Category: Primary

 

Broad General Education

The Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is Scotland’s education framework for ALL learners; its main aim is to enable children and young people to develop the four capacities; successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. In Orchard Brae School each learner is enabled to become as independent as possible, developing skills for life, learning, leisure and where appropriate work. Our curriculum offer is personalised to each pupil throughout their learning journey, as we maintain a focus on positive future destinations.

Our learners in P1 – S3 work within Broad General Education (BGE) at a level and pace that is suited to their individualised needs.  Personalised targets focus core skill development within Literacy and Communication, Numeracy and Health and Well Being.  The ethos and life of the school community is structured to enable pupils to learn and practise life skills as part of their daily routines. Through interdisciplinary approaches and specialist courses, we offer real life learning contexts, deepening and practicing knowledge and skills within Expressive Arts, RME, Science, PE, Technologies and Social Studies.  Interdisciplinary learning, through ‘Our world’ contexts over a 5 year cycle, facilitates pupils’ exploration, experience and learning which is practiced within community contexts, ensuring confidence and success is generalised and secure.  Family learning is a vital part of our pupils’ success and, along with our termly learning challenges, we offer a range of workshops, activity nights and holiday schemes for families. Achievement and success is recognised and celebrated.

Easter Activities

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This is a list of Easter Activities ideas, which can be adapted to your child’s needs.  They are suitable for the whole family.  Remember to take time to enjoy the sounds, smells, sensations as you go

 

  1. Parachute games – get some small teddies or balls and a blanket. Everyone holds the blanket and shakes, quickly, slowly, in time with a song, can you make the toys bounce or roll towards people

 

  1. Decorate boiled eggs – poster paint or felt tips or cut out bits of coloured paper and stick them on

 

  1. Rolling eggs – in whatever outdoor space you have or take them on your daily walk/jog

 

  1. Upcycle some eggs – use cardboard from the recycling bin like a cereal box or pizza box, open it out and paint/draw / scribble inside, before cutting it into an egg shape. You might want to stick it in your window for others to see.  Or you might want to do lots and have an egg hunt in your house

 

  1. Bunny hop races – your garden who can go fastest / furthest / highest

 

  1. Egg and spoon race – use a ball and soup ladel if you are worried about the mess

 

  1. Easter Songs – have an old fashioned singsong with Easter/animal theme – e.g. Peter Rabbit’s got a fly upon his nose. Why not learn the Makaton versionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iIRpmxkmGE

 

  1. Easter Movie

 

  1. Edible Bird’s nests – make chocolate and cereal birds nests https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/chocolate-rice-crispy-cakes.html

 

  1. Birds nests – collect twigs when out on your walk, when you get home use an old container e.g. margarine tub, snap the twigs into small pieces, enjoy the feel and sound they make. Maybe make a Bird from a pine cone (draw eyes and wings on paper and stick them on) or maybe you will be lucky enough to find feathers on your walk.

 

  1. Easter colouring online – https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/peter-rabbit-make-a-peter-picture?collection=creative-play-for-kids

 

  1. Peter Rabbit Masks – https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/cbeebies-house-lily-bobtail-mask

 

  1. Cut out a large egg shape from old cardboard and use coloured paper or clean food wrappers cut up into pieces to make a collage’s Easter egg, if its big all the siblings can do it at the same time

 

  1. Decorate some biscuits – some supermarkets sell gingerbread kits to decorate.  But Digestives and shortbread work just as well!

 

15. Activity Village have a range of free activity packs for different age ranges including Easter and Spring activities https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/school-closures

(Normally a subscription is necessary)

 

16. Stop and listen to the birds on your walk – they are particularly noisy at this time of year

 

17. Spot the spring flowers on your daily walk – notice the shape, smell, size colour, number of them.  Are they Daffodils or crocuses or Tulips

 

18. Have an Easter egg hunt, indoors or out in the garden.

 

For older students with SUPERVISION

19. Boil eggs

20. Help prepare the Easter meal

21. Toast and spread hot cross buns

Home Learning: Secondary Department

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We hope you’re all fit and well, managing to find your new ‘normal’ during these difficult times.

Our teachers are working hard to try to support you and your child in learning at home. Please check your e-mail as ideas will be popping into your Inbox regularly. These e-mails are intended to give suggestions of activities that might help to fill your day. There is no expectation that things must be done and we most certainly do not wish to add additional stress to your family life! Dip in and out of learning as you feel appropriate and do let teachers know if there’s anything you’ve found particularly useful.

We would be very grateful if you would maintain contact with your child’s class teacher during this period of closure to let us know that you’re safe and well. If we can support in any way, please do let us know.

Healthy regards,

Clare

Playdough Recipe

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Thanks to Room 12 for sharing their playdough recipe. This works well and can provide a wonderful sensory experience when different scents and colours are added to the mixture. Please keep an eye on your children when they’re using playdough as it’s not ideal for eating due to the high salt content.

 

Playdough Recipe

 

3 cups plain flour

1 ½ cups salt

3 tablespoons oil (e.g. vegetable)

6 teaspoons cream of tartar

3 cups of water

Food colouring/glitter/scents e.g. ginger, peppermint, mixed spice

 

I normally half these measurements and that makes a decent sized amount.

If you’re making more than one batch at a time, start with whatever is the lightest colour.

 

Slow cook altogether in a pan. Keep stirring.

When it starts to stick to the bottom, work it a little longer.

Remove from pan and work the dough with hands.

Wrap in cling film or put in a tub.

This will keep in the fridge for weeks.

Get Active!

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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!

If you would like to share your photos, videos or comments with our school community, please email:

Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary)

adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Scavenger Hunts:

The Primary Playground website has some good, ready made ideas for different themed scavenger hunts.  You can find out more at https://primaryplayground.net/scavenger-hunts/

Story Of The Week: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

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Our Story Of the Week is ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ by Ronda and David Armitage.  In this story, Mr. Grinling, the lighthouse keeper, finds himself in a disagreement with some ravenous seagulls. See how he comes out on top with a little help from Mrs. Grinling.

You can read and listen along to the story at:

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

There are also activities which you can complete each day which cover a range of curricular areas.  We would love to know how you get on and if you would like to share you photos, videos or comments with our school community, please email:

Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary)

adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Template For Lighthouse:

Story Word Mat

3 Dimensional Lighthouse Model

**Please note that these additional resources can also be downloaded from www.twinkl.co.uk**

You can currently join for free using the code UKTWINKLHELPS.

 

PE with Hannah: Joe Wicks Adapted Sessions

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We’ve had a message that Bumble Bee Physio (find them on Facebook) are doing adapted sessions of the popular Joe Wicks PE. There’s a session at 11 am on Tuesday that may be worth tuning into. If 11 am doesn’t work, please check their Facebook page later in the day as live videos stay up.

The sessions will include options for lying, sitting and supported standing. Perhaps if you have other children at home they could also join in and support their brothers and sisters. Let us know how you get on.

Storytime: Elevenses with David Walliams

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You’re never too old to enjoy a story! Many of our senior classes enjoy listening to stories and in these uncertain times all of us (adults too) can benefit from a bit of escapism! Please tune in daily to listen to author David Walliams sharing stories. While stories are shared at 11 am, they can be accessed throughout the day.  The link to his website is:

Home

Animal Discovery: Live Webcams

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Some of our pupils show an interest in animals and nature. There are Live Webcams at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park that the children may enjoy.

https://www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk/webcams (Highland Wildlife Park)

https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/webcams/ (Edinburgh Zoo)

For our Secondary pupils, the National Geographic Kids website can provide more information. Although not all pupils can access it fully independently, there are pictures to look at and discuss, and some interesting video clips to watch:

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/category/discover/

Have a look and find out what your favourite animals are.

 

 

Fun Activities In Room 10

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These are some of the activities Class 10 have taken part in recently. We have enjoyed listening to the guitar-playing of one of our teachers, and having the opportunity to get up close when an instrument is being played, and to touch and to explore as well as listen to it.

We have enjoyed a brief spell of sunshine in the afternoon now that the weather is beginning to improve and have puddled with our feet in paint, looking at the marks we have made. We really enjoyed that.  It was messy and squishy.

We have enjoyed pouring between tins and pots and learning about ‘empty’ and ‘full’ in our maths lessons.

We are doing well at snack times, requesting our food nicely and showing our lovely manners. We all enjoy each other’s company in class 10 and particularly enjoy our sociable activities.

Sport Relief 2020

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Many thanks to Amanda, Salvi, Sam and Scott for organising fun activities for us all to join in with to support Sport Relief 2020. We kicked off the morning with a select band signing up to Run a Mile. Thanks to Room 19 for braving the cold throughout our challenge, the spectators that cheered us on from the warmth of the classrooms and those that came out for playtime, supporting with cheers as we ran our loops. Each of us did 5 loops of the playground in total.

At lunchtime we enjoyed dance sessions with Sam. We all had lots of fun!

Finally, the whole school joined in for the afternoon to Walk a Mile with a Smile. We were grateful that the sun came out and warmed up the playground nicely for us. We also had some special visitors – the sumos!

Our day was just for fun, but we also received generous donations towards Sport Relief, raising a total of £165! Well done to everyone for taking part!