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Thursday 6 October 2005 |
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Welcome to the
This newsletter is published every two weeks for staff in the Children and Families Department. It is available online at the Edinburgh Grid for Learning at http://egfl.net In an effort to get to know our colleagues a little better, we have started a new section of the newsletter called 'What do they do?' This will feature a different group, centre or project in every issue. If you would like your work to be profiled, please send me a short article summing up what your department, section, project, or group does. If you want to fax me your piece, the number is 0131 469 3347 If you have any other items you wish to contribute, please call or send us your stories, pictures, info on new staff, celebrations, special events, news etc. You can email gayle.st.croix@educ.edin.gov.uk or call 0131 469 3429. Click here to read What do they do? In
the news The Quality Standard Award, which is unique to Edinburgh, has been developed in partnership by officers, head teachers and politicians to publicly recognise specific areas of excellence and the importance of holistic education. Head teachers in twenty schools have piloted the award to ensure the criteria being asked of schools is appropriate and applicable to all sectors. Read more.
Having moved out while their old school was demolished and a new one rose on the site, the pupils and staff of St Peter’s Primary are now back home in the heart of the Morningside community. They are delighted that Cardinal O’Brien was able to make time in his busy schedule to visit. To find out more, visit the news page.
Mark recently spoke to a science class at Tynecastle High about the Aimhigher message and how he got to where he is today through hard work and the necessary education and skills. Mark, who started his career kart racing in Australia and last summer, signed a multi-million pound deal with the BMW Williams F1 Team, said: "It was always my dream to be a F1 racing driver, and I was lucky enough to get the breaks to allow me to achieve that ambition. It just goes to show that everyone should follow their dream, and getting the right qualifications can really put you in the driving seat to achieve these goals." Aimhigher Scotland is a
joint initiative between The Scottish Executive and The Royal Bank of
Scotland, which aims to raise aspirations and provide young Scots with
information on the options available to them after leaving school. Clermiston gets top
marks from Inspectors
The Edinburgh Conference ONLINE! The Edinburgh Conference 2005: Global Learning takes place on Friday 4 November. Delegates will engage in a conversation with Peter Peacock, Minister for Education and Young People, about Scotland’s place in the world of learning. With input from high profile international speakers and a selection of challenging workshops, the 2005 Edinburgh Conference will explore best practice in the pursuit of excellence, professionalism and leadership in a global context. You can now go online to get all the details you need on this year’s Edinburgh Conference. The Conference website can be found at www.theedinburghconference.edin.org To book your place, contact
Jackie on 0131 469 3095 or email jackie.mclachlan@educ.edin.gov.uk Questions about adoption? The Scottish Civic Forum invites you to attend a free meeting on the proposals taking place in Edinburgh on 10 October from 6.30-8.30pm. For more information, please contact 0131 557 6767. Come ceilidh with us! Taking place on Saturday 5 November at the Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street at 8.00pm with ceilidh band HLI (or Hebrideans) and caller Ken Gourlay.
The evening will also feature a piper
and some international folkdances. Tickets are available
from Usher Hall box office on Lothian Road and are £8. You can also
find them at the Tourist Office at 3 Princes Street. For more info
about tickets or to book a band, please call 0131 339
5374.
If you would like more information, please contact Joanna Bremner on 0131 557 5724 or visit the website www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk and click on the Tell a Story Day tab.
Join us at our Smart City roadshow on Thursday 13 October in the City Chambers from 10am to 4pm. There will be a variety of exhibitions, helpdesks and smart sessions taking place throughout the day ... and an opportunity to win in our prize draw! In the Business Centre ...
Smart Sessions include:
Please note: places at the smart sessions will be on a "first
come, first served" basis until the room in full - no need to book,
just turn up on the day. You can find out more about these events by e-mailing smartcity@edinburgh.gov.uk. What
do they do? When an enquiry is received, the team send an information package out to the prospective carer and then visit them within the following fortnight. The interested applicant is then invited to learn more about the skills and abilities one needs to become a carer before a thorough assessment is carried out and they go before an approval panel. In addition to recruiting new carers, the team also informs the wider public about fostering and other care options. If you would like more information, please contact Freephone Fostering on 0800 174 833 or visit the website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/fostering
Enterprise Finance Course Dates It is also possible to book additional dates for groups of staff from the same Department. For further details or to book a place click here or call Gaynor on 0131 469 5467. You can also get in touch by email at eftraining@edinburgh.gov.uk Head Start: The importance of infant mental health Organised by Children in Scotland, this one-day conference is going to be held in Edinburgh on Wednesday 23 November in Edinburgh. This conference, the first of its kind in Scotland will draw together front-line care professionals who work with children, and their families but whose original training may not have encompassed mental health. The conference will:
For more information, please contact Brydie O'Connor
Conference Co-ordinator by email at
boconnor@childreninscotland.org.uk
or call 0131 222 2438
This conference is aimed at anyone across the public service who wishes to enhance not only individual but team and organisational performance. To find out more, please contact Julie Melville on 0131 229 8267 or email julie.melville@cmps.gsi.gov.uk Success
stories At the club the students and staff do art and craft work based on the rich background of Islamic culture. This year Drummond is fortunate to have been given a grant to employ a tapestry artist who will organise the design and weaving of a prayer mat which will reflect the rich and diverse culture of our community school. The junior students at Drummond researched prayer mats through Religious and Moral Education and made their own designs in the Art Department. The chosen design was then translated into a 'cartoon' by the artist. This will be the 'pattern' for the weavers to use on the loom which will be set up in the school Library. Weaving commenced on Tuesday 4 October and the project will be
completed by Eid around the 2 November. Healthy times at St Nicholas School Arhonatherapy offered 10-minute tasters
of Indian Head Massage, to encourage relaxation. The school nurse
arranged for colleagues to show how to wash hands properly, how to look
after hair, choose a healthy snack, look after teeth and also a
video on personal hygiene. The school doctor was also involved. Fruit
smoothies were provided by S2. Welcoming visitors from as far away as Australia, staff at the centre noted how enlightening it was to see their wonderful place of work through other people's eyes. One visiting father who spent a considerable time in the centre commented to staff "I’ve never been to Scandinavia, but this is how I imagine their nurseries would look. Why can’t they all be like this?" Praise indeed! Their Green Flag status was noted and
positive comments regarding their eco-development came fast and friendly. They
want to thank everyone who got involved and gave up their Saturday to help with
this event. I am sure they are looking forward to doing it all again next year. International Walk to
School Week – An Ethiopian Link The aim is to encourage more children to walk to school to help promote good health, improve road safety, ease congestion and generally improve the environment. But there’s more! The "International" prefix project provides a good opportunity to look at how pupils travel to school in different countries around the world. The Make Poverty History event which took place in Edinburgh in July focussed our sites on sub-Saharan Africa. Every Edinburgh school who signed up for International Walk to School Week resources should have had a letter and sponsor form from the African Children’s Education Trust (A-CET). They provide Educational Grants and fund schools in Northern Ethiopia. Their first student to gain a degree is Sammy Ayalew. He began his education in a very basic open air bush school in Northern Ethiopia but is now studying for his MSc in Information Systems Management at Leicester’s DeMontfort University. He is available to talk to schools and other groups about his experiences. If you’d like a group from your school to hear him, please contact the International Unit on 469 3230, or email claire.soper@educ.edin.gov.uk For more information on International Walk to School Week, School Travel Plans and all issues relating to school travel, please contact Gill Kelly on 469 3811 gill.kelly@edinburgh.gov.uk, Stephanie Logan on 469 3819 stephanie.logan@edinburgh.gov.uk or Mark Symonds on 469 3817 mark.symonds@edinburgh.gov.uk For more information on the African Children’s Education Trust please see: www.a-cet.org.uk Three Edinburgh head teachers travelled to 10 Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister on Monday 12 September. They joined 200 other heads from around the UK for a special reception to recognise their work in ensuring that children and young people receive the best start in life. Peter Galloway from Trinity Academy, Sheilah Jackson from Queensferry Primary School, and Anne Nicol from Broomhouse Primary School were the lucky three. Sheilah was kind enough to send us her thoughts on the day. To read about their adventure, click here. Thinking about getting a computer? After a successful uptake of 1378 employees earlier this year, the scheme will run again in October with a closing date of 11 November. We are pleased to announce that Apple Macs will be included in this scheme. Application packs will be posted to the home addresses of eligible staff at the start of October. Want to find out more? Look out for the posters advertising roadshows in Chesser House on 12 October and the City Chambers on 13 October or visit the home computing website at www.lets-connect.co.uk/edinburgh.
For details of teaching vacancies in
Edinburgh please visit the following link: http://channel1.internal.egfl.net |
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