Category Archives: Primary 7

Digital Learning Week 2017, Events, Maths & Numeracy, Primary 1, Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 5, Primary 7, Technologies

Digital Learning Week: Sumdog Contest

May 15, 2017 Miss Sherlow Leave a comment

P1-7 have been entered to take part in Sumdog’s special Scottish contest to celebrate Education Scotland’s National Digital Learning Week. This runs from 12-18th May and can be played at both home and at school using the Sumdog website or app. All pupils should have their Sumdog log in their homework diary/ book.

The children have to answer 1000 questions and their score is based on accuracy, not speed or winning games. There are also prizes to be won and certificates will be given out at assembly for those children in the top 50 from across Scotland.

Good luck everyone!

Digital Learning Week 2017, English & Literacy, Homework, Learning Letters, Maths & Numeracy, Primary 1, Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 5, Primary 7, Supporting homework, Technologies, Useful Websites

Digital Learning Week: Supporting Learning at Home

May 15, 2017 Miss Burton 1 Comment

Sum Dog and Purple Mash are two online resources we have purchased to support learning and teaching in Maths and Language. These resources can be used in school and at home. The PSA have helped us to purchase Purple Mash.

Teachers may set homework using these resources, however if homework has not been set parents can use these resources to support Maths and Language development at home.

Sum Dog

P1-7 have a Sum Dog Reading and Maths account. They can access this account at home by using the log in provided in their homework diary/book.

To access Sum Dog go to: http://www.sumdog.com/

If you have an apple device you can download the Sum Dog app for free.

Purple Mash

P1-7 have a Purple Mash account. They can access this account at home by using the log in provided in their homework diary/book.

To access Purple Mash go to:

https://www.purplemash.com/sch/midcalder-EH53

To find out how to use Purple Mash on your tablet you will find information here: https://www.purplemash.com/#app/documents/purplemash_on_tablets

To find out how to use Purple Mash with iPad apps you will find information here:

https://www.purplemash.com/#app/guides/mashificationguide

Information to support parents/ carers: using-ict-to-support-maths-and-language-updated

#digitaldifference

Primary 7, Sciences, Uncategorized

How does your garden grow?

May 12, 2017 Miss Anderson Leave a comment

LI: We are learning to explore the life cycle of plants.

We are learning to investigate what helps plants to grow.

SC: I can state the different ways that plants can reproduce.

I can design an investigation to test the effects of fertiliser on plants.

Last week we kicked off our new topic ‘How does your garden grow?’ and over the last fortnight we have been busy learning all about how plants grow and what might help them grow faster. Last week we looked at what a plant actually needs to grow, they’re not much different from us as they need food, water, air and sunlight. We thought that we could investigate whether fertiliser made any difference to the rate of growth so we planted our own sunflowers, watered half with just water and half with plant food mixed with water. We also decided to see if compost made any difference so we dug up some soil from the garden in the playground and used some that to plant too. It only took a few days for our sunflowers to start growing and we can see a difference in them every day. We will let you know the results of our experiment when they are fully grown. Once our sunflowers are fully grown we are going to plant them in the gardens within the playground.

This week we have been learning to explore similarities and differences between two outdoor areas. The children were split into groups and were each given an area of the playground to explore. Armed with a clipboard and paper and an ipad, the children had to explore what was in their designated area, draw a sketch and take some photographs. Back in the classroom the children mapped their area onto an A3 sheet of paper where they had to replicate their area using the information they had gathered. Each map had to have a key so that we knew what was on their map. The children all worked very hard on their map using all sorts of resources to highlight different areas and they all look amazing. Once the children had created their maps they then had to present their findings to the rest of the class. All of the children’s presentation skills have developed since the beginning of the year and were confident in presenting their findings.

Maths & Numeracy, Primary 7

P7 using multiplication and division strategies

May 8, 2017 User deactivated Leave a comment

LI: We are learning to choose the most effective multiplication or division strategy for a given calculation.

S.C: I can use a range of strategies

I can say why a strategy is best the calculation.

I can explain my working out.

In P7 we have been going over our strategies that we know in multiplication and division. We all knew a range of strategies and certainly had our favourites. We then looked at different types of questions and which strategy would be most suitable. We learnt that it is always best to try to solve it mentally first. The class favourite is the grid method but for simple calculations like 4 x 26 then it is not the most suitable. For this one we would use strategies like partitioning, doubling and halving or using number facts like 4 x 25 = 100 and then add one more 4.

Anytime Anywhere Learning, Events, Primary 5, Primary 7, Technical Troopers, Technologies

Dishing Out Our Digital Knowledge

May 3, 2017 Miss Sherlow Leave a comment

Today, representatives from Eastertoun Primary visited our school to find out some of the ways that we use digital technologies to enhance our learning. Primary 5B showed our guests how we share our achievements on our iAchieve blog, as well as how we have used some of the Glow tools to support and challenge us across the curriculum. We shared how Bring Your Own Device works in Mid Calder, and also gave them a tour of our class Yammer pages, explaining the different ways in which we have used these.

Next, pupils from P6 and P7 who were involved in the process of MCPS becoming a Bring Your Own Device school shared this journey with our visitors. This offered an excellent opportunity for questions to be asked and answered by pupils from both schools. Our guests also popped into Primary 4B who shared their new knowledge of the language of coding with them.

The visit ended with a chat with some of our Technical Troopers who explained some of their roles and responsibilities and how they have helped to support digital learning across the school.

We hope that our guests found their visit valuable and we look forward to hearing how they progress in their own journey using our new collaborative Yammer page.

Learning Letters, Primary 7

P7 Term 4 Learning Letter

April 28, 2017 Miss Burton Leave a comment

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to Term 4 in Primary 7. In this last term the children are looking forward to planning and developing their knowledge and understanding of outdoors within their topic ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’. Exciting and challenging lessons and activities will be completed by the pupils, using the context of our own playground and surrounding areas. If any parents or carers would like to donate their time or materials to help with our topic we would very much appreciate it. We are excited about P7 Leavers’ activities. P7s have also started handing over responsible roles to the P6 pupils.

Dates for up and coming events:

P7 & P6 Topic trip date to be confirmed

9^th May: P7 Parent’s Evening 18^th May: Reading Curriculum Evening

11^th May: Parent’s Sex Education Evening at 5pm. Transition dates for WCHS and JYHS

26^th June: P7 Leavers Assembly 29^th June: P7 Leavers’ Party

Learning Letter P7 Term 4 (3)

Learning Letters, Primary 7

P7/6 Term 4 Learning Letter

April 28, 2017 Miss Burton Leave a comment

Dear Parent/Carer,

Welcome to Term 4 in Primary 7/6. In this last term the children are looking forward to planning and developing their knowledge and understanding of outdoors within their topic ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’. Exciting and challenging lessons and activities will be completed by the pupils, using the context of our own playground and surrounding areas. If any parents or carers would like to donate their time or materials to help with our topic we would very much appreciate it. We are excited about P7 leavers activities and starting with our new roles in P6 unsupervised in preparation for P7.

Dates for up and coming events:

P7 & P6 Topic trip date to confirmed 18^th May: Reading Curriculum Evening

11^th May: Parents Sex Education Evening at 5pm. Transition dates for WCHS, JYHS TBC

26^th June: P7 Leavers Assembly 29^th June: P7 Leavers Party

learning letter p7.6 term 4 new

Achievement Awards, Community, Events, Maths & Numeracy, Nursery, Primary 1, Primary 2, Primary 3, Primary 5, Primary 7, Sciences, Technologies

Term 3 Celebration Assembly

April 21, 2017 Miss Burton Leave a comment

This morning we welcomed parents and friends along to our Celebration Celebration so that pupils could receive their STEM Super Star and Remarkable Reader Awards. We also announced the Top Scorers for each house and a big well done to Almondell who won the House Cup for last term.

Miss Sherlow presented those pupils who came in the top 50 of the West Lothain SumDog Competition with a certificate.

Lewis and Ross, both past pupils from our school who now attend West Calder High shared their achievements with us. They reminded us it was important to achievement academically and in other areas of life, and also to have fund along the way. A big thank you to Lewis and Ross for joining us.

Primary 7, Responsible Roles, Uncategorized

Playful Pal Training

March 31, 2017 Miss Anderson Leave a comment

It is the end of another term and it is time for the P7’s to hang up their safety jackets and pass on the responsible roles to the P6’s. On Monday all of the P7 Playful Pals were involved in training the P6’s for their upcoming year of taking on their roles. It was a fun packed morning and all of the P7’s were responsible for creating a programme that would fully equip the P6’s in their roles. The P7’s took 2 mornings to create their programme and had to think of things that would fully involve everyone and make sure that the P6’s understood the role of a Playful Pal and what this actually involves, and of course there was some fun along the way.

The morning started off with a bit of first aid training and the children learning basic first aid of putting a bandage on and how to stem a wound. Things got a bit more serious when the CPR dummy came out and the children got the opportunity to try out some life saving skills. I would feel safe in any of their hands now!!! Once the children had completed their first aid training it was time to hand it over to the P7,s. First on the agenda was a short video letting the P6’s know exactly what the Playful Pals do in the playground and a short expectations power point. Next was on to some team building games, the P7’s really thought about what games would bring the children together as a team. In order for the P6’s to experience what scenarios they might come across in the playground, part of their training involved role play situations. Finally our new Playful Pals had to write a job description for their role and after all of their training they were able to pinpoint the skills required for their new position.

Overall the P7’s put on a great programme to train our new Playful Pals and the P6’s had a great learning experience. The P6’s are now fully equipped to take on their new roles.

Good luck in your new roles.

I hope you all have a fantastic holiday and stay safe.

Miss Anderson