Class Meeting
Rang 4 2014 – 2015
Welcome
Purpose of the meeting
To give an overview of class routines and plans including the different areas of the curriculum
To explain the role of support staff
To provide an opportunity for you the parents to ask any general questions. Any particular issue regarding your own child can be discussed with me after the meeting or we can make an appointment if we need a longer meeting.
General Comment
We’re back just over 2 weeks now and the children seem to have settled in very well. Welcome to the parents of our new pupils. We want the children to get as much as possible out of school, that they develop academically but also socially and emotionally etc. I hope to create an environment in the class where the children are content and know they are cared about, know they are expected to work hard, have lots of nice experiences and have a sense of fulfillment and pride in their achievements.
Punctuality
The school begins at 8.30. This is a very important time for the children to socialise and get ready for the day. They take down their chairs, put bags under the table tidily and hand up their written homework and sign the homework sheet during this time also. Teaching starts promptly at 8.50 a.m. and it is unsettling for the class and the individual to arrive after this time.
Please send in a note if your child is absent from school – it forms an important part of your child’s attendance record. Alternatively you can email or give the office a ring if that suits.
Parent/ Teacher Meetings
Individual parent/teacher meetings will be held in November. If you would like to discuss any matter with me before then, ring the office or write a note to make an appointment for a meeting. We should organize these meetings after 2:10pm (except on Wednesdays) so that we have adequate time to discuss issues. The time between 8:30 and 8:50 is really for a very quick chat.
Homework
Homework is given every night, Monday – Thursday, should take no more than 30 to 45 minutes to complete…this includes learning homework! It is put on the board after big break and left there until the next day. I remind children what resources they will need and encourage them to put them into their bags straight away. I spot check journals to see if homework is taken down carefully. I’m going to ask you to sign homework journals up to midterm to check that all work is completed and to look over written work.
Children have 2 homework copies for written work. When one is handed up for correction, the other one should be used. They use a separate Maths copy for homework and one for school. I’m trying to discourage them from tearing out pages or handing up work on pages.
Copies hold a record of their written work. We’re trying to get the children to have a sense of pride in their work and to do it to the best of their ability. They need a note in the journal if the work isn’t done.
Homework will generally consist of:
English and Irish spellings to learn (See Homework Journal, Friday section for Gaeilge)
A Maths exercise almost always based on current classwork. Revision work given on other occasions. HW will be corrected at the beginning of Maths class each day
A written exercise…. Irish and/or English
Learning homework Tables and/or Gaeilge/SESE =( History / Geography / Science) or from some other area of the curriculum… learn song words or recorder practice
Reading: Rang 4 should be independent readers now. They might be asked to re read some pages from the novel or read for pleasure at least 10-15 mins per night. Children should be encouraged to read a wide range of material at home. Children who are reluctant readers should be listened to a couple of times a week. I am asking the children to record the books they’re reading and to choose a book and complete a review every time they have 12 recorded. I will file these reports in class and the folder will be available for all to read.
We will be doing project work in class in groups in class and children will be encouraged to commit to the group they’re working with. Sometimes they will be asked to do some work at home or on computer if that’s suitable.
If homework is taking much longer than the time suggested or causing undue anxiety, write a note or have a word in the morning if you are in. I will ask children to do the homework in class at 8:30 or at break if they have no note or the excuse is really their own fault eg forgetting resources or asked to repeat it, if putting in a very poor effort.
I will ask you to sign tests from time to time so that you can see how your child is performing. We try to make sure that school bags are not too heavy by allowing the children to leave books etc in class. Let me know if this is a problem for your child.
Handwriting and Presentation
The children should all be doing joined writing both with homework and schoolwork. They have been taught correct letter formation (see below) and I encourage them to be as neat and careful as possible with their written work… to rule copies as shown in class and write a title and the date and page number in Maths….to have pride in their work. We will use a pencil for writing and for Maths work.
Sample of Scheme
Code of Behaviour and Anti Bullying Policies
These policies are on the website or copies can be got from the secretary’s office.
The policies are based on mutual respect between children and staff and every member of the school community.
For the last two weeks we’ve worked on class rules based on this keystone of respect We have discussed their purpose and highlighted their value in allowing the class to be a more pleasant working environment for all.
Rules, such as, putting up your hand and waiting if you wish to speak, one person speaking at a time, listening to others, lining up in an orderly way so that we can leave and enter the classroom safely, respecting each other’s physical space etc.
The children have this list of class rules in their Core Curriculum copy.
We encourage the children to be kind to each other in class, in the playground and outside school. We do our very best to make sure all the children in the class are as happy as possible and feel safe and secure in school. We encourage children to include others even if they are not their ‘best’ friends and also there is an onus on the children being invited to play to accept and join in. Let me know if you have any concerns in this area as the sooner I know, the sooner we can work on any problems together.
Obviously there will be variations in behaviour –Most children are very well behaved most of the time, some need occasional or regular reminders and some need a more individualised approach. All is provided for within the policies of the school.
We endeavour to help children realise that there are consequences to their actions – both positive and negative. We aim to encourage and reward positive behaviour for example complimentary comments verbal/written in copies, photographs of them/ or groups engaging in appropriate behaviour on the wall or sent to the principal.
I have started a reward system where when the whole class or groups or individuals do something well (eg lining up well, do quiet work or work well in groups or show kindness) points are earned and logged on a chart and when the quota is reached, the whole class get GOLDEN TIME. This involves maybe extra playtime, less homework, games + fun activities in class. The children have responded well to this approach and have offered suggestions.
Equally children must learn to deal with the consequences of negative behaviour – verbal reminders, loss of play time, time out to reflect….perhaps asked to write an account of the incident with reference to the class/school rule broken.
It is important that children are clear about these rewards and sanctions and can see fairness in how they are applied.
Sometimes I may put a note in journal to ask you to “chat” with your child about their behaviour. This would be as a result of persistent minor misdemeanours. If they still persist I would need to arrange a meeting with you to see where we go from there.
Children understand that there are some for whom behaving appropriately can be a challenge for a variety of reasons.
In difficult situations there must of course be a balance sought between the rights of the individual child and the rights of the other members of the class. What we expect of all children is that they try their best in all aspects of school life.
Special Education Needs and R.M.D.S
We are committed to supplying a holistic education to all the children in R.M.D.S including those with special needs. Aoileann Farley, is the Special Educational Needs teacher. She has responsibility for overseeing IEPs and will work with individuals in her own room/or other areas in the school or in the mainstream classroom. Ann Maguire is our SNA supporting children with SEN in the mainstream class and on yard.
In the school as a whole, there are different areas of special needs, including emotional and behavioural, speech and language, hearing difficulties etc and they may not always be immediately obvious. The successful implementation of the SEN policy is in building a greater understanding among the school community as a whole.
Generally, the children in the school are incredibly supportive and accepting of others’ individual needs and I’m sure this will continue throughout the year
Playtime / Healthy Lunch Policy
As you know we have a healthy lunch policy in school and it is important that everyone sticks to it. Children are expected to put left over lunch in their boxes and bring it home. They are not allowed to bring food to the yard or go out with food in their mouths. This is for safety reasons.
Rang 4 have two playtime venues! On Tuesday and Thursday they play in Linear Park the other days they are in the yard.
Subject Areas.
We want to emphasise the importance of the different intelligences and focus on the importance of the arts as well as the other subjects in the curriculum.
For Maths, the class will be divided into 3 mixed ability groups and Padraic Mulholland will be taking a third of the class during our Maths lessons changing every 6 weeks approx. We will be collaborating closely and working on the same topics with the children. This works very well as it gives the children experience of being in a smaller class group and obviously a better pupil/teacher ratio. We will differentiate the work by providing extra material for Early Finishers and those who have difficulties keeping up with the Maths curriculum and/or problem solving. Discussing different approaches to problem solving is as important as the answer. Tables are really important. Use different strategies to remember them. Using doubles 6x6 or near doubles or twice known facts 4x3 =3x4. We will be moving on to Long Multiplication later on.
We will be encouraging use of Mangahigh at home to consolidate concepts and support differentiation.
In English , (Strands Oral Language, Reading and Writing) We aim to develop a reading culture in the class. I will be encouraging reading for pleasure at home and in school and ask all children to have a book on their desks for the 10 minute silent reading every day.
We will cover three novels in class. We read the text in the class and but sometimes for homework…we discuss the content …the themes in the books…do summaries…discuss the author’s strategies in building the story …how the author gives hints using language and descriptions etc
We will work on vocabulary extension, debates, grammar, creative writing, comprehension spelling. They will be asked to write in different forms eg news reports, book reviews poetry. Of course the Write a Book project will take place later in the year.
The Gaeilge curriculum focuses on a communicative approach and the textbook we are using, “Bun go Barr”, is very child friendly and engaging. There are exercises to encourage listening and speaking, grammar and written work. For spelling I select and type words and phrases to study that we’re working on during the week. They put them into their journals on Mondays in the Friday section. They will get some written work for homework based on the theme being worked on not necessarily always writing sentences every night for the target spellings. We’re encouraging the children to use whatever Gaeilge they have. We will be starting a reading scheme later in the year, all help much appreciated.
In Core Curriculum the main focus is on Judaism and Buddhism and we welcome visitors in to talk to the children. The other areas are Development Education with an emphasis on a third world country. We also have a Festive charity at Christmas time. Moral Education is part of the C curriculum and this overlaps with SPHE. Care of the Environment is another strand… links up with our green school policy and SESE. The Mindfulness programme will continue again this year and we aim to do it at least once a day after each break. This should help students to calm the mind down and help them focus.
Our PE classes take place in Mountpleasant L.T.C. on Friday mornings, but also in the GP room or yard during the week so it’s important for the children to wear appropriate non marking footwear and loose comfortable clothes. Strands include Athletics, Dance, Games, Outdoor and Adventure Activities. We will have Sport for all Day at the end of the year.
As part of the S.P.H.E. programme we will be using the RSE (Relationship and Sexuality Education) and Walk Tall programmes.
Work continues on promoting self esteem, looking at the benefits of working in groups/teams and the downsides too. Children can become very sensitive at this age and groups and birthdays can make some children feel outside or disassociated from their peer group.
Bullying is also dealt with in this subject, in line with the RMDS policy, where we minimise the opportunities for bullying, where telling is good
As technology is playing an increasing role in children’s lives, it is importance that there is parental vigilance-there is no software as efficient as sitting with your children and monitoring their use of the internet.
If children do have phones, they are to stay at the bottom of the school bags, switched off until they are outside the school gates.
We also cover Relationship and Sexuality Education. This year we will look at babies and how they develop.
SESE includes History Geography and Science. We will use “Small World” as a basic text for but will also draw on other resources eg block loans from library and relevant websites and trips out of school eg to Dublinia. Project work will be done in these areas.
I will be encouraging the children to do research and to work cooperatively in groups. In Science are Living Things…Energy and Force, Materials, and Environmental Awareness and Care. The work always involves working scientifically, investigating and exploring their physical and natural surroundings.
In Drama, we explore and make drama. This is a subject in its own right but it also helps the child’s competence and confidence in language both Gaeilge and in English. We will have our performance before Christmas.
In Ceol, we will be learning songs in Gaeilge and in English and using a variety of resources to promote listening and responding to music. Rang 4 will use the recorder and ocarina for the year.
The Visual Art programme covers the areas of drawing, paint and colour, print, clay construction and fabric and fibre. Individual creativity will be encouraged. The children’s work will be on display for all to appreciate and enjoy. Trips to the national Art Gallery and Hugh Lane will be organized during the year.
Assessment
Standarised tests take place in Maths and English in early May. The Sten scores will be on the end of year report.
In Maths, from time to time Padraic Mulholland and I will be using “Test Yourself” sheets so that the children can monitor their own learning and performance, see where they are successful and note where they are making mistakes. Also, this allows yourselves to support your child’s work if necessary. The children will be asked to write what they expect their score to be and then see how they got on. This is not meant to cause any undue pressure!
We use a traffic lights system in Maths and in other written work (Explain) and in SESE there are smiley faces at the end of each section in the activity books for the children to colour. We are continuously assessing and evaluating children’s work in class by questioning and getting them to present their work etc. and monitoring their written work also checking mastery of spelling and tables using tests.
In written work, I’m asking the class to check 1, 2, 3 after finishing written work.
They know that 1= capital letters, 2= Punctuation especially full stops. 3= Read back over sentences/story to be certain it makes sense.
Children might be asked to use a checklist in Creative Writing to judge their own performance.
School Tour (Trips)
We will be going on at least one school trip per term …day trip… Our first one is already organized to the Science Gallery. Our main tour will be held towards the end of the school year to Clara Lara.
To conclude, I’m really looking forward to working with the class and yourselves. Teamwork and partnership is the key to giving your children the best service possible. I hope it is a positive and rewarding year for all.
Many Thanks Assumpta Neylon
