Category: Secondary Department

Welcome to the Secondary Department

The secondary department has 8 classes and pupils follow the principles of Curriculum for Excellence: a broad general education in S1-S3 and the Senior Phase in S4- S6.   The curriculum is varied, relevant, challenging, enjoyable and adapted to meet our pupil’s individual needs.  Pupils also visit a range of specialists, have access to relevant therapeutic inputs and participate in wider community events.

Christmas Fair: 30th November 2019

  By , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Room 12 are holding another doll raffle, to be drawn at the Christmas Fair on 30th November 2019, all proceeds to Orchard Brae.

Included in the prize is a beautiful wicker basket bed, bedding, the doll and several outfits – from a bride’s dress, to clown’s outfit to pyjamas and matching dressing gown and more. Doll donated and bedding and outfits beautifully made by the mum of one of Room 12’s class teachers.

Tickets to win all this are £1! Come and see us at the fair to buy your ticket!

There will also be many dolly clothes at our stall available to buy separately. These are unique, handmade and better than any dolls clothes you’ll see in the shops!

Making Playdough

  By , ,

Room 17 had a lovely sensory experience, making cinnamon playdough. Pupils enjoyed mixing the ingredients and playing with the finished playdough. One of us really liked smelling the cinnamon!

Home Economics with Room 13

  By , , ,

This week’s Home Economics lesson was very special for us in Room 13. It was the first time that all our students were able to attend a baking session – Altogether!

We all made porridge with Liz and then we all tasted our final results!

Some of us, mentioning no names, ate all our porridge! Very tasty too, I may add!

And not a sign of Goldilocks either!

 

Outdoor Learning: Transforming our outdoor learning space

  By , , , , ,

Outdoor Learning space

Last term we asked the council to come and cut down the weeds, to make an area where we can set up outdoor learning.  They then delivered a large load of bark, which the pupils helped to take down to the newly cleared area.  This area will now be developed over winter, to have bug hotels and hedgehog houses.

 

Making animals with natural materials

We used beech nuts and twigs to make scary spiders for Halloween.  We used string to make the web, and then added our spiders.

 

Halloween Fun at the Pupil Council Disco

  By , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The pupil council decided they wanted a Halloween disco and a pumpkin carving competition on Halloween. We enjoyed a whole school disco, with all the tunes being selected in advance by the pupils.  There were lots of fantastic costumes too.

Room 12 Experience Halloween

  By , ,

Room 12 have enjoyed celebrating Halloween. We have explored the insides of pumpkin, tolerating and experiencing the different textures, the bright colour and the smell.

We used paint to decorate our pumpkin, mixing the colours and using different sponges and brushes to create texture and colour.

We experienced the school Halloween disco. Some of us chose to dress up, whilst others enjoyed the lights and music.  There was a fun atmosphere.

Room 16 Make Bird Feeders

  By , , ,

In October we made eco bird feeders, by coating pine cones in bird seed. It was a sticky job and took a lot of concentration.  The next day we hung some in the school playground and took the rest to hang up at the duck pond.  We then gave the leftover bird seed to the ducks.

A Busy Term in Room 15

  By , , , , , ,

This has been a busy term in Room 15, with lots of new experiences!

We have lots of fun with messy learning in Room 15. In our Secondary Department, all S1-S3 pupils complete the ASDAN New Horizons course – we have begun with building our communication of key information about ourselves.  We have hidden under blankets and revealed ourselves when our name is called (activating a switch talker to announce “I’m here!”), we have practiced our Makaton signs for our names (and those of our friends) and (best of all!) located our photos in sensory resources and written our names in mixed media.

We’ve also introduced bucket time to Room 15. This activity looks to build focused attention – and it seems we’re more focused the messier it gets!  We have used bucket time to build our spontaneous communication too – ready, steady and … “go!”

We have been using intensive interaction to build our communication skills in a variety of different contexts – we’re speaking and using more signs since the start of the year already!

We have been working a lot on life skills, particularly road safety. We use our eyes and ears to look out for traffic, and use our communication devices to say when to stop and when to go.

We have also begun to explore using talking mats to share our thoughts about our day – what we liked, what we didn’t like, and what we’re not sure about. On the whole, we’re liking our school day!

Work Experience in Room 19

  By , ,

Room 19 follow a very practical programme to develop life skills and independence. This term we have young people out and about in school and the community on work placements. We are enjoying these opportunities and they are helping us to develop our confidence and social skills.

Rotary Shoebox Appeal 2019

  By , , ,

As a school we feel that it is very important for our students to support others within the wider community and in some cases, some of the most deprived countries in the world.  Following on from this, the staff and students in Howes Hoose are organising the Rotary Shoebox Appeal this year.

You do not have to send in any money and we are not asking for families to fill a shoebox but rather send in donations from the list shown below.   This will allow our students to organise and fill the shoeboxes in school.  We have found in previous years that the best way is to buy a multi-pack of an item and we will divide these up between boxes.  The items do not have to be expensive and could be things you have at home which you no longer want, so long as they are in good condition.

If you could please send donations in by Friday 1st November to allow the students time to pack them up ready for collection on the 8th November so they can be distributed in time for Christmas.

Thank you once again for your amazing support.