The document provides information for parents about their child's class in primary 4. It summarizes the daily routine, specialists, homework expectations, behavior system, and ways parents can support learning at home, such as reading together and practicing math facts. Communication between school and home is emphasized through home school books and family time events.

1. Learning in P4!
Welcome!

2. Other Adults in P4
 Specialists
 PE – Miss Power
 Music- Mrs Brockie
 Support for Learning Teacher – Mrs Noble
 Support for Learning Assistants –
 Mrs Lagan and Mrs Cowling

3. Our Daily Routine in P4…
• Being independent…. We are older now and we take
responsibility for our own things! Home School books
and lunch money in first thing. Keeping lunch money
safe.
•
Putting things away…A place for everything and everything
in it’s place! 15 minutes at the end of a day to tidy up!
Must get better!

4. Play-pieces/ Snacks
 Healthy eating…
 You know your child… only give them what you know
they would normally eat for playtime and remember
that we only have a 15 minute interval……
 House points rewarded for healthy snacks.

5. Lunches…
• You should have a copy of the new lunch menu.
Let us know if you don’t. Also available online.
• Our lunches are £2.05 per day.
• Please send money in an envelope which is clearly marked with your child's
name, class and amount.
• If you can, talk to your child about their lunch the next day so that they
know what they want, this means if there is nothing they like you can be
prepared with a packed lunch.
• Lunch now in 2 shifts with houses taking turns alternating weeks.
• Home lunches

6. Language…
• Spelling/Phonics
• Active Literacy
• Handwriting – forming letters is SO important!!
• Writing (imaginative, personal and functional).
• Listening and talking…. ALL THE TIME!!
• Reading - Working in groups using active literacy strategies for
comprehension. Comprehension is as important as fluency and
expression! We also promote higher order thinking skills within this.
• Books will come home weekly.

7. Maths
In maths we have different focus areas...
Multiplication and division, time, shape, money, data
handling, measure, and of course number, addition
and subtraction.
Again we are very active. The children will have times
where they are writing but they will also be using
the computer, playing games, using whiteboards,
cubes, outdoor learning (chalk number lines,
oral/mental sums), buzz, bingo etc. The list is
endless!
There may be times where ‘challenges’ or other
‘activities’ are sent home when it is appropriate
depending on your child’s needs and group focus.

8.  Every child has their own login which they can use to
access the website at home and in school.
 Excellent resources to support learning across the
curriculum.
 Will be used later in the year to set homework- teacher
training has been arranged.
 https://ec1.educationcity.com/content_select/index/6
/2/1/8
Education City

9. Topics…
• As we always like to involve the children in their learning, we
have already been trying to find out their needs and interests to
help us decide on the content, context and direction of our
learning.
• Topics this year include: A novel study– Charlie and the
chocolate factory, extreme weather, a history topic, a media
topic and health and wellbeing.

10. Snap Shot Week
 Children will complete all work in the snap shot jotter
over the course of the week.
 It will then be sent home for parents to see how their
children are progressing.
 Parents to sign the jotter and send it back to school so
that it can be used in the next snap shot week.
 Allows you to see how children are progressing and
some of the work that they are covering in class.

11. P.E…
Gym days are on Wednesdays and Fridays
•Please, please, please make sure that your child comes to
school on gym days with appropriate gym kit including indoor
shoes. Please also ensure your child is appropriately dressed
events such as whole school walks in the Glen which they will
communicate through their Home School books. We will go
rain, sun or snow!
Please remember:
•No jewellery.
•Inhalers.
•Kit

12. Water bottles…
• We encourage your child to drink water throughout the day as it
does help them to keep hydrated and concentrate better. We
are also a very fit and active school which often makes us
thirsty!
• Please no juice in water bottles -if it spills not only does it ruin
jotters in bags etc but it also makes EVERYTHING sticky.

13. Our plea….
 Please could you remember to put your child’s name
on EVERY ITEM OF CLOTHING that comes into
school. Gym shoes, school jumpers, cardigans,
trousers, skirts, pinafores, shirts, t-shirts, shorts,
jackets, ties etc. You get the picture.
 Also put names on lunch boxes and water bottles.
 These are expensive items and we usually end up
with huge lost property area by the end of term
one with very little of it being claimed!

14. Home school books
• A good way of communicating.
• Checked daily (when they are brought to school!)
• Quick notes help let us know why your child may
display certain behaviours on a day to day basis.
• Our comments / quick notes
• Please keep us updated if you change address,
phone numbers etc.

15. Homework…
• Homework should not be a stressful time!! Please let me know if
it is and we can work together!!
• It should last around 15-30 minutes.
• Make it a priority, not after wii and football! Children must
recognise the importance you place on homework too.
• Maths –ICT games, mental practice or big maths worksheets.
• Language (phonics / reading).
• Given out on Tuesdays to be handed in to be marked on Monday
morning.

16. What can you do to help -
Language?
• Read a variety of texts and discuss them. Discussion is key.
• Stop at unfamiliar words and learn together, Google, dictionary
etc.
• Help them to notice that print is EVERYWHERE! Read
everything!
• Support sounding out of unfamiliar words but not common sight
words – some words you just have to learn! Challenge them!
• Spelling quiz in the car.
• Forming letters correctly, insist on neat homework!

17. What can you do to help –
Maths?
 Practising times tables ALL THE TIME!
 Involve them in relevant real life experiences
such as shopping, budgeting, measuring.
 Encourage use of online maths games such as
Education city.
 Test their problem solving skills.

18. Growth Mindset
We encourage children to have a growth mindset
I can’t do it… YET!

19. Life Skills
• Tidying up after themselves and becoming more
responsible.
• Making healthy choices about snacks and meals.
• Organising their own school bags, remembering
resources.
• Being responsible for handing in notes.
• Taking care of their own money for lunch.

20. Behaviour
 Traffic lights – verbal warning then traffic light change. Not
the end of the world! Reflect, learn and move on. Also a chance
to earn back green light throughout the day with improved
behaviour.
 Everyday is a fresh start.
 Star of the week!
 Praise
 Restorative approaches used in school.

21. Customer Care…
• The Main Reception has been re-named as a
‘Waiting Area’ (not always someone there to
answer the door or meet with you).
• Always happy to meet with you to discuss any
concerns – note in Home School book.
• Late deliveries box – lunches/clothes/snacks
etc should be placed in the box and will be
delivered to the appropriate person as soon
as possible.

22. Twitter
 Each class has their own Twitter account
 Please follow us at @MissMurphyWQ/@missmcindoe
 Please ensure that you do not name your child on Twitter – use initials or
He/She.

23.  Please come along and join in with class
activities
 Last Friday of each month from 2.15-2.45pm
 Please enter and exit the building via the main
entrance and sign in and out (Health and
Safety)
 Fire Procedure- children to exit first.
Family Time

24.  phonics – another name for the learning of “sounds”
 phoneme – a single unit of sound, e.g. ‘c’ in cat.
 letter/phoneme sound – the sound the letter makes, e.g. ‘a’ as in ant
 letter name – its alphabet name, e.g. a as in ape
 blending – stretching out each individual sound so that it almost runs into
the next, e.g. c-a-t = cat.
 number bond - two numbers that go together to make another number,
e.g. 6+4=10 (this is called a ‘number bond of 10’)
Glossary

25.  VCOP-
 Vocabulary: (wow words) interesting/exciting vocabulary for writing.
 Connectives: Words which join two potential sentences e.g. and, but,
because.
 Openers: Different openings for sentences e.g. Once upon a time,
Suddenly, Meanwhile.
 Punctuation: Full stops, capital letters, commas, question and
exclamation marks
 Open/Closed Questions:
 Open: A leading question, not a yes or no answer.
 Closed: A limiting question- a yes/no or one word answer.
 Growth Mindset- “I can’t do it –yet!”
 Knowing me, Knowing you- Health and Well being programme-linked to
Growth Mindset.

26. Thank you for coming……
 We look forward to a very successful year for you and
your child.