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

Primary One are continuing to settle in well to school life and have made lots of new friends. Day by day, the boys and girls are becoming increasingly familiar and confident with the routines of the class and the wider school. We are all very excited for a fun year of learning here at St. Brendan’s.
All the children looked so smart staring Primary One and with your support we know this will continue. This term with your help we aim to ensure your child achieves their full potential in all aspects of learning.
Here is a brief overview of the learning which will be taking place in our primary one class during term one.

Literacy

Children will follow North Lanarkshire’s Active Literacy programme for spelling, phonics and reading.
Primary one will be introduced to the initial sounds through a multi-sensory approach. Two sounds will be introduced each week alongside three common words. Children will be learning to recognise and write initial sounds and begin to blend sounds together and read three letter words.
We will be co-ordinating our handwriting with the sounds we are learning. Children will use whiteboards in class along with other kinaesthetic and visual materials to practise letter formation and early writing patterns, these will include playdough, shaving foam, sand and chalk boards.

Children will get two reading books each week. (Monday and Wednesday) These books give you an opportunity for you and your child to enjoy reading together. You can help your child by talking about the pictures in the book to help find clues about the story and it’s characters and also encourage them to make predictions about what may happen next in the story.

Numeracy

Primary one are currently focusing on numbers 0-10. They will be learning to recognise, count and write these numbers. Numeracy is taught actively here at St. Brendan’s through stories, games, number rhymes and songs. They will also be developing the ability to recognise, sequence and write numbers to 10, while exploring numbers before/after/between/largest/smallest. You can help at home by practising numbers to ten (counting forwards and backwards, missing numbers out when counting and asking your child to tell which number is missing etc…) and reinforcing the above vocabulary

Social Studies

Our Topics this term are ‘Our School Community’ and ‘The Sixties’. Through the topic, ‘Our School Community’ we will be learning all about the many different jobs people have within the school and how the different adults can help us. We will also be learning the important rules and routines of school life, which will help us to develop our independence and become successful in our learning. There will be lots of opportunities for active learning through role play, art, writing and stories.

Though the topic ‘The Sixties’ we will be learning about how our grans used to live. We will be exploring and learning about games, toys, clothes and food relevant to this time.

Health & Wellbeing

PE this term will be on a Wednesday afternoon and Friday Morning. The
children will be working on a ‘Mini Athletics’ programme, which will include running, jumping, throwing and catching.

R.E.

In R.E. we will be learning about the Bible and how to treat it with reverence. They will be listening to stories from the Old and New Testament as well as learning and taking part in our daily prayers.

Thank you for your support.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Miss Burns

Primary One are continuing to settle in well to school life and have made lots of new friends. Day by day, the boys and girls are becoming increasingly familiar and confident with the routines of the class and the wider school. We are all very excited for a fun year of learning here at St. Brendan’s.
All the children looked so smart staring Primary One and with your support we know this will continue. This term with your help we aim to ensure your child achieves their full potential in all aspects of learning.
Here is a brief overview of the learning which will be taking place in our primary one class during term one.

Literacy

Children will follow North Lanarkshire’s Active Literacy programme for spelling, phonics and reading.
Primary one will be introduced to the initial sounds through a multi-sensory approach. Two sounds will be introduced each week alongside three common words. Children will be learning to recognise and write initial sounds and begin to blend sounds together and read three letter words.
We will be co-ordinating our handwriting with the sounds we are learning. Children will use whiteboards in class along with other kinaesthetic and visual materials to practise letter formation and early writing patterns, these will include playdough, shaving foam, sand and chalk boards.

Children will get two reading books each week. (Monday and Wednesday) These books give you an opportunity for you and your child to enjoy reading together. You can help your child by talking about the pictures in the book to help find clues about the story and it’s characters and also encourage them to make predictions about what may happen next in the story.

Numeracy

Primary one are currently focusing on numbers 0-10. They will be learning to recognise, count and write these numbers. Numeracy is taught actively here at St. Brendan’s through stories, games, number rhymes and songs. They will also be developing the ability to recognise, sequence and write numbers to 10, while exploring numbers before/after/between/largest/smallest. You can help at home by practising numbers to ten (counting forwards and backwards, missing numbers out when counting and asking your child to tell which number is missing etc…) and reinforcing the above vocabulary

Social Studies

Our Topics this term are ‘Our School Community’ and ‘The Sixties’. Through the topic, ‘Our School Community’ we will be learning all about the many different jobs people have within the school and how the different adults can help us. We will also be learning the important rules and routines of school life, which will help us to develop our independence and become successful in our learning. There will be lots of opportunities for active learning through role play, art, writing and stories.

Though the topic ‘The Sixties’ we will be learning about how our grans used to live. We will be exploring and learning about games, toys, clothes and food relevant to this time.

Health & Wellbeing

PE this term will be on a Monday afternoon and Tueaday Morning. The
children will be working on a ‘Mini Athletics’ programme, which will include running, jumping, throwing and catching.

R.E.

In R.E. we will be learning about the Bible and how to treat it with reverence. They will be listening to stories from the Old and New Testament as well as learning and taking part in our daily prayers.

Thank you for your support.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Miss Cochrane

August 2015

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I hope everyone had a lovey summer break. I am delighted to welcome the children back to the new school year and I look forward to the exciting year ahead. This is a brief outline of the work that we will be undertaking within the class during Term 1.

Literacy
The children will continue to follow the North Lanarkshire Active Literacy Programme in spelling and phonics. They will learn a new sound and a different set of common words every week and this will be consolidated through class work and homework. As part of the reading programme the children will read two books per week with associated writing tasks in class to develop their comprehension skills. It is important that the children bring their books into school daily to ensure they are able to use them to carry out their tasks. Within story writing the children will continue to write independently, using the appropriate punctuation and linking their sentences together in a way which makes sense.

Numeracy
In Primary 2 we have already begun by learning about numbers in our environment and how numbers are essential to everyday life. The children will develop their understanding of place value, knowing that our number system is built around 0-9. The children will be given opportunities to read, write and order numbers to 20 in a variety of ways. We will be learning about the purpose and usefulness of estimating and rounding of numbers.

Religious Education
During the first term the children will be learning about the Bible and how God speaks to us through Bible stories. The children will understand that the Bible should be treated with reverence and how God can help then in difficult times. We will move on to learning about the community of faith and how as a community we experience God’s love and care together.

Health and Wellbeing
In P.E. the learning will be focused on Athletics and Outdoor Learning. The children will be working within the concept of travelling through balance, flight, rotation and inversion. The children will encounter a range of experiences; individually, with a partner and in a group situation. Please ensure your child brings their P.E. kit to school on a Monday and takes it home on a Friday.
Social Subjects
As the school is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year we will be focusing our learning on Children in the 60’s this term. The children will be comparing aspects of children’s daily lives in the 60’s with their own. After discussions with the children they decided to focus their learning on what St. Brendan’s school was like for children when it first opened in 1965. They also want to learn about what the children would have played with and watched on the television. We will also learn about the moon landing as it was a significant event of that decade.

Thank you in advance for your support this term, please use your child’s homework diary to communicate any concerns/comments.

Kind Regards,

Mrs Debbie Ferns
Class Teacher Primary 2F

Primary 7 parent letter
Well, another school year is upon us and we all can’t wait to get started here in Primary 7. The children will enjoy more responsibility as leaders of the school and will be expected to buddy, monitor and show a great example to all of the other children. Here is a brief overview of what your child will be learning in Term 1.
Literacy
Children will work through the North Lanarkshire’s Active Literacy Programme for Spelling, Reading, Writing and Listening and Talking. They will learn new words weekly and will complete active tasks within the class and at home.
The whole class will complete a modelling block to begin with, revising the comprehension strategies and ensuring that they are confident in the layout of these. We will be studying ‘The Eleventh Orphan’ by Joan Lingard and the children will also have a home reader too.
We will now also be using the ‘Big Writing’ programme within the school.
Maths
In Term 1 we will be looking at Symmetry, Expressions and Equations, Place Value, Units of Measure and Addition/Subtraction using the Pathways programme. We will be keeping the learning active for the children through station work and group activities along with written tasks and assessments at the end of each topic. Mental maths will be the starter activity of every maths lesson to ensure that the children’s arithmetic and times tables are of a high standard.
Health and Wellbeing
In Term 1 the children will be studying the ‘What’s the Score’ drug programme. This will focus on the benefits and dangers of different types of drugs. P.E will be on a Monday and a Thursday this term and it will be myself who will take both sessions. Could you please ensure that your child brings their full P.E kit in every Monday to remain in school until the end of the week.
Social Studies
Our I.D.L theme for this term is The Swinging Sixties. This will be a whole school theme due to our Golden Jubilee with each class looking at different aspects of that era. Primary 7 will be focussing mainly on the fashion and art of the Sixties and I am sure it will be a very colourful and interesting theme for all children. There will be lots of related activities happening throughout the year and the children and staff are very excited about it. I am sure it will be amazing!
R.E
During this first term Primary 7 will be focussing on ‘Creation and Science’, ‘Other World Religions’ and ‘Mary.’ P.7 will be leading the first ‘First Thursday’ Mass this term and I am sure they will work hard and show maturity throughout. They will also be responsible for the music during Mass and will be expected to sing out well during the hymns proving that they are good role models for the younger children.

If you have any queries don’t hesitate to use your child’s diary as a means of contact with myself.
Thank you in advance for all of your support this year.

Many Thanks
Miss Mitchell

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I hope you all had a wonderful summer!

This letter will provide you with a brief overview of the learning that will take place this term in Primary 5. This information provides you with an insight into your child’s learning and I look forward to the year ahead as the Primary 5 teacher.

Literacy

The children will continue to follow North Lanarkshire’s Active Literacy programme for Spelling, Reading, Writing and Listening and Talking. This programme will help to develop further their literacy skills and provide exciting and new challenges.

The children will take part in a whole class novel study to reintroduce them to the Active Literacy Reading Strategies. The novel this term will be ‘Tilly and the Badgers’ written by Joan Lingard. The text will be read in class alongside the children to model reading skills. In addition to this, the children will be given a novel to take home and this should be read each night to develop fluency and encourage reading for enjoyment.

Numeracy

This term Primary 5 will explore division, time and place value with numbers up to 100000. The children will have the opportunity to learn these skills and concepts through a mixture of both active and written tasks. This will enable the children to apply their learning across contexts and see a real purpose to their learning.

Health and Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing will be taught across the curriculum. This term in Physical Education the children will take part in NLC’s Swimming programme for twelve weeks at Wishaw Sports Centre every Thursday. Children will also have the opportunity to develop their skills in volleyball and badminton. They will experience six weeks of each sport and this will be led by a specialist coach. The children will also explore ‘Street Sense’ this term to help promote road safety.

Interdisciplinary Learning

The children of Primary 5 will be exploring the ‘Swinging Sixties’ this term as part of the school’s celebrations for the Golden Jubilee.. Various element of the sixties will be examined such as Pop Art, fashion, The Beatles and various key historical events. The children will apply their learning across the curriculum with a particular focus within the curriculum areas of Social Studies, Expressive Arts and Technologies.

Religious Education

Religious Education will be taught through the ‘This Is Our Faith’ programme. This term Primary 5 will explore Prayer with a focus on personal prayer. Additionally, Primary 5 will explore the Bible as they learn about the Old and New Testaments and consider the letters/epistles. The children will also examine the narratives of Abraham in the Old Testament and learn about God’s covenant with Abraham.

Homework

The children’s homework will help to support their on-going classwork and I would appreciate your support in ensuring the children keep up with all homework tasks.

Many thanks,

Mrs. C Williamson

The nursery boys and girls have been learning all about ‘Pirates’. We had fun learning all about famous pirates, dressing up as pirates by making our own hats and eye-patches and playing pirate games indoors and outdoors. We really enjoyed listening to lots of pirate stories and even learned a new song! We had a treasure hunt in the nursery. We searched for buried treasure in the sand and water. After learning all about pirates, we had our very own Pirate Party! The boys and girls had great fun on the pirate slide, bouncy castle and having their party snack. The grown-ups came to our party to see us having our special treat!

Primary 6 have had an extremely busy term 3!

This term has been filled with lots of fun and engaging learning experiences. The children worked really hard preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation and all of their efforts was evident through the beautiful service and singing on the night. Well done again everyone!

Primary 6 have also enjoyed learning how to programme using ‘Scratch’. Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create interactive art, stories, simulations, and games – and share those creations online. The children actively took part in training on how to work the programme and develop their ICT skills. This experience was enjoyed by all of the children involved. Scratch helps the children learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century. Have a look at the pictures below to see the children using Scratch to create their own ‘Sprite’.

Mrs Williamson and Primary 6 

Primary 5 have been very busy working hard during Term 3.

The children have been attending Wishaw Sports Centre for Swimming and Fitness since December and as we approach our final couple of weeks I have to say that everyone has made excellent progress. The children have also thoroughly enjoyed learning how to play volleyball and basketball and have demonstrated confidence with their ball handling skills.

Primary 5 completed a Science experiment investigating evaporation. We placed 100ml cups of water in various places in the classroom and left them for a couple of weeks to find out which one would evaporate the most. Once we checked our results we realised we all had quite an accurate hypothesis and that the cups by the window evaporated the most due to sun exposure. We have now started our Spanish topic and the children are very much looking forward to learning all about the climate and culture. I have attached a few pictures of the children working with a partner as they create a PowerPoint presentation about Spain.

Kind regards, Miss Burns

While we do not expect any school closure to occur, recent severe weather warnings have led us to create a ‘Winter Weather Home Pack’ for each stage. If the school isn’t able to open as a result of severe weather of any kind, below are some activities for the boys and girls to complete at home. Simply click your class’ link to access these activities.

P1 Winter Weather

P2 Winter Weather

P32 Winter Weather

P43 Winter Weather

P4 Winter Weather

P5 Winter Weather

P6 Winter Weather

P7 Winter Weather