Monthly Archives: September 2021

Whole School News

Primary 7 Term 1 Overview

Welcome back everyone and welcome to the P7 blog! I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday/staycation.  I am delighted to welcome back the pupils of P7 who have settled well into the school routine and are enjoying being the top of the school!

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

Literacy

This term we will be focussing on a novel study, The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo.  As well as reading the book together, the class will participate in activities that relate to other areas of the curriculum including Art, Social Studies and Technology.  We will also continue to develop our comprehension skills through our use of all ALP reading strategies with a particular focus on summarising and identifying the main idea

For writing, we are concentrating on descriptive writing:  Giving 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 where they aim to use a variety of mental strategies to achieve the solution.  The class are also working on skills beyond number with Mrs Fergusson and are currently developing their knowledge of angles.

Health and Wellbeing

This year we will continue to use the PATHS programme to shape our HWB learning. P7 have already started ‘pupil of the day’ and participated in discussions around feelings and how we manage our emotions.  We will continue to revise the steps of the Problem Solving guide and aim to apply it in situations independently.  We are also investigating the different diets people have due to allergies, intolerances and religious reasons.

For PE, we have participated in team games concentrating on how important communication and teamwork is in order to be successful.  We have also begun our block of rugby which is delivered by Kilmarnock Rugby Club.  P7 have also started to develop their badminton skills and are beginning to learn to rules and take part in small competitive games.

IDL

Our topic this term is World War 2.  This ties in closely with our novel study.  We will investigate how the war began, key events in the war (D Day and The Blitz) and how people helped the war effort.  We will be using other curricular areas, such as literacy and technology, to help us understand and research this topic.  P7 have also been watching news clips and information bulletins from the 1940s to get into the mind set of Brits during the war.

I look forward to working with P7 in the coming year and hope to have lots of enjoyable experiences that will make learning fun and memorable.

Mr Bertoncini

 

Whole School News

Primary 1/2 Curriculum Overview – Term 1

A huge welcome to the Primary 1/2 blog! The new Primary 1’s have all settled brilliantly into their new school surroundings and have already established routines and friendships within their new class!!

It was wonderful to see the “new” Primary 2’s again and I cannot believe how much they have all grown! They too have settled into their new classroom and are acting as wonderful role models for their new P1 class mates!!

We have had a lovely start to the term getting to know one another and our new class routines but we are most definitely poised and ready to LEARN!!!

Primary 2 – Term 1

Literacy

Phonics

In literacy we are word building using the letter sounds that we were taught last year as well as the new ones being introduced.  This term we will be introduced to the first joint phonemes (2 letter sounds, for example sh, ch, th).

Reading

We have been reading our class text of “Jack and the Flum Flum Tree” and have already completed prediction and visualisation tasks associated with the book.

We will continue to work on our comprehension and decoding skills within our reading groups as we re-start our Bug Club texts.

Writing

This term our writing will focus on describing items and people. We will be including size, colour, shape, number and texture in our descriptions, while remembering to use our writing targets of capital letters, full stops and finger spaces.

We will be adding to our bank of common words (look and say words) and we will be working really hard to ensure we can spell these words correctly. This will help us greatly in our independent writing, as will our increasing knowledge of word building with our letter sounds.

 

Numeracy

This term will consist of deepening all of the number processes we have learned so far! We will be counting in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s as well as reinforcing our subtraction skills. We will then be looking at how our addition and subtraction calculations are linked, creating “fact families”.

The sequencing of our numbers will be a focus as always as we count forwards and backwards, thinking of the numbers before, after and between.

Health & Wellbeing

Primary 2 have been delighted to see the return of their friends – the PATHS puppets! Twiggle and his chums have already made their appearance, reinforcing that everyone has feelings and that’s OK!! We will be exploring each emotion in detail and relating these to our personal experiences.

We will also be discussing friendship through our PATHS programme as well as during our class circle times, highlighting the qualities of a “good friend”.

In PE we will initially develop our spatial awareness through games before moving onto large ball skills.

 

RE

This term we remind ourselves of God’s love for us all. We thank God for all those we love and for those who take care of us.  We also thank God for our talents and for the special things that make each and every one of us so unique.

IDL

We will be using “Jack and the Flum Flum Tree” as a basis for our interdisciplinary learning.  Through the text we will be completing prediction, visualisation and sequencing tasks as well as identifying rhyming words.  Our topic will also be providing the stimulus for our art work this term.

 

 

Primary 1 – Term 1

Literacy

During literacy times, P1 have been developing their phonological awareness (the ability to hear sounds in words). We are doing this by focusing on the rhythm and rhyme of language through clapping syllables and working on our nursery rhymes.

We are also working on our fine motor control to get ready for writing! Name writing is a focus too so we can always sign off on our masterpieces!

Listening and talking is a huge part of our day. We are learning to follow our “carpet rules” to ensure we do our best listening while the teacher or our peers are talking. We are also taking turns at communicating our thoughts and feelings.

Numeracy

We know numbers are all around us and have had a chance to talk about numbers which are “special” to us, for example, our age, door number etc.

Number times will consist of lots and lots of counting! We will be developing our “number sense” by counting out and comparing quantities and becoming familiar with the language of mathematics.

We will be reciting our number sequences forwards and backwards, understanding that each number we say represents a quantity.

As our pencil control improves we will be learning how to form our digits correctly.

Pattern and shape will also be a focus this term.  We will link this to outdoor learning by looking for natural patterns and shape in the environment as well as artificial ones indoors.

Health & Well-being (HWB)

Our PATHS programme will feature heavily during our HWB time. The children have already met our PATHS puppets, Twiggle and friends! Our puppet friends will be helping us to explore our feelings, looking at each emotion in detail. They will also help us to consider friendships and the qualities we look for in a “good friend”.

In PE we will initially develop our spatial awareness through games before moving onto large ball skills.

 

RE

The children have been introduced to our RE times and have learned about God’s love for us all. We will continue to explore this unconditional love by considering the gifts God has given us, including people who care for us and the qualities which make each and every one of us so special and unique.

IDL

We will be using “Jack and the Flum Flum Tree” as a basis for our interdisciplinary learning.  Through the text we will be completing prediction, visualisation and sequencing tasks as well as identifying rhyming words.  Our topic will also be providing the stimulus for our art work this term.

Mrs Duff

Whole School News

Primary 1 Curriculum Overview

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Primary 1 blog! All boys and girls have settled in beautifully and have already achieved so much in the short time they have been at Mount Carmel. Here you will be able to find updates from Primary 1. You will be able to watch as they become confident, independent, and successful learners. Primary 1 can’t wait to share their journey with you; watch them as they grow!!

Literacy

This term, Primary 1 will focus on developing their phonological awareness as the first step towards learning their letter sounds. As Primary 1 begin to work on this, they will learn about rhyme and rhythm by concentrating on Nursery Rhymes. Primary 1 have already enjoyed participating in activities focused on Humpty Dumpty, Twinkle, Twinkle and Hickory Dickory (to name a few). They particularly enjoyed role playing Humpty Dumpty on our playground obstacle course as well as making their very own twinkling stars. Primary 1 will develop their understanding of rhyme by listening for words that sound the same at the end 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. Primary 1 will play lots of games to develop the building blocks of literacy.

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.

Numeracy and Mathematics

Numeracy – 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”.

Mathematics – Primary 1 will be learning all about pattern. They will investigate lots of different patterns within their environment, both natural and man-made. Primary 1 will spend time exploring colours and texture as well as creating their own repeating patterns using a range of materials. They will transfer their knowledge of pattern as they develop their number sense. Primary 1 will also develop their data handling skills this term. They will use a range of natural resources as well as take their learning outdoors to support their learning experiences. They will sort and match objects in a variety of different ways according to their own and others criteria.

Health and Wellbeing

Primary 1 listened to the story “The Cautious Caterpillar” during their first week of school. They compared themselves to the main character, Cody the Caterpillar. They decided that they were like Cody; ready to “grow up”, becoming beautiful primary 1 butterflies. They created their class charter and made their classroom promise thinking of their rights, needs, and wants. They set classroom rules, and everyone made their own caterpillar as well as a beautiful butterfly to remind them to follow the rules and always show kindness.

Primary 1 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 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 will have the opportunity to develop their ball skills. At the moment, one PE session will be indoors, and the other session will be outdoors. PE days are Monday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. Please ensure any jewellery is taken off and left at home on PE days.

Religious Education

Primary 1 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 will develop an understanding of building faith and growing in relationship with God.

Topic

Primary 1’s first topic this year is “All about me”. They will learn about their likes and dislikes as well as share information about their lovely families. Primary 1 will develop their relationships with each other through this topic, drawing on similarities with their classmates. Another topic this term will be Fairyland (Traditional Tales). They will engage with a range of traditional tales and participate in a range of learning experiences to enhance their understanding of each story. They will make a number of cross curricular links during both topics including expressive arts, HWB, science and social studies.

Primary 1 look forward to sharing their learning and successes with you throughout the term! Watch this space for photos of all their fabulous work!

Thank you,

Mrs Dunsmore

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Primary 4 Term 1

Primary 4 – Term 1

 Primary 4 are already working hard! There is a lot to cover in the term ahead but also lots of fun to be had! Here is an update on the upcoming term.

IDL

Our interdisciplinary topic this term is the rainforest. We have already started this and the children are really enjoying learning about it’s different aspects, for example the layers of the rainforest and the animals who live there. A lot of our learning will be done though this topic with poems, graphs, drawings and much more being explored.

Literacy

Our reading focus this term will focus on the skill of comprehension and how the children can understand, analyse and evaluate fiction and non-fiction texts. We will be introducing the use of our find it, prove it and talk about it strategies to investigate our texts. Our class novel ‘The Giants and the Joneses’’ has already began and the children are loving the interdisciplinary approach to learning within this novel. This will be our focus for literacy tasks this term and our bug club be reintroduced shortly for our personal reading and homework texts.

Through our writing activities, the children will be focussing on their tools for writing. Handwriting will also be completed at least once per week and neat presentation will be encouraged in homework jotters too.

Our listening and talking focus will be on following instructions within school. We will also look at what an appropriate level of noise is for the classroom, playground and gym hall. The children will be encouraged to develop positive body language and eye contact whilst having discussions with their peers.

Numeracy

The class will be focussing their 2 and 4 times tables. We have already began on working on our understanding of Place Value and what value each digit holds within the columns (Thousands, Hundreds, Tens and units).

In terms of beyond number, the class have already begun exploring the properties of 2D and 3D shape. We have already investigated edges, faces and vertices of 2D and 3D shape. Time seems to be an area that the children lack confidence in. With that, we will be learning about time for a long period of time over the next couple of terms. Long term exposure to this should help with retention of this subject.

Another concept that will be taught throughout this year will be number talks. This concept teaches children how to solve calculations using different strategies. This enables children to have ownership of their own learning by using the strategies that suit them best to solve calculations.

Health and Wellbeing

Our P.E days are currently a Tuesday and a Thursday. We are currently learning about our fitness and how we can develop our stamina, agility, accuracy, balance and co-ordination. We will shortly be moving onto ball skills.

The children already have a good understanding of how being active will help them to stay healthy. We will soon be looking at how sleep and rest are also required to stay healthy.

Primary 4 already partake in mindfulness every day. This allows the children to find a 5 minute quiet time in the middle of a very busy day. We will soon be embarking on the massage in schools programme. Different strategies will be developed throughout the year which will empower children to deal with stresses that they encounter in their day to day lives.

As part of our PATHS lessons, we will also be encouraging and nurturing positive relationships within the class and school. This is with peers and adults alike. Manners are a must as well as respect. We will explore what makes a good friend and what strategies we can build upon to help us with our resilience and help us regulate our emotions.

R.E

R.E. this term will look at one of God’s greatest gifts – free will. The children will look at the idea of choices and what makes a good choice. There will also be a focus on baptism, looking at the children’s baptism as well as the story of Jesus’ baptism. This will begin the children’s journey of their sacraments that will take place this session. We will be learning different hymns and prayers throughout the session whilst also taking an in-depth look at what the rosary is used for.

Expressive Arts

Art – Our focus within art this term is drawing and printing. We will explore line, shape and tones of colour.

Music – Primary 4 will continue to work on our appreciation of different genres of music, whilst using our online Charanga music resource.

I.C.T

As our independence develops in Primary 4, so does our ability to use IT equipment. Our focus this term will simply be on the use of the ICT equipment. Logging on and off of the laptops and accounts will encourage independent learning. Typing skills and mouse control are also skills that will be focussed on throughout this term.

Modern Languages

Primary 4 are very lucky to be learning all about the Spanish language with Mrs Fergusson this term. They have already looked at greetings, questions and will soon be moving onto the days of the week etc. I am very impressed!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuing support. We have a very busy year ahead but it a year that will be filled with fun and learning.

Take care and stay safe,

Mrs McCreadie

 

 

Whole School News

P5 Curricular Update

 

Welcome back!  The children of Primary 5 have settled beautifully back into school after the holidays and are ready to become super role models as part of the upper school.

This term we have established our class community, routines and expectations and we are making excellent progress already.

Literacy

Primary 5 will focus on a novel study to begin the academic session. We are reading ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and it is proving very popular! We have reading, writing and comprehension links to the novel as well as art and health and well-being tasks.

We will continue to use Bug Club as our differentiated reading resource and will be developing our fluency and comprehension skills through the use of this resource both in class and as homework.

Spelling will take the form of active activities related to the ‘Active Spelling’ resource, the children will continue to experience phonemes and blends pertinent to the ability and stage.

This term our formal writing lessons will centre on descriptive writing. We will use structured planning ideas to allow children to generate pieces, which are rich in language and grammatically sound. The stimuli for this will be IDL topic work on ‘Knights and Castles’ and our ‘Charlie’ novel.

Numeracy

Pupils are back in their working groups focussing on 1st and 2nd level concepts. The circles and rectangles groups will continue to reinforce multiplication, division and remainders before moving on to place value. The squares and rectangles will also focus on place value and the importance of column and quantity value. All pupils will also look at Data Handling as part of their Beyond Number topic. This will involve collecting and interpreting data, as well as creating tables, charts and graphs.

Times tables should continue to be practised at home to ensure quick recall.

Health and Well-being

The class have worked brilliantly as a team to ensure that our class and primary 5 family understand the responsibilities and expectations that will be placed upon them this year. Our class charter is complete and children are enjoying earning house tokens for their respective houses.

We are continuing to use our whole school ‘Paths’ resource this year, which allows children to grow emotionally and channel their thoughts and behaviours in a calm and proactive way. Children are familiar with this programme and can name and identify their feelings. We will continue to provide them with scenarios and situations that will require their knowledge of ‘self’ to grow.

R.E

The pupils have been looking at the sacrament of Confirmation as we begin this term. This is in preparation for receiving this sacrament later this month and what to expect. Our study focus will be on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, looking at the lives of the Saints and being ready to become a full member of the Church. This term we will also focus on ‘Friendship’ as we relate this to bible stories from the Gospel of Mark.

IDL

Our topic this term is ‘Knights and Castles’. Pupils will use their developing research and note-taking skills to look at historical events in the Middle Ages. This will include the history of castles, various castle designs, Knights, Codes of chivalry and looking at society at this time. We will be using various curricular areas within this topic to help such as ICT, Art, Literacy, STEM and problem solving skills.

We are thrilled to be working with your children and look forward to building relationships with their families. If you would like to speak to either Mrs Crawford or Mrs McIntyre please call the school office to arrange this.

Thanks for your on-going support.

Mrs Crawford & Mrs McIntyre.

Whole School News

Primary 6 – Term 1

Welcome back. I hope everyone had a lovely summer and enjoyed the fabulous weather. It’s great to have Primary 6 back. They have all settled into their new classroom and have been brilliant remembering all the routines around the school.  

Firstly, I would like to introduce myself; my name is Miss McKenna, and I am thrilled to be joining the Mount Carmel team. I am from Glasgow and some of my interests include travelling, hiking, and going long walks with my dog Alfie. I have lived and taught in Spain previously and I am looking forward to this new chapter teaching at Mount Carmel and getting to know you all over the coming year.  

Below is an overview of the learning and teaching taking place in P6 this term.  

Literacy 

Reading  

Our class novel and topic this term is Wonder. The pupils will complete Active Reading tasks related to this novel. In Primary 6 most pupils will be expected to quote from the text when answering comprehension questions. This will be modelled by the teacher. Most pupils will complete daily reading to writing tasks associated with the novel. This novel has links to other areas of the curriculum such as Expressive Arts and Health and Wellbeing. We have already begun reading it together and the children are enjoying the humour and the message it delivers – Choose Kind.  

Writing 

Our writing day will be a Wednesday. The pupils will have the opportunity to discuss and plan their writing the day before. This term Primary 6 will be focusing on Descriptive writing. The pupils will use the Active Literacy description bubble template to structure their writing. Primary 6 will focus a different aspect of grammar/punctuation each week with the expectation they use this in their formal writing. Some pupils will be expected to up-level their writing by using tools such as thesauri and the VCOP pyramid.  

Spelling 

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

Numeracy 

This term P6 will focus on Place Value (whole number and decimals) and Rounding and Estimation. Beyond Number topics will be 3D shape, Angles and Symmetry and Probability. 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 rigour of times tables at home.  

Health and Wellbeing 

The focus this term is Friendships and Relationships, Change, and Kindness. These are core themes in the novel Wonder. These themes also tie in nicely with our PATHS lessons. P6 will complete two PATHS lessons a week. Each pupil has a ‘check in’ card in their tray which they can complete at various points in the day. This allows the teacher to see how pupils are feeling. The ‘Pupil of the Day’ is up and running. This year we are complementing each other based on each other’s skills and talents. 

Our PE days are Thursday and Friday. Pupils are asked to come dressed for PE on these days – school uniform on top but leggings, joggers, trainers can be worn on the bottom. The focus in PE this term is Rugby with the Kilmarnock Rugby Club (Thursday’s) and Hockey with the class teacher on a Friday.  

Expressive Arts 

Through our class novel P6 will have the opportunity to experience activities in Music, Drama and Art activities pertinent to their level and stage. The Charanga music teaching tool allows pupils to discuss and learn about different genres of music, rhythm and tempo and instruments. It also allows them to sing different genres as well – now we can sing together again! 

RME  

Throughout Primary 6 the pupils will listen to and engage with stories from the Gospel of Matthew. This term P6 will also reflect on their own gifts and talents and discuss and learn about inspirational people who use their gifts to enhance the world.  

In Primary 6 we promote hard work and amazing attitudes. Our reward card system allows pupils to gain reward cards for Wonderful Work, Amazing Attitude, and being a ‘Superstar’. When the pupils gain five cards, they can choose an individual reward. They can also choose to go for a class reward once everyone reaches five reward cards; this promotes teamwork within the class.  

If you have any queries or questions, please contact the school directly.  

Thank you for your support and I look forward to a wonderful year in Primary 6.  

Miss McKenna  

Whole School News

Property Pledge- Silver Award

Gallery

Mount Carmel Primary are delighted to have received a Silver Award following a visit from East Ayrshire Council in relation to their Property Pledge! One of the points raised was that we should have extra recycling stations in and around the school, which we have now implemented.

Here is a look at our newly refurbished Infant Dept, which we are super proud of !. We are sure you will agree it is looking fantastic! 

Whole School News

Absence Procedures

In the event that your child is going to be absent from school please contact the school on 01563 525897 prior to 9.15am.

   Press option 2  to report a child absence and leave a voicemail clearly stating your child’s name, class and the reason for absence. Please do not leave a child absence message via the school query form or by emailing teachers direct.

Thank you

 

Whole School News

Primary 2/3 Blog Update Term 1

Primary 2/3 Blog Post (Monday 6th September)

Hello and welcome to our very first blog post of the new session.  Primary 2/3 have been very busy settling into our new classroom and our new routines.  Children have been working hard to become familiarised with their class groups, recapping previous learning and are enhancing this through our novel study and outdoor learning.

 

Literacy

Our class novel is ‘The Enchanted Wood’ and through this text, the context and the discovery of the lands at the top of the Faraway Tree, pupils have explored our outdoor area, looking for natural resources to create scenes from the text.  Pupils have also enjoyed some imaginative writing, describing the different lands that may arrive at the top of the Faraway Tree and using fabulous descriptive words to describe characters from the novel.

Our reading and spelling activities are now underway, and children have been working within groups to revisit previous sounds and texts, ready to use their skills and strategies to tackle new and unfamiliar spelling sounds and reading books.  Our focus in writing currently is descriptive writing, and ideas will be developed from our class novel and mini topic!

Homework will be sent out this week, please check your children’s bags for a plastic wallet.  Reading books will be attached to pupils’ accounts through our online Bug Club reading programme, however for the first few weeks, homework will consist of spelling and maths. These will be issued on a Monday and should be returned to school on a Friday.

Maths

Our focus in maths will be multiplication and division, with our circle maths group, however we will regularly revisit addition and subtraction as well as word problems to consolidate our strategies within the 4 operations of number.  Children in the rectangle and triangle groups will continue to build confidence with numbers to 20 and the addition and subtraction strategies associated with these operations. Children will regularly use their ‘Thinking It Through’ jotters as the term progresses to develop problem solving skills, applying knowledge of number to new contexts and develop strategies for any number problems.

Health & Wellbeing

Our Paths Pupil of the Day has now begun, and our Pupil of the Day has been receiving lots of compliments and special jobs around the classroom.  All children will have the opportunity to be pupil of the day.  We will begin exploring emotions, comfortable and uncomfortable and how we recognise these emotions within ourselves and in others.

In P.E, our sessions will happen indoors (Tuesday) once per week, and outside (Thursday) once per week and our focus will be on team games and ball skills.  Children will have the opportunity to partake in some fun activities which support teamwork whilst focusing on developing their listening skills, awareness of space and ball skills.

R.E

Our focus during R.E sessions will be on prayer, their meaning, the routines of the church and the celebration of Mass.  As we will be beginning our preparation for Reconciliation later in the year, the sacraments will be discussed in depth, so children fully understand each of the sacraments and their importance in their relationship with God.

Mini-Topic

As the class novel is the Enchanted Wood, we will be doing a mini topic which focuses on houses and homes in both the rural and urban areas of our country. We will also focus on houses of the 1950s and compare this with housing today.  As the characters in the novel have recently moved to the countryside, we will explore farming and the impact that has on our communities.

We hope this is the start of a very successful term and that the pupils are enjoying their return to school, with less restrictions in place!

Take care,

Mrs Travers