Category Archives: Health and Wellbeing

Drama, Early Learning, Health and Wellbeing, Primary, Sciences

Eco-Drama Newsletter – drama, outdoor learning, CPD, interdisciplinary learning

October 2, 2015 S. Bullock Leave a comment

Out to Play CPD

We finalised our Out to Play project with 4 CPD sessions in Glasgow, taking teachers from the classroom to the playground enjoying some outdoor fun!

Looking at the unique role of Drama and Storytelling within Outdoor Learning, Drama Artist Ben Mali McFadyen, the Eco Drama Team and 93 enthusiastic primary teachers used their imagination to explore playgrounds, play games and listen to some special storytelling.

We shared experiences and reflected on how to integrate outdoor learning techniques into the school curriculum and how best to engage pupils with natural environments in exciting and creative ways. In all types of mischievous Glasgow weather of course!

Over 4 days in September, 93 teachers took part from across 33 Glasgow Primary Schools all leaving with their very own Out to Play Outdoor Learning Resource Pack!

“Best CPD event I have been to in ages.” Catriona Brown, Battlefield Primary

“I hadn’t realised the power of imagination within outdoor learning. Really informative session, lots of ideas to start with. Thank you.” Irene Boyle, Corpus Christi Primary

“The thought of outdoor learning sessions with the pupils was rather scary. However I feel much more confident now and look forward to trying new ideas. Thank you for an enjoyable interesting CPD Experience.” Marie McGill, Corpus Christi Primary

For more details on the Out to Play project: http://www.ecodrama.co.uk/projects/out-to-play/

Out to Play Resource Pack

We gave every teacher attending the Out to Play CPD sessions their very own Resource Pack. Developed and written by Ben Macfadyen, the pack contains 8 detailed session plans and accompanying stories, tailored for each age and stage in the curriculum. Ben shares the techniques, games, songs, drama ideas and stories that he used during the Out to Play Residencies.

Full of helpful tips, inspiration and creative practice, this 72 page resource book is simply bursting with ideas to empower teachers to lead their own creative and interdisciplinary learning journeys outside. Perfect for those looking to incorporate creative learning techniques outdoors in accessible and enjoyable ways!

To see a sample section of the resource book or to order a copy please CLICK HERE

“Excellent ideas and superb resource which I intend to use ASAP.” Ellie Henderson, Knightswood Primary

“Lots of practical ideas and activities that can be used with my class. I didn’t really have many ideas before this but now I have been provided with lots.” Nicole Stephenson, Aultmore Park Primary

Uprooted Summer Tour

Thanks to the multi-talented cast and crew, our Summer tour of Uprooted was a blooming success (pun intended!)

Lily, Plum, Basil and the extraordinary Living Stage toured to outdoor venues, festivals and primary schools in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire reaching 1,364 children and adults, with some incredibly lucky weather!

After watching the multi-sensory story unfold to music, dance and some splendid acrobatics, audience members got to have a nibble, sniff and sip on the set’s produce. They were invited to take a closer peek at the tasty herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers growing out of the reclaimed set pieces that made up our quirky family’s home.

Throughout the month of August Uprooted was performed 31 times, toured by a cast and crew of 10 and a supporting cast of hundreds of plants! We were thrilled to perform the show at The Merchant City Festival, The Children’s Wood Harvest Festival and the inspirational outdoor settings of Barrhead Water Works and Kilmardinny House.

Uprooted was also performed to 44 primary school classes from P2-7 at St Vincent’s, Aultmore Park, Corpus Christi and Balornock Primary in Glasgow, where pupils who planted the Living Stage got to see their handiwork in full bloom.

“It made me feel wonderful, bright and bubbly.” Primary 5 Pupil, Corpus Christi Primary

“Fantastic show, imaginative, musical, whimsical. Growing plants is the way forward. Thank you!” Audience Member – Merchant City Festival

“Not to be missed! Fantastic, essential Creative Learning Experience. You will enjoy every minute and be entranced, amused and deeply moved by the experience. Thank you to all the stars!” Teacher, Balornock Primary

“I felt like the show brightened up my day.” Primary 5 Pupil, Corpus Christi Primary

“Staging of the show outside made it a bit more special. Outdoor atmosphere was calming and the set was beautiful – quite magical!” Teacher, St Vincent’s Primary

“The show made me feel calm and happy.” P5 Pupil, Balornock Primary

For more details on the Uprooted project: http://www.ecodrama.co.uk/productions/uprooted/

Uprooted – Replanting of Set

After the tour we returned the Living Stage to the children who helped to grow it. In collaboration with the pupils from Corpus Christi Primary School, we replaced their austere steel fences and transformed their playground space into an enticing unique garden. The pupils were so excited to be given a beautiful play space for gardening, storytelling and nibbling for many years to come.

To watch the transformation here on our time lapse video CLICK HERE

“It made me feel happy to see people care about our planet.” P6/7 Pupil, Aultmore Park Primary

“I felt inspired to grow my own food at home.” P6/7 Pupil, Aultmore Park Primary

“The show made me feel motivated to be more Eco Friendly.” P6 Pupil, Balornock Primary

For more details on the Uprooted project: http://www.ecodrama.co.uk/productions/uprooted/

Early Learning, Health and Wellbeing, Primary, Secondary, THIS IS A TEST

Creative Competitions for School Food Day

September 1, 2015 S. Bullock Leave a comment

Education Scotland is working in collaboration with a number of organisations to co-ordinate activities to celebrate Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink 2015.

You will find all of the currently active competitions on this page. Find out what’s on offer and submit your entry.

School Food Day

School Food Day 2015 is on September 23 and it’s the perfect time to celebrate Scotland’s natural larder.

Get your school involved by making a food pledge. You could:

Join the 12 noon lunch crunch by encouraging everyone to eat an apple at noon;
Hold a Scottish food festival;
Invite parents to school for lunch;
Run a food tasting challenge and try a Scottish food you’ve never had before.

Scottish Product Competition

Encourage learners to put their entrepreneurial skills to the test by designing a healthy new product that would increase the uptake of school meals.

The product must include at least one Scottish food or drink ingredient and be backed by an innovative advertising campaign.

Schools should submit their entries to foodforthought@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk by 23 September 2015.

Initial ideas should fit on one A4 sheet. These will be shortlisted by a team of judges, with up to 10 schools chosen to participate in a final event on December 4 at Brakes Scottish headquarters at Newhouse, North Lanarkshire.

Pupils participating in the final event will receive a support pack, and costs of transport ot the final venue will be covered.

Scottish School Meal Recipe Competition

This competition aims to promote pupils’ creativity and cooking skills by encouraging them to devise a recipe featuring Scottish produce that could be added to the school meals menu.

Recipes should include a combination of healthy ingredients, including at least one item of Scottish food or drink.

Pupils should research the the main food standards for school meal provision in Scotland, and they are advised to consult school cooks when planning their recipes.

Entries should be sent to foodforthought@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk by 23 September 2015. Winners will be notified by December 4.

Local Provenance Poster Competition

Pupils are being encouraged to think about where our food comes from by creating posters that highlight Scottish produce.

The aim is to boost understanding of local provenance as well as the skills involved in the processing and production of traditional products including milk, potatoes and fish.

Entries should be sent to The Optima, 58 Robertson Street, Glasgow, G2 8DU or foodforthought@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk by 23 September 2015. Winners will be notified by December 4.

Posters should be A4 or A3, landscape or portrait, with the entrant’s name, school, class and school telephone number on the back.

Download details of all the competitions

PDF file: Food and health – Competitions 2015 (982 KB)

Dance, Health and Wellbeing, Primary, Secondary

FREE – Postgraduate Course in Effective Teaching and Learning in 3 – 14 Dance

August 14, 2015 S. Bullock Leave a comment

This new 20 credit course at Masters level has been developed by YDance and the University of Glasgow to support teachers who have little or no training in how to teach dance and to deliver a rounded subject which falls under expressive arts and physical education.

The course is funded by Creative Scotland, therefore places are free to all participants.

Teachers who wish to apply must be General Teaching Council (GTC) qualified and working in a Scottish school.

The first course will take place in the Highlands from 26 September – 29 November 2015 and the deadline for this round of applications is Monday 31 August 2015.

A second course in Glasgow will run from 30 January – 19 March 2016 and the application deadline is Monday 2 November 2015.

Click here to read more about the course and download an application.

Community Learning and Development, Drama, Early Learning, Health and Wellbeing, THIS IS A TEST

Scotland’s First Living Stage!

July 21, 2015 S. Bullock Leave a comment

They say that happiness is watching your plant start to grow… well how about a whole stage?
Uprooted is a new theatre production for children and families, fusing live performance, music and living plants with innovative stage design. Touring from 1st to 30th Aug, this show offers a hugely enjoyable and unique outdoor theatre experience.

Uprooted

Join us outdoors among a curious world of plants for an enchanting tale of kinship and home, told through music, movement, and multi-sensory storytelling. A waft of mint, a crunch of peas, a sprinkle of fresh herbs in a cup of tea…rediscover the joy of our natural world, and have a nibble on the home-grown set!
Uprooted will feature a Living Stage; a recyclable, biodegradable and edible set created from locally found, reclaimed materials. Part theatre show, part garden and part art installation, audiences will get the chance to interact by nibbling on plants, smelling herbs, and sampling drinks.

For dates, times and venues click here:

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=45c932a58e3603bebe134098b&id=9ee19c6219&e=

Health and Wellbeing, Secondary

Health and Wellbeing Event for Schools at Edinburgh International Film Festival

June 10, 2015 S. Bullock Leave a comment

Health and Wellbeing Screening & Discussion

Wednesday 24 June 10am, Cineworld Fountain Park / £3 per pupil, teachers free

Entertaining and informative documentary That Sugar Film has already stimulated debate in it’s native Australia about the effects of sugar in our diet. The filmmaker (who is visiting EIFF) adopts a high-sugar diet for 60 days to explore the effect on his mind and body and the film touches issues including food poverty, marketing and economics, and how they impact health and diet. The screening will be followed by a 30min discussion. Suitable for all pupils S1-S6 and predicted a 12A certificate.

Colleges, Dance, Early Learning, Health and Wellbeing, Primary, Secondary

YDance – CPD opportunities still available!

May 1, 2015 S. Bullock Leave a comment

DANCE FOR CORE PE
NATIONAL 5 DANCE
INCLUSIVE DANCE PRACTICE DAY
DANCE FOR NURSERY EDUCATION

DANCE FOR CORE PE

With a focus on Contemporary and Streetdance styles learn how to warm up your pupils, play creative dance games, teach a simple sequence, develop a sequence, use stimulus to create dance material and encourage the participants to develop their confidence, creativity and co-operation skills. These sessions also address some of the CfE Health and Wellbeing outcomes.

Friday 29 May, 9.30am to 4pm at Mad Studios – £85 (Look out for our special discount codes or recommend a friend)

NATIONAL 5 DANCE

This SQA qualification requires students to study 2 different dance styles and choreography to achieve this national qualification. Choose from the options listed below to build your own National 5 Dance course:

Contemporary – Mon 11 May Jazz – Tue 12 May Hip-hop – Wed 13 May Choreography – Thu 14 May

Individual Costs – £85

YDance National 5 Package – £285

(includes 2 dance style days, the Choreography day and a copy of the Choreographic DVD resource)

Each of these sessions take place at Mad Studios from 9.30am to 4pm (Mad Studios, 13 Main Street, Coatbridge, ML5 3AJ)

INCLUSIVE DANCE PRACTICE DAY

Develop your teaching skills for delivering dance with children and young people with additional support needs in this one day course:

Methods of inclusive practice
Creative ideas for pupils with and without additional support needs
Planning & structuring a lesson plan / creative workshop

Wednesday 29 April, 9.30am to 3.30pm – £85 (Look out for our discounts or recommend a friend for 10% off)

DANCE FOR NURSERY EDUCATION

Develop your teaching skills for delivering dance with early years children:

Creative ideas for dance classes inspired by stories and topics
Planning and structuring a lesson plan / creative workshop
Using props and music

Thursday 28 May, 9.30am to 3.30pm – £85 (Look out for our discounts or recommend a friend and receive 10% off)

Health and Wellbeing, Music, Secondary, Technologies

Project Raintown – music, technology and health and wellbeing

December 8, 2014 S. Bullock Leave a comment

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) is engaging with schools and teachers to co-create digital applications with the theme of music for wellbeing throughout the lifespan, building on the success of last years’ award-winning Gaming for Glasgow project.

Bailie Gerald Leonard, Depute Lord Provost, attended today’s launch of ‘Project Raintown’ which will focus on digital app development for health and wellbeing in the classroom and wider world, engaging each of the 10 Learning Communities in Glasgow’s East End.

Supported by the Celtic FC Foundation, the project focuses on compiling playlists and producing apps in collaboration with experts across the UK around the concept of music and health with a community value, and seeks to make a meaningful difference to young people’s aspirations for employment and further education.

These opportunities will be made available to benefit both GCU students and school pupils through expert mentoring, workshops and volunteering opportunities.

Glasgow’s Lord Provost Sadie Docherty said: “I’d like to thank everyone involved with Project Raintown. Understanding technology is the future for our children and collaborations like this with Glasgow Caledonian University and partners is a really exciting way to engage young people in a meaningful way in subjects that really interest them – music and technology. I wish all the teams the very best of success and look forward to hearing about their progress.”

The project is also being supported by Stewart Henderson, Chair of Scottish Music Industry Association and Head of Chemikal Underground Records, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the RSNO, who will also be represented at the first workshop.

The project is being led by Dr Gianna Cassidy, Music Psychologist and Trustee of Playlist for Life charity, and Dr Morag Ferguson, Assistant Head of Strategy for Learning and Digital Futures, both from the School of Engineering and Built Environment.

In the first activity on Wednesday, November 19, staff and students from GCU are providing an app development workshop with children to kick start the programme of activities and generate initial music app concepts for the programme of work and will provide a CPD workshop on app for respective teachers from each school.

Future workshops will support the schools in learning the basics of app building and development and prototyping.

The GCU team recently presented to Scottish Universities’ cross-party group at the Scottish Parliament, having been awarded a Game Changer Award for excellence in learning and teaching for Gaming for Glasgow.

The initiative saw more than 200 GCU students work with pupils from nine Glasgow schools to develop digital games.

Dance, Health and Wellbeing, Primary, Secondary

Y Dance – Young Advisor and Awards for All

October 23, 2014 S. Bullock Leave a comment

YDance Routes Connections this weekend, be a YDance Young Advisor, Destinations applications open on Monday and Awards for All funding applications now open.

200 YOUNG PEOPLE COME TOGETHER FOR CONNECTIONS WEEKEND

The bags are packed and we’re on a final countdown to tomorrow and the start of #YDanceRoutes Connections weekend at Edinburgh College – it’s going to be brilliant!

We’re looking forward to meeting lots of dancers and working with some skilled choreographers at what is now our fourth Connections event.

Keep an eye on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts for all the behind-the-scenes news, photos and videos.

Find out more about YDance Routes

HAVE YOUR SAY – APPLY TO BE A YDANCE YOUNG ADVISOR

We’re looking for a small group of enthusiastic young people to help decide the future of YDance.

Are you aged between 16 & 21?

Have you been involved in one of our projects?

Can you come along to 3 meetings a year?

(we’ll pay your travel expenses)

Are you happy to share ideas & opinions on YDance a part of a group?

Then we’d love you to apply!

All you need to do is tell us a bit about yourself, why you’d like to be a Young Advisor and what you think you’d get out of this experience.

You can apply in writing, using pictures or a video – it’s up to you to get creative!

Find out more & apply

NEW MERCHANDISE JUST IN…

All the money we raise through merchandise sales helps us deliver projects like YDance Routes and Project Y and work with more and more young people across Scotland.

DESTINATIONS APPLICATIONS OPEN ON MONDAY

Applications open on Monday for another part of the #YDanceRoutes programme – Destinations.

The date is set – Saturday 21 February 2015 at macrobert in Stirling – for another fantastic night of performances and we’re looking for some talented youth dance companies to take to the stage and showcase their skills.

All the details, including the application form, are available now on our website. You’ve got until Friday 5 December to get your form in so there’s no rush, but we ask for film footage of the piece you want to perform as part of your application which we know takes time.

Find our more & apply

NEED FUNDING TO BRING US IN – AWARDS FOR ALL FUND OPEN NOW!

Looking to get some dance activity going in your school and struggling to find the funds? Then have a look at Awards for All.

It’s a small grants programme that aims to help communities and people most in need with a focus on state schools, nurseries and organisations with an annual income of less than £250,000.

If you think you could benefit from this fund then use the link below to find out more or get in touch with Katie our Development Officer for some advice.

Awards For All

Health and Wellbeing, Religious and Moral Education, Secondary, Social Studies

Take One Film Festival – screenings on social and environmental change and concern

September 18, 2014 S. Bullock Leave a comment

Take One Action Film Festival celebrates the people and movies that are changing the world. These world-class films focus on issues of social and environmental change and concern.

Inequality for All

Edinburgh Filmhouse / 23 September

Glasgow Film Theatre / Wednesday 1 October, 10am

Does inequality matter? Arguments against its corrosive effects rarely come as cogently and powerfully expressed as in this rousing exposé. Robert Reich, who served Presidents Ford, Carter and Clinton, charts the history of America’s rich/poor divide and argues that the status quo is not sustainable. But this is not just an American story: the UK is one of the most unequal countries in the developed world; in Scotland, the 3 richest families own more wealth than 20% of the population (source: Oxfam report). What are the root causes of inequality and what can we do about it? This topical film allows us to explore the issue in a refreshingly entertaining and accessible way.

Recommended for S4 – S6. Social studies / Health and wellbeing / Mathematics / Economics. 120mins

Click here to access learning resources to go with the film.

The Revolutionary Optimist (NC 12+)

Glasgow Film Theatre / Tuesday 23 September, 10am

Edinburgh Filmhouse Thursday 2 October, 10am

This uplifting documentary shows Kolkata slum children not as victims, but as empowered agents of change. Despite being dealt a difficult hand (with limited access to education and poor health prospects) the young people refuse to give in to resignation. They are supported by Amlan Ganguly, a lawyer turned community educator who faces down child labour, early marriage and endemic poverty with the unfailing belief that children must meaningfully participate in the decisions and factors that affect them.

Recommended for S1 – S6. Social studies / Health and wellbeing / Religious and moral education / Global development. 120mins

Click here to access The Revolutionary Optimists’ online interactive resource.

These films are FREE for Glasgow City Council schools and £3 per pupil for all other schools. Accompanying teachers go free.

To reserve Glasgow tickets Click here. To reserve Edinburgh tickets please email nicola.kettlewood@cmi-scotland.co.uk or call 0131 228 6382.