Welcome to Miss Murray's Primary 6 class. On our page you will find what new and exciting things we have been getting up to and we will keep you up to date with important messages throughout the school year.

Our current topic is ‘The Great Irish Famine.’ This half term we will be learning all about what happened during the famine, the causes of the famine and the effect the famine had on the people during that time. 

During the school year we will also study: Water, The Titanic, Fairtrade and The Vikings. We are very excited to learn all about the World Around Us! 

Some important things for our class members to remember:

• PE - all pupils should come to school in their PE gear on PE days. Please note this is the only time children should wear trainers to school. Pupils should also bring a waterproof jacket so we can continue with our lesson when the weather isn't so nice.
• Homework will be given out every night and must be signed by a parent/guardian and uploaded to Google Classroom when complete.
• After school Numeracy and Literacy classes will take place in the new year for all Primary 6 pupils who wish to attend.
• Nut Free School - due to severe allergies, HRPS remains a nut-free school.  Please refrain from bringing any food items with nuts (or those which may contain traces of nuts) to school.
• Healthy Breaks - please ensure you bring a healthy snack to school for your break, this can be a piece of fruit or some vegetables and your choice of drink should be water or milk. 
• Please remind pupils about the importance of washing their hands before and after school.
  We have lots of events to look forward to in the coming year - so keep checking our page to follow us on our learning journey! 

The Irish Famine - Term 1A Topic  

What will we be learning about?

In this topic, we will explore a very important and sad time in Irish history called The Great Irish Famine, which happened between 1845 and 1852. During this time, a disease called potato blight destroyed the potato crops that many families depended on for food. This led to hunger, illness, and the loss of many lives. Many people also had to leave their homes and move to other countries to survive.

We will learn about:

• What caused the famine and how it affected people’s lives.
• What life was like for children and families during this time.
• How people tried to survive and what help was (or wasn’t) given.

The journeys people made to escape hunger, including emigration to other countries.

To help us understand what it was like, we will be reading the novel Under the Hawthorn Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna. This story follows three brave children—Eily, Michael, and Peggy—as they travel across Ireland during the famine in search of their family and safety.

Through this topic, we will use:

• Stories and historical sources to learn about real events.
• Art, drama, and writing to express what we’ve learned.
• Maps and timelines to understand when and where things happened.
• This topic will help us think about how people show courage and kindness in difficult times, and why it’s important to remember the past.