Junior Infants – Grade 3 class Enrolment age 4½ – 9 Yrs
Welcome to Sutton Park Junior School – A wonderful place to learn
The Junior School caters for children from the age of 4 to age 9.(Junior Infants-Grade 3) The primary aim of the education programme provided is to enable each child to realise their potential as a unique individual, developing as a social being, through living and co-operating with others in a loving, secure and stimulating environment.
All children are encouraged to reach their full potential showing respect and love for one another. They are encouraged to work and behave to the best of their ability.
Every day children are presented with opportunities to develop socially, emotionally and intellectually within this caring community.
Success and progress in all areas is celebrated regularly at school assemblies helping to develop self-esteem.
We encourage the involvement, co-operation and support of parents through attendance at weekly assemblies, newsletters and parent-teacher meetings.
Children’s learning is enhanced by creative displays of their work.
Wonderful facilities include a well-stocked library, a computer room, computers and interactive whiteboards in every classroom, a gymnasium, sports field & Astro turf hockey pitch.
All classrooms are modern, large and bright, newly furnished and stocked with a wide range of materials to ensure concepts are experienced initially through concrete materials.
Curriculum
The philosophy of the curriculum
In Sutton Park we believe that the curriculum should enable each child to develop and nurture their individual capabilities, skills, and interests in such a way that they achieve success and happiness now and will develop into a just, mature, self/sustaining and active citizen.
The aims of the curriculum
The curriculum is designed to challenge the children, to awaken curiosity and excite the imagination. Standards for all children are high and neither teachers nor students settle for less than their best in the search for educational excellence.
A differentiated programme takes into account individual differences including those who need support and those who are exceptionally able.
The Early Years
In the early grades, the primary goal is to foster in the children a love of reading and writing. The children receive direct instruction accompanied by guided practice, both individually and in groups. Instruction combines a phonic approach and sight words using a variety of attractive materials.
The reading and writing programme is adapted to individual needs ranging from reading readiness activities for some to advanced comprehension and vocabulary building for others.
Language
At the heart of the programme is language. Language has a vital role to play in children’s development and much learning takes place through the interaction of language and experience.
Language helps children to clarify and interpret experience and to acquire new concepts. There is a crucial relationship between language and learning and thus our programmes incorporate the use of discussion as a central learning strategy.
The Murray Library in the school provides our children with a wonderful selection of literature which meets the needs of all interest and abilities.
The primary language of the school is English. Irish is taught to all age groups daily.
The Arts Programme
Music, Drama and Art are included in the education programme for all age groups.
The teaching of Music, an integral part of the curriculum is further enhanced with the introduction of the Kodaly method of music teaching. This method developed by the Hungarian , Kodaly, teaches notation through song and percussion.
Drama which helps all children to grow in self confidence is an integral part of the programme, with all children performing in a class Assembly, the Christmas Concert and the Arts Festival.
Art allows the children to express their feelings and their view of the world and the classrooms, display boards and corridors are always festooned with their work.
The Sciences
The use of practical apparatus and the integration of oral language are central to the teaching of Mathematics, the Sciences and Technology. Through the use of practical materials the children are actively learning through guided discovery.
As well as learning to manipulate numbers, symbols and shapes, it is important that all children become familiar with the language of mathematics. We encourage them to develop xxxx new language in order that they can analyse, describe and explain a wide range of experiences and make predictions and solve problems.
The Science curriculum is further enriched to include the use of the use of the local environment and food science.
All classrooms are equipped with an Interactive Whiteboard and a computer. All classes have access to the computer room where there are 26 monitors available.
Physical Education
All classes engage in a P.E. programme twice a week with specialist teachers.
Enrichment Programme
Every Wednesday afternoon the children engage in activities not normally associated with a school day, these activities serve to enrich the curriculum content. These activities include theatre visits, cookery classes, visits to galleries and museums and meeting invited guests. Parents are always welcome to accompany classes on excursions and to help in any of our activities.
We consciously adapt the curriculum to cater for the cultural diversity of the children.
Annual events
- Class Assemblies
- School tours
- Christmas Concert
- Global feast (celebrates our multi-nationalism)
- Arts Festival
- Easter egg hunt
- Trip to the Ice Rink
- Sports Day
- Swimming Gala