P1 & P2 Mrs McComiskey

Welcome to our class page!

Have a look to see what learning we have been getting up to!  :) 

Sir Seven

In Numeracy this week, Primary 1 learnt about Sir Seven. They practised counting forwards and backwards from 7 using cubes! They also have been working with the number 7 Numicon!

10+2=12

Primary 2 have been learning about number 12! They explored making 12 using tens frames, cubes, Numicon, counters and the Rekenrek! They even have been working on writing the number 12!

Antlers

A big 'Thank you' to Mrs Woods who kindly brought in an antler she found. We had great fun exploring it and using adjectives to describe what we could see and feel. 

Area

We introduced Area. We learnt that area means the amount of space taken up by a 2D shape. We used Multilink and Duplo to measure the area! We also used the iPads to take pictures of our work. Plus, the iPads came out to capture our work, sharpening our photo-taking skills!

Story Settings

We  explored settings this week. We discussed how we can use our senses to explore settings. We discussed all the different settings we have come across in books we have read. We then got into groups and we used some play resources to create and design our own settings. We labelled our settings too. Finally we presented our settings to our peers. We had great fun and we enjoyed looking at all the haunted houses, gardens and Antarctic settings created.

Toys over the years

In WAU, we've taken a trip back in time to explore toys from the past. We even got to  look at some of the toys that Mrs McComiskey had when she was a wee girl.

Character Fun

We have been exploring narrative writing this week. We started by looking at characters. We discussed ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters. We talked about main characters and identified main characters in stories familiar to us. We also talked about character traits. We explored character looks and personality. We also discussed how characters can change throughout a story. After we were familiar with all the key points, we each were given some toys. We had to decide what sort of character traits we wanted our character to have.  We shared this with our friends and then got into groups so our characters could interact.  We had everything from an evil pig who would turn things to mud to a kind granny who spends all day looking after everyone.

Irish with Mrs Ryan

This week in Irish, the colour red took centre stage! We read a charming story about a bear with lots of red items and practised movement words such as hopping, running, walking, and jumping.

Making amounts 

Primary 2 have  been working on making amounts using 1p,2p,5p and 10p coins. They had an egg container and had to put the correct number of coins in each section to make the given amount. They have been working hard to use number 5 to help them make amounts easily as they know that 5+1=6,5+2=7,5+3=8,5+4=9 and 5+5=10. 

Number 6 

Primary 1 have also learnt all about number 6 this week. They practised counting to 6 through making 6 towers along with playing a ‘roll and count’ game and writing all the numbers up to 6! 

Before and After 

Primary 2 have been mastering the concept of  before and after. They arranged themselves in order by listening to Mrs McComiskey's instructions. She said things such as 'Can you stand before 9?' or 'Can you stand after 6?'

Toy Friday 

Summarising Stories 

We have also been working on the comprehension skill of ‘summarising’. We read a story called ‘The Old Toy Room’. We sequenced the pictures into the correct order and summarised it to our friends. We then worked in groups to record our summaries. We tried to include the 5 W’s in our summaries and talk about who, what, where, when and why.

Addition Fun with Primary One!

In Numeracy,  our young adventurers in Primary 1 embraced the role of pirates, moving pieces of treasure to learn addition. Later in the week, they expanded on their skills through using a spinner to select two numbers to add together. They even explored recording the addition sums using the + and = signs.

Numbers before and after 

Primary 2 have been working on numbers before and after. They have played ‘Before and After Bingo’ to help them practise this skill.

PE with Mr Hardy 

Thursday was a day to remember! Mr Hardy made a special visit to thank all the boys and girls for their hard work this year. He give our special certificates that said ‘Gaelic Games Award’. Additionally, three lucky names were drawn for a special treat bag to celebrate their efforts. A big thank you to Mr Hardy!

Measuring 

Today we measured items around the classroom using our hands and feet. Primary 1   measured items around the classroom using  hands and primary 2 measured using  feet! After Christmas, we'll switch roles to continue our learning about measurement

The Sleepy Shepherd 

Tuesday night was a highlight with our fantastic Christmas Play. The boys and girls worked tirelessly and put on an amazing performance. A huge well done to everyone involved! On Thursday, we enjoyed watching the KS2 dress rehearsal—it was truly amazing!

Report Writing 

This week in Literacy, we've been diving into the world of report writing. The children explored the different features of a report, like titles, subtitles, facts, diagrams, and labels. We started by colouring these features using different colours-a bright and colourful way to learn! We also sorted sentences into the right subtitles as a class, helping us understand the structure of a report even better.

3D Shape Fun

In Numeracy, 3D shapes took centre stage. The class focused on cuboids with a fun game called ‘Huboid the Cuboid’. We then used our knowledge of 3D shapes in a carousel lesson where we built houses for teddies, used play dough to make and print shapes, sorted pictures, and played an exciting spinner and counter game. Learning about 3D shapes has never been so interactive!

Christmas through Irish

In Irish, we sang some favourite festive tunes like "Jingle Bells" and "Little Drummer Boy". The children’s enthusiasm was lovely. Everyone joined in.

Christmas Jumper Day 

Number After

In Numeracy this week Primary 1 have been working on the number after. We played a splat game on the interactive whiteboard where we had to 'splat' the number after a given number. We also played a game where we had to roll a dice and write the number after on our whiteboards. Finally, we practised the number after through playing a ladybird game on the laptops.

Full stops

Primary 2 have been working on adding full stops to sentences. They got to become the teacher and use the highlighters to correct the work they were given. It was full of mistakes. They then rewrote the sentence correctly. We have been working really hard to impove our handwriting and make all our letters the correct size. There is some beautiful handwriting in our class this week.

Irish with Mrs Ryan

In Irish we continued practising our Irish with a Christmas song that helps us learn words like "Santa," "Christmas," "lights," "tree," and "stable." We also started to read a new story about a teidí (teddy). We are learning a new prayer in Irish to thank God for our food.

Doubles

In Numeracy, Primary 2 focused on doubling numbers using Numicon, helping us visualise how doubling works. The children recorded their work on whiteboards and enjoyed practising with the 'Hit the Button' game

Staying Safe

On Tuesday we had a visit from the police. They came in to help teach us about keeping safe. They taught us how to stay safe on the road, online, in cars, what to do if we get lost and who to contact in an emergency. They were really helpful and we had lots of questions to ask them.

Holy Cross Primary Fruit and Veg Shop

We have been using coins to purchase items at our fruit and veg shop. P1 have been using 1p coins and P2 have been working on making amounts within 10p using 1p,2p and 5p coins.

Odd Sock Day 

This week was Anti-Bullying week and we all wore odd socks to celebrate our uniqueness. The focus this year was on respect. We learnt about respect on Monday and sorted pictures to into pictures that demonstrate respect and pictures that don’t. The boys and girls really embraced this throughout the week and were very respectful to their friends, which was so lovely to see. Well done everyone!

Number 11 

Primary 2 have been learning about the number 11. We used a range of resources to help us understand 11 by representing it in different ways. We used Numicon, Rekenreks, ten frames, cubes and counters.

1p, 2p, 5p

We have also started to work on money. We focused specifically on 1p,2p and 5p coins. We searched for them in the classroom and then we used sorting circles to help us sort the coins for different criteria. The boys and girls came up with the labels on their own!

P.E.

This week we have been working on our ability to stop and start with Mr Hardy. We have also been developing the fundamental skills of agility, balance and coordination. 

Irish with Mrs Ryan

On Wednesday we started to learn a new song with Mrs Ryan. This song teaches us the names of the fruit. We have also been learning about colours!

Alphabetical Order!

Primary 2 have also been working on alphabetical order. We have had great fun with this. We worked in groups to order letters into the correct order of the alphabet. We used letter ducks, letter stones and letter counters. We then were given a selection of consecutive letters that we had to put into the correct order, and then a selection of non-consecutive letters. 

Gaelige24

On Tuesday it was Gaelige24, where we had to try and speak Irish all day. We tried really hard to use every day Irish. We said please (le do thoil), thank you (go raibh maith agat), excuse me (gabh mo leithscéal), hello (dia duit) and goodbye (slán). We also learnt about the questions ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What is your name?’. Finally we worked hard to learn about the colours in Irish. We hunted round the classroom for each of the different colours.

Spheres

In Numeracy we have been focusing on the 3D shape sphere. We played a game outside where we had to run around the yard. When the word ‘sphere’ was called out, we had to quickly find a sphere and hold it up in the air. If ‘sphere friends’ was called out, we had to find a friend and tell them the name of the shape and describe it to them too.

Woolly Hat Day 

Today we took part in woolly hat day to help raise money for Mourne Stimulus!

2D and 3D shapes

We have  been learning about 3D shapes in Numeracy. We discussed the difference between 2D and 3D shapes and we sorted a large range of shapes from the environment.

PE with Mr Hardy 

This week we were working on our ball skills. We passing the ball to each other in different ways. 

Fiction and Non-Fiction 

This week we have been focusing on non-fiction books. We explored all the features of non-fiction books, including the contents page, index page, glossary, captions, pictures and labels. We then explored a range of different texts and worked with our partners to sort them into fiction and non-fiction. 

Zero Fun

This week in Numeracy, Primary 1 were introduced to zero. In Ten Town we learnt about the ‘Zero Pond’. It is called this because the Zero Pond is so polluted that no plants or animals can live there. Everyone in Ten Town have to work together to take all the rubbish out of the pond and make it clean again. Primary 1 then went outside and they played some games to develop an understanding of zero. 

They had to remove all the cones from the zero pond so there was zero rubbish in it. They also had to race against their friends to try and get zero beanbags in the yard. 

Finally they used chalk to write zero on the ground. 

Noisy Nick

In Literacy this week, Primary 1 learnt about Noisy Nick. We made lots of noise when making a picture with a hammer and nails just like Noisy Nick. We also practised making the letter shapes with playdough. We have also been working really hard on orally blending 3 sounds together to create a word. This is a very important skill to help us when we are reading.  

All about me

This week in ICT we have been working on the Chromebooks. We were learning how to type. Primary 1 were typing their names and ages. Primary 2 were typing information about themselves including their name, age and what they like. Primary 2 were also working on using spaces, capital letters and full stops in their work. 

Numeracy 

This week in Numeracy, Primary 2 have been learning  reading o'clock times on the digital clock. They played a game where they had to match the analogue clock time to the correct digital clock time.

Happy Halloween!

Have a look at some of our cool costumes! 

P.E.

We continued our work on fundamental movement with Mr Hardy this week. We focused on balance. 

Mr Hardy carried our a draw in the classroom afterwards and give our some prizes for the hard work this term! Thank you Mr Hardy for all your help this term! We love learning from you!

Farm Safety

This week we have been learning about farm safety! We learnt about the importance of hedges and fences to keep both people and animals safe. We then had to help Little Bo Peep to make a fence to keep the sheep and children on her farm safe too! We had great fun completing this! 

Fundamental Movement Skills

We have been having great fun with Mr Hardy using all the equipment to help us develop our fundamental movement skills! 

Tree Diagram

We have been sorting shapes using tree diagrams. We completed this practically first and then we completed this on J2E. 

Maths Week 

This week was maths week and Primary 5 made some games for the boys and girls in Primary 1 and 2! We had fantastic fun playing these games! It was clear to see that the boys and girls in Primary 5 worked very hard as there were some amazing games and ideas! Well done to everyone! 

Halloween Treats

We continued some work on procedural writing this week. We started by making some Halloween treats. We then decided to write some instructions to share on the website on how to make these treats. We began by creating a list of the things we needed. Then Primary 2 wrote step 1 and 2. They had to try to make sure they had time words, bossy verbs and explained in a clear precise manner. They plan to write the rest of their instructions next week. Primary 1 worked in groups to record oral instructions using a microphone. We took turns saying the instructions into the microphone.

Add 1

Primary 2 have been working on adding 1. We played a game to practise this skill too. First, we rolled ten-sided dice. Then we used counters to make the given number on our tens frame board, our partner added 1 more and then we recorded the number sentence on the whiteboard using the + and = symbols.

More than

Primary 1 have also been learning about the word ‘more’. We played a tower game where we had to roll some dice, make a tower and then compare it to our partner’s tower to see who had more.

Labelling our Environment

P2 have Been learning about labels. We went on an adventure around the school to see if we could find any labels. We spotted lots of labels on our journey. We then came back to the classroom and used post-it notes to make our own labels for things around the classroom.

Pattern Fun 

We have been working on making patterns. We used practical materials to make patterns first. We then made some patterns using the paint tool on Just2easy using the Chromebooks.

Instruction Writing

We have started some work on procedural writing. This week we explored sequencing pictorial instructions into the correct order. We then read some instructions and talked about the key features such as time words, bossy verbs and the use of ‘you’. We followed instructions to help us make a Halloween pumpkin craft.

Time

Primary 1 have been learning about today, tomorrow and yesterday. Primary 2 have been using clocks to make o’clock times. We also played an outdoor game where we had to read the time and find the correct clock.

Number 2

This week in Numeracy we have been working on number 2 in Primary 1. We worked on making sets of 2 in different ways. We counted 2, we made 2 Numicon towers and we used cubes to make 2 cube houses.

Live Word Sorts 

In Literacy Primary 1 have been learning about t. We have been working on trying to identify the initial sound in words. This can be tricky. We have been practising using live word sorts. Primary 2 joined in with this game too. Some people were selectedto become a Letterland character. Everyone else was given picture cards. We had to identify the initial sound of the word and then give it to the correct Letterland person. Primary 1 worked on the sounds a,s,t and Primary 2 worked on the sounds l,e,w,y,x,z and v.

Just2easy-Paint

 In ICT this week we have been working on Just2easy. We have been using the paint software. We focused on using the paint bucket tool to complete our pictures.

Triangle Tangram

This week we learnt about Triangles. Mia Monkey hid triangles around the classroom and we had to work hard to find them all again. We then used triangles to complete a house tangram.

Number Work

In Numeracy this week Primary 1 were introduced to Ten Town for the first time! They learnt about number 1 and we created a number 1 display table in our classroom. Primary 2 learnt about number 6. They explored finding sets of 6 from around the room to share with our friends. We then worked on partitioning 6. We used cubes and then recorded our results using + and =. We found 7 different ways that 6 could be made.

Ainmhithe

In Irish this week we have been working on naming different animals in Irish.

Sponsored Walk for Mourne First Responders 

On Friday we went on our sponsored walk to Mourne Park. We had a lovely day exploring our senses in the forest and discussing all the things we could see, smell, hear and feel. We enjoyed having a picnic and eating our snack under a big tree. 

Rectangles

On Thursday we learnt about rectangles. We went on a rectangle hunt and found lots of rectangles around the school. After that we created some rectangle robots using rectangle sponges and paint. We learnt that rectangles have 4 sides, 2 long and 2 short. Rectangles have 4 corners and all the sides are straight.

Sorting Sets of Objects 

We have also been working on sorting this week. We all went outside and used hula-hoops to help us sort. Primary 1 sorted 1 property objects for 1 criterion and Primary 2 worked with sorting and resorting 2 property materials for 1 property. Primary 2 even used whiteboards to create their own labels for each set.

Visual Problem Solving

We have been working on our visual problem solving. Primary 1 and 2 were given the challenge of filling a board with Numicon shapes. Primary 1 had lots of shapes to use but had to work on getting them in the correct orientation and finding the correct shape to fit the missing holes. Primary 2 were challenged to think a bit harder as they were only given a selection of shapes. They had to use the shapes they were given the fill the board, removing, rotating and swapping shapes until they got the correct answer.

Circles!

We have started work on 2D shapes. This week we completed a circle hunt both inside and outside the classroom. We then used circles to make a picture. Primary 1 made a caterpillar picture and Primary 2 made a teddy bear picture. We used this artwork to make a beautiful display! 

Literacy using ICT

In Literacy this week, Primary 1 completed some auditory discrimination tasks. They had to listen to sounds from the environment and pick which picture matched the sound. They were able to distinguish between sounds they could hear along with describe and name the sound. They played this game on the laptops and enjoyed using their earphones to listen to the sounds. 

Primary 2 used the laptops to play a game to support revision identifying the start, middle and end sound in words.  They worked really hard to segment words to find the sounds. Well done Primary 2!

Letter formation

Primary 2 have also been recapping on letter formation. They used rice, chalk, whiteboards, magnetic letters and magnetic boards to practise writing the letters correctly. They really enjoyed this and there was lots of giggling. Well done P2.

Numicon Numbers

Primary 1 explored Numicon for the first time this week and worked on becoming familiar with the shapes. We used these shapes to make some pictures. We described the shapes to our friends using the shape colours.

Primary 2 have been  working on numbers before and after. Primary 2 built upon this and explored the different ways that 5 can be made. They used Numicon shapes to investigate and they even built ‘5 towers’ using the different components of 5.  

Sounds on the Ground

Primary 2 have been working on identifying sounds in words. We drew some ‘sound boxes’ outside on the ground using chalk. Sound boxes are  rectangle boxes, split into 3 sections which represent the start, middle and end of a word. The children were given a sound to listen for. They were given a word. The pupils segmented the word into sounds to find out where the sound was in the word, at the start, middle or end. Finally, they had to stand in the correct section to represent where the sound is in the word. Primary 2 have also been recapping on letter formation. They used rice, chalk, whiteboards, magnetic letters and magnetic boards to practise writing the letters correctly. They really enjoyed this and there was lots of giggling. Well done P2.

Listening Walk

In Literacy this week Primary 1 went on a listening walk. They put on their listening ears and went for a walk around the school to see what sounds they could hear in the environment. They heard birds, sheep, trees rustling, cars driving and children giggling.

Names

In PDMU this week we talked about our names. We talked about the importance of our names and  discussed what makes each one of us special and unique. We played some games to help the boys and girls learn everyone’s names.  We then continued this lesson with some art and we used small pieces of paper to cover our names. This task was super fun and also allowed us to strengthen our fine motor skills.

Sound Revision

In Primary 2 we have been focusing on recapping on the sounds s,a,t,p, i and n. We enjoyed playing sound bingo to help us learn these sounds. We had to listen to a sound and then cover the matching letter with playdough. We also recapped on the letter formation songs and then played a game to practise writing these letters on the whiteboards. We have also been working on revising group 1 of our High Frequency Words. Now that we are in Primary 2, our focus is to recognise these words instantly without sounding them. This will help us to read more fluently and help us to understand the stories we read.

Number Revision

In Numeracy this week, Primary 2 were recapping formation of numbers to 10. We went outside to practise these skills and make the most of the sunny weather. We used chalk to write the numbers on the ground. We wrote some numbers back to front but used this as a learning opportunity and we revised writing them the correct way in different areas of the yard. We also played a range of counting games to help revise one-one correspondence and touch counting. We had great fun!

Have a look at the fun we had during play this week!