Room 18 Staff Team
Teacher:
EYP:
PSA:
Room 18 has been enjoying PE outside this term. We have been developing our ball and racquet skills by performing various drills. Our tennis skills are developing nicely.
Last year, Room 19 entered the ‘My Place Photography Competition’. Pupils were encouraged through the competition to explore their surroundings and share photographs. Room 19’s photos are being displaying in a public exhibition, you can see their photos here:
https://myplacescotland.org.uk/mpp-gallery/?ag=secondary&ye=2021&mi=225
The group took photos in school and out in the community using iPads.
I am sure you will agree there are some fantastic photos in the group.
Well done to all
We have had a very busy start to the term. Some of our favourite activities have included rounders outside, floating and sinking, Boccia and lots of dancing! We have been watching some of the different sports in the Paralympics and made figures out of tinfoil to make a Paralympic display.
Rooms 18, 19 and Howes Hoose celebreated our leavers’ with a summer barbecue in the Howes Hoose garden. We had a great time eating sausages and burgers and we even ate some salad! A lovely way to send off the young people who are leaving us at the end of the week. We had lots of fun!
Since we have returned to school Room 18 have been focusing on life skills and getting our S6 leavers ready for transition onto their post-school destination. Everyone has taken part in making snack for the whole class, emptying the bins, washing dishes and keeping our room clean.
Well done Room 18!
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.
Burns Celebrations to start the week
We’ve had another busy week of remote learning. Starting on Monday with our whole school Burns Day Celebration, the week was started with great enthusiasm!
Daily Circle Time
To keep our routine going, many classes continue to do daily circle time. Some of our learners have their own circle time packs at home to support the familiar routine, others use the class slides to provide structure. It’s great to receive feedback on how our learners are getting on: ‘He thoroughly enjoys circle time.’
For one young man, circle time is also an opportunity to practise his bench sitting.
Personal Independence and Life Skills
We continue to develop independence in personal care. Staff take time to support us in doing things for ourselves. Handwashing is very important during a pandemic!
We’ve been cooking and baking. There was some delicious French Onion Soup on offer this week and beautiful golden shortbread. Look out Masterchef, here we come!
Expressive Arts
We enjoyed art, PE, drumming and music through Makaton Choir. A very detailed drawing was done to decorate a drum for a music session with Keith – the drawing is of a hunter being chased by an African lady that is protecting the animals!
We also took time to relax, both indoors and out.
Working Hard
We worked hard on a range of learning activities and tasks, some online and some more practical.
One of our senior pupils made an amazing cat house as part of her SQA work. I think you’ll agree, this is for one very lucky cat!
Assembly
Finally, to round off the week we had an Assembly. We talked about mental health and the theme ‘Express Yourself’. Staff shared the ways that they express themselves and show that they’re unique. The slides are available to view in the Google Assembly classroom for anyone that was unable to join us. Our challenge for the next assembly on 12th February is to share a photo of us doing something that we enjoy – anything goes!
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks for both staff and pupils in our Secondary Department. With a new round of remote learning we’ve slipped back into things a little easier. We’ve got lots of activities on offer within our Google Classrooms and we’re seeing more pupils engaging with this. Circle time and stories are proving popular and it’s great to see our young people getting involved in helping around the home.
Although we have some sessions ‘live’, such as Makaton Choir (every Monday at 2 pm) and Assembly (1:30 pm on Friday 29th January), other activities are in the form of pre-recorded video or materials that can be accessed at a time of your convenience. We do appreciate that family life is busy, everyone juggling remote learner(s) with other commitments, so we invite you dip in and out when it suits your schedule.
Here are a few photos from our remote learning over the last couple of weeks. If you’d like your child to be featured, please let the class teacher know that you’re happy for your photographs to be shared.
We’re learning in everything we do. Please ask your class teachers if you need any further support.
Tomorrow (14th January) we will be having our first Secondary Assembly of the New Year. Our assemblies have been virtual since our return after the initial lockdown due to having to restrict the numbers for gatherings and our young people have responded well to this.
Tomorrow we would like to invite both our remote learners and those staff and pupils in school to join us. If you have not yet signed up, please do so by accepting the invitation sent via Google Classroom. If you are having any issue, please contact the Class Teacher for further support.
The link will go ‘live’ in Assembly Classroom a few minutes before we start. I hope you can come along!
Orchard Brae Advent Calendar: Days 11 and 12
Welcome to the next instalment of the Orchard Brae Advent Calendar. Today we bring you two festive treats for Days 11 and 12.
For Day 11, Room 18 have been and busy making their own chefs hats in preparation for ‘I Know A Turkey’.
For Day 12, Room 8 got on their best party clothes in order to bring you a wonderful Christmas Waltz.
