Category: Health and Well Being

The health and wellbeing of each learner is central to the life and work of the school and in partnership with families and multi-agencies, we work hard to ensure that they are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included (SHANARRI).  This is reflected in the ethos and life of our school, where relationships, kinship and community are held in high regard.  Health and wellbeing skills are practiced across all curriculum areas and throughout the day.  Every pupil works on targets to develop their unique skills relevant to their age and stage.  Pupils participate in a wide range of activities with peers from across the school ensuring contexts for developing and deepening relationships and practicing working with others, vital skills for learning, life, leisure and work.  Pupils learn to understand themselves physically, emotionally, socially, economically and sexually.  Our pupils where appropriate recognise and manage risk, take increasing responsibility for themselves, their choices and behaviours and make positive contributions to their families, schools and communities.  They develop self-esteem and become effective citizens and confident individuals who proudly take their part in society.

A Wander Through Aberdeen With Room 8

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The built environment is an integral part of our lives. Buildings and houses not only provide shelter, but they also have a significant impact on our physical and mental well-being. Recently, our group had the opportunity to visit some places around Aberdeen to observe the houses and buildings in the area.

One of the highlights of our visit was the David Welch Winter Gardens at Duthie Park, one of Europe’s most extensive indoor gardens and Scotland’s third most visited gardens. The garden spans over 11 acres and is home to a vast collection of plants worldwide. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, who enjoy the garden’s beauty and tranquility.

The David Welch Winter Gardens is a prime example of how buildings can enhance our lives. The glass walls and ceiling allow natural light to flood the space, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The plants and flowers provide a sense of serenity and calm, making it an ideal spot for relaxation and contemplation.

We also visited Footdee, an area in Aberdeen that was once known as ‘Fish Town.’ Footdee refers to the housing squares built in the mid-19th century to house local fishermen and their families. Over time, the name ‘Footdee’ was used to refer specifically to the housing squares, and the name ‘Fish Town’ was forgotten.

The houses in Footdee are unique and charming, with small gardens and colourful doors and windows. The area has a distinctly village-like feel, with narrow streets and alleyways adding charm. The houses are built close together, creating community and neighborliness.

The visit to Footdee reminded us of the importance of community in building design. The layout of the houses and streets creates a sense of togetherness and belonging, which is crucial for a healthy and happy community. The small gardens and bright colours of the houses also add to the importance of pride and ownership that residents have for their homes.

In conclusion, our visit to different areas of Aberdeen highlighted the importance of buildings, homes, and houses. From the David Welch Winter Gardens to Footdee, we observed how well-designed buildings could enhance our well-being and foster community. As we continue to build and design our environments, it is essential to keep in mind the impact that buildings can have on our physical and mental health and the importance of creating spaces that foster a sense of community and belonging.

Fun In PE With Room 16

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Room 16 have had great fun at PE this term. We have been playing table football using switches to activate hairdryers that move the ball across to our opponent’s goal. Some of us have been climbing up steps, along benches and down a chute. We have also been playing tennis. Thank you to the PE staff for making our sessions fun every week!

Reusable Period Products

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Aberdeen City Council are offering free period products around the city and are now offering reusable products including menstrual cups and reusable pads in addition to disposable products. If you would like to access these, please visit one of the venues listed or contact Mhairi Wilson (Specialist Nurse, Orchard Brae).

See the latest video for more information: https://youtube.com/shorts/KDOYq2n12SI?feature=share

Room 16 Random Acts of Kindness

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Room 16 have been celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day this week! Everyone took a turn to choose a familiar member of staff they wanted to give a treat to. All the pupils made very clear choices! We then went round school to find the staff members and deliver their treat along with a message using a Big Mack switch. We loved seeing everyone’s reactions to their surprise treats. We also took the opportunity to learn the Makaton sign for kind.

Food, glorious food!

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Room 16 have been learning about one of their favourite things – food! We have been talking about our likes and dislikes. The pupils have been practising asking each other what their favourite food using switches or using PODD. This will go towards one of our ASDAN awards. We are going to be learning about putting our information into a table to show others what we have found out as a class.

Household Appliances

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Room 16 have been continuing to work on their use of household appliances for their SQA award. We have been having great fun learning to use an electric fan and blowing things around our classroom using the different settings. We experimented with throwing leaves into the fan and feeling them land back on us. Spraying water into the wind was definitely a firm favourite and we ended up with a lot of wet faces! At least we had a fan to blow us dry again!

Room 15 ASDAN Party

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In Room 15, our hard-work culminated in getting to enjoy the party we have spent the last 8 weeks planning and preparing for as part of our ASDAN Transition Challenge work.  Some of us needed no encouragement to party, and we all joined in with time.  It was a fun way to celebrate our achievements and wind down for the end of term!

We’ve also expanded a lot of our ASDAN New Horizons work on emotions to apply some of the regulation skills we have been learning about throughout our school day and explore practical applications of our learning.  Music is a definite favourite in our class!

A special shout out has to be made for the progress made with everyday routines – from coming to sit with the group independently for familiar activities, to following modeled instructions for the first time, to trying new foods, to eating more independently, to spontaneously using a new communication element (such as a new sign or communicating for a new function) – the team are incredibly proud of how hard you have worked.  Well done Room 15!

As we move forward this term we’ll be exploring time as we learn about when special events occur (we can definitely expect a messy bucket time for fireworks day!) and use technology to prepare for them.