Author: Amy Dunnett

Primary Department Activities – Week Beginning 8th June

  By , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here are some fun activities for you to try at home this week.

If you would like to share how you have got on with our activities, please send any photos via your child’s teacher, the Orchard Brae School Facebook Messenger page or email Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk.  Downloading videos from the Orchard Brae School Facebook Messenger page appears to be working again (fingers crossed!) however if you are having any issues, please send them using a free transfer site such as Dropbox or WeTransfer.

Story Of The Week: ‘Hamish The Highland Cow’ By Natalie Russell

This week’s story is all about Hamish the very hairy Highland Cow who hates having baths and doesn’t like getting his hair cut!

Click below to watch and listen to the story on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02IDS8Bp0-E

However, one of our teacher’s, Jessica, has also made a lovely video of her reading this story, which is a favourite in her classroom!

The book study below has some great activities for you to try at home based on the story.

Links and additional documents to support the activities can be found below.

Activity 1: Messy Play

https://www.learning4kids.net/2012/05/02/how-to-make-gloop/

Activity 2: Farm Games

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?bbc=i-went-to-visit-a-farm

Activity 4: Make A Picture

Activity 5: Milk Experiments

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/magic-milk-a-classic-science-experiment-for-kids/

Science: Minibeasts

This week we are going to continue looking at animals known as minibeasts, which you can find in your garden or local area.   Here is some interesting information about minibeasts.  The download links can be found below each activity.

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-10435-minibeasts-and-their-micro-habitats-powerpoint

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t2-s-1165-insects-photo-powerpoint

Now that you know a bit more about minibeasts, why don’t you try these activities?

Minibeast Interactive Game:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-5145-minibeasts-what-am-i-interactive-powerpoint-game

Sorting Activity:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-5064-minibeasts-legs-or-no-legs-sorting-activity

Description Game:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-19367-minibeast-description-cards

Classification Game:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-12808-minibeast-classification-game

Minibeast Hunt:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/T-T-019-Minibeast-hunt-sheet

Challenges:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/cfe-t-2546706-active-homework-grid-minibeasts-themed-home-learning-challenges

Make Your Own Minibeast Hotel:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-tp-523-the-cautious-caterpillar-codys-minibeast-hotel-activity-sheet

Be Resilient!

Education Scotland, in conjunction with Aberdeen City Council, produced a Resilience Alphabet full of fun think, say, do activities designed to promote resilience and develop coping strategies.  There are a series of activities for each letter of the alphabet, so pick a letter and give it a go!

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/scotland-learns/health-and-wellbeing-activities/resilience-alphabet/

Learning Grid: Life Skills

Here is a learning grid for Life Skills.  It contains 16 activity ideas for you to help develop and promote your child’s independence in a range of household and life skills tasks.

These activities are only suggestions and we would recommend that, where appropriate, you adapt these activities to meet your child’s ability level.

Learning Grid: Get Active!

Here is a learning grid for Getting Active!  It contains 16 activity ideas for you to help promote physical activity both in and out of the home on a daily basis.

These activity are only suggestions and we would recommend completing one activity each day.  However, we would love to see what other creative ways you and your family are using to Get Active daily!

Links to YouTube Channels and websites can be found below.

Oti Mabuse Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/mosetsanagape

Joe Wicks – Body Coach YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1

Cosmic Kids Yoga: https://www.cosmickids.com/

Cosmic Kids Yoga YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

Learning Station YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLearningStation

Bumble Bee Physio: https://www.facebook.com/bumblebeephysio/

imoves.com also have lots of fun exercise activities for you to try at home.  Here are some of the challenges and the links to access them:

Mountain Bike Challenge: https://imoves.com/home-learning/723

Exercise And Health: https://imoves.com/home-learning/1272

Wellness Warrior – Fruit And Veg Dance: https://imoves.com/home-learning/1332

Positions And Directions: https://imoves.com/home-learning/1334

Samba Carnival: https://imoves.com/home-learning/1340

Disco: https://imoves.com/home-learning/1346

Balance Challenge: https://imoves.com/home-learning/964

Strong Core: https://imoves.com/home-learning/1393

Music With Emmeline – Monday 8th June

  By ,

Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Vocal Warm-Up – Hoot Like an Owl

This week’s vocal warm-up is going to be hooting like an owl and making a ‘hoo, hoo’ sound. Before we begin our ‘hooting’ we are going to gently stretch our necks today because Owls can turn their necks very far round!

What Makes You Beautiful: Part 1 – Chorus

This week’s Makaton song is going to be ‘What Makes you beautiful’ by One Direction. We know this is a favourite of many of our pupils at Orchard Brae School. Today we are going to begin learning the chorus of the song. The chorus is quite long in ‘What Makes you Beautiful’ so today we will learn the first half of the chorus. Here are the words.

Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
But when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell
You don’t know, oh oh
You don’t know you’re beautiful

A Busy Week In Primary

  By ,

All the staff at Orchard Brae are missing seeing all our pupils every day and we are always eager to see and hear what you’ve been up to.  We love seeing what everyone has been busy doing while they are at home and we have some wonderful photos and videos to share with you this week.

If you would like to share what you have been up to at home, please send any photos or videos via your child’s teacher, the Orchard Brae School Facebook Messenger page or email Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk.  Downloading videos from the Orchard Brae School Facebook Messenger page appears to be working again (fingers crossed!) however if you are having any issues, please send them using a free transfer site such as Dropbox or WeTransfer.

Working Hard

You’ve continued to impress us with your hard work at home, whether it be making your mark with pens or paint…

…listening to your favourite story…

…exploring technology and having a natter…

…exploring with your senses…

…creating artwork from nature…

…or even visiting the seaside and making sea creatures from last week’s story ‘A Hole At The Bottom Of The Sea’!!

Out And About

It’s been great seeing where you’ve been visiting when you’ve been out and about in your local communities and all the fun things you’ve been up to.

Life Skills

It’s been a busy week for you all, exploring and developing your life skills.  We were really impressed with how you’ve been helping around the house and one pupil had a busy time helping his family move house – hopefully he wasn’t really doing the driving!

Getting Active

It’s been another busy week, where you’ve all been getting active.  The weather hasn’t been quite as nice as last week but you’ve still managed to do some exercise.

Although I think it was a bit much for some of us!!

And Always Remember…

Remember to have fun and keep making some wonderful memories with those you love.

We can’t wait to see what you get up to next week!

Bedtime Story – Friday 5th June

  By

Welcome to tonight’s bedtime story.  Every week night we will bring you a bedtime story for you to watch and listen to.  The stories are read by staff and pupils and we hope you enjoy seeing some familiar faces and hearing some familiar voices.

If you would like to join in and record a new bedtime story to share, please contact Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk for more information.

So get comfy and cuddle up because it’s time for a new Bedtime Story. Tonight’s story is…

I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato (written and illustrated by Lauren Child)

Fussy eater Lola makes it perfectly clear that she will not eat anything she doesn’t want until her brother shows her that carrots are really orange twiglets from Jupiter and mashed potatoes are actually Mount Fuji cloud fluff.

Tonight’s story was read by Rachel, one of colleagues from Speech and Language Therapy.  This week has also been Dietitians Week and our colleagues at NHS Grampian have produced a fussy eaters advice pack with tips and suggestions which you can find below!

Happy Birthday!

  By

We would like to wish a very happy birthday to our pupils who are celebrating their special day next week.

Here is a very special song to each of you from our Music Therapist, Emmeline – trust me you wouldn’t want to hear the rest of us sing!

We hope you all have a wonderful day.

6th June

7th June

8th June

9th June

Music With Emmeline – Friday 5th June

  By ,

Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Musical Story: Kipper by Mick Inkpen

This week’s musical story is going to be ‘Kipper’ by Mick Inkpen. Emmeline is going to read the story and add in some sound effects to accompany it while Kipper tries to find a better place to sleep. Can you make your own sound effects at home to accompany the story?

Dance Monkey: Part 5 – Whole Song

We hope you have enjoyed learning Dance Monkey this week and are looking forward to putting it all together today. Once we have tried it be sure to sing it along with the Tones and I version! Have fun!

Bedtime Story – Thursday 4th June

  By

Welcome to tonight’s bedtime story.  Every week night we will bring you a bedtime story for you to watch and listen to.  The stories are read by staff and pupils and we hope you enjoy seeing some familiar faces and hearing some familiar voices.

If you would like to join in and record a new bedtime story to share, please contact Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk for more information.

So get comfy and cuddle up because it’s time for a new Bedtime Story. Tonight’s story is…

Oi! Duck-Billed Platypus (written by Kes Grey and illustrated by Jim Field)

Oi! Where are duck-billed platypuses meant to sit? And Kookaburras and hippopotamuses and all the other animals with impossible to rhyme with names…?

Music With Emmeline – Thursday 4th June

  By ,

Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Familiar Song: Ten Fat Sausages

Today’s song is 10 Fat Sausages. When Emmeline is playing the song she is going to make a different pop sound and bang sound. Do you have anything at home that could make a pop and a bang sound or maybe you could make them yourselves with a pop with your mouth and a bang with your hands.
Emmeline has also printed out some sausages to help with counting down, perhaps you could print or draw some sausages at home.

Dance Monkey: Part 4 – Verse 3

We are going to learn the second verse of Dance Monkey today. It’s now time to learn the last verse of Dance Monkey before we put the whole song together tomorrow! Here are the words for it;

I said oh my god I see you walking by
Take my hands, my dear, and look me in my eyes
Just like a monkey I’ve been dancing my whole life
But you just beg to see me dance just one more time.

Bedtime Story – Wednesday 3rd June

  By

Welcome to tonight’s bedtime story.  Every week night we will bring you a bedtime story for you to watch and listen to.  The stories are read by staff and pupils and we hope you enjoy seeing some familiar faces and hearing some familiar voices.

If you would like to join in and record a new bedtime story to share, please contact Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk for more information.

So get comfy and cuddle up because it’s time for a new Bedtime Story. Tonight’s story is…

The Squirrels Who Squabbled (written by Rachel Bright and illustrated by Jim Field)

Greedy squirrels Cyril and Bruce both have their sights on a very special prize: THE VERY LAST NUT OF THE SEASON!

Music With Emmeline – Wednesday 3rd June

  By ,

Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Familiar Soundscape: The City

Today’s soundscape has a city theme. We have provided this picture of a city as a visual stimulus but perhaps you would like to close your eyes and imagine your own city or look out of your window. A city can be very busy so if this feels overwhelming you could imagine yourself as something still within the city, perhaps the tree or you are sitting on a bench. Do you have anything at home that reminds you of the sounds you might find in a the city?

Please relax, listen to the music, look at the picture, imagine your own city and take deep breaths.

Dance Monkey: Part 3 – Verse 2

We are going to learn the second verse of Dance Monkey today. Here are the words;

Ooh I see you, see you, see you every time
And oh my I, I, I like your style
You, you make me, make me, make me wanna cry
And now I beg to see you dance just one more time