Ms. Garratt’s Blog
Here you’ll find a range of resources to help you get the most from your PSHE lessons. I’ve included links to recommended websites as well as a range of study materials to help you become increasingly independent and successful learners. If you need help come and see me or contact me through this Blog.Reflecting on ‘Grandchild of the Holocaust’
As part of your studies on the ways that people mistreat each other, your home-based learning assignment is to file a comment to this Post. You will need to submit your comment, which should be between 70 – 200 words long, by Saturday 28th November.
You need to summarise your thinking and feelings about any aspect or aspects of what you saw and thought about as you studied the Grandchild of the Holocaust documentary.
Try to match what you write against the Reflective Learner skill that says: I can show what I have learned in different ways according to the task.
Explain in as clear and detailed a way as you can both the what and the why of your thinking.
If you are unsure what to focus on, write about what made the most powerful impression on you and what you have gone on thinking about. Alternatively you could explain why you think that it is important to see this documentary.
Please remember to include both your first name and surname when you file your comment.
The SmartRisk Organisation
I have just added a link on this Blog to the SmartRisk website. It’s www.smartrisk.org.uk
Remember you need to use Independent Enquirer Skills to find out about the organisation and what it does. In particular you need to find out about Mike Buckley’s story and the SmartRisk Heroes programme of which he is a part. Spend no more than 30 minutes on this assignment.
Ahead of your next lesson, make some brief notes (perhaps in mind map form) to remind you of the key things you found out.
Paul Foreman’s Mind Maps
If you liked the Happiness mind map (it’s still one of my favourites and apparently was the first one he ever drew!), you should really have a look at Paul Foreman’s website at www.mindmapinspiration.co.uk where you’ll find lots of fantastic examples of inspirational mind maps. There are also a numberof free downloads, including some mind mapping templates that you could use.
Paul Foreman also has a Blog at www.mindmapinspiration.com where you can keep up to date with his latest maps and news.
A Mind Mapping Competition and Finding Out More About Tony Buzan
You’ll find all the details of the mind mapping competition we’ll run if enough of you are interested on the Library Blog at
www.thelibraryandlearningresourcescentre.wordpress.com
If you’d like to find out more about Tony Buzan, the best place to begin is probably his website at
The Mind Maps section has some fantastic mind maps in the Great Mind Map Gallery. I particularly liked the Exercises for Relaxation and De-stressing and The Week Ahead!
Red and Purple Poppies for Remembrance
It is at this time of year that many of us like to buy and wear red poppies. The red poppies are a reminder of all those members of the armed forces who have lost their lives in wars.
The money raised from the sale of the poppies goes to the Royal Britsh Legion, a charity that works to provide financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served, or are currently serving, in the armed forces. The Legion also helps the dependants of members of the armed forces.
If you’d like to find out more about what the Royal British Legion does, go to the website at www.britishlegion.org.uk
Occasionally you will see people wearing purple poppies. These too are for remembrance. They commemorate all those animals who have suffered and died in human conflicts. Animals have been used as messengers, beasts of burden, for detection, scouting, rescue and on the front line in many parts of the world.
If you’d like to find out more about how animals’ lives have been affected by people’s wars, go to the website at
The Quick Start Guide to Mind Mapping
Mind Mapping – AGa’s Quick Start Guide PowerPoint
This file is a copy of the PowerPoint you will have seen in your lessons. Use it whenever you want to remind yourself of The 10 Steps to Making Great Mind Maps or when you want to look at some brilliant mind maps.
Remember mind maps are fantastic for developing your Creative Thinker skills and becoming a more successful learner. They’re fun to do too!
Researching an Animal Welfare Organisation
Year 9 Animal Charity Research – Students’ Briefing Notes
The file above is a copy of the printed handout I’ve given to my Year 9 students to help you with your Independent Enquirer assignment. Use the notes to help you produce a really good quality report. Remember that you need to write in your own words throughout. Don’t cut and paste across from the Internet. You’ll also need to provide a list of all the resources you used, including all the website addresses you visited.
Make sure you look at theYear 9 Animal Rights section of the www.psheok.co.uk website to help you decide on an organisation to do your research on. Remember too that you must send through to Mr Kelly’s Blog at www.robertkelly.wordpress.com a comment to his Post on this assignment. You need to leave a note of your name, your PSHE teacher’s name, the name of the organisation you are researching and the reasons you chose to find out more about the organisation’s work to promote the welfare of animals.
Your report is due in at the beginning of your first PSHE lesson in the week beginning 12th October.
Good researching!
Settling In and Enjoying Learning at Ashlawn
I talked to my Year 7 tutor group this week about how they are settling in and asked them to write about three subjects they’ve particularly enjoyed so far, explaining what it is they’ve really liked. I suggested they might like to add a thank you to the teachers who have worked with them to make their lessons so enjoyable.
It’s been really interesting to read what students wrote and I’ll be putting what they’ve said on display at next week’s Prospective Parents’ Evening.
I suggested they might also like to send their comments about what they’ve enjoyed through as a comment here so that more people could see what they thought. So…. over to all our Year 7 students! You’ll need to click on the box below to file your comment. Please leave your full name so I know who’s written in. I’ll only publish your first name followed by the the initial letter of your surname though and no-one apart from me will be able to see your email address.
Remember too to check out the Library Blog to keep up to date with our news. You’ll find some information there soon about a competition we’ll be running for you. The address you need is www.thelibraryandlearningresourcescentre.wordpress.com
Congratulations!
Well done to all students who took exams in Citizenship and Religious Studies this summer. You achieved some great results!
I’ve spoken to some of you about how things went but thought you might like to add a comment to this Post – it would be nice to read your name, the subject you took and the grade you achieved. If you want to add a Top Tip on doing well in exams as well, that would certainly help current Year 11 students.
Best wishes to you all for this year!
Children of the World S.I.L.K.
Year 8 Children of the World 2009 SILK Final Draft
This file contains a copy of the S.I.L.K. (Students’ Independent Learning Kit) booklet that you have been given by your PSHE teacher. Use the information in the S.I.L.K. to help you produce a really good Children of the World project. If you follow the guidelines in the S.I.L.K. it will help you show plenty of evidence of your Independent Enquirer skills too, not just when you produce P.S.H.E. assignments but when you are working in other subject areas too.
Good luck and work hard!
