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Lornshill Academy School Handbook
Contents	Page
School Catchment
Our Vision, Values & Beliefs
Parent/Carer & School Alliance
Your Child In Difficulty
Permission from Parents/Carers
Emergency Closure Arrangements
Participation in School Life
Partnerships with Denominational Bodies
Attainment Plans
Post-school Destinations and Careers Guidance
Extra-Curricular - Contexts for Learning
Medical Matters
Pupil Support Structure
Tutor Teachers
Additional Support Needs (Learning Centre)
GIRFEC
Financial support for families with pupils at school
Dear Parent / Carer
I am delighted to introduce the Lornshill Academy handbook.
Lornshill Academy is a non-denominational school that caters for pupils from S1 to S6 with approximately 1000 pupils. On behalf of the school community I extend a warm welcome to all our parents/carers and stakeholders, most particularly to those whose children will be joining us for the first time.
I hope that the Handbook conveys the sense of Lornshill Academy as a school community with a rich and vibrant culture and a very strong, positive ethos. It is important to us that we achieve and sustain our aim of being a caring school, one which values personal choice and difference and which supports each pupil to attain and achieve at the highest possible level. We strive to be a school which recognises and celebrates success and which cultivates challenging and healthy attitudes to life, work and learning.
Continuing to develop strong effective partnership working with pupils and parents/carers throughout the school career of each pupil is a key school priority. Our self-evaluation processes ensure that the pupils' voice is heard and heeded: in learning and teaching matters and wider whole school issues and operations. The Lornshill Parliament and Parent Council contribute directly to many aspects of the life and work of the school and so they play a very important role in the sustaining of the strong and positive ethos within Lornshill Academy.
We see our parents/carers as key partners in our school and we actively seek to involve them in a wide range of aspects of the life and work of the school. We look forward to a continued and strengthened partnership in taking Lornshill Academy forward.
Mr Tom Black
Address: Lornshill Academy, Tullibody Road, Alloa, FK10 2ES
Telephone number: 01259 452333
Website: lornshillacademy.org.uk
Twitter: @lornshill
There are 7 Primaries associated with Lornshill Academy from Tullibody, Sauchie, Clackmannan, Fishcross and the surrounding rural area:
•	Abercromby Primary School
•	Banchory Primary School
•	Clackmannan Primary School
•	Craigbank Primary School
•	Deerpark Primary School
•	Fishcross Primary School
•	St Serf's Primary School
We have very strong cluster links and working arrangements with a Cluster plan to drive forward improvement priorities that support our young people and families throughout their 3-18 learning journey.
HEADTEACHER: Tom Black
DEPUTE HEADTEACHERS: Phil Arnold, Gerry Clancy, Hayley McMaihin, Ewan Murray
PATHWAYS COORDINATOR: Chris Somerville
PUPIL SUPPORT (House Teams & Personal Support)
Kirsty McKay (PT) : Devon House
Laurie Dodds (PT): Forebraes House
Steven Rennie (PT): Grange House
Dave Sharp (0.6) / Tracey McEwan (0.4) (PT): Pupil Pathways
Lesley Dixon (PT): Health & Wellbeing
LEARNING CENTRE (Additional Support Needs)
Faculty Head: Ashley Black
Rebecca Cree, Fiona Goodwin, Lisa Scullion (0.6)
Learning Assistants: Margaret Blyth, Sarah Broadley, Louise Croser, Margaret Docherty (Pupil Support), Anne Hall, Ryan Hartley, Elena Ferguson, Marion Fraser (0.8), Hilda McDade (0.6), Dawn McNulty, Karen Rae (Pupil Support), Gina Thompson, Laura Turner, Ann Williamson, Susan Murray
CREATIVE ARTS: (Art & Design - Music)
Faculty Head: Iaian Kirkpatrick
Art & Design: Clare Hilson, Clare Hall, Chloe Hughes, Mhairi Taylor. Music: Rachel Henry, Claire Bennet
Visiting Music Instructors: Bagpipes- Logan Tannock; Voice-Jennifer Nunn; Guitar/Bass-Jamie Rodger; Woodwind - Mandy Kettles
LANGUAGES & LITERACY (English - Modern Languages)
Faculty Head: Heather McMahon (Act) / Ashleigh Risk (Act)
English: Christopher Aldous, Tracey McEwan, Donna McGrouther [0.8], Hazel Meldrum [0.6] David Ryder, James McGillivary. Modern Languages: Nathalie Cruickshanks [0.6] Rachael Lyon [0.8] Ellison MacKinnon [0.6] Toni Roy [0.6]
ENTERPRISE (Business Education - Home Economics - Computing)
Faculty Head: Mairi Buchan
Business Education: Jordan Liddell, Laura MacDonald, Lisa McCulloch, Danielle Brown. Computing: Jacqueline Ferguson, Gavin Hunter, Hugh Macpherson [0.4] Home Economics: Karen Farrell [0.4]
MATHEMATICS & NUMERACY (Maths)
Faculty Head: Sara Macaulay
Maths: Gary Blackhall, Angela Caldwell [0.6], Graeme Edgar, Claire Pratt, Lesley Rosbotham, Carin Sinclair, Jodie Warnock, Gillian Young
PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HWB
Faculty Head: Bruce Taylor
PE: Ross Harkness, Stuart Hillis, Robyn Kirstein, Darren Leslie {Acting PT Learning & Teaching}, Kayleigh McMahon, Victoria Gray, Paul Manuel
SCIENCE (Biology - Chemistry - Physics)
Faculty Head: Ruth Douglas
Biology: Sorsha Imrie [0.6], Lee-Ann Labus, Luke Mitchell, Rebecca Richards, Alex Wright. Chemistry: Lauren Murphy, Giles Munro, Linda Whitecross (0.4), Physics: Ian Harvey, Fiona Williams
SOCIAL SUBJECTS (Geography - Modern Studies - History - RMPS)
Faculty Head: Richard Burrell
Geography: Georgina Lawrence [0.6], Gemma O'Donnell, David Ross. History: Fiona McLean, Daniel Scruton. Modern Studies: Louise Birrell, Joanne O'Donnell. RME: Colin Simpson
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY (Graphic Communication - Engineering Science - Product Design - Woodwork)
Faculty Head: Stuart Steel
Foster Douglas [Act PT Attainment & Achievement], Emma Grant, Alan Mercer, Claire Nicolson
Librarian: Pauline Robertson. School Technicians: Christopher Mooney, Thomas Scott [0.6] Janitors: Edward Gray (Head Janitor), Peter Paterson, Donald Robertson. Lornshill Cluster IT Support: Mark Monaghon (Network Manager), David Milne.
Senior Administrators: Sandra Taylor/Nicky Duncan
School Administrators: Gillian Brydie, Aileen Gray, Adele Jenkins, Clare Laurie, Amy Daglish
Employability and Careers Coordinator: Lorraine McGee (0.8), Attendance & Welfare Officer: Carol Love (0.8)
Autumn term begins (Staff only - staff development days): Monday & Tuesday 19th/20th August 2019
Autumn term begins (Pupils): Wednesday 21st August 2019
Autumn term ends: Friday, 11th October 2019
October holiday begins: Monday, 14th October 2019
October holiday ends: Friday, 18th October 2019
Winter term begins: Monday, 21st October 2019
Staff Development Days: Thursday and Friday 28th & 29th November 2019
Winter term ends: Friday, 20th December 2019
Christmas holiday begins: Monday, 23rd December 2019
Christmas holiday ends: Friday, 3rd January 2020
Spring term begins: Monday, 6th January 2020
Staff Development Days: Monday and Tuesday, 17th and 18th February 2020
Spring half-term holiday begins: Wednesday, 19th February 2020
Spring half-term holiday ends: Friday, 21st February 2020
Spring term ends: Friday, 3rd April 2020
Spring holidays begin: Monday, 6th April 2020
Spring holidays end: Friday, 17th April 2020
Summer term begins: Monday, 20th April 2020
Staff Development Day: Friday 1st May 2020
May public holiday: Monday, 4th May 2020
Summer term ends: Thursday 25th June 2020
Vision, Values & Beliefs
United in Effort: All young people have the right to a transformational educational experience that will enable them, no what their starting point, to fulfil their potential and realise their ambitions.
We Respect ourselves and others by valuing diversity and treating others with courtesy and working cooperatively at all times.
Our Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be.
Our Compassion leads us to be sympathetic and always show concern for others. We aim to help and support anyone less fortunate than ourselves.
We believe in the Inclusion of every member of our community, ensuring everyone can access an Educational Pathway.
We believe Engagement with our school and learning enables our young people and families to succeed and raise the Aspirations of our community.
We believe in Ethics and always doing the right thing. We are excellent role models for each other and promote effective Citizenship.
Our school priorities are available on our school website.
We set our school targets every three years in consultation with staff, pupils and parents via the Parent Council. The whole school and faculty improvement plans are reviewed every six months through our own quality assurance procedures to ensure progression and development of activities to best support families in our school community. Part of this includes termly self-evaluation visits to faculties where we critically evaluate our improvement priorities alongside staff from across the school, pupil focus groups and parental feedback.
In Lornshill Academy, we believe that parents/carers are the primary educator of the child. While the school provides a structured approach to the acquisition of important skills, knowledge and understanding, the fundamental values with which a child approaches his or her future are nurtured and sustained at home and supported in partnership with the school.
Education for young people is not just a matter of learning information. People have many different types of intelligence and understanding, each one of which has value. Most important of all, pupils learn about their place in a broader community – what they have to offer and what they can gain – not just from school but from an effective partnership between the school and home.
You are welcome to make contact at any time.
Email address: lornshillpc@gmail.com
Twitter: @LornshillPC
Parent Council - Current Members
Helen McNaught (Chairperson), Linsey Ferguson, Will Hensman, Kev Martin, Laura Shaw, Audrey Young, Fiona Hughes, Laurie Mooney, Gillian Goodwin, Christine McGregor, Pamela Cowan, Gaynor Westland, Richard Graveling, Alistair Freck.
At Lornshill Academy, we recognise the fundamental importance of communication to the development and success of our school. From the daily interactions between pupils and staff, to the engagement with parents/carers and the wider school community, the effectiveness of our communication drives the effectiveness of our school community. In order to achieve a consistent approach to effective communication, we have a Communication Strategy that outlines the different methods we will use to communicate with pupils, parents, carers and the wider community. This can be accessed on our school website.
Communication Strategy
School App - Apple
School App - Android
At the heart of our strategy is face to face communication. Relationships are important to us, so we recognise the value in face to face communication with pupils, parents and carers alike. The Communication Strategy outlines when you can expect to have a face to face conversation with school staff and in which situations we will use other methods of communication.
School Twitter Feed
Beyond face to face communication, our main methods for connecting with parents, carers and the wider community are our school app (available for iPhone and Android devices), our school website (www.lornshillacademy.org) and GroupCall. This allows us to make sure that you have the information you need, when you need it, and on a platform that is convenient for you to access. Please ensure you take the time to download our school App, visit our website and provide us with your current email address.
Your child may get into difficulties of different kinds during the course of a school day, involving anything from an accident to problems with friends, or falling ill while at school. Whatever the situation, we will always aim to contact you immediately to make the most suitable arrangements for the care and welfare of your child in the situation and, if appropriate, to involve you in relevant discussions and decisions. Where we are unable to contact you, or any of the emergency contacts you have given us, we will act prudently, with the care and welfare of your child central to any action taken.
As a result of discussion in the Lornshill Parliament, we agreed our new policy on the use of mobile technology. We discourage pupils from bringing valuable items like this to school and cannot accept responsibility for their safe keeping. However, we also recognise that some parents wish their children to have a mobile device with them and they can be a valuable learning tool, so we allow pupils to carry them in school and to use them in designated areas, this includes classrooms where the class teacher has given permission to support learning.
The use of mobile technology is never permitted between classes. This is for the safety of everyone in a very busy and dynamic school. It is also never appropriate to take a photo or record anyone without prior consent.
Generally, where an event or activity takes place out with school, or extends beyond the school day, we will be in contact with you to secure your permission. In the digital age, more and more school activity involves photography/video. Where this is part of the school curriculum, or is for circulation within the school community or posting on our website, we generally will not seek individual permission. However, we will respect the wishes of our pupils in these matters. Where photographic images with names attached might be published beyond the school community, we will generally rely on pupils to advise us if they or their parents have any concerns. Alternatively, parents who might have concerns about their child's photograph appearing outwith the school community (for example in the local press) should make these known directly to the school.
Where early closure is foreseen, notice in writing will be given to pupils for delivery to parents at least 3 days in advance. However, unexpected situations (such as severe weather conditions or heating failure) may lead to pupils being sent home without prior warning. Where parents are out of the house, pupils should go to the address of the friend or neighbour nominated by the parent as the emergency contact and wait there until the parent returns. The name of this emergency contact should be given to the school through the school office for inclusion in the pupil's personal record and any changes made should be notified to the school.
Where the emergency contact is not available, the school will supervise pupils till the end of the school day or make other appropriate arrangements in discussion with the pupil. Please make sure your child knows where to go in the event of such an emergency – we will rely on their word that they have a safe place to which they can go.
All pupils have the opportunity to participate in the life of the school in a range of ways:
•	through participation in clubs and activities in the school;
•	through taking part in assemblies and other events in the life of the school;
•	through House activities;
•	through direct discussion with and feedback to their teachers
•	through involvement directly or indirectly with the Lornshill Parliament and committees;
We strongly encourage all pupils to participate as much as possible in the life of the school. It is through participation – through getting involved – that we learn about life and relationships.
In our Broad General Education (S1-3) we aim to provide a framework of skills that will allow all our students to progress into the Senior Phase and achieve their full potential.
Curriculum for Excellence provides a set of guidelines which define the areas of knowledge, the range of skills and the opportunities which pupils should experience on their journey through school. These build together to support pupils to become:
Successful learners - Responsible citizens - Effective contributors - Confident individuals
This takes place in every lesson in the classroom, but also around the school where there are opportunities for pupils to become involved in a range of lunchtime and after school activities, to contribute to the school community through the tutorial and House system and to become aware of the value they bring to the school community.
In S1 and S2 pupils follow a curriculum make up of a number of different subjects all of which contribute to the development of knowledge and skills in Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Technological and Creative Arts. All subjects across the school also contribute to developing literacy, numeracy and the pupils' Health & Well Being. Care is taken to stress links within learning so that the skills learned in one subject area can be reinforced and developed in others
Pupil Entitlements
At Lornshill we understand that every child is different and as such their pathways through school may all be different also. We try to allow pupils to personalise their curriculum to suit their interests and strengths. There is an opportunity for all pupils in S1 to select an area of curricular interest for them from the offered "schools of" programme where they will be timetable for extra time to explore deeper learning of the curriculum area.
'Schools of . . .' Programme
There are two periods of formal personalisation and choice where pupils narrow down their curriculum this is from S2 into S3 when pupils choose the 7 subjects that they want to focus on until the end of S4. The second curricular choice comes from S4 into S5 and S5 into S6 when students can select a further 5 subjects they wish to progress onto and study.
At all of these stages the process is the same: information is available to parents about the curricular options, all pupils will receive a one to one interview to look at the best range of options for them to maximise their attainment and support any career path. Finally parents are offered an appointment to discuss the options and agree on the final selection.
We have a team of Chaplains who support the school in a variety of different ways:
- Assemblies, work with pupils and staff, church services, the chaplaincy group and youth workers offer a weekly lunchtime club for all pupils.
Our Chaplaincy team are: Mike Dawson, Margaret Shuttleworth, Jimmy King, Graham Brown, Jason Lingiah, Kami Kalsi
Any parents who wish to withdraw their child from attendance at any religious observance events on the grounds of conscience should contact their Pupil Support teacher explaining this and arrangements will then be made for their supervision during these events.
We will track and monitor the progress of all students from their transition from Primary right through their school career. From S1 and S2 when they experience 10 broad subjects from our three umbrella faculties of Humanities, STEM and Creativity and Health. In S3 all pupils' options are planned as part of an individual attainment strategy for each pupil and recorded on their attainment plan, this plan then follows each pupil for their time in Lornshill to ensure that at every part of their journey they are on target for success.
Our Senior Leadership Team and Pupil Support teams will provide one to one interviews with young people at times of course choice in S2, S4 and S5 to help support and develop individualised pupil plans. In addition, there are several parents' information evenings throughout each year to offer support, advice and guidance to parents to allow them to support their child through points of transition including from school to college, employment, UCAS University applications and apprenticeships.
Our Pupil Support team are available for individual advice and guidance for both pupils and parents and will discuss destinations and careers through personal support, regular assemblies and individual meetings. These will be supported by our Employability Co-ordinator and provides opportunities for young people to access support for college, apprenticeship and university applications through our excellent links with local businesses and agencies such as LEAPS and the Sutton Trust.
There is a wide range of support on offer for pupils to access information on course choice, careers information, College and University applications and financial support. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) have a careers advisor based in the school library who will support young people with careers advice and support from S2 course choice through to discussing post school destinations as pupils prepare to leave school. She will also be available to contact at the SDS office in Alloa town centre at 39-43 Bank Street, Alloa, FK10 1HP. Further details for SDS can be found by clicking on the following button:
We also have a local Jobcentre in Alloa which can be found at 17 Mar Street, Alloa, FK10 1LX.
Pupils will have access to financial support when leaving school through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) if they are going on to further or higher education. Details of who is eligible to apply and the application process are available by clicking the following button:
Further information on financial support available to parents and pupils is available by clicking the button below:
We start learning when we first open our eyes. All the way through our adult and working lives we have to learn new skills to keep up in an ever evolving society. School sits at a very important place in our lives of learning. Schools help pupils build up the framework for knowledge where everything they learn will be added into. Schools help pupils identify and develop the skills that will help them learn more effectively and will help them in the world of work and in interacting with others.
At Lornshill Academy we do not begin the learning process – we aim to build on the raft of skills and the bank of knowledge which pupils already have before they arrive at high school. Lornshill Academy works closely with staff at our partner primaries to make the transition from primary to secondary as smooth as possible, but also to make sure that we make effective use of information about each pupils' strengths and areas where they need to develop more.
Learning and Teaching Framework
All of our staff work together to make lessons as effective as possible for our pupils by making sure that:
•	Every lesson has a clear target, so that pupils understand the purpose of the lesson and how they can judge their progress
•	Lessons have a range of different activities to allow all pupils to learn in different ways
•	Lessons challenge pupils by demanding that pupils are active in their learning
•	Lessons are planned to meet the needs of all pupils in the class
•	Pupils evaluate their own progress at the end of lesson(s) so that they can identify where they have been successful and where there is still development needed.
Parents are encouraged to be a part of this learning process by encouraging their children to share information about their lessons and progress. Discussing learning will help you keep in touch with what is going on from day to day in the classroom and encourages pupils to talk and be enthusiastic and motivated about their learning.
If you have any concerns about the progress your child is making, the House staff will be able to discuss progress with you and gather any further information you feel you need.
Technology is more and more a part of all aspects of our lives. This is also true of learning and teaching in schools. Lornshill Academy is making the best use of technology to enhance both the learning and teaching processes.
Every teaching area has an interactive whiteboard which teachers use to deliver effective lessons, display video and sound to whole classes and to involve pupils in lessons.
There are specialist ICT classrooms in the school for the delivery of lessons in aspects of technology, but also to allow pupils to develop skills in the use of ICT for research, communication and presentation.
The Library can accommodate up to 30 pupils working on ICT research at any one time.
There are class sets of laptops and iPads which can be used in any classroom in the school so that ICT can be built into lessons as and when it is most effective.
ICT hardware is only as good as the pupils' skills in making effective use of it. In S1 and S2 pupils will use ICT to develop their skills in both research and presentation. In addition, pupils learn online safety and what constitutes inappropriate use of communication technologies.
All pupils in Clackmannanshire have access to the internet through the school network and have an e-mail account. This access is a privilege, and pupils are taught what is and is not appropriate use of both the Internet and communication technologies. Pupils will also be given an account for GLOW, Scotland's national schools' network. Pupils GLOW account allows them to install Microsoft Office on up to five desktop PCs and five mobile devices (tablet, phone etc) outside of school to allow then to access some of the main programmes that will support their studies in school.
Study support sessions are available in school at lunchtimes and after-school. These will be publicised by individual faculties, or may be the more generic Learn With a Latte study sessions in the school café. If pupils require access to ICT and do not have the opportunity at home then they will be able to access ICT free of charge at these sessions.
An increasing number of Faculties are setting up dedicated sites for use with their pupils. These may use blog sites on the Scottish GLOW network, or a virtual learning environment such as Microsoft Teams. Pupils can use these to access class resources, revision materials and as a platform to link to other suggested, relevant web sites. These pages to support home learning in different subjects are updated and maintained by each individual faculty.
Extra-Curricular – Contexts for Learning
Extra-curricular activities have a significant part to play in the life of the school. They enhance and enrich the pupils' experience and hence their education. Such activities are also important in fostering good relationships between staff and pupils. Extra-curricular activities are available in a wide range of different areas across Lornshill Academy and include sporting activities, music, art, enterprise and science amongst many others. Extra-curricular activities can take place before school, lunchtimes and after school and the duration of each activity will vary. All pupils are encouraged to participate in as many activities as possible within the Lornshill Community to enhance their experience and build relationships with others.
Extra-curricular activities are provided voluntarily by staff and outside partners and many are also assisted by some of our young leaders in school who give up their time to work with their peers. Pupils participating in extra-curricular activities after school who require school transport will need to arrange alternative methods of transport home if they are staying for activities after school and have a responsibility to inform a parent/carer that they are staying after school.
Many extra-curricular activities include trips to other schools or venues to participate or watch performances. In these instances staff members will follow the school and council excursion policy and will require written permission slips and possibly payment for transport, tickets etc in advance of the trip. This should be completed to allow pupils, staff and parents/carers sufficient time to prepare the necessary arrangements for the trip.
We have high expectations of all our pupils in Lornshill Academy and we expect 100% attendance from all our pupils unless an absence is explained. It has been well documented that poor attendance contributes to poor attainment therefore regular school attendance is an important part of giving all our young people the best possible start in life.
Scottish Government: Included, Engaged and Involved
The law requires parents to make sure all children under 16 years of age are in full time education. It is Clackmannanshire Council's policy that parents/carers notify the school if their child is going to be absent. If you are aware your child will be absent, please provide a note for your child's tutor teacher or telephone the school (01259 452 333). However, if the absence is due to unexpected illness please contact the school as soon as possible to provide an explanation for the absence so the child's attendance record can be amended with the appropriate explanation.
Guidance on absence through ill health
If the school receives no explanation for a pupil's absence, the parent/carer will receive a Groupcall text message to alert them of their child's absence and a request for an explanation.
Tutor teachers will remind the pupil to bring a note to explain any absences. Tutor teachers monitor pupils' attendance and are vigilant regarding patterns of non-attendance.
The Personal Support team investigate all unexplained absences and attempt to contact the parent/carers via telephone initially or send a letter to ask for an explanation of absences.
A key member of the Personal Support team is our Attendance and Welfare Officer. The AWO may visit a child's home if there are concerns regarding attendance to support the family.
If unexplained absences persists or becomes a pattern, the Depute Headteacher responsible for the year group will telephone or send a letter inviting the parent to a meeting to discuss the child's attendance.
•	If no improvement is seen in the child's attendance, the decision could be taken to refer the pupil's poor attendance to the Reporter of the Children's Panel (SCRA).
Role of the Reporter - SCRA
Leaving school during the normal school day
If a pupil must leave school for any reason during the school day they must obtain a pass from the school office before leaving. An appointment must be confirmed by a note or phone call from the parent/carer.
If a pupil leaves school without permission, the parent/carer will be contacted by a member of staff. If you suspect your child is truanting from school, please contact us immediately and we can investigate the issue.
The school day starts with Registration at 8.55am every morning. It is important all pupils arrive at school on time and attend their registration class as key messages are communicated during this time. If a pupil arrives after 8.55am, they should report to the school office and sign in as late. A member of staff will mark the pupil as late and issue the pupil with a late slip to be passed to the class teacher to explain their late arrival to the lesson. Latecoming means pupils are missing lessons as well as disrupting the learning of other pupils. Being punctual is an important personal quality.
Timekeeping is recorded as part of the pupil's attendance record and our PT Pupil Support teachers are often asked to comment on timekeeping by employers who request a reference. Employers ask for this information as good timekeeping shows the employer the pupil is reliable.
Clackmannanshire Council actively discourages taking children out of school during term-time for family holidays because of the disruption that it causes to the education of individual pupils and class groups.
If a pupil will be absent from school due to a family holiday, the parent/carer should notify the school by letter at least two weeks prior to the holiday. The Pupil Support teacher will issue them with a slip which the pupil will give to all of their class teachers, informing them of the pending absence. The class teachers may provide work which the pupil should completed during the holiday in order to ensure they do not fall behind in their coursework.
Lornshill Academy expects all pupils to wear school uniform at all times. Our school uniform policy has been agreed by and is supported by our parents. Clackmannanshire Council also support pupils wearing school uniforms in all schools across the authority.
At Lornshill Academy, we believe there are significant benefits in asking all pupils to wear school uniform.
School uniform levels the playing field and reduces any peer pressure to wear expensive, fashionable clothes which many families could struggle to buy for their children. School uniform is a less expensive option when providing clothes for your child to wear to school.
Increases pupils' self-esteem, feeling of belonging and sense of pride in their school. Displaying the school logo and wearing the school tie helps pupils identify with their school.
Putting on the school uniform in the morning helps pupils get into the right frame of mind and prepare them to learn.
Removes any stress pupils may experience regarding 'what to wear to school' and helps parents avoid arguments with their children regarding appropriate clothes to wear to school.
Black blazer – school badge (available from school office)
School tie – Junior tie (S1-S3) Senior (S4-S6)
Black jumper or cardigan (Plain)
Black trousers or skirt (Plain)
Black footwear – all black, no white or coloured logos etc.
PE Uniform
Black/navy blue jogging bottoms/leggings
Suitable trainers for activity.
No football colours
All outside jackets should be removed when pupils enter the school building. School ties and badges are available from the school office. We have ensured our uniform is very simple and allows parents a choice of where to buy their child's uniform to reduce costs.
Information regarding School Clothing Grants, which can help families meet the costs of providing school uniform, can be found by clicking on the button below.
School Clothing Grant
In a community of about 1200 people living and working on a small site for 190 days of the year, there is a need for all involved to take responsibility and to be orderly in their behaviour and relationships with each other. We expect this of our staff and expect it of our pupils.
Much of the emphasis in the school is on encouraging pupils to take responsibility for themselves. We want them to "internalise", in their own minds and in the way they go about their daily business, their sense of responsibility and respect for others. This is supported by the "positive relationships" within the school, where the emphasis is on rewarding those who behave well.
In addition the following matters deserve clear and specific statements:
Movement about the School
The sensible behaviour expected of all pupils in Lornshill Academy should be displayed through the way in which they move about the school. Staff instructions with regard to movement should be followed first time and without question for the safety of all pupils. For safety reasons the car park is out of bounds to all pupils except 6th year. A particular current concern is traffic safety in and around the school. All pupils, staff, and parents must "THINK SAFE", especially at the start and end of the day.
All equipment and buildings must be treated with care and respect. Pupils causing loss or damage will be held responsible.
All items should be clearly marked with the owner's name. Money or other valuables must not be left in classrooms or dressing rooms. The school is unable to accept responsibility for the loss of pupils' property. The Authority has no insurance cover in such circumstances, and schools have been advised that any claims should be made against the parent's personal insurance policy.
Smoking is strictly forbidden for everyone on all Clackmannanshire Council property. Smoking (including vaping) is therefore not permitted anywhere on Lornshill Academy school campus. Action will be taken against any pupils who damage their health or provide a bad example to younger children and tarnish the image of the school by smoking. Parents will be informed of any instance and the matter will be treated as a failure to follow school rules.
The school works with a range of partners who can offer advice, provide support or help with the above standards.
The school 'clinic' operates during the normal school day, providing elementary First Aid if required and summoning other assistance such as a doctor or ambulance if necessary. However, we do not have medically trained staff in school, only 'first aid' level training. We will behave in any medical situation 'as if the child were our own' until we are able to contact you. Office staff will also make arrangements for a pupil to be sent home should this be considered advisable. Please note that if a child is unwell and needs to be sent home, he/she will require to be collected from school by a responsible adult. The school must have the name, address and telephone number of an emergency contact. We can only deal with problems that arise within the school all other matters should be referred to the family doctor as usual.
Parents should note that it is their responsibility to draw the attention of the school to any serious illness or disability (e.g. asthma, diabetes, epilepsy) which may affect a pupil's performance in school, or where we may need to be aware or take specific actions. We keep this information on record and will update our record regularly with your assistance. Council staff operate under strict policy guidelines regarding the administration of medicines in school. Details are available from the School Office.
In session 2018/19 we completed a self-evaluation of Pupil Support. This was a rigorous process that included a review of progress in key areas, pupil surveys, staff and pupil focus groups, observations and parental surveys. This collection of data allowed us to undertake a thorough review of our current practice and provided a good indication of areas of strength and areas to develop. One of the key messages from pupils was that they wanted to remain in the same house structure and keep the same PT Pupil Support from S1 through to S6.
As a direct result of this, we have introduced some changes to the Pupil Support Structure.
As of 20th May 2019, all pupils in S1 – 6 will now be assigned to either Devon, Forebraes or Grange House. The PT Pupil Support for each House is as follows:
•	Devon – Kirsty Mackay
•	Forebraes – Laurie Dodds
•	Grange – Steven Rennie
Tutor teachers are key members of staff within the Personal Support Team in Lornshill Academy.
Developing positive relationships between tutors and our young people is central to ensuring all pupils feel happy, safe and included in Lornshill Academy.
The role of the tutor teacher:
Providing the first point of contact for all our young people, being available to identify and listen to pupil needs and provide support where appropriate.
Taking an accurate register of pupil attendance and communicating key information to pupils.
Record, monitor and track pupil attendance and timekeeping. This includes communicating concerns to Personal Support team, investigating anomalies in pupil attendance and encouraging all our young people to reach or maintain the school attendance target of 95% or above.
Personal Support education classes are an integral part of our curriculum at Lornshill Academy. Personal Support lessons are taught by our tutor teachers which helps to develop a positive relationship between pupils and their tutorial teacher. Personal Support lessons are taught one period per week for all pupils S1-S6. The Personal Support curriculum is a varied programme which aims to develop pupil's health and well-being, focusing on Skills for Life, Learning and Work. The Personal Support team will deliver key lessons throughout the year, and outside speakers are arranged for all year groups to enrich the pupil experience and deepen understanding of key issues.
Aims of Personal Support:
Develop pupil confidence and self-esteem.
Develop positive relationships within a supportive tutorial group.
Opportunity to research and investigate careers education, supported by SDS.
To create an awareness of equal opportunity issues, addressing stereotypes, prejudice, inclusion, acceptance and understanding of diversity.
Understanding and celebrating our community.
Develop knowledge and skills required to make responsible decisions regarding their personal health and safety and to live in wider world.
At Lornshill Academy, we are committed to ensuring all our young people can access education and achieve their full potential. For some of our young people they may require additional support, on a short or long term basis, in order to access education. Additional support needs exist where the young person is unable, for whatever reasons, to access the school curriculum without additional support provision.
Aims of The Learning Centre
· To identify and assess pupils with ASN as early as possible and provide appropriate support.
· To meet the needs of all pupils who have ASN by offering continual and appropriate forms of educational provision by the most efficient use of all available resources.
· Outline the roles and responsibilities of teachers, school staff and specialist support services.
· Ensure the views of pupils and parents are listened to when making decisions which affect the young person/family.
Within our Learning Centre we have our Learning Hub, which offers short-term, focused intervention strategies. Young people who attend our Learning Hub remain in most of their mainstream timetabled classes. However, instead of following a full timetable of lessons, they spend some of their time in the Learning Hub working on literacy, numeracy or health and wellbeing targets.
Our Additional Support for Learning staff work closely with all staff within Lornshill Academy, our colleagues from partner agencies, pupils and parents to meet the specific needs of our young people. Parents who are concerned that their child may have additional support needs should contact their PT Pupil Support or the PT Learning Centre. They will gather information from class teachers. Staff may also carry out a contextual assessment of the young person's learning needs.
What will this look like?
•	Talking and listening to the young person, family and staff who teach or support the child in school.
•	Observing the young person in a variety of learning situations.
•	Looking at examples of the young person's work and relevant previous assessments.
Based on the information gathered, staff may produce a Pen Profile which details the learning needs of the young person. This will include a young person's strengths and areas which will require suggested support strategies to be used in the classroom. Pen Profiles are issued to all staff within Lornshill Academy.
In some circumstances, the PT Learning Support will discuss with the family the possibility of carrying out formal assessments, such as dyslexia screening, to better understand the learning needs of the young person. There may also be occasion when it is appropriate to consult with an educational psychologist. At each stage in this process, the interventions will be explained and discussed with the young person and parents/carers.
As with all local authority schools in Scotland, Lornshill Academy operates under the terms of the Additional Support Act (2009) and its accompanying Code of practice. These procedures have been strengthened through the Children and Young People Act (2014)
Parents who would like more information may wish to contact Enquire (Scotland). Enquire provides a range of easy-to-read factsheets which give practical advice to parents of children with Additional Support needs. They can be contacted:
At Lornshill Academy, we work closely with our cluster primary schools to ensure a successful and seamless transition from primary to secondary school. The Depute Headteacher responsible for primary to secondary transition is Hayley McMaihin.
Induction Visit
•	In May, P7 pupils have the opportunity to follow their S1 timetable, meet their classmates and new teachers. During the visit, P7 pupils will meet key members of staff including their allocated PT Pupil Support teacher and tutor. All classes will be escorted to and from class by senior pupils and each class will be assigned a Learning Assistant for the duration of the visit.
•	Travelling to Lornshill Academy – P7 pupils from Sauchie and Clackmannan should use the normal school bus (they will not need a bus pass for the two day Induction visit), with pupils who live in Tullibody walking to school. For more information see Clackmannanshire Council website
•	All P7 pupils should wear their normal primary school uniform during the visit.
•	Lunchtime - Pupils can purchase food from the school catering service or bring a packed lunch. Pupils who receive free school meals will be provided with their allowance during the visit.
P7 Parents' Evening
•	In October, P7 parents and pupils are invited to 'Discover Lornshill', this includes a guided tour of the school by senior pupils and the opportunity to participate in presentations by each faculty.
•	In May, P7 parents and pupils are invited to Lornshill Academy to discuss key messages with the Headteacher and Depute Headteachers. Parents will also have the opportunity to meet with key members of staff responsible for supporting their child, including the PT Pupil Support teachers and Support for Learning staff.
Enhanced Transition
•	Some pupils may benefit from additional visits to Lornshill Academy and participate in our enhanced transition program. Pupils, identified with our primary colleagues, will have three additional visits where they will start developing positive relationships with key members of staff who will provide support when they join us in Lornshill Academy.
•	The DHT or PT Learning Centre will attend Staged Intervention review meetings at all our cluster primary schools. We discuss the needs of P7 pupils and share the strategies used to support pupils who have additional support needs.
Placing Requests
Parents can choose to send their child to a school out with their catchment area. Parents will need to complete a Placing Request, details explaining this process can be found at the address below.
Pupils moving into the catchment area during the school year should contact the school to make an appointment to enrol their child. Documentation required on the day would be proof of address and the child's birth certificate.
Getting It Right For Every Child is the national approach in Scotland to improving outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of our children and young people by offering the right help at the right time from the right people. It supports our young people and their families to work in partnership with the services that can help. We believe our young people should be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included and to this end we put the child at the centre.
The principles of GIRFEC allow us to have in place a network of support to promote wellbeing so our young people can access the help they may need. This help may range from targeted and focuses support within the school to external agency support such as health or social work.
Child's Plan
The Child's Plan is part of the GIRFEC approach to support and ensure the wellbeing of children and young people. If a child or young person is receiving support from a variety of agencies, they will have a Child's Plan. The Child's Plan is a record which will contain information detailing the Child's or young person's needs, what support will be provided by which agency/professional, the desired outcomes of the support and when the plan will be reviewed.
Stage Intervention and GIRFEC Procedures
Staged intervention is the process that we use to identify, assess and support the learning or Social, Emotional and Behavioural needs of all pupils within Lornshill Academy. All schools within Clackmannanshire Council use the GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) intervention model. The aim of GIRFEC is to promote effective integrated working within the areas of education, social work and health.
Lornshill Academy is fully committed to working with all partner agencies to support pupils and their families. GIRFEC and Staged Intervention procedures provide a structure for planning to meet the needs of all young people with ASN.
Staged Intervention procedures provide:-
· Each child will have an assigned PT Pupil Support who will be the first point of contact for parents/carers.
· All interventions, including achievements, will be recorded for each young person as they progress from S1-S6.
· Staged Intervention and GIRFEC promotes an inclusive approach which involves parents/carers, young people, staff and partner agencies.
· Agreed learning profiles and support plans which record the additional support needs of individual pupils.
· A solution focused approach to resolving issues early and at the least level of intrusive intervention.
· A structured monitoring and review cycle of support plans.
Each school has a named co-ordinator responsible for all issues relating to child protection. In our school this person is Mrs Hayley McMaihin DHT. More details of the Council's guidelines and procedures for child protection can be seen below or in the school on request.
Child Protection (Clackmannanshire Council)
The safety and welfare of children and young people are of paramount concern to staff in school. All staff and volunteers working with children and young people (in or out of the school building) are checked through the Protecting Vulnerable Groups process to ensure that they are suitable for such work. The school also has close working links with a wide range of other services and agencies that can help support children and young people in need.
The Council requires all staff to inform the co-ordinator of any suspicious signs. Such information cannot be kept confidential. The co-ordinator must pass the matter to social services who ensure that parents/carers are informed. Other members of school staff will be informed only if they have a direct role in supporting the child or young person. Social Services staff will pursue the allegation. Sometimes this will be as part of a joint team with the police.
The school actively supports children and young people to develop their knowledge and skills about personal safety and to be confident in expressing any anxieties about their own well-being. This is encouraged through PSD and through specific curriculum programmes.
School Clothing Grants/Free School Meals
Financial assistance is available for parents and carers to purchase school uniform and for their children to receive free school meals.
Application forms can be obtained from schools, CAP Offices and the Council Offices at Kilncraigs, or by clicking on the button below.
Clothing Grant/Free School Meals
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a weekly allowance of £30 per week (dependent on household income) payable to pupils during term time. EMAs will apply to all eligible secondary school pupils who are over the age of 16 and in full time education.
EMA Application Form
Lornshill Academy is committed to ensuring all our pupils have equal opportunity to succeed at school, regardless of their financial situation. Therefore it is important we understand all the costs associated with children attending school on a daily basis. School costs which are difficult to meet can mean young people miss out on the full range of opportunities available to them. Click on the button below to see the actions we are taking as a school.
Cost Of The School Day Action Plan
School Cashless Catering System
Cashless catering systems are now used widely in schools throughout Scotland.
At Lornshill Academy, your child will be able to benefit from cashless catering. Essentially the system lets you pay for school meals in advance, and pupils pay for their meal by swiping their finger over a reader at the till point. This speeds up the dinner queues and reduces the need for pupils to carry cash during the school day.
The main method of identification is the biometric fingerprint scan. This method has the advantage of being very fast. In addition, it cannot be lost or forgotten like a card and means that pupils do not need to be charged for replacement cards. The system works by storing a code based on the pupil's fingerprint. When the pupil wishes to pay for a meal at the till point, they swipe the scanned forefinger through a reader which then identifies the pupil and deducts the appropriate amount from their account.
We are conscious that some parents may have reservations about having their child's "fingerprints taken", the scanner scans your child's finger which the software turns into a string of letters and numbers. These are then stored on the computer at the till. This data is encrypted to keep it secure and, importantly, the data cannot be used to create an image of the fingerprint. Please note that the information from the finger scan will be used only for cashless catering and will not be used for any other purposes. Nor will it ever be given to anyone else.
The school is governed in the storage of this information by the requirements of the Data Protection Act, as it is for all other information held about pupils.
Pupils who receive free school meals have amounts automatically credited to their account daily for use each day and use exactly the same system as everyone else, in exactly the same way. The credits are applied first thing in the morning.
Education Services is responsible for determining Clackmannanshire Council's policy on the provision of home to school transport for mainstream pupils and pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN).
The Travel and Transport Team works to ensure that schools, parents and pupils are properly informed of their respective responsibilities in relation to the operation of an efficient and effective home to school transport service.
For more information, including routes and bus timetables, please click on the button below.
There is in force a Public Liability Cover in the name of Clackmannanshire Council, which would operate in respect of any third party claim for injury or damage to property arising out of the operation of the Council. This is a Liability Cover and, as a result, negligence on the part of the Local Authority or their employees resulting in loss or injury must be established.
Full details of the policy and what it covers can be accessed by contacting Clackmannanshire Council.
Contact Clackmannanshire Council
The security of pupils, staff and visitors in Lornshill Academy is a priority for everyone. A number of procedures are in place which aims to maintain the school as a safe and protected environment for all of those in the building. The following information should be adhered to by all pupils, staff and visitors to ensure Lornshill Academy is as secure as possible.
Pupils should arrive on time in the morning, after interval and at lunchtime and report directly to classes to be registered in school.
If a pupil arrives late or needs to leave school early for an appointment etc then they must report to the office to sign in/out to ensure that we have an accurate record of pupils in the school building.
Pupils must only use the designated entrance and exit points as these will automatically lock after use, maintaining a secure environment.
Pupils should never open a door to allow someone else access to the building if they are locked. Pupils, staff or visitors who arrive at school when doors are locked should always enter via the main reception door.
Pupils should report any visitors or strangers who are in the school building or school grounds to a member of staff if they are not supposed to be there.
All staff will wear their staff identification badges at all times when in the school building or grounds.
All staff will inform the office of any visitors or events in the school for the following week via the weekly update so that everyone is aware of any visitors to the school.
Staff will escort any visitors whilst they are in the school building.
All staff must report any visitors or strangers who are in the school building or school grounds to a member of SLT if they are not supposed to be there.
Staff must sign their keys and access fobs out on a Monday morning from the janitors and hand them back in on a Friday. Part time staff sign keys and fobs out and in on the relevant days to them.
Members of ELT will be involved in a daily supervision rota alongside any other staff volunteers to supervise the school and grounds each morning, at interval, lunch and after school. ELT members will carry mobile radios for communication and safety of all.
Parents/Carers and Visitors
All parents/carers and visitors must report to the main reception to sign in or inform the office staff of the reason for being in the school.
All visitors must wear a temporary security pass whilst in the school building. This should be visible at all times.
Parents/carers should inform the school office if a pupil is absent from school, late or needs to leave early. This allows the school to maintain an accurate record of who is in the school building and when.
You can complain in person, by phone, email or by letter. We regard a complaint as any expression or dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.
Clackmannanshire Council Complaints Handling Procedure
Who can complain?
Anyone can complain who is the parent or legal guardian of a child or a person authorised to complain on his/her behalf. For example, a child's grandparent who is not the legal guardian needs authority from the child's parent or guardian. This would normally mean a note to show that the person responsible for the child had agreed
What can't I complain about?
Here are some things we can't deal with through our complaints procedure:
A routine first time request for a service or action – e.g. informing the school that your child told you she is being bullied and asking them to resolve this.
Requests for compensation from the Council.
Things that are covered by a right of appeal, e.g. Exclusion from school which has its own statutory process. In these cases we will give you information and advice to help you.
We have a 2 stage complaints procedure.
Stage One - Frontline resolution
In the first instance please complain to your child's school, telling them as much as you can about the complaint, what has gone wrong and what you want them to do to resolve the matter. A senior member of staff, either the Headteacher or Depute Head, will be responsible for looking into complaints. Heads are senior managers with a high level of responsibility for your child's learning and welfare and able to look into most matters. However, the Headteacher may refer the Stage One complaint to Education Services centrally, e.g. if it is about the conduct of the Headteacher or too complex to be dealt with at front-line service level.
The school will give you our decision at Stage One within 5 working days or fewer unless there are exceptional circumstances. If we need further time we will ask you to agree an extension of up to 5 further days. If the Stage One complaint has been referred to Education centrally your response will come from there.
Stage Two – Investigation
If you are dissatisfied with your Stage One response you can move to Stage Two. Stage Two deals with 2 types of complaints: those not resolved at Stage One and those not appropriate for Stage One, for example the conduct of a Headteacher or too complex for a Headteacher to deal with.
To move to Stage Two, you should contact the Head of Education and ask for a formal investigation under Stage Two. You can do this by asking the Headteacher of the school to move the complaint to Stage Two on your behalf.
When using Stage Two:
After we have fully investigated your Stage Two complaint, if you are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way we dealt with your complaint you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to look at it.
The SPSO cannot normally look at:
A complaint that has not completed our complaints procedure.
Events that happened or you became aware of, more than a year ago.
The World Wide Web is a useful tool for researching information, but may also be a place where pupils may come across unsuitable material. Pupils may deliberately or accidentally access sites which are sexually explicit, aggressive or racist in nature. The use of e-mail may also mean that pupils may potentially be in contact with other users whose motives are unknown.
At the moment, Internet access is all through school servers, and filtering takes place in that known sites and certain key search words and phrases will be blocked automatically. Pupils should also be made aware of their own responsibility in terms of safe and appropriate Internet use. An Internet user policy should seek to minimise these dangers to pupils.
User policy:
1.	Internet use should only be for research purposes approved by your teacher
2.	Tell your teacher if you come across any sexually explicit, aggressive or racist materials, or any other materials with which you feel uncomfortable
3.	Never give out your real name, phone number or any other way of someone identifying you unless approved by your teacher
4. E-mail should only be used to send or receive appropriate materials
5.	Only enter a chat room with your teacher's approval
6.	Ask your teacher's permission before opening any e-mail attachments
7.	Use of the Internet via the school server is a privilege which will be withdrawn if it is used inappropriately
While this policy puts the responsibility for appropriate Internet use on the pupil, it is not sufficient to trust the pupils absolutely.
The teacher responsible should:
1.	Supervise pupils with Internet access directly. Pupils should not be allowed independent, unsupervised use to the Internet.
2.	If in doubt, say "No!"
3.	Notify IT manager with details of any unsuitable materials so that they can be blocked from further access.


text:
https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/2020/08/23/joel-embiid-tobias-harris-give-thoughts-on-brett-browns-sixers-future/
Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris give thoughts on Brett Brown's Sixers future
Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
[jwplayer 3iWQflki-z6KDnl0B]
The 2019-20 version of the Philadelphia 76ers is in the books as they finished up an overall disappointing season by being swept by the Boston Celtics on Sunday. This now brings up a lot of questions as there will inevitably be changes in this upcoming offseason.
At the forefront is coach Brett Brown who has been coach of the Sixers for seven seasons now and after years of the process, he got the team back into the playoffs. However, they have not been able to have any success and there is a high possibility that he could be fired within the coming days. That's just life as a coach in the NBA.
Joel Embiid has been coached by Brown his entire career and Brown has stuck by him no matter what was going on off the floor. This is a thought that will always stick with the big fella moving forward no matter the decision made.
"Great guy. He's an even better person than a coach," said Embiid. "He cares about his players. He cares about people that work with him. It's beyond basketball. No matter what happens, I trust management, like I said, he's going to be a great friend. No matter what."
In terms of the coming decision by management, Embiid wouldn't open up too much on that, but he also understands the game of basketball is a business.
"I'm not the GM. I don't make the decisions," the big man added. "All I know is we've got a great organization, a bunch of great people. I never judge people based on basketball. I judge them based on how great or how bad of a person they are. I think in the organization, we got amazing people. From the owners to management to coaching staff, the training staff, we got a bunch of great people."
Tobias Harris, who finally seemed to find a rhythm in Game 4 after struggling for much of this series, looked at himself before placing any blame on anybody else.
"With Ben (Simmons) going down, I think coach did a good job of rallying us up and get us going and keep our spirits up," Harris explained. "Before anything, I take ownership of myself and trying to be a leader of this team and not being able to be successful in the playoffs. Before we go that way, ownership needs to come from an individual. I'm not going one way or the other, I got to look myself in the mirror and be better for my team and be able to lead my team in a better way."
A decision on Brown will most likely come in the coming days, but no matter the outcome, he deserves a lot of respect for deciding to come to Philadelphia and lose on purpose before guiding the franchise to get back to respectability.
Josh Richardson says Sixers were missing accountability from Brett Brown
3 observations: Kemba Walker, Celtics finish sweep of Joel Embiid, Sixers
Brett Brown doesn't want Sixers playing 'what if' game vs. Celtics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
È incluso nell'elenco dei Trenta Tiranni della Historia Augusta.

Origini
Si sa poco delle origini di Leliano: ebbe il nomen di un'importante e nobile famiglia dell'Hispania, gli Ulpii, che incluse tra i suoi membri Traiano, e potrebbe quindi farne parte. Questa ipotesi è supportata dalla forte allusione all'Hispania presente su di un aureo da lui coniato, che raffigura la personificazione dell'Hispania adagiata con un coniglio al fianco. Se questa ipotesi corrispondesse alla verità, il ritorno di questa provincia all'impero di Claudio II il Gotico dopo la morte di Leliano per mano di Postumo, apparentemente senza scontri, assumerebbe un nuovo significato.

Regno
Leliano si autoproclamò imperatore a Magonza nel febbraio/marzo 268. Sebbene la sua esatta funzione non sia nota, si ritiene che fosse un alto ufficiale sotto Postumo, o il legatus Augusti pro praetore della Germania superiore o il comandante della Legio XXII Primigenia di stanza a Mogontiacum. Leliano rappresentò un grave pericolo per Postumo, in quanto comandava due legioni, la XXII Primigenia, di stanza a Mogontiacum (Magonza), e la VIII Augusta, acquartierata ad Argentorate (Strasburgo): malgrado ciò, la sua ribellione durò solo due mesi, poi fu decapitato, dai suoi stessi soldati o forse dai soldati di Postumo, che avevano messo sotto assedio la capitale.

L'assedio di Magonza fu comunque letale anche per Postumo, il quale fu ucciso dai propri soldati per essersi rifiutato di permetter loro di saccheggiare la città conquistata.

Note

Bibliografia

Fonti primarie
 Historia Augusta, Trenta Tiranni, Lolliano.

Fonti secondarie

Altri progetti

Leliano
Leliano
Leliano

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The boys never mind posing wearing a hat, especially when it's a fedora.
I'm going to guess it's because the brim does an excellent job blocking the flash, but they've never really said.
Our Daily Challenge - Aug 3, 2016 - "Focal Point"
Daily Dog Challenge 1738. "Cool Color(s)"
No, it's not easy to tell the boys apart from just their noses.
You'd think a dark freckle dead-center would be a sure give-away, but both dogs have one there.
Hint: Zachary's nose has more speckles on the edges and his muzzle is lighter in real life (although the flash makes determining that tricky) making a definitive attribution possible for those who really want to know.
There are three shots of each dog on today's post.
You'd think he hadn't eaten all day.


text:
https://www.med.wisc.edu/media/medwiscedu/images/education/mph-program/mph-son.jpg
The Master of Public Health (MPH) program provides professional preparation in the core public health competencies to health professionals and students.
The degree provides a practice-oriented approach for those who want to strengthen their general knowledge and skills in public health, either through a single degree or through one of the program's many dual degree programs.
Is a career in public health right for you? Learn more about what public health is and find resources to explore potential career paths.
View the application deadline, minimum requirements, and information for international and dual degree applicants.
View current tuition and fees, along with information about financial aid and options to obtain funding for your education.
Dual degree and certificate programs
MPH Day of Service
Our annual MPH Day of Service, an MPH Program tradition, will be on Aug. 29 at Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Faculty, staff and students are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Curriculum and competencies
Our program takes an interprofessional, practice-oriented approach to provide education and training to students in the Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Pharmacy, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, Public Affairs, and Law. In the fall of 2019, our program will introduce a new, innovative curriculum that better prepares our graduates to take on the challenges they will face as they enter the public health workforce.
Curriculum (for classes starting in 2019 and later)
MPH Program competencies
Our curriculum provides a practice-oriented program for students in all health professions who want to strengthen general knowledge and skills in public health.
Students in the Master of Public Health Program are required to take 13 credits of electives. Electives assist students to individualize their program of study and develop specialty skills.
The field experience and capstone are required of all students in the MPH program. Fieldwork provides students with practical experience to apply skills and knowledge, while the capstone is based on a non-thesis culminating MPH experience.
Dual-degree puts public health initiatives in pharmacist's hands
Tristan O'Driscoll leads the System Antimicrobial Stewardship Program for Aspirus' eight hospitals and 50 clinics across northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Delta Omega welcomes three new members
Congratulations to our 2018 Delta Omega members Kim Kassander, Samantha Aisen, and Mitch Running who were inducted into the public health honorary society on a very snowy Jan. 28.
MPH student Ryan Rohde featured as NACHP student of the month
Ryan Rohde graduated from his undergrad with a BA in Psychology- Human Services and is currently in the Masters of Public Health Program and looking to also obtain a certificate in Global Health.
View more MPH news
Master of public health students and recent graduates can find employment opportunities from our continuously updated job listings.
The UW-Madison Master of Public Health Program has been accredited by the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH), since 2009. The MPH program's most recent accreditation site visit occurred in March 2014. The MPH Program was reaccredited in September 2014.
The final accreditation report and final self-study are available below:
UW-Madison MPH Program - Self-Study 2014 (pdf)
UW-Madison MPH Program - CEPH Final Report (pdf)
Learn more about accreditation from the CEPH website
Promoting and embracing diversity is central to the mission of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program, the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For the past several decades, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has made promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion a top priority of institutional life. The MPH Program is committed to a strategy of inclusive excellence by recruiting and sustaining a diverse student body, faculty and staff and providing training that is dedicated to producing public health practitioners who understand the needs of diverse individuals, families and populations.
MD-MPH program
Physician assistant-MPH degree
All education programs


'n Jaar gelede was ek besig om tydens Pinkster in Hartenbos te preek, terwyl ons dogter, Wilmarie, gejaag word na die hospitaal ná 'n beroerte wat sy gekry het tydens haar oefensessie in die "gym". So jonk nog!
"You'll never truly know how strong you are until something extremely terrible happens to you… and you make it through.
On this day a year ago my life fell into pieces. After work, at the gym i had a minor stroke followed by a major stroke in the hospital. At first i did not want to believe it is a reality. When i accepted that it did, in fact, happen to me, i had a choice. Either i give in to the anger, sadness and misery that this might be the end of everything i've lived for, worked for and everything i still wanted to accomplish in my life. Or i could fight this thing. And that is exactly what i did.
Thanks to God, my wonderful parents, boyfriend Pierre, sister, other family members, friends and even strangers who prayed for, and believed in me. I am truly blessed to have so much support and recover so well.
Every day of recovery was a challenge. The right side of my body was affected. Not being able to do day to day things like write, walk, not able to smile, face dragged, slurred speech, cognitive fatigue, etc. I put my mind to work hard so i could have my life back. You can't control what happens to you, but the outcome is in your hands.
Never predict that when something horrible happens to you, you won't be able to beat it. Determination, positivity, belief and perseverance is key for success.
I will eventually fully recover. And if i don't, i will learn to accept it. Because i am thankful that i got a second chance and i am blessed to be able to live. Now, i have so much more in life to be thankful for.
Everything happens for a reason. I am yet to find out what the reason was for my bad experience, but hopefully someone could learn through me that anything (realistic) is possible if you put your mind and heart to it.
Stuur gerus jou storie van bemoediging ook, dan sit ons dit in die blog onder Wonderwerke.
En laat weet vir ons by jannie@jannieleroux.co.za waarmee jy dink heelwat mense hulp nodig het.
WONDERLIK: Claire Ryann laat my weer opnuut waardeer Wie vir ons lief het en vir Wie ek lief is. Kyk hier.


Q Why is Atlas Copco backing the Best Factory Awards 2015?
Atlas Copco has a historic association with the Best Factory Awards going back to its early years and we were very pleased to resume that relationship in 2014.
It was a very good event and the calibre of companies included on the shortlist gave clear evidence of the high esteem in which these awards are held. What is also very impressive is the challenging nature of the judging process.
The way in which the finalists in each category at the Best Factory Awards are examined is extremely rigorous and challenging.
It is not just another awards ceremony in a long line of awards ceremonies. Rather, it is a celebration of British manufacturing that has a huge amount of integrity, with winners that have earned recognition through sheer hard work and enthusiasm.
Q What should manufacturers know about Atlas Copco?
The most important thing for manufacturers to understand about Atlas Copco is our dedication to sustainable productivity. This philosophy runs through everything we do, and sums up our aim of helping to maximise production in the most efficient and sustainable manner.
Our compressed air solutions are designed and built with this in mind, but it applies equally to our service and care programmes, which are designed to ensure our customers continue to get the best from their compressed air system over the long term.
Compressed air is often referred to as the fourth utility in industrial circles and, if it is optimised in the right way, it can make a significant contribution to efficient and productive manufacturing.
Q What's your favourite UK-manufactured product and why?
There are many great British products that I could name, but the one that stands out for me is the Henry Hoover vacuum cleaner. It is authentically British in the way it is designed and manufactured and a great example of this country's unique capabilities.
I had the pleasure recently of visiting the Henry Hoover factory and I must say it was very impressive from an operational perspective. It is not a large company, but it is a very successful one.
If I could bestow one gift upon UK manufacturing it would be a greater appreciation of proactive maintenance as an essential component of best practice.
The implementation of proactive maintenance is very well established in mainland Europe where manufacturers recognise it as an important way of protecting their assets and investments to ensure the best possible productivity over the long term.
There's also a strong culture in other countries of working with trusted partners and using genuine spare parts as an assurance of quality, rather than cutting corners to save some money in the short term, which is all too common here in the UK. I'd like to see that long-term approach become better embedded in the UK.
I cannot think of another country that has such a rich history of engineering innovation, from the steam engine to the jet engine. There have been so many important inventions born in Great Britain and I think that spirit is still alive today.
It must be nurtured and encouraged. As an example, our custom engineering workshop, Systems Hemel Hempstead, was recently expanded to help meet growing demand from customers all over the world, who value the expertise and quality of our work.
The best business advice I have ever received is also one of the core philosophies of the Atlas Copco Group. It is simply that there is always a better way. I believe that understanding this is integral to helping us all continually to improve what we do and the way in which we do it.


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Home | Culture | Art | Performance
Performance Arts in China
Live performance has always been a vital part of Chinese culture. We cover the most well-known form of performance art : Chinese opera in a separate section. Here we look at the traditional Chinese forms of puppetry, dance, drama and story-telling.
Puppetry in China傀儡 kuǐ lěi
Shadow puppets 皮影戏 pí yǐng xì
Exhibit in the Sichuan University Museum (四川大学博物馆) - Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Photography was permitted in the museum without restriction. Image by Daderot ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
The ancient tradition of Feng Shui has been far reaching for thousands of years. It is still practiced today, particularly for choosing the site for buildings and graves. With the goal of harmony and balance with nature, it has excellent environmental credentials. Read more…
There has long been a high standard of street theater and puppetry in China. Details of the early history are limited, the art form emerged between 8th century BCE to 7th century CE. A famous legend about its origin puts it in the Han dynasty when Emperor Wu mourned the death of a favorite concubine and a puppet brought her memory back to life.
Various forms of puppetry developed but by the Song dynasty shadow puppets became the most popular form. This makes it the earliest animated technique in the world and has UNESCO world cultural heritage status ➚. The typical form of shadow puppets uses a back-lit sheet against which puppets are placed by the performers from behind the sheet. The puppets are traditionally made from translucent leather that is dyed (although paper is also used). Some puppets had up to eleven moving pieces to be manipulated by thin metal rods. Around six performers manipulated the puppets backed by a few musicians playing traditional instruments. Performers sang and narrated the stories from a repertoire of about 50 tales.
There was a wide range of subjects portrayed in the art-form from knockabout 'punch and judy ➚' style entertainment through to lengthy historical epics.
The God of Thunder, 19th century, shadow puppet from Sichuan Province, Lin Liu-Hsin Museum. Image by Hiart available under a Creative Commons License ➚
Video not visible
Shadow puppetry performance
Marionettes and glove puppets 木偶戏 mù ǒu xì
As well as shadow puppets there is a long tradition of the more familiar puppet shows using hands (glove puppets) or stringed marionettes. See this highly skilled performance as an example:
Dance 舞蹈 wǔ dǎo
China, rustic dancers, eastern han dynasty (25-220). Image by sailko ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
Yangge dances
Yāng ge 秧歌 is a traditional dance associated with celebrations at harvest time. It is joyous and vivacious. Sometimes seen in northern cities all year round. It is a tradition across northern China from Shaanxi through to Jilin.
Yange dance
More familiar to visitors to China are the Lion and Dragon dances. They can be easily distinguished because the lion has two operators while the dragon has many more.
Traditional lion dance near a temple
Symbols and Motifs
Chinese arts and handicrafts are full of hidden symbols. Bats, goldfish, peonies and bees all give a specific meaning to a painting or decoration. Exploring the world of Chinese symbolism opens up a whole new layer of appreciation. Read more…
Lion dance 舞狮 wǔ shī
Northern lion dance
The lion dance has two operators and has distinct regional variations. The northern form (北狮 běi shī) is the older and the costume resembles Pekingese dogs rather than lions. There may be two adult lions played by two performers with two cubs played by single dancers.
Southern Lion dance
The southern form (南狮 nán shī) originated from Guangdong, the lion has a single horn on a papier-mache head making it larger than the northern form. The southern form is the one most likely to be seen outside China. The Lion dance is traditionally seen at Chinese New Year but can be seen at other festivals and celebrations. The performers are often students of martial arts. The lion wanders down streets and stops to take part in 采青 cǎi qīng where the lion takes a green vegetable tied with a red envelope. The lion attempts to 'spit' out the vegetable and keep the lucky red envelope.
Chinese New Year Lion Dance 1. 2011. Image by Tony Hisgett ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
Southern lion dance after an amazing firecracker display
How well do you know China?
On a Chinese abacus each ball in the upper (heaven) register represent how many units? <Select> 10685
The lower register on a standard Chinese abacus has five balls and the upper register is changed when five is reached. The abacus has faded from practical use but it is still taught to children as it helps with mental arithmetic skills.
Go to our quizzes page for a great range of quizzes about everything Chinese
Dragon dance 舞龙 wǔ lóng
The dragon has a head operated by one dancer followed by a number of dancers along the body underneath a flowing red fabric held up by poles. Some dragons can be 100 yards [91 meters] long. It probably dates back to the Han dynasty (2,000) years ago. There is considerable skill to ensure head and body move together in a convincing way. Common moves are 'chasing a pearl (of wisdom)' or ball and 'threading money'. It used to be restricted for New Year celebrations but is now seen at other times but not as widely as the lion dance.
© CEphoto, Uwe Aranas. Image by CEPhoto ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚
Drama 戏剧 xì jù
Eating snakes
With periods of mass starvation only sixty years ago, when people resorted to eating grass and tree bark to keep alive, it is not surprising that the Chinese will have a go at eating just about anything. Snake meat is considered quite a delicacy and there are restaurants that specialize in serving many types of snake meat.
The history of drama in China has a continuous history of over 900 years. Carvings from Han dynasty tombs show actors in performance putting the history back 2,000 years.
The first well documented drama comes from the early Song dynasty at the Imperial palace at Kaifeng. The Chinese Opera tradition (see separate full section on opera) was born out of the union of ballads and comedic sketches. The themes followed a broad range of topics from history, religion, military, Imperial palace and romance. The solitary story-teller was also an important related entertainment.
From the Mongol dynasty came the 杂剧 zá jù comedic theater. In the Ming the change of musical tastes brought in the 传奇 chuán qí form. Gao Ming ➚ was a pioneer of this form with his famous Song of the Lute (琵琶记 Pí pa jì). With the move to the south in the Southern Song the Kunqu form of opera took prominence.
While the sophisticated Chinese opera forms entertained the Imperial and educated classes a more basic form entertained ordinary people. The stage may be at a temple or set up temporarily in a village for a visiting theatrical troupe - often blocking the main road. Some can be as simple as a 'Punch and Judy' style show. They would be typically hired at the expense of the village chief and may also give a private performance to his family. The traveling life of the actors led to association with prostitution and as in Europe all male performers became the norm.
The dramas are set to music from a limited repertoire of traditional tunes. Although the dramas cover a wide range of stories they did not have tragedies - it was considered an uplifting entertainment and not a place for horror or sadness.
Story-telling in China讲古时 jiǎng gǔ shí
Pingshu story-tellers 评书 píng shū
Ivory Storyteller (right-hand side). Image by Huanghsindon available under a Creative Commons License ➚
Chinese Gordon
The role of the British in 19th century China is normally seen as one of exploitation. In the case of General Gordon this does not seem quite accurate. Gordon worked as a mercenary for the Qing forces against the Taiping rebels and earned a lot of respect from Li Hongzhang and other Chinese leaders. His exploits earned him the name 'Chinese Gordon' in Britain long before he became the doomed hero of Khartoum fame.
Telling stories is an age-old tradition the world over. It was the only art form accessible to ordinary people. An itinerant story-teller would come and entertain the locals in their village with familiar tales from long ago. In China the situation was no different and as in many other areas the Chinese tradition has survived the centuries.
Many scripts used by story-tellers from the Song dynasty (one thousand years ago) still exist. To become a story-teller you entered a guild which taught the basic technique in the local regional style from a young age. It was principally an oral tradition - a story-teller memorized the whole story and there were many blind practitioners of this art-form.
In more modern times the typical setting was the tea house. While people came and chatted or played Chinese chess over a cup of tea, the story teller stood and recounted his tale. Listening with attentive silence was not the tradition, and this added challenge to the story-teller - he needed to grab their attention. Quite often the stories focused on historical events long ago, the Three Kingdoms period provided a rich source of such tales.
From the Ming dynasty a tradition of famous story-tellers grew in Yangzhou, Jiangsu - at the junction of the Grand Canal and Yangzi River. There were hundreds, so permanent platforms were built along the main road for them. Two of the most famous were Jin Guoshan and Gong Wuting. It was said of them: "When you listened to Jin Guoshan, you didn't need to eat; when you listened to Gong Wuting you forgot to stop eating".
As literacy has increased dramatically in the last century the tradition of story-telling has almost disappeared, there used to be many regional variations much as in the case of opera and theater. Like many traditional art forms it was violently suppressed during the Cultural Revolution and barely survived.
Shan Tianfang ➚ 单传忠 (1934-2018) was one of the few who kept the tradition alive and has trained many young performer to carry it on. Shan came from Liaoning and over sixty years of performance adopted the style of standing behind a table and using only a gavel and fan to animate key points. Other top performers were Yuan Kuocheng and Liu Lanfang.
Biography of Shan Tianfang
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter expressed in Pingshu form
Comic story-telling 相声 Xiàng sheng
While Pingshu often tackles historical subjects Xiang Sheng is geared to raise a laugh. The performers are trained from a young age to perform parody, satire and comedy. They may imitate people or birds or wild animals. It can be a solo or double act. The performers engage in all sorts of verbal gymnastics to entertain their audiences. It is usually performed in a tea-house or small theater.
Modern comic story-telling
Comic story-telling with English subtitles
弹词 Tán cí
Tanci is a form of story telling with musical accompaniment that is found around Suzhou, Jiangsu. Up to three performers tell the tale with music played on traditional stringed instruments.
Tan ci story-telling from Hunan
Traditional performance
China has a great range of traditional performing arts: theater, opera, dance, shadow and glove puppetry and story-telling. Many of these have roots back in ancient times - over a thousand years. Mass media has reduced popularity of most forms but devoted practitioners are helping to keep the art-forms alive.
The Chinese game of chess is rather different to the version used in the west. There are strong reasons to suppose that the Chinese game 象棋 Xiangqi or 'elephant game' is closer to the original form. The absence of a 'queen' piece and the strange rules for 'cannons' make this a more challenging game than the version played in the West.
As in so many other cultural areas the Chinese musical heritage is immensely rich. A wide range of different musical instruments have been developed over thousands of years. Accomplishment with a musical instrument is still considered an important part of a child's education.
Citation information for this page : Chinasage, 'Performing arts in China', last updated 31 Dec 2018, Web, http://www.chinasage.info/performing-arts.htm.
Source references used for this page: Book : China : Eyewitness Travel: Dorling… p. 602-603; ¤ Book : Nagel's Encyclopedia guide: China:… pp. 199-200, 1038-1039; ¤ Book : Symbols of China: Feng Jicai:… pp. 242-244, 246-247; ¤ Book : The Cambridge Encyclopedia of… pp. 188, 354, 358-360; ¤ Book : The Civilization Of China: Herbert… pp. 93-94, 98-100; ¤ Dance (wikipedia) ➚ ; ¤ Dance (wikipedia) ➚ ; ¤ drama (britannica) ➚ ; ¤ story telling (news) ➚
Culture Index - Festivals - New Year - Calendar 2019 - Customs - Religion - Ancestor veneration - Confucius - Daoism - Tao Te Ching - Buddhism - Christianity - Islam - Women - Astrology - Stars - Feng Shui - Qi - Yi Jing - Dragons - Symbolism - Bird symbols - Animal symbols - Flowers and Fruit symbols - Color symbols - Nature symbols - Assorted symbols - Architecture - T'ai Chi - Name for China - Chess - Go - Mahjong - Inventions - Exams - Medicine - Rice - Food - Tea - Silk - Performance- Opera - Paper-cuts - Music - Jade - Porcelain - Kites - Weights & measures


text:
<?php

namespace CrEOF\Spatial\Tests\Fixtures;

use CrEOF\Spatial\PHP\Types\Geography\GeographyInterface;

/**
 * Geography entity
 *
 * @author  Derek J. Lambert <dlambert@dereklambert.com>
 * @license http://dlambert.mit-license.org MIT
 *
 * @Entity
 */
class GeographyEntity
{
    /**
     * @var int $id
     *
     * @Id
     * @GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
     * @Column(type="integer")
     */
    protected $id;

    /**
     * @var GeographyInterface $geography
     *
     * @Column(type="geography", nullable=true)
     */
    protected $geography;

    /**
     * Get id
     *
     * @return int
     */
    public function getId()
    {
        return $this->id;
    }

    /**
     * Set geography
     *
     * @param GeographyInterface $geography
     *
     * @return self
     */
    public function setGeography(GeographyInterface $geography)
    {
        $this->geography = $geography;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get geography
     *
     * @return GeographyInterface
     */
    public function getGeography()
    {
        return $this->geography;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A 7.3-magnitude earthquake shook the northern coast of Venezuela on Tuesday night, the earthquake knocked items off supermarket shelves and caused tremors as far away as Bogota, the sister nation, Colombian capital. Fortunately, there were no reported of any casualties in the aftermath.
The country is still feeling plenty of other shocks. A popular satirical website tweeted that the earthquake was the result of a tectonic plate trying to flee Venezuela – a dark joke gesturing to the thousands of Venezuelans seeking to escape the country every day. Some of them fleeing thru the border with Ecuador which as seen as many as 5,000 per day come to their shores.
According to U.N. figures, some 2.3 million Venezuelans. This is about 7 percent of the total population – have fled their homeland over the past two years. Other estimates place the number, even higher, at closer to 4 million.
The exodus is said to be the consequence of severe economic deprivation and mounting desperation among Venezuelans.
While the bulk of the refugees have crossed into Colombia, many are moving on from there to other countries, including Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Peruvian officials say 20,000 Venezuelans arrived there last week alone. On Sunday, authorities in Ecuador closed border crossings with Colombia to Venezuelans who don't have passports – documents many poor Venezuelans do not have and which have become increasingly difficult to obtain. Ecuador, later on relaxed the measure, and allowed all Venezuelans to cross into their country as long as they kept going to Peru, and other destinations. They were even being accompanied by the police along their long and hard journey on the highways.
On Wednesday, Ecuadorian officials called for an emergency regional summit so Venezuela and its neighbors can collectively reckon with the crisis. "The capacity of the region is overwhelmed," said Yukiko Iriyama, a representative in Colombia for the U.N. refugee agency. "The magnitude of the situation really requires a regional cooperation and a comprehensive approach.
In Venezuela, blame has always shifted towards Nicolás Maduro, whose regime, through widespread graft and incompetence, has transformed what was once one of the region's richest nations into a humanitarian calamity. Venezuela was one of the richest oil nations in the world.


The past, present, and future. The thoughts and images of one man... for all men. One man's dreams... for every dreamer.
Mother of 'I': You're staying home. The sun is shining but it's raining.
Dreams is not a movie for everybody. To some, it may be too artsy of a film for their tastes (what are you doing watching movies then?), others may be annoyed by some of the stories not having clear messages, or leaving questions unanswered. Well, that is because Dreams is a film that was born inside of Kurosawa, and lives inside of him, it's a very personal film that not everybody will appreciate.
The movie consists of eight short stories. Most of which center around the issue of people's relationships with other elements that make up this world that we live in.
The cinematography in Dreams is breathtaking, and is the reason why some people claim that it is a film that puts "Style" above "story". I think that nobody can truly completely understand this film but Kurosawa himself. It is a product of his mind, a film that we cannot fully comprehend since we are not him. But since film is a form of art and in its truest form, a reflection of one's own self, Dreams may have just been one of Kurosawa's personal favorites in his long, amazing career.


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By Dan Rankin Album Reviews June 5, 2011
REVIEW: Frank Turner – "England Keep My Bones"
Frank Turner / England Keep My Bones / Epitaph
The former singer of Million Dead continues to surprise on England Keep My Bones, his fourth solo record, which blends a very traditional folk sound, the philosophy of a wise European backpacker and the passion of a fresh-faced punk rocker. Less a tour diary than his previous album, this effort is more an unrepentant love letter for Frank Turner's homeland (and, in that regard, more in the vein of "Penny Lane" than "Strawberry Fields Forever"). "Rivers", "English Curse" and "If I Ever Stray" are all self referentially British and bound by their very nature to become bar room favourites in the communities Turner sings lovingly about, from their streets and waterways to their ancient folklore.
The United Kingdom has a long tradition of detailing the notable lives that have lived on its soil – which helped Turner's research for the track "English Curse". On "One Foot Before the Other" and elsewhere throughout England Keep My Bones, he does an impressive job of documenting his own role on that same island in his own unique place in history. But he's doing a whole lot more than that. "Glory Hallelujah" is a cunningly penned humanist celebration of living in the now. "Wessex Boy" describes the exuberant joy of returning home after a long absence and, despite not knowing anyone, getting that feeling of being home from the trees, buildings and memories. If you ever expect to find yourself poor and lonely somewhere between Canterbury and Bristol with nothing but an acoustic guitar, learn these songs. You might make some new friends.
Download: "If I Ever Stray", "Wessex Boy", "Glory Hallelujah"
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