Balfron Matters
Tuesday 3 May 2022
Weekly communication for staff
Dear colleagues,
Happy Eid al-Fitr to our Muslim colleagues and young people - wishing you all a wonderful celebration.
I hope that everyone had a really enjoyable long weekend. It was great to have the extra day.
The photo in the banner is of our learners at Saturday Supported Study. Thanks for providing that opportunity.
We are delighted to welcome three Ukranian pupils to Balfron High school. Two will join the senior phase on return and one, Nikita Saienko, into S3 shortly. Claire will share relevant information in due course and introduce pupils to teachers in advance of the starting. The Stirling Council EAL team have put this resource together EAL SECONDARY
I have a link to an in-service evaluation below. Please take a few minutes to complete it - your feedback is important in shaping next steps.
As mentioned at the in-service day, I have booked Humanutopia to work with S3 on May 24th. Here is a link to the programme, Who am I. I am hoping this will go some way to address some of the relationship and bullying issues that we have seen this year in that year group. To help maximise the input, I would like all S3 form class leaders and Pupil support colleagues to attend. If you are not in one of these categories but would like to attend, let me know.
Have a great week.
Elaine
This week at Balfron High:
Team meetings
Friday - CfE Social Subjects
This week's exams
Tuesday French (N5 &H)
Wednesday Maths (N5)
Thursday Modern Studies (all)
Friday Maths (H); Apps of Maths (N5)
Notice Boards
Inservice Day Presentations
I hope that you found the inservice day worthwhile. It was great to have the opportunity to share some details of the amazing work that has gone on around the school. Many thanks to everyone who gave a presenatation or ran a working group. Please share your feedback through this link.
Also on the google form is an opportunity to share key ideas for any aspect of school improvement. I'm keen to hear your views.
Final Subject Networks of the session
The final subject network meetings for this session are planned for Tuesday 10 May 2022 or a date that week if it works better for the network.
I realise that this clashes with our tri-learning plans and will work with you to identify a workable alternative.
These meetings will be online meetings. The meetings could focus on some/all of the following areas:
Review of session 2021/22 in terms of the SQA and Senior Phase.
Plans for the Senior Phase next session. This could include the sharing/development of assessments and prelim exams between schools.
Discussion about BGE courses in terms of setup/content/material being delivered within each school.
Areas of focus for subject network meetings next session. The timetable of meetings next session will be very similar to this session (after school meetings at the end of September/start of October and in May as well as a half day for subject network meetings on an in-service day in February). The dates for these will be confirmed soon.
Any other subject specific areas.
Pupils with alternative to exam leave activties. These pupils should:
sign in at reception
follow the programme
If you are working with or see a pupil on exam leave, please check with them that they have signed in. They should be in unifrom - let's all remind them!
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Balfron High Reading School Programme - Magazine Appeal
To help build up a good bank of resources for the 'Reading School' programme, can you please donate any magazines you may have.
We are particularly interested in magazines that have been published in the last year such as:
Sports and Fitness magazines: Four Four Two; Rugby World; Today's Golfer; Match; Cycling Plus; Women's Health
Gaming and Entertainment magazines: Edge; Play; Empire; Total Film
Science and Nature: National Geographic; How it Works; Science Focus; BBC Wildlife; BBC Top Gear
History and News: History Revealed, All About History, The Week
Please bring them up to C2, or let me know and I can collect.
Thank you very much,
Nicola and the Reading Leadership Team
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From wb 25 April - S1-3 assemblies will run in the theatre.
Celebrating success assemblies will kick off the new term.
CLPL Corner
Professional Reading Group
This upcoming week it's Modelling - an encoding process!
We will discuss chapter 3 next week on Thursday lunchtime - I'll make it in C8 just in case exams are going on around the place.
Here is a link to the Modelling discussion board. You can start to populate as you read if you want to (it is anonymous)
You can also listen to the Model Everything 6 min podast from the Cult of Pedagogy, by following the link on the right.
Retrieval Practice
Given the success of Pam's presentation and the interst generated, I have left the Retreival Practice links from last week available below.
Please do forward other great CLPL finds.
Retrieval Practice Summary
This week's short podcast (9 min 20 secs) on retrieval practice is a great summary.
We are looking forward to sharing some research on the in-service day that will kick off our whole school approach to promoting challenge through the science of learning.
If you'd prefer to watch a short video outlining the key principles of the science of learning, click on the Youtube video below.
Calendar 2021-22
6 May CfE - Social Subjects
11 May Working Groups - Tri-Learning
13 May S1 Reports completed
CfE - Maths
Calendar 2021-22
16 May Team meetings
20 May CfE - Expressive Arts
24 May S3 Humanutopia (all day)
26 May S4 Induction - Being Successful
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
S:\_Shared\_Weekly Info\Staff Cover\2021-2022
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Quality Assurance 2021-22 - Classroom Visits
Term 1 Classroom Observations
Our observation pro forma is based on the HGIOS QI, 2.3
Features of highly effective practice are on page 2 along with challenge questions.
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Quality Assurance 2021-22
Open Doors Dates
I will be joined by a PT for Open Doors this session as follows:
7 October Expressive Arts L McAllister
19 October English G MacKay
28 October Science N Macquarrie
9 November Health M Skinner
25 November Mod Languages A Barrie
29 November Technologies D Gormal
6 December Social Subjects S Boyle
10 February Maths M Young