We hope you enjoyed the Harvest Festival on Thursday and our “Autumn Harvest” song. The children have loved learning the song and performing. I’m sure you will agree how brilliant they were!

In Maths we continued to master column addition adding two 2 digit numbers together. We follow a CPA approach- concrete (using resources), pictorial (drawing pictures) and abstract (mentally) to prove our answers and ensure our work is accurate. We began recapping some methods for subtraction on Friday and this will lead to us using the column method for taking away too.

In English the children have begun planning their own set of instructions after we received a video message from a shark! We have explored how to make “coral juice” and will write our instructions next week that will include commas in a list, verbs in commands and contractions.

In RE we thought about a Muslim’s special item and place after exploring our own last week. We looked in detail at the different parts of a mosque and how Muslims might feel when they are there.

In Science we have been researching different food chains in different habitats. We constructed food chains and began to learn what a producer, consumer, predator and prey meant. Our beans are continuing to grow nicely too!

In Computing the children had to successfully complete a sequence of algorithms on Scratch by exploring what different features and effects you could control.

Remember it is the Beeline Festival for Year 2 next Friday. Please dress according to the weather and in school uniform. A reminder that your child will need to bring a packed lunch in a named bag as we will be eating at the Hive.

Have a good weekend!

Please click on the blue ttitle of this blog in order to see photos attached. 

It was so lovely to talk to parents on Monday and Tuesday about your child’s wonderful start in Year 2. Again, a big apology for my bad timekeeping and late appointments on Monday- I really am sorry but hope everyone feels well informed about their child’s progress so far.

In Maths we have shown amazing perseverance and growth mindsets to master the column method. We arrange our calculation in a column, add the ones, add the tens which we call our working out. Then we add the ones, add the tens to find the answer. We always put our calculation into our number bond diagram e.g. part + part = whole.

To challenge ourselves and really “dive” into our learning we thought about how addition is commutative (can be done either way round) and subtraction is the inverse/opposite of addition. This means we can write a calculation in four different ways. We called this the “fact families” with a Mummy, Daddy, brother and sister. A number bond diagram helps us do this.

e.g. 27 + 32 = 58

       32 + 27 = 58

       58 - 27 = 32

        58 - 32 = 27

In English we started our new text focus is instructions. We read lots and identified the different features a set of instructions has e.g. a title, opening, list of equipment and numbered steps. Year 2 read my set of instructions “How to make Mermaid Slime” and spotted new skills for this sequence of learning. We learnt

-          commas in a list e.g. On Starfishes table there are Emily, Neve, Jake, Charlie, Luke and Belle

-          verbs in commands e.g. Put your coat on your peg. Verbs are doing and action words.

-          contractions e.g. do not – don’t, did no- didn’t. We were introduced to the apostrophe.

We have not done group reading in Guided Reading this week. Instead we have practiced our comprehension skills by answering and continued to read our whole class book- Flotsam.

In Science we observed our beans and recorded any developments. We also began thinking about different food chains that exist in different habitats.

In PE we practiced team skills and fitness when completing a range of spelling games.

In Computing the children showed how they could edit the background and sprite on Scratch Jr. We learnt a new word- parameter which states “how much” and a limit/boundary to an instruction e.g. forward 14.

In RE we had a wonderful session sharing our special items and places. We discussed why they are special to us.

Again, another fantastic week for Year 2! Remember it is our Harvest Festival on Thursday morning in church.

Year 2 (children and adults!) have done really well to get through a variety of illnesses and unwellness over the last couple of weeks. We hope for the future to be a lot more germ free and healthy!

In English the children wrote their own non-chronological reports on their own subjects. It was delightful to read reports such as "How to be a.... fairy, pirate, dinosaur, sister, footballer, unicorn and even a farrier!"

In Maths we continued to add and worked on mentally recalling key facts such as adding ones onto a tens number (50 + 8 = 58, 60  + 2 = 62) and adding tens onto any number (45 + 20 so 45, 55, 65. The answer is 65). We used 100 squares but will continue to work hard to recall these facts in order for the addition work we move onto to be quicker and confident. On Friday I introduced the column method for adding two 2-digit numbers. This method underpins all addition and subtraction work for the foreseeable future therefore we took it slowly! As the children come more confident I will upload photographs of the method and their workings out for you to see at home.

In Science the children went on a hunt for living, dead and never alive objects. We used "MRS NERG" to scientifically prove our identifications.

Have a wonderful weekend and I hope anyone still feeling under the weather a speedy recovery. I am looking forward to Parent's Evening on Monday and Tuesday.

We have had a wonderful week in Year 2. All the adults and I have really noticed the children have risen to the challenge of being in Year 2 and the high expectations we have. 

Maths: We have been reading the time on analogue clocks to o'clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to. We will be learning to tell the time continuously over the year up to every 5 minutes. This is a really good skill to learn at home to so if you could help, we welcome it! We completed our number work about place value, comparing numbers, partitioning and solving number patterns. This will provide a basis for all our work on addition and subtraction that we began today. We learnt you can add by counting on and counting tens and ones.

English: Year 2 have thoroughly enjoyed a week of writing their non-chronological reports with some unexpected underwater visitors- mermaids!. On Monday we recieved a visit from "Serena Sentences" checking we included questions and commands. "Dominique Description" helped us remember our expanded noun phrases to describe what mermaids look like. "Cassandra Conjunction" made sure we extended our sentences with conjunctions such as but, and, so, because when explaining where mermaids live. As a first piece of extended writing in Year 2 I am so proud of the children! At the end of the week we practised editing (fixing and making our work even better) with our editing eyes and a checklist! Then we recieved a special glittery delivery from Meralda the Mermaid- a sequined case full of special pencils to write our reports up in our best handwriting.

Capital letters, full stops and question marks are tending to drop off children's sentences so we are always encouraging children to check their sentences using our "yellow target pencil". 

In Science we have been observing our seed...nothing so far! We also began to explore the question "What objects are living and what objects are dead?" We (bravely!) looked at a live spider, a dead spider and a toy spider. We classifed each as "Living, Dead or Never Alive" MRS NERG helped us define what living means. 

In RE we heard some of the Islamic stories told by Prophet Muhammad such as "The Tiny Ants" and "The Thirsty Camel". We produced collages to represent one of the stories and thought about how they teach Muslims to behave.

In PE we worked on our fitness and teamwork in a range of spelling games that included hoops, running, spelling aloud and writing! Who knew spelling could be so fun!

In our topic afternoon we continued to explore habitats in Science, experiment with tone and tint and practised our cutting and paper shaping skills.

In SPAG we learnt two new spelling strategies- pyramid write and quick write. Have your child show you these at home! 

CEW (common exception word) bookmarks will have been sent home this week personalised to your child's needs/next steps along with a letter explaining them. If you have any questions regarding these please do not hesitate to ask!

Thank you for all reading at home! It is wonderful checking reading diaries in the morning to see so many of us enjoying a book the evening before. 

Have a brilliant weekend Year 2!

Hello!

In Maths we have been learning:

• greater than, less than and equal to when comparing numbers using these signs < > and =. The directions of the signs are difficult for children to always figure out so we used Baby Shark (doo doo doo doo doo) to help us! “Greater than doo doo doo doo doo”!
• to use a 100 square to help us solve number patterns. We practised finding 10 more, 10 less, 2 more, 2 less etc. and over the year will encourage children to do this mentally
• to partition numbers in different ways. This is a very hard concept to grasp but probably the most important in Year 2 as it links to addition and subtraction.

56 can be partitioned in 50 + 6 but also many different ways if you rename tens as ones e.g. 40 + 16, 30 + 26, 20 + 36.

If you came to the Singapore Maths meeting last year this was demonstrated but if you need further clarification/explanation, please come and ask!

In English we continued our non-chronological report work. The children enjoyed spotting all the features and skills in our “How to be a Knight” example and “cracked the code”. We then received a mysterious message in a glass bottle from Meralda Mermaid of the North Sea! She asked us to write a non-chronological report about mermaids therefore we gathered mermaid facts and began to write sentences including expanded noun phrases and conjunctions. We planned our report and will write it next week.

In SPAG we were introduced to homophones (words that sound the same, but look different and mean different things). Our words were bee/be, sea/see and blue/blew. This is the focus of this week’s SPAG homework.

In Science the children planted beans and made our first entry in our bean diaries. We will be closely observing these beans over our “Living Things and their Habitats” work.

In RE we learnt about the Prophet Muhammad and heard some stories about him including “Muhammad and the Cat”. We thought about what stories like this tell us about the Prophet.

As part of our topic work we will be completing a range of activities through a topic afternoon. These will be Science, Art, DT, Geography and History. This week we began

• Science: looking at different living things in different habitats through a virtual online game and recording our findings.
• Art: investigating different thickness of lines with different paintbrushes and experimenting with tone (adding grey to a colour) and tint (adding white to a colour).
• DT: practising cutting skills and experimenting with how we can shape paper (folding, tearing, curling, rolling).

Over the couple of weeks each child will have opportunity to complete each activity.

Thank you for starting the Read-a-thon this week! It has been lovely to see how many of you have been reading at home. Homework has been sent out accompanied with an explanation letter.

Have a fantastic weekend Year 2! I hope the windy and stormy weather doesn’t ruin any of your plans!

What a quick week we have had!

We started Guided Reading and checked the fluency of your child’s reading to ensure they are on the most accurate book band level for their learning! The children practiced spelling different common exception words (CEW: words that can’t be spelt phonetically) and the days of the week.

We started Singapore Maths. Our first chapter is Numbers to 100 therefore we spent a lot of the week discussing and proving the place value of a number using tens and ones. We learnt how a digit and value are different e.g. 37 has the digit 3 but the value of the 3 is 3 tens so 30. 54 has the digit 4 and the value of the 4 is 4 ones so 4. This can sometimes be confusing for children so using a place value chart is important. At the end of the week we were comparing numbers using the language “greater than, less than and equal to”. Throughout the week we have monitored number formation as some children are writing numbers backwards. This can be common so if you see this at home just correct it!

In English we teach to a text type so our first text focus is “Non-Chronological Reports”. We were detectives on Monday and identified headings, questions, titles, facts and photographs in reports. We read my report about “How to be a Knight” and now know it off by heart. Listening to how a text sounds really helps a child when they come to write it. In our reports we will include 3 skills: different types of sentences (questions and commands), expanded noun phrases and conjunctions (and, because, so, if, that, when, or). We spotted these, practised composing them and wrote them.

In PE we had a quick fitness session on the playground to get our hearts pumping for our new year! In Computing we began our coding focus for this half term “We are Divers” by composing algorithms, debugging and predicting on human robots- us!

In Science the children learnt about the different parts of a plant and how each part has a job/role to play in keeping the plant alive, just like our bodies. As part of our Investigation Over Time we will be observing how a seed develops over time. On Friday morning Micah’s baby sister, Sophie visited with Mrs Woodhouse as they have kindly agreed to let Year 2 continue to see how Sophie develops. We loved watching her crawl quickly and show a real interest using her eyes and voice! Some of us predicted she might be walking when she next visits. Thank you Sophie!

In RE we asked the question “Where is God?” The children painted their responses and some of their ideas were very spiritual. We thought about how Muslims can ask this same question about Allah. We now know Muslims never draw Allah.

We will be monitoring reading for the Read-a-thon from Monday so please ensure you are reading and writing in the reading diary each day for those team points and to help your child progress. Homework will be sent out at the end of next week.

Have a lovely weekend!

Welcome to Year 2! I will be updating this blog and our class page each week with information all about Year 2!

We have had such a brilliant week at school and feel raring to go for the rest of the term. The children have settled really well to their new classroom, new adults and new year group! Year 2 is another step up in terms of learning and expectations so having the children quickly settle into the routine and what is expected is very beneficial! They are a big fan of their own table spots and trays aswell as our topic "Under the Sea" and even things like writing the date themselves in their books! 

The children have recounted their Summer news, familiarised themselves with the spelling and formation of our "Under the Sea" topic words and begun our first Science investigation about how seeds develop. They enjoyed searching, identifying and naming different plants in our surrounding area but also began comparing how a different habitat might affect the look of a plant. We tested our tricky word spelling too. The children had their first RE session thinking about "Who is a Muslim and what do they believe?". We have also practised counting in different multiples such as 2s, 5s, 10s and 3s, aswell as recall number bonds to 10. We found that knowing these means we know many other related number facts. 

e.g. 2 + 8 = 10 so 20 + 80 = 100

                            12 + 8 = 20

                            18 + 2 = 20

We began to look at two books "Imagine You're A Mermaid" which will be the focus of our English work over the coming weeks and the picture book "Flotsam" in our Whole Class Reading. 

Back in Transition Week the children read "Only One You" to help compose our Year 2 Class Rules. The book is full of images of different patterned fish. The children  designed their own patterns for their own fish pebbles. This week we spray painted the pebbles white and then the children used Sharpies to add their design and the results were beautiful! Year 1 have done the same and we are going to display them outside between the two classrooms to add some colour to the increasingly greyer days. 

Next week we will start Guided Reading. The book band level of the home reader your child is bringing home might change/alter as we assess the children in both their fluency and comprehension skills. 

Keep an eye out for a letter sent home regarding general Year 2 information, our routine and expectations. If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact me! Homework will be sent home in a couple of weeks time on Friday 21st September. 

I can't believe how quick the week has gone but I think we are definitely ready for the weekend! Enjoy and see you on Monday Year 2!

This week Year 2 have moved up to Year 3 for a transition week and we welcomed Year 1 into the classroom.

We have been busy getting to know one another, creating classroom rules, thinking about growth mindset and enjoying an introduction to our topic for September and the Autumn Term... Under the Sea! The children have been busy creating artwork and all things underwater for our displays. On Friday we loved the Musical Showcase and our trip to Trinity for our Multi-Skills festival. The week has gone very quickly but it has been a delight to enjoy a glimpse of what the new year will bring! 

Have a fab weekend and see you on Monday for our final week! Where has the year gone?! 

What a busy, active week we have had! In such glorious weather aswell.

We have enjoyed a zumba session, playing rugby with the Worcester Warriors and archery. The children have enjoyed their Multi-Skills sessions with children from Ridgeway and Aston Fields. We all showed lots of courage and confidence when caving! It was lovely to see the children supporting one another. On Friday we had a wonderful time learning to bollywood dance and a lovely ride on Miss Hill's horses!

We have made fruity yoghurt pizzas, frozen banana yoghurts, flags and all things England for the match on Saturday! The children looked at the human body and how each part helps our bodys to work. We thought about the best way to keep each part healthy.

Thank you to everyone who came and cheered their team on Sports Day! 

Next week the children will be spending the week in Year 3 for transition. I will miss them very much!

Have a fab weekend and I hope it is spent celebrating  an England win!

Hello!

In English we finished writing our playscripts. We then read different plays in Guided Reading, practised them and performed to each other. The children were brilliant and have really enjoyed our acting focus for the last two weeks. As a prize, the class were treated to the sequel of "Wanted: The Perfect Pet" called "The Perfect Present". We were going to do some work on this but the children felt very passionate about spending the rest of the week writing a letter to the author Fiona Roberton asking her to write another book...so we did that!

In Maths we have been completing work on money: counting and making different amounts, exchanging money and giving change.

We loved going to Birchensale on Wednesday afternoon for our Multi-Skills event. The children were excellently behaved.

In our assembly and History we explored the life of Nelson Mandela; linking into our Christian value of Justice for this half term. The children reflected on what type of a man and leader he was! We imagined life during apartheid and what it would have felt like. The children then created artwork to present equality.

The children will have come home with their PE kits this week ready for Activity Week from Monday onwards. Please come into school wearing sensible sports gear and on Thursday, in your child's house colour. Hats and water bottles are essential as always!

Have a lovely weekend!