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Business Breakfast – Thank you to our Partners

Business Breakfast – Thank you to our Partners

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Alford Academy say thank you to our partners by hosting a Business Breakfast 

This morning Alford Academy hosted a Business Breakfast to thank partners of the school for their partnership and continued support.

Head Teacher Angela Wetherspoon opened the event welcoming guests’ and thanked them for their invaluable contribution to Alford Academy.

Romana Richards, Employer School Coordinator, Developing the Young Workforce – outlined her role of connecting employers and educators at the school.  She explained how partners can become involved in the Young Persons Guarantee to support Young People aged 16-24 to reach a positive destination.

Stuart Cookson, Depute Head – discussed the different subjects, courses and pathways available at Alford Academy.  He explained the wide variety of Foundation Apprenticeships opportunities currently available to pupils.

Jenni Rees – Jenkins, Principal Teacher of Achievement Pathways & Partnerships, explained the School Leaver Profile which highlights the nine core meta-skills Alford Academy collectively feel are important for our young people to develop throughout their time at school to provide them with the most success for the future.

Following the presentation partners and staff enjoyed a delicious breakfast where they discussed future partnership working.

Thank you to everyone who came to Alford Academy this morning and made it a memorable event.  Your support is very much appreciated.  We very much look forward to growing our partnerships further.

 

10 Drummers Drumming & 8 Pipers Piping

10 Drummers Drumming & 8 Pipers Piping

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Well done to the Alford Academy Pipe Band who performed this afternoon with the Inverurie Concert Band at their Christmas Concert in the Thainstone Centre, supported by their tutors Ian Dallas and Scott Niven.  Playing Highland Cathedral, Amazing Grace and Celtic Crest to an audience of well over 200 people, the band were on top form.  For the majority of pupils, this was their first formal concert and the standard of playing was exceptional.  Three members of our school orchestra also performed with the band after missing out on our school concert due to its postponement last week.  Many thanks to Ian Dallas, Scott Niven, Hamish Wood, Ben Light and Nicola Tierney for rehearsing the pupils involved and for their support of the performing arts at Alford Academy.

Winter Woolies Swap For Charity (no longer just Christmas jumpers)

Winter Woolies Swap For Charity (no longer just Christmas jumpers)

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Children quickly grow out of their winter woolies, so this year we are asking our pupils and/or parents/guardians to bring in and donate any winter clothing that they have outgrown, or no longer wish to wear, into school by Friday 16th December 2022. These can be put in the ‘drop box’ at the school reception.  Clothes need to be clean and in a good condition for resale, please.

On Monday 19th until Wednesday 21st December, during break and lunch, we will be asking children to bring in an item of winter clothing to swap or to pay a donation of £1 to buy new (preloved) winter woolies. The money raised from this will be donated to the Trussell Trust (food bank).

We hope that this event will save lots of clothing from entering landfill, being incinerated, or just being lost and unloved at the back of a wardrobe, and that the children will enjoy choosing a new preloved item of clothing to use this year and potentially beyond!

Christmas Jumper Swap for Charity

Christmas Jumper Swap for Charity

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We are running a swap event in the run up to Christmas to try to encourage the reuse of ‘preloved’ Christmas jumpers. Many of us don’t realise that these are usually made from polyester and other plastic fibres, and often end up being quickly discarded. A study in 2019 showed that many young people buy a new Christmas jumper every year. In fact, it highlighted that Christmas jumpers have become one of the worst examples of fast fashion, now recognised as hugely damaging to the environment. Two out of five Christmas jumpers are only worn once over the festive period, and one in three adults under 35 buys a new Christmas jumper every year!

Children quickly grow out of their festive jumpers, so this year we are asking our pupils and/or parents/guardians to bring in and donate Christmas jumpers that they have outgrown, or no longer wish to wear, into school by Monday 12th December 2022. These can be put in the ‘drop box’ at the school reception.  Jumpers need to be clean and in a good condition for resale, please.

On Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th December, during break and lunch, we will be asking children to bring in a Christmas jumper to swap or to pay a donation of £1 to buy a new (preloved) jumper. The money raised from this will be donated to the Trussell Trust (food bank).  There will be a ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ run by the Interact Group, at school on Thursday 22nd December, allowing pupils to wear their newly purchased/swapped Christmas jumper, with all donations also going the Trussell Trust.

We hope that this event will save lots of Christmas jumpers from entering landfill, being incinerated, or just being lost and unloved at the back of a wardrobe, and that the children will enjoy choosing a new preloved jumper to use this year and potentially beyond!

Alford Academy Remembrance Day 2022

Alford Academy Remembrance Day 2022

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Alford Academy Remembrance Day 2022

“Remembrance honours those who serve to defend our freedom and way of life. It recognises the sacrifice of the Armed Forces community across the Commonwealth, as well emergency services and innocent civilians killed through conflict and terrorism.  Remembrance honours people who have served and sacrificed, including armed forces and emergency services. It means stopping to remember people affected by war and hoping for a peaceful future.” (Taken from https://www.poppyscotland.org.uk/)

This year we continued our traditions in remembering all those who have or who still ensure our freedom.

The Interact club recruited friends in the school to create a week of remembrance.  We are always very grateful to all the support staff give us at this busy time of the year and special thanks goes to the English and Humanities faculties as well as the Senior Leadership Team and Mrs Watt who always help the group with absolutely everything.

CLAN classes used a presentation made by interact pupils in the club with the inspiration from Mr Ryland to share some history; then CLAN pupils made poppies to be displayed in the school.  The poppies were decorated with memories and thanks.  These have been displayed for all to read.

Each morning during the lead up to the 11th there was a tannoy message sharing a reading or poem about remembrance which pupils are supported in selecting by Miss Steel.  During the weeks assembly our pupil senior executive shared their own thoughts with a few minutes of personal reflection.

On the 11th the school took part in a 2-minute silence led by Mr Cookson at 11am and listened to another reading followed by a piper.  At the same time Mrs Wotherspoon represented our school community with a number of pupils, staff and a piper to place a wreath on the Alford war memorial along with the primary and chaplain team.

All week pupils were selling poppies for Poppy Scotland and were delighted to hand over a generous donation.

Thank you to all the pupils and staff who helped the group.

Alford Academy Interact Group

Rotary Shoe Box Scheme 2022

Rotary Shoe Box Scheme 2022

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Rotary Shoe Box Scheme 2022

The Interact club wanted to fill more boxes this year than last; and we are delighted to announce that we succeeded!!!

Over 50 boxes were collected after the holidays and will be sent to disadvantaged adults and children in Eastern Europe to help support those with a need greater than our own.  CLAN classes were involved again this year and rose to the challenge of filling at least 3 boxes each.

The boxes will be sent to countries such as the Ukraine, Romania and Moldova.  Our thanks extend to the Rotary Club of Alford for involving us in the scheme and collecting them for us.

If you wish to find out more information about the scheme then this website has more information:  http://www.rotaryshoebox.org/

Alford Academy Interact Club

Independent Evaluation of Community Mental Health Supports

Independent Evaluation of Community Mental Health Supports

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The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to carry out an independent evaluation of the mental health and wellbeing community support services implemented by local authorities.

There are two surveys, one for young people (aged 12-25) and one for parents/carers of young people who have accessed community mental health services.

Letter Parent Carer MH Survey

MH Evaluation – info sheet (parents&carers)

MH Evaluation – info sheet (young people)

 

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