Primary 4/3 Curriculum Newsletter 2018-2019

Welcome back to the children in Primary 4/3. Everyone is working very hard and have settled in well during the first term. We have had lots of fun getting to know each other and working with our classmates again!

Religious Education 

This is an important year for both Primary 3 and Primary 4 this year as they will both be preparing for their Sacraments. Primary 3 have recently started preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To prepare the children, we will be completing lessons alongside the other Primary 3 classes and would ask for your support with this by completing any follow up homework issued. Our first Theme was Creation and how we all have a duty of care for the environment; thank you for your support with the homework tasks and attendance at mass.

This is an equally important year for Primary 4 as they have begun preparing for their First Holy Communion. In order to prepare for this Sacrament, the children will be taking part in lessons in class and would ask for your continued support with this by completing any follow up homework issued. During the first term the children have been learning about The Rosary and will continue this in term 2.

Literacy

In Phonics Primary 3 have been completing a revision block of sounds previously learned. The children will learn new sounds weekly and we would appreciate if you could reinforce these sounds at home. Primary 4 have been learning new sounds weekly and again we would appreciate if you could reinforce these sounds at home.

Primary 4/3 have been working on creating different styles of text and recently wrote their own recipe for ‘How to make an empire biscuit’. The children thoroughly enjoyed the practical lesson for this piece of writing when they were given the opportunity to make their own empire biscuit.

We will all continue to work on reciprocal reading strategies; predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising. We use these strategies daily in class and your child should try to use them at home to support their reading. I would ask to encourage all children to read for enjoyment at home as it has many benefits including their self-confidence as a reader.

Numeracy

In Primary 3 children will continue to work on developing their understanding of numbers to 30. You can support your child with this at home by modelling and encouraging mathematical language such as before, after, higher, lower, more than and less than. In term 2 Primary 3 will continue to work on addition with an introduction to place value.

Primary 4 will continue to work on addition in term 2 using mental strategies and written methods. Primary 4 will also start working on place value during this term learning about thousands, hundreds, tens and units and the value of these. Practise of multiplication tables will also be ongoing throughout the new term.

All children will continue to work hard on their quick recall of mental maths questions.

Interdisciplinary Learning 

In term 1 Primary 4/3 were learning all about The BFG as part of our Novel Study. They completed fabulous art work as well as using their technology skills to research Roald Dahl and find out interesting facts about his life.

Next term the Primary 4 children will be leading the Mary’s Meals campaign alongside the other Primary 4 class. Primary 3 will also be learning about children living in Poverty and the different effects it has on their lives.

Reminders

Just a little reminder that we have PE on a Tuesday and Friday. Please ensure that your child comes to school wearing a polo shirt and brings shorts ) if your child is in primary 3), or a full P.E kit if your child is in Primary 4, to allow them to participate in our lessons, jewellery should also be removed.

Please remember to provide your child with a water bottle to ensure that they have access to a drink throughout the day.

Please note homework will be issued on a Monday and should be returned on a Thursday each week.