Welcome to Senior Infants!

Outline of Meeting• Welcome, Explanation• HSCL• Parents Council• Attendance and Punctuality• Ethics/ Assembly• Golden Rules/ Yard• Rewards and Sanctions (Class and Yard; Student of the

Week, Work of the Week)• Timetable• English/ Maths/ Team Teaching• Timetable• Homework (Examples)• Class blogs• School Play• AOB (Fitness, Lunches, Crazy Hair Day, Fundraising, GAA)

• Visiting parents/guardians in their homes.

• Organising courses, talks or meetings for parents/guardians in the school.

• Involving parents/guardians in their children’s education.

• Encouraging closer ties between teachers, schools and the parents/guardians;

• Encouraging parents/guardians to participate in classroom projects with teachers, such as Shared Reading/Literacy Programmes, Maths for Fun and Science for Fun.

HSCL Officer - Eoghan

• Requesting Class Reps for every class in the school.

• Not already a member of the Parents Council.

• Main duties involve messaging parents about events etc., organising contact details, linking in with the Parents Council on fundraising issues.

Parents Council

• NEWB - National Education Welfare Board. Child’s attendance record is forwarded here if they are absent for 16 days or more where these days are not classified as certified sick days.

• Therefore, holidays during term time are not recommended. Work will not be given by the teacher to a child that is missing for this reason.

• Punctuality - School starts at 8.30 AM. Singing on Friday. Roll is taken in the morning; late students are recorded.

Attendance and Punctuality

• Ethics Calendar – Some of the main events in the school year.

• We cover 4 strands in the Ethics curriculum – Moral and Spiritual, Justice and Equality, Belief Systems and Ethics and the Environment.

• The Friday Assembly is an opportunity for the school to come together and talk about our work in the Ethics curriculum.

• Friday assembly is an important part of the school day. We would ask that once assembly begins that you leave the yard and let the children stand in the líne on their own and listen to their peers presenting their work.

Ethics and Assembly

• Student of the Week – A student that has worked exceptionally hard in class or who has been a role model for the Golden Rules.

• Work of the Week – We want the children to be more aware of how important the quality of their work is. ‘My Best Work’ folders will be introduced after midterm and this will inform the teacher’s/ child’s selection for their ‘work of the week’

Student of the Week/ Work of the Week

Golden Rules• We listen and we don’t interrupt.

• We are gentle. We don’t hurt others.

• We are honest. We tell the truth.

• We are kind.

• We work hard. We don’t waste time.

• We look after property. We don’t damage things.

Class rules are based on these Golden Rules.

Yard rules are also based on these rules.

• Class teachers are not usually with their class during this time.

• Yard is a time where the children engage in independent, self initiated free play. However, the children are still expected to follow the Golden Rules.

• If anything particularly serious (a fall, a cut, a disagreement) happens on yard, the teacher who is supervising that yard will inform the class teacher. However, we also do have to depend on the kids to tell us if they have a problem/ injury.

• Yard Book – 3 strikes• 1st Time – Verbal Warning• 2nd Time – 5 minute time out• 3rd Time – 10 minute time out,

meeting with class teacher and/or Sinéad.

Yard Time

Rewards and Sanctions• Atmosphere of respect and fairness

• Golden rules apply in class and yard

• Specific class rules- good listening, good looking, feet on floor, lips zipped etc.

• Rewards-Praise and encouragement.

-Paula’s Class:• Groups: Table with the most stars on Friday gets first pick of

toys at Golden Time.• Individual: Clipchart – when a child gets to the top of the

chart they get to pick a prize from the prize box.

-Karl’s Class:• Individual: Smiley Faces/ Happy Grams• Class: Golden Time on Friday = Play or ‘Film Fridays’

• The children are placed into different groups of 6-10 children. These children will work with the support teachers 3-5 times a week in the areas of English and Maths.

• Small groups allow for more concepts to be taught etc., and for the children to achieve success in their work on a more regular basis as the work in these groups is based on the ability level of the children.

• These teachers may also give homework to their groups.

What’s Team Teaching?

• So far we have revised the letter sounds with the children, with an emphasis on dictating simple words that the children must try to write themselves.

• We are beginning to refer to the letters name as well as the sound it makes. E.g. “H” – it’s called H but makes a “huh” sound.

• We have taught all the new vocabulary from the first new reader. The reader will be going home next week.

• We have revised the words of dolch lists 1 & 2.

English… so far

• Jolly Grammar – Book 1• Dolch List 3• ‘Ella goes to the Airport’• SAILS readers to be sent home

after midterm again until it is time for the next reader’s wordbags to be sent home.

• Handwriting is very important this term – neatness etc.,

• Reading with your children – Independent and guided.

English… what next?

We are building on last years work. Concepts that where introduced last year get added to and developed. E.g. using the language of ordinal number , last year the children learned about the terms “first” and “last” , this will be explored and they will learn to use “ second” and “ third” etc.

This spiral approach to the maths curriculum is evident in the space and shape strand, measures strand and algebra strand.

Many of the children have advanced beyond the Senior Infant Curriculum. However, we must still revise the curriculum again before we move beyond it to ensure that the children can apply the Senior Infant curriculum to all of their Maths Problems.

Maths

• Quiet space – desk, chair, light, no distractions

• Have materials ready – pencils pared etc.,

• Not late at night!

• Homework should only take 25 minutes; set a timer for the children if needs be.

• Check the work – quality is important

Homework Tips

• The written homework will be handwriting or Maths. This may change over the year but we will let you know in advance.

• Quality of homework.

• Homework may be given from support teachers.

• Reading of word bags is homework (Examples).

• Reading of the reader is homework; also can you please sign your name or initial when you have listened to your child’s reading (Fluency etc.,)

• If homework is taking longer than twenty/ twenty five minutes, please let us know and we can look into it together.

Homework

Please keep an eye on the blog. We will try to change and update them regularly with news , information and resources that may help you at home. We always appreciate when you or your child leaves a comment.

It is not always appropriate to talk to us out in the yard in the mornings, so if you need to make an appointment to see us you can email us at the following addresses belmayneetpaula@gmail.com and belmayneetkarl@gmail.com .

Blogs and Contact Details

•December 18th – The Helix•One night only!•€10 approx.

School Play

• Junior Infants – 1st Class = timed obstacle course.

• 2nd Class – 6th Class = Bleep Test

• Results will be recorded in Fitness Booklet

• GAA with Neil on Fridays. Children are encouraged to go to the Trinity Gaels GAA club every Saturday at 11 for fun games and GAA skill development.

Fitness and GAA

• Crazy Hair Day = almost €400.

• More fundraisers to come to help fund the school.

• Mel is in charge of fundraisers if you have any ideas etc.,

Fundraising

• Healthy eating policy.• Children should eat

their own lunch.• Sandwiches, milk and

fruit are provided each day.

• Strictly no peanuts in school.

• Birthdays

Lunches