Category Archives: Literacy and English

National Poetry Day 2012: 4th October

This month it’s all about getting ahead with National Poetry Day 2012. 

National Poetry Day 2012- star theme

You’ll find postcard order forms, advance information on what teaching/activities resources you will find in the months to come – and a list of the poems to be featured on the postcards, so you can get ahead with planning. Bookmark this page!

Poetry CPD Sessions

June 15th

The Byre Theatre, St.Andrews

10am and 1.30pm

With St.Andrews being named a Winning Words Beacon town for the year 2012, The Byre Theatre is running two CPD sessions with a top poet this June.

Ryan Van Winkle, Poet in Residence at Edinburgh City Libraries, will be running two training sessions for primary and secondary teachers, focusing on how to bring poetry into the classroom via the Olympic Games and Sport.

 Click Winning Words CPD for all the details!

Edinburgh Book Festival

The Edinburgh Book Festival schools programme is now available and will be posted to schools this week, 

The closing date for RBS Transport Fund Applications is 25th May 2012.

Edinburgh Book Festival schools programme available now

Access the programme to see the fantastic learning and CPD opportunities available!

Book online here from Mon 23 April:

 

 

Every Day’s a Learning Day

‘Every Day’s a Learning Day’ consists of two books produced by Education Scotland for parents and carers of children aged between birth and 3 years, and 3 to 6 years. The aim is to help parents support their child’s development in the crucial areas of health and wellbeing, literacy and numeracy.

This resource highlights the many excellent learning opportunities that exist within daily experiences such as washing the dishes, preparing a meal or doing the shopping.

The books will be distributed through the Scottish Book Trust’s Bookbug programme.  Parents of new babies are set to receive a copy of the birth to 3 book from their health visitor.  The second book, which supports parents with children aged 3 to 6 years, will be issued when their child turns 3 and starts nursery.

To view the copies of ‘Every Day’s a Learning Day’ online, please visit the Education Scotland website where you can download both books in PDF format, including a Gaelic language version.

Learning Opportunities:HISTORIC SCOTLAND – ST ANDREWS CASTLE & CATHEDRAL

What’s available?
• Free visits for educational groups
• Discover St Andrews Castle (Shoreline Studies) activity. Contact Historic Scotland Ranger Service direct on 0131 652 8150 or hs.rangers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk 
• Medieval Castle Life handling box of objects for group leaders
• Downloadable resource
• Project participation
A visit/activity at this site will support Experiences and Outcomes in the following areas: Social Studies, Health & Wellbeing, Sciences, Literacy, Numeracy.

Contact St Andrews Castle direct on 01334 47719

Travel subsidy available for visits to all of these sites – 75% of your transport costs covered!
For information on Learning Services, free resources and our Travel Subsidy scheme please go to
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk or give us a call.

See our Glow Group http://glo.li/fklhhh, and/or find us on the Creativity Portal www.creativityportal.org.uk.

In St Andrews, Fife on the A91 (KY16 9AR)

Learning Opportunity: Historic Scotland – DUNFERMLINE ABBEY

What’s available?
• Free visits for educational groups
• Medieval Pilgrims activity – supports topics such as Medieval Scotland, Malcolm & Margaret, local studies/Fife. Contact HS learning Services direct on 0131 668 8793 or hslearning@scotland.gsi.gov.uk 
• Downloadable resources
• Project participation

A visit / activity at this site will support Experiences and Outcomes in the following areas: Social Studies, Health & Wellbeing, Expressive Arts, Literacy, RME.

Contact Dunfermline Abbey direct on 01383 739 026

Travel subsidy available for visits to all of these sites – 75% of your transport costs covered!
For information on Learning Services, free resources and our Travel Subsidy scheme please go to
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk or give us a call.

See our Glow Group http://glo.li/fklhhh, and/or find us on the Creativity Portal www.creativityportal.org.uk

In Dunfermline, Fife, off the M90 (KY12 7PE)

Learning Opportunity: Historic Scotland – Aberdour Castle

What’s available?
• Free visits for educational groups
• Steward-led tours
• Medieval Castle Life handling box of objects for group leaders
• Discovery Sessions (choose from 16th century dance or handling sessions)
• Downloadable resources
• Project participation

A visit / activity at this site will support Experiences and Outcomes in the following
areas: Social Studies, Health & Wellbeing, Expressive Arts, Literacy, Technologies.

Contact Aberdour Castle direct on 01383 860519

Travel subsidy available for visits to all of these sites – 75% of your transport costs covered!
For information on Learning Services, free resources and our Travel Subsidy scheme please go to
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk or give us a call.

See our Glow Group http://glo.li/fklhhh, and/or find us on the Creativity Portal www.creativityportal.org.uk

Scottish Book Trust

 

My Favourite Place

Where is your favourite place in Scotland? What makes it special to you?

Scottish Book Trust and BBC Scotland want you to write about your favourite place in Scotland, whether it’s a remote beauty spot or an urban hideaway, a famous landmark or a favourite cafe. Did you holiday there? Is it the place you got married? We want to get Scotland writing, inspired by our country’s best-loved places.

 Write a story, poem, song lyric, diary entry, letter or sketch about your favourite place, submit it on our website and your story could be appear in a book or be broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland!

Click here for more info!

On The Rocks Youth Theatre – St Andrews

On The Rocks Youth Theatre has become firmly entrenched in the arts calendar in St Andrews. In the past three years there have been memorable performances by local schoolchildren creating Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and fairytales in the magnificent setting of St Andrews Castle. This year it’s happening again with a few changes – we’ve moved to the stunningly picturesque setting of the Botanic Gardens and we’re taking on Roald Dahl’s classic comedy masterpiece, Revolting Rhymes.
Over the 2 week Easter holiday children aged 9+ get to work with professional Scottish theatre company, Sunlight Productions to devise the script, learn new drama techniques and create a wonderful performance, leading their audience on a magical journey all over the Botanic Gardens. We’ve been supported by the St Andrews Community Trust which means that it is once again FREE to take part.
The performances take place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th April. There are still places available so to take part and find out more details please contact Julie at otr.youththeatre@gmail.com. Anyone aged 9 years and older can come and join in.

Free Author event for P7

Exploring Macbeth: fact and fiction

Monday 23 April

(Shakepeare’s birthday) 

10:00am – 11:30am or

1:00pm – 2:30pm

National Library of Scotland

George IV Bridge, Edinburgh

Join Scottish author and historian Allan Burnett to find out more about Macbeth, Scotland’s infamous king, and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Their life story was turned into a classic play by William Shakespeare filled with magic, murder and mayhem.

How much do we really know about Macbeth, and how can we separate the fact from the fiction?

Find out why the truth is very different from the way Shakespeare told it!

Allan Burnett is the author of ‘Macbeth and All That’ (Birlinn, 2007).

Places are free, but booking is essential.

Places will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

To book a place, or for more information, email NLS Education Officer

Beverley Casebow on b.casebow@nls.uk or call 0131 623 3841