"TREASURE TROVE" WILL AID CHILDREN'S MOTOR SKILLS
A TREASURE trove full of fun activities has been donated to a Mearns school to help pupils develop their motor control skills.
Friends of the Special Nursery at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital have spent over 11,000 on the boxes, which have been donated to 11 schools in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen.
And Newtonhill Primary School has been chosen as one of the lucky recipients.
It is the first time in the group's 25 year history that they have decided to spend money outwith the hospital, but they were so impressed by the Isability Programme that they decided to make an exception.
Six per cent of primary school children have recognised issues with their motor control skills which can seriously impact on their ability to do the most simple of tasks such as writing, fastening or buttoning. Motor control issues can often be found in children born prematurely, but the chest will also benefit children throughout the school.
The Isability Programme aims at improving developmental progression and hand-eye co-ordination through a range of activities that come complete in one handy Treasure Chest. The chest, used as a therapeutic learning tool to enhance fine and gross motor skills, contains over 70 tasks, with all the equipment, tools and worksheets to complete them.
Friends committee member Alison Mackenzie joined the group after her son Finlay was born at 32 weeks in October 2007. He sadly died the following February, but Mrs Mackenzie was inspired to help the Special Nursery because of the level of care Finlay received there. Her daughter Amy now attends Newtonhill Primary.
She said: "The staff were so amazing to our whole family during his life that I decided to join the Friends of the Special Nursery to give something back. I really cannot thank them enough for what they did.
"While the Isability Box may seem very expensive, this is a resource that is going to last and will benefit so many children. A lot of premature babies have difficulties with fine and gross motor skills, so it will help them, but it will also help a lot of other children."
She added: "The Friends have never bought any thing for outwith the maternity hospital but we just thought these boxes were so amazing and would benefit the babies as they grew up and went to school."
The Friends hope that their donations may also inspire other schools in the area to invest in the treasure boxes.
Linda Cruickshank, head teacher of Newtonhill Primary, said: "We are absolutely delighted to receive the box and see many opportunities ahead to make extremely good use of this wonderful resource."
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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