Thank You

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We are delighted to reveal our newest additions to the school and we’re sure that they are some familiar faces you will recognise. Welcome to Alvin, Simon, Theodore and Turbo who will all take pride of place in our school.
We would like to say a huge thank you to the Play Specialists at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital for their amazing donation to the school. We know that they will certainly be well loved and enjoyed by all at Orchard Brae.

Aberdeen Reads: Join the Summer Reading Challenge

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Aberdeen City Libraries have announced an exciting new reading challenge for the summer. Starting tomorrow (27th June) and running until 29th August, everyone is welcome to register as an individual or family / group. Register for the challenge online: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=aw-pJD2_E02ip4k2nOs16xSlCSTRm75Nn6t-EpSexzdUN0kySlJWRlpJUEdRSEdZUlhLRTczUDZDTSQlQCN0PWcu

There are 9 reading related challenges and you can choose those that appeal. Full details of all the challenges are on the Aberdeen Reads website:

Click to access Aberdeen%20Reads%20final%20form.pdf

 

There is something for everyone!

 

Some ideas of how you might use the challenge are:

 

Places

Read some of your favourite stories that are set in other countries (real or imaginary). Two of my personal favourites are:

Where The Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak), a lovely picture book for younger readers, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (C S Lewis) for older readers.

 

Get Creative

Across the school we’ve seen lovely photos of our children and young people engaging in Life Skills and Arts & Crafts during our period of remote learning. Why not challenge yourself to bake or cook something new? You might find a no-cook recipe that will encourage even greater independence. Try a new craft project and make something useful, or use some of your old junk to create something inspired by a book. Lots of exciting crafty projects can be done using recycled materials and this helps our environment.

 

Ec0-Friendly

Use recycled materials to create a favourite character or a scene from one of your books. One young man from Room 14 did this previously, creating his favourite scene from Harry Potter.

 

Cover Versions

Some of our Secondary pupils enjoy the Harry Potter books. These are magical stories to escape into and are very enjoyable to read aloud. Why not compare the film and the book to find out which you like best? Horrid Henry is always a favourite and episodes can be watched on TV. Do you like the TV episode or the story best? Popular with many of our younger pupils is Disney Cars or any other Disney movie. Again, see what you like best – the film or the book. There are also lots of E-comics on the library website, including Disney.

 

Favourite Place

Try reading in different places and find out what your favourite place to read is. I like to read in the garden, particularly on a fine day.

 

Let us know how you get on and feel free to share with your teachers the stories that you have enjoyed.

 

 

 

Music With Emmeline – Friday 26th June

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Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Musical Story: The Flying Bath

Today’s musical story is going to be The Flying Bath by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts. During the story the Flying Bath makes many rescues using its water. Emmeline has made her own water instrument to make a water sound effect every time someone is rescued. Do you have something at home that makes a water sound or can you make your own to join in with the story?

Shine: Part 5 – Whole Song

We are going to sing and sign all of Take That’s Shine today. We hope you have enjoyed learning it this week and good luck putting the whole song together!

Information For Parents/Carers

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On Tuesday, John Swinney, the Depute First Minister (DFM), made a statement in Parliament which detailed the ambition of The Scottish Government for all children and young people to return to school full-time in August 2020. The DFM stressed that it is an aim which the Government is now working towards but it “remains conditional and dependent upon ongoing scientific and health advice.”   

 You’ll be aware that all schools were asked to develop a Plan to detail the arrangements made for ‘blended learning’, this plan now acts as our Contingency Plan.  The Plan details all of the arrangements made to keep our children safe and outlines a number of new arrangements to ensure physical distancing.  The Plan also outlines how children will access in-school learning if we are asked to deliver education in this way in August. 

 We now know that this plan will only be enacted if the scientific and health advise determine that it is unsafe for children and staff to return to school full time.  We currently await further guidance in light of the DFM statement yesterday and plan to share contingency arrangements with you as soon as we can check our approach against updated guidance. 

 We still have some work to do to ensure our contingency school recovery plan is finalised and we will be sending out a survey to gather information about transport.  

 The response so far to the introduction of Google Classroom has been very positive and we would like to thank you all for working so hard to enable this to happen. 

 We will be in touch soon with further information regarding our school recovery contingency plans.  

Bedtime Story – Thursday 25th June

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Welcome to tonight’s bedtime story.  Every week night we will bring you a bedtime story for you to watch and listen to.  The stories are read by staff and pupils and we hope you enjoy seeing some familiar faces and hearing some familiar voices.

If you would like to join in and record a new bedtime story to share, please contact Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk for more information.

So get comfy and cuddle up because it’s time for a new Bedtime Story. Tonight’s story is…

Wonky Donkey (written by Craig Smith and illustrated by Katz Cowley)

What do you call a donkey with three legs? A wonky donkey!

Music With Emmeline – Thursday 25th June

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Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Familiar Song: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

Today’s song is Zoom, Zoom, Zoom we’re going to the moon! At the end of the song we are going to countdown from 5 and have a big blast-off into space! Can you blast off from where you are sitting or make your own blast-off noise?

Shine: Part 4 – Verse 3

This is the last part of Shine we will learn before putting the whole song together tomorrow. Here are the words.

Hey, let me know ya (let me know ya)
You’re all that matters to me (you’re all that matters to me)
Hey, let me show ya (let me show ya)
You’re all that matters to me (you’re all that matters to me)

Bedtime Story – Wednesday 24th June

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Welcome to tonight’s bedtime story.  Every week night we will bring you a bedtime story for you to watch and listen to.  The stories are read by staff and pupils and we hope you enjoy seeing some familiar faces and hearing some familiar voices.

If you would like to join in and record a new bedtime story to share, please contact Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk for more information.

So get comfy and cuddle up because it’s time for a new Bedtime Story. Tonight’s story is…

The Crocodile Who Didn’t Like Water (written and illustrated by Gemma Merino)

Everybody knows that crocodiles love water, but this little crocodile is different. He doesn’t like water at all. In fact, he prefers climbing trees! But it can be lonely when you’re the odd one out, so the little crocodile tries his best to change.

Music With Emmeline – Wednesday 24th June

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Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Musical Soundscape: A Bird In The Sky

Today’s soundscape is going to be imagining you are a bird soaring through the sky. We have provided this picture of birds flying in a clear blue sky as a visual stimulus but perhaps you would like to close your eyes and imagine you are a bird flying through the sky. Do you have any toy birds or anything that makes the sound you imagine a bird to make as it flies.

Please relax, listen to the music, look at the picture, are there any birds you can see or hear from your window?

Shine: Part 3 – Verse 2

We are now going to sing and sign the second verse of Shine. The words are;

Stop (stop)
Being so hard on yourself
It’s not good for your health
I know that you can change
So clear your head and come ’round
You only have to open your eyes
You might just get a big surprise
And it may feel good and you might want to smile, smile, smile

Don’t you let your demons pull you down
‘Cause you can have it all, you can have it all.

Bedtime Story – Tuesday 23rd June

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Welcome to tonight’s bedtime story.  Every week night we will bring you a bedtime story for you to watch and listen to.  The stories are read by staff and pupils and we hope you enjoy seeing some familiar faces and hearing some familiar voices.

If you would like to join in and record a new bedtime story to share, please contact Amy Dunnett (Principal Teacher Primary) adunnett@aberdeencity.gov.uk for more information.

So get comfy and cuddle up because it’s time for a new Bedtime Story. Tonight’s story is…

The Paper Dolls (written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb)

A string of paper dolls go on a fantastical adventure through the house and out into the garden. They soon escape the clutches of the toy dinosaur and the snapping jaws of the oven-glove crocodile, but then a very real pair of scissors threatens.

Music With Emmeline – Tuesday 23rd June

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Here are today’s musical activities from Emmeline.

Musical Activity: Simon Says

Today’s musical activity is going to be a game of Musical Simon Says. Can you listen carefully to what Emmeline plays and play it back on an instrument you have at home? Or can you sing back what she plays or clap the rhythm with your hands? Listen carefully!

Shine: Part 2 – Verse 1

Today we are going to learn the first verse of Shine. Here are the words.

You, you’re such a big star to me
You’re everything I wanna be
But you’re stuck in a hole and I want you to get out
I don’t know what there is to see
But I know it’s time for you to leave
We’re all just pushing along
Trying to figure it out, out, out

All your anticipation pulls you down
When you can have it all, you can have it all.