Author: Staff..226

Dear Parents,

We hope you had a great week.

Important information:

• Loose parts on Monday 26^th February.
• Please ensure that all items are labelled (including hats and gloves).
• Change of clothes: Please ensure that your child has a spare change of clothes at school (including pants and socks); these don’t have to be school uniform. It is really helpful for them all to have them (especially when they get wet). Please label all the items.

This is a summary of our learning this week:

Literacy

This week we continued to learn about magic e. This week was magic e with an u. Eg: cube, tube, mule, rude.

This is a video that we have used in class and will support learning at home.

We have practiced our reading skills: this week we have focused on comprehension.

We have continued to learn common words from block 5: eight, learn and money. Please continue to practice tricky words at home. All children know in which block they are working on.

In writing we are learning to write descriptions. This week we have written descriptions about Granny Island from the Katie Morag series of books.

In cursive handwriting we have worked on p and u. See the link below of the formation we are practicing at school.

Continuous Cursive letter choice 3 beginners (teachhandwriting.co.uk)

Ideas for learning at home

• Use your magic e wand for these words: cub, cut, tub, etc. Ask your child to write them and then add the magic e band at the end of the word and see which words they have now.
• Please continue to read stories to your child every day at home.
• Please continue to encourage your child to read at home. It is important that children practice reading every day.

Maths 

We have started to learn about tessellation or tilling: what is tessellation and which 2D shapes we can use for creating tessellations.

We are learning to identify examples of tiling in the environment and to apply knowledge of the features of 2D shapes to create tiling patterns incorporating two different shapes.

We have also worked on numeracy skills: addition and subtraction (missing addends). Please continue to practice these skills at home.

Ideas for learning at home: 

• Look for tessellations around the house and when on a walk.
• Lego tessellation activity: Make your child use their coloured building blocks as an awesome learning tool. Ask them to make symmetric patterns using their Lego.

• Practice a couple of calculations every day ( please choose accordingly with your child’s ability)

Other Areas

EXA and PE

We have played games to work on listening to instructions and reaction times.

In gymnastics we are learning landing and balancing skills.

RSHP

We are learning about the topic of privacy and about having confidence in our bodies.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents,

We hope you have had a lovely week.

Important Information

• We did reading in class this week but we will not be sending the books home over the holiday.
• Here is the link to the first Friday Buckstone Quiz created by P7. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=af6sSGo3tUKfacnke7-5xIbyRkDbeDZCilCs0WzXtdFUOUc1QkdWN0VQTTYzTzU2UllYT0RVTDhIVS4u

Here is a summary of our learning.

Literacy

Spelling: As a class, we introduced the tricky words people, again and four. We then each worked on the particular spelling block we are focussing on.

Phonics: We have continued to learn about magic e. This week we have looked at words with the o vowel. Magic e makes the vowels say their letter name rather than their sound. For example, in the word hole the o makes an ‘oh’ sound. Magic e remains silent.

Writing: We wrote descriptions of Monet.

Handwriting: We have been learning to form the letters h and b. Here is the website we use in school to show the correct formation.

Continuous Cursive letter choice 3 beginners (teachhandwriting.co.uk) 

Ideas for home learning:

Ask your child to explain how magic e works. Do they understand? The focus this week was on words with the o vowel.

You could write the following words on a piece of paper then ask your child to wave their magic e wand then add an e at the end of the word. When you add magic e to the end of the word, can they read the new word that has been created? For example not would turn into note.

not

rob

con

hop

cod

slop

Here is a video with activities you could try with your child at home.

Long O with Magic E – 4 Minute Phonics (youtube.com)

Please continue to work on reading and spelling the tricky words block your child is focussing on. Here is an idea for a game to play at home.

Spelling Pairs

Play pairs in the same way that you would play to help your child to read the words but this time have a large piece of paper and a pen in the middle of the table. If you find a pair you can only keep the pair if you can write the word, spelling it correctly. Remember to give time to your child to look at the word and talk through ways to remember it.

Maths and Numeracy

Numeracy

We have continued to work on addition strategies. In particular, we have been working on missing addend sums. For example, 46 + ? = 50

Ideas for learning at home:

Ask your child to solve these sums:

• 48 + ? = 52
• 78 + ? = 81
• 23 + ? = 25
• 59 + ? = 62
• 35 + ? = 39

For more challenge, you could pose these word problems.

• Amy made some cupcakes. Then she made 8 more. Now she has 19. How many cupcakes did she make first?
• There are 15 children ice skating. 6 of the children are in level 1. How many children are in level 2?

Shape

We have continued to work on vocabulary for describing the properties of 3D objects. The words we have been using are: faces, edges and vertices.

Ideas for learning at home:

• Ask your child to describe a cube, cuboid, sphere, cylinder and prism. Can they use the correct vocabulary?
• Then you could describe a 3D object using these words. Can they guess which shape you are thinking of?

Other Areas

French

We have continued to learn the names for colours in French.

Outdoor Learning

We enjoyed our session of loose parts on Tuesday.

Chinese New Year

We enjoyed learning about The Great Race as well as how Chinese New Year is celebrated.

IDL

We have continued to learn about Greyfriars Bobby.

HWB – Building Resilience

We are working on the unit of work titled ‘Respect Yourself’. We have enjoyed singing songs such as ‘I’m the Only I’ and ‘Fabby Dabby Dee’.

We also read the story ‘Only One You’. Here is a link to a read along version.

Read Aloud “Only One You” (youtube.com)

The illustrations in the book are of painted stones. During the holiday, if you would like to design and paint your own unique stone, we would love for you to bring it in to show the rest of the class.

HWB – RSHP

The children are working on the topic of My body. They will be learning about having a healthy body and keeping clean. This week we have been learning the correct names for male and female genitals. The body-part names covered this week were: nipples, penis, scrotum and testicles and vulva.

We use these terms because they help to remove any embarrassment or shame about these body parts. Also, knowing these words means that children can explain clearly if they are unwell or have a worry. Knowing these terms help to protect children because they also learn that these parts of the body are private – we will be doing more on this in class. We encourage parents and carers to use the same terms at home, we do understand that families often have informal body-part terms that they use, but we would ask that you take on board the need to use the same terms as school.

Have a lovely February holiday,
Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents,

We hope you had a great week.

It was lovely to see you at the Drop-in session on Tuesday.

Important information:

• Loose parts on Tuesday 6^th February.
• Please ensure that all items are labelled (including hats and gloves).
• Change of clothes: Please ensure that your child has a spare change of clothes at school (including pants and socks); these don’t have to be school uniform. It is really helpful for them all to have them (especially when they get wet). Please label all the items.
• Next week we will do reading in class but not send reading books home.

This is a summary of our learning this week:

Literacy

This week we continued to learn about magic e. This week was magic e with an i. Eg: time, kite, pipe, etc.

We have practiced our reading skills: prediction and fluency are our focus.

We have continued to learn common words from block 5: write, great and move. Please continue to practise tricky words at home. All children know in which block they are working on.

In cursive handwriting we have practice m and n. See the link below of the formation we are practicing at school.

Continuous Cursive letter choice 3 beginners (teachhandwriting.co.uk)

We did our ‘Twa Leggit mice’ recitation and two children have been selected to perform at the school assembly. Well done to all the children who took part and learned the poem; it was a very hard decision!

Ideas for learning at home

• Please ask your child to read the school reading book at home.

• Use your magic e wand for these words: kit, bit, fin , etc. Ask your child to write them and then add the magic e band at the end of the word and see which words they have now.
• Ask your child to write and read these words: kite, bite, time, white, bike, line, slide, five, etc. You can write the words and ask your child to look for the initial blends and circle them.  
• Please continue to read stories to your child at home.
• Please continue to encourage your child to read at home. It is important that children practice reading every day.

Maths 

We have started to learn about properties of 3D objects: faces, edges and vertices; stack and roll.

Ideas for learning at home: 

• When talking to your child ensure you use vocabulary using 3D Objects: we have learned cube, cuboid, sphere, cylinder and prism.
• 3D object hunt around the house and outdoors.
• This video will help to reinforce the learning:

Other areas

EXA and PE

We have continued to learn Scottish Dance. We are learning to combine actions to create movement sequences independently and with others in response to music. We can now dance the Flying Scotsman.

We enjoyed drawing Scottish castles using charcoal.

FRENCH

We are learning about colours.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We have been learning about Greyfriars Bobby.

Here are some photos of our fantastic junk model castles from last week!

Here are a few more photos from this week.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents,

We hope you had a great week.

Important information:

• Your child will bring home their learning story today. Please have a look at the termly overview and your child’s targets for this term. Please return them to school by Friday 26^th January at the latest.
• Loose parts on Monday 22^nd January.
• Please ensure that all your child’s items are labelled (including hats and gloves).
• Change of clothes: Please ensure that your child has a spare change of clothes at school (including pants and socks); these don’t have to be school uniform. It is really helpful for them all to have them (especially when they get wet). Please label all the items.

This is a summary of our learning this week:

Literacy

This week we have learned the initial blends: sc, sk, sn, sp, st, sw, tw.

We have practiced our reading skills: our focus at the moment is fluency.

We have started to learn common words from block 5: school, because and before.

In writing we are learning to write descriptions. We have started by writing a description of ourselves.

In cursive handwriting we have practised r and s. See the link below of the formation we use at school.

Continuous Cursive letter choice 3 beginners (teachhandwriting.co.uk)

Ideas for learning at home

• Please ask your child to read the school reading book at home.

Look at these ideas to work on fluency at home:

1. Show them your own fluent reading. The more often your child hears fluent reading, the more likely they are to pick it up.
2. Teach your child how to track words.
3. Focus on sight words.
4. Recruit a friendly audience and ask your child to read the story for them.
5. Ask your child to write and read these words: scoop, scar, scan, scab, skip, skin, skid, skim, snail, snap, snug, snip, smug, smash, spin, spat, spot, spit, speck, stop, step, star, stuck, stick, stock, swim, swam, swag, swig, twin, twig, twit. You can write the words and ask your child to look for the initial blends and circle them.  
6. Please continue to read stories to your child at home.
7. Please continue to encourage your child to read at home. It is important that children practice reading every day.

Maths 

We have started to learn about properties of 2D shapes and reviewed our knowledge of 2D shapes.

We have been working on doubles and doubles plus one.

Ideas for learning at home: 

• When talking to your child ensure you use vocabulary using 2D shape: we have learned circle, triangle, square, rectangle, trapezium, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon and decagon. They were confident on the first three but found the others challenging.
• Shape hunt around the house and outdoors.
• Make a shape book: every page could have a shape and your child can write how many sides, how many corners (we have introduced the word vertex ( how many vertices?) and draw objects with that shape.
• In this online game you could click on the doubles area.

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button

Other areas

EXA and PE

We have started to learn Scottish Dance. We are learning to combine actions to create movement sequences independently and with others in response to music.

ART

We are learning about Monet. We have learned about his life and started to look at his technique.

FRENCH

We are learning to count to 20.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We have been learning about Edinburgh Castle. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents/Carers,

Happy New Year! It was lovely to welcome back the pupils this week. Everyone seems refreshed and ready for the busy term ahead.

Here is a summary of our learning

Literacy

Our phonics focus has been on the initial blends bl,cl,fl,gl,pl,sl. Examples of words with these blends are: block, clap, flag, glitter, plant, slip.

We have enjoyed our reading books this week, focusing on reading aloud with fluency.

Ideas for learning at home:

Here is a fun game to play which will revise the phonics focus for this week. Examples of words are: black, blow, clip, cloud, flag, flock, glass, glen, plum, play, slug, sleep.

Silly Sentence

Write the words out on bits of paper. Spread the word cards out face down. Pick 3 cards and turn them face up. Say the words as they are turned up. Now try and make up a silly sentence that includes all 3 words on the cards.

Please also ask your child to share their reading book with you. Once they are finished you could ask them to explain what happened at the beginning, middle and end. Reflecting on the structure of books will help them as they write their own stories.

Numeracy

We have been practising a variety of number skills this week. One focus has been on number recognition. We revised ‘teen’ and ‘ty’ numbers briefly and are becoming so much more confident with this now!

We have also been looking at the 100 square and looking for patterns which will help us to identify numbers and their value.

Ideas for learning at home

Click on this link to open up an interactive 100 square.

Paint the Squares – Interactive Number Charts (topmarks.co.uk)

On the left hand side you will see options to ‘pick a puzzle’. These offer various levels of challenge and the class have enjoyed exploring their number skills through this.

You could also make up your own 100 square challenges like in the photo below. Can your child fill in the spaces?

Try to look out for numbers in the environment for example house doors, bus numbers, items in packets at the shops. Real life examples of reading numbers can be much more interesting than a worksheet!

Other Areas

• We have been learning about the UNCRC article 6. We have been learning that every child has the right to life. Governments must do all they can to ensure that children survive and develop to their full potential.
• We enjoyed working in groups in PE.
• We have been learning about New Year resolutions and made some of our own in a creative way. See photos below!

Have a great weekend,

Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents/Carers,

Final blog of 2023!

What a term full of learning we have had!

This week we have done revision in all areas of our learning.

All activities were linked to the Christmas theme: our morning challenges, numeracy and literacy. In Maths have been working on addition and subtraction (to 10, 30, 100) and in Literacy we have worked on comprehension skills answering written questions about a given text. Our PE focus has been on games. We also had a Christmas tree challenge using Kapla.

We had lots of exciting activities across the school: fun run, Christmas quiz in houses, Carol singing, Window walk, etc.

We would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2024!

We are looking forward to seeing you all in January.

Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents/Carers,

We hope that you enjoyed our Carol singing performances on Wednesday. We have had a very busy week in P2!

Important Information

Please send in a carrier bag on Thursday 21^st December. We intend to send home all indoor shoes and spare clothes on that day. This should give you time over the holiday to check that items still fit. Some of the velcro on the gym shoes has lost its ‘stick’ and they are becoming unsafe, especially for PE. Please feel free to send in an existing pair of trainers from home which can be used for the classroom as well as indoor PE if it saves you buying a pair of new gym shoes.

There has been a problem with the recording of the Christmas carols so we will need to refilm this on Monday. If possible, please could you send your child to school wearing their Christmas jumper on Monday. Thank you!

We will not be sending reading books home this week. Please send in any books you may have at home to allow us to collate the sets in time for the new term in January.

Here is a summary of our learning

Literacy

We wrote letters to the elves asking about their jobs.

In phonics our focus has been on the final consonant blends ng and nk. We have been finding this really tricky! Examples of words with these sounds are ring, king, tank, sink.

In spelling we have assessed all children on their spelling of tricky words.

Ideas for learning at home:

Here are two fun videos to watch to reinforce the ‘ng’ and ‘nk’ patterns.

Alphablocks – Volume 3 Episode 2 – Song (Digraph NG) (youtube.com)

Alphablocks Series 3 – Ink – YouTube

Here is an online game to play – pairs with ng and nk words.

-nk & -ng – Matching pairs (wordwall.net)

Please continue to practise reading and spelling the tricky words.  An idea is to play Kim’s Game. Write some of the words on separate pieces of paper. Ask your child to read the words. Turn the pieces of paper over and ask your child to remember what was written on each one.  Try it with different words.  

Here is the link to the website we use for handwriting. You can watch the animations at home and ask your child to practise the formation.

Continuous Cursive letter choice 3 beginners (teachhandwriting.co.uk)

Numeracy and Maths

We have been counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. Some of us have also been counting in 3s and 4s.

Here are some of the songs we have been using to memorise the number patterns. You may find it helpful to sing these at home.

Counting by 2s (youtube.com)

Counting by 3s (youtube.com)

Counting by 5s (youtube.com)

We have also been learning about symmetry. You may find this game useful to use at home. 

Symmetry Sorting Game – Sort symmetrical and non-symmetrical images (topmarks.co.uk) 

You could also practise making symmetrical models with lego or other building bricks. Or even making symmetrical pictures of funny faces or patterns using small objects from around the house. 

Other Curricular Areas 

• We had lots of fun at the Christmas party on Monday.
• We have been enjoying teamwork games in PE.
• We enjoyed performing our Christmas carols.
• We have been busy making baubles and Christmas cards.

Here are some photos from the last few weeks.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents,

We hope you had a great week.

Important information:

• We hope you have received the lovely letter from your child inviting you to our Carol signing on Wednesday 13^th December at 9.00 and 2.30. We are looking forward to seeing you all. Please don’t worry if can’t make it as we have recorded our performance to P7 for you to enjoy. This will be sent via email.
• Please return as soon as possible all the reading books. We are missing a few books already.
• Change of clothes: Please ensure that your child has a spare change of clothes at school (including pants and socks); these don’t have to be school uniform. It is really helpful for them all to have them (especially when they get wet). Some children took them home after needing them in but haven’t returned them back to school. Please label all the items.

This is a summary of our learning this week:

Literacy

This week we have learned the final blends: nt, ft, sp, lk.

This video is good for revision:

We have practiced our reading skills: prediction, inference, summarising, etc. This will be the last week that reading books will be sent home. Next week we will be reading in school but not sending books home.

We have revised the words from block 4. It would be very helpful if your children practice reading and writing these words and previous blocks.

In writing we wrote a letter to invite you to our Carol singing. The children were very proud of their letters and worked hard on them as they knew they were for you.

In our cursive handwriting we have practice g and q. See the link below of the formation we are practicing at school.

Continuous Cursive letter choice 3 beginners (teachhandwriting.co.uk)

Ideas for learning at home

• Please ask your child to read the school reading book at home.
• Ask your child to write and read these words: loft, lift, soft, daft, raft, left, gift, sift, lent, hunt, mint, went, shunt, rent, bent, hint, dent, belt, milk, kilt, crisp, wasp, gasp, wisp, etc. You can write the words and ask your child to look for the final blends and circle them.  
• Please continue to read stories to your child at home.
• Please continue to encourage your child to read at home. It is important that children practice reading every day.

Maths 

We have done a final review about time. We have been learning about sharing equally, arrays (columns and rows).

Ideas for learning at home: 

Ask your child to explain to you:

• Please continue to talk about time. Ask what time it is and related to day-to-day events.
• Sharing equally:
• Playing games which include sharing out cards, items etc. Ask your child to share the cards/items equally between the number of players (can be 2 or more) and initially explain that ‘sharing equally’ means everyone will have the same amount/number of items at the end. Then when playing the same game again or a different one, ask your child how s/he will know the items have been shared equally.

Possible games: card games, Snap, Dominoes.

• Using everyday objects and sharing items between 2 or more people, e.g. sweets, biscuits, segments of an orange. Ask your child to share these items equally between the number of people who are going to have them, e.g. sharing 10 sweets between 2 people:

How many sweets do you have?

Can you share them equally between your sister and you? What does ‘share equally’ mean? How are you going to share them?

If your child does not know, then prompt by saying, “I wonder what will happen if you shared them out one at a time?”

Your child might have his/her own idea, so let them have a go (even if it is not right). If they share the items and they are not equal amounts, ask your child if s/he have shared the items equally. If your child says, “No,” then ask them why they are not shared equally and how s/he are going to solve the problem. Talking through a problem and coming to a solution is a great way to learn, so let your child make mistakes.

Your child might immediately say 5 and 5. Ask him/her how they know and s/he might say “5 and 5 altogether makes 10” or “Double 5 makes 10.”

Once the items have been shared equally, count/say how many items each person has or ask your child how s/he know the sweets have been shared equally. Promote the language, “We both have the same amount.”

Then use language, such as, “10 shared between 2 is 5, each person has 5.”

Share items up to 10 initially and then up to 20.

Share between more than 2 people, but make sure the amount can be shared equally between the number of people.

• Sharing board: place different numbers of items (up to 10/20) in the first box for the children to share equally between the 2 boxes below.

Items can be things found around the house, e.g. pasta shapes, buttons, raisins etc.

Encourage your child to use the appropriate language in their explanations.

• Videos about sharing equally:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006xcw/numberblocks-series-4-the-lair-of-shares

Other areas

EXA

We have been practicing our Christmas Carols.

ART

We have created Christmas decorations.

FRENCH

We have learned to tell our age.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs McFarlane

Dear Parents,

We hope you had a great week.

Important information

• Change of clothes: Please ensure that your child has a spare change of clothes at school (including pants and socks); these don’t have to be school uniform. It is really helpful for them all to have them (especially when they get wet). Some children took them home after needing them but haven’t returned them back to school. Please label all the items.

This is a summary of our learning this week:

Literacy

This week we have learned the initial blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr.

Look at this video (From minute 8.27)

We have practised our reading skills: prediction, inference, summarising, etc.

We have introduced new tricky words from block 4 (last of block 4): house, also, friend. It would be very helpful if your children practise reading and writing these words and previous blocks.

In writing we wrote the story of Jack and Jill. We wrote what happened at the beginning of the story, at the middle and at the end.

In cursive handwriting we worked on t, x, z and c. See the link below of the formation we are doing at school.

Continuous Cursive letter choice 3 beginners (teachhandwriting.co.uk)

Ideas for learning at home

• Please ask your child to read the school reading book at home.
• Read, write and make the words: brick, brown, brain, broom, drain, dream, droop, dry, drew, craw, crown, cream, crowd, train, treat, try, tram, tree, free, fright, fry, green, grain, grow, grew, greet, pray, pram, pry, etc. You can write the words and ask your child to look for the initial blends and circle them.  
• You can play this free online game:

https://ictgames.com/phonicsPop/index.html

– Please continue to read stories to your child at home.

– Please continue to encourage your child to read at home. It is important that children practise reading every day.

Maths 

We have been learning about time. We have learned how to tell the o’clock, half past and quarter past on an analogue clock.

At school the children have enjoyed playing this game:

https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/116/telling-the-time

Ideas for learning at home: 

Ask your child to explain to you:

• What time is it using analogue and digital clocks.
• when is time to go to bed, have tea, go to school, etc. This will help your child to have an understanding of time on their own lives.

You will find other ideas on this website:

7 Great Ways To Teach Telling Time To Your Kids

• Continue to practice counting forwards and backwards from and to different numbers (within 20, 30, 100)

Other areas

Art

We have made a Christmas banner for the school hall.

PE

We have worked on pre-tennis skills.

RME

We are learning about Bible stories. This week we have learned about Noah’s ark. We made our own arks and test if they sink or float.

We hope you have a lovely weekend!

Mrs McFarlane