12th-16th November 2018 – Stay safe

Mid Autumn/Winter brings with it; darker nights, falling leaves, changing weather, frost and snow.

These conditions pose an added risk as we go about our daily lives and I am using the blog this week set out 5 simple ideas to help pupils reduce the risks and to stay safe.

  1. Set off earlier – the journey to school takes a little bit longer so aim to catch the earlier bus or leave 5 minutes earlier to ensure you are at school on time
  2. Think about what you are wearing – in particular something which can be seen, which keeps you warm/dry and wear suitable footwear
  3. Stopping distances – in darker mornings and evenings drivers do not always spot someone until a little later and when they do put on the brakes their car/van/lorry takes a bit longer until it stops.  So do not rush out in front of moving traffic.
  4. Think about others – particularly once the snow comes.  Throwing snowballs at cars/buses etc is never a good idea, it can cause the driver to panic.  Throwing them into crowds or at people on busy pavements is also really dangerous as once it leaves your hand there is no accounting for who it will hit or where.  Last year we had a couple of instances where people had to be taken to hospital with eye injuries as a result of being hit unintentionally.
  5. Inside is not outside – As you enter the building the floors can be wet and slippy so do not run around once you are in the building.  Remember also to take the outdoor jackets off, as part of keeping everyone safe we ask visitors to wear an ID badge and we ask pupils to be showing their uniform in school.  There was a time when parts of the school were cold but we have had our heating system upgraded and are in the process of getting the the old windows replaced.

I felt it was especially important to raise the safety issue as we had a report after school on Thursday of a youngster being knocked down by a car at Holburn Junction.  Fortunately it was a relatively minor incident with no injuries or damage  but a reminder of the need to stay safe.

I also need to mention a little bit more about the work on the windows.  This is progressing well and most of the East (Holburn Junction) side is complete.   Work is moving to the west (Queens Cross) side and this is likely to mean that one of our stairwells will be out of use for almost a week.  Pupils will be advised of alternative routes to move around school and to exit the school in the event of a fire alarm.

The shorter school day is a significant help in terms of getting this work done but given the incident at Holburn Junction I am going to have another look at the arrangements and go back to a 3.15 finish to help our Garthdee pupils who can then get their bus at the front of the school rather than at the Junction.  If we do this we might move to an 8.45 start and retain the shorter lunchtime.  I will be meeting with the contractors and speaking with my colleagues on Monday to consider all of the risks and agreeing what we can do to keep people as safe as possible.

On the safety message it is also worth mentioning two other important things:

Safe Drive – this is an initiative to help reduce fatal and life changing accidents involving young people on NE roads.  I am very keen that we get our senior pupils to Safe Drive as we have experience of fatal accidents involveing Harlaw pupils in the past and it is also something I have experienced several times at my previous school, Westhill.

Anti-bullying – this was anti-bullying week but I would hope that every day was an anti-bullying day.  Only last week I read about the suicide of a former pupil at previous school.  Now in his late 20s this young man had become depressed after being subjected to homophobic bullying.  It was one of the most heart breaking stories I have read and a reminder of the immense harm caused by bullying.  We are a rights respecting school and we promote respect for people.  I urge us all to ‘call out’ bullying when we witness it as it is often impossible for the victim to report it.  I also ask victims to seek support from anyone they can, you are not alone and you deserve our support.

I know from very personal experience that these two issues can have ‘life or death’ consequences.  Stay safe and think on the impact you have positively or negatively on the lives of others.  Respect people and Respect community.

 

S4 Parents’ Evening

S4 Parents’ Evening Tuesday 27th November 2018 from 4.15pm – 6.45pm

S4 Parents and guardians are invited to attend the S4 Parents’ Evening in Harlaw Academy on Tuesday 27th November 2018 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 Mrs Lawrence the Year Head for S4 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 Tuesday 20th November at 12am until Monday 26th November at 10am.

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 Tuesday 27th November.

5th-11th November 2018: Respect Community

During this week we had a number of things to mark 100 years since the signing of the armistice which led to the end of World War 1.  Our Art department worked on a display and towards the end of the week the library showed a film ‘They Shall Not Grow Old” which has recently been released.  The former pupils also prepared a really good display showing how WW1 impacted on the school and its pupils.  Through the week a group of pupils also led assemblies to highlight the human sacrifices made during WW1.  It is important that we help pupils think about such issues in the hope that we can learn the lessons from history to avoid such horrors in the future.

We took the opportunity to link in the 3 ‘values’ which inform so much of the school (Respect People, Respect Learning and Respect Community) in particular Respect Community.  On the subject of our Community I want to acknowledge the fact that Sunday marked 100 years since Poland achieved independence.  We have a good many Polish families at the school and we also host the Polish School at Harlaw every Saturday.  I am sure Sunday will have been a day of special celebration for all our Polish families.

I am proud of all that is done in Harlaw Academy to help our young people to play an active role in their community.  The way in which the Former Pupil display links the school of 1918 to the school of today has significant impact.

During the week there were several other things which demonstrated a school serving its community and a community supporting its school.  Three of these included;

  • Ian Pelley a former pupil visiting to speak with Business Studies classes about alternatives to University
  • Ross Thomson (MP) visiting to discuss his work as an MP and the workings of the UK Parliament
  • ACVO and Kevin Stewart (MSP) visiting to present Saltire Awards for volunteering to our youngsters

As we move into late Autumn and winter we have asked our pupils to be respectful to the community.  Darker nights can bring concerns around road safety and as we begin to see snow there will no doubt a temptation to throw snowballs.  People have to show consideration towards others and recognise when things move beyond being acceptable and begin to show a lack of respect for the wider community.  I am almost sure I will be speaking to pupils about “Respect Community” more in the next few months but I want to finish this post with the message we gave to the young people in the assemblies.  Over the last two weeks I have had 4 people independently seek me out to say how impressed by our pupils – two were visitors to the school and two work in the town centre and encounter our pupils at lunchtime.  It was fantastic to be able to give the pupils positive feedback and to ask them to keep doing all they can to Respect their Community.   I leave you with a few pictures of the FPs display:

                  

Parents & Carers Hands-on Workshop Texthelp

Texthelp in Aberdeen City

Parents & Carers Hands-on Workshop

 

Date: Wednesday 14th November 2018

Time: 16:30 – 17:45 & 18:30 – 19:45 (New time!!)

Venue: Old Braeside School, Braeside Place

 

Why should I attend?

Every Aberdeen City School now has access to TextHelp’s Read&Write software, available on every device – Windows PCs, Macs, Google, iPad and Android tablets, and what’s more – Everyone can access it at home too! Come along to a hands on workshop and how it can be used to support all learners.

What is Read&Write software?

Used daily by millions of students worldwide, Read&Write is an award-winning literacy toolbar that helps each member of the class realise their full potential. Supporting all stages from Primary 1 to S6, there are features to benefit everyone!

 

  • Word prediction and dictionary tools to support every stage of learning
  • Text-to-speech and voice recognition – Why type when you can use your voice?!
  • Fact finding and research tools to support emerging story writers as well as senior students completing assignments
  • Mp3 audio maker – Download your notes and listen on-the-go
  • And lots more! Find out more information at texthelp.com

 

“Helping every student understand, learn and express themselves with confidence.”

  Want to find out more? Everyone welcome!

 Please note you may bring your young person with you too!

Register your interest here

http://bit.ly/ReadWriteParents2

Look forward to seeing you there!

29th October – 2nd November 2018: The start of a very important term

As the holidays came to an end I was more than a little concerned.  A lot of our old windows had been removed and new frames were going in bu there was no sign of any glass and there was a fair bit of mess to get tidy for Monday.  Somehow over the final weekend the contractors managed to have us ready to open for the new term.  The work on the windows will continue for most of November and during this time we will have a shorter lunch and early finish to keep the project on track.

I have been pleased with the first week back as both staff and pupils seem to be working on the priorities which I had set out in the ‘big picture’ presentation sent out last week (copy can be accessed here – Big picture for stakeholders Oct 2018).  For all year groups this is a very important term:

  • S1-S3 – this is where you confirm for us the level you are working at.  We need you to be working at level 4 by the end of S3 if you are to make a success of National 5 in S4 and Higher in S5.  If you ‘muck about’ in S1-S3 you will not be at that  level and could be looking at delaying National 5 until S5 or even S6.
  • S4-S6 – we have a relatively clear run to Christmas.  After this there are prelim exams and coursework to complete for many subjects.  If you do not do the work this term there is no time to catch up after the holidays.

We will have a number of reports and parents nights to keep you updated but if you have any questions or concerns please get in contact.  One concern we always encounter through the year is when we have staff changes.  Over the term we will see some staff leave us and others arrive.  There are times when we either cannot get a replacement or there is a gap between when someone leaves and when someone else starts.  We do all we can to avoid this but where it does happen we tend to prioritise senior classes and look at how we can ensure junior classes get a high quality experience either in the course or in a different subject area.  We try to keep parents informed of changes where we can but if this is not possible we inform the pupils so they can let you know.  Again if anything you hear causes concern please get in contact – but remember not all you hear will be right so call to check if you like.

We were in contact at the end of the week to let you know we were asking pupils not to use aerosols in the building.  This follows two unintended fire alarms caused by pupils using sprays in confined spaces.  This had set off the sensors and led to us evacuating the building.  The only way to reduce the risk of further unintended alarms is to restrict the use of aerosol products in the school.

I want to close this blog with a few bits of excellent news:

Congratulations to Laszlo in S6 who was ‘crowned’ UK lifesaver of the year at a ceremony in Worchester Cathedral during the holidays.  Jane Tosh who works at the school is a coach at his club and accompanied him to the event

            

Congratulations also to two of our teams who finished 2nd and 3rd in the North East Kids Lit Quiz held at the school.  Our librarian Alison Ustun does a massive amount to support this and other activities for pupils and we are fortunate to have someone like her in the school.

Congratulations also to our Northsound Quiz Team who have reached the semi-finals of the Northsound Energy Quiz.  Mr Bell has been entering teams in this quiz for several years and his success rate is incredible.  We are the only school to have retained the title and we are also the only school to have won it 3 times.  Whatever the outcome it is a fantastic achievement to have reached the last 4 again this year.

My final congratulations are to all of our pupils.  Over the course of the week 3 people have taken time to let me know how good our pupils are.  Two of these are researchers who were conducting separate surveys.  Each used very similar phrases to let me know that our pupils had been great at expressing themselves, they had great pride in their school and a real sense of involvement in the work of their school.  This was not something they had seen in other schools they had been working in and which they had been very impressed by.  The 3rd person was a senior member of Education Scotland inspection team.  He has an office in the town centre and frequently meets our pupils when out and about.  He took time at a meeting on Monday to seek me out to say how well they come over.  I am more than delighted to share this positive feedback.  Well done and keep up the excellent work.

 

S5/6 Parents’ Evening Weds 14th Nov

S5/6 Parents’ Evening Wednesday 14th November 2018 from 4.15pm – 6.45pm

S5/6 Parents and guardians are invited to attend the S5/6 Parents’ Evening in Harlaw Academy on Wednesday 14th November 2018 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 Mclellan the Year Head for S5, Ms Douglas Year Head for S6 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 Saturday 3rd November at 10am until Monday 12th November at 3pm.

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 14th November.

Parent’s Evening booking instructions

 Instructions

  1. Navigate to the Parents’ Evening Booking System here http://www.parents-booking.co.uk/harlawacademy
  2. Use your personal information to log in. You must use the information which we have on our system for your child’s main contact or you will not be able to log in. This information has been sent to you via Groupcall
  3. Log in by selecting which child you want to make bookings for first. If you have more than one child who requires bookings, you can switch between them once you are logged in.
  4. Once logged in, decide whether you need to make bookings individually, or using our Automated Booking Wizard.  We recommend you use the Automated Booking Wizard.
  5. Once you have selected your preferred booking method and once in the correct parents’ evening, follow the relevant instructions from below:

Automated Booking Wizard

  1. Select the teacher(s) you wish to book. You can make appointments with up to 9 teachers.
  2. If you have a second child to make bookings for then select their tab and repeat the teacher selecting process
  3. Proceed to the bottom of the page and specify your personal availability, then press Make My Bookings For Me

If the wizard replies that bookings are not feasible, you have not left enough time and need to reduce the number of teachers or increase the amount of time you’re available.

  1. Now see a list of your booking suggestions.
  2. Press Confirm to confirm these appointments as your bookings
  3. Press Print or E-Mail to initiate your confirmation.

Individual Bookings:

  1. Scroll down until you see the booking table. Above it are the departments and teachers which are available to you.
  2. Select the department, then teacher, and click on an available time to make a booking. When you selected a time, you’re able to add any issues or comments for the teacher to take note of before the appointment.
  3. Repeat this process, making bookings for all of the teachers you need to.
  4. If you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment, click on the correct department and teacher, then click on the green appointment to change it.
  5. If you need to make bookings for another child, scroll to the top of the page. In the top left corner you should see a ‘Make a Booking for Another Child’ icon. Click this. If there is no icon, the software does not recognise that you have multiple children. This just means that you’ll need to log out and log back in again using the other child’s details.
  6. Once you have made all of your bookings, click on either E-Mail or Print my Appointments. Appointments are saved when they are made, so you don’t have to e-mail or print to ‘save’ them, but doing so will provide a confirmation with further information, possibly including rooms and instructions from the school.

S1 Parents’ Evening

Thursday 1st November 2018 from 4.15pm – 6.45pm

S1 parents/guardians are invited to attend the S1 Parents’ Evening in Harlaw Academy on Thursday 01st November 2018 to meet their child’s subject teachers.  Our Guidance Teachers are available to discuss pupils overall progress in secondary school.  Also present on the evening are Mr Blance the Year Head for S1 and Mr Mitchell our Principal Teacher of Support for Learning.  Mr Mitchell will be in the Hall until 5.15pm for parents who wish to discuss additional support for their child.

Please note that there is no parking in the school grounds and parents/guardians are advised to use on street parking available in the surrounding area.

Harlaw Academy uses an online booking system through our Groupcall Messenger system.  This allows parents/guardians to book appointments at times that suits their availability.  Appointments are restricted to 9 appointments per child.

In order to login parents/guardians will need the following information (click to enlarge picture):-

 

 

The Parent’s title and Parent’s surname must match the information we hold in our system for a child’s main contact.  This information will be sent to parents/guardians in a Groupcall message.

Full details of how to book appointments is available on the website homepage and booking is open from Thursday 11th October until Tuesday 30th October.

24th to 28th September 2018: Progress and Improvement

Each year I am required to prepare a number of reports.  two of the more important ones are the;

I am pleased to attach both for your reference.  If you have any comments on either the report or the plan please contact me.

In recent years these have been combined into a lengthy document which was not easy to read.  This time round I have split them into two separate documents and I have also tried to strip out some of the jargon so they are shorter and easier to read.

I am also trying to shorten my weekly blog as I realise those reading it lead busy lives.  I hope you find the reports interesting and will continue to work with you to improve the school and increase pupil attainment/achievement.