Welcome to Cairn Gorm

1. Welcome to Cairn Gorm Primary 2 and Miss McGowan

2. Curriculum for Excellence • Principles – giving children opportunities to; - progress at a rate which meets their needs and abilities • draw different strands of learning together • experience challenging and motivating tasks • Children will develop skills through the ‘Experiences and Outcomes’ • Learning Logs – Experiences and Outcomes are broken down into ‘I can’ statements

3. Active Learning Approaches • Opportunities will be provided for children to engage their thinking within tasks • AiFL strategies used: • Lolly sticks • Self Assessment encouraging children to think about their next steps • Whiteboards • Traffic lights • Fist-to-five • Thumbs • Peer Assessment • Teachers and Classroom Assistants will be available to support independent tasks

4. Numeracy and Maths • Work will be set at an appropriate level for each child • Active learning approaches will be used to support written tasks and activities • Number processes • Learn Its

5. Literacy • Continue to improve Phonics • Children will also be developing Handwriting skills • Tools for Reading and Writing – Broken down in Learning Logs • Literacy lessons will eventually intertwine with our class topics – developing our talking and listening skills, writing skills and organising and using information

6. Topic • Our class topic will be- announced to the children on Friday - exciting! • P1 and P2 working together on some Topic activities – cross stage challenges • Topic will allow opportunities for children to make links between various curricular areas of a Curriculum for Excellence

7. P.E. • Tuesday, Thursday and Friday • Health and Safety Rule – if a child has their ears pierced, they should tape up their ears • Re-establishing P.E. Routines • Developing various skills and techniques through Games • Gymnastics

8. Master Classes • Master Classes will take place on Monday afternoons • Term 1 – Drama with Mrs Finlayson and Dance with Miss McGowan • P.E. kits for Dance

9. Science • Science will take place on Wednesday afternoons • Extending Eco mini topic of Minibeasts • Term 1 – Planet Earth – Focusing on: Living things and food chains

10. Community Groups • Wednesday afternoons • Primary 2s will work as a Class Community Group • Focus on various themes

11. Learning to Learn • End of each week • Class discussions • Numeracy, Literacy and other curricular areas • Children’s responses - Lolly sticks

12. Health and Wellbeing • Thursday afternoons • Miss Graham will take the class for this

13. Spanish • Children will be able to develop and extend their Spanish learned in Primary 1 • Mr Morton will take the class for Spanish

14. Expressive Arts • Drama, Music and Art & Design lessons within Topic • Taught within Master Classes • Dance within P.E. Blocks / Topic • Art & Design – teaching and developing skills

15. Homework • Structured tasks • Phonics • Reading (reading records provided) • Numeracy • Common Words • Topic related – children will be issued with various homework tasks throughout the topic • Correspondence folders • Homework diaries

16. Library • Once a week • Opportunity for children to take out books • Quiet reading time

17. Quality Contract • Class Charter discussed, agreed and signed by the children • Focus on the Rights of the Child • Aiming to create a positive working environment • Quality audience • Quality lines • Giving children responsibility for their own learning – Class Jobs

18. Golden Time / Golden Rules • Traffic Light System – every child starts each day with a Green card • Children can earn up to 30 mins of Golden Time each week • Children who do not follow the rules will be given a warning, followed by a yellowand then a red card • Red card is equal to -5min • Golden Rules – Children can earn Golden Tickets giving them the opportunity to gain a reward at the end of each term

19. Class Dojo • Behaviour / reward system • Recognising positive behaviours • Used daily • Reward at the end of each week

20. General School Information • Children arriving at the school from 9.05am will be recorded as late • Please notify staff if there are any changes to medical information • Parent Helpers – please let me know if you wish to add your name to the list! • Learning Conversations – September 9th • Class Newsletters provided each term

21. Worries and Concerns • Each child in the class will be issued with Correspondence folders • These will be sent home daily alongside Homework Diaries with any letters etc. • Homework/letters will be put inside these • Please feel free to add any notes etc. into these folders If you have any worries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me - no matter how small!

22. Thank you! 