Letter for Primary 4O

Hello Primary 4O

We are now in our last week of online learning and we will soon be coming to the end of this school year. I would like to thank you all for the hard work you have done and your families for all the help they have given you in these difficult times. It has been a very difficult time for us all and our families. Hopefully by September we will be getting back to some sort of normality and I am looking forward to seeing you all again in our new school.  I hope you are all still looking after yourselves and keeping safe and continue to do so over the summer holidays. The weather is still okay, so, go outside and enjoy yourself in the fresh air as some of our restrictions are now being eased. Don’t forget to take care in the sun. Remember to use sunblock, wear a hat and light clothing, sunglasses and not to spend too long exposed to the hot sun. Also keep hydrated and find a shady spot. Remember to carry on being helpful for your family and looking after yourselves. Keep following all the rules regarding hand washing, social distancing, exercise and shopping routines. It is still important that we keep doing them every day until it is totally safe.

I am still okay and keeping well. I am still enjoying my garden and I am now able to leave my home for exercise, which has been a welcome change for me.

It has been lovely seeing the pictures of how some of you have been getting on and the work you have been doing over the last three months. This has always cheered me up.

As always, if you need any help with anything, please send me an email and I will try to help as best I can. Send me any photographs and videos of you to share on our class page and school website to finish up our school year.  My school email address is tosullivan900@c2kni.net. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our school website for any updates.

I've uploaded some notes and worksheets for literacy, numeracy and The World Around Us to help you this week.  I hope you find them useful and not too difficult.  Remember, only do what you can and try your best, as you have been doing throughout the year and while the school has been closed! 

Keep on working and set aside some time each day, as if you were in school. A little every day goes a long way!

The World Around Us

• You can still post me any pictures of your flowers, plants or vegetables that you have been growing. I will post them on our class section on the school’s website to share with the class.
• Last week we started our new topic on Sound. How did you get on with the tasks? What did you hear? I did the tasks too and when I concentrated, I was really surprised at how many sounds I heard, many of which I would have missed!
• This week we are going to look at the ear. Our ears are an important part of our body and need to be looked after as they are important for hearing and balance.
• I have added a power point, information sheet and activity sheet for you to complete. 
• Don’t forget to have a look at any relevant sites put onto our school’s website or the Internet for this topic.
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• Literacy
• This week I would like you to complete two tasks connected with sound and the ear, a comprehension and a word search.
• As this is our last week of online learning I would like you to complete the 'End of year activity booklet', telling me things about this year.
• Continue practicing your spellings. Keep testing yourself and see how you get on.
• Keep on with your reading even over the summer holidays. Reading is fun and a great way to relax. I love spending some time each day reading, I find it very enjoyable, informative and relaxing. This week I would like you to do a book review on your favourite book you have read since we have been on lockdown. I have attached the book review template for you to use. Tell me why it is your favourite, what you enjoyed about it, which was your favourite character, and would you recommend the book and why would you do so.
• Keep writing in your diary or scrapbook. Remember to date each entry. Keep recording things like the weather, what you did (exercise) and even what you ate! Don’t forget the things that have been happening in the world or locally or to you, such as birthdays. Record your feelings at this very, unusual time. As I mentioned last week, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has launched the Stay Home Memories project to gather information on the lives of the people of Northern Ireland and how the pandemic has affected everything from work and education to shopping and family and social life. As I said, they are using diaries, letters, scrapbooks and photographs to tell us about an individual’s experience of this historical time period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your diaries/ scrapbooks could be a source of such information. If you are interested in becoming involved, details of the project can be found on PRONI’s website at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/stay-home-memories.
• Remember there are interactive websites you can use as fun learning resources such as, wwwprimaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk. Don’t forget, there are, online books which can be downloaded or listened to and numerous word games available for you to play.

Numeracy

• Continue practicing your counting and revising your multiplication tables. Number is used everyday in what we do, such as money when we shop, sharing things out, how long it takes to do something etc. So, keep practicing. Get an adult to test you. Play number or counting games such as Snakes & Ladders or have a try at some of the online number games you can play.
• This week we are going to look back at place value (tens and units). I have also set you some problems to solve. Read the instructions carefully and think how you are going to solve the problems before you begin. Good luck!!
• Don’t forget there are interactive websites which have lots of games which are a good fun learning resource, (e.g. wwwprimaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk, BBC Bitesize).

So, until you next hear from me, remember to take care of yourselves and your families, follow all the rules, be good and stay safe.

Have a look at our school website. The Mid and East Antrim Borough Council are running a competition Called Activate Your Curiosity.  This is open to all Primary school children. You might like to take part in it.

And finally, don’t forget "BIPS 30th Birthday Drive-By"!! - taking place on Sunday 21st June outside the school (both old and new!). We will post full guidance, directions and times for everyone participating later this week and we hope as many as possible will be able to drive-by. So keep an eye on the school website.

                   Miss you all and hoping to see you all very soon. Don’t Worry Be Happy!!

                                                Have a great Summer break.

               Primary 4O remember ‘We always try our best’ Best wishes from Mr O’Sullivan.