Education & Children’s Services

King Edward School The aim of the competition was to collect the greatest weight of recycled clothing The Eco Committee, pupils and staff at etc. per pupil. The school achieved this King Edward Primary School were by gathering a staggering 27.9 kg per delighted to be awarded their Fourth child being collected. Most of the £2,000 Green Flag. The Eco Committee have prize money will go towards the schools worked hard over the last couple of years fabulous new outdoor classroom. The on various projects to regain our Eco school’s Parent Council are well on their status. The Eco School involve the whole way to raising the £21,500 needed to school community in their projects – the purchase and install the outdoor main ones being the cleaning up of a classroom. local picnic spot, putting up Bat Boxes in the surrounding countryside and upgrading the flower planters in our school grounds with the help of our parents. As well as these bigger projects the Eco Committee regularly do the school recycling, put on Assemblies and plan and organise fundraising or awareness raising activities.

Banff Transition Film Club

The transition from Primary to Secondary school is an exciting step for most young people, but for many it can be very scary and daunting. Easing this transition is an

important focus for Community Learning Lairhillock School and Development Staff who work closely

with both the Secondary and Primary The school took part in a competition with Schools in the network to support Young Rag Bag, a clothing recycling company People take this big step. who recycle poorer quality items and send the better quality items to Africa.

Over the 6 weeks, the young people grow in self-confidence and get to know Banff CLD Staff offer P7 pupils the Academy Staff and the Academy Campus chance to take part in a Film-making in a ‘fun’ way. Parents also report how project. Small groups of four pupils from the confidence of their children has grown the cluster primaries participate in a 6 and that they are now much happier week project where they are taken one about going to Academy next year. day a week after school to visit . Here, they take part in a The project focuses on creative activity number of activities which includes writing and celebrating achievement as a way of the script for a film in which they each building confidence in the transition from took on roles including producing, Primary to Secondary School. All young directing, filming, acting and editing. people who take part receive a Dynamic Youth Award.

Banchory Primary School

Won the Drumoak Shield at the annual Deeside Primary Schools badminton competition last weekend. As well as winning the school shield, Banchory Primary had success in the boys’ singles, taking the top 3 positions 1st Rafal Wilowski, 2nd Andrew Ewart (his first At the end of the 6 weeks, each small badminton tournament), 3rd Tom Findlay group has made a film from a different genre that they have chosen. Although the films are all very different, they all include visiting Banff Academy, exploring the campus and meeting members of Academy staff.

At the end of term, “The Banff Oscars” is held at the Academy. Young people bring their parents and Academy and CLD Staff also attend. The films are shown and awards and certificates are presented to the young people who took part. A number of pupils represented the school at Aberdeen Schools Cross Country Championships

The P6 girls performed especially well as a team to get gold and we have taken home a shield! This was an especially competitive race against the Albyn, RG college etc. Also the P5 boys all gained a overnight on a special charter train from good placing with the top 3 all pushing Glasgow to Wembley, it was quite an and Jacob's gold assured the team got experience! WE Day was a showcase of the Bronze they all deserved. All pupils activists, musicians and influential people know their exact place for each race. who aimed to inspire the children to be empowered to ‘Be the Change’. Two teams from the school successfully reached the finals of the Scottish Ski Finals at Nevis Range. Emily Mercer received a bronze in the novice girls’ competition. The Team A came 10th in the experienced category and Team B came 8th in the novice category.

The children are very inspired and are

keen to plan activities to support the work Emily Mercer received a bronze in the of Free the Children both locally and novice girls’ competition. The Team A across the world. The whole experience came 10th in the experienced category was fantastic and enabled the children to and Team B came 8th in the novice see global citizenship in action. Both category. schools are committed to being WE Ambassadors.

Mill O’ Forest School

Two teams from Mill O’ Forest Primary School show-cased their knowledge of Europe and European language at this year’s Euro Quiz. Both teams competed against a variety of schools throughout Aberdeenshire and got through to the Aberdeenshire final.

The school are very proud of all the children that took part in the event and look forward to the next part of this exciting journey. Luthermuir and Marykirk Schools The children travelled to Aberdeen and Twenty five P6 and P7 pupils from competed against 10 schools from Luthermuir and Marykirk Primary Schools Aberdeenshire. Both teams worked really travelled to London on 4th March to attend hard and the school came first and third. WE Day at Wembley Arena. The pupils The winning team will now represent earned tickets to the event through Aberdeenshire in a nationwide quiz held planning a local and global act of in the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in citizenship through their work with the May. charity Free the Children’s Me to We philosophy. The group travelled  the forms of evidence schools are using to demonstrate the impact of health and wellbeing: responsibility of all.

Alford Academy The case studies focus on four schools from different geographical areas, with differing votes, and varying levels of deprivation, based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

The schools are: It was a very successful day for pupils at the Robert Gordon’s College and Albyn School’s Invitational  Calderglen High School, South Cross Country Event on Friday 13 March Lanarkshire; 2015, with the S3 Boys’ Team winning  Kirkland High School and Community Gold, Silver for the S1 Girls’ Team and College, Fife; individual Bronze Medals for Emma  , Aberdeenshire; Calder S1 and Jack Gillespie S2. All the  Smithycroft Secondary School, pupils that took part are to be Glasgow congratulated for their fantastic effort against strong competition. Great news from Richard Paton, Instrumental Music Services Manager Meldrum Academy Two Aberdeenshire bands achieved a Pupils and Staff participated in the Good Gold Award at the Scottish Concert Band Practice Reports. Festival national Finals in Perth. This report sets out the findings from four Achieving Band Class case studies exploring good practice in the implementation of Health and Concert Band Wellbeing: responsibility of all in (conducted by Sarah Gove) – Gold Award secondary schools in Scotland. The case studies consider: Mackie Academy Concert Band (conducted by Sarah Gove) – Gold Award  how schools have interpreted Health and ‘Award for the most challenging and wellbeing: responsibility of all; Programme’  what actions schools have taken to implement responsibility of all aspects Youth Band Class of health and wellbeing; South/Central Aberdeenshire Music  the impact Health and wellbeing: Centre Youth Band (conducted by Bruce responsibility of all has had on Wallace) Silver Plus award schools – including young people, staff and the wider school community;