Category: Senior phase

Senior Phase is for pupils in S4-S6 and this is when we see the introduction of SQA qualifications, work experience and have a greater focus on life skills to support our pupils for leaving school and into positive destinations. We offer further opportunities such as Duke of Edinburgh and residential trips which allow all pupils to access activities that may be difficult for them and their families to access otherwise.

National Junior Championship Swimming at Tollcross

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Four members of Howes Hoose represented the school at the National Junior Championships for swimmers with a learning disability. These championships took place at the Tollcross Aquatics Centre in Glasgow. We had competitors in different races, including 25 metre backstroke, 50 metre breaststroke, and 25 metre breaststroke. We were also delighted to bump into our old PE teacher, there with pupils from his new school. Well done to everyone that competed!

 

Making Playdough

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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!

Outdoor Learning: Transforming our outdoor learning space

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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

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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.

Work Experience in Room 19

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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.

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On Monday Room 18 and some friends from Room 16 and 19 watched Scotland play Samoa in the Rugby World Cup. The World Cup is being held in Japan. We learned about Japan in Drama with Sam. Scotland scored lots of tries and won the match! We enjoyed watching the game.

 

Macmillan Coffee Afternoon

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Howes Hoose, supported by their friends from Room 19, led a very successful coffee afternoon today. Well done to all of the pupils and staff involved in making this such a successful event, and thank you to everyone that came along to join in the fun and support Macmillan Cancer Support. Our pupils were very busy throughout the afternoon, setting up, keeping the tables cleared, and topping up the cups. Hopefully they all had time to have a chat with their guests too!

Thank you for joining us and making our afternoon such a success!

Norma Buist Swimming Gala

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Our senior pupils had a fantastic day at the swimming gala! We are very proud of them all for working hard to achieve the times required to represent Orchard Brae at the gala, and for swimming their best during their events.

They returned to school with a number of achievements. For some, it was their first gala and they swam brilliantly, doing their very best for the occasion. Another pupil, also at their first gala, attempted to compete but found the water was too cold … maybe next year.

Those fortunate enough to win medals came away with quite a haul between them:

Bronze Medal for 25 m Backstroke for a pupil competing in their first gala;

Gold Medal 25 m Backstroke for one of our more accomplished swimmers;

Gold Medal 25 m Front Crawl for a youngster at their first gala;

3 Gold Medals for 25 m Front Crawl, Backstroke and Breaststroke, again for a more experienced competitor;

and finally, 3 Gold Medals for 50 m Front Crawl, Backstroke and Breaststroke for an advanced swimmer.

Congratulations to each and every one of our swimmers for going to the gala and competing at a high level! You were all stars!

 

 

Room 19: A New Class!

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This year we have a new class, Room 19. In Room 19 we are Senior Phase pupils (S4-6) and we are following a timetable that will allow us to progress on to the learning experiences offered in Howes Hoose, our Leavers Class.

Our learning focuses on developing independence and life skills. In our morning meeting, we chat about our day and our targets. We also practise life skills through setting the table, preparing snacks and tidying up. We take turns following a rota for chores.

We are often out and about in and around school. Our literacy and communication skills are being developed through our newspaper, the Haddo Herald, a joint venture with Howes Hoose. Some of us write the news and we use it to practise talking to others and asking questions. Going around classes to deliver the paper helps us to communicate with less familiar people and to practise using equipment such as our talkers.

Our numeracy skills are developed through wider learning opportunities such as our sandwich enterprise. We go shopping for ingredients and this lets us practise our money skills, as does managing our budget and payments. We also work on time and think about this in relation to our daily routines.

Some of us are also doing work experience this year. This begins in school with opportunities such as supporting younger pupils in Outdoor Education. We also have a young man working regularly in the school kitchen, preparing food and doing dishes and we have young people doing grass cutting, gardening and working in community centres and shops.

We think it will be a good year in Room 19!