Dear Parent,

We have organised many fun activities to help promote numeracy and maths as part of Maths Week Scotland. A few of the main messages that Maths Week Scotland wants to promote:

• Maths skills, understanding and confidence are important for everyone.
• Everyone can ‘do’ maths; it’s a way of learning and thinking that we all use and can develop.
• Maths ‘is everywhere’ and relevant to day-to-day life and work – decision making, problem solving, budgeting, planning, assessing probability and risk, and many more.
• Being confident about and enjoying maths is about commitment and learning. It’s not ‘a gift’; it’s something we can all acquire if we want to.

Please read below to find out some of the fun activities your child will take part in:

• Each stage will be involved in one full day of fun maths activities where they will visit different teachers to practise and learn new maths skills. This will take place on Tuesday 12th September.

• P2-7 classes have been entered into the Sumdog National competition which runs from 8am, Friday 8^th to 8pm, Thursday 14^th September. Your child has been issued with their Username and password. They will be playing the games during class time and they can also play the games at home. We are competing against the whole country but focussing on beating our local schools in the cluster. Check our Blog and Twitter for daily updates!
• Your child will only have Maths and Numeracy homework during Maths Week and we would encourage you to help to promote the importance of maths and numeracy in their everyday lives. The homework will be a checklist of suggested activities where they can record what they have done. Photos and any extra evidence are encouraged!
• We will be visiting the local Co-op and would like the pupils to buy a small item so it would be great if you could give your child some money to spend (£1 max). Adult/parent helpers will be required to accompany the classes on their visit.
• We have fun Maths Trails available at the Main Office/Class Teacher for you to complete with your child or on their own by walking around the school grounds and on their walk home. Please ask for copy and complete with your child before or after school. Send the completed form in with your child to their class teacher.
• Every day at 10am we will take part in RIC (Renfrewshire is Counting). The pupils will do counting activities, e.g. games, forwards and backwards counting sequences, multiples or times tables, , number patterns and sequences, relevant to their level. This should last about 10 minutes.
• We will create Maths in Art designs. Winners form P1-3, P4-5 and P6-7 will be entered into the cluster school competition. Winners will be announced on Friday 15^th September.
• Renfrewshire Libraries have joined us in partnership to help celebrate Maths Week Scotland by planning activities that families can get involved in when visiting their local libraries. One such activity is a competition to create a new Skoob who loves Numeracy and Mathematics!
• Please visit the websites below for more information and ideas of how to take part at home, as well as checking your child’s Blog.     http://www.gov.scot/mathsweek   http://www.readwritecount.scot/count/
• If Tweeting about your celebration via Twitter, please use #MathsWeekScotlandRenfrewshire to get our efforts trending.

We are looking forward to sharing our passion of Maths and Numeracy with the pupils of Bishopton Primary and hope the enthusiasm spreads! If you have any questions about Maths Week Scotland, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards,

Miss McDowall

Principal Teacher