Our P7s arrived safe and sound at Lockerbie yesterday evening and have already been very busy taking part in a range of activities! 
Follow their daily updates on our school Twitter (X) page @eacMountCarmel
All posts by Mrs McGahon
Burns Celebration Day
We have had a wonderful day celebrating the life of Robert Burns and Scots language. At our morning assembly we were entertained with amazing performances from every class and enjoyed singing The Jeely Piece Song and Auld Lang Syne as a whole school. Lunchtime brought lots of happy faces as we tucked into a menu of haggis, neeps and tatties, steak pie and some delicious shortbread! 
Reverse Advent Calendar
A huge thank you to all of the families who donated to our reverse advent calendar over the last few weeks. As a school community we were able to give Fr Jim an amazing number of parcels to take to the food bank. These will be distributed to those who need them most in time for Christmas.
#teammc #community #faithinaction
Winning House Treat
Our boys and girls in Fire House had a fun filled morning on Tuesday at Jungle Madness! The children enjoyed lots of play, delicious party food and a visit from a special guest! A huge thank you to Darren and his team for once again giving us a fantastic celebration. 
MCPS Choir
Our wonderful P4-7 choir have been out and about spreading Christmas cheer in our local community. Last Friday they entertained residents and staff at Crossgate Care Home, and on Monday of this week they performed at Tesco. Well done everyone!
Primary 3 Curriculum Overview
Welcome to the P3 curriculum overview for term 2. This will be a busy term with lots of new learning as well as fun and exciting activities to prepare for Advent and Christmas.
Literacy
Our focus in term 1 was using our class novel to create descriptive writing by describing the main character, Horton, and using rhyming words and adjectives to describe what he hears and the things he sees. Through descriptive writing, we also have been using our topic about vertebrates and invertebrates when using descriptive bubbles. During term 2 we will now focus on narrative and report writing. As well as talking and listening games and activities such as Show and Tell.
P3 have been participating in reading and spelling activities 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 writing focus is currently descriptive writing, and these written pieces will come from our class novel and topic of Vertebrates.
Numeracy
Our focus in numeracy has been place value, however, this is something we will regularly revisit with children consolidating previous learning on 2-digit numbers, initially to 99. Then the children moving to three-digit numbers beyond 100. Children were and will continue to partition these numbers and confidently discuss this in terms of (H) hundreds, tens (T) and units (u), whilst building on their understanding of number and number patterns. In term 2 the focus will be using addition with two-digit numbers before moving to three-digit numbers. Word problems will also continue to be a focus to consolidate our strategies within this operation of number. Children have been using 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 number problems.
Beyond number, children have been focusing on measurement and using different equipment to measure in cm and metres. Children have been estimating using rulers and metre sticks before measuring objects to see how close their predictions were. For term 2 the focus will be 2D and 3D shape identifying real life examples, comparing the properties of 2D and 3D objects, and creating their own 3D shapes.
Health & Wellbeing
All children have now had the opportunity to be Pupil of the Day and will start to be chosen for the second time in term 2. Our Pupil of the Day has been receiving lots of compliments. We will continue to explore emotions, and how we recognise these emotions within ourselves and in others and learning how to control them.
In P.E, our sessions will continue to take place on a Tuesday and a Thursday and our focus in term 2 this time will be, Social Dance, Football and Gymnastics. In term 1 children were participating in hockey and badminton. Children will use their transferrable skills when playing in a team.
Our focus during R.E sessions has been Mary in October, moving to Saints and Remembrance, 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.
Topic
The children will be participating in activities in different areas of the curriculum including social studies and will be focusing on climates and weather around the world. Children have been exploring and developing an understanding of living things as this was a focus on our topic Vertebrates topic where children have been sorting and categorising living things into vertebrates and non-vertebrates.
We hope this is the start of a very fun filled successful term and that the children enjoy learning across the curriculum.
Take care,
Miss Grimley
Welcome to the Family
We are delighted to introduce the newest member of our Mount Carmel family – Penelope Terras.
Huge congratulations to Mrs Terras, her husband and big sister Phoebe who welcomed Penelope on 19th October.
Last Day Lunches
A reminder that lunch tomorrow will be served at 11.30am. Children can have lentil soup with either a ham, cheese or tuna sandwich.
Thank you.
Farewell Fr Martin
Today we celebrated our final Mass with Fr Martin. We raised the roof with some of our favourite hymns and of course a special rendition of Super Crab! We can’t thank Fr Martin enough for all of the love and support he has shown in developing the faith of our school community. He will be greatly missed, however he will always hold a very special place in our Mount Carmel family.
#teammc #thisisourfaith #betterforknowingyou
The Wizard of Oz
What an incredible opening night of “The Wizard of Oz” ⭐️ Our cast were sensational and received rave views from their audience! We can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow!
#teammc #onthestage #shiningstars #achieving
CHANGE OF TIME FOR AFTERNOON SUMMER SHOW PERFORMANCE
On Wednesday 14th June our afternoon performance of The Wizard of Oz/P1-5 Summer Songs will now start at 1.15pm instead of 2.00pm.
Doors will open at 12.45pm and light refreshments will be available to purchase in the small hall until the assembly hall is open at 1.05pm.
All ticket holders for this performance will also be sent a text message with this information.
Walk to School Week
Through our work with Mission to the Moon we have been learning about the many important reasons to walk to school and the difference it can make for individuals, communities and the planet!
Walk to School Week begins on Monday 15th of May and we would like to invite you to make an extra effort to walk to school if you can – remember this can include park and stride as well as coming to school on your bike or scooter.
Each day will have a different theme –
Monday – walk wearing odd socks.
Tuesday – walk singing your favourite songs.
Wednesday – walk wearing sunglasses.
Thursday – walk wearing something bright to be seen.
Friday – walk with crazy hair/special hair accessory.
Bonus S-Miles will be awarded for those who take part each day.
We hope you enjoy Walk to School Week!
School Volunteers
We are delighted that we are now able to welcome parents/carers back in to school more regulary to support with a variety of activities. If you would like to put yourself forward to be part of our Volunteer Bank List then please complete the below survey by Friday 28th April.
Please note that to become an in school volunteer you would be required to apply for and cover the costs for a PVG approval.
Survey link – https://forms.office.com/e/C3ACwB45GR
Thank you.
PANTOMIME SNACKS
Please remember that for Wednesday’s trip to the Pantomime we ask that children only bring 1 small snack (small packet of sweets, crisps or 1 chocolate bar) and 1 small drink (bottle only, no fizzy juice). Thank you.
PE Days
As of Monday 23rd August each class will have 1 indoor and 1 outdoor session of PE per week. The PE days will be as follows –
P1 – Tuesday and Thursday
P1/2 – Monday and Thursday
P2/3 – Monday and Thursday
P4 – Tuesday and Thursday
P5 – Monday and Friday
P6 – Wednesday and Friday
P7 – Tuesday and Wednesday
We ask that on PE days children come to school wearing their school polo shirt and sweatshirt with plain tracksuit bottoms/leggings and trainers. They should also have a pair of gym shoes to change into for indoor sessions – these will be kept in school.
P1 Arrangements for Starting School
We can’t wait to welcome our new P1 pupils on their first day at school on Thursday. Please find below details of drop off and collection times for the first few weeks.
Thursday 19th August
Drop off : 9.15am – 9,30am with time for ‘My First Day at School’ photographs
Collection: 2.30pm – 3.00pm
Friday 20th August
Drop off: 9.15am
Collection: 2.30pm – 3.00pm
Monday 23rd August – Friday 27th August
Drop off: 9.00am (parents allowed in playground)
Collection: 3.00pm
Monday 30th August onwards
Drop off: 9.00am (parents to drop pupils off at infant playground gate)
Collection: 3.00pm
An email with all of this information has been sent to all P1 parent/carers today.
Thank you, as always, for your support.
Drop Off Arrangements for August 2021
From August there will be some changes to the entrance gates and lining up areas for each class.
P1, P1/2 and P2/3 should enter the school grounds from the side Infant Gate.
P4 – 7 should enter the school grounds from the Main Gate.
Please look at the map below to see where your child’s class should line up at 9.00am each morning. This is also the door from which they will be dismissed at 3.00pm.
We ask that no parents/carers are in the playground for morning drop off. New P1 parents/carers only will be in the playground for the first full week (23rd – 27th August).
At afternoon pick up parents/carers are asked to wait in the playground area closest to their child’s access door. Please remember to wear face coverings and socially distance from other families at these times.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
#togetherweareteamMC 💙
Uniform Exchange
Thank you to everyone who has donated to our Uniform Exchange. We now have a wide range of items in various sizes available for families. These can be collected from outside our main school office until 12.00pm on Friday.
Please remember that when accessing the Uniform Exchange adults should wear face coverings and maintain social distancing from other families. Hand sanitiser will also be available.
Thank you.
P1/2 Summer Gifts
A special end of year gift from Mrs Dunsmore is available for collection from outside the main school office. Many of the gifts have already been passed on to siblings within the school. If you have still to receive your gift please collect it by 12.00pm on Friday.
Please remember when collecting the bags adults should wear face coverings and maintain social distancing from other families.
Thank you.
Collection of new P1 Gift Bags
The gift bags for our new P1 pupils are all ready and waiting to be collected from outside the main school office. Each bag is individually labelled with your child’s name and will be available until 12.00pm on Friday.
Please remember when collecting the bags adults should wear face coverings and maintain social distancing from other families.
Thank you.
P1 Dean Park Visit
Primary 1 had a wonderful day at Dean Park! We went on a nature trail, played games in front of the castle, visited the animals and had lots of fun at the park!
P1 Celebrate Eid
Primary 1 have been learning all about the Muslim festival of Eid and today we finished our mini-topic by having our very own Eid party!
Dressed in our finest clothes, we decorated the party table with our personal Mendhi designs, danced with our Moon and Star wands, made special Eid cards for our friends and even had some tasty treats. Have a look at all of the fun we had!
Primary 1 Curriculum Overview – Term 4
Welcome back to the P1 blog where you can read all about the learning taking place this term!
Literacy
Reading and Phonics –
P1 are becoming more and more confident when using their initial sounds to word build. This term we will further develop our word building skills, including CVCC and CCVC words (e.g. park, drum). We will continue to use the Active Literacy strategy “say, make, break, read and write” to support this new learning. We will also continue to learn new ‘look and say’ common words every week.
In class, we are using our guided Bug Club texts to develop our skills in prediction, reading aloud and reading for understanding. At home, we are enjoying a range of independent texts on Bug Club at the same level.
Writing –
We will focus during this last term on using our knowledge of word building and common words to build sentences independently. The children will have many opportunities to develop their independent writing skills through weekly news, free writing and sentence tasks linked to their spelling sounds and reading books.
In addition to this, P1 will be developing their description writing skills. We will focus on describing number, colour, texture and size for familiar people and objects.
Letter formation will be developed through regular handwriting lesson and fine motor skill activities.
Talking and Listening –
Through a range of activities across the curriculum, P1 will continue to develop their talking and listening skills; understanding when to listen and when to respond, taking turns and communicating with others.
Numeracy
This term, P1 will consolidate their understanding of the concept of addition within 10. They will focus on increasing their mental accuracy of number bonds to 10. The children will have many opportunities to develop their mental accuracy through our daily Fast 10 and Big Maths Beat That. We will also be applying our knowledge of addition within 10 when working on missing number calculations using the ‘Lock in and Count On’ strategy.
When P1 are confident in their addition skills they will begin to focus on subtraction within 10. The children will transfer their skills to answer subtraction calculations and word problems. In addition to this we will consolidate our knowledge of numbers to 20 and beyond, including recognising number names.
Beyond Number
We will continue to develop our knowledge of measure, using familiar objects in our environment both at school and at home. We will explore mathematical language such as tallest/smallest, heavier/lighter to compare items. We will also use different non-standard units of measure (e.g cubes, hands) to estimate and then measure the length and weight of items.
We will also have a focus on money. P1 will learn to recognise and identify coins up to £2. They will also learn to differentiate between and use the language “pence” and “pound”. The children will use their knowledge of addition and subtraction to add to find totals within 10p as well as subtract to find change.
Health and Wellbeing
P1 will continue to develop their social and emotional skills through our whole school PATHS programme. The children continue to enjoy engaging with the puppets and love it when they visit our classroom. P1 love giving and receiving compliments each day as part of “Pupil of the Day”.
We will continue to develop our knowledge of ways to keep our bodies and minds healthy with a focus on making healthy choice every day and exploring mindfulness techniques.
Physical Education
This term P1 will focus on Athletics. The children will practice running, jumping, and throwing both independently as well as part of a team. Once we have developed our running, jumping, and throwing skills we will compete against each other in friendly relay races. Later in the term, P1 will also have a weekly session of Fun Fitness with our Active Schools co-ordinator Mark Devlin.
P.E. days will be Monday and Thursday. Please ensure your child comes to school dressed appropriately with either joggers or leggings and trainers. Your child must continue to wear their school jumper as part of their uniform on PE days.
Religious Education
This term P1 will think about Our Lady. The children will reflect on Mary as the mother of Jesus and the mother of all of us. We will create a special altar to Mary in our classroom and learn to pray the “Hail Mary”.
Through the use of God’s Loving Plan, we will explore the beauty of God’s creation and how we recognise this in others and ourselves. We will talk about our own skills and talents, focusing on how God has made us all individual and unique.
IDL
Growing Up – We have explored the timeline of human life from baby through to adult and particularly focused on the needs of babies. We looked at photographs of ourselves as babies and explored how we had changed since then identifying how many different skills we learned at nursery and in P1.
My Senses – Through a variety of sensory experiences, indoors and outdoors, P1 will learn about each of the five senses and their uses to explore our surroundings. We will also develop our knowledge of parts of the body and what they do, showing an understanding of our own health and wellbeing.
P1 and P2 Communication
Following national and local authority guidance we will now not be using Glow mail as a means of communication with our P1 and P2 pupils.
Instead we have created group mailing lists for each class using parent email addresses. Class teachers will use these emails to communicate directly with families.
If the email address we have for you has changed or you do not wish this to be used for home learning purposes please contact Mrs McGahon – joanna.mcgahon@eastayrshire.org.uk
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Tier 4 Restrictions
Due to yesterday’s Scottish Government announcements regarding Tier 4 restrictions our planned class Masses can no longer go ahead. We hope to be able to reschedule these as soon as guidelines allow.
Also, we now have to revert back to PE taking place outdoors only. Please ensure that pupils are still coming to school appropriately dressed on their PE days.
Thank you.
Face Coverings
As of tomorrow, following reviewed national guidance, all staff are now required to wear face coverings more often during the school day.
We know that this might be upsetting for some children. Staff will ensure that pupils are supported in adapting to this change and will reassure them that it not something to worry about. We would appreciate if you could also discuss this at home.
Thank you, as always, for your support.
A Final Message
Hello boys and girls!
Thank you so much for taking part in our transition activities over the past few months. We have loved getting to know you more and tell you and your families all about our wonderful school!
We hope you enjoyed coming to collect your extra special MC welcome bags on Wednesday. If you didn’t manage to come along don’t worry, Marty will look after your bags for you over the holidays and you can get them on your first day at school.
Have a fantastic summer with your families. Hopefully we get some more hot days like yesterday! We can’t wait to see you all in August, so until then here are some final messages just for you…
Lots of love Mrs Duff, Mrs Dunsmore and Mrs McGahon xxx
#TogetherWeAreTeamMC
Say Hello to your Buddies
Two more of your buddies would like to say hello!
MAY HUME 
Hi there! My name is May, I’m in P7. I hope to see you all soon, and I hope you enjoy your stay here as much as I have.
MICHAEL JOHN HOWAT 
Hi my name is Michael John I am in Primary 6. I’m really looking forward to meeting you. Mount Carmel is a great school and you will have lots of fun!!
Our School Community
This week we have special messages from members of our wider school community. #teammc
Father Martin
Hello Boys and girls. I am Father Martin Chambers. I am the priest at Mount Carmel School.
I am sure you will find that our school is a very happy place. When I come to Mount Carmel School, I normally talk to the boys and girls about God. In the school, we always remember how good God is to us.
God sends us his peace and his love. With the peace and love that God sends us, we will make sure Mount Carmel School is a very happy place.
Parent Council
Hello. Our names are Amanda and Neil. Together with other parents and carers, we run the Parent Council. Our role as parents is really important. We all want the school to be successful as it has such a big impact on our kids. Our views matter so it’s important that there is some way that the school’s management, staff and the Council know what our views are, while we give support and encouragement when it’s required.
So, for a couple of hours every 3 months, we all get together with the Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher for a cuppa and a chat, to find out what’s going on and how we, the parents, can help.
If you’re interested, then feel free to pop along to our meetings (they are ‘virtual’ just now due to COVID19, so you don’t even need to leave the house). You can find the dates and times on our Facebook page. We know it can be awkward joining, so please feel free to contact us beforehand, we can have a chat then introduce you to the rest of the group. They don’t bite, honest!
We hope to be saying “hello” to you very soon!
The Friends of Mount Carmel
Hello to all the new P1 Parents
The Friends of Mount Carmel (FOMC) is a fundraising group comprising of a group of parents and carers of the young people within our school. Our aim is to plan and co-ordinate various fundraising events such as School Discos, Fun Days and a Christmas Fayre along with any other activities associated with the staff and pupils of Mount Carmel Primary School that require our help.
The money we raise is used to benefit all the pupils of Mount Carmel Primary. This may be in the form of purchasing items for the schools e.g. books/equipment, facilitating transport to events e.g. covering the cost of buses for trips, providing gifts/prizes for pupils or to cover the cost of facilitating events e.g. paying for venues.
We aim to meet up face to face approximately 4 times throughout the school year so we can share ideas and plan for future fundraising events.
If this is something that you would be interested in and would like to be part of our group you are very welcome to contact us at friendsofmountcarmel@gmail.com and we will add you to our mailing list and welcome you at our next meeting when we return in august.
Look forward to meeting you all.
Deborah Boyd (Chairperson)
Scavenger Hunt
Hi boys and girls!
We hope you are all well and have had a lovely week!
Marty and Colin have been loving going on adventures outdoors as the weather has been lovely and warm. As they love being outside so much they have decided to set you an outdoor task this week – a Scavenger Hunt!!!
All you have to do is get outdoors, maybe in your garden, local park or while out on a walk and find each of the things on their list! Are you up for the challenge? We are sure you are!
Can you find:
- something round
- something smooth
- something jaggy
- 3 different types of leaf
- 2 sticks
- something yellow
- something pretty
- something that could be treasure!!!
Marty and Colin have started theirs already! Can you see which items they have found so far?!!!
Good luck everyone!! We hope you have fun on the hunt!!!
Mrs Duff and Mrs Dunsmore (Marty and Colin) xxxx
