Monthly Archives: September 2024

Whole School News

Well done to our Kiltwalk stars 🌟

A huge well done to our Kiltwalk stars that took part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Sunday 15th September. Thank you for your amazing donations which helped to raise over £9000 for The Ecuador Trust.

Thank you to Fr Jim and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish for supporting in the cost for the bus for many of our Kiltwalkers.

All in memory of our friend Fr Martin Chambers.

Whole School News

Important Annual Forms

Please find below the Photographic Consent Form for Mount Carmel Primary.  It is East Ayrshire Council policy that this MUST be completed annually, we require this form to be completed as a matter of urgency, if you require any help completing this form please do not hesitate to contact the school office

EAC Photographic Consent Form 2024/25

Please find below the Acceptable Use of Computer Facilities  Form for Mount Carmel Primary.  It is East Ayrshire Council policy that this MUST be completed annually, we require this form to be completed as a matter of urgency, if you require any help completing this form please do not hesitate to contact the school office

EAC Computer Misuse Form 2024/25

Thank you

Whole School News

Chest Heart Stroke Scotland Football Festival⚽

Chest Heart Stroke Scotland Football Festival

Women and Girls Chest Heart Stroke Scotland football festival is running at Rugby Park on Sunday 22nd September 11am – 12:30pm. This is a free event which is open to all ages and abilities. Sign up as an individual and you will be placed within a team on the day.

Sign Up Here⚽

Free entry to the women’s Kilmarnock vs Livingston game afterwards.

Whole School News

Kiltwalk – The Martin Chambers Ecuador Trust

On Sunday 15th September a number of our school staff and colleagues from across the Diocese will be taking part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk in support of The Martin Chambers Ecuador Trust.

Please keep our staff in your prayers – we have all been training hard for this. If you wish to make a donation in support of our team please follow the link below.

Team Mhartino

Primary 4 blog, Whole School News

Primary 4 – Term 1 Curricular Update

Welcome back! I hope you all had an enjoyable summer. It has been fantastic to see Primary 4 settle into their new classroom. We have had a wonderful start to P4, and we look forward to a fun-filled term with lots of learning taking place.  

Below is an update on the upcoming term.   

 

Literacy   

For our reading focus this term, we will be developing our comprehension strategies such as visualisation and metalinguistics through our class novel ‘Venus Peter Saves the Whale’.  

Our writing will start by focus on developing our sentence structure and use of description bubbles to describe characters and scenes in our class novel. We will continue to work on our characterisation through descriptive skills in narrative writing.  

Spelling will take the form of active spelling activities, and the children will experience phonemes and blends at their working level. We will focus on using spelling strategies and practise how to use these as a class. P4 will also be given revision lessons on alphabetical order, sentence structure and dictionary skills.   

 

Numeracy  

P4 have already looked at how Maths impacts the world around us and where we use Maths in our day to day lives. We have started learning how to round 2 and 3 digit numbers to the nearest 10 and the nearest 100. The class will review Place Value knowledge and use it to build on their sense of number. We will look at 4-digit numbers and read, write and order these numbers. Through our place value work, we will be able to identify the value of each digit. We will then progress to looking at our addition strategies. The class will continue to participate in a daily number talk, to develop mental maths strategies. In Beyond Number, we will start with shape, looking at the properties of a range of 2D and 3D shapes and create tiling patterns.  

 

Health and Wellbeing   

At the beginning of the term, we discussed their rights as a child and selected articles to include within their class charter. As a class we had a vote on our class charter theme, this is displayed within our classroom. This term we will focus on the ‘Do be Mindful’ programme which gives us time to participate in mindfulness activities each day. We will also continue to follow our PATHS programme, which includes setting up our class rules, looking at individual emotions, building friendships, self-control and anger management.  

 

UNCRC  

As a class we looked at the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, we spoke about the fundamental rights for every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities. We voted on what rights we wanted to display as a class. The rights primary 4 selected were the right to play, the right to be heard, the right to have friends and the right to learn. These rights and our class rules are displayed within our class charter.  

 

PE  

PE is on a Wednesday and Friday. This term we will be covering team games, football and badminton. Please make sure your child has a full PE kit with them (includes suitable indoor shoes), this can remain on their peg within school.  

Thank you for making sure that no jewellery is worn on PE days.  

 

Modern Languages  

We will be revising the alphabet, basic French phrases and numbers this term through, songs, activities and games.  

 

Religious Education   

This term we will be reflecting on our uniqueness and thinking about our God-given talents. We will reflect on the importance of friendship and link this with various stories from the Bible. 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 of Confirmation and First Holy Communion that will take place this year. The children will take part in class prayers and school Masses, and we will continue to build on our knowledge of common prayers and Mass responses.   

 

Expressive Arts   

P4 will have the opportunity to use our school glockenspiels to accompany a song, learning about rhythm, pace and beat. During Drama lessons, the pupils will take part in drama activities to support teamwork and improve confidence. We will also ‘act out’ parts of our class novel. Our artwork will be focused on our class novel, we will create sea and whale artwork looking at the idea of hot and cold colours.  

 

Technologies  

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 the laptops will encourage independent learning. Typing skills and mouse control are also skills that will be focussed on throughout this term. 

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to a fabulous term with P4! 

  Mrs MacDonald and Mrs McIntyre 

 

 

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P7 Term 1 Curriculum Update

Welcome back everyone and welcome to the P7 blog! I trust you all had an enjoyable holiday/staycation and I am delighted to welcome back the pupils of P7 who have settled well into the 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 focussing on a novel study, The Wilderness War by Julia Green. We will continue to develop our Active Literacy comprehension skills using the book as a context for learning.  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.

For writing, we are concentrating on descriptive pieces using a variety of figurative language such as similes, alliteration, 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 working on place value before moving onto addition and subtraction.  The class will continue to develop their mental Number Talk strategies on a daily basis.

The class are also working on estimating and rounding skills with Mrs Terras and will be developing their knowledge of numeracy in the wider world as well as aspects of money.

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 are also investigating the relationship of diet, rest and sleep upon our mental health and looking at ways we can relax and improve brain function.

Our PE days are Wednesday and Thursday and appropriate clothes must be brought in on those days to participate.  I have spoken to the class about personal hygiene and some pupils may wish to bring in deodorant or a roll-on on these days.

IDL

As our novel study is The Wilderness War, we will be looking at environmental issues for our topic.  We will be looking at the damage of single use plastics and what can be done about it.  We will also investigate the Leave No Trace campaign to conserve natural areas.

RE

P7 will continue to complete their journal for the Pope Francis Faith Award as well as reading from the New Testament.  We will be looking at the life of Jesus and how he associated with those who were marginalised in society.

Languages

P7 will be looking at vocabulary associated with saying where you live and describing different places.

Technologies

This term P7 will access and use more features of Glow, attach files to emails, save work to cloud locations and retrieve files using search functions.

UNCRC

Together the class have created their class charter and looked at the rights they are entitled to.  As rights holders, the pupils have discussed the responsibilities they have to maintain in order to protect these rights.  As class rules, the class have chosen 4 Articles to focus on:  The right to be safe; the right to rest, relax and play; the right to be healthy; and the right to be heard.

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

 

Primary 3 blog, Whole School News

P3 – Curriculum update for Term 1

Welcome back! We hope you have all had an enjoyable summer. It has been fantastic to see P3 settle in to their new classroom and routines. We have had a great start to the term, and look forward to a fun filled term with lots of fabulous learning taking place.

Here is an update on the upcoming term.

UNCRC

During our first few days, we explored the UNCRC Rights of the Child, and together created a meaningful Class Charter to ensure that our classroom is a place where we feel safe, where we can learn and grow together.

 

Literacy

For our reading focus this term, we will be developing our comprehension strategies such as prediction and visualisation through our class book ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch.’ We will also use our Bug Club readers as we develop our reading fluency as well as continuing to develop our word attack strategies for unfamiliar words and make links with common words from across the curriculum.

During writing, we will continue to work on our sentence structure and the use of description bubbles for various descriptive pieces, with an emphasis on punctuation and the use of spelling strategies. We will work on enhancing our descriptions with amazing adjectives and adverbs.

Spelling will take the form of active spelling activities and the children will experience phonemes and blends at their working level.

Numeracy & Maths

The class will review Place Value knowledge and will use this to build on their sense of number. We will look at 2 and 3 digit numbers and we will read, write order and recite these numbers. Through our place value work, we will be able to identify the value of each digit.

We will then progress to looking at our addition strategies. The class will participate in a daily number talk, to develop of mental maths strategies.

In Beyond Number, P3 will explore 2D and 3D shapes with Mrs Terras, learning to sort and describe shapes based on certain criteria. Pupils will have the opportunity to explore and examine shapes through practical games and activities. We will also look at the use of mathematical language to describe and record directions.

 

Health and Wellbeing

This term we will be begin our PATHS programme for P3. Lessons will include setting up our class rules, looking at individual emotions, building friendships and community within the school, Self-Control and Anger Management.  We will also continue with the Do Be Mindful programme which will allow us, through the use of a range of strategies, to look at ways we can take a mindful moment each day.

PE

PE is on a Monday and Friday. This term we will be covering;

  • Team Games
  • Hockey
  • Badminton

Children will require PE kit each PE day.  Please make sure your child is not wearing jewellery on these days as they will be unable to participate in the lesson for health and safety reasons. If your child cannot take part for any reason, please contact the school.

French

We will be looking at some basic French phrases and numbers this term through, songs, activities and games.

IDL

P3 will use our book studies as a basis for a range of activities across various areas of the curriculum, we will link ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ to the idea of healthy eating, and we will also use our creative and technical skills to build our own lighthouses.

Towards the end of the term, we will introduce ‘The Romans’, looking specifically at the Romans in Scotland.

Expressive Arts 

In Music, Mrs Terras will lead P3 through a singing and listening unit of work called ‘Music is in My Soul’, where pupils will explore changes in dynamics within the songs they learn.

During art, we will use various mediums to create some beautiful artwork to link with our book study and our IDL topic.

Religious Education

This term we will be reflecting on our uniqueness and thinking about our God given talents. We will reflect on the importance of friendship and link this with various stories from the Bible. The children will take part in class prayers and School Masses, and we will continue to build on our knowledge of common prayers and Mass responses.

Homework will be distributed on a Monday to be completed, and returned by Friday.

Keep an eye on the School app and your child’s Learning Journal profile for a snapshot of some of our wonderful learning!

Thank you as always for your support and I’m looking forward to a really great term with P3.

Mrs. MacKinnon.

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Primary 1 – Term 1 Curricular Update

A very warm welcome to the Primary 1 Blog. The children are settling into their new school surroundings beautifully and have already established routines and friendships within their new class.

We have had a lovely start to the term getting to know one another but we are most definitely poised and ready to LEARN! Below you will find an overview of what we will be covering this term.

Literacy

During literacy times, P1 have already 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 develop our mark making skills. Name writing is a focus to ensure we can always sign off on our masterpieces!

Developing our listening and talking skills forms a huge part of our day. We are learning to follow our ‘carpet time rules’ to ensure we do our best listening while the teacher is talking. We are also learning to take turns at communicating our thoughts and feelings.

Numeracy

We know numbers are all around us and have had a chance to talk about those 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 our environment.

With Mrs Terras, P1 will explore 2D and 3D shapes, learning to sort and describe shapes based on certain criteria. Pupils will have the opportunity to explore and investigate shapes through practical games and activities.

Health & Well-being (HWB)

Our PATHS programme will feature heavily during our HWB time. The children will be meeting Twiggle and friends, our PATHS puppets, who will help us explore our feelings and friendships. We will also be introduced to our ‘Pupil of the Day’ initiative, which allows each and every member of the class to be the focus of our kind words and actions for a whole day.

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 during which we have been discussing God’s love for us all. We will continue to explore this unconditional love by considering the gifts God has given us, including our families and the qualities which make each and every one of us so special and unique.

IDL

Our theme of Nursery Rhymes will be used to explore other areas of the curriculum such as art, music and technology.

We will also be looking at our own ‘history’ by thinking about the people and events involved in our journey from new born baby to Primary 1 pupil!

Expressive Arts

During art sessions we will be creating our favourite characters from the Nursery rhymes we have been learning. We will be exploring the visual elements of line, pattern and colour.

In Music, Mrs Terras will lead P1 through a singing and listening unit of work called ‘My Musical Heartbeat’, learning how to find the ‘pulse’ or the ‘beat’ of the music.

Rights Respecting Schools

We follow the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in our school. We have introduced the right to be safe, to learn and to play in Primary 1 through our ‘Rainbow Rules’ class charter.

PE DAYS WILL BE MONDAY AND THURSDAY – please think carefully about uniform and ensure NO JEWELLERY is worn on these days.

Mrs Duff

Whole School News

Primary 5 – Term 1 Curriculum Update

Primary 5 – Term 1 Update 

 

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to the first update for Primary 5 this year! I’m pleased to share that the class are settling in well, adapting to new routines, and already demonstrating a fantastic work ethic. There’s a lot of exciting learning ahead, and I’m eager to give you a glimpse of what we’ll be exploring in Term 1. I hope the children are as excited as I am! 

UNCRC 

We have already spent time exploring various articles from the UNCRC, discussing which rights the children felt were the most important. Most of the class agreed that all children’s rights are equally important, with no right being any less significant than another. To symbolise how children flourish when their rights are upheld, we chose the theme butterflies for our class charter.  

Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) 

Our interdisciplinary learning topic this term is our class novel, ‘The Butterfly Lion’ by Michael Morpurgo. We have begun reading this and plan to do activities linked with other curricular areas such as Expressive Arts and Health and Wellbeing.  

Literacy 

We will use our class novel throughout the term to complete various tasks which will deepen our understanding of the text and build vocabulary skills. 

We’re continuing with Bug Club, both in class and as part of the homework routine. I greatly appreciate your support in encouraging your child to read at home for personal enjoyment. 

In writing, our focus will be on creating descriptive and narrative pieces. The class are learning to edit and redraft their work to improve clarity and detail. We’ll also be practising handwriting weekly, and I encourage you to support this at home as part of the homework routine. 

For talking and listening, we’ll be focusing on choosing and executing appropriate voice levels for different tasks as well as practising good listening skills when others are speaking. We are also practising listening for instructions and carrying these out in a timely manner. 

Numeracy 

In Term 1, we are focussing on place value. The class have been discussing the significance of each digit in a number and what it represents. This foundational understanding is crucial as we build on more complex concepts throughout the term. Pupils will be working on place value at their own level – using units, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, and hundred thousands in context.  

As the term progresses, we’ll delve into addition and subtraction with larger numbers, exploring various strategies to tackle more complex calculations.  

With Mrs Terras, P5 will revise the rules involving rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 and applying rounding within various contexts. Pupils will also explore a range of 3D objects and 2D shapes and use mathematical language to describe their properties.  

We will be continuing with our Number Talk sessions, which are incredibly valuable in encouraging children to think flexibly about maths, using a wide range of strategies and choosing the one that works best for them. 

 

Health and Wellbeing 

Our P.E. sessions are scheduled for Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. The key areas will be Street Hockey and Rugby, where the class will learn the vastly different skills required for each sport. 

Primary 5 will be continuing the ‘Do Be Mindful’ program, setting aside time during our busy school day to re-centre and practice mindfulness through a variety of activities. 

Our P.A.T.H.S. programme will also continue to be developed. By exploring and discussing the emotions they feel, the children will engage in open conversations in a safe environment.  

Later in the term we will be exploring how to look after ourselves. This includes understanding what a good diet entails and learning how much sleep and rest are necessary for maintaining good health, encouraging children to develop healthy habits. 

R.E.  

During term 1, we will be exploring different kinds of relationships, including friendships and the children’s personal relationship with God. Using stories from the Bible, we aim to help the children draw comparisons that will guide them in becoming better friends to both Jesus and others. We will also be revising Mass responses regularly. 

Expressive Arts 

This term, our expressive arts will be interwoven throughout the reading of our class novel. We will explore techniques such as line work and shading, allowing the children to experiment with the range of a pencil as a drawing tool.  

In Music with Mrs Terras, P5 will continue learning to play the glockenspiel. Pupils will be introduced to music theory and given the opportunity to develop their playing skills, leading to a final performance. We will also practise singing through hymns for our monthly masses, fostering both musical and spiritual expression. Our drama activities will be closely linked with our class novel and Health and Wellbeing curriculum. Additionally, as we dive into our next topic, The Victorians in Scotland, drama will play a significant role in helping students bring history to life.  

 

Technologies 

Once the children have access to their individual log ins, we will begin work on logging onto the school Glow network and accessing educational resources as well as Bug Club for reading. 

We will also use our ICT time for practising word processing and formatting skills with a particular focus on finalising writing pieces. 

 

A Note from Miss Carr 

As a new teacher at Mount Carmel, I want to take a moment to thank you all for your support thus far. I look forward to hopefully meeting you all in person at the Primary 5 ‘Meet the Teacher’ afternoon on 11th September.  

 

Whole School News

Primary 6 Term 1 curricular update

Primary 6 – Term 1

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a lovely summer break. The boys and girls are settling really well into Primary 6 and have already embraced the responsibilities that come with Primary 6. The first term is always a busy term; however the class have already started working hard and are very eager to learn.

UNCRC

This is a new part to our updates and is the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child. We have looked at this convention as a class and chosen articles from it that we wanted to focus on as a class. We decided on the following: Article 19 – ‘We have the right to be safe’, Article 28 – ‘We have the right to learn’, Article 29 – ‘we have the right to work and play in a clean environment’ and Article 31 – ‘we have the right to play.’ The class understands that with these right =s come responsibilities. For example, if they have the article ‘we have the right to be safe’, the children know that they have a responsibility to try their very best to keep themselves safe also and avoid unsafe situations. We will be learning about this through our assemblies and community times.

IDL

Our interdisciplinary topic this term is Tornadoes, Hurricanes and Wildfires. We will start this later on in the term where the children will learn about the responses that are available by the emergency services, charities and international agencies during natural disasters. The class will also develop an awareness of the processes that actually causes natural disasters.

Literacy

The class have already started reading our class novel, ‘Wonder’ by R.J Palacio. They have been completing tasks relating to the text and I am already impressed with their comprehension skills. This class novel will allow learning to take place across the curriculum and there will be lots of opportunity for discussion. Within reading this term, we will be looking at the main purpose of a text as well as the different genres of books as well as encouraging the children to explain and justify their preferences of reading in terms of authors and genres. We have an extensive class library that the children can access for personal choice and enjoyment, as well as our school library which we will also be visiting. The children will continue with bug club and this will have a learning focus of metalinguistics and visualisation. The children will develop their understanding of what they are reading and I am hopeful of your support at homework time to complete their reading online. All children will be encouraged to read their texts with expression and fluency.

Our writing genres for the term ahead are descriptive writing and narrative writing. The class will be working on writing their piece, editing it and re-drafting it, focussing on layout in order to engage their reader. This is when the children will access ICT in order to type their re draft piece of writing. The class will be encouraged to improve their writing through feedback received. In terms of the tools for writing, the children will be looking at more sophisticated punctuation such as apostrophes, colons and semi-colons.

In terms of our listening and talking element of literacy, the children will be focussing on group work and taking on differing roles and responsibilities. In this situation, the children must use their listening toolkits and show respect to each member of the group when they have something to contribute.

The class will complete handwriting every week within class and we would ask that this is promoted at home in terms of homework also.

Numeracy

The entire class will continue to work on their times tables throughout the year.  We have already began working on our understanding of place value and what value each digit holds within the columns. Depending on what group the children are in for their numeracy, they will be working on place value using units, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousand and millions.

Alongside Mrs Terras, the children will also be looking at rounding to the nearest ten, hundred and thousand. This will enable the children to develop their skill of estimating so they can then find approximate answers to calculations and problems.

Our whole school will concentrate on number talks throughout the year. These lessons encourage children to solve calculations using different strategies. This allows children to have ownership of their own learning by using the strategies that suit their learning style best.

In terms of beyond number, the class will be learning about money this term. Within this, we will look at retailers and how they use advertising to increase their best buys. APR and credit cards will also be covered alongside budgeting and how we can budget responsibly.

Health and Wellbeing

Our P.E. days are a Wednesday and a Friday. We are currently learning about badminton and are developing our ability to serve the shuttlecock properly and engage in a continuous game. After this topic, we will hopefully be moving onto to hockey and the skills involved with this.

Primary 6 already participate in mindfulness every day, this is something that the entire class benefit from and have been doing this since the beginning of Primary 4.

Our PATHS programme will help the children to develop positive relationships within the class and school.  Delving into the emotions that the children feel will help them to understand why they are feeling this way as well as giving them the tools to cope with these emotions. The children are also participating in the PATHS buddy scheme that helps support the infants in ‘how to play’ during lunchtimes.

Our core health and wellbeing teaching will focus on recognising healthy relationships and the roles of our parents and care givers. As we all know, every family is unique in how it is made up and we will explore what this means.

R.E.

Our class were given the responsibility of leading the first mass of the new school year and they were brilliant. Each and every one of them represented themselves and their school marvellously. We will learn about Jesus and the teachings of the bible as they year progresses looking at our own relationships with God as well as our relationships with our faith in general.

Expressive arts

This term, the class will be focussing on art through drawing. We will look at proportional faces using lines, tones and shades. We will also have a focus on painting creating effects and texture such as sand, salt and wax. The use of colour will be taught through still life painting and the colours used will help to express mood. Our music this term will be focussing on singing. This will be completed through our hymn practises and drama will be explored later in the year.

ICT

The children have an excellent knowledge of how to use the computers and glow. They will continue to develop their understanding of how to research certain topics and how to transfer the information from what they have learned to a document that can be saved and retrieved at a later date. The children will also continue to practise emailing myself and their classmates (whilst using their emails responsibly and appropriately).

French

This term will focus on learning the names of colours in French. We will also be learning about a French artist Claude Monet and his works.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support so far this term as well as last year, and look forward to everything that is to come. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Take care,

Mrs McCreadie

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Primary 2 Term 1 Curriculum Update

Primary 2 Blog Post (Term 1 Update)

Hello and welcome to our very first blog post of the new session.  Primary 2 have been very busy settling into our new classroom and our new routines.  Children have been working hard to consolidate previous learning and are enhancing these skills through our novel study and outdoor learning.

UNCRC – Class Charter

Primary 2 have worked on creating a class charter, with agreed upon rights that we will focus on as a class. Our class rules and procedures centre around these rights, as we agree that we should all have a right to be healthy, a right to learn and a right to play. We have used our novel study and the main character Plop as a theme for our charter.

Literacy

Our class novel is ‘The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark’ and through this text, pupils will explore our outdoor area and write about why dark is fun!  Pupils will create some descriptive writing pieces, describing our main character, Plop, and using adjectives to describe the people he meets and the things he sees.

Our reading and spelling activities are getting underway, and children will be 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.  We will be using our predictive skills to think about what may happen in our book, based on information on the cover and we will begin to look at fiction and non-fiction texts and their differences.

Our focus in writing will be descriptive writing and these written pieces will come from our class novel and topic of Houses and Homes, comparing houses in the city with those of the countryside as well as looking at homes of the past. Children will compare how houses/homes have changed over the last century.

Numeracy

Our focus in numeracy will be place value, with children working on 2-digit numbers, initially to 20 and then to 99. Children will be able to partition these numbers and discuss this in terms of tens (T) and units (u), whilst building on their understanding of number and number patterns. Addition to 10 or 20 will also be a focus as well as word problems to consolidate our strategies within this operation of number.  Children will begin use their ‘Busy Bee’ jotters as the term progresses to develop problem solving skills, applying knowledge of number to new contexts and develop strategies for 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.  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 on a Tuesday and a Thursday and our focus in term 1 will be on football and netball.  Children will have the opportunity to partake in some fun activities which support teamwork whilst focusing on developing their listening skills and awareness of space.

R.E

Our focus during R.E sessions will be on prayer, their meaning, the routines of the church and the celebration of Mass.  We will also spend some time reading and discussing bible stories relating to friendship and love, whilst considering how each of us are unique and have our own God given talents.

IDL

As the class novel is The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, we will be doing a mini topic which focuses on exciting things that happen in the dark, developing children’s imaginations and ideas in fictional texts.  We will also look at woodland animals as these are a feature in the class novel and will tie in nicely with our term 1 social studies topic about houses and homes, comparing houses in the countryside to those we find in the towns and cities.

Modern Languages (French)

In French lessons, children will begin to understand basic greetings, ask and answer simple questions about themselves and begin to look at numbers to 10. We will learn songs and rhymes to help us retain this information.

Homework

Homework was sent out this week. Please check your child’s homework bag weekly for the homework to be completed.  Reading books will be attached to pupils’ accounts through our online Bug Club reading programme. I have issued Bug Club login details with these homework tasks. Homework will consist of spelling, reading and maths, both mental and worksheet/jotter jobs too. These will be issued on a Monday and should be returned to school on a Friday.

We hope this is the start of a very successful term and that the pupils are enjoying their return to school and seeing their friends and teachers.

Take care,

Mrs Travers

Whole School News

IT Issues

Unfortunately we are having major network issues this morning.  We have no access to the school email address and are not able to phone out.

Our main phone line – 01563 525897 – is accepting incoming calls at the moment.

We will keep you updated with the progress of this and thank you in advance for your understanding.