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St Joseph's PS, Madden, Co Armagh
 

Closure Under Exceptional Circumstances

In the event that St. Joseph's is forced to school as a result of the Corona virus, we wish to ensure that your children have continued access to educational resources and services to support their learning.

All teachers will provide educational packs to support pupils in accessing the curriculum at home. In addition, many of the online / digital services we utilise in school can also be accessed to supplement this. This page will provide information as to how these services can be accessed and used at home. Services covered includes

  1. Accelerated Reader (P3-P7)
  2. Sumdog Maths (P3-P7)
  3. Oxford Owl (P1-P4)
  4. Code.org (P2-P7)
  5. Early Years Reading Books for Foundation Stage Pupils
 

1) Accelerated Reader (P3-P7)

Accelerated Reading begins for all children (P3-P7) this week (11/01/21).

Because of the circumstances, Pupils are asked to complete our accelerated reading programme from home. As is the current procedure, this will be continually monitored by teachers to track individual progress. Thankfully, at this stage pupils and parents are fully aware of this programme and how it operates in St. Joseph's however your help will be needed to deliver aspects of this programme from home.

1) Where can I get books for my child to read?

Traditionally pupils select books from our school library. With school closures however, they will be unable to use this facility. Fortunately, there are excellent alternatives online through which pupils can read E-books. One such facility is the Overdrive app. Pupils who have a library Card from NI libraries are entitled to use this app for free. They will have access to a vast library of free books through this service. The following video will illustrate how to set up the overdrive app on iPad however it can be accessed on android and through computer browsers:

 
 

2) How do I select books at the appropriate level?

You will need to support your child in selecting books at the appropriate level. To assist with this, you will be provided with a "Book level Scale". This is specific to your child and will be included in each pupils curriculum pack.  This "Book Level Scale" is used to ensure pupils are selecting books at the appropriate level. It is vitally important that the books selected for your child fall within this scale as this is the level which will allow your child to make progress. Ordinarily, books in our school library are colour banded to support pupils in selecting appropriate books. As this is unavailable, you will need to support your child. You can use the AR book find resource to do this. This can be accessed through www.arbookfind.co.uk

 

3) How will my child take a quiz?

Having read their book, pupils would then complete an online quiz to gauge their understanding of the text. Ordinarily this is completed using the school computer system. This facility can however be accessed at home during this period of time.

To complete a quiz pupils will be required to access a specific website using the following URL:

https://ukhosted35.renlearn.co.uk/2234946/

This can be bookmarked to allow easy access throughout the period of time that Accelerated Reader is in operation:

 

2) Sumdog Maths (P2-P7)

As you are aware, pupils in St. Joseph’s have been using the Sumdog maths programme throughout terms one and two. This maths programme adapts to the individual learning needs of each user. As a result, questions are tailored to each child helping them to progress at a pace appropriate to them.

This app can be accessed at home on iOS and Android devices as well as any internet enabled device. Pupils can access this service with a personal username and password. The vast majority of our pupils are accessing this service regularly from home however login details will be sent home with your child’s education pack.

 

Oxford Owl E-books (P1-P4)

Oxford Owl offers a comprehensive range of resources that can be used to support your child’s reading development. Of particular interest is the library of E-books. These books are used by pupils in p1-p4. They are also accompanied by a variety of interactive games as well as parental advice.

Access to the site is free through...

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk

Use the video tutorial below to assist you in setting up a parent account:

 

4) Code.org (P2-P7)

Pupils are registered to complete a variety of tasks on the code.org computer science website. Pupils have the opportunity to complete four 20hour courses throughout their school life at St. Joseph’s. These courses build upon prior knowledge ensuring pupils can progress at an appropriate rate. Code.org is used by pupils from P2-P7 developing range of computer coding skills as well as problem solving capabilities. Pupils can login using specific details which will be provided in your education pack. View the video tutorial below which illustrates how to access the resource. 

 

Early Years Reading Books for Foundation Pupils

Finding reading books for pupils in Primary one and Primary two can be challenging. As a result we have created a library of suitable books that can be accessed in pdf format. This will allow you to continue reading with your child from home as directed by the class teacher. To access the library please click the link below and key in the password provided: 

 

P1 and P2 Reading Library