18-20 Albyn Place Aberdeen AB10 1rG
The Harlaw exam timetable is available below or in pdf:-
Pupils should note that the NESCOL courses below will not appear on their individual timetables:-
Pupils affected by this should check the main timetable and make a note of the exam time. All pupils should collect their personal exam timetable before study leave.
We are in the process of holding a set of assemblies to cover themes of safety, discrimination and tolerance. The slides I am using are attached here: Special assembly March 2019 We had decided to hold these assemblies before tragic events in New Zealand last week but those events made the assemblies even more relevant.
Our decision to focus on this theme arose because of trends we were seeing in society as a whole including:
As educators we try to help young people to understand the law so they do not inadvertently fall foul of it but also help them to recognise that some behaviours cannot be brushed off as “banter” or “fun” just because they happen in a school context. Racism is racism, homophobia is homophobia and we need to recognise it for what it is and call it out for what it is. It is particularly important to do so as children move to being young people and eventually adults. During these years they can struggle not only with their own identity but also their relationships with others and we need to promote values such as tolerance, compassion, inclusion and equality.
Alongside deepening understanding of these issues we also have to help youngsters to understand changes in society and social norms. The Equality Act 2010 set down important protections for certain groups. Things which were once mainstream comedy are now rightly deemed unacceptable. There is a greater awareness of issues such as child exploitation and sexual harassment as a result of high profile cases. There are new challenges particularly around social media, globalisation and a rapidly changing and increasingly unclear political landscape.
All of this was already in our minds when we planned the assemblies but the shocking events in New Zealand and the divisive language around Brexit brings them into very sharp focus. The main message I hope our youngsters take away from the assemblies if for us to speak up and speak up for the rights of those who are vulnerable. To be part of a school and a community which celebrates diversity, is tolerant of others and challenges prejudice. One which recognises the need to call out the apparently small things because if it allowed to pass then it can grow into something more serious. I want them to understand that what some would try to excuse as “banter”, “teasing” or “fun” should more rightly be seen as a form of “hate crime”.
Last month we did a lot of work around the Holocaust and over the years we have had groups travel to Auschwitz and others to Rwanda where they learned about the genocide in that country. As adults we need to do all we can to help our children to learn from the past and to build a better future. We need to try to live in their world of 24/7 real time access to news, ‘fake news’ and social media and we need to help them navigate the threats and realise the benefits of that world.
During the course of the week we have been running sessions on on-line safety for all our Primary schools and our S1-S3 classes. There were also sessions for parents and teachers. It is essential we help youngsters to enjoy all of the benefits of being connected on-line but also recognise the many dangers. School staff are here to help any young person or family with their concerns. Paul Hay the consultant who runs the sessions is happy to answer any questions you may have – http://www.pclstraining.com/
Today under the banner of ‘Progress’ I want to mention; school day, internet safety and learning.
School day: In my blog two weeks ago I highlighted a proposal to shorten the lunchtime. I asked pupils and parents for feedback on the proposal and had to ballot staff. In order to move forward with the proposal it required to have the support of two thirds (66%) of staff voting and have the broad support of pupils and parents. We issued ballot papers to 108 staff who would be affected and got 101 back. 80% were in agreement and most of the comments I have had back from pupils and parents have been supportive. I now have to formalise the proposal for approval and if this is successful I hope to have the new arrangements in place for when we return form the Easter break. The two advantages for people are; reducing time pupils are milling about “bored” at lunchtime and taking away the need for us to have winter arrangements which involve a shorter lunchtime. We think this change represents progress and is a positive response to views expressed by staff, pupils and parents.
Internet safety: We have done a couple of audits of views and a common theme of where we can support pupils. parents is around the topic of internet safety. Elsewhere on the school website are details of sessions we are running for pupils, parents and teachers on the topic of on-line safety. Paul Hay who is running the sessions for our Primaries and ourselves is fantastic and I would urge you to get along to one of his sessions if you can. Access to on-line resources is real progress but it is not without significant pitfalls and concerns. On a daily basis we deal with people saying and doing pretty dreadful things on social media platforms. As a school we will do all we can to educate and protect children when they are on-line and we need parents to work with us in this regard. I do hope you will make it along to one of the parent sessions and if you cannot make it then take time to discuss at home what Paul will have spoken to the youngsters about.
School work: Seniors should be working hard to complete final coursework and prepare for exams. I put a fair bit up about revision in my blog last week so will not repeat it here. What I would ask if that every pupil (junior and senior) thinks about the work progress and in particular the 3 questions below:
The word “progress” is used to mean very different things in each of these 3 questions and if it can be answered positively in the first then the chances are that the second and third question will be easier to answer. Conversely if little or no progress has been made last week then a great deal will have to be progressed now and if this does not happen then the future progression will become problematic.
I trust by the time I write my blog next week we will all be able to report having made a fair bit of progress.
The SQA exams start in around 20 school days so this blog is for those families who are preparing for the exams.
The first thing I will emphasise is to know what you are sitting and when it takes place. Over the next week teachers will be confirming with pupils which level they are being presented at and we will be asking pupils to sign off on a ‘curriculum check’ to ensure that nobody is missed off a list or presented at the wrong level. Once you are clear about the level and courses then the SQA exam timetable will let you know when the exams take place – see link below.
The second thing I will emphasise are good habits. Good work and study habits should have been in place since starting school and in particular in the senior phase. They are about; being in class every one of the remaining 20 days, being present in class and active in class activity, turning up for additional study/revision sessions and seeking out your teacher or classmates to clarify any parts you are unsure of.
The third thing relates to deliberate practice (see video below). Pupils and parents often think success is about working harder when for many it is about working smarter and with clearer purpose. Passing exams is less about how much you have crammed into your head for the day of the exam and more about the technique you bring to answering exam questions. In the final preparations we need to perfect the technique and to do that we need to be precise in what we are trying to achieve. In the time between now and the exams there is time to really develop technique – but it needs to start now. Leave it too late and deliberate practice will not help you.
Knowing what you are sitting, applying good habits and deliberate practice should reduce the prospect of you prevaricating (putting things off) or getting distracted.
If you want further support for study or to access revision resources I would direct you to a small number of places (there are lots but these may be a distraction and a reason to prevaricate – the key is to get on with the work itself)
Links to most of what you will need can be found at: https://education.gov.scot/nationalqualifications/exam-preparation/Exam%20preparation
The SQA exam timetable and support materials are at: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/41319.html
A lot of pupils have found BBC Bitesize helpful at: https://www.bbc.com/bitesize but do check you use the Scottish parts.
Scholar is a really good resource for specific courses and pupils studying these courses should have a log in: https://scholar.hw.ac.uk/index.html
Finally there is the video on deliberate practice it sets out around 8 things that will improve your practice.
S2 Parents’ Evening Wednesday 13th March 2019 from 4.15pm – 6.45pm
S2 parents and guardians are invited to attend the S2 Parents’ Evening in Harlaw Academy on Wednesday 13th March 2019 to meet their child’s subject teachers. Our Guidance Teachers will be available to discuss pupils overall progress at school and also present on the evening will be Ms Douglas the Year Head for S2 and Mr Mitchell our Principal Teacher of Support for Learning.
Please note that there is no parking in the school grounds and you are asked to use on street parking available in the surrounding area.
Harlaw Academy uses an online booking system for parents through our Groupcall Messenger system. This allows you to book appointments at times that suits your availability.
In order to login you will need the following information:-
The Parent’s title and Parent’s surname must match the information we hold in our system for your child’s main contact and we will send a Groupcall message to let you know the Parent’s title and Parent’s Surname to use when logging in.
Full details of how to book appointments is available on the website homepage and booking is open from Wednesday 6th March at 12am until Tuesday 12th March at 10am.
Parents are advised that the online booking system operates on a first come first served basis so if there are particular teachers you are keen to see please make sure you login early.
On the evening we ask that your child attends with you to take part in the conversations with their teachers. We also ask that you bring your list of appointments with you.
We look forward to meeting you on Wednesday 13th March.
Duke of Edinburgh Awards: I attended an event at a packed Beach Ballroom on Monday evening last week. It was organised by Aberdeen City Council and was to celebrate all those youngsters who had gained their Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. In total 77 pupils collected awards on the evening and overall this year we have supported 312 pupils through the scheme this year. These numbers are over twice those of the next highest presenting centre in the City. Through the course of the evening our staff members won the Inspiration Award, Laszlo Hajdu won the Young Volunteer of the Year Award, Ruby Nicole-Smith won the Media competition and Blane Danraj and Archie Innes were 2nd in the same competition. It was uplifting to see Harlaw have such an impact at a City wide event and I wish to congratulate and thank all who make this possible.
School Security: Keeping pupils and staff safe is a priority and with this in mind we have been working hard to raise the topic of school security with pupils, parents, staff and the wider council. For pupils this is about;
Young people have a right to be protected and safe (articles 19 and 24 of UNCRC) but they can be doing a great deal more to help ensure they all enjoy that right.
Our Parent council have been working with the school and local authority to see if more can be done to make the site more secure eg more secure doors/gates, a perimeter fence and some CCTV coverage. This week we also received guidelines for parents visiting schools (Security Arrangements for Parents – v1.0 March 19). We will adapt these a little to suit our site and issue them to all parents through group call. The advice makes it clear that parents are best to make an appointment if they want to see someone at the school.
Consultation on the school week: At present we have an hour for lunch 12.30-1.30 and the school day ends at 3.15. We also have a set of winter/emergency arrangements which cut the lunchtime to 45 minutes and takes the end of the school day to 3.00. This can be disruptive to parents and we are looking to consult on moving to a 50 minute lunchtime and not varying this during the year. The consultation involves staff and requires two-thirds of staff to accept the proposal. We also need to seek the views of pupils and parents and take these into account in reaching a decision. Parent views will be gathered at both the S2 Parents Evening on Wednesday 13th March and the Parent Council meeting on Thursday 14th March. But if anyone will not make it along to either of these opportunities and wants to express a view please pop these into the school for me to consider. Under the proposals lunchtime would be 12.30-1.20 and the school day would end at 3.05. I shall be in contact with you again with the results of the consultation.
There have been recent reports that some seemingly innocent videos on YouTube and YouTube Kids (such as ‘surprise eggs’, unboxing videos and Minecraft videos) have been edited by unknown sources to include violence provoking and/or other inappropriate content. This content may be shared with your child via social media channels: SnapChat, WhatsApp, Instagram and others. This content may encourage your child to self-harm or carry out some other “challenge”. As a parent, it’s difficult to spot these videos as the harmful content doesn’t appear until partway through the video.
To protect your child from such harmful content, we recommend that you talk with your child on an ongoing basis about what he or she is accessing and about how to stay safe online. Reminding your child to tell you about anything upsetting that they encounter online is very important. Having regular and open dialogues about what your child is accessing will encourage them to talk to you if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable with any content online or bullying behaviours.
Monitoring of your child’s devices can also help to ensure they are safe online. Seemingly innocent and harmless children’s apps and videos can be used to share disturbing content and to encourage children to contact individuals that they do not know. Regular monitoring of your child’s devices will bring this to your attention quickly and allow you to take appropriate action.
You may find the following links useful to support keeping your child safe.