Games Legacy for Scotland

February 7th, 2012: What should you wear when playing football in the forest?!; FMacAskill; Comments: none

This was the question faced by pupils in over 100 primary schools across Scotland. More than 2000 entries were submitted from which the judging panel had the difficult task of selecting a short-list of 30 designs. Football pundit Stuart Cosgrove, Jon Duckworth of LOCOG, Creative Programmer for London 2012 Leonie Bell, textile designer Emily Quinn, Michael Farrell from Education Scotland and the artist himself, Craig Coulthard had the unenviable task of picking four winners from the myriad of creative and inventive designs submitted by Scottish school pupils.

Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Sport and the Commonwealth Games unveiled the exhibition held within the Hall of Fame at the Scottish Football Museum in Hampden Park on Tuesday the 7^th of February. There the winners, Amelia Purkis, Kerr Carlyle, Anah Dodds and Mia Gordon, were announced to an expectant audience of pupils and teachers from across Scotland, with Ben Logan receiving a special commendation. It was agreed by all in attendance that the level of competition was extremely high and all entries had shown real thought and consideration of the key themes surrounding the challenge.

The competition itself encouraged learners to think about issues such as their national identity, environmental impact and sustainability, mythology, diversity and the power of sport. Through these concepts the pupils were asked to create a football strip to be worn by players at the Forest Pitch match on the 21^st July 2012, taking place in a hidden pitch set within a Sitka Spruce plantation just outside Selkirk.

The exhibition itself is well worth a visit and will run from the 7^th February until 15^th July 2012 with opening times as follows: Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm; Sun 11am – 5pm. This is a great opportunity to come along and celebrate in the success of these Scottish pupils and to learn more about the project itself.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-16926640

February 7th, 2012: Sport your Trainers and get involved in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.; FMacAskill; Comments: none

The challenge has been set! Can you and your pupils cover the miles needed to get to your chosen partner country by Commonwealth Day on the 12th March of this year without leaving your school?! By getting involved in this year’s Sport your Trainers campaign you will be showing your support for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. You can take part by walking, jogging, rowing, cycling, spinning, hopping or even skipping, the choice is yours and all activities count, so get inventive.

A special Glow Group has been created for you to record your miles, packed with more information on the challenge and lots of ideas around the educational aspects, with Curriculum for Excellence in mind. The interdisciplinary learning opportunities are abound providing real life contexts for mathematical exploration relating to measurement, money and time; social studies contexts considering people and their place in society, the environment and economy; or indeed by considering and debating health and wellbeing issues faced by people around the world.

A special Glow Meet will take place on 23rd February with a guest appearance from a commonwealth athlete on location in a school ready to answer your questions.

Official Glasgow 2014 shoelaces are up for grabs for all schools that take part. So what are you waiting for, get active!

For more information on how to get started and join in with the Glow Meet simply visit the Glow Group today.

January 30th, 2012: Forest Pitch strip design shortlist announced; mfarrell; Comments: none

Here is the press release for the announcement of the Forest Pitch Football Strip Design Competition. The 4 winners will be announced at Hampden on 7th February. Did you take part? Leave a comment to let us know what you and your students enjoyed about the competition.

A design by 9-year old Mai-Mai Morrison from Dyke Primary School has made the 30-strong shortlist for the Forest Pitch strip design competition. Mai-Mai was among over 2,000 young people from across Scotland who entered the competition to create designs for the strips that will be worn by teams taking part in this major Cultural Olympiad event on 21 July 2012. Mai-Mai’s design will be exhibited in the Scottish Football Museum at the National Stadium, Hampden from February to July of this year.

The football strip design competition was run in partnership with Education Scotland and pupils were asked to respond to key themes being explored in Forest Pitch including: Diversity and what this means in the environment and in Scottish society; Mythology & Collective Memory – how do myths develop? National Identity – what does it mean to be Scottish and/or British and why does it matter? The Power of Sport – it’s potential as a positive, unifying force, as well as a dividing and disruptive force; Environmental Impact/Sustainability – how do we balance our desires to live modern lives and be creative, while also attempting to protect and live in balance with the natural world? But above all it was a chance for young people to demonstrate their creativity.

“I was overwhelmed by the response to the competition and fascinated by the many different ways in which the pupils responded to the brief,” says artist Craig Coulthard. “I want to congratulate all the young people who took part and hope that through the competition they have also enjoyed the opportunity it gave them to explore issues such the environment, the power of sport and Scottish identity.”

“It was incredibly challenging to select the shortlist,” he adds. “What I particularly liked about Mai-Mai’s design was the patterning of footballs and planet earths emphasising the universality of the sport”

Four winning designs will now be chosen from the 30-strong shortlist (one for each of the four teams that will play in the Forest Pitch football matches staged in The Borders on 21 July this year). The winners will be announced at the Scottish Football Museum by Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Sport and the Commonwealth Games, on Tuesday 7 February 2012.

Forest Pitch is one of 12 Artists taking the lead commissions, the UK Arts Councils’ flagship project for the Cultural Olympiad which have been supported with National Lottery funding ring-fenced specifically for cultural events to complement the London 2012 Olympics and Paralypmic Games.

Click to view the shortlist

For more information about Forest Pitch go to www.forestpitch.org

For more information on the support resources that were used to support the competition go to this link

January 30th, 2012: World Sport Day – new resources; mfarrell; Comments: none

What are you doing for London 2012 World Sport Day?

London 2012 World Sport Day is approaching fast so join in the celebrations. Bring the excitement of the London 2012 Games to your school and community. Taking place on Monday 25 June 2012, World Sport Day is your chance to get the whole school involved in celebrating the athletes and cultures of the teams that will be coming to the UK for an amazing summer of Olympic and Paralympic sport.

With more than 200 Olympic teams and 170 Paralympic teams coming to the UK this summer, London 2012 World Sport Day is a perfect opportunity for your school to join thousands of other schools for this final UK-wide Get Set event before the London 2012 Games begin.

There are lots of different ways in which your school can get involved – from hosting your own World Sport Day opening ceremony to showcasing the sports, cultures and traditions of Olympic and Paralympic teams from around the world and having some fun with flags. Request your event pack and use the branded materials to decorate the school for your celebration.

All Get Set Network school will receive a bumper pack of goodies to support their activities containing an inflatable globe, giant banner, colourful bunting and more.

So stay ahead of the game – download your planning guide and find out how you can join thousands of schools and colleges around the UK in celebrating the athletes and cultures of the world as part of London 2012 World Sport Day, presented by Bank of Scotland. It’s a great opportunity to continue the momentum from Bank of Scotland National School Sport Week through to the end of term.

And if you are not signed up yet to the Get Set Network, here is the Get Set network application form.

You can also find out more about Bank of Scotland National School Sport Week and World Sport Day in Scotland, here:

http://www.schoolsportweekscotland.org/World_Sport_Day.aspx

January 13th, 2012: Olympic storytelling in Dumfries and Galloway; mfarrell; Comments: none

Dumfries and Galloway are getting into the Olympic and Paralympic spirit using one of their most well-established traditions: storytelling!

Olympic Storytelling Competition

The greatest show on earth deserves the greatest storytellers and Dumfries & Galloway Council has launched its search through schools in to find one child to become the best Olympic creative writer. Storytelling is the conveying of events in words or images often by creativeness or imagination. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instil moral values. Help us to help you capture the spirit and excitement that surrounds London 2012 and enable us to bring the magic of the Olympic Games to people in Dumfries & Galloway.

So, the race is on to find the best creative reporter between the ages of Primary 3 – Primary 7. The theme is the “Olympic Games”. Entries could be from a variety of subject matter and could include: -

the history of the games
famous Olympians past or present
the fast approaching London 2012 Games
the Paralympics Games
what the Olympic Games mean to you
the 7 values of the Olympic Games and how you apply them in what you do
a fictionary story about an event or an imaginary athlete
or, it may even be about a person who has inspired or made a difference in your own world of sport.

This competition is for Dumfries and Galloway schools only

But what a good idea! To find out more contact Calum Graham, Dumfries and Galloway Sports Development Officer

January 12th, 2012: Farr and Melvich International Inspirations Plan update.; Cath Rigby; Comments: none

As we are a remote rural area, our pupils can lack the opportunities to take part in regular organised sporting events- so with help from our active sports co-ordinator, Sean, we decided we are going to organise and host our own mini-olympics as a finale to a year of planned active outcomes.

Sean is providing our pupils with young sport leaders (YSL) so we can build our confidence and attainment through older role models.
P6 and 7 pupils are going to be trained as YSL so they can deliver skills and enthuiasm to our P1-4 class. All this will be videoed so that our partner school in Hayrat can learn from our pupils too.

The schools will be designing their own mascots and thinking about the Oylmpic values of courage,determination,inspiration and equality through respect, friendship and excellence.

January 9th, 2012: Games Legacy for Scotland – National event reminder; mfarrell; Comments: 2 Comments »

A Games Legacy for Scotland – Building the Legacy for Learning

Date: 31^st January 2012

Venue: The Hilton, William Street, Glasgow

Places are filling rapidly for the Education Scotland national event to share and develop your knowledge, experience and ideas in developing a legacy for learning from the Games.

London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 – the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games – put Scotland in a unique position over the next 3 years to make a lasting impact on our major national agendas: health, education, the economy, culture and the environment. London 2012 will be the biggest show on the planet with an audience of over 3 billion. It will be closely followed by Glasgow 2014 when Scotland will welcome teams from the 54 countries and 71 teams of the Commonwealth to participate in our Games. The coming together of athletes, performers and officials from across the globe in the pursuit of excellence offers educators an ideal opportunity to capture the spirit of the Games, encourage the values that underpin them and inspire young people in schools and communities across Scotland to be the best they can be and to become active, healthy, creative and enterprising global citizens.

This Games Legacy for Learning event will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas about how the Games can be used as a rich context for learning to encourage sustainable international partnerships and to support the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. As well as showcasing some of the ways in which schools, local authorities and partners have already engaged with the Games, the event will enable practitioners to access a wide range of resources and opportunities and to network with fellow professionals and partners to support their own practice.

Education Scotland is committed to supporting the aims of the Scottish Government’s Games Legacy for Scotland plan and to working in partnership with the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee and the London 2012 ‘Get Set’ team, to enable a legacy for learning. London 2012, as well as being an exciting opportunity in its own right, provides Scotland with an ideal springboard for Glasgow 2014.

The programme

Click to download the draft programme

How to book

To register for this event please visit http://conta.cc/gameslegacy.

This event is free. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Please contact Diane Carson on 0141 282 5172 or email globalcitizens@educationscotland.gov.uk for further information.

December 23rd, 2011: Mini Olympics Festivals at Bucksburn Academy, Scotland and Senoane Secondary School South Africa; cduncan; Comments: none

The blossoming partnership between Bucksburn Academy in Aberdeen and Senoane Secondary School in Soweto, South Africa has continued to develop. Both schools have started their Mini Olympic programme, following the positive relationships built up over the past year and a half.

At Senoane Secondary School, Soweto, South Africa their facilities have now been fully upgraded to include Basketball and Netball courts and Football pitches. Students and teachers enjoyed competing in various activities in the hot summer sun.

Meanwhile at Bucksburn Academy, S1 to S3 pupils have started competing in their own mini Olympics. Both the Football and Basketball competitions proved very exciting. So far “Scotia” house is leading the way, representing our own partnership country – South Africa

December 22nd, 2011: Get Set – still time to get networked!; mfarrell; Comments: none

Well done to all the schools and colleges who managed to get their Get Set network applications before the deadline for ticketshare on Friday 16th December2011. 39% of Scottish schools and colleges applied – that’s 1070 schools who will get an allocation of free tickets for the Olympics.

However, ticketshare was only one of the many benefits of joining the Get Set Network and there is still time to take part!

Get Set offers a huge range of resources across the curriculum to support literacy, numeracy, health and well being, global citizenship, enterprise and creativity. Joining the network earns each school a certificate and wall plaque, the use of the London 2012 education logo on letterheads and as well as ideas, resources, rewards and opportunities.

For instance there is Get Set goes global - find resources here about the Olympic Truce, supporting another Olympic and Paralympic team, welcoming the world to the UK through dance, drama, music and art, and celebrating World Sport Day on 25th June 2012.

Join the Get Set Network today!

December 22nd, 2011: Dance education in the Hague – opportunity for secondary teachers; mfarrell; Comments: 1 Comment

Education Scotland, in partnership with Creative Scotland, are offering an exciting international dance education opportunity for secondary teachers…

Scottish Continuing International Professional Development (SCIPD) Programme

Group study visit to The Hague – Dance Education

February 2012

Education Scotland is inviting applications from secondary teaching staff for a group study visit to The Hague to explore innovative work in dance and education. This visit has been arranged in partnership with Creative Scotland, which will support the additional active participation of Dance artists from across Scotland. This professional development will support ‘Get Scotland Dancing’, increasing the capacity of teachers to teach dance, and contributing to the Games Legacy for Scotland.

Complete the application form to take part in this exciting opportunity

SCIPD The Hague application form – download

SCIPD The Hague visit outline – download

or contact nick.morgan@educationscotland.gov.uk for more information.

The deadline for submission of an application has been extended to 13th Jan 2012 .

The Netherlands school education system has high-quality Dance education, and the visit will take place during the “Festival of Dance” which provides an opportunity to engage in practical workshops with international contemporary choreographers and view their subsequent professional performances. http://en.holland-dance.com/page/festival

It is expected that the visit to The Hague will include

- Workshop sessions with professional choreographers

- Visits to see professional performance linked to the workshops

- Visit to a local school that is delivering dance

Please note the workshop sessions are aimed at semi-professional level and the choreographers have been made aware that it is a mixed ability group. Should you have any concerns about this or health problems please do get in touch with katy.mckeown@creativescotland.com as options can be provided.

Travel to The Hague will be on Thursday 16th February, with four full working days in the city, followed by return to Scotland on Monday 20th February.

SCIPD funding will cover return flights to The Hague, airport to hotel transfers, and overnight hotel accommodation in the city centre on a bed and breakfast basis.

Participants will be offered a pre-visit preparatory meeting, and a post-visit meeting to support follow-up activity and encourage wider impact.

This study visit is likely to be of most relevance to education professionals in Scottish secondary schools with a leading role in Dance education.

Expected learning outcomes

Participants will have an opportunity to:

investigate the place of Dance education in the curriculum and Dutch practice for support of teaching of Dance
broaden their knowledge of the effectiveness of choreographer -led pedagogical approaches to teaching Dance
share professional dialogue and insight with their hosts, with teacher colleagues in the group, and network with Scottish Dance artists.

Upon returning from the study visit, participants will be expected to:

produce reports for Education Scotland which demonstrate the impact on their professional practice of the study visit experience
disseminate findings, share ideas and new approaches within their own establishment and beyond
make changes to learning and teaching practices in their own professional context.

Applicants may wish to use the experience of the study visit towards professional recognition by GTCS or simply to enhance their professional understanding and practice.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified members of Scottish school or authority staff, who should complete the The Hague group application form:

SCIPD The Hague application form – download

SCIPD The Hague visit outline – download

or contact nick.morgan@educationscotland.gov.uk for more information

The deadline for submission of an application has been extended from 6th to 13th Jan 2012

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