Our School
There has been a lot of hard work happening this academic year as we are working towards achieving our Gold Award. To achieve this we must look at our teaching and learning FOR rights by looking at how our children can feel empowered to enjoy and exercise their rights. We also want to look outwards and to think about promoting the rights of others locally and globally. Please see the sections on Our Community and Our World as these will contain information about how we approach these.
Primary 7 Bikeability Level 2
February 2022
This week the Primary 7’s were out and about on the streets of Danestone for the start of their Bikeability training. Over a 4 week program, our Primary 7’s will be completing their level 2 training. This week they started by revising the key skills from Level 1- how to complete a M Check ensuring that all fittings are safe and that their helmet fits correctly. The second half of the session focused upon the importance of checking over your shoulder and signalling before a manoeuvre. The P7’s were then able to put their skills to the test by demonstrating how to safely indicate that they are slowing down and also how to safely turn left into a minor road from a major road.
Over the next 3 weeks the Primary 7’s will continue to build upon their skills to safely indicate, check and turn from minor to major roads, pass parked cars and ensure that there are safe and responsible whilst out on the roads.
If you would like anymore information about the Bikeability program or would like some activity ideas with helping your child to learn how to cycle safely, you can find it on the Cycling Scotland website.
IMG_1326.mp4Christmas Tree Decoration Competition
December 2021
To help make our Danestone Christmas Tree extra special, the boys and girls from Nursery to Primary 7 made decorations for our annual Danestone Christmas Tree competition. It was fantastic to see how creative all of our pupils are as they got into the festive spirit with their designs. The Castle Captains and Vice Captains had a very tricky task of deciding on their winners and agreed that everyone did an exceptional job with their decorations.
Thank you to everyone that submitted a decoration for our Danestone tree! Take a look at the picture slideshow to see all of the festive designs.
On the 29th September we had a virtual accreditation from UNICEF UK where our children, staff and teachers were asked lots of questions about how we have embedded the United Nations Convention of Rights of the Child in our school. We had to show how we have been promoting the rights for the children of our school, the community and across the world.
We have been working so hard over the last three years since achieving Silver and we were delighted that our evidence was thought to be impressive. Please read the report below which details why we were awarded Gold.
Danestone Gold RRSA accreditation report Sep 2021 - Final.pdfWe even had a Gold Day to keep the celebrations going
We have had some lovely responses from Parents:
“Our daughter has never looked prouder than she did yesterday when she told us about the gold award after school. She really felt involved in the process and was truly delighted! Thank you so much for giving her such a valuable opportunity, it meant the world to her! (and us)”
“I just want to congratulate you all on receiving the Rights gold award. I know how difficult it is to achieve it. But you have all worked so hard especially over this last couple of years.”
“That is wonderful news”
“Huge congratulations – quite an achievement"
Please let us know what you think by completing the Google Form below. We always share feedback with our children and they love to know what you think!
Article 31
Primary 7 Bikeability May 2021
Our pupils in Primary 7 started their Bikeability Level 1 training. We are incredibly lucky to have Keiran from Aberdeen Active Schools to train all our P7 pupils how to be safe on their bikes. To achieve Level 1 pupils need to be able to demonstrate that they know how to check their helmet is safe for use and that it fit's their head securely. Pupils also need to be able to check for damage on their bike using the M Method and ensure that the brakes are working and that their saddle is at the correct height. Well done to all of our pupils that have taken part so far and shown how responsible they can be on their bikes around the community.
May 2021
Our Primary 4 pupils have been engaging with the UN Convention on Rights of the Child. Primary 4 have been thinking about what the Rights mean to them and have made a short video of their thoughts.
Article 12 involves respecting the views of children and we always try to promote our pupil voice in all we do. The video was created and then adapted after the children’s feedback. They wanted our school Rights stamps to be reflected too.
Mrs Blair visits Nursery every Thursday and uses our mascot Rainbow Rights and stories to help the children to begin to learn about the Rights.
We have learnt about Article 7 and the right to a name and also Article 29 the aims of education. The children are beginning to understand that the rights are universal and apply to all children.
Two of our Nursery stars who know the name of our mascot and are very keen to share their knowledge!
Pupil Friendly Curriculum Rationale
April 2021
The Castle Captains and Vice Captains did an incredible job today updating our pupil friendly Curriculum Rationale to include the Rights of a Child.
They worked together in their Castle pairs to review the rationale and consider which of the Rights linked with the statements. The group were able to identify that our Curriculum Rationale meets so many of the Articles, from setting up or joining groups (Article 15) to aims of education (Article 29).
Pupil Curriculum Rationale Rights Updated Version April 2021.pdfDuty Bearers
April 2021
P1/2 have been learning about the concept of Duty Bearers. Mrs Blair read them the story 'A Tale of Two Beasts' by Fiona Robertson as a way of explaining the roles and responsibilities involved in ensuring the rights of the child are met. To share their learning they have made a video explaining who Duty Bearers are. We hope you enjoy their film.
Rights of the Child Vocabulary
March 2021
During term 3, the children in Primary 6/7 were learning more about the vocabulary used to describe our Rights. Some of the words were quite tricky and you may not have heard them before. To ensure everyone in our school and community understood what these words meant, P6/7 decided to make a short film to explain them in their own words. We hope you find this helpful.
Assemblies
Every week our school Assemblies link to the Rights of the Child. We usually focus on a specific Article and have a range of activities to complete which help the children to become aware of the rights within these , understand what they mean and show how they impact on our learning and time in school.
We have been using the Rights Respecting Schools Article of the Week assemblies in Terms 1 and 2. In Term 3 we are linking the rights to our school values.
Article 42 Knowldege of the Rights
P2 children sharing their rights flowers to brainstorm the rights they identify as the most important.
P7 engaged in some excellent discussion around what was most important to them.
Article 28 The Right to Learn
Article 29 The Goals of an Education
For many of our children these were the rights that they could identify with most and underpinned our learning in school.
Article 12
Respect for the views of the child.. every child has the right to be listened to.
Article 13 The right to share thoughts freely
Article 2
No discrimination - the rights belong to everyone no matter their gender, religion, language, abilities or ethnicity
