Dear Parent/Carer,

I hope that everyone enjoyed a fun and relaxing Christmas holidays and would like to welcome all of the boys and girls back for our third term in Primary 3. The children have enjoyed a very productive two weeks back at school and, with preparations being made for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, this term will be a very special time for the children.

Literacy
As always, the class will be continue to follow the North Lanarkshire Active Literacy Programme to support their learning in spelling, phonics, reading and writing.
Children will continue to explore new sounds and common words in addition to consolidating sounds they have already covered. Many of our children have begun to work with longer texts and will continue to work with both fiction and non-fiction titles to build fluency and comprehension. Ensuring that the children complete all assigned reading at home is important as this means they will be prepared for the activities they will be given in class.

Numeracy
In numeracy, the class will continue to experience a mix of direct teaching, partner/group activities and written tasks to build and consolidate their understanding of concepts.
Over the course of the term, the class will explore themes including money, data handling, multiplication and division. The children will continue to work with numbers up to and including one hundred and the 2, 4, 5 & 10 times tables. I would encourage children to practice their times tables at home as being able to recall multiplication facts quickly and accurately is an important skill that we will be working on in class.

RE
This is a very important time for the class as, this term, children will commence their preparations for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The boys and girls will work in school and at home to prepare to receive the Sacrament in March. If you have any questions regarding your child’s Sacramental preparation, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Health & Wellbeing
In PE this term, we are fortunate enough to be working with specialists from both Motherwell College and Active Schools. The children will be developing skills and coordination by taking part in a variety of team and paired games. We would encourage children to bring their PE kit into school on a Monday and take it home on the Friday to ensure that they have it whenever needed.

Cross Curricular
This term, the class have already had a visit from Zip, our friend from outer space. We will be helping Zip to understand more about our planet and locality by exploring different types of housing, how we use land and developing our mapping skills. Later in the term, class will also undertake a short Science investigation with a focus on meteorites and what might affect the size of a crater.
Again, please continue to communicate any queries or concerns using the homework diary.

Many thanks
E Burns
Class Teacher

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome back to the start of term 3, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year break with your families. The pupils enjoyed a busy and exciting term before the holidays and worked hard to participate in the fantastic Christmas Show. This term the pupils will have their first transition visit to High School which I am sure they will thoroughly enjoy. Mrs Doherty will continue to work with Primary 6 on a Thursday.

Literacy

This term the children are working on a variety of novels to allow them to further develop their understanding of the comprehension strategies. The range of novels include, The Demon Headmaster, The Silver Sword, and War Horse. This novel will be sent home and children should be reading each evening both out loud and quietly to themselves in order to develop fluency and an understanding of the text. It is also very important that children bring their novel to school with them everyday as they need to use their novels to help them complete their tasks. Within our Taught Writing lessons, the children will continue to ‘up-level’ their writing by using a range of vocabulary and punctuation in order to add detail and excitement to their written work. We are currently focusing on the use of direct speech within their writing, as well as looking at a variety of ways in which to open their sentences and paragraphs in order to make their writing more exciting.

Maths

We are currently working on Multiplication & Division. The pupils are coping well with this and enjoying the topic, however it is important that they continue to practise their tables regularly as this will assist them with their tasks. We will extend our knowledge of multiplication and division by working with Multiples and Factors. This term, the pupils will investigate the properties of 2D & 3D Shape, as well as using Fractions, Decimals & Percentages.

Interdisciplinary Learning

This term we have started working on our Europe topic. This links to the Euroquiz, for which Primary 6 have been studying and researching independently. We are covering aspects such as the member states of the European Union, developing children’s knowledge of the wider world by looking at the geography of Europe and learning about various monuments and customs associated within European Countries.

Health & Wellbeing

Primary 6 will continue to work as a team and develop positive relationship both within and outwith the classroom environment. It is important for the pupils to show respect to all members of our school community. The pupils will be studying ‘Teach Safety’. This is a topic which looks at change and encourages children to think about how others feel, and develop positive attitudes towards others. They will also consider aspects of personal safety. The pupils will also work on God’s Loving Plan this term (more information to follow). During PE lessons the pupils will develop their skills in Badminton and further develop their general fitness through the use of circuit type activities. It is important for pupils to make sure they have their full PE kit in school with them throughout the week.

R.E.

This term the pupils will investigate Other World religions in order to help them develop respect, tolerance and understanding towards people whose beliefs may be different from theirs. We will also be learning about Lent, including studying the Stations of The Cross and what we can do to make Lent holy and special for us. The pupils will take part in a variety of activities within the school to help them prepare to celebrate the season of Easter more fully.

I am looking forward to this term as I am sure the children will continue to work hard and they will enjoy the many events which we have planned for them.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Colton

Primary 6 (P. T.)

Dear Parents & Carers,

I hope everybody had a lovely Christmas break and are feeling relaxed and refreshed for the start of our new term. The Primary 7 children have lots to look forward to this term, with a visit from The Scottish Parliament and their trip to Kilbowie in March. I am sure that they will continue their role as monitors and role models within the school with maturity and pride.

Literacy

The children will continue with the North Lanarkshire Active Literacy Programme for Spelling, Reading, Writing and Talking and Listening in Term 3. Each group will study two novels this term and will spend approximately six weeks on each. We will be continuing with the comprehension strategies for our reading, gaining confidence in these as the term progresses. The children will also be asked to prepare a solo talk at some point during this term, focusing on improving their pace and giving eye contact throughout.

Maths

In Term 3 we will be looking at Symmetry, Area and Perimeter, Time, Multiplication and Division, Multiples, Factors and Primes, 2D and 3D shape and Fractions, Decimals and Percentages. Again, we will be using the active approaches suggested in the Pathways planners along with the Teejay programme.

Health and Wellbeing

The children will be continuing on with the Knowing Me Knowing You Programme during Term 3. They will also be following the Teach Safety pack with Mrs Docherty. During PE the children will be focusing on Aesthetics through gymnastics and dance. I will be looking to improve their movement skills and abilities through the use of various pieces of apparatus and music.

Social Studies

Our IDL theme for Term 3 is The Scottish Parliament. We will be looking at the features of a democracy and what goes on inside the Parliament itself. Once the children are more knowledgeable on the topic, they will hold their own class election and debate. We are also very fortunate to have employees from the Scottish Parliament come to our class as part of the Outreach Programme. They will visit in February and it will be an excellent opportunity for the children.

R.E

The R.E themes which we will be covering this term are; Paul and Pilgrimage, Journey, Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide. The children will be undertaking mini research topics within these also, incorporating their ICT skills for many cross curricular experiences. Primary 7 will also be leading First Thursday Mass at various points throughout this term and I am sure they will continue to show maturity throughout.

If you have any queries don’t hesitate to use your child’s diary as a means of contact with myself.

Thank you again for all of your support so far this year.

Many Thanks

Miss Mitchell

Hello again from Primary 3!

Since the last time that your heard from us we have learned lots and lots about the 1960’s – when our fabulous school was built – and you can have a peek at some of the things we got up to by clicking on the pictures below. We enjoyed a taste of the 1960’s, found out more about how people lived and recreated the work of a few popular artists of the decade.

In the month of November, we have enjoyed getting more daily exercise during our Mile a Day Challenge – you may even have caught a glimpse of us walking around the local area! We have also started to make preparations for our Christmas Nativity performance, which we are very excited about!

Recently, we received a very special letter from… Can you keep a secret? Santa! He has asked us to help him to spread some Christmas cheer to others this month and next so keep checking the Twitter feed to see what we are getting up to!

Miss Burns & Primary 3

Dear Parent/Carer,

After a relaxing October break and our fabulous 1960’s Open Day, the class have now settled back into the school routine and are ready for the new learning and challenges this term will bring.

With preparations being made for both our St Andrews Day showcase and the festive season, term two will be a busy and exciting time for the boys and girls.

Literacy

As in the previous session, the class will be continue to follow the North Lanarkshire Active Literacy Programme to support their learning in spelling, phonics, reading and writing.

The class will continue to explore new sounds and common words each week in class and through our homework programme. The children will work with a range of both fiction and non-fiction texts to build their fluency and comprehension skills. I will be continuing to encourage the children to access eBooks to support their reading in class and at home.

Numeracy

In numeracy, the class will continue to experience a mix of direct teaching, partner/group activities and written tasks to build and consolidate their understanding of concepts.

Over the course of the term, the class will  further explore the theme of addition and subtraction, working with numbers up to and including one hundred. The children will also explore 2D & 3D shape and measure.

RE

In RE, our class will be learning more about our Priest and the Parish community. We will also reflect on November, the month of the faithful departed. In the lead up to Christmas, the class will revisit the theme of Advent in class as well and will be involved in wider school celebrations of the Holy season.

Health & Wellbeing

Whilst the hall timetable may differ slightly to accommodate practises for our Christmas performances, our focus this term will be Dance. The class will also be working regularly with Sports Coaches from Motherwell College to develop their skills in playing a variety of games. Where access to the gym hall is not possible, it is my intention that the class will make use of resources such as Cyber Coach and Go Noodle and other areas within the school including the class and, weather permitting, outdoors.

Social Studies

As part of our interdisciplinary theme for the term, Primary 3 will working to explore the true meaning of Christmas by becoming ‘Undercover Elves’. We will be exploring how we can help people in our community and beyond as they prepare to celebrate Christmas. I am sure that this is something the children will enjoy and be very excited about.

Again, please continue to communicate any queries or concerns using the homework diary.

Many thanks

E Burns

Class Teacher

We have all settled in to the ‘back to school’ routine and have been enjoying a busy first few weeks of term 1.

In numeracy we have recently been working on our multiplication and division skills through a variety of active and written tasks.

In literacy we have particularly enjoyed becoming involved in the ‘Big Writing’ approach to improve our writing. We have enjoyed some of the VCOP (vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation) activities, especially those which involve treats! We are focusing on improving our vocabulary by using lots of ‘wow’ words and phrases, both in our talking and in our writing.

Our topic on the sixties has sparked an enthusiastic response from our class! So far, the children have been learning about the way of life in the sixties, music, fashion, as well as key events such as the moon landing. We have also really enjoyed finding out about more about Andy Warhol and the pop art movement. Our artwork has certainly made us, and our teacher proud!

We look forward to the rest of the term ahead. Thank you for your continued support.

P4/3 and Mrs McLauchlan

Primary 5/4 have been continuing to work hard this week. The Primary 5 children have had their third week of swimming at Wishaw Baths and are thoroughly enjoying the experience. While the Primary 5’s are away, the Primary 4’s have been working hard in the gym hall to improve their stamina and keep fit with the class circuits. Both Primary 5 and Primary 4 have also been having fun listening to music from the 1960’s. It is so different from what they usually listen to! Last week they designed some 1960’s outfits for themselves. Quite a fashion treat! In Literacy, we have been working on our stories and we learned about VCOP to help us (Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers and Punctuation). We should all be on time for school in the morning from now on because we have also been learning about time!

Mrs. McNicholl & Primary 5/4

A big hello from Primary 3 and Miss Burns!

Since returning to school just over a fortnight ago, our class has had great fun in learning and getting to know one another a little better. We have really enjoyed trying out new and interesting active tasks in Literacy and Numeracy. Here are some photos of us investigating number and place value through fun games and challenges.

It is sure to be a very special and busy year for Primary 3 and the whole school. St. Brendan’s Primary School is celebrating it’s fiftieth birthday this school year and to celebrate this, this term our class will be learning more about the 1960’s – the decade when our school was built. Please follow us on Twitter to see our updates and work as the term goes on!

Miss Burns & Primary 3

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I am delighted to be class teacher for primary 4/3 this year and after a well-earned summer holiday, the children are settling into the new academic year. We are all looking forward to an exciting and busy term ahead. Here is a brief overview of the learning that will be taking place.

Literacy

All children will continue to follow North Lanarkshire’s Active Literacy Programme. Primary 3 will continue to learn new spelling words and a new sounds weekly and this will be consolidated through class work and homework. Primary 4 children will now be working on Active Literacy stage 4, which is taught in a block of four weeks, with two

weeks being focused on teaching phonemes and their representations, one week on strategy spelling and one week on spelling rules. This encourages children to use their prior knowledge of phonics to enable them to have success in spelling. The children will also be introduced to diacritical marking. Diacritical marking involves investigating words – recognising and identifying which phonemes are contained within each word. Children are involved in listening carefully, and using the diacritical marking code to identify individual sounds and blends.

In reading, children are taught through a four part approach, comprising of:-

• Fluency
• Comprehension
• Writing linked to reading
• Talking and listening linked to reading

The books selected will provide children with quality opportunities for reflection and discussion. Primary 4 children will be introduced to six key comprehension strategies which, when applied, will help them make sense of texts and develop their overall reading development. The key strategies will be taught during a ‘modelling’ block this term, where the teacher will model the use of each of the strategies. During this time, the children will take home a different book to the one which will be read and worked on in class.

In writing we will be using the ‘Big Write’ approach, which is an enjoyable and motivating way for children to develop their writing skills. This promotes higher level talking and improves basic grammar, spelling and punctuation skills.

Numeracy

Children will begin this term by revising and developing multiplication knowledge and we will then further develop this by learning more about division then fractions.

We will then move on to place value, before working on addition up to 1,000. Children will also have regular opportunities to revise their mental maths skills on through a variety of practical activities in class.

R.E

In R.E we will be looking at the theme of ‘The beginning of the school year’. For this we will be exploring liturgical colours and reading and discussing Bible stories. We will also be exploring ‘God’s beautiful creation’ where we will be discussing the story of creation and our precious gift of life.

Health and Wellbeing

In P.E our main focus this term will be games/athletics. P.E days will be Mondays and Thursdays but please note PE days may change. Therefore, please ensure your child brings their PE kit on a Monday and takes it home on a Friday. In Health Education the children will be working with Mrs Doherty on learning about road safety through the ‘Streetsense’ programme.

Social Studies

This term the whole school will be working on the topic ‘the swinging sixties’. We are all very excited about the topic and we have already had some interesting discussions about the topic. The children are particularly looking forward to learning more about Andy Warhol and the pop-art movement, as well as the moon landing.

Thank you for your continued support and please use your child’s homework diary to communicate any concerns/comments.

Mrs C McLauchlan – Class Teacher P.4/3

Dear Parent/Carer,

A big welcome back to all of the boys and girls who will be joining me, Miss Burns, for their time in Primary 3. The class have had great fun getting reacquainted after the summer break and have settled in for what is sure to be a busy and exciting year!

Literacy

Our class will continue to follow the North Lanarkshire Active Literacy Programme to support their learning in spelling, phonics, reading and writing.

Children will be introduced to new sounds and common words each week. Words and sounds will be consolidated through work in class and our active homework programme. Children will also continue to build their fluency and comprehension skills in reading by working with banded books in class and at home.

Numeracy

In numeracy, the class will continue to experience a mix of direct teaching, partner/group activities and written tasks to build and consolidate their understanding of concepts.

Over the course of the term, we will revisit familiar topics including place value and addition, with the children working at their own level. The class will be working closely with numbers up to and including one hundred.

RE

This term, our class will be focusing on Creation; learning more about God in the world around us, our relationships with Him and His love for each of us in our uniqueness. Later in the term the children will also be learning more about the Saints and how they can inspire us to show our faith everyday.

Health and Wellbeing

A wee reminder that PE for Primary 3 will take place on a Monday and a Tuesday. We would encourage children to bring the PE kit into school on a Monday and take it home on the Friday to ensure that they have it whenever needed. This term our focus will be on Games.

Cross Curricular

As this year marks the Golden Jubilee of St. Brendan’s Primary School, during the first term, our topic will focus on the 1960’s. This will provide lots of inspiration for learning in different areas and, as always, any support/contributions from home are welcomed.

I am looking forward to working together with both you and your child to help him/her to make the very best of their year in Primary 3. Please feel free to communicate any comments or concerns using the homework diary.

Many thanks

E Burns

Class Teacher