Kinloss Primary School pupils, many who have parents serving with 39 Engineer Regiment, celebrated Month of the Military Child
PUPILS in a local village school celebrated their links to the Armed Forces last month.
A total of 125 (60 per cent) attending Kinloss Primary School are from armed forces communities - most have parents serving at Kinloss Barracks, home to 39 Engineer Regiment which supports the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the British Army.
Forces Children Scotland’s youth participation worker in the North of Scotland, Abigail Rankin, confirmed 45 senior pupils, from armed forces and non-armed forces families, took part in activities to enhance awareness and understanding of forces life; these ranged from a quiz covering the positives and challenges to studying statistics about serving personnel and celebrating Month of the Military Child.
She said: “We were delighted to celebrate the large number of Forces families in Moray, helping raise awareness of the challenges and unique experiences that they face with a serving or veteran parent.
“It was important to mark the Month of the Military Child and share that with both military and non-military children.”
Pupils designed bunting to include personal messages to help forces children feel more welcome and better understood. Some wrote messages of kindness and understanding to pupils from armed forces communities, complemented by designs featuring military and Month of the Military Child themes.
The school concluded the session with a wishing tree, where pupils wrote a wish concerning forces life and making each other feel welcomed.
Military support worker in Kinloss Primary, Kate Homer, said: “The Forces Children Scotland workshop was powerful and engaging. The children were proud to be part of it and felt like they were heard.
“They showed gratitude, emotion and honesty when sharing their past experiences and discussing life as a military child in Kinloss.
“They particularly enjoyed creating the bunting which they displayed in the school hall ready for a Military Child of the Month assembly.”
Pupils have told members of Forces Children Scotland’s Youth Participation Team that there are many positive and challenging aspects of life in armed forces families that aren’t on the radar of peers, educators, and policymakers.
