Balfron Matters
Monday 27 February 2023
Weekly communication for staff
Dear colleagues,
I hope that you have had a great weekend and enjoyed some improved weather. Please note that I am out of school on an inspection most of this week and will not be able to pick up emails. The DHTs will be available throughout the week.
To help with our improvement planning, there are three school surveys for your consideration. Both will close at the end of this week for analysis. Alistair Campbell asked me to share a Network Evaluation:
Please could Form Class Leaders ask young people to complete the pupil Ethical Survey in Form Time, if they have not already. Pupils need to be signed into their Stirlingschools account to be able to access the survey.
Thanks to everyone for your efforts in reinforcing uniform and general standards. I know how frustrating and challenging this has been and very much appreciate your support. It has been worth it. I see an improvement already. In an effort to get parents support, I sent an email reinforcing our expectations on Friday to all parents/carers. I forwarded this to you for information.
Please stick with the consistent message to our young people:
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 not be dismissed before the bell
Thanks to those of you who are able to help with 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.
Thanks to David and Nicola for their input in assemblies last week. Both spoke really well. I have been chatting with young people at breaks about their mobile phone screen time. The range is really interesting. Please get behind #MobileMarch and World Book Day (2 March).
Have a great week.
Elaine
This week at Balfron High:
S4/5 course choice meetings
Team Meetings
Mon: Lomond House Assembly
S3 DofEd Meeting (period 1)
Tues: School closed to pupils
Wed: School closed to pupils
Thurs: Campsie House Assembly
H Modern Studies London trip
Fri: Endrick House Assembly
S2 Tracking due
CfE: Flexible Learning
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 include: Creative Writing Workshop with author Kirsty Logan; new library books; FA hospitality students providing breakfast rolls for staff on Friday morning; new fencing club; pics from Shrove Tuesday; pics from the Glasgow Warriors Championships.
Thanks everyone!
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 improvement. Google form on the right. The presentations can be accessed below and can also be found in the staff google drive.
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.
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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=/
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Teachers Guide to the BHS Study Planner - 3 min watch
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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
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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
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