Mrs Smith – Carmondean Primary School Blog

Primary 6 28.5.21

Another busy week of learning for P6!

In Topic we have been looking at food served on the Titanic at that time and designed our own menus including dishes such as: boiled hominy, sirloin steak and roasted duck (1st Class) oats were served in 3rd class and roast beef.

In Maths we were calculating the perimeter of rectilinear shapes, finding out the missing sides using the information given. In Numeracy we have been dividing decimals.

We continued looking at our body systems focusing on the respiratory and digestive system. The boys and girls were shocked to discover that the intestines length is more than 7 metres long and if you flattened your lungs they would take up the size of a tennis court!

In Art P6A finished their Space Art drawings. Photos below and we will post P6Bs once completed.

Have a lovely weekend and hopefully the sun will be shining!!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson & Ms Matheson

Primary 6 News 13.5.21

We have had an exciting week of learning in P6 which is ending with our yearly Euro Quiz tomorrow for some of our selected pupils. We wish them all the best and the quiz will take place in school through Teams and we will update you on their achievements later in the day tomorrow.

In Science we have been looking at our body systems and this week we focused on the circulatory system and how the heart and lungs pump blood around the body.

In Topic we have been planning and making our Titanic cabins. The boys and girls are designing a cabin relating to their character so this will cover first, second and third class and we will post photos once these are completed.

In Maths we have looked at the perimeter of shape including decimal numbers and in Numeracy we have been looking at percentages and their relationship between decimal numbers and fractions.

Some of our children have also been getting involved in the rehearsals of our annual flash mob, an exciting treat for you all to watch at the end of the year.

We have also started to learn some Mandarin in P6B, an opportunity throughout West Lothian where one class will get a taster of the language and some simple words and phrases.

Have a lovely weekend when it comes!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson and Ms Matheson

Primary 6 4.12.20

Who knew we would end the week in a blanket of snow! Very exciting but also a reminder of how we are now heading into Winter so a small plea to check your child is wearing lots of layers, appropriate footwear etc as we will still try to get outside as much as possible.

Our PE days currently remain unchanged so this will take place on a Wednesday and a Thursday. Our focus will be on some Xmas running to the North Pole and Hiit training till the end of term followed by some rugby skills in the new year. Also on Friday’s we will be doing our weekly mile. The children need to wear school uniform for this but appropriate footwear for walking.

We began our section of the Nativity yesterday using Ipad animation and the garage band app. The children were very motivated by this and we can’t wait to see the end result and showcase it for you all.

In writing we wrote a persuasive piece on why reading is important and how it prepares us for the world of work. Ask your child some of the reasons we came up with and the language we used to make it persuasive.

In Maths we looked at quadrilateral shapes and the properties of these. Some were a little tricky to distinguish between such as the rhombus and the parallelogram but we will continue this next week.

In French we have been describing ourselves, our hair colour, length and type along with the colour of our eyes. See if your child can remember the phrases and test you, even describe a teacher and see if you can guess who it is!

Have a lovely weekend and you may even get to build a snowman or two today!

Mrs Smith, Ms Matheson & Mrs Jamieson

Primary 6 6.11.20

It has been another jam packed week of learning opportunities.

The boys and girls produced some fantastic inventions and shared these with the class. We had a pet app where you could talk to your pet and interpret what they needed, a teleporter, a cooker that cooks itself, a portable cleaning system, the ideas were very inventive and thank you for any input you might have given.

We also created our own parachutes and investigated air resistance a little more by designing something that could travel slowly and safely to the ground without cracking the boiled egg! Our winning team made it land safely in 0.8 seconds!!

Drawing the other half of a symmetrical shape proved a little tricky for some ensuring they used the squares to navigate their way across the mirror line. There will be a follow up homework task next week to develop this skill a little more.

We have also been finding out about Children in Need and what it does. We are in the process of writing a persuasive argument as to why it is necessary plus it is good timing as this is taking place next Friday. The boys and girls can buy a duck in class for 50p for the duck race that takes place on the Children in Need website. Winners in each class will receive a small prize.

It is getting colder so can we remind the boys and girls to wear coats as well as their jumpers or hoodies to school and they still need gloves on a Thursday for their weekly HIIT!

Have a good weekend!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson & Ms Matheson

Primary 6 23.10.20

Hi there,

Hope you all had a lovely half term break and are back into the swing of things once again.

In Maths this week we have been looking at Compass points and calculating various angle turns using a compass. We have also been looking at our addition strategies in Number Talks and looking at the quickest way we can get to the answer.

In Writing we have been peer assessing our work using a variety of success criteria. We wrote a descriptive piece and checked for use of similes, metaphors and alliteration. There were some excellent examples and we were very pleased with P6’s efforts.

In RME we talked about the Golden Rule: ‘Treat others how you would like to be treated’ and came up with our very own. There were some lovely ones such as: Don’t hurt, help! Don’t sing by yourself, sing with others!, Build bridges not walls! It has led to some good discussions about current news events too and how we can all be respectful to others.

In PE we have moved on to some HIIT Training. We had a little taster of this yesterday and it was a little wet underfoot so please can you send children in with gloves, old gloves, as we will be doing the odd burpee or mountain climber which will require hands on the ground! This will be on a Thursday.

Next week all children need to bring in their inventions by Friday so that they can be quarantined for the following week’s showcase to each other and their partner class. Homework on Teams will also resume from Monday.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Smith, Ms Matheson & Mrs Jamieson

Primary 6 2.10.20

Primary 6 have been working very hard this week on their descriptive writing skills with a particular focus on similes. If you could use three similes to describe yourself what would they be? Ask other members of the family too! Our Numeracy focus has been on rounding numbers to the nearest 10,100 and 1000 and in Maths we have been successfully drawing our own angles using a protractor. We have been learning the alphabet in French whilst consolidating our knowledge of French greetings and we have begun to take a look at our very own Scottish inventors as part of our new Topic focus.

Our boys and girls have been doing a fantastic job developing their fitness and stamina through our couch to 5k app. We will have one more week doing this before we move on to our Hiit training programme in the style of Joe Wicks. All of this will continue to take place outside where the Scottish weather will allow us so we ask you to make sure your child is appropriately dressed for this especially as temperatures have dropped significantly of late.

Homework started this week and we have been ironing out any problems with navigating your way around TEAMS as well as accessing it on various devices at home. Next week will continue in the same format with a Maths, reading and spelling focus. If there are any problems accessing these assignments do let us know as soon as possible.

Next week we will be having our first ‘virtual’ parent conferences. We are looking forward to speaking with you on line. You will receive information from our school office regarding the booking of appointments and how to attend each meeting through Skype for business. These will take place on Wednesday 7th October and Thursday 8th October.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson & Ms Matheson

Sport Relief

Primary 6 have been busy raising awareness for this year’s Sport Relief week taking place on the week beginning the 9th March. During that week P6 pupils will be taking every class for a PE lesson to show them all the different ways in which your child can get sporty! On the Friday 13th March there will be a Sporty Themed Dress Down Day with a 50p contribution that will go to the charity. (Please can we stress the importance of no football strips)

Sport Relief wrist bands will also be going on sale from next week 2nd March at a cost of £1. P6 pupils will be selling these during the school day visiting each class after break.

Sport Relief/Comic Relief raise money to help people in the UK as well as around the world. Click on the link below to find out more about it!

https://www.sportrelief.com/

Primary 6 News 10.1.20

Happy New Year!

We hope you all had a lovely break with your families and are glad to be back into a routine once more!

Our PE days are now on a Monday (indoors) and a Wednesday (outdoors). The focus indoors will be Basketball and outdoors we will be developing fitness through a series of circuits involving high intensity exercises. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothes and footwear to do this.

The children have chosen their scottish poems in preparation for our Burn’s Assembly on the 24th January. They will present these in class on Thursday 23rd January as part of a speaking and listening assessment. We will be looking for eye contact with their audience, body language and expression as well as the ability to learn their words. If there are any issues with this please get in touch. Also use Youtube to help you with pronunciation!

We have introduced our school show this week and had a listen to the songs. We will upload these soon so the children can learn them at home too. Auditions will take place in the next couple of weeks and the children will be informed about this. The show is called ‘What’s the crime, Mr Wolf?’ and we look forward to showcasing this late March/early April.

A newsletter will be handed out at the start of next week along with homework. In reading we are looking at non-fiction in class so your child will be bringing home a book to read at leisure as well as their spelling work. We have also issued children with their ‘Education City’ log in and passwords which you can access through google and we will be setting small homework activities from time to time for children to complete. Currently we have set a 6X, 7X and an 8X activitiy for children to complete but they can also access other areas too focusing on second level but use first level if your child finds some too difficult.

Here’s to an exciting 2020!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson & Ms Matheson

Primary 6 News

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…………!

Starting with our Christmas Fair this evening from 6pm to 8pm. You can get your tickets on the door and we are looking forward to a festive fun fuelled evening!

Next week P6 will be enjoying a bit of panto action (oh no they won’t! oh yes they will!) followed by a visit to the church to learn about the real meaning of Christmas.

Our outdoor PE next week will take place on Wednesday 4th December instead of a Thursday just for that week though and then it will continue on a Thursday as normal.

This week we have been filming ourselves using persuasive techniques to advertise our Christmas Fair as well as designing posters to persuade people to sail on the Titanic.

In Numeracy we have been solving measure problems which have proved a little tricky for some especially when you have to convert the measure before solving the problem. We have also been looking at Multiplication.

In Science we have been learning about renewable and non-renewable energy and the impact it is having on our environment. We are looking forward to developing our knowledge and understanding of sustainability over the next few weeks.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Smith, Ms Matheson & Mrs Jamieson

Primary 6 News

What a busy week it has been!

It was lovely to see you all over the last couple of evenings to discuss your child’s progress and how they have settled into Primary 6.

This week we had some fabulous persuasive writing pieces about why New Lanark is a good place to live. The vocabulary choices have been superb and persuaded us all to pack our bags to live there! In Maths we have developed our knowledge of the properties of shape further by identifying the size of the angle within the shape as well as look for any parallel lines. The children then went on to describe their pencil sketches of the mill buildings in New Lanark using the vocabulary associated with this. In Science, we have been looking at forces and this week’s focus was Air Resistance and the children were challenged to design a parachute that would slow the journey of a boiled egg down and allow it to land safely on the ground. Our record breaker was a total of 1.6 seconds!!

We are still on a high from the success of our Cross Country runners form last week! The results for Carmondean were fantastic and it was lovely to see so many of our boys and girls running on the day. All that Couch to 5K training must be paying off along with the terrific teachings of Mrs Ferguson of course!

A few things to remember:

PE is on a Wednesday and a Thursday for both classes, please ensure your child brings their PE Kit and the correct footwear. We will continue to run outside on a Thursday for as long as the weather will allow us so it is important the children are appropriately dressed.

Homework expectations are that children use the ‘Look, say, cover, write and check method to write out their words 3 times in their jotter and follow with a paragraph of writing that includes these words. The children can challenge their writing by including a variety of openers as well as some complex connectives, all of which we have been using in writing.

Our Inventors showcase is running on the first Thursday back after half term from 1:30 to 2:30 so if you can make it come and see some of the creations. The planning and preparation is gong well and we are very excited to see the end result!

Have a super half term whatever you are doing! Hopefully there will be some Autumn sunshine for us all!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson and Ms Matheson

Primary 6 27.9.19

What a busy week we have had!

Our trip to New Lanark yesterday was fantastic! The weather was on our side and we learnt so much about Robert Owen, life in the mill and the Industrial Revolution. If you have never been, it is definitely worth a visit!

The ‘Annie McLeod Experience’ was an eye opener and a true insight into the life of a child living in New Lanark. The rooftop garden was beautifully landscaped with fantastic views of the mills and the river. We were able to compare the homes of Robert Owen with his worker as well as experience being a pupil in a classroom from that time.

Look out for all our photos outside P6 during parent evenings to see all the fun learning we experienced!

Next Wednesday is our Cross Country event! Can the children come to school wearing their PE kit? Bear in mind it is outside so perhaps children wear shorts with trackies over them to walk to school etc and trainers are an absolute must. Can they have in their bags their uniform to change into after with a spare pair of socks and underwear in case they get absolutely soaked? They also need to have a substantial snack with them as lunch will not be till after the event.

We have been listening to some fantastic inventor ideas today! If at any point your child gets stuck for an idea or the designing of it let us know as we can perhaps advise or steer them in the right direction. Remind them it can be anything and, more importantly, enjoy the experience of it all!

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson and Ms Matheson

Primary 6 30.8.19

Hi all,

A full week completed!

We have had a busy week completing some number assessments in Numeracy and brushing up on our angle knowledge in Maths. Today we did some problem solving and it was interesting watching all the different strategic approaches used! In Literacy we have been revising the use of apostrophes and next week we will be creating our very own character from the Industrial Revolution and describing them using a wide range of descriptive phrases.

Next week we will be sending homework home so please encourage your child to complete the activities in their jotter. Also could you remind your child to bring their reading book to school daily.

PE takes place on a Wednesday and a Thursday, both sessions are taking place outdoors so please ensure your child has the appropriate kit and footwear.

It was lovely to meet some of you at the Meet the Teacher session, if you were unable to attend you should have received an information booklet sent home with your child. If not, dig deep in their school bags!

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Smith, Mrs Jamieson & Ms Matheson

Primary 6 News 22.08.19

Welcome back to all of our Primary 6 pupils! Hope you have all had a restful holiday and are ready to start the new academic year!

This week we have all been settling into the new routines of P6. Lots of discussions have been had around our class charter, recognising our rights and responsibilities. We have also revised the Shanarri indicators and looked at how these can be achieved in the home, school and the local community. We have identified a goal to promote personal achievement and started our couch to 5km training!

Here are a few reminders:

Our PE sessions are on a Wednesday and a Thursday. Please ensure children have kit for both in and out door as our focus is on cross country running so, weather permitting, this will be predominately taken outside even if there is a little rain. So trainers are a must for foot support. On a Wednesday can children come to school in their PE kit with their uniform packed in their bags so that we are ready for our lessons first thing.
Homework will be issued on a fortnightly rotation. This will cover spelling, writing, numeracy and other curricular areas that are relevant at that time. Can this be handed in on the final Friday of each fortnight please.
Your child should have delivered a ‘Meet the Teacher’ letter today. This will be taking place next Wednesday at 4:30pm. We are all looking forward to seeing your faces again as well as meeting some of our newer children’s parents.
Can you make sure your child has a pair of indoor shoes also for the classroom.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Smith, Ms Matheson & Mrs Jamieson

Primary 3 news 7.6.19

It has been another insightful week looking at the impact pollution is having on our Oceans. The boys and girls have been so motivated by this topic that they were writing reports about it for nearly an hour and did not even notice! Between looking at plastic and nets and the damage these can do to sea life to making campaign posters to protect our oceans as well as creating graphs showing the recyclable and non recyclable materials we are using daily. We are also using the school water bottles to create a whale tail sculpture as well as encourage the proper recycling of these as opposed to sending them to landfill.

Next week the pupils will be gathering for the annual pupil parliament to make decisions on what the school should improve on for next year. Carmondean value our pupils’ voice and it is important that we are all involved in the positive changes we can make to our school.

It won’t be long till we hit the beach (hopefully in the sun!) so make sure you have sent the yellow forms back with the correct payment of £5. It is a great day out!

Tomorrow is our annual summer fair and although the weather is not looking great there is still fun to be had so we look forward to seeing you all at 11am for that!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs Smith, Miss Smith & Ms Matheson

Primary 3 News 21.3.19

What a fabulous day we had at Edinburgh Castle! The children were brilliant and an absolute credit to the school. We had lots of fun exploring the different sections of the castle. Particular favourites were the prison cells and the crown jewels. The children got to make their own crowns and dress up too. Photos of the day will be on display at our Friday banquet.

We are now busy rehearsing our assembly and we ask if you could send in any costume requests we made as well as encourage your child to learn any lines they have been given. Below I have attached the song words and a you tube link that you can use at home.

When I was six years old I left my home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N56nBWBIlvk

Don’t forget to join us next Friday 29th March to celebrate all the children’s learning on Knights and Castles at 11:00am in the new hall followed by a banquet for one member of the family in the small hall. There will be an opportunity to sample some medieval food and play some games as well as have a look at our array of castles! The children will also be able to take these home at the end of the banquet.

Any questions or queries please get in touch.

Mrs Smith, Ms Matheson and Miss Smith

Primary 3 News

What a busy week it has been. It was so lovely to see you all this week and share your children’s achievements with you. Hope you are all looking forward to the short break ahead of us!

Back to school on Wednesday 20th February and don’t forget to come along to our first ‘Shared Finish’ of the Number Talks we have been doing in class at 2:50pm until home time.

There will be no homework for this short week other than reading.

Weather permitting, Outdoor PE will take place for P3MS and indoor PE for 3S.

Don’t forget the Big Homework is due on the 22nd February. We cannot wait to see all of the castle creations and the children are so excited about their Knights and Castles Topic which is lovely to see.

Have a lovely half term break!

Mrs Smith, Ms Matheson & Miss Smith

Primary 3 News 7.12.18

Christmas is fast approaching! A big thank you to all who came and supported us with the Christmas Fair. Nativity is now in full swing and we are looking forward to showcasing this in two weeks time. Our dress rehearsal is this coming Wednesday where West Lothian Council will be photographing our little stars so please ensure costumes are sent in before then.

We have been busy creating a masterpiece in writing which we are hoping to share with you all on Thursday 20th December at 3pm. The boys and girls have made a Christmas Gift for you and will pass on an invitation to you today. If you cannot make it please don’t worry as we will send them home with your children. Looking forward to seeing those of you that can.

Our Christmas Party is next Thursday in the afternoon, please send in your child’s party clothes with them in the morning.

Homework will continue for one more week. P3S now has PE on a Tuesday outdoors and a Wednesday indoors. P3SM have indoor PE on a Monday and outdoors on a Thursday.

Have a fab weekend

Mrs Smith, Miss Smith & Ms Matheson

Primary 3 News

What a busy week!

It was lovely seeing some of you at the Read Write Count story time and we hope you and the boys and girls are having lots of fun trying out the activities. We have been hearing some of the stories our boys and girls have been inspired to write and they have been amazing!

We are getting our teeth stuck into our Nativity show. Songs and words are on the blog so please encourage your child to practise these. If they have any lines could you also support them and ensure they know these off by heart? We will let you know about costumes, etc., nearer the time.

Next week is our Christmas Fair at 6pm on Friday 30th November. Looking forward to seeing you all there! Kick start the Christmas month off in style!

Have a good weekend!

The P3 Team

Primary 3 News 9.11.18

We have had a busy week learning our songs for our Nativity. All music and words are on the blog so children can have a go at home. We have also been learning ‘Bonnie Wee Jeannie McColl’ for our Scottish Assembly and children have taken home words for this.

A little reminder to make sure all clothing is labelled. We have lots of jumpers and cardigans sitting in our class rooms with no names so if you are missing any please feel free to come and have a look at home time.

Please also make sure children bring PE kit on their days:

P3S: Tuesday and Thursday indoor both days

P3MS: Monday: Outdoor Wednesday: Indoor

It is now getting colder so please send children in with tracksuit bottoms and long sleeved tops for going outdoors during PE.

Homework next week will be spelling and reading as normal with some Numeracy work focusing on Arrays. These are rows of dots and encourages children to count in groups of numbers in preparation for their multiplication focus.

Our Christmas Fair will soon be upon us so don’t forget to buy your tickets and please send in any tombola prizes if you have them.

Have a lovely weekend. Remember to have a moment on Sunday to reflect upon those who lost their lives in the war.

Mrs Smith, Ms Matheson & Miss Smith