Orchard Brae @ Ashgrove Staff Team
Senior EYP: Janice Read
EYP: Leigh Greenhowe, Louise Rattrey, Vicki White (M-T)/Brenda Anderson (alternative T, W-F, Lisa Gerrard (M-Wam)/Helen Johnstone (Wpm-F), Margaret Esson (M-Tam, W-F)
PSA:Dylan Craig
Today may be known as blue Monday but we have something special that will brighten up your day! We are delighted to share the final nativity performances from our Nurseries and we hope you enjoy them!
Orchard Brae @ Ashgrove AM
Orchard Brae @ Ashgrove PM
Orchard Brae @ Howes Road AM
Orchard Brae @ Howes Road PM
Orchard Brae Advent Calendar: Days 19 and 20
We hope that you are enjoying the Orchard Brae Advent Calendar and that today’s festive features get you into the spirit for a fun filled Christmas.
For Day 19, Ashgrove Nursery PM are delighted to share their wonderful Nativity outfits along with ‘Little Donkey’.
For Day 20, Room 15 bring you their own unique version of ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day’.
All the children at Ashgrove Nursery have been busy with preparations for Christmas. They have been involved in Christmas crafts where there has been opportunity for lots of sensory fun with paint and glitter.
They have been dressing up in Nativity costumes and singing their Nativity songs. The performance was captured on video. This will be sent home to parents in the New Year.
On Friday 11th December we held a Christmas party where we had fun dancing to Christmas music, we enjoyed a lovely party snack and had a special visit from Santa.
All the staff at Ashgrove would like to wish all the children and their families a very merry Christmas and look forward to seeing them in the New Year.
All the returning children from Orchard Brae at Ashgrove have settled well since starting back in August. We have been able to welcome new children to our Nursery and it has been great to see how quickly they have adapted to their new setting. They all appear to be enjoying and becoming familiar within the Nursery environment.
We have been doing lots of sensory activities with painting, gloop and shaving foam. We have also been making vegetable and fruit printing pictures. We have been planting our spring bulbs and enjoying what remains of the “summer weather.”
As the trees are now beginning to change colour we have been exploring this concept as we go for walks in the local community. Some of the children have shown great interest in our apple and plum trees which grow in our outdoor play area and have been collecting them. We have used some of the plums for our snack. Next week we are planning to use the apples to make apple pie.
The staff team at Ashgrove are all looking forward to working with the children and supporting them throughout their time with us.
Aberdeen City Libraries have announced an exciting new reading challenge for the summer. Starting tomorrow (27th June) and running until 29th August, everyone is welcome to register as an individual or family / group. Register for the challenge online: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=aw-pJD2_E02ip4k2nOs16xSlCSTRm75Nn6t-EpSexzdUN0kySlJWRlpJUEdRSEdZUlhLRTczUDZDTSQlQCN0PWcu
There are 9 reading related challenges and you can choose those that appeal. Full details of all the challenges are on the Aberdeen Reads website:
https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-06/Aberdeen%20Reads%20final%20form.pdf
There is something for everyone!
Some ideas of how you might use the challenge are:
Places
Read some of your favourite stories that are set in other countries (real or imaginary). Two of my personal favourites are:
Where The Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak), a lovely picture book for younger readers, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (C S Lewis) for older readers.
Get Creative
Across the school we’ve seen lovely photos of our children and young people engaging in Life Skills and Arts & Crafts during our period of remote learning. Why not challenge yourself to bake or cook something new? You might find a no-cook recipe that will encourage even greater independence. Try a new craft project and make something useful, or use some of your old junk to create something inspired by a book. Lots of exciting crafty projects can be done using recycled materials and this helps our environment.
Ec0-Friendly
Use recycled materials to create a favourite character or a scene from one of your books. One young man from Room 14 did this previously, creating his favourite scene from Harry Potter.
Cover Versions
Some of our Secondary pupils enjoy the Harry Potter books. These are magical stories to escape into and are very enjoyable to read aloud. Why not compare the film and the book to find out which you like best? Horrid Henry is always a favourite and episodes can be watched on TV. Do you like the TV episode or the story best? Popular with many of our younger pupils is Disney Cars or any other Disney movie. Again, see what you like best – the film or the book. There are also lots of E-comics on the library website, including Disney.
Favourite Place
Try reading in different places and find out what your favourite place to read is. I like to read in the garden, particularly on a fine day.
Let us know how you get on and feel free to share with your teachers the stories that you have enjoyed.
Due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19 our planned Fun Run is postponed until further notice. We will maintain contact with the City Events Team at Aberdeen City Council and hope that we can have our event at some time in the future. For now, our priority is to keep our school and wider community safe and well.
Many thanks to the brother of one of our pupils who has asked if he can fundraise individually through sponsorship for the 5k Fun Run for Friends of Orchard Brae. If anyone else wishes to raise money through the Fun Run or any other sponsored activity in future, sponsor forms can be obtained via the Friends of Orchard Brae by contacting school, or a sponsorship page can be set up at: https://wonderful.org/charity/friendsoforchardbrae
Lisa Thomson (Chairperson of the Friends) is the normal point of contact for any fundraising. Clare Russell can also be contacted regarding the Fun Run.
Full information regarding the Fun Run can be found here: https://scottishrunningguide.com/race/fun-run-for-friends-of-orchard-brae
or check out the Friends of Orchard Brae Facebook page.
Please remember, all participants must be over 12 years of age to enter, and must be accompanied by an adult at all times if under 16. Donations are optional – the event is free to run for everyone!
If we have wheelchair users who wish to participate, an adapted course that avoids the rooty / muddy trail section will be available.
If you shop with Co-op, please consider choosing us as your cause to support when you shop. Join here…
https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/41483
Thanks to everyone that has sent in items for our Clothing Exchange. Please remember that you’re welcome to pop in and browse any time. It’s a great way to save money and help the planet by passing things on that our children and young people have grown out of.
We’ve got clothing in a wider range of sizes now. All sizes of clothing are welcome as our pupils go from age 3-18.
We are pleased to announce that we now have a Uniform Exchange in the front reception area of Orchard Brae. We have a small stock of clothing at present including footwear, trousers, school sweatshirts and polo shirts. We also have some bodysuits in smaller sizes. Free sanitary products will be available at all times.
You are welcome to come in and browse at any time, taking what you need for your child.
Donations of clothing (footwear, outdoor jackets or trousers, school uniform) are welcome and can be sent in with your child – please pop a note into the diary so that we know they are for the Uniform Exchange. Our pupils are aged 3 – 18, so all sizes are welcome including adult sizes.
Let’s help ourselves by saving money and passing on clothes that our children have outgrown, and help the environment too by re-using good clothing.
