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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.
Room 5 are investigating how the forces of push, pull and twist affect the way in which objects move and change shape. A force is an action that makes something or someone move.
We are learning that a force makes things move and that pushes, pulls and twists are forces.
In Room 5 everyone has lots of fun pushing, pulling and twisting play doh to create interesting creations.
We have also enjoyed experiencing the feel of pushing and pulling using a large stretchy elastic band. This was so much fun for all the boys and staff.
We have been having lots of fun learning through play and this has helped us introduce our new topic by exploring different means of transport through art, songs and sensory play! We have made drawings using cars and trucks of various sizes!
We are also exploring the outdoors and taking advantage of the good weather!
We enjoyed making some ladybug crackers and smelling and touching all the ingredients we used!
One of our classmates had his birthday! We celebrated with him and did some festive games, like individually wrapped pass the parcels!
A few of our pupils and staff are participating in the virtual Kiltwalk at the weekend and we wish them the very best of luck!
To support, the rest of us are doing our own Kiltwalk activities in school this Friday and we would encourage pupils to wear a touch of tartan if they can – anything goes!
We will be dancing and walking on Friday and will share photos of our activities with you next week.
Over the current school year, we have created a number of sensory experiences for our pupils. Many of the sensory play activities we create are in the form of sensory bins.
Shredded paper sensory activity was the cheapest sensory bin we have ever put together. Playing with shredded paper is so much fun. Shredded paper is a tactile sensory learning experience. But what is the point of this apart from making a mess?
The children have learnt to:
relax and enjoy the process rather than the end result
social interaction including co-operative and parallel play
promote gross and fine motor skill development
affirm individuality and build self-esteem as they engage in spontaneous play without pre-set ideas
allow them to explore care free and make a mess
explore messy play without getting dirty (some children don’t like getting dirty)
gain social skills and strategies for sharing space to gain spatial awareness
And we know, the activity doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be FUN!!!
On Friday 23rd April, Orchard Brae will participate in some fun Kiltwalk activities. Pupils and staff will be dancing and walking, along with potentially other fun activities. Pupils can wear something tartan to school that day if they wish. There is no expectation of fundraising or donations.
However, if anyone is keen to fundraise, Friends of Orchard Brae still have Kiltwalk places available for both adults and children to help raise money to further develop our Outdoor Learning Area. Registration for these places is free and if interested please e-mail: friendsoforchardbrae@mail.com
All money raised through this year’s Kiltwalk will be topped up with an additional 50% from The Hunter Foundation.
Orchard Brae are beginning the journey to becoming a Rights Respecting School. In line with our vision and aims (https://orchardbrae.aberdeen.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Orchard-Brae-Visions-and-Aims.pdf), we aspire to be a school where children’s rights are at the heart of our ethos and culture, to improve well-being and to develop every child’s talents and abilities to their full potential. Moving towards summer we will be working to put together an action plan to allow us to progress this work with pupils taking the lead as we go forward, our aim being to gain Rights Respecting School Awards through Unicef UK in recognition of sustained practice in this area.
Unicef UK is the world’s leading organisation working for children and young people and their rights. In 1989, governments across the world agreed that all children have the same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and earlier this week the Scottish Government reached agreement that the UNCRC will become be incorporated in domestic law. These rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and fulfil their potential.
Pupils and staff will learn about children’s rights, with staff supporting children to access their rights every day. Rights and respect will be modeled in all relationships, supporting our children in developing their awareness of good citizenship.
We really hope that you will be able to support our school on the journey towards becoming a Unicef UK Rights Respecting School. Further information sessions will be scheduled for parents and carers next term.
A user friendly version of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3rYe27f
Thanks to Room 19 for getting Food Waste Week off to a flying start. Having enjoyed a healthy vegetable snack, they went on to make models using their peelings and offcuts. A great effort!
Please share anything you do for Food Waste Week in the Google Classroom, ‘Whole School Events’.
Pupils and Staff at Orchard Brae are always doing their bit for the environment reducing food waste, using the green food compost caddy or creative sensory play. But there is always more we can do. Next week, every day on our WHOLE SCHOOL EVENTS Google Classroom there will be ideas, recipes, videos, crafts, music and science activities for you to explore. Please share your favourite recipes or lifehacks on the Google Classroom or directly with your child’s teacher. Room 19 will then compile these for everyone to enjoy.
Huge thanks to Room 19 for launching our Food Waste Week at the Secondary Assembly on Friday. It was really informative and you all did a great job in presenting and sharing your ideas!
It has been a very busy few weeks in the Primary Department.
Last week saw staff busy participating in a range of In-Service training and it was wonderful for all of our staff to be able to welcome our Primary 1, 2 and 3 pupils back to school this week.
However, there has still been lots of learning taking place at home over the last two weeks and we are delighted to share some of what you have been up to!
Snowy Fun
Many of you continued to make the most of enjoying the snow while it was still here. You continued to explore the snow and cold weather using your senses and even participated in some chilly science, learning what happens when you blow bubbles in the cold weather and creating your own exploding snow volcano!
Outdoor Learning
Even once the snow disappeared there was lots of learning taking place outdoors.
You participated in different types of exercise, feeling the effects it had on your body.
One pupil even took part in a horse riding lesson, allowing him to develop his balance and core strength.
You also enjoyed making some new friends!
Life Skills
You have also been busy developing your personal care and life skills ver the last two weeks. Some of you sat patiently to get some new haircuts and we think you look amazing!
Last week, we celebrated pancake day and we hope that you had fun making pancakes and choosing your favourite toppings. You’ve also been busy following other recipes, shopping for ingredients and making some delicious treats for yourselves and your families to enjoy.
Working Hard
You’ve all been busy working hard at both home and school, learning new things and consolidating what you’ve already learned.
In school, some pupils were learning all about Chinese New Year through the exploration of different props and using masks of different animals to retell the story behind this celebration.
At home, you’ve been practicing and developing lots of skills, from fine motor skills through art and writing tasks, to turn taking and patience during games and your awareness of time and weather through circle time routines.
And Finally…
We love seeing what you have been up to at home and school, but it is always wonderful to see how much you enjoy spending time together with the important people in your life!
We have big news this week! Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will have a LIVE PE lesson. To join us all you need to do is to check the ‘PE at Home’ class on Wednesday at 2 pm and there will be a link for the ‘Meet’.
You will need: comfy clothes and a willingness to have fun!
Amanda and Salvi look forward to seeing you!
The PE at home classroom on Google is updated weekly and the team are doing a great job in providing a range of activities to suit pupils of all abilities. These include Dance, Boccia, Orienteering, Scavenger Hunts (this week’s is a lovely sensory, texture hunt) and our regular PE with Salvi and Amanda, ably supported by our own Young Leaders in school.
Please ask your child’s class teacher for a link if you are not in the PE at Home classroom.
