Winter Reminder

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As we head into the winter months, please find below a general reminder of illnesses in school.

Due to the increased vulnerability of our Pupils, we must all take extra precautions when dealing with potential infectious illnesses.

If you feel your child/young person is unwell, please contact the school to check before sending them on to transport.

If your child has required paracetamol/Ibuprofen, please contact the school before putting them on transport.

Pupil Escorts will be encouraged to contact the school if they feel that your child is in any way unwell, so please be patient and understanding.

Other Information

For cough/colds/respiratory illnesses – Please keep your child at home if the following applies:

· coughs where the child young person is unable to perform cough etiquette in the infectious period.

· Runny noses – Green/yellow or constant runny nose.

For Diarrhoea and vomiting

• Please ensure that 48 hours has passed between the last episode of vomiting and or loose bowel movement

If your child/young person has a regular cough/vomits/diarrhoea or paracetamol/ibuprofen for medical reasons, please ensure that the school have been informed of any condition. Otherwise, normal exclusions will apply.

School Closure Information Line

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Please find details of the Aberdeen City schools telephone information service for parents/guardians.  This is the Schools Information Line.

 The main features of this service are:

  1. Emergency Arrangements message for Parents/Guardians

To be used to inform parents/guardians of emergency arrangements and important announcements, e.g. early closure arising from adverse weather conditions/failure of heating systems.

  1. Voicemail for Recording non-urgent Messages from Parents/Guardians

The system also has the potential to record brief messages of a routine nature from parents/guardians.  You will be advised at a later date if this feature is to be activated.

  1. List of Messages containing School Information

This could hold routine information for parents/guardians, e.g. the times for a Parents’ Night, School Concert details, etc.

Parents/Guardians can access these features by dialling this National Rate number:

Tel: 0870 054 1999

 A Council message will be heard followed by a request for a six-digit PIN number specific to their child’s school.

The Pin Number for Orchard Brae School is     011890.

 Once connected, a voice will speak out the name of the school and a series of prompts will guide the caller to the appropriate option.  The cost of calls is no more than 10p/call (landline calls).  You can also check school closure status on the School Closure page on the Aberdeen City Council website. Please use the link below:  

https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/school-closures

Learning About Diwali In RME

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In RME we have been learning about the Hindu festival of Diwali. We listened to the story of Rama and Sita, sang some Diwali songs and learned about rangoli patterns and diya lamps. Some classes dyed rice to make rangoli patterns, others made Happy Diwali cards and others made diya lanterns. Happy Diwali to all!!

Celebrating Diwali In Room 5

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In Room 5 we celebrated the festival of Diwali with lots of different activities. We learnt the story of Rama and Sita through a sensory story which we all took part in every day for a week. It was exciting to experience being in the forest and seeing the scary, 10 headed demon Ravana. We also enjoyed mark making with rangoli paint and painting diva lanterns for our families.

Finding Your Own Way To Shine In Room 6

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“How to Catch a Star” by Oliver Jeffers is about a boy who really wants to catch a star. He tries different creative ways to reach the stars but learns that sometimes you need to think differently to make your dreams come true. It’s a sweet and imaginative story about perseverance and finding your own way to shine.

Transforming “How to Catch a Star” by Oliver Jeffers into a sensory story for our children in Room 6 was an absolute delight. We used simple yet effective elements to engage their senses and make the story come alive in a whole new way.

Sun – Yellow Cellophane:

  • We brought the sun to life by using bright yellow cellophane. The children could feel its warmth and vibrant colour, creating a tangible connection to the story’s sunny setting.

Window – Curtains:

  • For scenes involving windows, we hung curtains that the children could open and close. This simple interactive element allowed them to participate actively in the narrative, enhancing their engagement.

Up and Down – Opposite Words:

  • To explore the concept of “up” and “down,” we incorporated simple visuals and movements. For “up,” we raised props or stretched our arms high; for “down,” we lowered or crouched low. This interactive play with opposite words added a dynamic layer to the storytelling.

Seagulls – Feathers:

  • When seagulls appeared in the story, we handed out feathers for the children to hold. Feeling the softness of the feathers helped them connect with the seagull characters, creating a memorable sensory experience.

Sea – Feeling the water, shells, and sand:

  • For scenes by the sea, we created a sensory station with water for the children to dip their hands into, shells to touch, and sand to feel. This hands-on experience brought the beach setting to life, fully immersing them in the story.

Rocket from cardboard:

  • The rocket in the story was crafted from cardboard, turning a simple prop into a tangible representation of the boy’s adventure. The children could touch and explore the rocket, fostering a connection to the story’s imaginative elements.

Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed this sensory adaptation of “How to Catch a Star.” The combination of visual, tactile, and interactive elements transformed the storytelling experience into a multisensory journey, making the narrative more accessible and engaging for each child. The joy and excitement on their faces reflected the success of this sensory exploration, turning a beloved book into a truly unforgettable experience.

Working Hard In Room 8

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All of the boys in room 8 have been working hard on their targets this term. Some children are becoming more familiar with activity boards while playing with bubbles, making art or playing music. Others have been working on recognising their photographs. Mark making skills are being developed, number recognition is being worked on and following instructions is being worked on by copying an adult in PE and dance sessions. 

Keep up the great work room 8 boys! 

Baddies, Superheroes and Princesses in Room 9

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Our Disney topic has continued to bring to life a variety of magical tales. 

For Halloween week we explored “baddies” with the story of “101 Dalmatians”.  We danced to Cruella DeVil, found our photos hiding in the old DeVil house, made Dalmatian art, dressed up for our soft-start choices and had a pumpkin themed sensory play with red lentils (and communication boards!).  Our numeracy activity counted “Ten Little Monsters” and our spooky Halloween bucket featured a chance to make our own magic potion, and alongside the fun of seeing the bubbles when we combined ingredients it was also great to see how much more confident the class were to transition for a turn-taking activity.

We then moved on to “superheroes”, and who better than “The Incredibles” to animate the theme?!  We all enjoyed playing with superhero masks as our signifier for story time, so when we got to art we each had a chance to make our own superhero masks.   We sang superhero songs and looked out for our superhero selves flying across the interactive board.

Last week we explored the theme of “Princesses” with the story “Aladdin”.  We danced to songs from the film for our listening activities, spotted our photos flying across the interactive board on a magic carpet, counted Princesses for numeracy, for bucket time we were invited for a magic carpet ride, and in art we designed our own magic carpets.  Our messy play communication activity saw our princess picture on the tray with some amazing cornflake hair!

Where will our Disney adventures take us next?

Room 12 Are Getting Ready For The Christmas Fayre

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Room 12 have been making dog biscuits to sell at the Christmas Fayre. We had great fun mashing up the banana! We added oats (which are also great to play with) and a dollop of peanut butter, then rolled out the mixture. We then popped our trays of biscuits into the oven to cook.

Once they are done, we will stamp out labels and put them into Christmas bags ready to sell. Please come and visit our stall to buy!

Health and Wellbeing in Room 17

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In Room 17, we have been thinking about our personal health as part of our SQAs. We have been participating in different activities, such as relaxation, yoga, body awareness, and using our different pieces of equipment. We have been enjoying trying and participating in the different activities, which help us to feel better about ourselves.

Making Music

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Last term room 16 were learning to play simple melodies using Figurenotes notation on Chime bars, Electric keyboards and switches. Everyone has worked really hard and have had a great time in the process and some even had a bash at the drum kit! Well done room 16.