Balfron Matters
Monday 11 December 2023
Weekly communication for staff
Morning everyone,
In case anyone missed Debs email, Shari and Baby Levine are doing very well. Aaron Joseph Gering-Hasthorpe Levine arrived on the 29 November.
Last week we received our 3rd Sportscotland Schools Gold Award. George Thomson and Daniel Armstrong did a brilliant job of leading the awards ceremony and it was wonderful to welcome all our primary schools to the event in recognition of their own Gold Awards. We are waiting to hear from Sportscotland to see if we are the first ever Learning Community to receive the award. A huge thank you to all involved.
On Friday it was wonderful to see the Christmas Fair back up and running. There was a real buzz in the school. Thank you to Amna Nadeem, Lynne Irvin and Mark Young for organising. Also thank you to Fiona Galloway (Chair Parent Council) for securing all the staff holders. £420 was raised for Strathcarron Hospice.
The final two week's of a very busy term. Thank you in advance to all the staff who have volunteered to help at the dances. We really do appreciate the giving of your time. Our final charity event of the year will be on Friday. Do encourage your Form Classes to wear their Christmas Jumpers. All proceeds will go to Save the Children.
A reminder that Cakes for Everyone is on Thursday this week when we will be saying farewell to Karen McColl after 25 years service.
Have a good week everyone.
Kind regards
Claire
Link to Easyfundraising Balfron HS
Link to Thankful Thursday Nomination's
This week at Balfron High:
Leadership Team Meeting
Mon:
Tues: S3/4 Christmas Dance
Wed: Leadership Team Meeting (1545, Library)
Thurs: S5/6 Christmas Dance
Fri: Christmas Jumper Day and Staff Song
Advance Notice
21 December 2023
Thurs: Staff Lunch
22 December 2023
Donations received for Balfron Larder
Last Week at Balfron High School
Balfron High School
Many congratulations to Shari - in case anyone missed the email we now have a photo of Aaron Joseph Gering-Hasthorpe Levine
This week's images are from the Sportscotland Schools Gold Award ceremony, Murrin Thomson awarded Player of the Match at the U18 Girls Evolution Final, N5 Lab Skills at Forth Valley College and the Christmas Fair.
The Brew Box ☕
It will be open at break & lunch to pupils as follows, staff are always welcome to come along and enjoy a coffee and the chat.
Monday S1 & S6
Tuesday S2 & S6
Wednesday S3 & S6
Thursday S4 & S6
Friday S5 & S6
Staff CLPL Inhouse offer
Twilight sessions 3.45
All sessions are designed to be short bursts with lots of sharing of ideas
All welcome
Upcoming this Term
Revisiting Retrieval
Power up their memory!
A quick revisit of retrieval and sharing our strategies - lots of new ideas on show!
Learning & Teaching Updates
Updated padlet:
L&T Resources
Lots and lots (and lots) of new links have been added to the resource padlet around the themes of our working groups. Click below to access.
BHS L&T Toolkit
GLOW tile
This is now a tile on the glow BHS landing page - look out for it!
Powering up our seniors for successful studying
Quick links for form and class resourcing
S4 Study Skills
Form Class Activities
All S4 form classes will have a series of study skill activities delivered to them between now and Christmas. This will happen during form class.
It will include training in the Science of Learning in order to improve the effectiveness in the way they study, and filling in weekly study plans with support.
S4 will be re-familiarised with the terms encoding and retrieval, and how we can use study methods that maximise the effectiveness of study though these processes.
Using this language in class with help our S4 to consolidate this learning and see the relevance across their curriculum.
The BHS Senior Study Planner S4 will use can be viewed below.
SQA Calendar for Coursework and Assignments 2023-24
Our Priorities for improvement 2023-24
Increased consistency in Learning & Teaching
Improved Wellbeing & Inclusion of all young people
Increased offer in Curriculum
Increased Attainment & Achievement
Increased influence of Pupil Voice on Improvement
Assemblies October - December 2023
CLPL opportunities
Digital CLPL
always available through the links below:
Below is a link to Dougie's Tech Tips Play list. Always worth a look - great tip on getting rid of adverts from presentations using YouTube this week.
Teacher's Guide to the BHS Study Planner.webmTeachers Guide to the BHS Study Planner - 3 min watch
Weekly Study Planner 2022BHS senior study planner
e-sgoil weekly online supported study timetable
One portal to hold all information
ERP MyPortal.pdfHealth & Wellbeing - Counselling for staff
Did you know counselling is available through Stirling Council?
Employee Counselling is available through our Occupational Health provider, People Asset Management (PAM)
There are a few ways employees can request Counselling.
Stuart Shaw on shaws@stirling.gov.uk
Contact hr@stirling.gov.uk
Call Ann at PAM on 0800 882 4102
If you want some more information about counselling, what to expect or looking for self-help resources then please pop in and see Karin Figliolini or drop her an email.
Useful Links