Mount Carmel Outdoor Learning/PE

Welcome back and I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

For Outdoor Learning this term, classes will continue to complete activities relevant to progress their outdoor learning award.  Having already looked closer at nature through special hand lenses, Primaries 1 and 2 will begin to make bug hotels and homes for nature as well as experiences nature by detecting wildlife and sensing what’s around them.

Primaries 3 and 4 will visit both churches within Onthank and conduct research into their history.  They will then compare results and note any similarities and differences.  We will also discuss how to share our findings with the rest of the school and why heritage is important.

This term, P5-7 will continue to focus on aspects of their John Muir Award.  P5 will be concentrating on the Leave No Trace campaign, making posters and videos to share with others.  P6/7 will aim to develop the playground by building dens for everyone to play in and begin a campaign against dog fouling.  Primary 7 will aim to make the Foxes a more interactive place to go as well as develop the use of the playground to include more activities.

Please ensure your child(ren) have suitable clothes for outdoor activities, especially for inclement weather.

P1 PE will consist of fun fitness which will focus on the stamina of various body parts, moving at different speeds, strength and agility.  They will then move onto their second block of gymnastics, concentrating on sequencing their movements and consolidating their manoeuvres.  P1 HWB this term will be looking at personal hygiene and various ways we keep clean and healthy, such as washing hands and brushing teeth.

For P2, PE will be looking at basic racquet skills and begin to develop better hand-eye coordination.  Like Primary 1, P2 will also then undertake their second block of gymnastics, focussing on sequencing routines.  P2 will be looking at mental health this term, particularly emotions, using the characters from Inside Out.

This term, P3 will first concentrate on their second block of gymnastics, linking movements together to create mini performances and expressing their creative side.  P3 will then move into Ball Skills.  Using small and large balls, they will begin to understand aspects of attacking and defending within ball games.  P3 HWB this term will be focussing on sleep, rest and diet and the importance of these for their development.

P4 PE will be looking at setting personal fitness goals and working towards these as well as looking at the relevant skills associated with target setting.  Later on this term, P4 will move into activities based on basketball developing a variety of skills based on the game.  Their HWB will also be looking at the importance of sleep, rest and diet for their development and learning.

Primary 5 PE will also focus on setting personal fitness goals and working towards these.  We will then be developing our skills and understanding of rules within the game of basketball.  For HWB this term, P5 will be taking part in the LEAD programme which is delivered by Active Schools.  P5 will learn leadership skills and then lead small groups of infants in small playground activities.

For the first part of this term, P6/7 will focus on personal fitness, identifying muscle groups being exercised and developing their own exercise routine. HWB this term will be looking at the world of work and identifying the skills they need for future careers.

All classes have now had opportunities to take their literacy learning outdoors and all children have had fun exploring their playground and local green space.  This term, there will be a short focus on numeracy activities before beginning to work towards accreditation from an Outdoor Education body.

Primary 1 and 2 will be aiming to earn recognition of their outdoor activities by completing the Wild Challenge projects issued by the RSPB.  These include building homes for mini-beasts and birds as well as sharing what they have done with others.

Primary 3 and 4 will be working towards a Heritage Hero award issued by Archaeology Scotland.  This involves looking at local landmarks and investigating their history and features and then inspiring others to take an interest in local heritage.

Primary 5-7 will seek to gain their John Muir award from the John Muir Trust.  This will include a variety of outdoor projects focussing on improving and conserving our playground and local green space.

For most classes this term, PE will consist of gymnastics and social dancing.  P1-3 social dancing will include See the Little Hands Clap, Grand Old Duke of York and Canadian Barn Dance.  P4-7 social dancing will include Scottish Country dances such as Gay Gordon’s, Virginia Reel and Flying Scotsman.  Primary 5 also have the added bonus of using their social dancing skills at the Day of Dance where schools from East Ayrshire join together to celebrate our Scottish heritage.  However, instead of gymnastics, Primary 1 will be focussing on football skills, developing the ball skills they concentrated on the previous term.

Bullying can take place in any location. We have been emphasising  the need to look after each other when travelling to and from school as well as when are exploring our local green space.  We will continue to develop and build positive relationships through teamwork activities and encourage children to report any issues to a responsible adult.

This term for outdoor learning all classes will be experiencing outdoor activities with a literacy focus based around a novel or short story.   Books covered are:  We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (P1), The Owl Who was Afraid of the Dark (P2 and 3), Horton Hears a Who (P4), The Lorax (P5), Wilderness Wars (P6/7) and Wolf Brother (P7).  Look out for pictures on the blog of your child/children taking part in these activities.

For Physical Education, all classes will be playing games focusing on teamwork.  Additionally, all classes will be developing their skills in in a variety of sports.  P1 and P2 will be working on small and large ball skills.  P3 and 4 will be doing street hockey and racquet skills.  P5 will be concentrating on aspects of Rugby and Street Hockey.  P6/7 will be focusing on skills from Badminton and Hockey.

Can you please ensure that your child/children has their full gym kit and water.  Furthermore, please take out you child’s earrings prior to their gym days as taping them is no longer permitted.  Be aware, if your child has earrings and they cannot remove them independently, they will not be allowed to participate in PE.

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