Category: News

Mental Health And Wellbeing

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As we progress through another lockdown period, it is more important than ever to ensure we look after our own mental health and wellbeing.

On the school website you will find a variety of links to different resources to support the health and wellbeing of our parents, pupils and staff.

Wellbeing Supports For Parents, Pupils And Staff – Orchard Brae School

NHS Grampian have also launched a Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing Support page full of advice and signposts on where you can seek support and advice.

Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing Support (nhsgrampian.org)

This includes links to:

  • Grampian Coronavirus Assistance Hub who can be contacted on 0808 1963384 for a range of support. This service is available Mon to Fri 9am – 5pm. At any other time you can get lots of advice and support on the website www.gcah.org.uk
  • Who Cares? Scotland who have set up a 7 day helpline to support Care Experienced people during Covid-19.  The Helpline is open from 10-6 Monday to Friday and 10-4 Saturday and Sunday. The numbers are 07756 047389 or 07545 337152. An experienced member of our team will take the call as a first responder and then provide immediate support or pass information on to our local team to provide additional/ongoing support. More information can be found on the Who Cares? Website.
  • Self referral guidance for the Grampian Psychological Resilience Hub, who can offer additional support with your own mental health or that of a family member. How do you self-refer to the Psychological Resilience Hub? (nhsgrampian.org)

For staff, our remember that our Employee Assistance Programme providers, Time for Talking, are also available 365 days per year, 7 days per week, 24 hours a day if you need them.  They have also produced some really helpful podcasts for us, to explore how we can deal with some of the challenges we now all face. 

Happy Holidays From Orchard Brae

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We would like to wish all of our pupils, families and colleagues a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We will continue to post our festive advent calendar right up to the big day but until then here is a wee snapshot of some of the festive things that have been happening in school over the last few weeks.

Enjoy the holidays and we will see you all in 2021!

Christmas Jumper Day

We celebrated Christmas Jumper Day in school last Friday but there have been lots of festive outfits on display this week too!

Santa’s Grotto

We’ve also had a very special visitor in school this week who has been busy handing out gifts to all the pupils. It was also a wonderful opportunity for pupils at home to join in with their classmates and share in the excitement!

Class Activities

There has also been lots of fun in classes too! We’ve had everything from snow exploration, decorating gingerbread houses, pyjama parties, Christmas crafts, mischievous elves and much much more!

Parties

And what would Christmas be without a party! A massive thank you the MOVE and PE teams for organising and hosting these. It certainly looks like everyone had a fantastic time!

Connecting Scotland Devices

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Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative programme set up in response to coronavirus, which aims to get every citizen in Scotland online. It provides iPads, Chromebooks and support to develop digital skills for people who digitally excluded and on low incomes.

Supported by this initiative, SHMU has Chromebooks, iPads, and MiFi devices available through Phase 1 of Connecting Scotland that need to be in their new homes by the end of the year.

Phase 1 Criteria

Devices are available for those:

  • In a low-income household
  • Who have no internet (broadband or cable) AND/OR no device (they can have a mobile)
  • Who were previously under the shielding group or have a significant health condition (eligible for flu jab and pregnant included, full list of medical criteria can be provided on request)

If you or anyone you support fits the criteria, please get in touch with Kirsteen at SHMU – kirsteen.caldwell@shmu.org or 07592064430.

Festive Family Fun

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Rainbow Robin Abdn is a Facebook page run by the Family Learning Team and the Creative Learning Team at Aberdeen City Council.

Rainbow Robin Abdn | Facebook

The page is a one stop shop for all your family festive activities as well as highlighting what is happening around the city. There you will find lots of activities, videos and challenges that will keep you busy throughout the 12 days of Christmas!

You can join in the fun by displaying this robin in your window this winter. You can download it from below or via the council website:

Rainbow Robin | Aberdeen City Council

Colour it in, or be crafty using whatever you have to hand to create your own unique Robin.

Christmas Wellbeing For Staff

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Aberdeen City Council have published a Christmas Wellbeing for Staff. This Sway document includes:

  • SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) – 5 ways to Christmas Wellbeing
  • Staff within the city sharing their take on health and wellbeing
  • Directions to the ACC@Christmas page
  • Discounts on offer to teaching staff to help with that ever growing shopping list
  • A message from Eleanor Sheppard, Chief Education Officer
  • Time for Talking update
  • A link to our EP hub 

We hope you find this useful, please use the following link:

Christmas Wellbeing for Staff – new Sway (sharepoint.com)

It can also be accessed via the Wellbeing Supports For Parents, Pupils And Staff page of the website:

Wellbeing Supports For Parents, Pupils And Staff – Orchard Brae School

Holiday Support

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Aberdeen City Council have compiled a list of supports and services available over the Christmas period, should you or your family need help. This includes:

  • Food Banks and Food Parcels
  • Free School Meals
  • Supermarket Offers
  • Financial Advice
  • GP and Pharmacy Contacts
  • Mental Health Support

Christmas Countdown

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One one more day until the launch of the the Orchard Brae Advent Calendar.

Starting tomorrow, our extra special advent calendar will help to get you in the festive spirit! Each day in the run up Christmas will feature two special treats from pupils and staff at the school.

This will be shared both on the website and our Facebook page, so get ready to join in the festive fun!!!