Halloween Social an Digital Content

• Parent Club has 3 Halloween posts now live each with slightly different theme variations in terms of activity.  Facebook: Halloween – at home / Twitter: Halloween – at home
• All social posts are signposting to the new content and tips on the Parent club website:  https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/halloween

 

Parent Club and Licketyspit’s Virtual Halloween Family Party – Invite Attached

Parent Club will run an online Halloween event in partnership with the children’s theatre and play charity Licketyspit, to provide an opportunity for kids and families throughout Scotland to celebrate Halloween from their homes. This will be available to watch from 4pm, Saturday 31 October on the Parent Club Facebook channel, and families can watch at any point throughout the weekend.

The event will be a play session designed with a Halloween theme, and this will be a family event mainly aimed at primary school aged children. Actors from Licketyspit will host the event and interact with each other on screen to generate a fun party atmosphere. Activities will range from games to dancing to arts and crafts. This event is free and no sign up or booking necessary – everyone is welcome.

 

 

Friends of Balmedie School are holding an online meeting on Monday 2nd November at 18:00.

 

You can join the meeting by following this link;

Click here to join the meeting (opening from 6pm on 2.11.20)

 

For further guidance on joining a virtual meeting please refer to the attachments below;

Joining a Virtual FOBs Meeting in Teams (mobile version)

Joining a Virtual FOBs Meetings in Teams- computer

 

You should be able to join on any computer, laptop or mobile device with internet access.

When prompted to join the meeting you should be able to select to run the Microsoft Teams App through your web browser option without the need to download any software (providing your web browser is up to date/compatible with the microsoft teams platform).

You will be asked to submit a user name and then will be placed into a virtual lobby area to be invited into the meeting (please ensure at this stage your microphone is on mute to avoid sound/feedback issues).

A hands up icon can be used to alert the meeting moderator (please refer to the guides attached above) for those wishing to contribute to discussion or ask questions (at which point your mic can be unmuted).

This will be a rather new experience for us all!!!

 

All staff, parents & carers from school/nursery are welcome to attend.

As we do not currently have an appointed chair or vice chairperson we will require a volunteer to chair the meeting. If you are interested in doing it please let us know (you will only be volunteering to chair this meeting not every future meeting).

If you have something that you would like to be added to the agenda for discussion, please do not hesitate to let us know.

As a reminder our email address is: friends-of-balmedie-school@hotmail.com

 

Thank you 🙂

Please see attached some information from our partners at the WEA, which families may find useful in these changing and uncertain times. For many just now the threat of redundancy or a change in circumstances may be a cause of stress and these workshops are intended to give people a starting place for accessing services and finding support

 

The Workers Educational Association (WEA) FINANCIAL FIRST AID SESSIONS

6th Nov 1-3pm

11th Nov 6-8pm

14th Nov 11am-1pm

Do you struggle with budgeting? Has your financial situation changed recently? Would you like to learn how to manage money better? Are you struggling but don’t know where to go to for help or what you are entitled to? Then this might be for you…

The WEA is offering workshops in financial first aid. These workshops are aimed at individuals looking to improve their financial skills. To book a place on one of the dates above please email  e.garrett@wea.org.uk   More Information;

The workshops take a practical look at how we can deal with financial emergencies and topics covered reflect the range of interlocking crises affecting people daily, such as benefits problems, redundancy, ill health, debt and eviction.

Designed around the needs, interests and numeracy level of learners, the workshops use examples from daily life to increase learners’ confidence in dealing with the technical and confusing language of banks, employers, landlords and the benefits office.

Financial first aid skills help you to respond to money problems more effectively, developing the understanding needed to identify the issues, know your rights and decide what action to take.

The above workshop lasts for 2 hours – but please note further workshops may be possible to look at particular topics in more detail.    You will be provided with: financial first aid pack, copy of slides, list of resources, referring agencies and helplines.

Workshops will be delivered over Zoom.   If you are interested in finding out more about financial first aid workshops, please get in touch with Ed Garrett; email: e.garrett@wea.org.uk

Online Safety

 

Please find attached a flier for the upcoming Ellon Family Learning session on Online Safety.

Good Morning Everyone,

We are finally at the end of our first term and it has all been a very unusual and new experience. This got me thinking around what might help us to manage new experiences – lets take some time to reflect and share the ‘wonderful’ things at a time of such challenge and uncertainty…

Please click on the features below for our end of term updates and messages…

 

End of Term message from Mr Ford, Head Teacher

Assembly Presentation – ‘What a Wonderful World!’

 

Meet Our New House Captain and Vice Captains 2020-2021

 

End of Term Harvest Assembly message from Paul McKeown

Wishing all children, staff and families a wonderful October break – thank you for all your hard work and support!

Dear Parent/Carer

As we approach the end of term I just wanted to get in touch to say thank you so much for your patience, understanding and support during our first term of operating in a different, Covid-secure way. We hope you have some time to relax during the holiday period and look forward to welcoming all of our children and young people back after the break. I’ve recorded a short clip which you can view on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3k812iLT3DY

The holidays are a good time to reinforce the message that those over the age of 12 should be physically distancing in public spaces as much as possible – we know it’s different to school where distancing within year groups can be more difficult and it can be confusing, but if you’re out and about together please take the opportunity to talk about that all important ‘it’s not all or nothing’ message – every little helps and when in public places this helps to make others feel more comfortable – if you’re following the rules and respecting their space – too.    We are also pleased to update everyone that Aberdeenshire Council is to provide school meal payments directly to eligible families in the absence of holiday hunger schemes during the October holiday period.

The local authority will continue to use its Scottish Government Food Fund allocation to support families to access this free school meal provision in the same way as it did during the summer period. In addition to the £2.50 payment per lunch per day, a £1 breakfast payment will also be allocated.

Families already in receipt of free school meals (not those offered universally in P1-3) will automatically receive the payment of £17.50 per child per week and do not need to do anything new to register.

Payments will be issued on Monday 12 October although there may be some variation as to when this appears in individuals’ bank accounts. The Council is able to make this payment to families in the same way as is done for school clothing grants. This only applies to families who are eligible for clothing grants too.

If you are facing financial hardship and believe you may now be eligible for free school meals, please apply online through Aberdeenshire Council’s website.

Eligibility is usually based on whether you are in receipt of one of the following qualifying benefits or allowances:

• Income Support

• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)

• Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)

• Any income-related element of Employment Support Allowance

• Child Tax Credit (CTC), but not Working Tax Credit (WTC), and have an income of less than £16,105

• Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC), and have an income of less than £6900

• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

• Universal Credit with a monthly take home pay of less than £610.

If you are not able to apply online, contact the Council on 01467 533400.    I hope this finds you well and thanks again for your support.

Yours Sincerely,

Laurence Findlay

Director of Education & Children’s Service

Thank you to the 142 families that responded to our survey. We have made our application for connectivity and for a supply of devices for Balmedie families under a range of approved categories for support as part of this Scottish Government initiative.

Presently, we have been successful in our phase 1 applications for 33 i-pad devices and thanks to the survey results returned we we have been able to submit phase 2 applications for more i-pad devices and connectivity support.

The school will be in touch directly with all qualifying families immediately after the October break in order to discuss the set up, distribution of family loan devices and user agreements associated to this fantastic initiative!

Please go to the COVID Risk Assessment page to access an updated school copy – this reflects all actions, updates and changes that have taken place since the original post from 27.8.20

 

EMOTIONAL LITERACIES

Tuesday 6th October @ 7:30pm

A support session for parents to understand and learn new ways to help their children (if you have a child that is having difficulty dealing with their emotions).

An open discussion opportunity with Ellon area Educational Psychologist Gail Macdonald.

Please use this link to register;

https://tinyurl.com/y5z3fzdw

 

If you have any questions or queries please contact Debbie on 

d.mackay@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

 

2 October 2020

Dear Parent/Carer,

I write to request your further support in encouraging your child to continue wearing a face covering while on school transport.  School staff are working hard to ensure that children and young people are wearing face coverings where appropriate.

It is important to remember that we all have a responsibility in reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and the wearing of face coverings on school transport has been deemed as a measure that will support this aim.

I would also like to thank you for your support in enabling the successful return of our schools over the first term of academic session 2020/21.  The hard work of staff, and parents/carers has ensured that the return of schools has been possible and all of our children can benefit from all that this brings.

Yours faithfully

Vincent A Docherty

Head of Education