posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning

Take part in our upcoming debate on rising sea levels

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to the natural world. The rise in sea levels is just one of the effects, and is a growing environmental issue for communities worldwide.

What measures can we take to stay safe as sea levels rise? Discuss this topic with your class using our dedicated resources and get involved in the debate on 24 November.

How can we stay safe as seal levels rise?  Join the debate from 09.30 to 11.00 GMT on 24 November and share your students’ ideas with schools across the Commonwealth.
Oceanographer Dr Simon Boxall will also be on hand to answer your questions. Find out more and prepare for the debate with some starter questions to get your class thinking about the associated risks of rising sea levels.

Classroom activities to inspire your students:  Our dedicated resource explains the science behind rising sea levels and includes practical cross-curricular activities to help demonstrate the impact of this environmental issue. The resource is complemented by a short film about the Pacific island of Kiribati. Students can discover how local communities are learning to stay safe and protect their natural environment.

‘Freedom of expression’ and the Magna Carta

In focus: ‘Freedom of expression‘:  The principles of this value form an intrinsic part of the Commonwealth Charter. How would your students use freedom of expression to speak out against injustices? Or how would they feel if they were not allowed to stand up for what they believed in? Introduce the topic to your class with some starter questions, encouraging students to think about how it is relevant to them.

Classroom resource:  Magna Carta, then and now:  Bring the topic to life with our classroom resource on one of the world’s most influential documents. ‘Magna Carta: My Digital Rights’ helps students discover its historical background and also asks them to consider what a Magna Carta for the digital age would look like. Activities cover topics on protection and privacy and affordable access to the web as a human right.

posted by Jerry Randalls, Instrumental Music Service Officer, Schools and Learning

Connecting Scotland’s Sounds :: Local Songs Workshops for Schools 

Offered by Local Voices on behalf of the National Library of Scotland, with funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

The National Library of Scotland co-ordinates the Scotland’s Sounds network of organisations and individuals with an interest in Scotland’s archive sound recordings, as part of its national strategy to secure the country’s audio heritage.

A new initiative called “Connecting Scotland’s Sounds”, supported by the Esmée Fairbairn
Foundation, is seeking to creatively engage schools and communities in 2016/17 with archive
recordings of Scots song.

The project aims to bring archival Scots song recordings alive for school pupils and their teachers, and to share the highlights with wider audiences in the local community, , with particular focus on the local town or area.

To read more and this and to view entry details please click on the link below:

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posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer

Please click on the link below to view the CNWS School Flyer

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posted by Margaret Thompson, Library Assistant, Arbroath High School

Congratulations to two Arbroath High School pupils, Kezia Adam(S3) and Zoe Rennie (S2) who have both been selected for the Netball U17 North Development Academy which is a Pathway into the National Squad.  Kezia has also been selected to represent the Development Squad for Scotland who will play against the U17 Scotland Squad on three occasions throughout the year.

Information for the photo:
Kezia Adam is on the left and Zoe Rennie is on the right.

posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning

Please click on the link below to view the Stakeholder Note

smoking-legislation-stakeholder-note-final

posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning

We at Families Outside are pleased to release our October 2016 edition of the Bulletin newsletter which covers the work of the organisation over the last quarter.

In this edition we would like to draw attention to a number of new publications which are available from Families Outside.  Firstly we have Picking Up The Pieces, a new resource we have produced to help support families of people convicted of a sexual offence.  This publications is already proving to be in high demand with reprints already being made and requests from a number of Scandinavian countries for it to be translated into the relevant language.  Families Outside, in partnership with Fife Council’s Adult Basic Education and Family Community Support Team, has also launched a new resource called The Families Left Behind.  The publication comes from the perspective of four women affected by imprisonment or the criminal justice system.  Finally, we also have published our Annual Report 2015/2016 which summarises a very successful year for Families Outside, a year in which the organisation turned 25 years old.  Year of the Dad events continue to take place across the prison establishment, with a cooperative art competition for Dads and their children currently under way.  On the back of this quarter’s newsletter we have the first part of the story of one Friend of Families Outside, where they talk about the experience of having their son in prison…makes for powerful reading.  Finally, more on the working and the people of Families Outside itself: we are on the lookout for a new Board member.  If you, or someone you know, would be interested in giving their time to a worthwhile charity then please to get in touch.  We are looking for an individual with a legal background, preferably with an understanding of charitable law.  Last but not least, we would like to welcome Zoe Hunter-Hill to our team.  To find out a little more about her background and where she will be working, have a read of the bulletin.

Please click on this link to view the bulletin:  http://www.familiesoutside.org.uk/content/uploads/2016/10/Newsletter-Oct16.pdf

If you have any comments or suggestions for the Bulletin we would be delighted to hear from you.

Families Outside Support & Information Helpline: 0800 245 0088

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