Category Archives: Ochiltree
Unicef World Children’s Day
Secondary Assembly for World Children’s Day
Blue is the colour for World Children’s Day 2021
We had a story massage about Paddington
Then we talked about how we felt when he came to London and how he feels when people are not nice to him.
We learned how to do the ‘Hard Stare’ when people are not nice!
Duncan was fantastic at this and as also able to show his friends different emotions too!
We made blue prints for a display in the school too.
Please have a look at how we made them and a look at how Paddington does the hard stare! Can you do it?
https://youtu.be/aS4w0Y1Kif4
Ochiltree Term 1
I cannot believe that it is October already!
We have had a fabulous start to the year and have been enjoying our extended bubble with Duntarvie and participating in lots of new activities with all our friends from there!
So what have we been up to…..
We had a very successful litter pick around Craigshill but we were very surprised at how little litter there was about – the community have come together and have made fantastic changes around the area. We were also able to see how well our flowers have been growing at the street signs we planted before the summer – this caught on and there are lots of streets around doing the same now!
It was lovely to see Luca’s family and they had fun joining us for a walk around the Almond – it was a shame that you could not all join us but hopefully we will see you all soon at other school events.
We are all working hard on our qualifications this year – ASDAN and SQA projects as well as our IEP targets. William and Aria are doing lots together and are joined by Charlie for topic work, Luca is joining the Duntarvie class for lots of activities and Sophie is joining her friends from Duntarvie for lots of movement and sensory activities.
Catherine has been conducting the topic – Looking After My Body and the children have loved all the fun activities she has been doing – they especially enjoyed the smelling and tasting activity. Catherine has also been doing Drama which Luca and Sophie have been going to and they love it – hopefully we will be able to put on a show for you at Christmas or at the end of the year!
The children are all getting to try out new activities, experience new things and encouraged to be as independent as they can be building skills for adulthood! They are a great help carrying out their class jobs, Eco tasks and helping out in the community.
There are so many things I could rave about but I must leave space for some pictures.
Please click on the link below to see a fantastic video of our stars at work and play.
Music October 2021
Mr Macarella and a mission into space!
It was great to see everyone happy to return to music and to welcome some new faces joining us for musical fun too.
We began the term with some familiar songs and activities to help settle everyone in before focusing on silly Mr. Macarella. This clapping song tells us how he didn’t use his umbrella to keep dry and how 8 raindrops fell on him. Then we all count and clap while learning about the different parts of the body where the rain fell. We then moved onto playing the rain sounds and the 8 raindrops on different instruments as the rain drops fell on his musicians.
This term we also have some smaller Music groups with Lammermuir and early Primary children focusing on musical play and exploration, intensive interaction, movement and nursery rhymes.
Secondary had two cross-class music groups and some also have 1-1 sessions this term. One group began working on choosing and playing instruments that will help tell the story of a journey into space. This will help them work as a group with solo spots on their chosen instruments that will go towards their SQA awards. The other group are enjoying playing and moving along to music from different genres as they work towards their ASDAN awards.
We will continue the fun into next term, adding in seasonal songs for Halloween and Christmas. Have a great October break!
Ochiltree 2021/22
I cannot believe I am writing 2021/22 already!
In saying that we are all so happy to be back at school and ready to get into action with all the new and exciting changes happening in the secondary department.
This year we are hoping to be more interactive with each other and experience and participate in new group activities with our friends from Duntarvie.
The children will all continue to work on building their personal skills to develop their independence where possible as well as working on life skills through SQA and ASDAN qualifications.
There are also lots of whole school activities to look forward to and fingers crossed we will be able to see you all soon back at school for some Beatlie socialising.
There are a few new faces in Ochiltree and we are enjoying getting to know one another. This year we have Aria, Luca, Sophie, William, Vanessa and Rylie who will be supported and encouraged by Sandra, Alison, Anna, Caitlin, Louisa and Emma with Catherine covering when required.
The Ochiltree 2021-2022 Team
Ochiltree 2020/21
What a year!
Despite all the restrictions and changes over the past year we have managed to survive and cope tremendously well with a new way of life in Beatlie.
The children in Ochiltree adapted so well and have shown a great determination to develop and build on their skills as well as have fun in all the different activities new and old.
The Ochiltree team has had lots to deal with and we came together and enjoyed supporting the children to work on their independence skills and communication. Over the year you have witnessed how impressive they have been.
We have also had lots to do with Learning for Sustainability and helping out in the community which has been vitally important in this climate. The children all helped to start and maintain a vegetable garden producing vegetables used in our recipe book and cooking the different dishes as part of our Connectng Classrooms project with schools in Africa. We have also planted lots of flowers to encourage diversification and they are beginning to bloom with the summer sun.
There are so many moments I would love to share with you but I don’t know where I would stop. Please have a look at our video which gives just a short peek into life in Ochiltree.
Myself, Anna, Gina, Jacqueline, Shonet & Catherine would like to wish you all a fantastic summer and look forward to seeing you all again soon x
Term 3 Ochiltree
Phew – another term over can you believe it!!
What a great time we have had this term despite all the restrictions. We have been able to fill our time with lots of new and exciting opportunities and experiences.
We have really missed William and Rylie and hope that they will be back to join us soon.
Aria, Luca and Vanessa have been busy working towards their ASDAN and SQA qualifications throughout the term and it has been fantastic to see them build on their skills and show the progress they have made through the different activities they have participated in.
We have tried out new games which has been sooo much fun for both the staff and the children. Our table top games have been a hit with a variety of games played over the term – Scalextrics is the clear favourite when given the choice! We have got some new games to try next term – I wonder what the favourite will be? In PE we also tried out some old and new activities but this term we had it in the class so a little different. This didn’t put off the children and we still had great fun with bowling, parachute and curling to name a few. Next term we will be trying out some different activities in the hall again – maybe outside too if the weather gets better.
We have been making the most of the good weather recently and been going on lots of walks and bike rides around the local area. Aria is helping her aunty to clock up some miles for a sponsored walk she is participating in for Beatlie!
Our gardening project has also been brilliant and all the children have really taken to the different activities involved – we just need to be patient now and see what comes from all of our hard work. We are hoping that after the Easter holidays we will be busy maintaining the garden and harvesting towards the summer.
I could go on and on about all the fantastic work and achievements we have made over the term so have a look at just a few of our photos showing how much fun school can be!
Welly Boot Planters
I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all who donated some of their old/unused wellies. They are fantastic and have been put to good use.
I have put together a sway to show you what we have done with the wellies and hopefully in May/June we can update you with some beautiful ‘blooming’ flower displays!
We have made some bee homes so it will be brilliant if the flowers attract them to the courtyard garden.
Ochiltree Term 2
It has been a term like no other in Ochiltree but we have survived and got through it together and hopefully the new year will bring about positive changes for us all.
The children have coped tremendously well over the year and have made some great progress despite all the hurdles that they have faced. We have had a packed timetable despite the restrictions and we have been able to experience more of the outdoors and new activities throughout our day.
We have enjoyed our topic of electricity and the new class jobs that we experienced – using the hoover, microwave and lots of switching toys, tools and utensils.
We have been outside lots – going on walks, litter picks, experiencing different weathers and different environments. We are enjoying looking after the courtyard area of the school and look forward to planting and growing produce we can use in recipes as the year progresses in 2021.
We have had lots of experiences cooking, craft work and games in the classroom which has been fun for everyone getting to know each other and building relationships as they learn to take turns and share with each other. All of the children have made some great personal progress with their independence and target work as well as working on ASDAN and SQA modules which we will continue to update you on in their Learners Journals.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you all again soon in 2021.
Article 28 (right to education)
Every child has the right to an education.
Primary education must be free and
different forms of secondary education
must be available to every child. Discipline
in schools must respect children’s dignity
and their rights. Richer countries must help
poorer countries achieve this.
Article 29 (goals of education)
Education must develop every child’s
personality, talents and abilities to the
full. It must encourage the child’s respect
for human rights, as well as respect
for their parents, their own and other
cultures, and the environment.
Article 31 (leisure, play and culture)
Every child has the right to relax, play and
take part in a wide range of cultural and
artistic activities.
Christmas in Ochiltree
Ochiltree have been busy Elves over the last couple of weeks – having fun and working hard.
We all enjoyed our Christmas crafts and artwork that we worked hard on although really enjoyed looking at all our pictures while putting the calendar together.
We also enjoyed the pantomime despite it being virtual it was like we were there!
Our Christmas party was really fun – we enjoyed playing pass the parcel, corners game and dancing to party music before Santa came to visit and give us all a gift.
Despite everything that is going on in the world around us we have not let it dampen our spirits in Ochiltree!
MERRY CHRISTMAS from all your friends in Ochiltree. xx
Article 29 (goals of education)
Education must develop every child’s
personality, talents and abilities to the
full. It must encourage the child’s respect
for human rights, as well as respect
for their parents, their own and other
cultures, and the environment.
Article 31 (leisure, play and culture)
Every child has the right to relax, play and
take part in a wide range of cultural and
artistic activities.
