posted by Louise Kirby, YMI Coordinator and Creative Learning Facilitator

A Culinary Tale and Little Rabbit

A Culinary Tale

Target Audience – P1 & P2 Classes

Immersive and interactive performance that encourages pupils to help the Dragons make good food choices in the preparation for the gathering of the dragon clans banquet, Great Great Great Great Gran-Dragon makes an appearance supporting the choice of using local food and recipes to create a delicious healthy accessible culinary meal for all to enjoy. (No real food will be consumed but a gift encouraging healthy eating to take home will be given to every pupil who takes part)

This fun performance is funded through Better Eating, Better Learning and makes links to Scottish Larder, making Food Choices and The Dining Experience. 

Price – subsidised cost is £50 per performance (normally £150)

Max numbers – one full class

Delivered – January to March

Please send your booking enquires to Amy Hall Gibson GibsonA@angus.gov.uk

Little Rabbit

Target Audience – Pre-school and private nurseries

Little Rabbit is a charming theatre performance for pre-school children preparing to move into primary one. The performance is an engaging, interactive and enjoyable, experience that supports children’s exploration in the themes around transition. The use of creative techniques encourage pre-schoolers to voice their concerns about starting primary one in addition to supporting the Little Rabbit who is unsure about starting school.  The performance concludes with a hands on workshop using drama and art techniques to further explore transition from nursery to primary one.

“Amy and Louise deliver a charming story which the children can relate to and interact with, they use simple but appealing props to put across the message that its ok to be scared about changes, going to ‘big school’ and the need to talk to someone. The ‘Little Rabbit’ links into a health and wellbeing programme on Mental Health and Resilience in Early Years delivered in 2014 by myself and colleagues from NHS, which used the ‘Oh Lila’ packs. The importance of supporting young children’s transitions is highlighted in all our main documents and ‘Little Rabbit’ has played a key role in the transition process within Angus pre school settings.”                                                – Liz Kirkman, Pre-school Development Officer

Prices include workshop – £150 for a maximum of 20 children.
**If you would like more than 1 performance we can offer discounts**
2 performances in the same morning 25% discount = £225
3 performances in the same day 35% discount = £292.50
Maximum number – 20 children per workshop

Delivered – April – June

Please send your booking enquiries to Amy Hall Gibson GibsonA@angus.gov.uk

posted by Isabelle Gall, PT Curriculum, Modern Languages, Carnoustie High School

Glamis Castle staff  have been supporting the development of the employability skills of the young people in Carnoustie High School by raising their awareness of the importance of Tourism in both Angus and Scotland and the value of language skills within this economic sector.

All S3 pupils in Carnoustie undertook an international marketing challenge to create a poster for Glamis Castle in either Spanish, French or Mandarin.  They were prepared for this task by their Modern Language and Expressive Arts teachers.

The young creators of the forty best posters were rewarded with a tour of the castle conducted by Chimene, a Glamis Castle Guide. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed their visit to ‘the most haunted castle in Scotland’ and learned more about its role in Scottish history.

Posters will be displayed in Glamis Castle and may also be used in social network promotion of this important site.

Please click on the link below to view the example poster by Lucy Harris who is a 3rd year pupil at Carnoustie High School:

Lucy Harris

posted by Rodger Hill, Service Manager, Schools & Learning

Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration [SCSSA]

University of Edinburgh 

Please circulate the following professional learning opportunity for secondary schools to colleagues who may have an interest in attending 

It is aimed at headteachers, depute headteachers, faculty heads/principal teachers and education authority officers.

Improving Inter-Disciplinary Learning – 5  February 2016 – 9.30am – 4pm – Edinburgh

Cost: £129

Struggling with ideas for effective Interdisciplinary Learning [IDL]?  

This programme offers practical insights into the issues involved in successfully developing Interdisciplinary Learning with practical exemplars. 

Several effective whole school approaches will be showcased along with a focus on the Broad General Education and Senior Phase contexts as well as IDL work schemes. Practical issues such as staff development, timetabling specific IDL experiences, resourcing and developing a whole-school approach to wider integration of learning will all be considered.

Throughout the day experienced headteachers will   explore innovative thinking, documentation and practice and consider with participants which contexts for IDL are most appropriate for their schools.

To book, please visit 

http://www.ed.ac.uk/education/rke/centres-groups/scssa/courses/book-a-course

posted by Rodger Hill, Service Manager

Angus ADP are facilitating a drug and alcohol showcase event on Wednesday 2 March 2016 at St Andrew’s Church, Arbroath, to highlight the wide range of interventions, opportunities and services that are provided by local organisations.  Registration commences at 9.30am for a 10.00am prompt start, lunch is provided.  The event will close at 4.30pm

This will allow professionals from across Angus to find out more about the ways we are responding to current challenges, hear examples of successful projects that are being delivered and identify sources of help and support that they may not currently be aware of.

We will be holding workshops (participants will be expected to attend all workshops) that will provide information on specific areas such as:

• SMART Recovery
• New Psychoactive Substances
• Whole Family Approach
• Naloxone and Overdose
• Methadone and other treatment options
• Harm Reduction
• Addiction and Recovery
• Alcohol
• BBV’s
• Criminal Justice Interventions
• Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Please circulate this e-mail within your teams.

If you would like to attend the Showcase event – please complete the attached booking form (PLEASE PRINT ALL DETAILS) and return to angusadp@angus.gov.uk.  There are 100 places available.

Services will also be promoting their services through information stands.

posted by Kirsty Lee, Senior Planning Officer Child and Adult Protection

Multi-agency Child Protection and GIRFEC Training Opportunities from Angus Child Protection Committee  

New!  A new training program is now available for all multi-agency staff in Angus covering both child protection and GIRFEC.

Please follow this link and add to your ‘favourites’… new courses including ‘child sexual exploitation’ and ‘working with hostile families’ will be added in coming weeks.

http://www.anguschildprotectioncommittee.org.uk/training.cfm

from Margo Williamson, Strategic Director

Last year was a challenging year. Thank you for your effort, energy, resilience and commitment.

As we start this new year with greater clarity, a greater determination to succeed and a renewed commitment to provide services, with and for, our children & young people, I ask of you one thing: help us collectively to raise the ambitions of our young people so they can compete in a global economy.

March 2016 will see the transition from the People Directorate to the Children & Learning Directorate. Adult and Older People’s Services will become part of a new Integrated Joint Body for Health& Social Care. This will be led by Vicky Irons, Angus’ Chief Integrated Officer. Children’s Social Work; Education and Criminal Justice Services remain under my leadership. In preparation for the reshaped directorate we have been working on our statement of ambition, values and behaviours.

Early in 2016, this will be finalised around the four points of a compass:

• North – our commitment to the young people of Angus
• South – our commitment to improve
• West – management’s commitment to our staff
• East – expectations of all our staff in relation to our values and behaviours

Children & Learning Committee report 435/15 sets these out in more detail.

For me, the statement of ambition sets out our clear purpose. It outlines our values and expected behaviours and respects the qualities of our multidisciplinary team. It invites us to work across what has been seen as distinct boundaries, whether departments or disciplines. It will be through such levels of inter-working, that new insights and opportunities will open and see increased benefits for our children and young people.

2016 brings a further opportunity to embed Getting it Right for Every Child into all our practice. Our statement of ambition will guide our approaches and provide our narrative for improvement. As such, I look forward to another successful year despite a drive for ever- faster change, increased expectations and advancements of new technologies and the current adverse economic climate.

We are a strong workforce who have demonstrated an ability to adapt and succeed because of our dedication to the citizens of Angus. As we reshape into new teams around Adults & Older People and Children & Learning, there is every reason to believe we will remain resilient and effective.

I wish all members of a staff a healthy and happy 2016, the year in which we all thrive.