfelt thanks to everyone for making the journey and being so involved and positive.  Special gratitude and congratulations to the teachers and pupils who gave presentations, from: Doon Academy, Pentland, Inzievar, Clermiston, Blairhall and Stockbridge Primary Schools.

Now we are preparing for the SCEN National Pupil Conference at the University of Aberdeen on 20 June. There has been a great response and many schools in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, Perth and Kinross and Fife will be present! Again the presentations look terrific. It is so good to know that China learning is spreading across the curriculum in Scotland.

Very best wishes, Judith McClure