Category: Community Learning

Community Learning

Thanks very much, Heathryburn School Community Cafe!

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Every Tuesday afternoon is a joy for Room 8. It’s Community Cafe time. We all are happy to visit and spend 45 minutes with our friends across the road, boys and girls from Heathryburn School. We all enjoy a warm drink, and there is a choice of different foods each week. It is easy to see that the pupils-host enjoy taking orders, serving food and getting to know other members of the local community and us. The predictable environment with structure and high level of routine along with a package of social learning and interaction help and support our boys and girls to develop their social skills and gain knowledge. Angela, the community café coordinator, is always available for 1-1 support for anyone who would like to discuss any problems. 

By accessing this venture, Room 8 was able to develop their communication skills, meet new people and friends, work as part of a team, make a decision, apply functional numeracy and literacy. 

We all agree the community café showcases an alternative model of community – where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities spend time together – socialising, working, creating and enjoying each other’s company.

Thanks very much, Heathryburn School Community Cafe.

Futures Event

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Thanks to all parents, carers and partners for supporting the Orchard Brae Futures Event last week. It was great to be back in person for this annual event and there was a lovely buzz in the hall as you took the opportunity to network and chat informally to the providers in attendance. The presentation from the event is below. Feel free to get in touch if you wish to discuss anything further.

Keeping Busy In Room 18

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In room 18 we have participating in lots of varied activities outside and inside the school.

We have been going on nature walks in the vicinity of the school and encountered a couple of young deer grazing in a field.

We have also been experimenting with light shows in different classes. The students especially liked participating and interacting with the “Magic Carpet”.

Orchard Brae @ Ashgrove Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

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The sun rose brightly on the day of our Platinum Jubilee Celebrations making for a fun and sun filled afternoon for our families. This was our first meet up with parents/carers since Covid began. What a wonderful afternoon was had by all – the children made Jubilee Crowns and there was a sensory activity with British coloured rice. They enjoyed British cupcakes, refreshments and strawberry marshmallow kebabs. The children and families participated in a singalong and then it was time for the certificates to be handed out: I Celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Adventures with Room 18

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We had a great time at the end of last term getting out and about and enjoying some trips!  We went to a Boccia tournament in Peterculter where we tried lots of different Boccia based games with children from lots of schools.  We went to a RSNO concert at the Music Hall where we heard the story of Gaspard the Fox and then we enjoyed a picnic at Duthie park. We were even lucky enough to try curling on the ice at Curl Aberdeen, we played lots of games and had a chance to try a mini match at the end!

Drake Music

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Abi Sinar, a musician with Drake Music, has been working with students at Orchard Brae for the last two years, even throughout lockdowns, in developing the North East Digital Orchestra project. The ultimate goal of the project is to create a digital orchestra for school leavers and young adults, enabling them to develop their musical skills and create new music using a range of inclusive music technologies.

Pupils who have been involved in the project have been supported by Abi to develop their musical skills using a variety of accessible instruments and have created this video for you to enjoy, where they play Ode To Joy as well as their own additional compositions to the song.

Many thanks to Abi for her support and in making the film. If you would like to find out more about Drake Music and their work, please follow the link below:

https://drakemusicscotland.org/

Howes Hoose Work Experience

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The pupils in Howes Hoose have been very busy on work placements. They now have the opportunity to work at Airyhall Community Centre and Somebody Cares. Work placements are very important for the pupils to meet and work with new people, increase their confidence and independence. Everyone on work placement is working hard and they are very polite to people they meet. Well done to all the Howes Hoose pupils for representing Orchard Brae in the wider Community in such a positive way.

Red Nose fun in 15

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This week Room 15 have been busy learning to play Boccia in class. It has been so much fun getting to play all together as a class. We’ve been taking turns and practising our throwing skills and trying to get as close to the white ball as possible. 

On Friday, we celebrated Red Nose Day by making some squishy red noses of our own. We filled bits of tights with red pom poms and then glued on some googly eyes and wool to make them look funny! Some of us used really big eyes, some used small and some used a mixture! Then we made some red gloop to play with. It was so sticky!