New Gaelic resource pack for Commonwealth Games available now!

March 17, 2014 K. Mayer Leave a comment

We are delighted to announce that Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig, with support from Education Scotland, are distributing a colourful Gaelic resource pack on the Commonwealth Games.

The pack includes a poster with the Commonwealth flags; a poster showing the 17 sports which will be at the Glasgow Games; stickers suitable for sport, such as A’ Chiad Àite, Tha mise math ann an sgioba, Bhuannaich sinne! (First Place; I’m a good team player; We won!) and two sets of cards about the sports at the Games and about the Commonwealth countries.

The cards convey information in a way which will encourage the Gaelic reading, comprehension and speaking of the pupils, and there are assignments for them to do too. There are questions on lifeskills maths, and plenty opportunities for research. The findings can be presented in a variety of ways such as reports, web pages and podcasts.

There is differentiation in the maths work, and it is expected that pupils will work to their own level in the other activities. There will be something for everyone, whether working on their own or in a group, and with the help of the cards, pupils will be able to speak in some depth about the sports and about the countries which are part of the Commonwealth.

Teacher’s Notes with suggestions for using the resources, sample questions, country data, and links which will help with the research, are available on the Stòrlann website. We are also organising a competition with cool prizes in conjunction with Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and interactive on-line games.

We hope there will be plenty winners with this Commonwealth Games pack!

Active, Award, Game On Challenge

Athlete Visits Programme for Schools

March 13, 2014 K. Mayer 1 Comment

As part of providing exciting learning opportunities around the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Game On Scotland is delighted to announce that we are able to offer 100 education establishments across Scotland the chance to receive a visit by a Scottish athlete in the run up to the Games.

What might an athlete’s visit look like?

The format of each visit will be negotiated between the individual athlete and the school, but may include the following:

• Whole school/year group assemblies: The athlete may participate in assemblies by providing the inspirational address for the day (eg. share their story, provide a key message, support a Commonwealth themed event, hand out awards such as the Game On Scotland Plaque)
• Focus group input: This may involve an athlete visiting a specific class, target group (eg. school ambassadors or senior coaching classes) sharing his or her experiences and engaging in a question and answer session.
• Active engagement: This provides an opportunity to share some of the expertise of athletes in their distinct area and may involve coaching sessions, skills development or offering taster sessions.

All visits will be arranged on a one-off basis. For more in depth athlete engagements please see the Champions in Schools programme. However we aim to match athletes to education establishments within their reasonable travel distance to allow for the possibility of longer term educational partnerships.

When will the visits take place?

Visits will take place from the end of March until the end of June. The closing date for the first round of application is the 21 March and for this round visits will be allocated on a ‘first come-first serve’ basis. A second round will become available soon thereafter.

How to enter:

All education establishments in Scotland who have posted a Game On Challenge are eligible to enter a prize draw to receive a visit by a Scottish athlete, though secondary schools will receive priority.

To apply for a visit simply complete this brief survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SW93KDZ

Are there any costs involved?

There is no cost to any school which participates, other than any costs resulting from individual programme arrangements (e.g. athlete lunch). Such costs will have to be covered by the participating education establishment.

Can I request a specific athlete/focus sport?

The aim of this initiative is to provide inspiration and generic insight into the life and work of a professional athlete. Much of the input will focus on a wider skills agenda and generic dispositions or values (eg. determination, aspiration, fairness and sportsmanship). We will not be able to guarantee visits by specific athletes from a particular sport, however we will take a school’s particular sporting interests into account when matching athletes.

Culture 2014, Glasgow 2014

Festival 2014 performance opportunities!

March 13, 2014 User deactivated 8 Comments

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games aren’t just about the top class sporting action, there’s a whole host of cultural activity too and this is the chance for groups from your school to get involved…

Festival 2014 is a huge Games Time celebration in Glasgow running alongside the sporting action. It will transform the city from 19 July to 3 August with an invigorating mix of entertainment, culture and enjoyment filling the streets, spaces and stages of Glasgow. The highlight of Festival 2014 will be three specially created Live Zones, one at Glasgow Green, one in the Merchant City and a third at Kelvingrove Bandstand. Here you will be able to experience the buzz of the Games, watch live sport on big screens, participate in arts and sports, and watch music, dance, comedy and film in outdoor stages and spaces specially designed to put you at the heart of the Games experience, at the heart of the city.

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been working with organisers to offer outstanding performance-based groups from the education sector the opportunity to showcase their talent in Glasgow during the Games. If you have groups in your school or centre who excel in music, dance or theatre then please read the supporting brief and complete the expression of interest form attaching any supporting media (e.g sound clip/video/pictures) and submit electronically to the address contained within no later than 5pm on Friday 4th April.

The opportunity is open to groups from primary, secondary and special schools, colleges and universities in Scotland.

Game On Challenge, Game On Scotland Plaque, Glasgow 2014

Sport Your Trainers on Commonwealth Day, 10th March

March 6, 2014 User deactivated Leave a comment

It is hard to believe but the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will be here in less than six months!

To warm up for Scotland’s biggest-ever festival of sport and culture, schools are invited to join in the annual Commonwealth Day celebration, Sport Your Trainers. It will take place on 10 March 2014 and organisers are continuing their tradition of encouraging young people to wear their trainers on the day as a symbolic gesture of support for Glasgow 2014.

Sport Your Trainers is a great opportunity to bring the Commonwealth Games to life in your school or organisation, allowing young people and those who work with them to show their support for the Games in a fun and easy way.

Over half of the people in the Commonwealth are under 25 years of age and we want to make sure that the children and young people of Scotland have every chance to engage with Glasgow 2014. Why not start making plans today?

Please email SportYourTrainers@glasgow2014.com to register for this Scotland-wide project and to receive a link to a Digital Toolkit filled with Sport Your Trainers resources.

We look forward to sharing the Glasgow 2014 experience with you and your young people!

Sport Your Trainers Blog Opportunity

We’re delighted to announce a special opportunity for those blogging about their Sport Your Trainers activity – if you send a link to your report from the day, we’ll choose a selection of the best and showcase them to the world on the Glasgow 2014 website! There’ll be a special page on the Glasgow 2014 website with some of the best photos and content from schools, groups and organisations up and down the country, so if you’re using social media be sure and use the hashtag #SYT2014 and tag Glasgow 2014 on Facebook / mention Glasgow 2014 on Twitter and you could be featured in the exclusive Sport Your Trainers hub.

Making more of Sport Your Trainers

The main ask of Sport Your Trainers is for people to wear their trainers on March 10th, Commonwealth Day, but it’s also a perfect moment to consider how you can link this special event to wider learning about the Commonwealth. Game On Scotland, the official Glasgow 2014 education programme, contains a wealth of information, resources and opportunities which can also be used to design your own inspiring Sport Your Trainers activities and enhance learning across the curriculum. You might also want to consider linking your on the day activity to the British Council’s plans to host the World’s Biggest Assembly, with schools across the Commonwealth due to take part.

If you haven’t already, why not register a Game On Challenge for your school, incorporating some of your Sport Your Trainers activity? Schools which register a challenge are eligible to receive a special plaque as well as rewards including Games tickets.

The Commonwealth Class

The World’s Biggest Assembly – Commonwealth Day

March 6, 2014 K. Mayer Leave a comment

Monday 10th March is Commonwealth Day and Game On Scotland is encouraging schools and youth groups to Sport Your Trainers to show your support for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. It’s also a great opportunity to link to wider learning about the Commonwealth and our friends from the Commonwealth Class project have a great initiative which could link very neatly.

Tens of thousands of children and young people, representing hundreds of schools from over 30 countries, will take part in the World’s Biggest Assembly on 10 March. Follow the five easy steps the project has outlined to learn more about the Commonwealth and celebrate the special day.

Follow the five easy steps:
1. Choose a theme for your assembly
a) Life in a Commonwealth country
b) One or more of the Commonwealth values:
• human rights
• protecting the environment
• access to health, education, food and shelter
• gender equality
• importance of young people
• tolerance, respect and understanding
• peace and conflict resolution
• freedom of expression
• rule of law
c) Commonwealth athletes and their preparation for the 2014 Glasgow Games
2. Plan your assembly
Get your pupils involved at this stage. You can find Commonwealth Class resources and films on the British Council and BBC websites.
3. Invite guests
Contact parents, school governors, your MP, local councillor and the media.
4. Hold your assembly on Commonwealth Day, 10 March
If you have a partner school in a Commonwealth country, perhaps you could organise a joint assembly through video link.
5. Tell the organisers about it – before, during and after
a) Tell them about your plans by emailing schools@britishcouncil.org.
b) Contact organisers on the day by email or on social media (Facebook and Twitter) with photos and details of your activity. Use #CommonwealthClass in your tweet.
c) After your assembly, share photos and / or pupil reports with completed permission

Award, Game On Challenge, Game On Scotland Plaque, Holly Cram, Legacy 2014, Uncategorized

Holly and Clyde Islands’ Tour a great success!

March 4, 2014 K. Mayer Leave a comment

As part of the Legacy 2014 Week, Game On Scotland visited the Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles. Both Clyde and Holly Cram, Scottish international hockey star and ambassador for the education programme, visited a large number of schools to recognise their creative engagement of learners around the Commonwealth Games. Between them they visited over 30 schools and youth clubs, addressed assemblies and handed out over 10 plaques. Holly addressed all secondary and a number of primary schools in the Western Isles providing inspirational talks as well as practical hockey sessions.
The tour was very well received by pupils and staff alike and created real excitement as schools are gearing up towards the Games in July.

Here are some of the highlights captured on the way:

The Western Isles:

Dr Allan awarding Tong Primary School the Game On Scotland Plaque:

Holly at Lionacleit School, Benbecula:

Duke of Edinburgh with pupils from the Nicolson Institute during their Active8 session:

Orkney Islands:

Glaitness Primary School

Hope Primary School

Shetland Islands

Happy Hansel

and

Aith Primary School

Aith High School

Clyde, Games Legacy, Holly Cram, Legacy 2014

Game On for Scotland’s Island Authorities

February 24, 2014 User deactivated 1 Comment

Education programme tour of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles

Glasgow 2014 mascot Clyde will spend this week (23-28 Feb) touring Scotland’s island local authorities, visiting schools and spreading excitement about the upcoming Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The visits to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles have been organised by Game On Scotland, the education programme of the Games, and will also involve appearances by the programme’s ambassador, Scotland hockey star Holly Cram.

Both Clyde and Holly will be surprising pupils who’ve been using the Games to inspire their learning, visiting 24 schools across the three local authorities. In addition, they’ll be meeting with Youth Legacy Ambassadors and local community and sports groups. The visits coincide with the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council’s Legacy Week, which provides a spotlight on Legacy 2014 opportunities and benefits across Scotland.

On Friday, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages, will present a Game On Scotland plaque to Tong Primary School on the Isle of Lewis, in recognition of their Games-related work. Throughout the week other schools across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles will be recognised in a similar way.

Paul Zealey, Head of Engagement and Legacy at Glasgow 2014, said:

“More than a quarter of a million children and young people are already benefitting from participating in Game On Scotland, the official Glasgow 2014 education programme.

“By the end of this Legacy Week, our mascot Clyde will have taken opportunities to learn from the Games to schools in every local authority area in Scotland.”

Alison Drever Senior Education Officer, Education Scotland said:

“We are delighted to see the high level of creativity and enthusiasm of children and young people engaged with Game On Scotland, both across the islands and in schools across the country. It is inspiring to see the innovative approaches from learners and practitioners alike to provide inspirational learning opportunities around the Games.”

event, Holly Cram

Game On Scotland Event: 26 March, Dundee

February 11, 2014 K. Mayer 2 Comments

Last in the series!

With just over 20 weeks to go before the biggest multi-sport and cultural event ever to come to Scotland, we invite practitioners to find out more on how the Commonwealth Games may provide a unique opportunities to create stimulating learning across the curriculum and beyond.

What will be delivered?
The event will showcase inspirational initiatives from schools across the spectrum and highlight a vast amount of resources and opportunities available to teachers ensuring that, together, we are able to deliver a lasting legacy for learning.

Addresses will be delivered by a wide range of inspirational speakers covering topics from international programmes to physical and Games related education.

A variety of engaging workshops delivered by practitioners and organisations will provide practical, hands-on exemplification on the impact of using the Games as a context for learning. Workshop sessions will include:

case studies from primary and secondary schools
inspirational address by people directly engaged with the Games and its legacy
international education and partnerships
funding opportunities around food education in the context of the Games
cluster and local authority initiatives

View the Game On Scotland Event DRAFT programme – 26 March, Dundee.

Who should attend?

Teachers, lead staff and those with a whole school responsibility for Games Legacy, including cluster initiatives and wider curriculum remits related to the Games (e.g. active schools coordinator, health and wellbeing).

This is the third event of our CPD series, following events in Glasgow and Inverness. The previous two events were considered useful by over 98% of delegates attending.

How to register:

We invite you to join us for an inspirational day of sharing and collaborative thinking around a variety of exciting opportunities by registering for the event online or directly with Diane Carson: Diane.Carson@educationscotland.gov.uk

Active, Award, Game On Challenge, Game On Scotland Plaque, Holly Cram

First Edinburgh Schools to receive Game On Plaque

February 8, 2014 K. Mayer Leave a comment

Wester Hailes Education Centre and Pilrig Park Special School joined the list of ‘firsts’ to be awarded the Game On Scotland Plaque. Amidst an exciting programme for young people to engage in the Commonwealth Games, Wester Hailes Education Centre became the first secondary school in Edinburgh to receive the award by the Game On Scotland ambassador, Holly Cram, on a day of activities from street dance to gymnastics. Holly also provided a coaching session for the school’s girls hockey team. The day was also supported by former Gold medallist Steve Frew who set learners a number of gymnastic challenges stretching from the pommel horse to ring exercises.

Pilrig Park Special School put on an exciting award ceremony for Holly and Education Scotland celebrating their plaque award. The head boy and girl, the Legacy ambassadors and Baton bearer as well as head teacher Ellen Muir outlined the impressive record of Games related activities of the school from their own Commonwealth Song and dance performance to learning about the 70 nations and territories.

Well done to both schools.

Game On!

Award, Game On Challenge, Game On Scotland Plaque

Two more Secondary schools to receive the Game On Plaque

February 5, 2014 K. Mayer Leave a comment

Lourdes Secondary School and Shawlands Academy have both joined the award winning secondary schools now to hold the Game On Scotland Plaque for using the Games as an inspiring context for learning.

The teacher leading the initiative at Lourdes, Kerry McSween, says: This is an excellent and fun opportunity for the pupils to be actively involved in their learning. The projects are giving the pupils the opportunity to learn about different countries and cultures in a more inspiring and motivating way, whilst giving them the opportunity to learn and enhance their experience of the Commonwealth Games.

Shawlands Academy has a long history of using the Games to create exciting learning experiences for their pupils. Amongst their accolades are their participation in Glasgow’s bid for the Youth Olympics, submitting the winning design for the official Glasgow 2014 Tartan and being part of the Queen’s Baton presentation at Buckingham Palace last October. Now the school is determined to get the whole school and its community inspired to engage with the Games by implementing an extensive cross –curricular, whole school programme.