St. Mary’s Primary 3 and 4 Parents’ Information September 2015 Welcome !

School Procedures Dinner money - £2.30 per day, paid on Monday morning in a sealed envelope. Pupil registration 8:45 am - after this a child is marked late. If late, please report to the office. Each pupil must have a completed emergency contact form. If you change address or telephone number, please contact the office and let us know.

School Procedures Snack money-£2 per week, paid on Monday morning in a sealed, labelled envelope. Please put snack and dinner money in separate envelopes. Children should bring a bottle of water to school each day. Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly labelled. School fund-£20 per year per child or £30 per family.

Child Protection Please enter the school building at reception and report to the office. Children are not permitted to open other entrance doors for adults so please don’t ask them to do so. Adults must not use children's toilets. If your child is leaving school for an appointment obtain a permission slip from the office. If your child is absent from school please inform the teacher in writing regarding that absence.

School Safeguarding Team Mr O’Hagan Mr Martin Mrs Flanagan Mrs Henry Mrs Byrne (BOG) Canon Stevenson (BOG)

Children's Safety Please use the drop off area in St Patrick’s College Car Park or St. Therese’s Church Car Park. Please cross the Scarva Road with the Patrol Man and speak to your child/ children regarding road safety. The Internet Safety Policy and Facebook Guide are available on the school website.

Home - School Partnership We value open communication between school and home. It is very important that children see there is a positive relationship. If there are any problems or questions, please make an appointment to see the class teacher. Please inform the class teacher if there is a change in the collection of your child from school or if they are going to the afterschool club. PTA would welcome new members. (See link on website)

Home school communication Newsletters (available on website) School text message School website ( Homework Books/Homework Diary P.4 Reading Record Book Telephone the school to make an appointment Send a note to your child’s teacher Topic information sheet

School Rules No sweets, chewing gum, fizzy drinks etc. Mobile phones are not allowed in school. Earrings and jewellery are discouraged. The school uniform must be worn at all times. Any form of bullying will not be tolerated-parents will be informed. (cyber bullying; internet/ mobile phones) Children are discouraged from taking money or items of value to school.

School Expectations Arrive to school on time Be prepared for school Read every night All homework must be completed on time and signed by a parent All school books, resources, etc, should be well kept Ask for help if needed

Self Esteem and Positive Behaviour We use stickers and reward charts to promote good work and behaviour. Individual classroom rules are established with the children and children are reminded of the school rules during assembly. Credit is given for both work and behaviour in and around the school.

Homework Homework policy KS1 (Find inside homework book) Pupils should be able to complete their homework independently and should therefore be encouraged to read the instructions before beginning the activity. Presentation is very important and care should be taken with handwriting. Please encourage your child/children to form letters correctly. Parents or guardians need to sign the completed homework activities each night.

Homework Homework Nights-Monday to Thursday Reading - parents/guardians need to reinforce what has been read in school and ask questions about the text. Use the questions inside front cover of reading record book as a guide. Lots of discussion is needed for factual texts. Please Note! A Reading book will not be sent home if the previous book has not been returned to school. (A cost of £5 will be charged for mislaid books) Spellings - test book needs to be signed and returned each week.

Homework At Regular Intervals Revise: Number bonds (addition and subtraction) to 10/20 Doubles/near doubles Adding/subtracting 10,20,30… Multiplication facts High Frequency Words Homework One homework activity per night – Literacy, Maths, learning or research activity. Mental maths on- going. Homework Diary P4 - please check and sign each night.

The Curriculum Language and Literacy Mathematics and Numeracy The Arts (Art, Music and Drama) The World Around Us (Science, History & Geography) Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Physical Education

Curriculum Language and Literacy Talking and Listening Reading Writing Spellings Grammar Handwriting - joined/cursive

Curriculum Mathematics and Numeracy Processes Number Measures Shape and Space Handling Data Multiplication Tables P3 – x2, x4, x5 and x10 P4 – x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7 and x10

Extra Curricular Activities Monday: Fun Fit (Canteen) P3 1:45-2:45 P4 2:45-3:45 Tuesday: Gaelic Football (Hall/Pitch) Irish Dancing (Canteen) P3 1:45-2:45 P4 2:45-3:45 Wednesday: Soccer & Gymnastics (Hall/Pitch) P3 1:45-2:45 P4 2:45-3:45 Thursday: Drama (Canteen) P3 1:45-2:45 P4 2:45-3:45

PE Primary 3 PE on Friday for all classes Primary 4 PE on Wednesday for both classes Please ensure that your child has the appropriate clothing and footwear for PE.

Important Dates P4 – Confirmed Dates Confession – Thursday 15 th October at 7pm First Communion –Saturday 21 st May 2016 P3 Enrolment Ceremony in June in St Therese’s Church

Assessment – CATs A computer based diagnostic assessment. P4 – P7 Pupils will begin to sit the assessments in October.

Policies available at Homework Child Protection Anti-Bullying Policy Positive Behaviour Policy Health and Safety Policy Special Needs Policy Pastoral Care Policy Internet Safety Policy A Parent’s Guide to Facebook Parental Complaints Policy