Due to the long weekend, there will be a change to the dates for our Rag Bags; They will now be sent out to us week beg. 21st Sept and will distributed to the children during that week. The collection date is now Friday 9th October.
Best Start Grants
Please use the link below to access all the information you will need regarding the Government’s Best Start Grants:
https://www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant-best-start-foods/
Flu Immunisation consent forms
Can we please have all completed Flu Immunisation consent forms in by the end of this week. These will be uplifted from the school next week. Thank you.
School Holiday Arrangements 2020/2021
Here is the most up to date version of School-Holidays-2020-21. Please print a copy for your records.
Thank you
Flu Immunisations
Flu immunisations for pupils are scheduled for 3rd November this year.
Reminder- Friday is Superheroes Day!
Reminder :
On Friday 11th September we will celebrate our first Magic Mount Carmel Time since returning to school. This will be a special day of celebration for all our Superheroes! We have been so impressed with how our children became Superheroes during times when the school building was closed and how they have continued to be Superheroes since their return. On this day children can come to school dressed in their favourite Superhero costumes – please do not purchase anything new for this day, Superheroes can also wear school uniform or other normal clothes if they wish. In school they will have a special day with Superhero activities in their own class and using our school grounds.
Lunch Menu -Friday 11th September
Friday 11th September – Lunch Menu
Burger in a bun with chips and salad/cupcake or ice lolly
Cheese pizza with chips and salad/cupcake or ice lolly
Chicken strips with chips and salad/cupcake or ice lolly
Homework Folders Reminder
A friendly reminder that Homework Folders should be handed back in to school on Thursday.
Thank you
Primary 4 September Update
Hello and welcome to our very first blog post of the new session. Primary 4 have been very busy settling into our new classroom and our new routines. Children have been working hard to become familiarised with their class groupings, recapping previous learning and are enhancing this through our outdoor learning activities.
Literacy
Our class novel is ‘Horton Hears a Who’ and through this text, the context and the discovery of Who-Ville, pupils have explored our outdoor area, looking for ‘tiny’ living things, whilst finding natural resources to create scenes from ‘Who-Ville’. Pupils have also enjoyed some imaginative writing, describing their visit to Who-Ville with Horton and giving detailed descriptions of their time on the tiny speck of dust! Some of their ideas on how they shrunk small enough to be able to visit Who-Ville, were very exciting!
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 imaginative and report writing, and ideas will be developed from our class novel and mini topic!
Homework will be sent today so please check your children’s bags for a plastic wallet. Reading books will be from our ‘Independent Readers’ section of our Bug Club Online for the first week, there after a hard copy of a banded reading book will be issued in their homework wallet. These will be issued on a Monday and should be returned to school on a Thursday.
Maths
Our focus in maths will be multiplication and division, however we will regularly revisit addition and subtraction as well as word problems to consolidate our strategies within the 4 operations of number. Children will regularly use their ‘Thinking It Through’ jotters to develop problem solving skills, applying knowledge of number to new contexts and develop strategies for any number problems. We will also encourage these skills through our daily number challenges and number target board!
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 have been exploring emotions, comfortable and uncomfortable and how we recognise these emotions within ourselves and in others.
In P.E, our sessions will happen outside, and our focus will be on team games and small ball skills. Children will have the opportunity to partake in some fun activities which support teamwork whilst focusing on developing their racquet and small 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 soon be beginning our preparation for Confirmation and First Communion, 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 children chose animals as the focus of our Class Charter, their interest in the animal kingdom has developed into a new mini topic! We have been researching animal classifications, looking at the 6 different animal classes and finding out some interesting facts about each of these categories. This has led to how we can look after our environment to keep animals in our community safe. We discussed and further explored how trees are the earth’s lifeline, and pupils have been learning about the impact of deforestation and harmful plastics that pollute our seas.
We hope this is the start of a very successful term and that the pupils are enjoying their return to school, despite the environment being a little different to how it was before we closed in March.
Take care,
Mrs Travers
Homework Primary 2-7
Dear Parents/Carers,
In Mount Carmel we are following a new homework procedure in line with our current restrictions. On a Monday your child will receive their personal Homework folder. In this you will find a login card with details of all logins and passwords that may be required over the coming months. The folder will also contain a Homework Task Grid and for some classes there may be a copy of a reading book. To begin with homework will focus on reading and active literacy. Over the coming months there will be a variety of tasks from different areas of the curriculum.
The Homework Task Grid will provide details of a core reading task which must be completed, a selection of Active Literacy Tasks and an additional Sumdog task. Please help your child to choose two of the Active Literacy Tasks. There is no expectation that all tasks will be completed.
We ask that all homework folders are returned to the school on the Thursday to allow for items to be quarantined appropriately. New homework grids and reading books will then be provided on the following Monday.
We thank you for your continued co-operation and support at this time.
Kind regards,
Mrs McConville
Rag Bag Collection
Mount Carmel will this year again be participating in The Rag Bag Collection . Bags will be sent home with pupils in the few days. They should be returned to the school no later than 9am on 24th September. Please ensure all bags are secured at the top and left in the vestibule outside the front door of the school, as we are unable to allow parents/carers access to the school at present. Please do not block the front door .
Thank you for your co-operation.
P6/7 Curriculum Update – Term 1
Welcome back everyone and welcome to the P6/7 blog! I trust you all had an enjoyable holiday/staycation and I am delighted to welcome back the pupils of P6/7 who have settled well into the unusual 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 focusing on a novel study, The Wilderness War by Julia Green. 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.
We will also continue to develop our comprehension skills through our use of Bug Club reading books.
For writing, we are concentrating on imaginative pieces focusing particularly on 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 and Daily 10. P6/7 are really enjoying these games, especially “Sink the Ship” which (pardon the pun) has went down very well!
The class are also working on skills beyond number with Mrs McIntyre and are currently developing their knowledge of coordinates and angles.
Health and Wellbeing
This year we will continue to use the PATHS programme to shape our HWB learning. P6/7 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 are looking at ways we can relax and improve brain function.
Well done to those who also took time and effort to prepare and present a short speech in applying for the House Captain/Vice Captain role. It was a nervous experience for most and their involvement is excellent practise for developing vital skills which will benefit them in the future. Videos will be shown to classes next week (Week Beg 7th Sept) and children will vote for their preferred candidate. Winning candidates will be announced on Friday 11th Sept.
I look forward to working with P6/7 in the coming year and hope to have lots of enjoyable experiences that will make learning fun and memorable.
Mr Bertoncini
Primary 3 – Term 1
Welcome back to all of our Primary 3 children! It is fantastic to be back at Mount Carmel and we are all delighted to see our friends and are really looking forward to learning lots of new things this term!
Literacy
Our class novel this term is ‘The Owl Who was Afraid of the Dark’ by Jill Tomlinson. We are really enjoying reading this chapter book and finding out how Plop overcomes his fear of the dark. We are completing comprehension tasks related to the text and enjoying cross-curricular links such as Outdoor Education. 
We are also working in our reading groups and continuing to complete tasks linked to our Bug Club books. In doing this, we are making predictions before reading. We are also looking at the differences between fiction and non-fiction texts.
Writing
In writing, we are writing personal accounts and focussing on including capital letters, full stops, fingers spaces and ensuring that our letters are formed correctly. We are leaning how to write independently, using appropriate punctuation and ordering our sentences to make sure our writing is structured and makes sense.
Spelling
We are continuing to use the Active Literacy spelling programme. We are revising our known phonemes (such as sh, th, wh) and 
introducing a different phoneme and spelling words each week. We are also practising our common words (words that appear frequently in our writing such as friend, that). We will use say, make/break, read and write to aid understanding of how words are made. Also we are beginning to use our knowledge of the alphabet to use a dictionary to locate words.
Numeracy
In numeracy we have been revising our numbers to 100. We are consolidating our number bonds to 20 using both addition and subtraction strategies. We are also looking for patterns in the 2, 5 and 10 times tables and moving onto link this with division. We have been practising skip counting and are starting to transfer these skills to our times tables. On a Thursday we will work with Mrs McIntrye on Beyond Number concepts such as 3D shapes and information handling.
Health and Wellbeing
As part of our PATHS lessons we have revisited the characters Twiggle, Henrietta, Duke and Daphne. In doing this we hav
e discussed how to be a good friend and read some of the PATHS story books. We have also made our own class charter with a Lego theme and discussed our rights and responsibilities. During PATHS lessons we have spoken about the importance of rules and that we have rules to keep us safe. We have started to introduce our Pupil of the Day and look forward to giving compliments to our classmates and making them feel special. We will continue to learn more about different emotions and strategies that we can use to calm down.
Primary 3 look forward to working hard and sharing their learning with you!
Thank you for your continued support,
Mrs Strachan 🙂
Primary 1/2 Term 1 Overview
Hello and welcome to the Primary 1/2 blog! We are all so delighted to be back! Primary 1/2 have settled in wonderfully with everyone ready to learn. Here you will be able to find updates from Primary 1/2. You will be able to join us on our journey towards becoming learning superheroes!
Literacy
Primary 1
This term, Primary 1 will focus on developing their phonological awareness as the first step towards learning their first letter sounds. As Primary 1 begin to work on this, they will learn about rhyme and rhythm by concentrating on Nursery Rhymes. The children will develop their understanding by listening for words that sound the same (rhyme) 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.
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.
Primary 2
Reading – Primary 2 will be revising and consolidating their tools for reading before beginning to develop their sequencing skills this term. They will be using a variety of resources including, Bug Club books as well as utilising a range of familiar fairy tale stories as they develop this skill.
Writing – This term primary 2 will be developing their tools for writing. Primary 2 will develop their understanding of sentence structure through short pieces of writing. Primary 2 will develop these skills through personal writing. The context for this learning will stem from familiar contexts and situations the children will be able to reflect on.
Spelling – Primary 2 will be revising phonemes already covered as well as learning new phonemes in accordance with the Active Literacy programme. Primary 2 will develop their knowledge of phonemes and spelling strategies through an active approach. They will apply this knowledge alongside the development of their sentence structure skills. Primary 2 will also use the Phonic Bug resource to support and enhance their knowledge of new phonemes.
Grammar – This term primary 2 will be focusing on developing their understanding and use of punctuation such as full stops and capital letters. They will develop this skill through sentence building.
Primary 1/2
Book Study – Primary 1/2’s first topic this year is Fairyland (Traditional Tales). They have already been engaging with a range of traditional tales and have been participating in a range of learning experiences to enhance their understanding of each story including making a gigantic beanstalk after reading Jack and the Beanstalk. They will make a number of cross curricular links during this topic including expressive arts and science.
Numeracy and Mathematics
Primary 1
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”.
Primary 2
Numeracy – This term primary 2 will be focusing on developing their number processes. They have made a great start to the term by consolidating their number stories to 10. They will focus on developing their addition and subtraction skills within 10 before progressing towards number stories within 20. As Primary 2 become more confident when adding and subtracting they will apply this knowledge to money. They will use a variety of active resources to promote independent learning and ensure that all key skills are successfully achieved.
Primary 1/2
Mathematics – Primary 1/2 will be focusing on data handling. They will be using a range of natural resources as well as seeking out opportunities to take their learning outdoors to support their learning experiences. They will develop their understanding of data handling by sorting and organising a range of objects/information.
Health and Wellbeing
Primary 1/2 are officially SUPERHEROES!! They have already created their class charter and made their classroom promise with their rights, needs, and wants in mind. Primary 1/2 chose a superhero theme and created their very own superheroes to remind them to follow the rules and show kindness at all times.
Primary 1/2 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 1/2 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 1/2 will have the opportunity to develop their ball skills. At the moment, all PE lessons will take place outdoors.
Religious Education
Primary 1/2 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 1/2 will develop an understanding of building faith and growing in relationship with God.
Primary 1/2 look forward to sharing their learning and successes with you throughout the term!
Thank you,
Mrs Dunsmore.
Primary 6 – Term 1 overview
Welcome to the Primary 6 blog page!
It’s great to have the Primary 6’s back. They have all settled into their new classroom and have been brilliant remembering all the new routines around the school.
Below is an overview of the Term 1 learning and teaching.
Literacy
Reading
Our class novel and the topic this term is Billionaire Boy by David Walliams. The pupils will complete Active Reading tasks related to this novel. This novel has links to other areas of the curriculum such as Art, Health and Wellbeing, and Drama. We have already begun reading it together and David Walliams’ ‘unique’ humor is engaging all the pupils. We will also continue using the Bug Club reading resource to aid our active comprehension skills. Pupils can access this at home too.
Writing
This term Primary 6 will be focussing on Narrative writing and Tools for Writing – VCOP (Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers, and Punctuation). We will focus on a different aspect of grammar/punctuation each week. Our writing day will be on Thursday. The class will be told the focus of their writing in the homework grid sent out on a Monday.
Spelling
The spelling groups will continue to experience the Active Literacy spelling program, this will introduce common words and focus phonemes pertinent to their stage. The pupils will revise the Active Spelling strategies throughout Term 1.
Numeracy
This term we will be focusing on Place Value (whole number and decimals), Rounding and Estimation, and Addition and Subtraction. Mrs. McIntyre will focus on Beyond Number topics on a Friday. 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 rigor of x-tables at home.
Health and Wellbeing
Our focus this term is Growth Mindset and The Compassionate and Caring Classroom. These topics cover themes such as Children’s Rights, Relationships and Friendships, Emotions and Behaviours, and Resilience. These topics tie in nicely with our PATHS lessons. The ‘Pupil of the Day’ is up and running and this year we are complementing each other based on each other’s skills and talents.
Mark Devlin from Active schools will be coming in on Tuesday mornings to lead the Playground Leaders scheme. It is important the P6’s have a change of shoes and a jacket as this will be taking place outdoors.
RME
Throughout Primary 6 the pupils will listen to and engage with stories from the Gospel of Matthew. We have already started looking at The Bible as our sacred text. The pupils have already learned lots of amazing facts about The Bible. Next, we will focus on how Christians use The Bible, explore different text types in The Bible, and discuss what is sacred to the pupils. We will also reflect on people who use their gifts to enhance the world.
Thank you,
Miss Mudge 😊
Access to technology and evaluation of home learning
Due to technical issues this survey has been added to the school website. If you completed this through survey monkey your results may not have been saved. Please complete again on this page or on the paper copy provided to your child.
This questionnaire is available online and also as a paper copy. Please only complete type per child. Please complete all areas of this to allow us to provide the best service possible if a future school closure was to occur.
Welcome to Primary 1 – Term 1 Update
A huge welcome to all our Primary 1 children. They have settled into class beautifully now and are becoming more confident in their surroundings each day.
Literacy
During term 1 our focus will be to develop the children’s phonological awareness in preparation for them to begin learning their letter sounds and making words. We will be concentrating on the rhyme and rhythm of language by looking at Nursery rhymes and clapping our syllables.
We will also be getting ready to write by improving our fine motor control and perfecting our pencil grip!! Name writing will be a focus too so that we can sign off on all our masterpieces!
Listening and talking will be a huge part of our day too, ensuring we develop our skills in active listening, taking turns and communicating our thoughts to others.
Numeracy
We have already begun to look for numbers all around us in Primary 1 and think of reasons why we need them.
Number time 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 also be counting aloud and learning the digits which represent our quantities.
As our pencil control improves, we will be learning to write our numbers, enabling us to record our counting.
Pattern will also be a focus, linking in to outdoor learning by looking for patterns of nature in our environment as well as man-made ones in our classroom. We will be creating our own patterns and linking these with number.
Health and Well-being
Our PATHs programme will feature heavily during our HWB time. The children have already met the puppets and have fallen in love with “Twiggle” and his friends already!!! Now that we have met our special puppet friends, they will be helping us to build friendships and learn all about our emotions.
Pupil of the day will also be introduced, where the children pay compliments to a chosen child, making them feel special throughout the day!!
Reward Play
Children are being consulted about changes to Reward Play to make this a special occasion for all children -class teachers will be asking for their opinion on how Reward Play could be made more special.
Common cold/Covid symptoms advice
Please click on the link below to see the most up-to date information and advice for parents/carers regarding common colds and Covid symptoms from the Scottish Government:
www.gov.scot/publications/common-cold-and-covid-19-symptoms-advice-for-parents-and-carers/:
Superheroes
Superheroes – Magic Mount Carmel
On Friday 11th September we will celebrate our first Magic Mount Carmel Time since returning to school. This will be a special day of celebration for all our Superheroes! We have been so impressed with how our children became Superheroes during times when the school building was closed and how they have continued to be Superheroes since their return. On this day children can come to school dressed in their favourite Superhero costumes – please do not purchase anything new for this day, Superheroes can also wear school uniform or other normal clothes if they wish. In school they will have a special day with Superhero activities in their own class and using our school grounds.
Curriculum Update Primary 5
Welcome back to school! It has been so wonderful to welcome back the pupils of primary 5, they are settling in beautifully and have already started making progress in their learning.
Here is an update on our learning that will take place in term 1 August- October.
Literacy
The class novel this term is ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ by Roald Dahl. The pupils will complete various reading and writing tasks related to this appropriate to their level. This novel study also has links to other curricular areas including Health and Well-being, art and drama.
We will also continue using the ‘Bug Club’ reading resource to aid our comprehension skills.
Writing
P5 will focus on imaginative/ narrative writing this term. The class will be told the focus of their writing the night before so as to discuss ideas at home. This will be their ‘Talk Homework’.
Groups will look at planning their piece, punctuation, effective use of vocabulary and paragraphing.
Spelling
Groups will continue to experience the active literacy spelling programme, this will introduce common words and focus phonemes pertinent to their stage.
Numeracy
This term the children will experience shape and time as beyond number topics. This will involve 2D and 3D shape tasks. During time activities they will look at time telling, duration, am and pm and some groups will look at 24hr conversion.
Our number processes topics will include division for the circles and rectangles groups, addition for the squares group and place value activities for the triangles group.
At home children will benefit from timetables revision and experience of telling the time in everyday situations.
Health and Well-being
The PATHS programme will continue to shape our HWB learning. P5 have already started ‘pupil of the day’ and participated in discussions around feelings and how we manage our emotions. P5 will also look at healthy choices and some substances that could harm our bodies, appropriate to their age and stage.
RE
Preparations for First Holy Communion are underway and we are supporting the pupils in class with this. Booklets have been sent home for parents to access for those children receiving the sacrament.
In class we will introduce the Gospel of Mark, our P5 focus gospel. We will discuss our talents and skills and this will form the basis of our class charter.
It’s good to be back!!!!!
Primary 1 photograph-Kilmarnock Standard
EAC have made the decision that Primary 1 children in East Ayrshire should be able to have their class photograph taken outside for the Kilmarnock Standard.
We have arranged for the photographer from the Kilmarnock Standard to come to the school on Friday morning of this week to take a group photograph of our Primary 1 children. This will be taken outside and social distancing will be observed throughout the process.
If you do not wish your child to be in the photograph please let the school office know asap please.
Homework
Homework
Homework will be provided to Primary 2-7 children starting from Monday 7th September. Each child will bring home a plastic homework folder which will contain a grid with homework activities. The homework folder will also contain a card with login details for items which can be accessed online.
House Captains/Vice Captains
Pupils will soon be choosing their new House Captains and Vice Captains.
Good luck to all the children who have created films for this.
School Choir
Dear Mount Carmel Primary Choir Member,
I would like to invite you be part of the Mount Carmel Primary Choir Team on Microsoft Teams.
As we cannot yet sing in school together, I thought you could all be practising at home, so that when we do get back together we would have a song or two to perform and sing.
I have chosen two songs for us to do. The first is called ‘One Moment, One People’ a song about working together and making positive connections with each other, very important at this time. The second song is called ‘We Are the Children of This School’.
On the Team there are backing tracks and lyrics to help you learn the songs. I would like you to start with ‘One Moment, One People’. There is a unison voice version as well to help as a guide for the melody.
*Listen to the unison version several times to get familiar with the tune.
*While listening click on the lyrics/sheet music and start singing along.
*You will notice that half way through the song it splits into two parts, try and learn both and we will decide who sings what when we meet again.
I hope you will enjoy the songs and singing again. Have fun practising and I look forward to seeing and hearing your lovely singing voices soon.
Miss Donnelly
(Vocal Instructor)
Reminder – Suitable Clothing Request
With the recent turn in weather, could we please request that children come to school with adequate clothing for outdoor learning and P.E. – such as a waterproof jacket.
We do have a stock of waterproof clothing children can access if this is required. Please give us a call or email if you would like to access these waterproofs.
Supporting Wellbeing Guidance for Parents/Carers
PATHS – Barnardo’s Privacy Notice
Please find below our Privacy Notice in relation to the Barnardo’s PATHS programme which we are running in the school. This gives information on our schools partnership with Barnardo’s and how we use the information collected.
Safety Reminder
Can we please remind parents/carers that children should not be lifted over the fence at the lower school for health and safety reasons.
Your co-operation is appreciated, thank you.
Reminder – Coronavirus Symptoms guidelines
Please remember that if your child has new symptoms of coronavirus (persistent cough, high temperature, and/or loss of taste or smell), they must not attend school for 10 days after the onset of symptoms. However, if they are tested and receive a negative result they can normally return to school immediately unless a high temperature is present, in which case they should still stay away from school for 48hrs after their temperature has normalised without the use of medication used to suppress fever. Please also note that pupils will be required to isolate for 14 days if another member of their household has symptoms, unless they themselves are tested for coronavirus.
I understand the pressures parents/carers are under to send their children to school and I am aware of the difficulties placed upon parents/carers when children are unable to attend school. However, it is critically important at this time that we adopt a cautious approach to managing the risks from coronavirus, and make our school as safe as we possibly can for our staff and our young people.
Your support in being vigilant to any new symptoms of coronavirus and acting in line with the current Government guidance helps us create that safe environment we are all working hard to maintain and for that I am grateful to you all.
Kindest Regards
Carole McConville, Head Teacher
