Summary of Class Meeting for Rang a 4 2022-2023

Behaviour

Based on the school code of behaviour -   respect, tolerance and consideration

Class rules

• Be Kind
• Be respectful 
• Try your best

The class came up with the rules.    The rules are based on kindness, respect, tolerance and consideration.  We are following a restorative practice approach in school. We have a class meeting once a week.  

The primary focus is to create a positive class atmosphere - we are a team and we work together

Please contact me if there is any issue.  aoileann@rmds.ie

Parents may be unaware of actions being taken as teachers can only talk to parents about their own child.  

Bullying is NOT tolerated in any way in the school.  Our approach is to work with the victim and person/people doing the bullying to resolve issues.  We adults must lead by example.  

Punctuality

School begins at 8.30am. Children are marked late after 8.40am.   It is very important your child is in on time as it is a chance to settle in, talk to friends and teachers.  

Absence

Phone or e-mail the office or tell the class teacher or use Aladdin connects.  

Healthy eating policy

Please ensure your child has a healthy lunch. NO NUTS as several children in the school have nut allergies.  Children are not to have treats in the lunch box except on special days such as Halloween/ Christmas.  

Yard - 10.45-10.55 12.20 - 12.45

• All children should bring a coat to school as they will be going outside if at all possible.
• All staff wear high vis vests and children have been told to speak to anybody in a high vis vest if they need anything
• Main yard for small break and Mount Pleasant for big break - non marking runners must be worn. 

• Children are expected to include all children in their games. Structured yard activities are put in place at times to support and assist children in playing well.  
• No rough play allowed.  
• Incidents are recorded by the teacher on duty and communicated to the class teacher.  
• Accidents are recorded in the accident book.  

SEN – Special Educational Needs

All children are accepted and celebrated in our school.  See school policy.  Special needs are a very broad category. Some children may need help throughout their time in school or your child may need help for a period of time.  Being fair is not giving everybody the same thing but giving everybody what they need.  This is what we strive to do, balancing the needs of the group with the needs of the individual.  

Curriculum

Core Curriculum

• There are 5 main themes in our Core Curriculum – Myself and others , moral development, the environment, development education and faith and festivals

• We have a whole school assembly once a month based on the CC theme.

Themes

Here are some of the themes we will explore

Coping with feelings, hopes and ambitions, Family, Ireland's clan system, friendship, caring, need for rules, rights and responsibilities, gender stereotyping, muscular dystrophy and acquired brain damage, Judaism, poverty, war, refugees, endangered species, pilgrimage

English

Oral Language

All children are encouraged to express themselves in the classroom and in school.  All lessons begin with an oral component.  They are given lots of opportunities to speak in formal and informal settings.  We are working hard on listening and responding to each other.  

Reading

• Silent reading every day
• Class novels 
• Visit the local library every half term.
• develop interest and enjoyment of literature and reading in a variety of genres across the curriculum.
• develop comprehension skills and strategies.  
• Building Bridges of Understanding

Writing

• integrated across all subject areas
• experience writing in all genres
• lots of opportunities to choose what they would like to write about
• work on drafting and redrafting pieces of writing
• analyse and evaluate their own work
• Write a book project

Handwriting

• Joined writing 
• Practising daily
• Using pencil at the moment but will be moving on to pens during the year
• Encourage a pride in good handwriting and presentation.  

Gaeilge

•  Still an emphasis on oral language.  Beatha teanga í a labhairt.  
• Integrating other subject areas into Gaeilge - m.sh. ealaín, stair, eolaíocht, ceol
• Working on phonics to develop reading and writing skills
• Léitheoireacht chiúin uair sa seachtain. 
• If you have Irish please use it with your child if not maybe your child could teach you some. 

Maths

4th class is mainly a consolidation of skills taught in Rang a 3.  We will be developing the key areas of  

• development and correct use of mathematical language
• real-life problem solving
• oral and mental maths
• estimation
• written computation
• integration with other subjects

Oral and mental maths - 

• keep it short, snappy and fun - daily for 10 minutes 
•  can help practise and consolidate mental calculation skills, mathematical vocabulary help children to build up speed and accuracy with number facts, revise previous learning, skills and knowledge.

SESE 

Integrated across the curriculum using a thematic approach. Emphasis on working as a historian, scientist, geographer

History 

Themes: My school, Vikings, caring for the sick, food and farming, medieval times,19thc Victorian Life, 

Geography

Themes: The Sun, local natural features - rivers, mountains, sea, bogs, tundra, forest, Norway, people living and working in the local area, energy audit, mapping

Science

Themes:  Oxygen, dangers of smoking and air pollution, teeth, healthy diet,skeleton, endangered animals, animals that live in the local area,  identifying plants

Visual Art

• Process is more important than product
• Paint, Drawing, Clay, Construction, Fabric and fibre, printing, and study of famous artists
• Visual art is often integrated with other subject areas. 

Music

• Ceol programme 
• Recorder - begun playing 
• Peace Proms
• Singing for pleasure and fun
• Music is integrated throughout the day.  

PE

• PE lesson every Thursday  - please ensure your child is wearing runners and tracksuit
• Movement is encouraged throughout the day 10 minute movement break every morning.  
• Fundamental movement skills taught
• The 12 fundamental movement skills are:  balancing, running, jumping, catching, hopping, throwing, galloping, skipping, leaping and kicking.  
• Cricket in the last term
• Santry - Athletics 

SPHE – Social Personal and Health Education

• Themes linked to SESE and CC except for relationships and sexuality component 
• Mindfulness practiced daily - 10 minutes 

Parental Support

Parents are the primary educators of their children.

• Welcome help and support - do you have any skills you'd like to share? 
• Homework  - 30-45 minutes  please talk to me if there is a problem.  
• Reading

Trips and Tours 

• Library, galleries, Jewish museum, local parks, shows
• Parents will be informed if children are leaving the school. 

Assessment

• Teacher observation
• Student self-assessment
• Drumcondras 

Medicine

Teachers cannot administer medicine to a child unless in an emergency i.e. Epipen or if given permission by the board of Management.  

Here’s to a great year.  Thank you

Aoileann Farley