Dear Parents/Carers,

In Mount Carmel we are following a new homework procedure in line with our current restrictions. On a Monday your child will receive their personal Homework folder. In this you will find a login card with details of all logins and passwords that may be required over the coming months. The folder will also contain a Homework Task Grid and for some classes there may be a copy of a reading book. To begin with homework will focus on reading and active literacy. Over the coming months there will be a variety of tasks from different areas of the curriculum.

The Homework Task Grid will provide details of a core reading task which must be completed, a selection of Active Literacy Tasks and an additional Sumdog task. Please help your child to choose two of the Active Literacy Tasks. There is no expectation that all tasks will be completed.

We ask that all homework folders are returned to the school on the Thursday to allow for items to be quarantined appropriately. New homework grids and reading books will then be provided on the following Monday.

We thank you for your continued co-operation and support at this time.

Kind regards,

Mrs McConville

Mount Carmel will this year again be participating in The Rag Bag Collection . Bags will be sent home with pupils in the few days. They should be returned to the school no later than 9am on 24th September. Please ensure all bags are secured at the top and left in the vestibule outside the front door of the school, as we are unable to allow parents/carers access to the school at present. Please do not block the front door .

Thank you for your co-operation. 

Welcome back everyone and welcome to the P6/7 blog! I trust you all had an enjoyable holiday/staycation and I am delighted to welcome back the pupils of P6/7 who have settled well into the unusual routine of school.

Here’s an overview of our learning that will take place in our first term (Aug-Oct).

Literacy

This term we will be focusing on a novel study, The Wilderness War by Julia Green.  As well as reading the book together, the class will participate in activities that relate to other areas of the curriculum including Art, HWB and plenty of outdoor learning.  As a result, children should bring in appropriate clothes such as wellies or old boots, waterproof jacket and warmer clothes (hat, scarf, gloves) as we move into the colder months.

We will also continue to develop our comprehension skills through our use of Bug Club reading books.

For writing, we are concentrating on imaginative pieces focusing particularly on detailed descriptions using similes, alliteration, the senses and metaphors to interest the reader.

Spelling groups will continue to use Active Spelling strategies and follow on from previous work.

Numeracy

All groups this term have begun by looking at place value.  We will soon be moving into addition and subtraction.  The class will continue to take part in daily mental activities such as number talks and Daily 10.  P6/7 are really enjoying these games, especially “Sink the Ship” which (pardon the pun) has went down very well!

The class are also working on skills beyond number with Mrs McIntyre and are currently developing their knowledge of coordinates and angles.

Health and Wellbeing

This year we will continue to use the PATHS programme to shape our HWB learning. P6/7 have already started ‘Pupil of the Day’ and participated in discussions around feelings and how we manage our emotions.  We are also investigating the relationship of diet, rest and sleep upon our mental health and are looking at ways we can relax and improve brain function.

Well done to those who also took time and effort to prepare and present a short speech in applying for the House Captain/Vice Captain role.  It was a nervous experience for most and their involvement is excellent practise for developing vital skills which will benefit them in the future.  Videos will be shown to classes next week (Week Beg 7^th Sept) and children will vote for their preferred candidate.  Winning candidates will be announced on Friday 11^th Sept.

I look forward to working with P6/7 in the coming year and hope to have lots of enjoyable experiences that will make learning fun and memorable.

Mr Bertoncini

Welcome back to all of our Primary 3 children!  It is fantastic to be back at Mount Carmel and we are all delighted to see our friends and are really looking forward to learning lots of new things this term!

Literacy

Our class novel this term is ‘The Owl Who was Afraid of the Dark’ by Jill Tomlinson.  We are really enjoying reading this chapter book and finding out how Plop overcomes his fear of the dark.  We are completing comprehension tasks related to the text and enjoying cross-curricular links such as Outdoor Education.

We are also working in our reading groups and continuing to complete tasks linked to our Bug Club books.  In doing this, we are making predictions before reading. We are also looking at the differences between fiction and non-fiction texts.

Writing

In writing, we are writing personal accounts and focussing on including capital letters, full stops, fingers spaces and ensuring that our letters are formed correctly.   We are leaning how to write independently, using appropriate punctuation and ordering our sentences to make sure our writing is structured and makes sense.

Spelling

We are continuing to use the Active Literacy spelling programme.  We are revising our known phonemes  (such as sh, th, wh) and introducing a different phoneme and spelling words each week. We are also practising our common words (words that appear frequently in our writing such as friend, that).  We will use say, make/break, read and write to aid understanding of how words are made.  Also we are beginning to use our knowledge of the alphabet to use a dictionary to locate words.

Numeracy

In numeracy we have been revising our numbers to 100.  We are consolidating our number bonds to 20 using both addition and subtraction strategies.   We are also looking for patterns in the 2, 5 and 10 times tables and moving onto link this with division.  We have been practising skip counting and are starting to transfer these skills to our times tables.  On a Thursday we will work with Mrs McIntrye on Beyond Number concepts such as 3D shapes and information handling.

Health and Wellbeing

As part of our PATHS lessons we have revisited the characters Twiggle, Henrietta, Duke and Daphne.  In doing this we have discussed how to be a good friend and read some of the PATHS story books.  We have also made our own class charter with a Lego theme and discussed our rights and responsibilities. During PATHS lessons we have spoken about the importance of rules and that we have rules to keep us safe.  We have started to introduce our Pupil of the Day and look forward to giving compliments to our classmates and making them feel special.  We will continue to learn more about different emotions and strategies that we can use to calm down.

Primary 3 look forward to working hard and sharing their learning with you!

Thank you for your continued support,

Mrs Strachan  🙂

Hello and welcome to the Primary 1/2 blog! We are all so delighted to be back! Primary 1/2 have settled in wonderfully with everyone ready to learn. Here you will be able to find updates from Primary 1/2. You will be able to join us on our journey towards becoming learning superheroes!

Literacy

Primary 1
This term, Primary 1 will focus on developing their phonological awareness as the first step towards learning their first letter sounds. As Primary 1 begin to work on this, they will learn about rhyme and rhythm by concentrating on Nursery Rhymes. The children will develop their understanding by listening for words that sound the same (rhyme) as well as clapping out syllables. As Primary 1 develop their phonological awareness, they will in turn develop their talking and listening skills; understanding when to listen and when to respond, taking turns and communicating with others.

Another focus for Primary 1 this term will be developing their fine motor skills and pincer grip which will enable them to write their names as well as form letters and numbers in the correct way.

Primary 2
Reading – Primary 2 will be revising and consolidating their tools for reading before beginning to develop their sequencing skills this term. They will be using a variety of resources including, Bug Club books as well as utilising a range of familiar fairy tale stories as they develop this skill.

Writing – This term primary 2 will be developing their tools for writing. Primary 2 will develop their understanding of sentence structure through short pieces of writing. Primary 2 will develop these skills through personal writing. The context for this learning will stem from familiar contexts and situations the children will be able to reflect on.

Spelling – Primary 2 will be revising phonemes already covered as well as learning new phonemes in accordance with the Active Literacy programme. Primary 2 will develop their knowledge of phonemes and spelling strategies through an active approach. They will apply this knowledge alongside the development of their sentence structure skills. Primary 2 will also use the Phonic Bug resource to support and enhance their knowledge of new phonemes.

Grammar – This term primary 2 will be focusing on developing their understanding and use of punctuation such as full stops and capital letters. They will develop this skill through sentence building.

Primary 1/2
Book Study – Primary 1/2’s first topic this year is Fairyland (Traditional Tales). They have already been engaging with a range of traditional tales and have been participating in a range of learning experiences to enhance their understanding of each story including making a gigantic beanstalk after reading Jack and the Beanstalk. They will make a number of cross curricular links during this topic including expressive arts and science.

Numeracy and Mathematics

Primary 1
This term, Primary 1 will be developing their “number sense”. The children will be focusing on identifying number digits to 10 through sequencing as well as counting out quantities and matching these to the correct digit. Primary 1 will have lots of opportunities to practice and consolidate their learning in a range of different ways. As the children become more confident in counting out, they will begin to compare quantities, thinking about “more” and “less”.

Primary 2
Numeracy – This term primary 2 will be focusing on developing their number processes. They have made a great start to the term by consolidating their number stories to 10. They will focus on developing their addition and subtraction skills within 10 before progressing towards number stories within 20. As Primary 2 become more confident when adding and subtracting they will apply this knowledge to money. They will use a variety of active resources to promote independent learning and ensure that all key skills are successfully achieved.

Primary 1/2
Mathematics – Primary 1/2 will be focusing on data handling. They will be using a range of natural resources as well as seeking out opportunities to take their learning outdoors to support their learning experiences. They will develop their understanding of data handling by sorting and organising a range of objects/information.

Health and Wellbeing
Primary 1/2 are officially SUPERHEROES!! They have already created their class charter and made their classroom promise with their rights, needs, and wants in mind. Primary 1/2 chose a superhero theme and created their very own superheroes to remind them to follow the rules and show kindness at all times.
Primary 1/2 will learn all about their emotions through our PATHS programme. The children have already met their new friends; Twiggle, Henrietta, Duke and Daphne. They have really enjoyed engaging with the puppets and love it when they visit our classroom. Most recently, Twiggle introduced the children to “Pupil of the Day”. Each child will have the opportunity to be “Pupil of the Day”, they will receive compliments from their peers on this day as well as have special jobs to do throughout the day such as “line leader” and “prayer leader”. So far, the children have really enjoyed this experience.

Physical Education
This term Primary 1/2 will focus on developmental games. Following instructions and participating in a safe way will be a focus for this learning. In addition to this, Primary 1/2 will have the opportunity to develop their ball skills. At the moment, all PE lessons will take place outdoors.

Religious Education
Primary 1/2 will be focusing on the importance of friendships and showing kindness. This learning will be reinforced through the class charter and classroom rules. In addition to this, Primary 1/2 will develop an understanding of building faith and growing in relationship with God.

Primary 1/2 look forward to sharing their learning and successes with you throughout the term!

Thank you,
Mrs Dunsmore.

Welcome to the Primary 6 blog page!

It’s great to have the Primary 6’s back. They have all settled into their new classroom and have been brilliant remembering all the new routines around the school.

Below is an overview of the Term 1 learning and teaching.

Literacy

Reading

Our class novel and the topic this term is Billionaire Boy by David Walliams. The pupils will complete Active Reading tasks related to this novel. This novel has links to other areas of the curriculum such as Art, Health and Wellbeing, and Drama. We have already begun reading it together and David Walliams’ ‘unique’ humor is engaging all the pupils. We will also continue using the Bug Club reading resource to aid our active comprehension skills. Pupils can access this at home too.

Writing

This term Primary 6 will be focussing on Narrative writing and Tools for Writing – VCOP (Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers, and Punctuation). We will focus on a different aspect of grammar/punctuation each week. Our writing day will be on Thursday. The class will be told the focus of their writing in the homework grid sent out on a Monday.

Spelling

The spelling groups will continue to experience the Active Literacy spelling program, this will introduce common words and focus phonemes pertinent to their stage. The pupils will revise the Active Spelling strategies throughout Term 1.

Numeracy

This term we will be focusing on Place Value (whole number and decimals), Rounding and Estimation, and Addition and Subtraction. Mrs. McIntyre will focus on Beyond Number topics on a Friday. The pupils will experience activities at their stage and level. The revision of multiplication tables will be encouraged across all groups. Sumdog and Topmarks games can help with the rigor of x-tables at home.

Health and Wellbeing

Our focus this term is Growth Mindset and The Compassionate and Caring Classroom. These topics cover themes such as Children’s Rights, Relationships and Friendships, Emotions and Behaviours, and Resilience. These topics tie in nicely with our PATHS lessons. The ‘Pupil of the Day’ is up and running and this year we are complementing each other based on each other’s skills and talents.

Mark Devlin from Active schools will be coming in on Tuesday mornings to lead the Playground Leaders scheme. It is important the P6’s have a change of shoes and a jacket as this will be taking place outdoors.

RME

Throughout Primary 6 the pupils will listen to and engage with stories from the Gospel of Matthew. We have already started looking at The Bible as our sacred text. The pupils have already learned lots of amazing facts about The Bible. Next, we will focus on how Christians use The Bible, explore different text types in The Bible, and discuss what is sacred to the pupils. We will also reflect on people who use their gifts to enhance the world.

Thank you,

Miss Mudge 😊

Due to technical issues this survey has been added to the school website.  If you completed this through survey monkey your results may not have been saved.  Please complete again on this page or on the paper copy provided to your child.

This questionnaire is available online and also as a paper copy.  Please only complete type per child. Please complete all areas of this to allow us to provide the best service possible if a future school closure was to occur.

Children are being consulted about changes to Reward Play to make this a special occasion for all children -class teachers will be asking for their opinion on how Reward Play could be made more special.

Please click on the link below to see the most up-to date information and advice for parents/carers regarding common colds and Covid symptoms from the Scottish Government:

www.gov.scot/publications/common-cold-and-covid-19-symptoms-advice-for-parents-and-carers/:

Superheroes – Magic Mount Carmel

On Friday 11th September we will celebrate our first Magic Mount Carmel Time since returning to school. This will be a special day of celebration for all our Superheroes! We have been so impressed with how our children became Superheroes during times when the school building was closed and how they have continued to be Superheroes since their return. On this day children can come to school dressed in their favourite Superhero costumes – please do not purchase anything new for this day, Superheroes can also wear school uniform or other normal clothes if they wish. In school they will have a special day with Superhero activities in their own class and using our school grounds.