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The pupils of Room 8 showed their dedication to the environment by actively participating in the celebration of National Environmental Day. They took part in a unique activity held in nature, focusing on collecting plastic waste littered around their surroundings. With bags in hand, the pupils scoured the area, picking up every piece of plastic they could find.
Their efforts were rewarded with a delightful treat—a well-deserved 20 minutes of playtime in the nearby park. After their diligent cleanup, the pupils happily embraced the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, playing games, running around, and simply reveling in the beauty of nature.
By engaging in this littering activity, the pupils contributed to a cleaner environment and learned about the importance of responsible waste disposal. They gained firsthand experience in understanding the impact of plastic pollution on our planet and how small actions can make a significant difference.
The Room 8 pupils demonstrated their commitment to creating a better world and setting an inspiring example for others. Their active participation and enthusiasm made National Environmental Day a memorable and impactful event.
Room 16 have been preparing their up-cycled Christmas jumper for Christmas Jumper Day next week. We made a Christmas tree template and stuck it onto our jumper then used our hands to paint on with green for the tree, red and yellow for the baubles and lights then we used a pom-pom to bad some gold sparkly paint for the star on top. When we peeled off the template we could see our beautiful tree! It gave us the opportunity to practise turn taking as we had to work one at a time on our jumper. We are excited to display it for all our friends to see and to see the other classes creativity with their eco-friendly jumpers.
RSPB Scotland is excited to announce registration is open for DolphinFest 2021
DolphinFest will help celebrate Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters by giving locals to the Granite City and communities further afield, even more opportunities to engage with, and be enthused by, local marine wildlife with a host of online marine-themed events for people to get involved with.
Running from 7-11 April, DolphinFest is a celebration of the amazing marine wildlife around Aberdeen and the North-East coast, especially the bottlenose dolphins which are seen regularly from Torry Battery, and aims to encourage people to help protect it. It will also celebrate the end of the Dolphinwatch project which has been running in Aberdeen since 2013.
Thanks to support from EventScotland as part of the Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21, and the involvement of organisations and individuals across Scotland, the Festival has a wide range of online events from pub quizzes to talks, music and storytime.
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “We are delighted to support DolphinFest as part of Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21. Scotland offers the perfect stage to explore our natural environment and this year’s festival provides an opportunity to enjoy online events and learn about the marine wildlife of Aberdeen and the North-East coast.”
Registration is now open for the mostly free-to-attend festival and the full programme can be viewed on the RSPB Dolphinwatch webpage. Leading up to the Festival people are being encouraged to show their excitement for DolphinFest and their love for the marine environment by decorating a dolphin or marine animal and putting it in their window.
Sadie Gorvett, RSPB Scotland’s Community Engagement Officer,who is organising the festival said: “I am so grateful to EventScotland for giving us the chance to run DolphinFest this year. With the disappointment of so many events having to be cancelled in the past 12 months, I hope DolphinFest will be something people can look forward to. It won’t be quite how we had imagined, with it now being online but, thanks to the support of so many organisations and individuals, the programme of events looks to be just as exciting. I hope DolphinFest will inspire people to get out in their local areas to experience the incredible marine environment and wildlife we are lucky to have, not just in Aberdeen but across Scotland.”
The Festival will include a series of take action talks and live Q&As from a range of organisations, a young conservationists webinar with inspiring young speakers, suggested wildlife walking trails, a series of storytime sessions with TV presenter Rory Crawford, recorded tours and videos from amazing marine locations such as St Cyrus and the Scottish Seabird Centre, activities and games with the RSPB’s Wild Challenge, Aberdeen Science Centre and The Locked Door and quizzes by Aberdeen University Marine Society and Goose’s Quizzes.
Throughout the Festival people will be encouraged to not only enjoy the marine environment on their doorstep but to take action to protect it by taking part in the Big Blue Clean Up event, with Turning the Plastic Tide offering their top tips for safe litter picking.
DolphinFest is part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 where Scotland continues to celebrate its coasts and waters with a programme of activities and events which will shine a spotlight on these vital elements of our landscape.
The festival this year will also celebrate the end of Dolphinwatch, a project led by RSPB Scotland in Partnership with Aberdeen City Council and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters – celebrating the water that makes the country’s landscape so special and loved.
Running since 2013, the project included the popular Dolphinwatch viewing which brought thousands of locals and tourists to the iconic Torry Battery to see dolphins and latterly a schools’ programme, community talks and DolphinFest. The project was supported and funded throughout the years by a number of other organisations.
Tickets for Treasure Quest must be purchased separately from thelockeddoor.co.uk. Details of other events that require booking or have charges are available in the programme.
We are absolutely delighted to announce that Orchard Brae has been awarded a second Green Flag from Eco Schools Scotland.
In the two years since we were awarded our first Green Flag, everyone at Orchard Brae has continued to work hard on developing our Eco awareness as part of our ongoing Eco Schools journey.
We have participated in a range of activities based around the topics of Litter, Global Citizenship and Biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goal of Climate Action.
One of our biggest successes was the development of our new sensory garden which enabled us to build links with local businesses and the wider community.
We also explored different habitats and the insects and animals found in them as well as developing our knowledge of what plants need to grow through activities based around our growing garden and enterprise projects.
We have been truly amazed by the comments we received from the Eco-School Scotland Team who noted that:
‘It was inspiring to read and see how you have encouraged your students and community to become more aware around developing their knowledge of Biodiversity. It was lovely to read how you have thought of both simple, sensible, and ambitious changes that I am sure will have long lasting effects on the students and staff.‘
‘Also, just so you know this is one of the strongest applications I have seen in my short time with Eco-Schools and is something that you and all your staff you be very proud of the great work you are doing around your sustainability work.‘
A huge well done to all the students, staff and families for their on-going work and effort in enabling us to achieve our second Green Flag.
Today sees the start of the 42nd annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which sees birdwatchers across the country join in the UK’s largest garden wildlife citizen science project and we would love for pupils and staff at Orchard Brae to get involved.
Taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch is really easy. Simply watch the birds for one hour at some point over the three days. This can be done in your garden, your local park or even sitting looking out your window!
Last year, over 500,000 birds were counted by Big Garden Birdwatchers in Scotland giving real insight into how our birds are doing.
Have a look at the RSPB website where you will find lots of fun activities and resources to help you participate in the Big Gard Birdwatch but here are a few to get you started.
Here are some simple tally sheets that you can use to keep track of the birds you see.
Don’t forget to let us know how you got on with the Big Garden Birdwatch survey and activities so please feel free to share any photos or videos via your child’s teacher, through Google Classroom, or email Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk.
We were overwhelmed by the response we had to our sensory garden appeal. The donations of resources, time and money have helped to make a unique and already well loved area for our pupils to enjoy and explore.
A huge extra special Orchard Brae thanks to:
The Little City Garden – design and landscaping
Gerbera Designs – landscaping
James Gettka – landscaping
Morrison Construction – access path
Mike Bruce – path
James Millerby – boulders
Jenna Killoh – pallets
Dobbies Aberdeen – compost
Trees Are Us – logs
GI Cladding and Joinery – posts
Clan Miller Construction – slabs and posts
Bissett and Ross – tarpaulin
Alpha Fencing – new gate and fence
MB Landscapes – boulders
Karen Underwood – fruit tree
Karen Robertson – fairy house
James Polson Garden Creations – woodwork sculptures
BFLABDN – art work
Round Table Aberdeen – sponsorship for artwork
Linda Lovie – tactile sensory display
Dulex Paint Aberdeen – paint
Khyber Pass Association – donation
Unison Union – donation
Mrs Ann Thain – donation
Betty Craig – donation
Evelyn Drennan – donation
And last but not least our amazing fundraising families, the Simons and the Cruikshanks.
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:
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.
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!
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.
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: ‘Hole At The Bottom Of The Sea’ By Jessica Law
This week’s story is one of our favourite Barefoot Books stories. Sing along and see what you can find at the bottom of the sea.
Click below to watch and listen to the story:
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: Sea Creature Characters
These characters can also be downloaded using the link below:
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.
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!
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.
