*Thank you to the wonderful staff of Team Oaklands whose ......Lucy, Gillian, Ally, Jack, Sarah, Clare, Sharon H, Jackie, Amanda, Christina, Gail, Laura, Jill, Dyanne, Jen, Karen E,

City of Edinburgh Council

Children and Families Department

Oaklands School,

www.oaklandsedinburgh.com 750 Ferry Road,

@Team_Oaklands Edinburgh EH4 4PQ

Email: [email protected] Head Teacher: Morna Phillips Tel: 0131 315 8100

Lucy, Gillian, Ally, Jack, Sarah, Clare, Sharon H, Jackie, Amanda, Christina, Gail, Laura, Jill, Dyanne, Jen, Karen E, Jasmin

Kausar, Maureen, Marta, Lauryn, Oliver, Ele, Sheena, Jenifer, Clare AY, Angela, Jacqueline, Kirsty, Amy, Lauren, Maddie

Da

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Mel

*Thank you to the wonderful staff of Team Oaklands whose names are proudly listed around the border of this newsletter.*

Tuesday 15th December 2020

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you are well and managing to remain optimistic despite the current restrictions.

2020 has certainly thrown us some challenges and although it has been difficult at times, it has been

wonderful to see how our Oaklands family has pulled together to remain positive. Little did we think in March

that we would still be living with limitations to our everyday lives.

COVID 19:

We have been incredibly careful, with strict control measures in place, since returning in August and as I write

this newsletter we have had no positive cases in our school. The numbers across Edinburgh schools are

relatively low. Being careful and all playing our part certainly seems to be paying off.

Please do let us know as soon as possible if your child is displaying any of the symptoms of COVID and is

being tested and please remember that children should NOT come to school whilst a member of their family is

awaiting the results of a test. If the test is negative children can return immediately. If the test is positive, for

another family member, children need to isolate as directed by Health Protection Scotland.

Since returning to school in August we have continued to support our children and young people with many

enriching experiences albeit within tight ‘bubbles’. We have also managed to have some festive fun!

Christmas jumper day last Friday was very successful, our pupils and staff looked great and we managed to

raise £96 for ‘Save the Children’. Santa also popped in for a socially distanced visit!

This week in school:

Tuesday - Christmas Lunch Thursday - 10am our ‘online’ Christmas Show - A Winter Owl Thursday afternoon - Class Parties

End of term:

✓ We finish for the end of term at 12 noon on Tuesday 22nd.

Staffing News:

Firstly, we’d like to congratulate Fiona Smith, one of our principal teachers, who has recently been offered the post of Education Officer for Inclusion and Health and Wellbeing at East Lothian Council. Fiona has been at Oaklands for over 4 years and has led on senior phase transition and more recently, has been our school health and wellbeing coordinator, (a crucial role during this difficult year).

http://www.oaklandsedinburgh.com/mailto:[email protected]



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Staffing News:

We really will miss Fiona as she has been a good friend a colleague to many and a key member of our senior management team. We wish her every success as she takes up her new post.

Just today, we interviewed for a Permanent Family Link Worker – many of you will know Kirsti Willis who has been in this temporary post for 3.5 years. We are delighted to let you know that Kirsti was the unanimous choice as the

successful candidate. We are thrilled that Kirsti is now a permanent member of

Team Oaklands and we know that many of you who have been supported by her over the last few years will

be similarly pleased.

Kirsti brings so much to the school community. We know that we are very lucky to have her!

We have also appointed 4 new temporary PSAs to our team:

Sarah Unwin to the Little Acorns Christina Gannon to Holly Class Jasmin Zamal to Pine Class Maddy Scaife to Beech Class

They have settled beautifully, and it has been a delight to welcome them to our team.

MOVE:

On Tuesday 24th of November we were accredited to see if we had reached the criteria to remain a Centre of Excellence for MOVE. I am delighted to say that our new Pupil Support Officer, Anke Bailie, and our team of MOVE coordinators were able to present our evidence to external verifiers and prove that high standards have been maintained and we remain a Centre of Excellence! Well done to all involved. We are also proud to let you know that we have a MOVE graduate – Eve Paisley from Holly Class - who will soon be awarded with her certificate. Well done to Eve and to the adults who have supported her to achieve this!

Taking time to Remember:

At the end of difficult year, we would like to take a few moments to remember the families of Charlotte and

Arabella as they face their first Christmas without their beautiful girls. Over the last few months, we have

shared many memories of both.

To the Staff Team:

As Head Teacher at Oaklands school I’d like thank you, as always, for your support throughout the last year. I am so proud to be part of such an amazing school community with such a committed and dedicated staff team.

With very best wishes to all our Oaklands families for a happy and healthy 2021.

Morna

Morna Phillips

Head Teacher

HOLIDAY DATES:

Tuesday 22nd December – End of Term 12.00

Tuesday 5th January – In-Service Day for Staff

Wednesday 6th January – Pupils Return to School



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Little Acorns:

Little Acorns have had another busy, outdoor term! It was World Nursery Rhyme Week in

November, so we decided to choose a different rhyme for each week of the term. We had fun

rolling wheels and jumping into hoops, as well as painting with cars and trucks for the Wheels on the

Bus; a tuft tray full of mud for Old MacDonald; 5 Little Speckled Frogs jumped in and out of the

water table and we all got very wet!; and we took care of the sick dolly for Miss Polly! We have

also had a busy time gardening, planting bulbs for the spring and weeding. Best of all we have

been able to play together outside, on the equipment in the nursery garden or on chilly winter walks

and scavenger hunts in the Millennium Woods. We have welcomed a new friend to our class this

term and have all been working hard to make progress with our communication. We have enjoyed

some art and craft sessions – but you will have to wait and see what we have created. A Christmas

surprise for our parents and carers!

Holly Class:

This term Holly have had pets as their topic. We have had lots of stories and songs about dogs, cats, parrots, hamsters. We have made lots of lovely artworks and have had fun with matching activities too. Even though the weather has been getting a bit colder we have tried to spend as much time outside as we can too. We have had hunts in the woods for pictures of pets and we have also gathered materials for art and craft activities.

To finish off the topic we have decided to raise some funds for the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and have a stall for staff to buy recycled and upcycled gifts. The best bit was making lots of popcorn using the switch to make the popcorn maker turn on! The popcorn has been turned into outside garlands for the birds to eat.

Everyone in Holly Class would like to wish you a happy Christmas and a happy and healthy 2021!



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Pine Class:

Pine Class have had an enjoyable term, both inside and outside of the school over this past half-term leading

up to Christmas. We have created art for our sensory story, linked to our Pets topic ‘Room on the Broom’;

some even acting out the story with the use of their pacers!

We have worked on our communication, vocabulary, and language skills in a variety of different weekly

groups. Pine Class have also been enjoying sensory maths activities; and just this past week have been

enjoying songs linked to Christmas and have worked on our counting!

We have acted out The Rainbow Fish sensory story for RME and learned about friendship and giving. We

have also had a wonderful time during our performing arts sessions with Angela and Jacqueline, continuing

with their magical sensory seasonal themes of Autumn and Winter in the gym hall every Thursday!

Outdoor activities have included weeding and planting garlic in our raised bed (using a variety of planting

techniques, some of which have included throwing cloves of garlic! ), listening to stories in our school polytunnel

and visiting the Millennium Woods, investigating the weather, going on scavenger hunts, and gathering

materials for our Christmas wreaths.

We will all be thinking about our friend and class mate Arabella this Christmas.

Happy Christmas to you all.

Willow Class:

During the Autumn term Willow Class have been continuing with their Pets topic, but also finding out

about Autumn and Winter by exploring the woods, the playgrounds, polytunnel and allotment.

We have had a very musical term in Willow Class, with Performing Arts; practising for our Christmas

show, Music Therapy with Kathryn and having time to explore our new keyboard that the class have

been given as well as joining in with Kenny on his guitar. We all love music and have really enjoyed

the fun and enjoyment that music brings!

We are all ready for our holidays after a busy, long term. Happy Holidays from Willow Class.



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Beech Class:

Beech class have been busy, busy, busy out and about this term! We have continued with our

enterprise, making festive bath bombs. Some of our pupils started individual Music Therapy sessions

and are loving them. We have been working on our topic ‘Autumn’ in our art sessions, making

collages, making a big scream of Munch for Halloween and we have also been working on sunsets

and sunrises!

We have made the most of the outdoors this term, even though it has started to be very cold!

Making sure we are wearing all our winter clothes, the pupils have been out in the community, out in

the allotment, looking after the classroom garden and enjoying the woods and the change of

colours. However, the highlight of the term has been going to the Scottish National Gallery of

Modern Art to visit the exhibition of the schools’ competition, as three pupils won the first prize this

year! We all really enjoyed going to the museum. All filled with excitement and faces of joy! We

also visited Katie Paterson's and Dada and Surrealism’s exhibitions, which we loved.

Beech class are ready for some relaxing and well-deserved holidays! Feliz Navidad to all of you!

Aspen Class:

Aspen class have had a busy term working hard, getting ready for Christmas and having plenty of

fun together along the way! We’ve been enjoying plenty of Christmassy, sensory experiences as

well as making decorations and decorating our classroom. We’ve been working hard on the

Innowalk and other equipment and everyone is coping brilliantly with their daily repositioning and

exercise! We have continued to get out in to the local community to explore and enjoy the fresh

winter air. We’ve been busy with our Enterprise project, painting and designing rock houses, and

are dreaming of a class trip to Paris as soon as things have settled down! It’s not all fun and games

though, as we have all begun working towards our ASDAN Transition Challenge awards. Watch this

space! We are all really enjoying our wonderful Performing Arts sessions with Angela and

Jacqueline, especially practising for our Christmas show performance!

Everyone in Aspen wishes you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!



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Rowan Class:

We’ve been keeping active in Rowan class with some lovely whole class walks in the local area and

some exciting bike rides around the local cycle paths. It’s cold outside, but we’ve been wrapping up

warmly and making the most of opportunities to be out in the daylight. We’ve had a couple of

campfires and have all had a go at creating sparks with flints, snapping the kindling and watching

the flames take hold. It’s nice to experience the crackles, smells and flickering flames together.

Our Winter Show rehearsals are well under way and have influenced much of our classroom work.

We’ve created a huge winter owl wall display using handprints, tea stained fabric, printed

snowflakes and other craft bits and bobs. We’ve retold the owl story in class, bringing it to life with

fans, torches and bells. Music and movement are a big part of our week. Performing Arts in the hall

is a highlight and we continue to join Music for All via our Smart Board every Monday. We’re

looking forward to some more festive activities as we move towards the holidays.

Happy Christmas to all of you!

Performing Arts:

Oaklands is delighted to welcome Jacqueline, our new teacher who has joined me, Angela, on the performing

arts team. We’ve been having a ‘wintery’ time in the hall with each class in turn, keeping to their bubbles.

The hall has now been transformed into a magical ‘winter wonderland’ to tell our story of the Winter Owl

who is travelling through the landscape looking for her nest of owlets. We’ve all been performing a shadow

puppet play about the Winter Owl by making the different sounds for each scene in the ‘play’: the owl, stars,

snow, ice, storm, winter trees and owlets using instruments, big Mack switches and other sound effects.

Each week we’ve taken part in amazing sensory art sessions and added what we’ve made to our ‘winter

wonderland’. We’ve been performing different dances and songs each week to tell the story of the Winter

Owl and now each class has their own special performance that they’ve been practising ready for our

Christmas performance. It might be a little different this year and we’ll have to share it on video instead of

inviting you into the hall, but we’ve still had so much fun creating and performing and we hope you’ll love the

show just as much.



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Eco & Outdoor Learning:

The Eco reps have been starting to think about an Action Plan for this coming year. We are focussing

on three areas this year, Litter, Health & Wellbeing and Global Citizenship. Classes have started to

think about ideas for each area and many classes are already working towards some of these

areas in anticipation of the finished Action Plan. Lots of classes are keen to support local and global

charities and some have already started thinking about how to raise funds and donations. The Eco

reps continue to meet in their bubbles in the polytunnel. Activities they’ve been involved with include

working on the floor book, looking after the worms and setting a trapping camera to see if we can

find out what’s out and about in our school grounds after dark.

We continue to have led outdoor learning sessions for classes. These have included some RME

celebrations with a sensory light and jewellery trail through the woods to celebrate Diwali.

Campfires have continued along with some outdoor musical jam sessions. Outdoor learning is going

from strength to strength at Oaklands despite the colder weather. All classes across the school are

participating a in a range of curricular activities out in the school grounds and local area. The

benefits are evident in the rosy faces and increased energy levels of both pupils and staff after

being outside.

Nurses:

Hello from the Nursing Team!

There have been a few changes to our nursing team this term with a sad goodbye to Gail & Debbie

at the end of term but welcoming two new nurses to Oaklands. Claire L, who joins us from Sunndach

& Louise R, who has come from the Community Children’s Nursing team. Kerry, who was already an

established member of the nursing team, has moved from Saltersgate to join us at Oaklands on a

permanent basis. There’re still some old faces with Claire C, Louise B & Graham!

We are available Monday - Thursday 8.00am-4.00pm and Friday 8.00am-1.30pm, so please feel

free to contact us if any there are any changes or questions about nursing care or if you just fancy a

chat! Our direct number is 0131 315 8105.

Wishing you all a happy & healthy festive period.



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Occupational Therapy:

We have developed an exciting new way of working to provide targeted Occupational Therapy

support throughout the school year. We have highlighted 3 key occupation focuses for the pupils at

Oaklands School - Positioning for Participation, Making Mealtimes Meaningful and Purposeful Play.

Since August we have had a busy focus on Positioning for Participation which aims to promote safe

and optimal positions for our pupils, so they can engage in their school day as fully as possible. All

pupils who have supportive seating provided by us have now had this reviewed and appropriate

adjustments/ changes made. We have also appointed Pupil Participation Ambassadors for each

class who support the rest of the class team with any Occupational Therapy and positioning related

needs daily. Our ambassadors will receive regular training and support to do their role.

In January we will move on to Making Mealtimes Meaningful which will run until at least April. Any pupil in the school can access a review of their feeding skills/ mealtime goals – parents or school staff can request this. We will also develop resources to support staff with how to make mealtimes as meaningful as possible day-to-day for our pupils. We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New year – Kirsty & Sofia (Occupational Therapists)

Physiotherapy:

Following the retirement of Anke and Lizzie’s departure to Saltersgate, the physiotherapy team are

pleased to announce that we have a new member to the team starting in January 2021. Laurent

Haquin will join us. He will be working alongside me, Jane Mole, Physiotherapist, Melanie

MacLennan Physiotherapy assistant and Becky Flowerdew Physiotherapy assistant.

Mel and I are in school Monday to Wednesday and Becky on a Thursday.

Laurent will be in school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The term has flown by and we still have a big to do list which we are continuing to work our way

through. I’d like to thank you and the school team, for your patience and understanding in these

unprecedented times.

If you would like to speak with us or have any questions or concerns, please contact us via the

therapist office at school (Tel 0131 315 8106). Please leave a message if we don’t pick up. You

can also contact us via the home school diary.

If you have any concerns regarding:

• Your child’s orthotics (splints/boots) please call the orthotics service on 0131 537 9418

• Your child Buggy/wheelchair please contact the wheelchair services on 0131 537 9177

The physiotherapy team would like to wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a

safe and healthy year ahead. I look forward to getting to know your children and you more in the

year ahead.

Jane and the Physiotherapy Team



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MOVE:

MOVE continues to be an important part of life at Oaklands. We have a dedicated MOVE team,

consisting of 3 MOVE Coordinators (Anke, Michelle Mc and Dyanne), 3 MOVE Trainers (Diane,

Sheena and Amanda) and 4 Senior Practitioners (Gillian, Ally, Jackie and Michelle B) and this team

has been very busy preparing for the Quality Mark re-accreditation, that Morna mentioned earlier

in your newsletter. As well as doing that, they are in the process of reviewing all MOVE pupils and

updating their paperwork to the new format.

Because of the Quality Mark process, the MOVE coordinators have identified areas for future

development (such as developing closer link with the local community, other MOVE schools in

Scotland and developing an Oaklands friendly tracking system that record a pupil’s progress more

accurately.)

Another exciting development that will be looked at is the development of Oaklands’ own football

team. Dyanne had started this very successfully during last school year but this had to be stopped

due to Lockdown and the subsequent Covid restrictions. Hopefully, when the restrictions are lifted,

and we can move more freely through the school, our own football team can start their practices

again. It’s great seeing pupils of all abilities participate in football and having fun (and ….of

course practising their mobility skills during a very motivating activity!)

The MOVE team would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy festive season and our best

wishes for 2021!

Documents

*Thank you to the wonderful staff of Team Oaklands whose ......Lucy, Gillian, Ally, Jack, Sarah, Clare, Sharon H, Jackie, Amanda, Christina, Gail, Laura, Jill, Dyanne, Jen, Karen E,