Today your child will bring home a keepsake book which has been supplied by the government.

Outdoor loose parts

The children had a great time developing their stem skills using the outdoor loose parts resources. They demonstrated excellent team work as we selected items from the shed and then tidied them away at the end. We still would welcome donations of any further resources to support our loose parts provision – if you have a source of larger items such as guttering, logs etc we would love to hear from you. Also, any old baking trays or pots and pans are most welcomed and will be well used.

Independent learning

The children have been developing a wide range of skills through independent learning opportunities in class. Here is a selection of photographs of what they have been doing.

Literacy

This week we have explored the letter sounds s and i.

The children will bring home the next ‘sounds sheet’ today. please cut out and keep the letter cards and use them as flashcards to practice letter recognition. Each week we will send home the new sounds learned to add to your collection. In order to blend the sounds seamlessly together to build words the children should learn and use the ‘pure sound’ of the letter ( eg sssss rather than Suh or the letter name Ess )The sheet will also have a list of suggested words to build using the sounds.

Please practice forming the letters following the correct route, using these links as a guide.

Our writing/storytelling prompt this week was ‘I am reaching up…’

Numeracy

This week we have continued our numeracy fluency work with our Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning ( SEAL) inputs, reinforcing the following strategies and concepts –

• counting backwards from 10 (or 20 for some pupils).
• naming the next number in an isolated short backwards number sequence. ie. I say, 10, 9, 8 (they say 7)
• establishing a collection ( give me 9 counters/raisins/etc)
• counting a collecting with accurate 1-1 correspondence
• recognising numerals
• sequencing numerals
• making instant finger patterns (show me 6 fingers)
• recognising dice patterns

Looking ahead to next week.

Booking for parent consultation meetings will be open. Please see information from school office.

Other areas of the curriculum

• In music we sang songs and played games designed to develop skills of keeping a steady beat. We also explored using our voices in different ways.
• In Outdoor and Indoor PE we have been continuing to focus on movement skills, competencies and concepts. (I am learning how to move my body well, exploring how to manage and control it and finding out how to use and share space (HWB 0-21a)

This week’s homework and other information

• Practise writing s and i using the letter routes in the videos above.
• Count backwards from 10 (or 20 or 30)
• Use the blue letter cards to blend words
• Encourage your child to write their name using correct letter formation. You may wish to refer to this sheet for letter formation routes.

Can you help?

We have been given a new doll for our role play corner – but it is very cold!! If anyone has any leftover double knitting wool which we could use to make some clothes for it that would be much appreciated. (It would be even more amazing if anyone has the time and skill to make us some clothes to fit a 16″ baby doll)

A reminder to please name all items of clothing and shoes, and to check names on items brought home in case your child accidentally acquires a jumper belonging to someone else.

Today your child will bring home their learning story folder containing an overview plan for the term along with targets and star steps for each pupil. Please return the folder to school next week. Thank you.

Independent learning

The children have been developing a wide range of skills through independent learning opportunities in class. Here is a selection of photographs of what they have been doing.

Literacy

This week we have explored the letter sounds p and n.

The children will bring home a ‘sounds sheet’ today. please cut out and keep the letter cards and use them as flashcards to practice letter recognition. Each week we will send home the new sounds learned to add to your collection. In order to blend the sounds seamlessly together to build words the children should learn and use the ‘pure sound’ of the letter ( eg sssss rather than Suh or the letter name Ess )The sheet will also have a list of suggested words to build using the sounds.

Please practice forming the letters following the correct route, using these links as a guide.

Our writing/storytelling prompt this week was ‘I am pointing to…’

Numeracy

This week we have continued our numeracy fluency work with our Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning ( SEAL) inputs, reinforcing the following strategies and concepts –

• counting backwards from 10 ( or 20 for some pupils).
• naming the next number in an isolated short backwards number sequence. ie. I say, 10, 9, 8 (they say 7)
• establishing a collection ( give me 9 counters/raisins/etc)
• counting a collecting with accurate 1-1 correspondence
• recognising numerals
• sequencing numerals
• making instant finger patterns (show me 6 fingers)
• recognising dice patterns

Looking ahead to next week.

Next Thursday afternoon we will have outdoor loose parts play (aka Messy play). The children way get wet and dirty, so please dress accordingly – old play clothes, or a waterproof onesie, wellies etc. We want the children to enjoy the experience without worrying about their clothes.

Loose parts play develops skills across the whole curriculum. It is child-led, and helps children strengthen their independence and sense of self. It helps children observe, enquire, investigate, construct, deconstruct and engage with both others and the world around them.

Other areas of the curriculum

• In music we sang songs and played games designed to develop skills of keeping a steady beat. We also explored using our voices in different ways.
• In Outdoor and Indoor PE we have been continuing to focus on movement skills, competencies and concepts. (I am learning how to move my body well, exploring how to manage and control it and finding out how to use and share space (HWB 0-21a)

Things to do at home and other information

• Promote independence in dressing – changing/tying shoes, opening snack packets, zipping up coats, sorting inside out sleeves etc
• Look around the environment for examples of written numerals – car number plates on the walk to school provide lots of opportunity for number hunts!
• Encourage your child to write their name using correct letter formation. You may wish to refer to this sheet for letter formation routes.

A reminder to name all items of clothing and shoes, and to check names on items brought home in case your child accidentally acquires a jumper belonging to someone else.

Thank you for your continued support in sending clean recycling to resource our STEM modelling area.

We are still seeking donations of pots/pans etc to supplement our outdoor loose parts provision. please see last week’s homelink for further information.

Independent learning

The children have been developing their skills through independent learning opportunities in class. Here are just a few photographs of what they have been doing.

Literacy

This week we have explored the letter sound a and t.

The children will bring home a ‘sounds sheet’ today. please cut out and keep the letter cards and use them as flashcards to practice letter recognition. Each week we will send home the new sounds learned to add to your collection. In order to blend the sounds seamlessly together to build words the children should learn and use the ‘pure sound’ of the letter ( eg sssss rather than Suh or the letter name Ess )The sheet will also have a list of suggested words to build using the sounds.

Please practice forming the letters following the correct route, using these links as a guide.

This week we have begun to introduce the children to the characters in The Oxford Reading Tree scheme which we use in school. You may wish to watch and discuss this short video at home with your child.

Our writing/storytelling prompt this week was ‘My Family’

Numeracy

This week we have started our Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning ( SEAL) inputs, reinforcing the following strategies and concepts –

• counting backwards from 10 ( or 20 for some pupils).
• naming the next number in an isolated short backwards number sequence. ie. I say, 10, 9, 8 (they say 7)
• establishing a collection ( give me 9 counters/raisins/etc)
• counting a collecting with accurate 1-1 correspondence
• recognising numerals
• sequencing numerals
• making instant finger patterns (show me 6 fingers)
• recognising dice patterns

Other areas of the curriculum

In Outdoor PE we have been continuing to focus on our skills in different ways of travelling e.g. jumping with both feet together, skipping, hopping and side stepping. In indoor PE we played games beginning with ‘t’ like tunnel tig and toe tig and we had fun with tennis rackets too.

Things to do at home and other information

• Promote independence in dressing – changing/tying shoes, opening snack packets, zipping up coats, sorting inside out sleeves etc
• Look around the environment for examples of written numerals – car number plates on the walk to school provide lots of opportunity for number hunts!
• Encourage your child to write their name using correct letter formation. You may wish to refer to this sheet for letter formation routes.

Purple folder. Thank you for your support in emptying the purple folders each day. Some children like to attach a keyring or similar to their folder to help them easily identify their own one. This is a great idea, but please only one small – medium sized keyring, as lots of bulky ones make the folder tricky to store in the class basket. Thanks.

A reminder to name all items of clothing and shoes, and to check names on items brought home in case your child accidentally acquires a jumper belonging to someone else.

We would greatly appreciate donations of any unwanted empty or partially used notebooks or diaries ( used pages can be removed). Also any enticing writing implements ( ie glittery pencils/gel pens/ pencils with feathers etc – basically anything other than standard school issue type pencils/pens) These will be used in our ‘message trolley’. The children enjoy choosing resources from the trolley to use in their independent learning, promoting markmaking and early writing skills.

Please also see a request in the home link for some donations of resources for our outdoor loose parts learning (messy play) sessions

How can it be September already? We are fortunate that the weather has been so good lately, but please bear in mind that in Scotland a sunny morning doesn’t necessarily mean a dry lunch break. Please send the children to school with a jacket every day to allow us to spend time outdoors each day regardless of the weather.

STEM

(Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)

STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)

We really appreciate your ongoing donations of clean recycling – yes, we really do need more boxes!

Our STEM area is a core part of our play curriculum in school. The end product may not look like much, but it is the process that matters. ‘Junk’ modelling helps to develop their imagination and creative abilities while challenging them to explore, investigate and problem solve as they bring their ideas to life.

Children can work on their own or co-operate with others, learning to negociate and share ideas. When they create something new it can give their confidence and self-esteem a big boost. They can also consider how their plans have worked out as they think about what they might have done differently or how they might improve their model.

With these materials they practice complex skills from fine and gross locomotor skills to higher order executive functioning; higher order thinking skills such as sequencing, hypothesis testing, divergent problem solvng, analysis and evaluation.

If they don’t take their model home at the end of the day it doesn’t matter – the learning has already happened. If it does come home, please value the process your child has gone through more than the product itself. Thank you.

Independent learning

The children have been developing their skills through independent learning opportunities in class. Here are just a few photographs of what they have been doing.

Literacy

Our literacy focus this week has been on hearing and creating rhyme. We have listened to lots of books by Lynley Dodd, the author of the Hairy McLary series of stories.

We have also continued to share the rest of the memory boxes together.

Numeracy

This week our focus has been on counting to 10, starting and stopping at different places. e.g. start at 3 and stop at 8

We have also been learning to recognise the numerals 6-10

Other areas of the curriculum

In both indoor and Outdoor PE we have been continuing to focus on our skills in different ways of travelling e.g. jumping with both feet together, skipping, hopping and side stepping.

Things to do at home and other information

• Promote independence in dressing – changing/tying shoes, opening snack packets, zipping up coats, sorting inside out sleeves etc
• Count forward within 10, starting and stopping at different points
• Look around the environment for examples of written numerals 0-10
• Encourage your child to write their name using correct letter formation. You may wish to refer to this sheet for letter formation routes.

Purple folder. Thank you for your support in emptying the purple folders each day. Some children like to attach a keyring or similar to their folder to help them easily identify their own one. This is a great idea, but please only one small – medium sized keyring, as lots of bulky ones make the folder tricky to store in the class basket. Thanks.

A reminder to name all items of clothing and shoes, and to check names on items brought home in case your child accidentally acquires a jumper belonging to someone else.

We would greatly appreciate donations of any unwanted empty or partially used notebooks or diaries ( used pages can be removed). Also any enticing writing implements ( ie glittery pencils/gel pens/ pencils with feathers etc – basically anything other than standard school issue type pencils/pens) These will be used in our ‘message trolley’. The children enjoy choosing resources from the trolley to use in their independent learning, promoting markmaking and early writing skills.

Please also see a request in the home link for some donations of resources for our outdoor loose parts learning (messy play) sessions

Welcome to our first Friday blog. Please do make a point of reading the blog, ideally with your child as this will give them the opportunity to talk with you about their learning and reflect on the week. In order to streamline the sharing of information, the blog will be the main avenue for communication from the class. The main post will be on a Friday, but we may also occasionally post on other days, so please check in regularly or subscribe to an alert for new posts. The school office will continue to email if they have anything to share.

We have had a busy first full week at school. The children have settled well into our routines and have been so independent in the dinner hall

Ready. Respectful. Safe.

Our school charter is Ready, Respectful, Safe and P1 have been discussing what this means and how we can be each of this things. The children have added their names to our tree as a sign that they will always try to be ready to learn, respectful to adults, peers and property and will keep themselves and others safe

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Independent learning

The children have been developing their skills through independent learning opportunities in class. Here are just a few photographs of what they have been doing.

Literacy

Our literacy focus this week has been on Listening and Talking as we share the memory boxes together. Once the children have shared their box with the class they will bring them home for you to keep. We will continue to take turns to share our boxes a few each day next week. If you have not yet returned the box, please do so on Monday . Thank you.

Numeracy

This week our focus has been on counting to 10, starting and stopping at different places. e.g. start at 3 and stop at 8

We have also been learning to recognise the numerals 0-5

Other areas of the curriculum

In both indoor and Outdoor PE we have been demonstrating our skills in different ways of travelling e.g. jumping with both feet together, skipping, hopping and side stepping.

Our STEM (Science, technology, engineering and maths) area has been very popular this week – we appreciate your donations of clean recycling, but would ask that you do not send in toilet roll tubes ( kitchen roll tubes are fine) or egg cartons (in case of allergies)

Things to do at home and other information

• Promote independence in dressing – changing/tying shoes, opening snack packets, zipping up coats, sorting inside out sleeves etc
• Count forward within 10, starting and stopping at different points
• Look around the environment for examples of written numerals 0-10

Purple folder. Thank you for your support in emptying the purple folders each day. Some children like to attach a keyring or similar to their folder to help them easily identify their own one. This is a great idea, but please only one small – medium sized keyring, as lots of bulky ones make the folder tricky to store in the class basket. Thanks.

A reminder to name all items of clothing and shoes, and to check names on items brought home in case your child accidentally acquires a jumper belonging to someone else.

We would greatly appreciate donations of any unwanted empty or partially used notebooks or diaries ( used pages can be removed). These will be used in our ‘message trolley’. The children enjoy choosing resources from the trolley to use in their independent learning, promoting markmaking and early writing skills.