Moffat Academy Whole School/Cluster News 2023/24 Term 2

Selection Box Donations

The Solway Vehicle Enthusiasts Club donated selection boxes to Beattock Primary & Nursery and Moffat Nursery Children, they were handed over by John Crawford, Peter Geddes and Billy Glendinnning from the Club! A huge thank you from all the children and families a lovely way to spread the Christmas Spirit.

Children in Need

Our charity committee organised a great week of activities for CIN. As well as selling merchandise, they organised a dress down day and ensured that all classes kept fit with Joe Wicks and competed the 1000 ‘Bearpees’ challenge. This culminated on Friday 24^th November with the whole of Beattock and Moffat primaries and nurseries completing the last 20 Bearpees in the quadrangle. Lots of our secondary friends joined in too! Thanks to Mr Meola for leading us into our final 20! Secondary young people also held a dress down day to help raise funds.

Thank you to everyone who donated and bought merchandise, we raised a fantastic £463.24!

/i/video/VIDEO-2023-11-17-14-04-20.mp4

Book Week Scotland

Moffat Academy and Beattock Primary P1 pupils received their Bookbug Bags from the Scottish Book Trust during Book Week Scotland and P2 and P3 have also received their Read, Write and Count bags, thank you to the Scottish Book Trust for gifting these. And we are also extra proud this year that a Moffat Academy pupil won the bookbag design competition and has their drawing on every bag handed out in Scotland this year. Well done again to Penny Johnstone.

Nursery pupils are also receiving a second hand book from Miss Gibbon's cupboard and P4-P7 pupils were treated to an author visit later in the month! See below.

Well done to all who took part in the annual Book Week Scotland Countdown game in Secondary. Staff were victorious for the 7^th year in a row, well done to all competitors.

On Monday 27th November we welcomed the bestselling, award-nominated author Eve Wersocki Morris to Moffat Academy as part of the Big DoG School Tour organised by the Wigtown Book Festival. Eve shared tips with P4-P7 on how to write mysterious and suspenseful stories and read an excerpt from her second book 'The Wildstorm Curse'. Our young people thoroughly enjoyed the event and engaged well with the vibrant author. Thank you to the Wigtown Festival Company for arranging and funding the visit.

-------------------

Article 28

You have the right to a good quality education.

You should be encouraged to go to school to the highest level you can.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Here are a few excerpts from last night's Christmas Concert, we didn't catch everyone's performances but everyone was equally amazing as each other; well done to all!!

It was a lovely Christmassy evening, thank you to the fantastic Mrs Crossan for bringing the whole event together. Special mentions were given to the office staff, Mr Gallagher and his lighting team, all the music instructors, Miss Gibbon, senior pupils for helping in the arranging of the evening and an extra special mention given to S5 pupil Lee Ainslie. Photos also below.

---------------------------------

UNCRC Article 29 (goals of education)

Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full.

photo_grid_{5712}

Dumfries and Galloway school gains national honour during Anti-Bullying Week

A school from Dumfries and Galloway has been recognised for their commitment to an anti-bullying culture and has been presented with a respectme reward during Anti-Bullying Week (13-17 November 2023).
Moffat Academy secured the honour from respectme, Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Service, after consistently creating a safe environment for pupils to learn and flourish. Part of the reward criteria asks schools to complete a school wide assessment reviewing anti-bullying work and initiatives. The process also places an emphasis on children’s voices, by supporting a children’s rights approach by engaging young people in feedback surveys and whole-school anti-bullying conversations and initiatives.
Kirstin Candlish, Moffat Academy Secondary Depute of Pupil Support added “Working alongside respectme to undertake this Reward has been an extremely worthwhile and important piece of self-evaluation work for us. We are delighted to have the recognition for all we try to do to support our young people, and as ever, continue to look for ways we can improve things going forward in conjunction with our young people and their families.
I would thoroughly recommend all schools to participate in this process with respectme.”
Lorraine Glass, Interim Director of respectme, Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Service, commented: “In this Anti-Bullying Week, we were thrilled to visit Moffat Academy to recognise the efforts and to present their respectme reward certificate in person. I know their ongoing commitment to creating an environment where bullying is never acceptable will continue to be a real benefit to the children of the school now and in years to come.
“Our role at respectme is neither one of inspection nor enforcement, instead we seek to build solid, trusting relationships and act as enablers to help guide, uphold, encourage, celebrate, validate and share good practice wherever we can, and to support improvement and change through respectful challenge and thought leadership. This approach helps nurture a culture of growth rather than one of compliance.”
The respectme reward is designed to help schools and youth services review their anti-bullying policy and practice, acknowledge success and plan for future improvements. In addition, the national reward accolade recognises the energy that a whole-school approach to anti-bullying can generate, and the real difference it can make.
A robust anti-bullying policy matched by consistent, predictable practice will help to create safe environments where bullying cannot thrive. If you want to find out more about the respectme reward visit respectme online at www.respectme.org.uk or email enquiries@respectme.org.uk.
-------------------
UNCRC
Article 29 (goals of education)
Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect
for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.
Article 14 (freedom of thought,
belief and religion)
Every child has the right to think and believe what they choose and also to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights. Governments must respect
the rights and responsibilities of parents to guide their child as they grow up.
Article 3 (best interests of the child)
The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all decisions and actions that affect children.

Christmas Concert

//www.youtube.com/embed/Yubx9Xe7-os?wmode=opaque&theme=dark" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">#t=0.5" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1">