We celebrated World Down Syndrome Day at Beatlie by joining a live link to a giant clubbercise. Lots of fun, dancing, disco lights and of course odd socks! Thank you to everyone who sent in a £1 donation. We raised £45 to send to Down Syndrome Scotland. Well done.

Another term has flown by!

It’s been so lovely to be outdoors more often again, appreciating our amazing  school grounds and enjoying sunny outdoor play times, gardening, and community walks and outings.

As ever, we have been super busy completing our ASDAN and SQA awards. Our ASDAN pupils have been enjoying lots of community experiences and finding out about the jobs people do here at Beatlie – completing work experience, and assisting our much loved nurses, janitors, the Lorraines at reception, and Angela and Lynne with the lunches and keeping our school clean and tidy. They’ve also enjoyed cross class play sessions with their friends from Ochiltree and shared their interests together. Our SQA senior students have been exploring Healthy Eating, their individual  Appearance and what makes them unique, and working towards their award in Sensory Perception. All pupils have been having lots of fun exploring drama and music, and working towards their awards here too.

We were very lucky to experience some Live Music Now sessions this term which went down a treat, and which pupils came away from very relaxed and happy indeed.

As the senior end of the school, we continue to access our community groups and experiences, and in addition to these, many of us have also had the chance to experience bowling and golf at the driving range with Louise. These have been amazing and very enjoyable sessions! Most recently, some of our pupils represented Beatlie at a dance festival, and others took part in the Classrooms for Malawi Unicef Outright Campaign. Such a variety of worthwhile and memorable opportunities!

We look forward to our experiences and achievements  in the coming term.

We wish everyone a lovely, restful Easter break,

Team Duntarvie x

Drama has been up and running since after the February break and it’s been lots of fun. Some children have been exploring sea life sensory under the sea. Another group have been taking turns to drive a bus to the harbour, then hopping on boats across the sea on adventures. Other children have been swimming in the sea, riding dolphins and being chased by sharks. A lot of fun, craziness and laughter.

Beatlie choir have been working hard this school year. The children have been enjoying new songs with props to encourage engagement. They have also been working on vocalising into a microphone. We have been having so much fun with our new pancake song.

Well, this term has definitely danced past us in a wintery whirlwind – filled with learning, achievement and most importantly – fun 🥰!

Our days have been extremely busy both in school and out in the local community, with assemblies and learning on a range of topics such as Remembrance, Fireworks, World Children’s Day, St Andrew’s Day, Winter and Advent, immersing ourselves in various wintery sensory stories, sensology, and story massages  and keeping our bodies active at hydro, rebound, dance namaste and music therapy, to name just a few of our many, many activities, not forgetting our range of community outings and groups!

A particularly fun day, was when our clown doctor friends visited to take part in our learning experiences, and caused creative chaos – as they do so well – which led to some beautiful and very funny interactions. It is so lovely to see these little moments where confidence and communication begin to blossom through fun.

Our ASDAN pupils have been working really hard towards their awards, exploring the topics of healthy bodies and  Diwali, and our senior school pupils have been trying really hard with their SQA fundraising project and using their communication skills amazingly well both in school and out in the community to help really worthy causes! Across all our learning, exploring the concept of exchange has been a focus, as well as self care skills.

Our festivities have been a definite highlight, and our pupils did so well, participating in events such as the Christmas Pantomime, Christmas Drama,  Christmas Lunch, our whole school Christmas Singalong, as well as our secondary Christmas party, and our visit to see the Christmas lights at Livingston Shopping centre.

Lastly, before we sign off for the festive season, Duntarvie class would like to express our sincere gratitude, which we extend to our entire brilliant Beatlie community, for everyone’s support and kindness in our Sensory Shoebox Toy Appeal project.

We were genuinely very overwhelmed by the generosity, thought, and creativity that went into providing some very special boxes for children in our local area to enjoy waking up to this Christmas 💕.

We also raised a considerable amount of money, which local charity ‘River Kids’ will be able to use to purchase any specific items they are missing for children and young people, and we couldn’t have done any of this without your incredible support and this tremendous teamwork! Thank you for making a difference 💖🐝!

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✨ ✨Merry Christmas Everyone,

with lots of love from all in Duntarvie xxxxxxx✨✨

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to take the time to express our appreciation for everyone who contributed to the Poppy Appeal recently in school.

We raised an amazing amount  which will go towards helping those in the military community who have given so much and continue to give so much for all of us.

I also wanted to celebrate our brilliant Beatlie pupils, who made the most beautiful wreath as part of their assembly on Monday and the senior school pupils who are working towards their fundraising award and have been collecting donations, as well as very respectfully laying their wreath at the war memorial at the civic centre yesterday, on Armistice Day.

Thank you to your amazing young people and to our Beatlie community,

Rachael