Balfron Matters
Monday 20 February 2023
Weekly communication for staff
Dear colleagues,
Thanks for input on inservice day, particularly those who delivered sessions and ran meetings. The aim was to focus on curriculum and pedagogy with consideration around how nurture and support contribute to our decisions and planning.
It is important that we consider how we can best meet the needs of those who struggle to get into the classroom regularly. We have 19 pupils who come to school but cannot get to class due to anxiety. Thanks to Heidi for giving us a compelling perspective on that. It was great to hear that simply using the live feature of a google meet during class time offers a lifeline to pupils while keeping them connected. The plan is to roll this out in partnership with Flexible Learning so that learning needs can be met in the most efficient way for everyone.
As mentioned at the inservice day, I am keen that we focus on consistency of message to our young people. My priority is to ensure a safe, calm and focused environment in classrooms, corridors and social areas. To ensure this we, the adults, need to set the tone:
Meet and greet at your door at the start of the lesson
All outdoor jackets/ hoodies removed in class
Mobile phones away and silent in class
Pupils should be not be dismissed before the bell
The corridors, toilet areas and atrium should also feel safe for young people. Some of our youngest pupils have reported that they do not always feels safe, so we need to address that.
Please can you review the Supervision Rota. The more of us the better particularly at the start and end of break and lunch. If you can help contribute to this please add your availability. If you are no longer available, please remove your name. Hilary is happy to provide a snack or lunch to those on duty.
This week at assemblies, I will reinforce the expectation messages linked to UNCRC articles 3 and 28.
The best interests of the child must be a priority in all decisions and actions that affect children
Every child has a right to education...Discipline in schools must respect children's dignity and their rights
Based on an idea stolen from Twitter, I have created a Balfron version of a poster that can be used in classrooms. A copy is below (blue). If you have feedback that could help improve it, please pass it on.
To positively complement the core message and educate our young people on the impact of mobile phone use, David Whiteford is presenting on Mobile March this week. It is great that Nicola Douglas will be highlighting and promoting World book Day (2nd March). Let's all get behind that too.
Commitment from everyone at all times to reinforce the messages will build our positive ethos and make a significant difference. I truly believe that we are stronger together.
Finally, if you have not already completed the Ethical Conduct Survey (staff) please take a few minutes to do so. A pupil version is going on year group Google Classrooms for Monday morning. I will share all of the data next week. FCLs, please encourage young people to complete this in form time this week.
Welcome back. Have a great week.
Elaine
This week at Balfron High:
S4 PT course choice meetings
Mon: S2 Assembly
S3 DofEd Meeting (period 1)
Tues: S4 Assembly
Wed: S3 Assembly
Thurs: S5/6 Assembly
S4 Parents Meeting (online)
Fri: S1 Assembly
CfE: Campsie 2 Maths
Inservice Days - Reminders & Evaluation
Please take a few minutes to give some feedback on the inservice days. This will help us focus on and shape imporvement. Google form on the right. The presenations can be accessed below and can also be found in the staff google drive.
Last week at Balfron
When people outside your walls know what you are doing, it gives value to those inside.
Photos from the last week of term include: S5/6 Safe Drive, Stay Alive; S2 7 Cities Hydrogen Challenge; Making crystals in chemsitry; S1 family cooking event; S3 sports leaders at Kippen PS; brain dumps; S4 leading learning in Modern Studies; Iona McQuater (1E1) representing Balfron HS at the Brittish Shooting Schools Pistol Finals; Foundation Apprentices preparing and serving our Burns Supper.
10 mins Pedagogy Power up
This Week:
Working memory and managing the cognitive load
Main takeaways from in service:
Working memory is our space we 'think' in.
It has very limited capacity of 5-7 items.
The information isn't there for long.
We have to carefully consider how we fill the WM of our learners
Try to present information with as little redundancy as possible
Who is your slide supporting - you or your learner?
Reading whilst listening doesn't work - give time for both
Next week:
Responsive teaching strategies
CLPL opportunities
In house CLPL
Upcoming Voluntary Offers:
Increasing Challenge
Adaptive teaching using the working memory model
Promoting positive behaviour
April Inservice
Moving information into Long Term Memory
External CLPL
BHS Professional Learning Notice board.
Search. Click. Book
**Check out the update schedule from Education Scotland**
Subject resource training with Scholar
Find out how to the most of this amazing online learning resource
both in the classroom and at home.
Powering up our seniors for successful studying
Study Skills Resources
National weekly study sessions: https://www.e-sgoil.com/
BHS Study techniques website: https://sites.google.com/stirlingschools.net/bhs-study-skills/home
NeLO Learning Spaces: https://www.thinglink.com/card/1421866155961745410
Achieve: https://achieve.hashtag-learning.co.uk/user-start/?next=/
Teachers Guide to the BHS Study Planner - 3 min watch
BHS senior study planner
e-sgoil weekly online supported study timetable
Pupil Council Meetings
Tuesday 6 December
Wednesday 8 February
Tuesday 28 February
Wednesday 15 March
Tuesday 18 April
Here is the link to our school improvement plan. It is a real, working document that will be updated and amended as we go through the session. Thanks to everyone for input. If there is anything that you would like to add or ask, let me know.
One portal to hold all information
Calendar 2022-23
23 February S4 Parents meeting (online)
28 February Pupil Council
2 March Higher Modern Studies London trip
6 March D of Ed BAG Meeting, 7pm
7 March Parent Council meeting, 7pm
8 March S5/6 Parents Meeting (online)
10 March Non Unifrom Day (back on Side)
Boys Mental Health Day
13 March Climate Ready Classrooms (geography)
Science Week
15 March Pupil Council
16 March S3 Bronze D of Ed session, 7pm
22 March Insight visit (Lewis Paterson)
18 April Pupil Council
Health & 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