Category: Class Learning

Primary 2A

 

We have been working so hard in P2A. We have been continuing to use addition strategies in Numeracy. We use concrete tools to make calculations and then write the algorithm. We have also been learning to use a counting on strategy. This amazing learner is using cubes to partition 20. He made 11 + 9 = 20 and 10 + 10 = 20.

We love challenging ourselves to add using higher numbers. We are also developing mental strategies. We use ICT to enhance our learning and Miss Marra is supporting us to ask each other questions.  For example:

Why do you think that?

What do you think of _________’s answer?

How could you show this another way?

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

We apply questioning across other areas of the curriculum to enhance our learning.

   

In Literacy, we are learning to peer-assess our Writing. We are learning to write a description this term. We love reading our writing to the class and then we give feedback linked with our co-created Success Criteria. We are becoming experts at noticing punctuation and identifying next steps.

We have been working hard in Reading and we are developing comprehension skills using Reciprocal Reading strategies. We are focusing on prediction this term and we have a Percy the Predictor puppet to support us with our learning. We take part in echo reading as a class. We read a text on the board using Epic. We love having the opportunity to lead echo reading for our peers.

We are learning to write sentences in Grammar and this helps us to improve our writing. We work independently or in pairs to write sentences with accurate punctuation. We enjoy correcting sentences and sharing our own sentences with each other. We write in our jotters and we sometimes write on our desks with white board pens.

Article 29: We have the right to develop our talents and abilities.

Article 12: We have the right to be heard.

P1a – Maths Week

P1a had an exciting time during Maths Week, filled with outdoor learning and creative exploration. We practised our counting skills by chasing and popping bubbles, turning a fun activity into a great way to build number sense. Using natural materials like sticks and stones, we created counting collections and carefully ordered them by size, developing our understanding of measurement and comparison.

Our 2D shape hunt around the playground was a big hit! We discovered circles, rectangles, squares, and even spotted a triangle and a pentagon. Suddenly, shapes were everywhere — in the classroom, around the school, and in everyday objects. We captured our discoveries with photos and used them to inspire our own shape pictures, combining maths with creativity.

It was a fantastic week of learning, exploring, and having fun with maths in the environment.

 

 


Congratulations also to our fantastic pupil  who recently walked 5 miles for charity in the Edinburgh Kilt Walk. A tremendous achievement. Well done!

Math Week in P3A

As part of Maths Week Scotland, we engaged in a wide range of activities designed to make learning fun and meaningful. Pupils participated in the Sumdog Competition, created pictures using a variety of shapes, and designed hundreds square art pieces. They also explored construction by building shapes with magnetic cubes and used star shapes in the tuff tray to build, create pictures, and sort by colour. In addition, pupils experimented with 3D shapes and developed pattern-making skills using the drill set. It was a week full of rich learning experiences through play.

P3A Learning

We discussed our school rules and what they mean for us. To show our agreement of keeping to the rules – Ready, Respect, Safe we created our superhero selves. Look carefully and you may even see a Super Teacher!!

We have started off the year well and to help us we have been playing different listening games. We are remembering that at East Calder Primary we show respect by listening. This looks like sitting still, looking at the person who is talking, listening to all the words, following instructions, staying quiet when someone is talking and using kind words to reply.

We have been learning about place value using hundreds, tens, and ones. We had to use them to create a place value monster then work out what its number was. We also cut and stuck a paper copy in our jotters. A very fun way to learn!!

We have been learning to find and use adjectives in sentences. We worked together to highlight adjectives in a passage and have started writing our own descriptions following PM Writing Scheme. So far we have written about Lions and elephants.

We are learning to develop our knowledge of telling the time. We have worked on o’clock, half past, quarter past and some of us are beginning to use quarter to. We are learning to swap between analogue and digital. We made these clocks to help us in our learning.

 

Primary 1

When celebrating Earth Day recently, the pupils discussed how they could look after our planet. Some suggestions included turning off water, switching off lights, not dropping litter and not wasting food. They watched short films all about recycling and listened to the ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ song. This all linked with our previous Eco learning.

To celebrate, they made Earth Day hats and created seed bombs which they planted in our P1a flower bed. They talked about what our seeds needed to help them grow – light, water, air and warmth. Hopefully there will be a colourful display in the months ahead  and a chance to attract pollinators and  minibeasts – our new IDL theme.

Cookie Recipe

Good morning!

I’ve had lots of requests for the delicious cookie recipe we used in our hubs session – so I’ve attached it below. The only rule is that if you make them at home you need to bring me one for snack!

Mrs Beattie

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies – makes 8 cookies

Ingredients

  • 60 g vegan butter
  • 85 g light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 150 g plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 150g vegan chocolate (chips/chopped)
  • 40 ml oat milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC Fan, or 200ºC regular!
  2. Add the vegan butter, sugar and vanilla to a bowl and beat with electric whisk until creamy.
  3. Using a sieve, add in the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt and beat until combined.
  4. Gradually add in the vegan milk until the cookie dough is formed.
  5. Add in the vegan chocolate and mix with a spoon until distributed well!
  6. Split the cookie dough into 8 equal balls.
  7. Spread out the dough balls onto a lined baking tray.
  8. Bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
  9. Take them out the oven carefully and put the cookies onto the cooling rack.
  10. Eat and enjoy!

P3A Hubs Week 2

This we we were working on the Meta Skill Social Intelligence. This meant we were communicating, collaborating and leading. We listened to the story Jack and the Beanstalk and thought about the characters and main points. We discussed how the characters would act, what they say and talked about how the story would be better with sound effects. We then split into smaller groups, each with a different character or main point noise to make. We worked together to think how best to create the sounds required. We then came back together and went through the story this time adding in our own sound effects. We had lots of tapping on tables for characters walking or running and the Giant’s footsteps made with slaps on the floor. We had some really good hens clucking around and the harp was made by someone hitting their water bottle. Our Giant’s voice was very good when he bellowed ‘Fee, fi fo, fum’. We had good fun collaborating together to create all these sound effects and it all came together to make the story come to life for us.

P1C Innovation Hub

P1C enjoyed their skills hub. We learned about percussion instruments through a listening game. Then we made shakers from recycled materials and rice.  We listened to a piece of music shaking our shakers to the beat.

We had a discussion about critical thinking and creativity skills and everyone was able to identify when they had used them.

P3A Hubs Week 1

We were working on Meta Skill of INNOVATION. We had to use our creativity to come up with a new wild animal, thinking about how it moved, where it lived, how and what it ate and how it defended itself. We got to choose if we worked on it individually, in a pair or in a small group (and for once we got to choose out partners!). Once we had drawn and annotated our creature we then used any resource in the classroom to build it. Lots of us used Lego while others tried making it from card. We then recorded ourselves or took a picture, to be added to our Seesaw accounts, explaining how our creature moved, where it lived, how and what it ate and how it defended itself. Next week we will use our creature in our story writing. A great fun filled afternoon!

P3A Learning

This week we have been completing lots of work inspired by the story Ruby’s Worry.  It will be used for a West Lothian Council Creativity in Literacy Competition.  Please see Sway to find out about our learning.

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