Bonjour,

This year I am excited to be teaching Health and Well-being, Art and Design and French subjects across the school and in Term 1 we will have different areas of focus across early, first and second levels. 

In HWB we are looking at the overarching themes of personal well-being and thinking about who we are and what are our special skills and unique abilities. In doing this we will develop confidence in speaking and listening during Circletime and role play. We are learning to talk about our emotions and how these make us feel and behave. This has tied in with our Art and Design and our self-portraits in charcoal and other portraits when we looked closely at ourselves. Thereafter we will discuss friendships  asking questions such as what makes a good friend and how we can help others and show acts of kindness. When we are talking about social health we will be looking at what we are good at and how we can develop our self-esteem and confidence in the class and into the community. Overall we will be thinking about the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

In Art and Design we are going to focus on Drawing and Painting this term. We are learning to use different drawing tools to encourage pupils to draw people accurately. At the early stage this may be a few details but into the second level these portraits are increasingly accurate with many details and correct proportions. We will also look at Picasso’s abstract portraits and his use of colour. We will look at modern Scottish artists such as Joan Eardley, Paolozzi and the Scottish Colourists but also classical artists like Rembrandt and Vermeer. P6 will go on a visit for the day on the 12th of September to Jupiter Sculpture parkland and participate in a workshop based on Andy Goldsworthy. See http://www.ipadartroom.com/andy-goldsworthy-inspired-lesson/ for ideas to extend knowledge about the artist and other Land Artists. In looking at colour we will start by experimenting with primary colours (red, blue and yellow) and then colour mixing, making many tones or tints of a colour using white. By first level the children will explore colour wheels and onto using colour to reflect mood and then the use of texture in colour. If we have any artist parents willing to come in to help work with children and/or talk about what they do that would be much appreciated. Art will be taught by the Class Teachers in P2, P5C and P7. PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILD HAS A PAINTING TOGS TO PROTECT THEIR SCHOOL UNIFORMS ESPECIALLY AS WE START TO EXPLORE PAINT AND INKS!

In French the P1s will listen to songs and play games and gradually build up their vocabulary and what they can say. They will learn about Paris and France and differences in school life and breakfast. We will start with Greetings and Classroom Talk. Further up the school we will start at First Level with an extended vocabulary of greetings and talk in class and try to use the language we have learnt in class everyday talk. The full vocabulary for First Level Greetings and Classroom Talk will follow in another blog post. I shall also add useful language apps and websites but the bbc Primary Languages website is a good starting point for now to listen to how the French sounds. Theo brought in some Tin-tin comics and we shared this classic French comic strip books in class. Again, any native French speakers who can come in to help would be made very welcome.

Au revoir,

Miss Brolls, NCCT 2017/18