We had a lovely gathering of the whole school in the central well yesterday, to:

• Announce the winners of the whole school 'Chest' writing challenge.

• To have Glee lift our spirits with some lovely festive singing

• To announce which house has won the House Points Award for this term.  

It was lovely to celebrate the amazing ASPIRATIONAL writing which had been produced by children of all ages throughout the school, and to be together as a school to celebrate the talents and hard work of our pupils.  Those children in Seaton house let our a great cheer when they found out the writing challenge results had tipped the balance in their favour as they took the win for the term.  

Wishing all families a relaxing festive break.  We look forward to seeing you all back in January for a busy term!

P4-7 Singalong - Done and dusted  - a big thanks to everyone who came along!

Monday the 16th of December 1:45 - 2:45

Primary 3 Seasonal Show 

Wednesday 18th December  - 9:30 - 10:30 

Cast 1 - P3 Room 6 (appearances from P1 Yellow, P2Rm9)

Wednesday 18th December   2:00 - 3:00

Cast 2 - P3Rm7 (appearances from P1 Green, P2Rm2)

Due to limited capacity in the school hall, we ask that no more than two adults per family should attend the shows.  No tickets are required.

It was lovely to have the ELC over to perform their Winter Singalong on Wednesday morning on the school stage. The children were great and were able to adapt to being on the stage with the stage lights on in front of a packed out audience of families. Their singing was so good that a special visitor arrived to present the children with some presents to share in nursery.  

'As some of you may know there is a show in theatres called 'The Scottish Ballet's Nutcracker'.  The show will be on in His Majesty's Theatre in January and February and with  my dance school I got to audition.  

I was excited that I was given a part in the show and will be performing in the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness and His Majesty's Theatre here in Aberdeen.  It was a privilege to audition for Scottish Ballet and get the chance to work with one of the top ballet schools in the United Kingdom  I was very proud of myself for this achievement. ' (Fern P7)

A huge congratulations from all of us at Ashley Road Fern - you should be very proud of this achievement!   Fern will be performing alongside some other ex Ashley Road pupils Christina and Nikolas who are now in S1.  

This week in assembly the Super Squad undertook their first big task, sharing a presentation (including fun interactive role play) to introduce 'Learning Walkthrus' at Ashley Road.  Walkthrus is a learning and teaching tool which we have chosen to adopt at Ashley Road, to build consistently high standards, and most importantly to help the children understand the 'what' and 'why' of what teachers do to help them learn in the most efficient ways possible.  We view the children as partners in this process, so in assembly this week, each class shared a chosen theme that they will be working to improve together with guidance and shared vocabulary from the 'Walkthrus'.  These themes ranged from questioning strategies to retrieval practice and many other areas.  Hopefully in time you will start to hear the children talk about their learning in new ways as we progress in our Walkthrus journey.  

Interim reports will be coming home to families early next week.   A groupcall will go out to prompt families to check school bags.  

The interim reports: Share an update on the levels which children are working at presently. No written comments are included on this report.

Please see guidance attached here to support parents understanding of the different levels etc which are included in this report.  If you have any queries, please get in touch via the school office. 

It was great to see our new team take on their leadership of AR Radio at the Christmas Fair, keeping the buzz going with lots of festive tunes.  They also had the playground jumping today with their first lunchtime broadcast which was a welcome return after AR Radio was introduced last session.   The Voice Box will be out next week to start gathering song requests and 'shout outs' for their session next Friday!

Want to make a real impact in our school community? We’re inviting YOU to join one of our Parent Council Working Groups! Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours, your involvement can make a world of difference. Here’s your chance to shape the future and have some fun while doing it! Plus, it’s a great opportunity to meet other parents/carers, connect and build friendships!

Choose from one of these exciting groups (or join as many as you'd like!):

🌟 Online Engagement Group – Be the voice that keeps parents informed! Help build our Parent Council’s online presence and share vital updates with the entire school community.

🌟 Neurodiversity Group – Open to all! Whether you're a parent of a neurodivergent child or simply passionate about inclusion, this group is your opportunity to learn, connect, and support.

🌟 Gardening and Playground Group – Love the outdoors? Help us create a magical playground and garden space where our children can thrive and play!

No matter how much time you can give, we want YOU to be part of the change. Ready to get involved? Simply contact us at pcashleyroad@aberdeen.npfs.org.uk and let’s make great things happen together!

A big thanks to everyone who donated advent calendars for our pupil led appeal.  245 calendars have been donated this year - over 100 more than last session!  They will be off to Abernecessities asap and on to local families to add a touch of something special in the run up to Christmas.  Thanks again from Cecilia and team who organised the idea!

The House Team Leaders made a splash the week in assembly as the introduced a revamped and exciting house point system which they have decided to introduce to encourage us all to be our best selves, feel connected and have fun!  The children were super excited see where the points would be gathered and how they could keep on eye on which house was in the lead.  The team explained what points would/would not be awarded for:

• House points will be awarded where children demonstrate the school values (Curious, Aspiring, Resilient, Kind, Respectful, Inclusive) on a high level.

• They can be awarded by any member of the school team (Teachers/SLT/PSAs/Office Staff), and perhaps them House Team Leaders themselves in time.  

• Points are awarded for individual behaviours/achievements but don't mean anyone is better/perfect.  We all make mistakes.  We just hope to increase the frequency of our positive school values being seen in action. 

• We won't award house points for 'normal' behaviours e.g. saying "Thanks" if someone holds a door - this should be something we all do out of courtesy.  

It was lovely to hear everyone cheer as Niamh in P7 read out some awesome writing from class this week which reflected her 'Aspiring' to achieve, for which she was awarded the very first house point, which went to Duthie.  

We are delighted to hear that John (and his older sister Christina who used to attend AR)  have been selected to become join The Scottish Sailing Team!  Selection was as a result of John's development over the summer months and performance at key indicator events.  John will train at residential weekends over the winter and compete at various UK wide racing events in 2025.

Well Done John! 

Please purchase in advance using the QR Code Above or via the link @ Ticket Tailor. https://buytickets.at/ashleyroadpta/1390686 

Both P6 classes enjoyed a visit from runner and charity founder - Myles Edwards. 

Myles spoke about his work with the Gathimba Edwards Foundation which supports children/ young people in Kenya and in Aberdeenshire. He spoke about resilience and never giving up on our dreams. The P6s will be working with Myles this year to support their learning about Rights and sustainability

We have once again been so impressed  by the number of children wishing to set up and run a lunchtime club for others across the school. We have received more than 40 applications, catering  for a wide range of interests from crafts and performing arts, to quizzes, comics, planting,  sports and more.  

A selection of these will be run as our first block of clubs, starting the week beginning 11th November and sign-up for these will go live on Friday 1st November at 4.30pm. If your child wishes to join a club, you can sign up via the website using this link:

https://sites.google.com/ab-ed.org/ashleyroadschool/our-school/extra-curricular-activities 

We ask that you please only sign your child up to one club, so that as many children as possible can benefit from the experience. Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis, but spaces may open up again later if others drop out, so keep an eye on the website. A second block of different clubs will run after the Christmas holidays.

 We can't wait to see all the creative ideas in action!

Following the success of our new 'Book Buddy' initiative last year, we are pleased to be running it again this session. Thank you to our parent volunteers who have signed up to come in and be a Buddy for some of our learners.  These regular, short sessions of paired reading are a valuable  way to boost confidence in reading. 

If you are interested in becoming a 'Book Buddy' it is not too late - simply sign up using the link below and we will get back to you in due course. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqvn4GAx0n2F5QjTH0lSzmMvySRO8DZgRMPyff5j3y9pq-kQ/viewform

The Play Leaders shared a design competition in our assemblies this week - to come up with designs which can be applied to our school playground.  Any designs should be submitted to the play leaders by Friday the 11th of November.  The design rules are listed below:

• DESIGNS CAN NOT INCLUDE CURVES - all lines in the designs must be straight. 

• Designs can be drawn on paper or digital 

• Designs should help children to play games but should be open ended to allow them to be used in a variety of ways.  

• Designs should be limited to the following colours.  Light green, dark green, white, light blue, dark blue, orange, red, purple, pink and yellow.

• BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN

A number of organisations are having a FREE cycling day this Saturday. Cycling sessions are being offered for pupils. See the details below and how to book. 

Date: Saturday 2nd November
Time: Noon-3.30pm
Location: Aberdeen Cycle Hub @ Seaton (next to Mrs Murray’s Dog & Cat Home)

Timetable:

• LED RIDE - Noon – 1pm – Booking required, please email BDouglas@SportAberdeen.co.uk 

• BIKE SAFETY CHECKS - Noon – 3.30pm - Booking required, please email BDouglas@SportAberdeen.co.uk 

• LEARN TO RIDE/CYCLING CONFIDENCE - Noon – 3.30pm – Booking required, please email Fiona.McBain@Sustrans.org.uk 

Have  a look at the right of the Month.  Our rights slides are shared with all classes to encourage discussion around a focus right to help children reflect on how we (and they) can help to ensure their rights are in action in our school, the local community and beyond.  

Looking to stay active and find something fun to do in the October holidays, well here are a few great opportunities to keep you and the family on the move and entertained!

Dinosaur trails - they're roarsome!

Iconic Bricks free dinosaur trail - Saturday 12 October to Sunday 27 October

A total of 18 dinosaur brick models have been placed across the city centre - can you find them all?

Hidden Lego Minifigure free trail - Saturday 12 October to Sunday 27 October

You can also look out for the Hidden Lego Minifigures, small brick figurines hidden across ten shop windows in Upperkirkgate and Belmont Street! Once each minifigure has been found, you can enter our prize draw to win one of 10 Aberdeen Gift Cards worth £20 that can be used businesses across the city!
There is also a selection 27  Walking trail guides to download. You can print them to help you explore the beautiful and historic city of Aberdeen. Follow the maps to discover historical and natural gems around the city - you can also cycle on many of the trails.

A big 'well done' to our House Team Leaders on their first  school 'Ethos Event' this session.  The children have had a great day around school with their teddies in tow.  The Teddy Bear Hospital went down a storm, and many many teddies received vital medical treatment over lunchtime from a capable medical crew.  Between the 'Guess The Bear's Birthday' competition and donations which came in today the group were able to raise a total of £237.16 for Children in Need.  I'm sure Pudsey will be delighted!

Last week lots of our P7s set off to Dalguise for a week of outdoor adventure at the PLG centre.  We were so impressed by how well the children  represented the school and themselves while they were away.  They really demonstrated skills of courage, risk taking and resilience as they challenged themselves on the different activities.  Memories made for a lifetime. 

We are excited to see the Primary Seven Band project get up and running this year.  This was open to those children who learnt to play a wind instrument last year in P6 and wanted to continue to develop their skills.  The band have been invited to perform at the Aberdeen City Music Service Winter Concert on Wednesday 11th June at the Beach Ballroom. You can listen to them practicing one of their songs with Miss Dow in the video!

The Ashley Road Halloween Dress Up Disco is fast approaching, get your tickets for the last PTA fundraising event of the school year!

Both discos will be held on Friday 1st November at Ashley Road Primary. The younger children will be in the earlier slot closely followed by the P4-7's. Please double check you are buying tickets for the correct age group when making your purchase.  

https://buytickets.at/ashleyroadpta/1390663

Both discos require the children to have adult supervision. 4 children to 1 adult is the maximum that is acceptable. 

The events can only run smoothly with the help of volunteers from the school community please take a look at the sign up page (link below) and help with the door, tuck shop or glitter tattoos if you can. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DA4AF2DA5FEC52-51315794-halloween

Save the Date: The PTA Christmas Fair will take place on Thursday 28th November. More information to come soon.

At Ashley Road we have had a big focus on developing our approach to music including  teaching and skills development across the whole school. Our latest new resource is a class set of drum sticks. Mrs McTaggart has been working with classes to develop their drumming skills in a fun way.  Classes using them have been looking to memorise and perform rhythms with increasing aural memory and to play as part of an ensemble. They need to learn how to hold the sticks correctly, copy and repeat rhythms, spot and fix mistakes, perform as a whole class as well as composing their own rhythms and songs in a smaller group.  On Wednesday one of the P6 classes put on a performance for Mr Rae. The video shows them playing along to the William Tell Overture in which the children were learning syncopation - which means playing off the beat. They sounded amazing and Mr Rae was very impressed!

Our P7s have been working hard on their House Leader speeches over the last few weeks. Each class  nominated two children per house to go forward to the whole school vote. Those selected had the daunting task of giving their speech to an assembly of P3-7 children last Friday. What a great job they did and all of them could have been fantastic House Leaders! Once again there were a range of skills on show from communicating, presenting, leading, voice projection, decision making, resilience and making judgements to name but a few. All the children should be so proud of their efforts and their speeches as they were fantastic. There were also some interesting campaign promises that made some staff raise their eyebrows! I look forward to seeing how many are achieved. The children were told the results of the vote on their way to Dalguise. Look out for the official school post next week to introduce you all to our new House Team Leaders!

Last week saw the revival of the P1-Parent lunch. It was great to see the parents coming in to enjoy having lunch with their child. Some parents chose to have a school lunch whereas other parents chose to take a packed lunch like their child or just to sit with their child. Parents were able to see the independent skills the children have developed in following the lunchtime routines in just a few short weeks. Some parents who tried the school dinners also commented that it had exceeded their expectations! It was great to have so many parents in to have lunch with their child and the atmosphere was lovely in the hall. Some parents even managed to stay and play in the playground for a short time before leaving - making the most of the experience. This will be come a regular fixture again in the P1 transition calendar from now on.

It is that time of year again to start planning for our Pupil Led Lunchtime Clubs this session!  There will be two six week block again this year, with block 1 starting week beginning the 11th of November and block 2 running from week beginning the 20th of January.  To help us get all the planning started, we are looking for applications from pupils P4-7, who are keen to run a club on a theme of their choice.  Staff members help to facilitate the club provision, but an important part of this scheme is the leadership and wider skill development shown by the children running the clubs!  Previous club leaders have reflected on how much they learned through the process and how tricky it actually was!  Any interested children/groups should gather their ideas and submit an application form, considering all the information requested.  In the past, pupils have made some fantastic  video clips to advertise their club, these can be attached to their application. 

Please remember, these clubs rely entirely on staff members giving up some of  their lunch breaks voluntarily.  Based on previous demand, we will not be able to support all groups who put an application forward.  Preference will be given to those who haven't had the opportunity previously.  

We look forward to seeing the exciting ideas the children come up with! 

The Great Western Community Trust is organising an event at Holburn West Community Centre on Sunday, 29th September.

The event, titled Comm-Con (Community Con - a playful nod to Comic-Con), will run from 2pm to 5pm. The aim of the event is to highlight the work being done by volunteers and community groups and inspire others to get involved.

We are co-hosting this event with Sport Aberdeen and Peacock and the Worm.  The event will include lots of 

Event Details:

1. Location: Great Western Community Centre and Sport Aberdeen’s Court across the road on Pitstruan Place.

2. Indoor Activities: Community / Charity stalls and workshops will be in the Centre.

3. Outdoor Activities: Commercial stalls will be set up at Pitstruan Place.

Activities and Highlights (in the Centre):

1. Sport Aberdeen will be running a variety of fitness activities suitable for all ages

2. Peacock and the Worm will host screen-printing workshops where attendees can learn different techniques + badge making

3. Illustrator Maddy Sutherland will do an illustration workshop

4. The Scottish Imperial Garrison will be attending the event dressed as Star Wars characters for photo opportunities.

5. Bobs Buddies will be attending with their therapeutic owls that visitors can hold and pet.

Everything at the Centre including all the workshops will be free to the public.

A big thanks to everyone who was able to make it along to our open afternoons this week.  It was great to see everyone who was able to drop in and informally visit the class/see your child in their new classroom.  Parent meeting appointments will be arranged later this term to give you the opportunity to talk with teachers and find out more about how your child has settled in/made progress this term.  

The PTA/Parent Council Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday the 2nd of October at 7pm in the school dining hall.  This is an opportunity to hear about the work of both committees and consider if you feel you could contribute to their work in any way (large or small) over the next school session.  There is no pressure to 'join' a committee so if you would like to come along and listen, please do.  

We are delighted to introduce our new Learning For Sustainability team for this school year.  We have no doubt that they will do an excellent job in keeping Eco, Rights and Global themes high on the agenda this school year.  They have already come up with the following points they would like to focus on this term:

• Litter picking rota and expectations 

• Joke of the week (this has been missed apparently) 

• Plan of playground planters and suggested activities

• Monitoring of fruit at break time 

• Discussion about Wrapper Free Wednesday - bin or keep

• Contacting ACC regarding recycling bins in playground

Our playground planters need a touch of TLC and we are hoping to find a small team of willing parent helpers who would be happy to come in to school over lunchtimes (between around 12:45 and 1:15) to work with small groups of pupils to weed, prune and water the plants.  This could be done on a relatively flexible basis, so if you think you could help, please drop a quick email to ashleyroad@aberdeencity.gov.uk and let us know.  We will be in touch asap.  

Please see the attached survey regarding the 'Pupil Equity Fund' at Ashley Road School.  The information included aims to inform families of how this money has been spent during the previous session (April 23 - April 24) and consult on parental views on how this spend should be managed during this financial year.  

The Grant , provided by the Scottish Government, comes with restrictions on how it can be spent.  It is given to school to help us support children who experience barriers to learning and who might be falling behind or not getting the same chances in their education because their family is experiencing poverty or other financial difficulties.  

Please take a few minutes to read through the information in the form and answer just three short questions.  Your feedback is greatly appreciated.  

Last week our assembly was based on the concept of 'Growth Mindset' linked with the  amazing resilience and courage being shown by the amazing Paralympians in Paris this month.  We looked at video clips of two case studies to see how two athletes had overcome significant challenges and their own self doubt to have huge achievements.  This helped us keep some daily school challenges in perspective and consider the language we use when we talk about the difficult next steps we sometimes have to take.  I can't do that... yet. 

We are delighted to welcome everyone back at the beginning of what I'm sure will be another fun packed year!  Whether you are returning to familiar hallways or stepping in to a new environment, we hope each day this year will be an opportunity to explore new ideas, make lasting friendships and show our skills.   Let's make this year the best one yet! 

• School doors are secure to ensure that our children are safe throughout the school day.  All visitors will be asked to wait in the vestibule area to maintain building security.  

• After 3:15, the school building is used by the after school club.  To meet the safety standards required by Care Inspectorate, there can be no unsupervised individuals in the building during their hours.  Resultantly children and families cannot be admitted to the building after school, without a staff member staying with them.  This includes children who may wish to use the toilet after school.  

• In line with ACC policy, dogs should not be brought into the school premises (even when being carried), or left tied up at the entrance points on Ashley Road or Ashley Park Drive. 

• You may have noticed signage on the school gates, requesting that all visitors to school close gates fully behind them.  Please do this at all times to ensure our playground is as secure as possible.  

• We ask that families do not enter the playground for pick up until 3:15, to ensure that teachers are able to see all pupils in their class while lining up at the end of the day.  (Families collecting children from nursery at 3:00 should wait beside the picnic benches.)

• Pick-up arrangements for pupils at the end of the school day should only be changed in an emergency.  Where this information is provided very close to the end of the school day, it may not be possible for office staff to inform class teachers before the bell time.  

Every year we hold an informal 'open afternoon' early in the session, to give families the opportunity to come into the school building, meet the teachers, see their child's new classroom and perhaps take part in an activity with their child.  This is an informal 'drop in' situation and not a presentation of any kind.  

The classrooms will be very busy, so we ask that families to attend on the following dates to ensure classrooms are less overcrowded. 

• Families with surnames starting with A - M - Monday the 9th of September  - 2:15 - 3:00

• Families with surnames starting with N - Z - Tuesday the 10th of September - 2:15 - 3:00

No more than two adults per child.

These visits are only for P2-7 only  as it could be a bit overwhelming for P1's at this point in the year.  

This week we gathered out P7 year group together to set the groundwork in terms of expectations and opportunities which come as part of being the eldest children in school.  

• House Team Leaders

• Super Squad (Improvement Squad last session)

• Playground Leaders

• Yearbook Team

It was great to see so many children were keen to put themselves forward for the roles, knowing the rigorous interview election/interview processes they would have to go though and the voluntary time commitment which would be involved.   

We also spoke about the importance of all P7s demonstrating their strong character and the school values as role models through their daily interactions and experiences in school.  I am sure they will make us proud.

The extra-curricular clubs run through Active Schools are looking to start back up next week. If you would like to sign your child up for any of these please use the links below. Clubs will start next week.  Other clubs, Like the P5-6/P7 Netball, will also be looking to start again and the sign up for these will be added to the News page when we have them. 

P4 Football

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/ae9ac0b4/k4bqxKoKD0ingQTKr_2BiA?u=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ashley-road-p4-football-club-tickets-999401255057?aff=oddtdtcreator

P5 Football

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/e7a97bdc/1nmFJOV4o0GzGvbOGFDaZg?u=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ashley-road-p5-football-club-tickets-999328026027?aff=oddtdtcreator

P6 Football

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/f7c65b5e/Msg51MGtmk6qCteRJnqfPA?u=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ashley-road-p6-football-club-tickets-999359961547?aff=oddtdtcreator

P7 Football

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/3f0e6d67/o102DL_l4EK5QUzXXTJ4CA?u=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ashley-road-p7-football-club-tickets-999369118937?aff=oddtdtcreator

P4-7 Multisport

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/5623fcdb/AFHbZMPRNEmolEkeLXaF0w?u=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ashley-road-p4-7-multisports-tickets-999419158607