Education & Children’s Services

Macduff Marine Aquarium Nine members of the

Clerkhill Choir, Head Staff are celebrating winning the Teacher Anne–Louise City and Shire Tourism Award Murray and two teachers attended St for Visitor Attraction of the year. The Machar’s cathedral on 28 November aquarium was up against other high 2015 to participate in the filming for the quality attractions from across the area. BBC’s Christmas Eve Carol Service. This

will be broadcast at 11.30pm on The regional tourism awards were Christmas Eve on BBC 1 . announced at a ceremony at Aberdeen’s prestigious Mercure Ardoe House Hotel What a fantastic opportunity for the choir and other contenders for the title included members and one which they will Drum Castle and Dunnottar Castle. As remember for a long time. the winner in the visitor attraction category, Macduff Marine Aquarium is automatically through to the national finals in March 2016 for the ultimate Has become the first Secondary School tourism Oscar – the Scottish Thistle in Aberdeenshire to achieve the “Rights Award. Respecting School Award” level 2.

Pupils, parents’, staff and the whole community have been involved in working towards this under the leadership of Debbie Ewen, depute rector and her team.

GRAFTA

GRAFTA are the National Health Service awards that celebrate the dedication and achievement of staff and teams across Grampian. There were two hundred Left to right shows Chris Quinn-Waugh, nominations over ten categories. This general manager of The Chester Hotel year’s GRAFTA award ceremony was (category sponsor) present the award to held on Thursday, 12 November 2015 at Aquarium Manager, Claire Matthews. the Trinity Hall, Aberdeen. The Partnership in Practice Award was One of the top visitor attractions in North won by Kat Burke, Health Improvement East Scotland, Macduff Marine Aquarium Officer, Education and Children’s has 45,000 visitors per year. The Services for her contribution to aquarium features local marine life and Partnership Working between National aims to promote awareness, enjoyment Health Service Grampian, Aberdeenshire and stewardship of the Moray Firth Council and Partners to improve the marine environment. health outcomes of our children and young people. Clerkhill Primary School Bervie Primary School acknowledged, and a submission by the Maggie Law Bervie pupils participated in the Memorial Weekend. Museum including the pupils’ reasons for Linton’s recognition, were submitted to A joint community heritage project Historic Scotland to seek recognition in between Bervie Primary School and Dave the form of a Historic Scotland plaque. Ramsay of the Maggie Law Maritime This bid was successful and the plaque Museum in Gourdon, has resulted in a was unveiled on Sunday 22 November series of events in memorial to a ground 2015 as part of celebrations attended by breaking local ship designer and builder. pupils, members of the local community, Last November, Dave Ramsay and local councillors, Jessica Lewis of the Bervie Primary School’s P4 teacher, National Maritime Museum, the Provost Neale Davidson, began planning the of Aberdeenshire, other honoured guests project to research and celebrate the and was presided over by Dave Ramsay, achievements of -born ship the enthusiastic driving force behind the designer, Hercules Linton, involving the whole project. pupils in how his life and work could be promoted and remembered in the local area. Through the project, contact was made with a number of descendants of men involved with the famous , which brought the story to life for the children. The project has produced a permanent and international community heritage contribution through the work of the pupils which is on display both in the local area and in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, home of the Cutty Sark.

The children and school are rightly proud of their involvement in this successful and widely recognised community heritage project. Health and Wellbeing

As part of our approach to improving health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people we maintain a full calendar of training for staff. Our

Another major aim of the Project was to focus on mental health training has been have the Inverbervie grave of Hercules particularly successful. In November we Linton launched our first mental health support identified sessions for parents. These were offered and in the Westhill cluster and available places for each of the four weekly sessions were filled almost immediately. In response to this we have brought forward our plans to roll out places in other areas.

Aberchirder Primary School Boddam Primary School

During Lorraine Kelly’s STV Children’s Danica Smith (Head Teacher at Boddam Appeal Aberchirder School held a Primary School) and Simon Clunie (CSN fundraising Ceilidh in the school Support Services Coordinator) have been playground. Anne McArthur a dancing successful is securing £34,500 for the teacher who comes frequently to Peterhead Cluster from the Education Aberchirder Primary School to tutor the Scotland Access to Education Fund. children in Highland Dancing organised for a ceilidh band to come and play as the They put forward their bid ‘Choices for children danced. The whole school took Life’ at the end of last session and were part from P1-P7 and even the Nursery advised that they had been successful in joined in. September. The aim of the “Choices for Life” initiative is to raise attendance and The children learned 5 dances including educational attainment by supporting Kelly’s Caper (a dance made up pupils, particularly those who are “at risk especially for Lorraine Kelly). Everyone of missing out”, to engage in their danced for an hour and a half in the education; by having responsibility for playground with the band and parents delivering innovative learning and members of the community were experiences. This will be achieved by invited to come along and watch and developing an “in-house” coaching and participate if they wanted to. A video was mentoring programme, focusing on made and a clip sent in STV which was Health and Wellbeing issues affecting the shown during the week on the STV Peterhead area. Pupils, and key appeal. Children from Aberchirder members of staff, will undertake relevant School along with Kayleigh Forbes (P4 training in order to be able to raise teacher), Coleen Reid (Admin) and Anne awareness of key issues with peers, and McArthur were invited into the STV parents/carers alike, in inspiring, studios to participate in the live STV engaging and motivational ways. Current Appeal event. A child was chosen from ‘mentors’ and ‘school champions’ will help each class and the adults accompanied to train the ‘next generation’ of trainers to them into the studios. A great evening ensure the project is sustainable. was held by everyone and the STV hospitality was amazing. The children The aim is to launch the “Choices for Life” (and adults) met Tyrone Smith (sports project in January 2016. presenter), Cheryl Lloyd (roving reporter), Chris Harvey (presenter) and Andrea Brymer who was presenting on the night. Everyone was involved in the live clips Burnhaven Primary School and all the children were on TV right at the end of the appeal standing next to On 19 November 2015 we hosted a Andrea in the studios. We raised Business Brunch which our Prefects £201.09 on the day of the ceilidh for the organised. The aim of the Brunch was to appeal. investigate the skills the pupils would need to compete successfully in the future job market. This was a huge success and had eighteen different companies, services and a college represented. The pupils as usual were amazing and the feedback we received was very positive. Two Prefects acted as a small media team. They plan to collate the information and use it to shape our curriculum. The pupils will also do a

feedback exercise to evidence how useful and enjoyable they found the experience. Our Education Psychology Service launched the revised Aberdeenshire The visit from Dr Whiteford (MSP) went literacy materials and everyone left the very well too. She answered our event feeling equipped and inspired to questions and stayed for a cup of tea and implement new ideas and strategies. an informal chat with the Prefects. Her P.A accompanied her and he will write an In addition, an evening event was also article for the paper which we hope will be very well received with one hundred and printed soon. On the same day we thirty attendees including parents, managed to raise £552 for “Children in children and staff at the new Westhill Need” and we were mentioned on the TV Community Church. A similar event took just after Rod Stewart had performed. place the following day which was hosted by the Aboyne cluster with an evening We also had a visit from Ronnie and John event attended by sixty parents and this who run Buchan Community radio. They will be rolled out over the next year. have provided us with advice on the equipment we need to buy for our own This event marked the beginning of the radio station and invited our choir to sing implementation of a comprehensive live on air on the 17th of December 2015 programme of training as part of our at 1.45pm. Additional Support Needs Career Long Professional Learning Strategy to develop Dyslexia Training Event competencies and skills within the workforce to ensure our children and A very successful INSET training event young people receive the right support, in was held at the Holiday Inn, Westhill on the right place, at the right time. Monday 16 November 2015 which was very well received and attended by one Keithhall Primary School hundred and fifty staff. The guest speaker was Neil Mackay an international expert Kate Lamb the Head Teacher at Keithhall in dyslexia and creator of the Dyslexia Primary School was voted “Teacher of Friendly School. the Year” at the Pride of Aberdeen Awards 2015 and was presented with the Feedback from the event was extremely accolade by Fred MacAulay at an event positive: at the AECC in Aberdeen on Saturday 14  An inspirational day which included November 2015. practical ideas that can be used in all classrooms to help not just The award was open to all schools across dyslexic children but all children. Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and open  Well-structured and meaningful to schools, pupils, parents and staff to programme nominate a teacher they felt deserved  Really valued ASPECTS special recognition. ‘Communicate and Print’ presentation Head Teacher, Kate Lamb was  Excellent opportunities to nominated by parents who felt that her participate and discuss leadership to create a happy learning  Fantastic course and everyone felt environment and work to create extra- enthused and energised curricular activities such as an after- school jogging club was award-worthy. NHS Grampian Speech and Language Therapy Service and Aberdeenshire Another Aberdeenshire finalist Fiona Council launched a joint Total Louden, a technical teacher at Peterhead Communication Policy and this Academy, was nominated for her work partnership approach set the tone for the with young people to create a Remote whole day. Operated Vehicle (ROV) to win Petrochallenge taking a school team to Wednesday 2 December in recognition of Canada in the international competition. their work over the last year. At the event Susan Egelstaff, Commonwealth The Pride of Aberdeen Awards by Badminton Bronze Medallist and Original 106 FM received over five Olympian, delivered a speech on hundred nominations with three finalists leadership and volunteering in sport. The shortlisted for thirteen award categories. 2015 Aberdeenshire Leaders were

Host Fred MacAulay said: “Mrs. Lamb is  Andrew Ritchie a teacher loved and valued by her pupils. She has led her school forward to be  Ashley Morrice amongst the very top primary schools in the region. Described as being hugely  Hannah Norrie enthusiastic, highly motivated and lots of Meldrum Academy fun”.  Megan Knight Meldrum Academy Banchory Primary School  Jamie Harper  Banchory Ski Teams A and B took part in  Claire McBain the exciting finale to the Autumn Dual Mackie Academy Slalom Series at Snow Factor in  Hannah Anderson . The experienced team (A Mackie Academy Team) (Matthew, Sula, Emily and  Corrie Dicks Ruaridh) came away in 6th position, Mackie Academy skiing really strongly and can be very proud of their efforts. They were skiing The young people have gained against some very competent and qualifications from several sporting successful experienced skiers and held governing bodies as well as volunteering their own against the best of them. at a number of high profile events as part

of the programme run by Active Schools Our novice team (Team B) (Holly, Fraser, and Aberdeenshire Council. Katie, Rory P), came first - an amazing result, they took away the gold medal and Active Schools and Community Officers the trophy for the SSSA Dual Slalom for Formartine and Marr Champions for 2015. They won every respectively, Malcolm Grant and Susi race and held their nerve in the ski off Mclarty, coordinated this year’s against Albyn who came 2nd.

programme which was the first that Both teams should be immensely proud involved a stand-alone programme within of themselves. It was commented by the Aberdeenshire and one that saw organisers at the end of the day how engagement with local partners such impeccably behaved all the ski teams and as Run Balmoral, The Portsoy Traditional children competing across all schools Boat Festival and Run Garioch. were and how they displayed such good sportsmanship throughout the day. They The Aberdeenshire Leaders carried out were a credit to themselves and to the marshalling duties at Run Garioch and school. Run Balmoral before heading to Portsoy

where they spent the weekend camping Special Celebration of ‘Aberdeenshire and helping to run the popular sports Leaders’ village that operates alongside the boat

festival. Eight young people from across

Aberdeenshire who have an interest in sport and volunteering received

Certificates of Achievement on

If you have any achievements which you would like to submit for the next edition please email [email protected]

Training for the leaders was provided by Aberdeenshire Council, FTS First Aid Training, Scottish Hockey and the Scottish Volleyball Association as well as internal inputs from sportscotland and Active Schools ensuring that the leaders are leaving the programme in a strong position to continue volunteering in sport or as a tool to enhance their future careers.