Howes Hoose go swimming at Knockburn Loch

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The pupils in Howes Hoose enjoyed a day out at Knockburn Loch, open–water swimming. The weather was kind to us but the water was still a little chilly!! We had on wet-suits to keep us warm and buoyancy aids to keep us afloat! We swam all the way around the Loch, 850 metres. It was an amazing experience, “ the best day of my life so far,” according to one young man.

The facilities at Knockburn are excellent and I am sure we will be visiting again soon to take advantage of all the other activities on offer, maybe paddle boarding next. Watch this space!

Looking Back And Moving Forward With Room 8

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The beginning of summer is upon us! As we head into the final stretches of the school year, everyone should take time to reflect on the highs and lows of the year. What worked? What flopped? How can you improve for next year? What from your old job will you bring to your new one? What must you definitely leave behind?

However, when we take time to reflect on our year and take stock of how we’ve grown and changed, we are more able to acknowledge the gifts of this passage and harvest our own learning for the future.

Let’s find out together our best moments.

Potted Sports

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Everyone enjoyed the Potted Sports organised by our PE Department on Wednesday. Thank you to everyone involved for the hard work that went into this, including our Howes Hoose pupils who supported at the stations. We all had a great time moving around in our class groups, finishing up with a running ‘marathon’ for any Secondary pupils wishing to participate. They were well supported by those opting to spectate.

Makaton Choir Workshop

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On Tuesday, our Makaton Choir hosted some very special guests in school as part of a choir workshop organised by our Emmeline, our music therapist.

The two choirs that visited us were ‘The Kitty Choir’ from Kittybrewster Primary School and ‘Singing Hands’, an Aberdeen based BSL signing (British Sign Language)  choir.  We all had a wonderful afternoon sharing our different approaches to choir.

The Orchard Brae Makaton Choir performed “Happy” and “Summer Holiday”, Singing Hands performed “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” and “Give Me Sunshine” and The Kitty Choir performed “Sing”.

The three choirs then collaborated and sang our Makaton signed version of “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” alongside the BSL version.  It was very interesting to see the differences and similarities between Makaton and BSL.  We then rounded of the afternoon by all learning the Makaton signs for “Shotgun!”

Everyone had a wonderful afternoon and Scott, the hearing dog was a big hit with all of the pupils!  It was wonderful to have the opportunity to share our learning and learn from others too.

Room 18 and Howes Hoose at Bendrigg

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A combination of Room 18 and Howes Hoose pupils recently went to Bendrigg in the Lake District. They all had a fantastic time, practising their independent living skills and taking part in a wide range of outdoor activities including caving, canoeing, zip sliding and climbing. We did ourselves proud – staff included – pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones and trying new activities. Quote of the week: “it’s been nice knowing you,” as one young man zipped off down the slide!

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Final Expedition at Wiston Lodge

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The pupils from Howes Hoose successfully completed their final expedition for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. They spent 2 days at Wiston Lodge set in the beautiful countryside beside Biggar,  staying in log cabins which were warm and comfortable. Just what they needed after spending lots of time outdoors in the lovely Scottish Summer weather! There was also a kitchen cabin where the young people prepared their own breakfast and packed lunches, and this cabin was used to chill in their PJs with a hot chocolate before bed.

All the pupils participated fully in all the activities despite the cold and damp weather. They cooked a meal for themselves outside on the first night and walked over 4 kilometres through the hills the following day. Thankfully the torrential rain forecast passed by and, although not sunny, it was dry. Everyone, especially Al, our D of E Assessor, was pleased with the way the pupils all worked as a team, helping each other over fences and gates, guarding against cows and generally keeping each other going. It was a brilliant trip.

Pupils and staff also enjoyed some outdoor activity around the Lodge, walking the trails and practising their route finding skills using the landmarks we’d seen. The second day saw us treated to a cooked dinner, with breakfast in the Lodge at the end of our stay.

The completion of the expedition, added to the other sections of the Duke of Edinburgh programme –fundraising, volunteering and learning a physical skill – means that all the “Howes Hoose Heroes” have now achieved the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. Huge congratulations to them all and a special thank you to the PSA staff and Toby from D of E who supported them throughout the training and expeditions.

Orchard Brae Connect Meeting

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The Orchard Brae Connect meeting due to be held at the school on Wednesday 26th June at 6.45pm has been postponed.

The meeting has been rescheduled for the following week and will be held on Tuesday 2nd July at 6.30pm.