By Sophia Campbell, Event and Media Manager- UK Rock Challenge^® and J Rock™

From 6am on Tuesday 22^nd September Senior Schools, Academies and Sixth Form Colleges (6:30am for Junior and Primary Schools) registration will open  to take part in one of the region’s most dazzling, high energy performing arts competitions as the Rock Challenge® and J Rock™ tour returns for 2016!

The 2016  Dundee Rock Challenge® and J Rock™ events will take place on

Tuesday 15^th March and Wednesday 16^th March.

These events will provide the opportunity for schools from across Dundee, Angus, Perth and Kinross to showcase their creativity, talent and imagination on the stage of The Caird Hall. In 2015 the Dundee Rock Challenge® and Arbroath J Rock™ events involved eleven schools from across Dundee, Angus, Perth and Kinross involving over 1220 young people.

The Be Your Best Foundation, registered charity since April 1998 (registered charity number 1077291), facilitate the production and expansion of the Rock Challenge^® and J Rock™ in the UK and these Rock Challenge® events aim to inspire, engage and motivate young people to make healthy and positive lifestyle choices. Each show provides the opportunity for young people to experience an adrenalin-based high through performing live on a professional stage rather than using tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.

 Teams as small as 10, or as large as 135 students, collaborate with teachers, parents and wider communities to prepare an eight minute performance. These preparations are undertaken over many weeks and months and showcase an array of skills in dance, drama and design. Set to a theme of their choice each school’s performance is completely original and can vary from tackling a political or social message, retelling a true event or an entirely imaginative concept. You can see more information about the event in our promotional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z54kjiEi8aQ

To receive all the latest information on how to secure a place in the 2016 events a school can contact the Rock Challenge® and J Rock™ office on 02392 985710 and be added to the mailing list. Due to popular demand entries are on a first come first served basis and entry forms will be available on Tuesday 22^nd September from 6am on the website: www.rockchallenge.co.uk

posted by Shabnam Wasim, Public Engagement Assistant, University of Dundee

TITLE: Bright Club Dundee #24
Friday 25th September 2015, Doors open 7.30pm Start 8.30pm
Venue:  Braes Basement Bar, 14-18 Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4LN

Event/Activity/Description:

Bright Club Dundee is back for a night of fun, laughter and cracking performers from local Universities telling you their finest jokes!

Doors open at 7.30pm and the show kicks off at 8.30pm. Every Bright Club Dundee show has been a complete sell-out so don’t delay and bag your tickets today! Tickets are on sale at the incredible price of only £6 a ticket, so don’t miss out and book yours quick! You can get your tickets online at http://tiny.cc/brightclub24 or by emailing us or by phoning us at 01382 386660.

Admission price:  £6 per ticket
Contact for further information:
Shabnam Wasim, 01382 386660 – email: brightclubdundee@gmail.com
Website: www.brightclubdundee.org

posted by: Shabnam Wasim, Public Engagement Assistant, University of Dundee

TITLE: Doors Open Days Dundee – Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2015
Venue:  Various Venues across Dundee

Event/Activity/Description

Explore and rediscover Dundee’s fascinating buildings at Dundee Doors Open Days. This event on the weekend 19th and 20th September gives you free access to over 50 remarkable buildings across Dundee.

Some open up once a year, some just once in a lifetime. Doors Open Days celebrates architecture, design, buildings, places and spaces right on your doorstep.

Doors Open Days in Dundee is organised by the University of Dundee’s public outreach team. and coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust. It runs throughout Scotland every September as part of European Heritage Days.

Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with Dundee Doors Open Days. Visit https://www.facebook.com/DoorsOpenDaysDundee

Printed programmes can be picked up from Dundee Central Library, Visit Scotland Information office or from one of our 51 venues across the city.

Our most up-to-date programme can be found at http://j.mp/DundeeDOD

View the Google map of all the venues at goo.gl/AFXGGq

Bookable tours fill up quickly so secure your places soon.

For more information visit www.doorsopendays.org.uk or www.scottishcivictrust.org.uk.

Admission price:  Free

Website (for publication):  http://j.mp/DundeeDOD

posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer
Film Night on Thursday 17 September 2015
Hannah McLure Centre at 4.30pm

Are you looking for an initial stimulus or starter resource to introduce Global Citizenship to your classroom?  If so, look no further!  The Hannah McLure Centre (at the top of the stairs in the café building at Abertay University in Bell Street, Dundee) will be hosting the showing of 7 short film animations with global citizen themes, created by pupils from Dundee schools in collaboration with students from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. 

Come to the Hannah McLure Centre at 4.30 p.m. on Thursday 17^th September, 2015 to see the animations and hear how you can find the link to use these freely in your school.  The animations would work well for school assemblies.  Also, there will be the opportunity to see an array of Learning for Sustainability resources available on loan from The One World Centre in Dundee. 

FREE RESOURCE PACK FOR THE FIRST 20 TEACHERS TO ARRIVE and the chance to see the Hearts & Minds Exhibition which will also be on display at the Hannah McLure Centre from 11^th September. 

 Free refreshments.  RSVP to clare@oneworldcentre.org.uk

posted by:  Suzel O’Donnell, EAL Teacher

My name is Suzel O’Donnell and I am an EAL (English as an Additional Language) teacher in Angus, Scotland. I have just returned from the most exceptional and unique experience of being immersed in the Rwandan culture for 30 days, July 2015. This trip was granted by the Global Learning Partnership programme run by The Wood Foundation and my placement school was at GS Rango in the District of Ruhuha.

When I left Scotland I was fully aware that I would have a new and a different way of living – the culture, the language, the food, the education and the privilege of absorbing and being involved in all of these aspects of a new life.

At 5:30am, a loud radio announced the time to get up. On my way of that long large street of Ruhuha I used to get the most amazing smiley faces and eye contact of the people who were coming and going. From the distance I could hear the “trim trim” of the bicycles alerting me to watch and give them the right of way. “Mwaramutse” – “Good morning” in Kinyarwanda was repeated over and over.

I have to say that my Kinyarwanda is not that great, but Rwandan people much appreciated my effort to learn and use their native language. They were patient, keen and proud to teach me new words. “Murakose” – “Thank you” always brought joy.  Rwandan people speak Kinyarwanda, Swahili, French and English and were also willing to learn my Brazilian Portuguese regularly after lunch.

So luckily I was invited to have homemade food every day. I was delighted to share what was on the table; beans, maize (a paste of corn flour and water), rice, goat meat, cassava, aubergine and banana. It was healthy and fresh from the school garden.

I had the privilege to take part in CPDs that the Scottish teachersshared with Rwandan IEE (Inspire Education and Empower Rwanda) professionals. All the workshops provided a range of high level of teaching and learning practices on learning styles, reading, parents’ involvement, cooperative learning, positive feedback, active learning and VCOP.

I only can say that the teachers and students are very friendly, respectful, kind and eager to know more about the outside world and have a nice relationship with you. Hopefully this will last longer than the limited time you spend with them.

I am very enthusiastic that my learning and teaching will be reinforced with good practice and used effectively to benefit a globalised education. From using simple and or sophisticated resources, we must share our knowledge but above all we have to respect each other, our similarities and our differences. I hope that the positive impact of this experience upon me, personally and professionally can be felt by others in the future through me. While living and working in Rwanda it was possible to have fun, make friends, and learn about their culture, language, values, tradition and religion. This opportunity fulfilled my dream and my main aspiration in life that is to make the most of what is presented to me and to contribute in a way that my personal and professional life can inspire others to exchange and extend learning and teaching practices.

Finally, as a tourist I had an amazing and unique opportunity to go on a safari in Akagera National Park and a two hour track to see up close a family of 17 Gorillas in their wild habitat. Overall a totally unforgettable experience!

A similar Article was published in TESS magazine on the 28 August:
https://www.tes.com/article.aspx?storycode=11008273

You can also access my blog on Rwanda to see the pictures and know more about my trip:
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/an/inrwanda/category/rwanda-2/

posted by: Pam Linton, Service Manager

Like many others I’ve been pondering Margo’s first blog within the Angus Children and Learning blog,  I was surprised at the poor response that came from our children and young people to the question of the quality of engagement with schools.

Recently I saw an article in Workforce Scotland’s web site which is encouraging people working within public services to become involved in an Enabling Collaboration Leadership – Pioneer Programme.  I’ve included the link for interest, it’s Enabling Collaborative Leadership Offer 2015

Would anyone be interested in becoming involved in a pilot programme? I thought a really good complex issue could be improving engagement within schools using the research information that has been undertaken by Dartington Wellbeing Research?

Anyone willing to dip their toes in the water, have a quality learning experience with  external support, do things differently and use a bit of creativity and collaboration and build our resilience and self-awareness?  If so please get back in touch with me, I would be willing to become involved and work with Workforce Scotland to see if we could set up a Pioneer Programme for a small team.