Primary 7 Term 3

Happy New Year! We hope all our Primary 7 families had a restful and joyful holiday. It’s great to have the pupils back in school, we can’t believe we’re in Term 3 already. Many children will be looking forward to their Primary 7 residential to Lockerbie in February. We can’t wait for more learning this term and more preparation for moving to Secondary.

Literacy

Reading – We start Term 3 listening and responding to Scots poetry, songs and stories. P7 will look in depth at the Scots poem ‘The Auld Broon Troot’ by Sandy Thomas Ross and some pupils will recite this at our Scots Assembly later in January.  through our WW2 IDL topic we will be focussing on non-fiction reading skills; notetaking, summarising, topic specific vocabulary and finding the main idea.

Talking and Listening – This will also be taught through Scot’s language with the children also developing their presentation skills as part of this learning. St Joseph’s currently have big focus on quality talking and listening and questioning. In preparation for S1 this will also be our focus in Term 3. Pupils will be taught to not just listen but respond or respectfully challenge each other’s ideas and opinions.

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. Most P7 will focus on including varied punctuation in their writing.

Writing – At the start of the term Primary 7 will experience writing in Scots using the Scots word kist. This term the focus writing genres are report and recount writing. These genres will be modelled and taught through our IDL WW2. Pupils will read chronological reports and identify features before writing their own. We will then read recounts from people who lived through WW2 and use this to write our own recounts. P7 will also have opportunities to write across the curriculum. There are two focussed handwriting lessons per week.

Numeracy

We will continue with the use of number talks which helps to encourage different learners to use and understand different strategies. The children show an excellent understanding of the strategies taught so far and are always eager to share their understanding with their peers.

Mrs Terras will concentrate on the core number processes and will concentrate on all four operations within whole number and decimals. Links will be made with money and finance. There will be a focus on learning multiplication tables as these permeate all other areas of Numeracy at second level and beyond. Some pupils will experience 3^rd level Numeracy skills through extension and challenge tasks.

Mrs Canning continues to teach the Beyond Number topics and will start the term refreshing knowledge of Data Handling and then will move onto Time.

Health and Wellbeing

Our P.E. days are Wednesday and Friday and pupils are required to have a full change on these days. The focus for P.E. this term will be gymnastics and fitness.

Primary 7 participate in mindfulness after lunch every day, this settles them for learning and teaching in the afternoons.

Our PATHS programme will continue to 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.

Our core health and wellbeing teaching will focus on food and health. Through this topic Primary 7 will understand about different nutritional needs and that some people may eat or avoid certain foods. They will also discuss the important of cleanliness, hygiene and safety and apply these principles to their everyday lives.

IDL

As P7 move to Secondary, they often begin to explore more complex topics in history, including World War II. This period in history is full of fascinating stories of courage, resilience and community. It can also involve themes that can be upsetting, such as conflict, loss and evacuation. Our WW2 IDL will be taught in ways appropriate for the children’s age.

At Primary 7 the focus of our IDL will be on:

• Daily Life on the Home front during the war: evacuation, rationing, school life and family routines
• How the WW2 changed jobs, skills and workers’ rights, and how that still affects work in 2025.
• Personal stories: Letters, diaries, and recounts from children who lived through the war.

Primary 7 will have the opportunity to lead and plan their IDL by giving suggestions about what they would like to learn more about during this period of history.

Spanish

Mrs Canning will lead a block of Spanish lessons on a Monday. Primary 7 will learn basic greeting, colours and numbers in Spanish and finish the block with focus on Salvador Dali.

Science/Technologies

Mrs Canning continues to lead Science in Primary 7 and will learn about Separation, the properties and use of water. Lessons will be practical and hands on.

Primary 7 are excellent at using Chromebooks to enhance their learning. Primary 7 will learn how to organise emails to make their inboxes efficient. They will also continue to uplevel their skills in using MS Office apps. Primary 7 are reminded about the appropriate use of digital technology both in and out of school and to have the confidence to speak out of they witness cyberbullying.

Expressive Arts

Expressive Arts will be mainly taught through the WW2 IDL

Music – Primary 7 will listen and learn to sing wartime songs and discuss how music supported morale through the war years.

Art – Pupils will create persuasive propaganda posters and continue with their stitching skills by stitching their own ration books. Mrs Canning will also be lead lessons on the Spanish artist Salvador Dali.

Drama – Focus will be on Freeze-frames of home-front scenes, role-play evacuee experiences and hot-seat characters from different viewpoints.

RME

P7 will finish collecting their final pieces of evidence for their Pope Francis Faith Award. Parish commendations have been sent to SCES and Primary 7 teachers in the cluster will be reviewing the PFFA journals at the end of February and awarding pupils accordingly. Pupils will continue to develop their understanding of the liturgical calendar, exploring key events and celebrations. In Term 3 P7 will look at what life was like for Jesus, the history of Judaism and explore The Ten Commandments.

UNCRC

As a school we are working towards our Rights Respecting Schools Silver Award. We will review the Class Charter from Term 2 and adapt if required. A focus this term will be on quality listening and talking and respecting others’ views and opinions.

As a school community we will be looking at the articles and rights involved and associated in Holocaust Memorial Day in late January, Safe Internet Day and Children’s Mental Health Week in February, and World Book Day and World Water Day in March.

Linking in with the Class Charter, Primary 7 enjoy using the Reward card system however we feel it needs a refresher. Primary 7 will have opportunity at the start of Term 3 to share how they would like to use the Reward card system and gain reward cards.

Learner Journals

Pupils will continue to Learner Journals to reflect on their progress and celebrate achievements. We encourage parents and carers to login to Learner Journals as it provides a valuable link between home and school.

Personal Target Setting

This term, pupils will reflect on their Term 2 targets and focus on setting their own personal targets for Term 3. They will reflect on their strengths, identify areas to improve on, and create achievable goals. Regular check ins will help them track progress, celebrate successes and develop confidence and responsibility in their learning journey.

Thank you for all your support,

Mrs Terras and Mrs Canning

Happy New Year!  I hope Santa was good to you all and you had a restful Christmas break.  Good to see all the pupils back after the holidays.  Here is a brief overview of our learning focus this term.

Literacy

Firstly, we will be looking at Scottish texts, using Scots language and looking at Scottish poems and authors in preparation for our Scots Assembly.  Our focus then will aim to develop all reading skills through Bug Club guided reading texts.  For writing, we are concentrating on poems and narrative writing, before moving onto the report genre via biographies.

Numeracy

The emphasis of our numeracy this term is on fractions, decimals and percentages and how they interlink.  Having completed the set Number Talk discussions, we will continue to use Number Talk strategies to develop mental strategies using all four processes.

Health and Wellbeing

The PATHS focus this term is on goal setting and investigating the lives of several people who are viewed as inspirational goal setters.  Then we will look at the skills needed to make and maintain friendships. We will also continue to praise and compliment children through Pupil of the Day.

Our PE days are still Monday and Thursday and pupils must bring in their PE kit on these days to participate fully.  We will be first concentrating on fun fitness, creating personal fitness plans and setting personal goals.  We also aim to develop our team game skills through netball where we will understand different roles within the team.

IDL

The topic this term is geography based, and we will be looking at Scottish landscapes including lakes, rivers and mountains.  We will also be investigating famous landmarks and observing maps to identify these features.

RE

This term we will begin our Pope Francis Faith Award journals, giving a brief overview of all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit before focussing on the first 2 gifts: Knowledge and Piety.  Pupils will be aiming to give evidence of them being used in the school, at home and in the community or Parish.

French

The focus for this terms French is “My Family” and pupils will be learning vocabulary to discuss different family members.

Technologies

This term P6 begin to use 3D graphics and use software to create and design simple models.

UNCRC

We will be looking at the articles and rights involved and associated in Holocaust Memorial Day in late January, Safe Internet Day and Children’s Mental Health Week in February, and World Book Day and World Water Day in March.

Mr Bertoncini

Welcome back! We hope you had a lovely Christmas and we wish you a very Happy New Year. Term 2 was a busy time for Primary 3 and they all worked really hard. Below is a curriculum overview for this term.

Literacy

Reading – This term, Primary 3 will continue to develop their questioning skills with particular focus on inferential questioning and creating their own questions. They will continue to extend their knowledge of retelling events from texts using what they have already learned about who, what, where and when to support this. In addition to this, pupils will work on identifying the purpose of notes as well as creating their own based on shared texts, personal readers and linked to IDL. Bug Club readers will continue to be used. Daily opportunities for reading will continue to be provided through personal reading time and where possible visits to the library will take place.

Writing – This terms writing genre will be explanation and report writing. Pupils will begin to identify the key features of a fact file whilst composing their own including diagrams and tables. Primary 3 will also be encouraged to continue to extend their writing through use of connectives, adjectives and openers to make their writing more interesting. In addition to this, weekly handwriting lessons will continue.

Spelling – New phonemes and common words will be introduced weekly. Active spelling activities will be used to support this learning.

Listening and Talking – When developing talking and listening skills, P3 will focus on asking and responding to questions as well as retelling stories and events in their own words.

Grammar – Primary 3 will continue to recognise and use speech marks and will be introduced to commas within texts.

Numeracy and Mathematics

This term, multiplication and division skills and strategies will be reviewed and revisited before building on this. Primary 3 will be learning to multiply and divide by 2,3,4,5,6 and 10. In addition, P3 will extend their understanding of number patterns, time and shape. Daily number talks will continue to be completed, to develop mental maths strategies.

UNCRC

Primary 3 continue to be mindful of the UNCRC Rights of the Child. We will be looking at the articles and rights involved and associated in Holocaust Memorial Day in late January, Safe Internet Day and Children’s Mental Health Week in February, and World Book Day and World Water Day in March.

Health and Wellbeing

Primary 3 will continue to access our whole school PATHS programme this term to develop their understanding of emotions. Pupils will also continue to learn about ‘Zones of Regulations’ focussing on energy levels and strategies to support this. Each child will continue to have the opportunity to be “Pupil of the Day”, receiving compliments from their peers. We will also continue with the Do Be Mindful programme which will allow us to be mindful each day, taking time to find calm and regulate during the busy school day. Furthermore, as we continue with our Germs topic at the start of the term, pupils will continue to develop their understanding of health and hygiene.

In addition to this, Primary 3 will learn about how to keep themselves safe in emergency situations, including medicines and people who can help them.

Physical Education

This term, Primary 3 will develop their stamina and endurance through fun fitness as well as their ball skills. Pupils will also continue to develop their gymnastic skills.

PE days are Monday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. All children will require a PE kit on these days. Please ensure any jewellery is taken off and left at home on PE days. If your child cannot take part for any reason, please contact the school.

Religious Education

In R.E. this term, Primary 3 will learn about the life of Jesus, learning more about his life through his parables and miracles. Pupils will also begin to prepare to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well as learn more about Lent and the Easter story.  

IDL

This term, P3 will complete our learning all about Germs and Micro-organisms and extend this learning by linking it to our HWB outcomes focusing on medicines, what to do in an emergency as well as learning about the importance of personal hygiene. Pupils will also learn about The Romans through IDL. They will investigate Roman artefacts, research Roman lifestyles as well as create their own Roman items including shields, chariots and mosaics. A number of cross curricular links will be made during this topic including social studies, expressive arts and literacy.

Music

This term Primary 3 will develop their musical performance skills by learning to sing with confidence and play various instruments. Pupils will learn about pulse and rhythmic accuracy as well as pitch control and expression. Primary 3 will have opportunities to share their thoughts and feelings about what they hear, responding to different pieces of music through voice and instruments.

Homework will continue to be distributed on a Monday and should be completed and returned on a Friday each week.

As always, Primary 3 look forward to sharing their fabulous learning with you throughout the term! Check out the Learner Journal app for regular updates from P3 where we will continue to share some of your child’s amazing work.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding, we are really looking forward to another wonderful term in Primary 3,

Mrs Dunsmore and Mrs Hope.