| The Latest News from Donaldson's |
Latest News
Watch Donaldson's on The Hour
 Following the launch of the ‘I’ve Signed Up to Donaldson’s’ campaign during Deaf Awareness Week, the contribution and support of the people of Linlithgow has been recognised through a special feature on Scottish Television’s ‘The Hour’ programme.
Principal of Donaldson’s, Janice MacNeill, and Erelend Tulloch, of the charity Actual Signs, made a guest appearance on the magazine show last week when they demonstrated some basic sign language to presenters, Michelle McManus and Stephen Jardine.
 During the programme, Janice MacNeill commended residents and businesses in Linlithgow who had made Donaldson’s so welcome and who have been so willing to learn to communicate with deaf people. Michelle McManus mentioned how many businesses are keen to participate and who will then display the ‘I’ve Signed Up to Donaldson’s’ stickers, while Erelend Tulloch talked about how he, as a deaf person, has felt excluded in many areas of life. Janice and Erelend both provided some common sense tips to viewers on how to help overcome some of the difficulties in communicating with deaf friends, colleagues and customers.
 Janice said: “It was a great experience to be on The Hour and have the opportunity to share what we are doing here in Linlithgow with a wider Scottish audience. The presenters were really understanding of the challenges faced by deaf people and very willing to participate by practicing their signing on air. It was quite nerve wracking being on a live programme with Erelend and his interpreter, Ben Newton, but it was exciting to see how the programme was put together. It was amazing to see how hard the team worked to clear the studio for the 6 o’clock news! All the staff made us all so welcome and this really helped to relax us all.”
Any businesses, organisations or tourist attractions which would like information on the project, should contact info@donaldsons.org.uk and we will be happy to discuss their needs with them and tailor our ‘I’ve Signed up to Donaldson’s’ package for them.
The Hour aired on the same day as the Scottish Parliament launched the British Sign Language consultation which aims to give equality of opportunity to children who are deaf. It also seeks to give British Sign Language equal status alongside English and Gaelic. The programme, which was screened on 8th July, is available on the Scottish Television player until the first week in August. Watch online now (Part 2)
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It’s a Sign of the Times at Donaldson’s
 Donaldson’s School is marking national Deaf Awareness Week by launching training for local shops and businesses with the aim of making Linlithgow the most deaf-aware town in the UK. The training, aimed at helping businesses become more welcoming to deaf people, will enable participants to display a sticker saying ‘I’ve signed up to Donaldson’s’.
The scheme, developed by the school to help local businesses support and interact better with pupils, is proving popular in Linlithgow. The pilot training which begins this week, will be rolled out across other organisations and if successful, could be taken beyond Linlithgow itself. The training is being provided by Actual Signs, a c charity which raises awareness of the issues surround deafness.
 Principal, Janice MacNeill comments: “Being aware of deafness and welcoming deaf people to shops, businesses or tourist attractions is an essential part of inclusion. Because deafness is often a hidden condition, many people are unaware of what they can do to communicate better with deaf people. Donaldson’s campaign will make more people in Linlithgow aware of the needs of deaf people and by displaying a sticker in their window, they will enable our pupils and deaf adults to know these businesses are supportive.”
Deaf Awareness Week runs from 28 June to 4 July and is supported by over 100 charities UK-wide to raise issues associated with deafness.
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Cheque presented from Bupa Great Edinburgh Run
 Maureen Jamieson presented a cheque to Donaldson's for an amazing £710.00. Maureen ran the BUPA Great Edinburgh Run on Sunday 2 May 2010 on behalf of Donaldson's, and managed to complete the Run in an impressive time of 55 minutes 23 seconds.
A big thank you to Maureen for her support and generosity.
If you would like to take part in an event like the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run on behalf of Donaldson's, please contact Gill Sinclair, Fundraiser, on 01506 841915 or gsinclair@donaldsons.org.uk.
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Donaldson's looking for notes of interest for the new After School Club starting Summer 2010
 We will be launching a brand new After School Club in August 2010. Donaldson's will provide a structured and fun environment for all the children and young people whilst offering parents the reassurance that their child is safe and cared for by our highly experienced team of staff.
We will offer a wide and varied programme of fun and educational activities including:
- Swimming
- Drama
- Creative Workshops
- Sporting Activities
- Quiet Recreational Activities
- And more...
 While Donaldson's is Scotland's national school for pupils who are deaf or have severe speech and language difficulties, the After School Club will be open to ALL children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years. This will give a chance for pupils from Donaldson's and other local schools to work together in a structured and fun environment.
If you are interseted in this brand new service and would like a registration pack, including costs or would like to put in a formal note of interest, please contact Lynne Learmonth, llearmonth@donaldsons.org.uk or 01506 841900.
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First Phase of Sensory Garden now open
 Pupils and teachers at Donaldson’s are celebrating the award of a £4,000 grant from ‘RBS Supergrounds’ programme to create a very unique place in which to learn and play.
The grant is funding the creation of a special sensory garden where pupils and their families can relax and enjoy colours, smells and textures around them. Phase one of the construction has been completed with the foundations laid, paths and seating in place and electricity installed for lighting and other features.
Throughout the project, Donaldson’s students have played a part in designing the layout of the garden, and will continue to be involved in the final planting after the summer holidays. The finished garden will feature plants that are colourful, perfumed or nicely textured that appeal to the senses and which will attract butterflies and bees.
 At the launch of Phase One of the garden, Jan Orkisz from ‘RBS Supergrounds’, assisted by Provost Tom Kerr and Mary Mulligan MSP, carried out the first planting of a
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
tree (or more commonly known as the Candy Floss tree because of the smell of its leaves in the Autumn) and presented the school with a commemorative plaque which will be a permanent feature of the garden.
Janice MacNeill, principal of Donaldson’s said: “School grounds are a vital component of the whole learning experience and this garden will provide a wonderfully colourful space for everyone involved in the school to enjoy. We are looking forward to completing the planting later this year and welcome suggestions and contributions from enthusiastic gardeners in the local area who can help us by donating any spare materials or plants – the more unusual the better!”
 The new sensory garden will not just transform the school environment, but also challenge the pupils’ imaginations, and even reinforce the curriculum by providing activities in the planning, measurement and overall implementation of the project.
‘RBS Supergrounds’ is led by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and is managed by the national school grounds charity, Learning through Landscapes, known in Scotland as Grounds for Learning.
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Donaldson’s Launches Right Signs DVD
Young people from Donaldson’s launched a DVD, ‘Right Signs’, spelling out young people’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
This groundbreaking project, funded by a grant from the European Social Fund via the British Council, is aimed at ensuring access for all young people to understand their rights. The film was produced by the Donaldson’s Transition Project and Falkirk Children’s and Youth Theatre, providing a unique opportunity for both deaf and hearing young people to work together. The result is an accessible and inspiring DVD in British Sign Language and with subtitles, simply explaining the legislation, which was produced by Found Arts.
 The film features young people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech and language difficulty and those who are hearing. The DVD was launched at Donaldson’s School in Linlithgow this week at an event created and managed by the young people themselves.
 Principal, Janice MacNeill comments: “The DVD is excellent and the work done to bring the deaf and hearing participants together was inspirational. To see the confidence of the young people who acted and presented was great and the camaraderie among the group was evident”
‘Right Signs’ is now being made available to schools, youth workers or anyone interested in learning more about their rights and seeing the outcomes of the project. To obtain a copy of the DVD at postage and packing cost only, contact: gsinclair@donaldsons.org.uk.
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Volunteer runs the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run on behalf of Donaldson's
 On Sunday 2 May 2010 Maureen Jamieson helped to raise money for Donaldson's by running in the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run. Over 10,000 people took part in the 2010 Bupa Great Edinburgh Run and Bupa Junior and Mini Great Edinburgh Run. The route passed by some of Edinburgh's most beautiful landmarks, including Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, the Scottish Parliament Building and also crossed the forecourt of the historic Holyrood Palace.
 Maureen completed the Run in a fantastic 55 minutes 23 seconds and has raised an amazing £710.00 for Donaldson's! The staff, pupils and Governors at Donaldson's would like to thank Maureen and all her sponsors her for their support.
If you would like to take part in an event like the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run on behalf of Donaldson's, please contact Gill Sinclair, Fundraiser, on 01506 841915 or gsinclair@donaldsons.org.uk
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Pupils raise money for Cheeky Monkey Marathon Challenge
Donaldson's pupils took part in the "Cheeky Monkey Marathon Challenge" on the morning of Friday 26 March.
Pupils were asked to come up with fundraising activities linked to this theme. Some of the different activities were:
- Throwing wet sponges at staff
- Bake sale
- Laps of the school and pool
- Eating 26 strawberries
- Sponsored silence for 26 minutes
- Listing 26 TV programmes
- Car washing
- Balloons, penny lines and banana chains
- Treasure hunt to find 26 bananas and monkeys
- Staff arrived on the 26th March dressed as marathon runners.
There was a great atmosphere in the school during the challenge and the pupils deserve praise for raising the grand total of £635 pounds which will be split evenly between the charity “Children with Leukaemia” and Donaldson’s.
The pupils would like to spend the money on play ground equipment.
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Fashion Show Cancelled
 Unfortunately due to poor tickets sales we have had to cancel the Charity Fashion Show that was due to take place in the school on 12 May 2010.
We are hoping to reschedule this event to later in the year - so please watch this space!
If you have already booked a ticket, then please contact Gill Sinclair, Fundraiser, to organise a refund.
Tel - 01506 841900 (Reception)
Email - gsinclair@donaldsons.org.uk
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Swimming Success for Donaldson's Pupils
 Donaldson's pupils Cameron and brothers, Kevin and Declan competed in the Grangemouth Swimming Gala on Saturday 27th February and managed to bring home an excellent 8 gold medals and 3 silver medals between them. Well done to all the boys!
 Kevin - Gold Medal (25m Breast Stroke, 25m Back Crawl and 25m Front Crawl)
Declan - Silver Medal (25m Breast Stroke), Gold Medal (50m Back Crawl, 50m Front Crawl and 100m Front Crawl)
Cameron - Gold Medal (50m Breast Stroke and 100m Front Crawl), Silver Medal (50m Back Crawl and 50m Front Crawl),
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New Education Cabinet Secretary visits Donaldson’s
 Donaldson’s school in Linlithgow has today (24 February 2010) welcomed Scotland’s new Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP, for his first visit to the school. Michael Russell met with Principal, Janice MacNeill, members of staff and pupils to learn more about Donaldson’s role in the lives of its pupils.
Donaldson’s, Scotland’s national school for children who are deaf or have speech and language difficulties, is one of the Scottish Government’s Grant Assisted Special Schools (GASS) and provides much needed specialist education and support for its pupils. The visit by the Cabinet Secretary was aimed at demonstrating for him the range of facilities at Donaldson’s and included the highly commended Nursery, Educational Audiology, Life Skills and speech & language departments.
 Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning said:
“I have been very impressed by the excellent facilities at Donaldson’s for the pupils who are deaf or have speech and language difficulties. However, more than that, it’s the enthusiasm displayed by pupils that has left a lasting impression on me.
“I want to ensure that all young people in Scotland have the opportunity to achieve their potential. That’s what our new approach through Curriculum for Excellence is all about. With the support and encouragement of the teaching staff I am sure that will be the case for the pupils of Donaldson’s.”
 In welcoming the new Cabinet Secretary to Donaldson’s, Janice MacNeill said: “We congratulate Michael Russell on his new role and we are pleased to have had this early opportunity to demonstrate the dedication and expertise within Donaldson’s. The challenges which face our pupils are in many cases immense and I am always proud of the tremendous job our staff does in helping them not only to learn within the school environment, but also to move on into higher education or employment. We hope the Cabinet Secretary leaves us today with a good understanding of our role in these pupils’ lives and that he will return to visit us many times more.”
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Donaldson's raise money to help Haiti
 Staff and pupils at Donaldson's helped to raise an amazing £525.95 towards rebuilding the Haiti Christian Deaf School that was destroyed in the devastating earthquake that occurred on 12 January 2010.
Pupils made and sold beautiful gift boxes filled with delicious sweet treats for Valentine's Day, the catering team held a bake sale and staff ran a raffle, with the top prize being a meal for two at the Elements Restaurant, donated by the Novotel Hotel at Edinburgh Park.
Principal Janice MacNeill said: “The children and staff are to be commended for their efforts and determination for raising over £500 towards this worthy cause.”
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Sale Now On!
Why not grab a bargain and help raise money for Donaldson's School!
 Donaldson's Charity Christmas Cards are now on sale for £6.00 for 3 packs (10 cards in each pack) - saving an amazing £4.50!
The Christmas cards are very high quality cards and come in three beautiful designs - sledge, Christmas tree and reindeers.
 The Donaldson's Charity Cookbook is now reduced to £5.00 each - with an amazing saving of £3.00! The Donaldson's Cook Book features recipes from celebrities, politicians and friends including Gordon Brown’s favourite, Rumbledethumps and Alex Salmond’s recipe for Cullen Skink.
All profits from the sale of the Christmas cards will go towards fundraising projects for the pupils at Donaldson's.
To purchase Christmas cards or the Charity Cookbook please contact Gill Sinclair, 01506 841900 or info@donaldsons.org.uk. We accept cash, cheque or all major credit/debit cards and are happy to post out cards/books if required.
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Donaldson's would like to help Linlithgow to become a 'Deaf Aware Town'
 Donaldson’s would very much like to give something back to the community, and we have come up with the idea of helping Linlithgow to become a ‘Deaf Aware’ town, to which deaf customers and service users could come, confident that they will receive the same warm welcome from staff in shops, businesses and tourist attractions as all others visitors receive.
To help work towards this, Donaldson’s would like to launch a pilot project called ‘I’ve signed up to Donaldson’s’, through which we would provide tailored basic training in deaf awareness and British Sign Language to key frontline staff. This will also help employers meet their legal requirements through the DDA to ensure that their business is compliant and accessible.
On completion of the training, it is our intention to present each successful agency with a sticker to display on their shop window or door, stating that they have ‘Signed Up to Donaldson’s!’
While this is still very much at the planning stage, we would like to work initially with a small number of businesses and organisations – basically as guinea pigs!
If this was then considered worthwhile and helpful, we would then roll it out across other members of the business community.
More information will follow on this but if you would like to register an interest, please e-mail info@donaldons.org.uk.
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41 Club visits Donaldson's
 On the evening of Wednesday 15 December, members of the 41 Club in Linlithgow and their wives, visited Donaldson’s for a buffet to thank them for their help decorating the float, which was entered in to The Marches in June jointly by the 41 Club and Donaldson’s. The Float won first prize and Doug McEwan, President of the 41 Club, presented the winners cup to Janice MacNeill, Principal of the School and Aileen Mullen, Enterprise Teacher. Donaldson’s will keep the Cup until the 2010 Marches in June.
Gill Sinclair, Fundraiser at Donaldson’s said “Everyone at Donaldson’s would like to thank the members of the 41 Club and their wives for the terrific help they gave the School in entering the float. There was a huge amount of work done, which we could not have done on our own. The pupils really enjoyed being part of the project and we all felt very much part of the Linlithgow community. We very much hope we can work in partnership with the 41 Club again next year to enter another float.”
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Donaldson's appear on Antique Roadshow
 Donaldson's School featured on an episode of BBC's Antique Roadshow on 20 December 2009. Janice MacNeill, Principal; Harley Rudge, Communication Services Coordinator and Donaldson's Amateur Historian; and Lynne Learmonth, the Principal's PA took the beautiful painting by David Roberts to the Antiques Roadshow at Abbotsford in Melrose on 2 July 2009. This follows a previous visit to the Antiques Roadshow at Hopetoun House in South Queensferry when Ruper Maas, one of the paintings experts expressed disappointment that we hadn't brought the Roberts' painting with us.
'Donaldson's Hospital from the West' was painted by Roberts as a gift for William Henry Playfair, the architect of the Playfair Building in Edinburgh. During the move to Linlithgow some letters discussing the commissioning of the painting were discovered.
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IMPORTANT - School Closure Update - Tuesday 12 January 2010
Please note that the school is now fully operational.
We do ask that parents take into account the weather conditions in their home area before sending pupils to school. We would also be grateful if they could inform the school as soon as possible if weather conditions change to allow the school time to make the necessary arrangements for pupils to be sent home safely.
IMPORTANT - School Closure Update - Thursday 7 January 2010
Due to the current weather conditions Donaldson's School have decided to postpone the return of pupils until Tuesday, 12th January (weather permitting) to give the School the chance to determine whether we have enough staff to ensure the safety of the pupils and continuity of the service, and to ensure food supplies will have been delivered.
Staff are expected to return on Monday 11th January.
Parents have been informed via Parentmail and LEA transport departments and taxi companies will be notified. We will endeavour to keep the website and school answer machine updated. We will also send out messages via Facebook and Twitter. Radio stations will be asked to broadcast this information, so please check for updates.
Apologies for inconvenience but we must make sure pupils are safe to return.
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Donaldson's Pupil Helps Light up Linlithgow
Roisin MacInness, a Primary 5 pupil at Donaldson's was one of seven lucky pupils from local schools that won a competition to design a Christmas light that is now featured in the Linlithgow's festive display. Linlithgow Community Council opened the lights competition up to every school in the town.
 Roisin and her fellow winners were also invited to help switch the Christmas lights on at a ceremony on 28 November 2009. She was also presented with a goodie bag by Brian Wilson, Chair of the Linlithgow Community Council at the Primary Assembly. Congratulations Roisin!
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Minister for Public Health and Sport sees Donaldson’s Audiology Department
 Donaldson’s school in Linlithgow yesterday (17 November 2009) welcomed Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health and Sport, on a visit to the school. During the visit, Donaldson’s, Scotland’s national school for children who are deaf or have speech and language difficulties, demonstrated the vital role Educational Audiology plays in child development.
 As part of the visit, the Minister announced the launch of a pilot scheme aimed at improving the information held on the number of children diagnosed with a hearing loss. She also met Donaldson’s educational audiologist, Joe O’Donnell, who provides an essential service to children with hearing difficulties and their parents. Within Donaldson’s specialist Audiology department, the school provides vital support following early detection of hearing difficulties, which allows a child to be given the best possible options to develop spoken language and to move into literacy development and academic achievement.
 The Minister also viewed the school’s award winning nursery and heard first hand how the Building Blocks parent and child group supports supports families with newly diagnosed babies with hearing difficulties, as well as deaf families with hearing babies. Building Blocks, supported by Children in Need funding, is based within the nursery and is run by highly skilled nursery staff who help parents/carers and their children learn a range of skills in a safe, caring and nurturing environment.
 Speaking about the visit, principal, Janice MacNeill said: “For many parents who are deaf themselves or who have children diagnosed as deaf or with communications difficulties, finding the right support is vital. The combination of our Audiology expertise and facilities, our purpose built school and our superbly qualified staff means we can offer a superb service.”
 Minister for Public health and Sport Shona Robison said:
“I would like to thank Donaldson’s for inviting me to see their new school building today. The building may be new but Donaldson’s has a history stretching back over 150 years. “Early identification of hearing loss in children provides an opportunity for a range of agencies to be involved in their support, improved development and educational attainment.“The support and dedication at Donaldson’s has improved the lives of many children in Scotland and along with new developments, such as the audiology pilot, will keep doing so.”
To read the full announcement on the audiology pilot scheme please click here
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Milan Comes to Donaldson’s
On Thursday 29 October Donaldson’s was transformed into a Milan Catwalk for the first Donaldson’s Fashion Show, which was a huge success.
Over 100 people attended and over £1000 was raised towards Donaldson’s projects.
 The fashions were provided by Lavande of Dunfermline and were modelled by staff and friends of Donaldson’s. The models were escorted down the catwalk by four male members of staff and the husband of a member of staff.
 The MacDonald Houstoun House Hotel donated the wine, C J Lang the canapés and the guests were entertained by the Linlithgow Reed Band prior to the start of the show and during the interval.
Donaldson’s Fundraiser Gill Sinclair said:
“It was a great evening and everyone enjoyed themselves. We are very grateful to Liz and Carolyn of Lavande, the models, dresses, escorts, volunteers, in fact everyone who was involved in making the evening such a success, a big thank you.”
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Donaldson’s wins Herald Society Award for Pioneering Transition Project
 Donaldson’s school in Linlithgow has won an award for its work in teaching young deaf adults life skills which enable them to be active citizens. The award recognises the role Donaldson’s plays in helping young deaf adults, who can often feel marginalised, gain access to information, services, employment, training and further education.
The transition project, which has been helped with funding from the Scottish Government, provides advice, encouragement and practical help in taking pupils from the supportive bilingual environment of Donaldson’s through to living an active life as a young adult. Central to the work of the Transition Project is a Youth Committee, comprising pupils and former pupils, which provides additional inspiration and support.
 Speaking about the award, Janice MacNeill, principal of Donaldson’s comments: “Many young deaf adults feel marginalised and unable to access many services which the rest of us take for granted. The Transition Project has been superb in enabling more of our young people to find employment, education and just know how to cope in the world beyond Donaldson’s. We are thrilled with this recognition of the hard work put in by the superb Transition team over the last year.”
With over 92 young people signed up for a programme of workshops, residential weekends and seminars, the Transition Project has been not only popular, but also successful. Outcomes have included: 54 young deaf people attending training courses; 20 into full time further education; 27 work placements; 18 into paid part time work; and 12 into full time work.
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Transition Project Shortlisted for the Herald Society Awards
 I am pleased to announce that the Transition Project at Donaldson's has been shortlisted to the final two in the Herald Society Awards 2009 for the Equalities Initiative of the Year category.
This award recognises and rewards initiatives that go beyond the compliance with equalities duties and the internal plans now required of public bodies. The two entries have highlighted work within the public or voluntary sector which meaningfully engages with communities on equality matters and demonstrated impact either in terms of improving the circumstances of people or supporing communities tosupport themselves to change their own circumstances for the better.
The Transition Project provides advice, support and practical help in taking pupils through this difficult time. A Youth Committee, compromising pupils and former pupils, is a central part of this work as for many young deaf people it is from others in the same situation that they achieve inspiration and support.
The Project is supported by the Equalities Unit of the Scottish Government, Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland and the Hugh Fraser Foundation.
Well done to Transition Coordinator Billy Docherty, and the staff who assist him - but most of all to the young people in the project who gave such positive feedback about what they have gained through this work. To get into the finals (out of 220 entries) is a real cause for celebration.
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Chef Shortlisted for the BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards
 Peter Anderson, Chef at Donaldson's, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards for the Best Dinner Lady or Man category.
Judging will take place at the school on 30 October 2009 with Jeanette Orrey and Helen Crawley.
The finalists for this year's Best Dinner Lady or Man category are:
BEST DINNER LADY OR MAN
Sarah Allen, The Vine Primary School, Cambourne, Cambs.
John Rankin, Penair Secondary School, Truro, Cornwall
Peter Anderson, Donaldson's School for the Deaf, Edinburgh
Commenting on his nomination in the 'Best Dinner Lady or Man' Category in the Radio Four Awards, Donaldson's school head chef, Peter Anderson, said: "Obviously it is a huge honour just to be nominated in such prestigious awards, and to have the work that we do in encouraging healthy eating among our pupils recognised on a national stage.
“My approach at Donaldson’s has been about keeping kids interested in the food and helping them discover that it does not need to be disguised as something else. It is great that our commitment to excellence in food, as in everything we do here, has been recognised. While it would be wonderful to win, just having the opportunity to have our work judged by the likes of Mark Hix and Raymond Blanc is a great accolade in itself for me as a chef."
This is the 10th anniversary of Radio 4's Food & Farming Awards which celebrate the people and organisations behind the best of British food. To mark a decade of the awards, this year's finalists will be joined at the ceremony by two very special guests who will be announced shortly before the event.
The awards – nominated by BBC audiences – set out to find the Best Food Market, Best Local Food Retailer, Best Dinner Lady or Man, Best Food Producer, Best Retail Initiative, Best Take-Away and Farmer of The Year. The event also features the BBC Food Personality of the Year, awarded in previous years to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, James Martin and Rick Stein.
This year, chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc chairs the panel of judges which include farmer, cheese maker and Blur bassist Alex James, school dinners champion Jeanette Orrey and chef and food writer Mark Hix.
Chair of judges Raymond Blanc said: "The finalists on this list are food producers, cooks, farmers and retailers who are all, in their own way, truly inspirational people.
"In every category you will find people who are not only passionate about food and farming but are also helping people in Britain to re-connect with their food.
"These awards are important because they offer a rare chance to recognise the hard work and dedication involved in producing incredible food."
The awards will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 25 November at the Radio Theatre, BBC Broadcasting House, London, and will be hosted by Sheila Dillon, presenter of The Food Programme.
The Food & Farming Awards will be broadcast on Friday 27 November at 9.00am with special awards editions of The Food Programme on Sunday 29 November at 12.30pm and Monday 30 November at 4.00pm.
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Donaldson's Fashion Show - 29 October 2009
Tickets are going fast for the hottest Fashion Event of the Year! The Donaldson's Fashion Show will take place on 29 October 2009 in Donaldson's School in Preston Road, Linlithgow. Staff, pupils and friends of Donaldson's will be modelling clothes from Lavande Boutique, 10 Maygate, Dunfermline.
Tickets are now on sale for £10 each and all proceeds will go towards Donaldson's School projects, that has raised money towards a sensory garden, play and sports equipment and sensory lighting for the pool.
To purchase a ticket please contact Gill Sinclair on 01506 841915 or gsinclair@donaldsons.org.uk
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 HRH The Princess Royal visits Donaldson's
HRH The Princess Royal today, 13 October 2009, made an official visit to Donaldson’s School. During her visit The Princess Royal toured the purpose-built premises and met pupils, parents and staff who demonstrated the work carried out by the School with children who are deaf or have communication difficulties.
 The tour included watching a reading session in the school’s well equipped library and attending an art class with some of Donaldson’s highly talented art students. Before leaving, The Princess Royal signed Donaldson’s visitors’ book and received a commemorative photograph of the school from pupil, Kashif Anwar and a posy of flowers from Jessica Campbell.
 Speaking about the event, Principal, Janice MacNeill commented: “The school was honoured to have a visit from The Princess Royal and it has been an exciting day for our pupils, staff and parents. It has been a terrific opportunity to showcase our lovely purpose built school and to show how it has enriched the lives of our pupils. Our team of dedicated staff are delighted to have their work recognised in this way and we will all remember this day for the rest of our lives.”
 Some quotes from pupils and staff on the Royal Visit:
Zoey Donoghue (13): "I was nervous. It was different having a visitor like that. She's very important and it was very special."
Ciara Spence (13): "I'm happy to meet her so I was smiling the whole time."
Elliot Carter (4): "We enjoyed that. It was good fun."
Jackson Taylor (6): "It was good and I like it. I've never met anyone like her before."
Primary Teacher Kirsty Lochhead: "It has been special for the children and they have been quite exchited."
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 Donaldson's Celebrates Learn to Sign Week
To mark Learn to Sign Week (5-11 October) a team of pupils from Donaldson's presented Deaf Awareness Training they have developed. With a special twist for MSPs, the pupils gave simple lessons on communication with constituents who may be deaf or have communications difficulties, through British Sign Language (BSL).
Thank you to Cathie Craigie for sponsoring the event, the NDCS and RNID and also to all the MSP who supported the event. A special thank you must go to the staff and young people who did a wonderful job with the Deaf Awareness and BSL training.
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Hearts Legends v Donaldson's, Sunday 11 October 2009 
The Donaldson's football team, made up of staff, pupils, former pupils and friends, did the school proud when they played the Hearts Legends team on Sunday 11 October at Linlithgow Rose's Prestonfield ground. Unfortunately they couldn't defeat the ex-professional football players, with the final score being 9-2, but a good day was had by all!
 Midfielder, Gary McKay played the match wearing an iPod and this allowed him to understand some of the problems that the Donaldson's team had to overcome whilst playing football. Some of the things that Gary experienced were not being able to hear the referee's whistle, his team mates and coach or even hearing the crowd noise which often helps to spur the players on. After the match Gary said "I think more players should take part in matches like this. It would offer a bit of humility to some of today's pampered players. It left me with nothing but immense admiration for the deaf lads."
The school raised approximately £1000 from this event and this will go towards fundraising projects for the school.
 A special thank you must go to the players, some of the names are below:-
Hearts Legends - John Robertson, Henry Smith, Alan White, Jimmy Sandison, Gary Mackay, Brian McNaughton, Scott Crabbe, Kenny Black and Steven Boyack.
 Donaldson's XI - (Staff) Jimmi Cumming, Graeme Loftus-Stewart, Harley Rudge, Willie White, Joe O'Donnell, Michael Barlow, Brian McAllister, Mark McMillan, (Pupils) Lee Humphrey, Matteo McCormack, (Ex-Pupils) Colm McGuire, Douglas Law, Steven Norris, Paul McMullan, Martyn Griffiths, Kris Bauld, Kris Scott, (Parents) Austin Tonner, (Friends) David Jewell, Kevin Rudge, Davie Wallace, Stewart Brydon
Thank you also to all the volunteers, The Sun for sponsoring the event and also to Linlithgow Rose for allowing us to use their ground free of charge and for helping on the day.
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Collection from the Bairns
On Saturday 26th September Janice MacNeill (Principal), Shirley MIller (PE Teacher) and a team of volunteers from Linlithgow Grange and Cumbernauld Rotaries did a bucket collection at the Westfield Stadium, home of Falkirk Football Club. The collection raised a fantastic £591.17. Thanks must go to Falkirk Council and Falkirk Football Club for arranging this and also to the staff and volunteers for your help and not forgetting the Falkirk and Kilmarnock supporters for their kind generosity. All money raised will go towards the Donaldson's Project Fund that directly benefit our pupils who are deaf or have severe speech and language difficulties.
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Hearts’ Legends Kick-Off for Donaldon's
A team of pupils, staff and former pupils from Donaldson’s School is gearing up to take on the might of former professional footballers from Heart of Midlothian FC on Sunday 11 October.
The Hearts’ Legends match will kick-off at 3 pm at Linlithgow Rose FC, Prestonfield, to raise funds for the school. Players confirmed to participate include: Gary Mackay; Henry Smith; Scott Crabbe; Jimmy Sandison; Brian McNaughton and Steve Boyack, with other players yet to be announced to join the line-up. Boys and girls from Donaldson’s will take on the coveted role of ball boys, and all proceeds from the event will go to the school.
Commenting on the event, Donaldson’s fundraiser, Gillian Sinclair, said: “Everyone is very excited about this event and under captain Mark McMillan, a former Donaldson’s pupil who is now working within the school, our team has been practising hard to give the Hearts Legends a run for their money. It is a huge honour to be able to bring former players from such a prestigious club to Linlithgow and we are hoping for loads of local support to cheer our team on.”
Tickets for the game are available from Reception at Donaldson’s 01506 841 900 reception@donaldsons.org.uk or at the gate. £5 for adults and £3 for children and concessions.
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Donaldson's Founder Patron picks up Golf Award
 Rev John Chalmers, former Convenor to the Board of Governors and Founder Patron at Donaldson's won the Equal Individual Winners Award at the West Lothian Chamber Golf Day on Thursday 17th September at Deer Park Golf Club in Livingston. Congratulations John from all the staff and pupils at Donaldson's!
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HRH The Princess Royal to visit Donaldson’s on 13 October 2009
HRH The Princess Royal is to make an official visit to Donaldson’s School on the morning of 13 October 2009. The visit will include a tour of the purpose-built premises and will offer the opportunity for The Princess Royal to meet pupils, staff and parents and to learn more about the work carried out by the School with children who are deaf or have communication difficulties.
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Donaldson's opens its doors for Doors Open Day 2009
 Donaldson's School participated in the West Lothian Doors Open Day on Sunday 6 September. Around 200 people were welcomed to the school for a self-guided tour of the wonderful state of the art school in Linlithgow which opened in January 2008.
We were pleased to welcome Dougall, the Hearing Dog for Deaf People, as our first visitor through the door.
All the feedback received from the event was very positive. The school was rated excellent in all 45 questionnaires returned. When askedwhat they liked about the day the responses included:
‘Lovely layout’, ‘How modern the facilities are’, ‘Facilities, view, snack’, ‘Quality of play stuff’, ‘Excellent info from staff’, ‘The whole building, staff enthusiasm’, ‘All of it – superb campus’, ‘Friendly and use of technology’, ‘Explanation’, ‘Facilities fantastic’, ‘Seeing where the children learn and play’, ‘Nursery’, ‘The whole experience’, ‘Well organised, good welcome’, ‘Beautiful buildings’, The staff’, Well informed, friendly staff’, ‘Clearly laid out signage lots of people to give additional info. Good written material’, ‘Lovely school environment’, ‘Sensory Room / CDT’, ‘Freedom to walk around at our own pace / very helpful staff’, ‘Open buildings, good guides’, ‘Friendly staff (very good with children)’, ‘To see such a well planned building’, ‘The Informative self-tours and friendly staff’, ‘The aesthetics and the lovely atmosphere throughout’, ‘Bright layout and friendly environment’ and ‘Everything!’.
The only areas that were specified for improvement were:
‘Regular schools could be improving’, ‘More time’ and ‘Signs off main street’.
Thank you to all the staff and friends of Donaldson’s who volunteered their time to help answer questions and serve refreshments.
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Funds Raised in Aid of the Sensory Garden Project at the first Donaldson's Summer Fayre 2009
 Donaldson's School held its first Summer Fayre in Linlithgow on Saturday 5 September. Despite the rain there was a great turn out for the event and a wonderful £2200 was raised towards the Sensory Garden Project. This amount also include a donation of £1000 from the East of Scotland Deaf Children’s Society in support of our Summer Fayre and Sensory Garden Project – we would like to thank them very much this kind donation.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning attended the event with her family and even had a go of the 'Test your reactions on the Speedway bike'! Tom Kerr, Provost of West Lothian and a member of the Board of Governors at Donaldson’s, was the fastest on the Speedway bike up until the last few moments when he was beaten by one of the children who attended the ev ent. So well done to you!
A huge thank you must go to Lothian & Borders Fire and Rescue, Lothian & Borders Mounted Branch and Dalziel Agility Dogs who braved the rain and provided the outside entertainment for all the guests.
Thank you also to all the West Lothian Soroptomists, Linlithgow & Bo’ness Rotary, Linlithgow Grange Rotary, LocalGuilds, Linlithgow Brownies, Edinburgh Monarchs Speedway Team, Anne Daly, Firefly Theatre, and Shirley Lamb for donating their time to run stalls, activities and the tea room. Also thank you to Dunipace Mill Nursery for donating pla nts for the plant stall and a prize for the raffle.
And finally thank you to all the staff and volunteers both from the school and their friends and familieswho made the event possible by donating their time or prizes for the event.
For more photos from the Summer Fayre and for more info about future fundraising events please click here.
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Donaldson’s celebrate an excellent HMIe Inspection Report
Donaldson’s school has received high commendation from Scotland’s HM Inspector of Education in a report of her recent inspection today, 25 August 2009. The excellent report confirms that the Inspector has disengaged from the School and follows hot on the heels of other recent awards and recognition for the grant assisted special school, which is Scotland’s national school for children who are deaf or have severe speech and language difficulties. In her supporting letter, HM Inspector of Education has confirmed that the school demonstrates “high performance, a strong record of improvement and very effective leadership.”
Speaking about the HMIE report, Principal, Janice MacNeill said, “Donaldson’s high performance within the quality indicators of this report is something of which our pupils, staff and parents should all be proud. To see elements of the school singled out for praise, along with recognition for the dedication of our staff, is very rewarding. It is also particularly good to receive confirmation that our School continued to deliver excellent learning and teaching plus therapy and care to all our pupils through the upheaval of our move to the new building last year.”
A number of areas within the school highlighted within the Inspector’s report included the Nursery class, in which the Children’s experiences received an “excellent” as well as both the Improvements in Performance and the Meeting Learning Needs categories were recognised as being “very good” in addition to the use of interactive learning. The Nursery, which is often the first port of call for children who are deaf or have communications difficulties and which is run by a team of highly skilled staff, also recently received a glowing report from the Care Commission.
In addition to the Nursery, the report highlighted the particular strengths within Donaldson’s as including: the quality of support for children and young people; the positive impact of the new, purpose-built school on learning and care; the School’s clear sense of direction; the excellent Transition programme; along with leadership and the involvement of the staff in improving the school. Projects which were also identified as being of merit included: the excellent Transition programme which enables pupils to transfer into work or higher education; the Developing Vocabulary project in BSL and English; and in particular, the achievements of the ‘Hungry for Success’ team in developing positive attitudes in the pupils towards healthy eating, an initiative that also recently won a Healthy Living award.
Primary and Secondary School
Improvements in performance - GOOD
Learners' experience - GOOD
Meeting learning needs - GOOD
Nursery Class
Improvements in performance - VERY GOOD
Learners' experience - EXCELLENT
Meeting learning needs - VERY GOOD
Aspects of work of the school and nursery class:-
The curriculum - GOOD
Improvement through self-evaluation - VERY GOOD
For the full report please click here
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Donaldson’s Building Blocks for Success
 On Wednesday 2nd September 2009, Donaldson’s is launching a brand new weekly support group for parents and carers called Building Blocks. Based at Donaldson’s School in Linlithgow, the new group was made possible by a grant of £13,300 from the BBC’s Children in Need and supports parents and carers and their children from birth to three years who have a family affected by deafness or speech and language difficulties. For more information click here for the full press release (PDF, 147KB), view a poster for the Building Blocks (PDF 1.7KB) or visit our School Life page.
School's Summer Newsletter Now Available
The latest school newsletter has just been published (July 2009)
containing all the latest news on what's been happening in the school over the last term. This includes information on the HMIe Inspection, school trips, visits, fundraising events and latest award wins! Click on the image to the right to download a copy (opens PDF, 600KB) or contact the school if you want us to post you out a copy.
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Introducing an easy way to fundraise for Donaldson's! (June 09)
 We’ve teamed up with Justgiving.com, the UK’s leading online fundraising website, so you can donate and raise funds for Donaldson's online. Using Justgiving saves us costs and reduces our admin burden, so going online is by far the most efficient way of supporting us. It’s easy to make a single or monthly donation with a credit or debit card online or even set up your own fundraising page if you want to do an event on our behalf. To visit our page click on the Justgiving logo above or to find out more then click here to visit our Fundraising Page.
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Donaldson's Proves Actions Speak Louder than Words (June 09)
 Donaldson’s has once again proven its commitment to providing pupils, staff and visitors with the best level of care and support, by achieving RNID Scotland’s prestigious Louder than Words charter mark.
Louder than Words is a best practice charter for organisations that have shown a commitment to improving access to their services for deaf and hard of hearing people, in line with current disability discrimination law. To view some recent press coverage of this wonderful news click here (opens PDF, 842KB)
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Donaldson's Bistro Wins National Catering Award (29 May, 09)
 Donaldson’s School in Linlithgow has beaten off stiff competition from the private sector to win the Healthier Scotland Award in the CIS Excellence Awards 2009 – the first time a school has ever won. Runners-up in the category were Brockies Lodge Hotel in Kiltarlity and Fraser Adam, Aramark for Chevron North Sea.
The category is one of the most hotly-contested in the prestigious awards scheme which is organised by Catering in Scotland magazine and the Federation of Chefs Scotland. Donaldson’s was recognised for its achievements in supporting and promoting healthier eating, and the efforts of school chef, Peter Anderson, and his kitchen team, in making healthy eating fun.
Click here to view the full press release (PDF, 165KB)
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 MPs Serve Up Tasty Fundraiser, April 23rd 2009
To mark the launch of Donaldson’s brand new charity fundraising cookbook, Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP and MP for Central Ayrshire and a long term friend of Donaldson’s, Brian Donohoe, today battled it out in the kitchen, vying for the best recipe in front of a captive audience. Jim cooked his recipe for Hearty Lentil Broth and Brian cooked his signature dish of Beef Stroganoff. Both recipes are avauilable in the cookbook.
.jpg) Pupils and staff then had the chance to taste and vote for their favourite recipe ‘Ready Steady Cook’ style and it was Jim Murphy's recipe that tickled the most taste buds.
The cookbook, which also features recipes from celebrities, politicians and friends including Gordon Brown’s favourite, Rumbledethumps and Alex Salmond’s recipe for Cullen Skink, is now available to order. With a limited print run make sure you reserve your copy for only £8, books will be posted out early May. All proceeds come straight back to the school via The Governors of Donaldson Trust, registered charity SC017417.
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"Donaldson's is a centre of excellence where children are brought to life" (parent of a nursery pupil)
 This is just one quote from an outstanding Care Commission Inspection Report on our Nuresry just published (23rd March). The surprise inspection of the nursery took place on the 5th February this year and resulted in top marks for every area! To view the full inspection click on the report to the left which takes you to our inspection downloads section. Other quotes included:
"Staff offered a very well judged range of resources and experiences which were child centred and responsive to the children's needs, abilities and interests" Inspector
"My child has against all odds progressed well beyond expectation due to the commitment and passion of the staff" Parent
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Donaldson's Healthy School Meals Officially Recognised (Feb 09)
 Donaldson's is officially the only school in Edinburgh and the Lothians to have their in-house catering awarded with a prestigious Healthy Living Award. Our chef Peter and his kitchen team have worked very hard to ensure that at least half the choices on the school menu every day comply with Healthy Living Award Guidelines.
We are very proud of our healthy menus and the huge contribution all of our pupils, their parents/carers and our staff have made to making Donaldson's a healthy place to eat. For more information on the award and the guidelines involved visit www.healthylivingaward.co.uk.
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New Care Commission Inspection Report Published (January 2009)
 Back in October 2008 we welcomed the Care Commision to our new campus to inspect our residential provision - the first inspection since we moved into our new Linlithgow campus. We are very pleased with the resulting report published this month. To summarise we achieved the following grades:
- Quality of Care and Support : Very Good
- Quality of Environment : Very Good
- Quality of Staffing : Good
- Quality of Management and Leadership : Good
To view a full copy of the inspection report please visit our Inspection Reports page.
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NEW Donaldson's DVD (7th January, 09)
To commemorate our first anniversary we have just launched a brand new DVD all about Donaldson's. Back in November 2008 we invited a camera crew on campus for 2 full days to capture daily life at Donaldson's. We also interviewed some pupils, staff and also a parent. The DVD lasts no more than 12 minutes and is presented in both spoken English, British Sign Language and subtitles.
The DVD now comes as part of the Donaldson's Prospectus, a full colour brochure about the school. We strongly encourage all interested parents to request a full Prospectus including the DVD. The DVD in particular is an excellent way to show your child what our school is like.
If you already have our printed Prospectus and simply require a copy of our DVD then please contact our School Secretary to obtain a complimentary copy:
Patricia Moir
School Secretary
Email: pmoir@donaldsons.org.uk
Tel: 01506 841900 (voice)
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Media Enquiries
Please direct any media enquiries in the first instance to Porter Novelli Edinburgh. Their contact details are: Angela Casey or Anne McMunn
Porter Novelli
Hanover House
45 Hanover Street
Edinburgh
EH2 2JP Tel: 0131 470 3400
Fax: 0131 470 3444
Email:
angela.casey@porternovelli.co.uk
anne.mcmunn@porternovelli.co.uk Back to top
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