Last week we celebrated Maths Week at St Peter's!
All our pupils enjoyed a multitude of different mathematical activities, both inside and outside the classroom environment. Even our parents were involved by completing a problem solving investigation! Well done to all who took part and showed a variety of strategies to find their solutions.
Have a look at the different photographs from each class. Here is a summary of all the exciting work our pupils took part in:
Primary 1 and 2 pupils enjoyed a shape hunt around the school, looking out for various 2D shapes. They used their bodies in PE to make numbers 1 to 10 and worked as part as a team. The boys and girls created art work by drawing around 2D shapes to make people, they made numbers with playdough and formed colour patterns with peg boards. They even built a tower using lego to see how tall they could make it!
The Primary 2 and 3 class created a human clock and showcased the time in quarter intervals. The boys and girls also sang songs to revise counting in twos, days of the week and months of the year. Primary 2 pupils learned about the story of 7 during outdoor learning and drew bonds to 7 in the school playground. Primary 3 pupils practised their knowledge of doubles and near doubles by writing in chalk and playing double games. The children enjoyed a trail around the school making maths come alive and seeing it in their playground.
Primary 4 and 5 children loved using the IZAK9 cubes to problem solve! In teams they worked together to formulate solutions to set tasks from the IZAK9 website. Answers involved lots of revision of tables knowledge, number bonds, odd/even numbers, greater than/less than and the four operations. Pupils also learnt about a famous mathematician, Alan Turing who created the Bombe, which was a machine to decode messages during WW2. To conclude work on 2D shape, each child chose a specific shape and wrote the properties to match. They then used the app, Chatterpix to record their voices and bring these shapes to life! The boys and girls also enjoyed a Maths Trail in and around the school building, using their 'Maths Eyes' to help! For homework Primary 4 and 5 were practising their tables knowledge and number bonds throughout the week. On Friday, pupils were then split into coloured teams alongside Primary 6 and 7 pupils. Everyone assembled then for a 'Tables Quiz' which was great fun! Pupils all showed a great sense of team spirit and cheered for each other.
Primary 6 and 7 children engaged in a variety of numeracy activities aligned with Maths Week, combining curriculum-based learning with interactive and exploratory experiences. Pupils focused on understanding unit and non-unit fractions, developing their ability to identify, compare, and represent these using visual models and number lines. The class also participated in Franz’s Mega Quiz via Maths Week TV, which provided a fun and engaging way to reinforce mathematical concepts through a competitive format. On Wednesday, pupils watched Zoe Griffith’s “Hidden Maths of Technology” on Maths Week TV, sparking discussions on how maths is embedded in everyday tech. They also used iZak9 cubes to explore fractions in a hands-on, collaborative way. The class also explored “Megafauna in Irish Waters” on Maths Week TV, linking mathematical thinking to environmental and biological contexts, encouraging cross-curricular connections by way of a True/False Quiz. To complete their week, pupils concluded with the P4–7 Tables Quiz, followed by an NRICH problem-solving activity, promoting logical reasoning and collaborative thinking.
Our special guest for Maths Week was John Feeney, Bank Manager of Santander. John talked to the children about his role as Bank Manager and how he uses maths on a daily basis. Children in primaries 4-7 then interviewed John and asked questions about loans, interest, staffing, currency and many more areas connected to his career. John brought lovely treats for the children and we were very grateful to him for giving his time to our school.
Well done to all our boys and girls for their interaction and fun engagement throughout the week!
We all came together then on Friday afternoon for a whole school assembly. Mathematician of the Week awards were distributed to the Primary 1, 2 and 3 classes and treats given to the winning team of the Tables Quiz! We also counted the sweets in the 'Guess the Sweets' jar. In total we had 111 sweets and our winner was Mrs Teague with the closest guess of 101 sweets! Well done to Mrs Teague and thank you to all the pupils who guessed and contributed to our Student Council Fundraiser!
