Children’s Mental Health Week 2021

This week is Children’s Mental Health Week, led by the charity Place2Be. This year’s theme is Express Yourself and is ideal for all of our learners. There are lots of lovely ideas for creativity and self expression with links on their website such as the art ideas below. Every activity has stories and music in addition to the art ideas so there really is something for everyone.

The sample below is from the Colour Project. Click on the links for more information and a sample of what is on offer:

The Place2Be website is well worth exploring:

https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/parents-and-carers/

BBC also have links for mental health week with some fun clips for younger children on emotions:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/childrens-mental-health-week/zk37bdm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-eyfs-ks1-feeling-happy/znnhvk7

Aberdeen City Educational Psychology Service Hub

Our colleagues at the Educational Psychology Service have recently launched their Digital Hub. This is available online and is well worth a look for supporting both you and your children. These are tough times for everyone so it’s important to care for yourself too. One of my personal favourites is the Circle of Control, a reminder to try not to waste time and energy thinking about about things I cannot control or change.

Explore the Educational Psychology Hub further here:

https://sites.google.com/ab-ed.org/educational-psychology-service/parentscarers

Place2Be Free Training for Staff

Finally, for staff there’s an opportunity to engage in free training around supporting the mental health of our children and young people. Please follow this link:

https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/services-for-schools/mental-health-champions-foundation-programme/

As always, feel free to share anything you enjoy!

PE at Home

Our PE specialists have been working hard, supported by our Young Leaders from Howes Hoose. Have you had a look in the PE classroom yet?

There are different activities each week to suit all ages and abilities. Here are a couple of activities demonstrated by the Young Leaders: throwing from a seated position and throwing from a standing position.

If you do try out any of our PE at Home videos, please share your feedback with Salvi and Amanda by commenting on their links, sharing photographs or videos. They are keen to know what you are enjoying in order that they can provide activities to meet your needs, assess our pupils’ learning, and at Secondary level, use activities towards our National Qualifications and ASDAN awards.

Primary Department Activities – Week Beginning 15th June

Today’s the day … our Google Classrooms have gone live!  Your child’s teacher will be using Google Classroom to share activities with you but we are aware that some families are waiting on technology and other supports to enable them to access Google Classroom so we will still be posting a selection of activities here too.

If you would like to share how you have got on with our activities, please email any photos via your child’s teacher, through Google Classroom, 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: ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ By Ronda and David Armitage

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46wCRq50Wwg 

The book study below has some 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: Template For Lighthouse

Other Activities: Story Word Mat

Dimensional Lighthouse Model

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

Primary Department Activities – Week Beginning 8th June

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

Howes Hoose and Howes Road P.M. Nursery try the Fruit/Vegetable of the Fortnight

Our fruit/vegetable of the  past fortnight was apple and for the next two weeks is CARROT. All our classes are encouraged to serve this vegetable at least five times during snack to expose our children to fruit/vegetables and encourage them to have a taste. Our Howes Hoose group certainly enjoyed their apple and carrot and at the other end of the school our little ones in nursery are being exposed to and encouraged to taste the fruits/vegetables.

Fruit/Vegetable of the Fortnight

One of our new initiatives for Healthy Eating in 2020 is ‘Fruit/Vegetable of the Fortnight’. A fruit or vegetable will be introduced at snack time and served regularly over a two week period. In this way we aim to expose the children to fresh fruit and vegetables and encourage them to try new fruit and vegetables, develop a taste for healthy foods as well as  offering children the experience of preparing and tasting a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. We will also be sharing our Healthy Eating successes … WATCH THIS SPACE!!

Our ‘Fruit of the Fortnight’ is APPLE.

PE With Room 4

PE is always such a big hit for the children in room 4!

Physical Education offers so much to our children:

Social skills, turn taking and collaborative team work are just some of the benefits of a balanced physical education program.

Basketball Coaching Clinic

One of our Senior pupils from Howes Hoose has been very busy this morning.

He participated in a basketball coaching clinic at Oldmachar Academy run by Active Schools.  This clinic was open to teachers, senior pupils, coaches and volunteers and designed to give them an overview of how to structure basketball sessions along with offering a range of activity ideas, drills and practices.

We can’t wait for him to put these new skills he has learned into practice in school!

 

A Surprise For Room 8

Follow us, Room 8, into an amazing journey through our world of rights along with Handa, from “Handa’s surprise” by Eileen Browne.

In the story, Handa, a girl from Kenya, took a surprise bowl of fruits on a journey to her friend Akeyo. Different animals pinched the fruits without Handa’s permission. There were many interesting animals and fruits to find out about, making the journey really fun. As Handa’s journey was about to end, a goat bumped into a tangerine tree, and filled up her empty bowl with tangerines. When she arrived at Akeyo’s village, that was a happy surprise for both Handa and Akeyo. Handa was amazed by the loss of the other fruits, and the presence of tangerines. There was a happy ending because Akeyo’s favourite fruit is tangerine and Handa brought them to him.

What made this story so wonderful was the beautiful describing words. It also introduced the theme of friendship and its importance, which is another positive asset to this story. The surprise at the end of the story added a comical twist that brought the happiness.

Altogether, this was a really engaging and entertaining book that was wonderful to listen to and made us smile. Furthermore, the book has given us the opportunity to learn about children’s rights, to explore and taste the fruits from Handa’s basket, and to speak about our uniqueness and importance.

However, our journey is not finished yet, so be ready for other adventures along with Handa and her friend, Akeyo.

We Are Keeping Healthy In Room 11

The children in Room 11 have been participating in a range of fun activities and learning how to keep healthy. They have been having fun at swimming, cooking and taking part in PE lessons. Some of them have been showing how competitive they are when playing curling.

All of them have been showing their responses to different smells and some of them have been very clear of what they like (mint, onion).

They have been having great fun exploring how their bodies work and what they can do when they really want and try.