Abbeyhill Ambassadors met this morning to discuss some big questions before meeting with Lesley McMillan from Architecture & Design Scotland on Monday who will be helping us as we think about what our future playground could look like. Having Lesley’s involvement will be very helpful as we think about the design of our outdoor classroom and also begin to think about what we can do in the small playground once the janitor’s house is demolished. As part of our preparation we were asked to think about the book ‘Campfires in Cyberspace: Primordial Metaphors for Learning in the 21st Century’ by David Thornburg but once we’d decided what it was all about we got slightly off topic by discussing the best resipes for smores!
Earlier in the week, we had our second Parent Literacy session and the parents who attended really enjoyed hearing how Literacy is taught in the Early years from Mr Hamilton. Ms Howson will talk about strategies used in further up the school on Monday next week at the third and final session. If you missed out on a place this time then please consider coming next time we run these sessions as parent feedback has been very positive.
On Tuesday I attended a meeting for all Edinburgh Head Teachers. We meet regularly and it’s a good opportunity to discuss our different schools, share ideas and hear the important messages of the day. Raising attainment is always at the forefront of our minds and this had a suitably lengthy agenda slot with a lot of discussion around the Edinburgh Improvement Plan 2020-23; this will have a significant influence on all school improvement plans for next session.
On Wednesday I was lucky enough to take P5 to the Reid Concert Hall as part of the Edinburgh University Music Society’s Education project. Together with P5 pupils from Dalry Primary School, we learned about all the different instruments in the orchestra, the science behind their different sounds and even got a chance to play the percussion instruments and conduct! The orchestra played some well known pieces of music that we were able to sing along to and everyone agreed that it had been a fantastic experience.
Next week, P3 are looking forward to their trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens on Monday; expect sore legs (they’re walking!) and happy faces by the end of the day! We are also looking forward to seeing as many families as possible for Parents’ Evening next week. If you feel unwell, please follow up to date guidance and email the school to arrange an alternative appointment at a later date.
Coronavirus
Please follow all current advice with regards to Coronavirus from reputable sources; the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and Health Protection Scotland. The City of Edinburgh Council is in daily contact with these organisations and advice for staff is being updated constantly. Anything that will affect our school community will be communicated to you immediately.
Sally Ketchin, Head Teacher