Hello and welcome to our term 4 blog post.  Primary 1 pupils were very busy last term, learning about the weather, how to measure and record rainfall and temperature, and discussing the different types of weather associated with different seasons. I hope our pupils and their families had a relaxing and lovely Easter break.

UNCRC – Class Charter

The focus of children’s rights this term will be: International Day of Families (Article 5), Parental guidance, and Parental responsibilities (Article 18).

Mental Health Awareness Week (Article 24) Health.

International Children’s Day (all UNCRC rights) protection, education, and development.

Literacy

Our focus in term four will be to begin exploring joint phonemes through songs and actions (ch, sh, th, ng, ee, oo, ai, etc.). Pupils will explore words that contain these sounds, blending 4- and 5-letter words and supporting word-building and recognition of common words. This will challenge pupils to become more confident when writing, as they will begin to use their knowledge and their growing bank of sounds to word-build and structure longer sentences.

Our reading and spelling activities will enable pupils to access more complex texts, where they will use their knowledge of all phonemes to decode and read more challenging books. As their knowledge of common words increases, children will be exposed to fiction and non-fiction texts to increase confidence and skills. We will begin asking and answering simple inferential questions about the books we are reading.

Our focus in writing will be on increasing our use of descriptive words to make our sentences more detailed. Children will also begin to think about using simple punctuation and connectives in their written work, too.

Numeracy

Our focus in numeracy will be subtraction skills and familiarising ourselves with the fact families to 10.  Children will continue to recognise and sequence numbers 11-20 and beyond. Active activities will help children recognise the relationship between addition and subtraction, building a bank of strategies to support pupils as they prepare for primary 2.

In beyond number, time will continue for a few weeks, but the focus this term will be money. Children will need to have a good understanding of combining totals using coins and how much change should be given, so we have waited until term 4 when children should have a better understanding of addition and subtraction to support this.

Health & Wellbeing

Our Paths Pupil of the Day will continue, as will our growing understanding of emotions, building friendships, and meeting our Paths animals again, who will help the children navigate the many different feelings we may experience.

In PE, our sessions will be on Mondays and Wednesdays, and our focus in term three will be athletics, fielding and striking games. Children will have the opportunity to take part in fun activities that support teamwork whilst developing their skills in running, clearing obstacles, and under- and overarm throwing.

R.E

Our focus during R.E. sessions will be on prayer, 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 talking about Mary, The Mother of God and us all, throughout May.

IDL

We will be focusing on ‘Local Superheroes’ and ‘Plants’ in term four, gaining an understanding of those in our local communities who are superheroes because of their profession or through major fundraising events for charities. We will look at labelling and naming different parts of a plant and describe the growth process from seed to plant.

Modern Languages (French)

In French lessons, children will continue to build on basic greetings. We will learn songs and rhymes to help us retain French numbers from 1-10, and a short topic on Paris and what you might find there.

Homework

Homework will continue during this final term. Please check your child’s homework bag weekly to ensure all homework is completed. Homework will consist of sounds/spelling, common words, reading and number activities as the children’s knowledge and skills increase. Homework will be issued on a Monday and should be returned to school on Friday.

We hope this is the start of a very successful final term and that our pupils enjoy all the fun and exciting learning that will take place over these last weeks of the school year.

Take care,

Mrs Travers and Mrs Strachan

Primary 7 Term 4

As we head into our final term of Primary 7, it’s an exciting and emotional time filled with new challenges, special moments, and many “lasts” to treasure. This is the term where everything comes together; our last summer show, our final school trip, sports day, and our Summer Fun Day, all creating memories the pupils will carry with them into secondary school. We’ll continue building on everything we’ve learned so far and preparing for the transition ahead. Term 4 is all about teamwork, celebration, and making the most of every moment. We’ll make it our best term yet!

Literacy

In Reading, most of the class will be working within Third Level as we prepare for the move to S1. Our focus returns to fiction, where we will develop deeper comprehension skills through our class novel Coraline. We will be paying particular attention to metalinguistics and strengthening our ability to summarise in our own words.

In Talking & Listening, pupils will be taking part in debates and a mock job interview, giving them a chance to build confidence, present ideas clearly, and make links with our writing genres this term.

For Spelling and Grammar, we will continue to extend our metalinguistic knowledge by exploring trickier spellings, as well as widening our understanding of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, word definitions, and homophones.

In Writing, the focus is on persuasive writing, including creating a CV and job application form as part of our World of Work theme. Pupils will also apply these skills when preparing arguments and presenting during debates.

Numeracy

This term, our focus in Numeracy is to “Think Like Mathematicians.” Mrs Terras will be concentrating on core number processes, with pupils developing their skills in adding and subtracting fractions, working confidently with money and finance, and applying BODMAS to solve multi‑step calculations. Some children will also have opportunities for additional challenge through the Third Level numeracy planner, allowing them to extend their learning further.

Mrs Canning continues to teach the Beyond Number topics and will start the term refreshing knowledge of Angles and Position and Direction.

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 outdoor games and athletics. We’ll also be getting the practice in for our final Sport’s Day.

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

Our IDL focus this term is our summer show, “Turn Up the Volume: From Vinyl to Viral.” This IDL brings together learning from Social Studies, as we explore how music and culture have changed over time; Technology, as pupils use digital tools to create, design, and present; and Expressive Arts, where they develop performance, music, and creative skills for the final production. It’s a fun, engaging way to celebrate learning across the curriculum.

French

Mrs Canning will return to teaching a six-week block of French. The class will learn about French dining and food. They will then learn how to talk about nationalities and countries and will explore French culture. Finally, they will learn to talk about the weather.

Science and Technologies

Towards the end of term4, we will return to completing Science investigations. We will explore microorganisms and how they produce and break down materials. We will explore food production and how useful microorganisms can be.

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

The summer show links closely to Expressive Arts because the children get to be creative in lots of different ways. They will be learning songs, acting in scenes, and working together to bring the story to life on stage. They’ll also help design elements like props, costumes, or simple set pieces, giving them a chance to express their ideas and talents. It’s a fun and engaging way for pupils to build confidence, work as a team, and enjoy performing.

RME

This term in R.E., we will be learning about the Holy Trinity, exploring what Christians believe about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The children will research the Creed, read stories from the Acts of the Apostles, and take part in creative activities such as trying to paint their own icon, helping them understand how faith is expressed through art. R.E. learning is further supported by Mrs McCreadie, who covers key themes during her weekly assemblies.

We will also continue our work on God’s Loving Plan, learning about positive relationships, personal boundaries, and the ways we show care, respect, and kindness to ourselves and others. In Primary 7, pupils explore how science and Scripture work together to help us understand God’s creation and our place in the world. They will learn about the Sacrament of Matrimony, focusing on the commitment, love, and responsibility shared by a husband and wife. As part of this, the children learn that family life and the creation of new life are understood by the Church as gifts from God.

UNCRC

As a school we are working towards our Rights Respecting Schools Silver Award. We will review the Class Charter from Term 3 and adapt if required.

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. Learner Journal posts are generally uploaded on a Friday.

Personal Target Setting

This term, pupils will reflect on their Term 3 targets and focus on setting their own personal targets for Term 4. 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.

S1 Transition

Our Primary 7s will soon be taking part in their transition days at St Joseph’s, where they will spend full days experiencing life as an S1 pupil. These visits give pupils the chance to meet staff, explore the school, follow a timetable, and get a real feel for what secondary school will be like. Further details, including dates and arrangements, will be shared with families soon.

It has been a real pleasure teaching Primary 7 this year. I am so proud of everything they have achieved and wish them all the very best as they move on to secondary school. I’m looking out my tissues for Leaver’s Assembly already!

Thank you for all your support,

Mrs Terras and Mrs Canning

Easter is gone, the clocks have gone forward, and the lighter nights are here! And so is term 4!  The last term for our P6’s before becoming top of the school.  Here is a brief overview of our learning this term.

Literacy

We are continuing to develop all reading skills through a variety of guided reading texts. We will be focussing on concisely answering the 3 main question types with a particular focus on the steps to answer inferential questions.  For writing this term, we are looking at the genre of response: writing reviews and giving personal opinions to things we have watched or read.  Our grammar will be looking at investigating affixes and how they change the meaning of root words.

Numeracy

Our numeracy focus this term will continue on percentages before moving onto time.  We will also look at equations later in the term.  We will continue to use Number Talk strategies to develop mental strategies using all four processes.

Health and Wellbeing

Our focus is on relationships and sexual health.  In late June we will discuss God’s Loving Plan and complete appropriate activities.  As this subject is sensitive, please discuss these issues with your child at home.

The PATHS focus this term is on making and keeping friendships and learning how to deal with teasing behaviours.  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 netball then moving onto athletics.

IDL

The topic this term is based around enterprise for the school show.  Preparations are already underway and pupils will be participating in lots of drama, art, technology and enterprising activities to make the show a success.  Keep your eyes peeled for further updates of our show.

We will also have a science focus this term, concentrating on the water cycle.

RE

For RE this term, we are continuing to progress through the Pope Francis Faith Award journals.  We will be completing the Gift of Piety and Wisdom.  Pupils will be aiming to give evidence of them being used in the school, at home and in the community or Parish.  P6 will also look at the story of Pentecost.

French

The focus for this terms French is to focus on the cultural differences between Scotland and France, investigating foods, celebrations and a typical school day.

Technologies

This term P6 will further develop use of online applications such as Glow and Teams and use features within PowerPoint and Word.

UNCRC

We will be learning about the articles and rights involved in and associated with Mental Health Awareness Week (Article 24) in May and then look at the rights linked to World Refugee Day (Articles 10 and 22) in June.

Mr Bertoncini