Balfron Matters
Monday 13 November 2023
Weekly communication for staff
Morning everyone,
Congratulations to our S3's who completed the Mark Brown Programme along with pupils from McLaren High School. The aims of the programme are to build lasting confidence and learning highly effective skills to manage behaviours whilst raising attainment. All the young people fully engaged with the programme and were really proud of their achievements.
Many thanks to Gordon Mackay and the Advanced Higher History class for delivering a thought provoking Remembrance Ceremony on Friday. Also, many thanks to the musicians who set the scene with their very moving performances.
This week is anti bullying week and the Head Prefects will be delivering assemblies. We have been working hard as a school to emphasise the importance of kindness and not being a by-stander through Equally Safe at School, MVP, Humanutopia and our day to day interactions. This is a fantastic opportunity to reinforce and emphasise our values.
Information is below about Book Week Scotland. Thank you in advance to Nicola Douglas for the Form Class activities and organising the book swap on Wednesday lunchtime. S1's will get opportunity to visit during period 4 on Wednesday. Don't forget to dust off the costume of your favourite book character.
Finally, it is Children in Need Day on Friday. S6 pupils will resume their annual PJ day to raise money for the charity. Thanks for your patience in advance for inevitable disruption.
Kind regards
Claire
PS: Link to Thankful Thursdays
This week at Balfron High:
Team Meetings
Leadership Team meeting (Thurs)
Mon: S3 Assembly
Tues:
Wed: S4 Assembly
Thurs: S1/2 Assembly
Leadership Team meeting
Fri: S5/6 Assembly
Children in Need
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
Anti-bullying Week
13 - 17 November 2023
Anti-bullying Assembly 2023.pptx
Staff CLPL Inhouse offer
Twilight sessions 3.45
All sessions are designed to be short bursts with lots of sharing of ideas
All welcome
This week: Wednesday Twilight 3.45 C8
Increasing Participation
'Learning happens when students think hard' Sutton Trust, What Makes Great Teaching, 2012
How can we ensure that our learners are thinking hard, and that the cognitive demand in lessons is being carried by the learners more than the teachers?
Small tweeks in our delivery of lessons can quickly the shift the ratio of participation and thinking towards our learners. They take no extra resourcing, and no changes to our lessons plans.
Come along next week to CLPL to discuss these and share our own experiences around increasing participation.
Use this google form to indicate which after school afternoon would suit you best, tick any that apply.
See you soon!
Also Upcoming this Term
Science of Learning at BHS
What is this and how do we use encoding and retrieval to power up our pedagogy at BHS
Probationers, new staff and the well seasoned, all welcome!
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