Getting green-fingered
We kicked off our Green Fingers topic this week by planting some seeds. It was really interesting to see how the seeds were different shapes and sizes and it helped us to understand where they came from. Grace liked how different the Marigold seeds were (long and thin) and Farai really wanted to try eating a sunflower seed.
Hopefully, we’re green fingered enough to keep our seeds warm, watered and with plenty of sunlight to help them grow.
What’s going on this week?
Welcome back to our final term of Year 2!
This week sees the beginning of our new topic, Green Fingers. We’ll be exploring the world of plants, hoping to understand what plants need to grow and be able to name common flowers and trees. While you’re walking around, notice the plants you pass and discuss how they are different or similar to each other. We’ll be getting our hands dirty by planting lots of different seeds for us to look after until the end of the year.
Maths
As usual for the beginning of a half term, we revisit basic understanding of number. Are numbers odd or even? How many tens and how many units? Can we count confidently in 2s, 5s, and 10s? Practise at home by counting as you walk up the stairs and using tables to solve related division facts (if 4 x 5 = 20 then 20 / 5 = 4).
English
We’re getting bossy as we explore instructions in English. Can we follow instructions to create our own cress heads? Do we know the main features of instructions (title, what you will need, numbers, sequence of inst, diagram/picture)? Can we use these features to write own clear instructions? At home, see where we use instructions in everyday life. Do you have any recipes or Lego model guides lying around that you could discuss together?
SEAL Changes and manners
As we enter our final half term, the next SEAL theme looks at Changes, starting from next week.
This week, we begin with a focus on manners and I cover my mouth (when I cough, sneeze or yawn) is our weekly statement.
The ‘Vampire method’ can help to prevent germs spreading. By coughing or sneezing into our elbow, germs are not spread into the air or on our hands which may contaminate other things.
Here is how it’s done.
Don’t forget to ‘use your sleeve to cough and sneeze’.
Walk Leeds walking festival
Following our Walk to School week, Walk Leeds is a week-long walking festival from the 31 May to 07 June.
The Walks Diary lists all the walks taking place.
696 journeys on foot
As we come to the end of Walk to School Week, there have been 696 journeys to school on foot and the class competition was very close.
- Reception 118
- Year 1 107
- Year 2 80
- Year 3 111
- Year 4 107
- Year 5 100
- Year 6 73
So, winning by just seven journeys, Reception will receive the martial arts session with John from White Rose Martial Arts, who runs one of our after-school clubs, after the half term break.
Here are some comments made by children about their journeys to school on foot:
- ‘The walk made me feel happy and energetic.’
- ‘We enjoyed meeting friends on the way and looking at different types of houses.’
- ‘We felt safe because there were safe places to cross and a lolly pop lady too.’
- ‘I felt fresh, awake and ready to learn.’
- ‘We enjoyed talking about the day ahead.’
- ‘There was no cost involved and we picked up litter on the way.’
- ‘We made a difference by leaving the car at home.’
- ‘We had fun by learning spellings and times tables.’
- ‘It was quicker and we didn’t get stuck in any traffic.’
- ‘We had great talking time, time to plan the day and after-school activities.’
We’re sure you’ll agree these are all great benefits of walking to school. Have a look at our walk to school video for some more facts to persuade you to use a sustainable method of travelling to school, in turn reducing congestion at the school gates.
Well done to our Where’s Wally? competition winners, too.
Let’s hope these numbers increase over the summer months along with journeys by bike and scooter.
Sign language
We used no words this morning, turning instead to our hands for communication. As part of Community Week, we’ve thought about how communities are diverse in terms of different genders, race, age, religion and disabilities. Year 2 really tried to empathise with those who might be deaf or dumb, imagining the difficulties they might face and how these might be overcome. To help us understand, we tried out British Sign Language and, actually, we were pretty good!
Here are some of the things we learnt…
and we learnt some letters too..
Test us at home and see what can remember.
Walk to School Week
Walk to School Week will run alongside our themed week where children are encouraged to take a walk in the community on their way to school, maybe even picking up a piece of litter on the way.
Two walk to school competitions will run over the week – firstly, the return of our Where’s Wally challenge (using our walk to school website video) and also a reward for the class who make the most journeys to school on foot during the week.
Each day your child walks to school they should put a counter in their class’ totaliser jar. Even by parking further away from school your child could then to do the final part of their journey by foot. By Friday, the class with the most journeys to school on foot will win a martial arts session with John Weatherall, White Rose martial arts.
We hope you will support this initiative in helping children make a healthy start to their day and also helping towards reducing congestion at our gates.
Who do you think you are?
Our next whole school themed week, based around identity, diversity and community, will be taking place next week, from Monday 18 May 2015.
A variety of events and visitors are planned to help us deliver this key aspect of education.
Events during the week will include looking at our own identity including belonging and body image, diversity of people around us – this might include race, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender. There will be various visitors to support this. Classes will also be getting out into the community working with local organisations such as our local charity, St Gemma’s Hospice; local care homes; Moortown Community Group; and taking pride in the local community by litter-picking.
Identity day
Following a suggestion from one of our school councillors, Friday 22 May will be a non-uniform identity day. Children are invited to dress in clothing that represents part of their identity, for example uniform from a club they attend; a team they are part of or support; or traditional dress to represent their heritage. We invite a £1 voluntary donation and proceeds will be shared between St Gemma’s Hospice and the Nepal earthquake appeal.
Who do you think we are?
Do you think you’d recognise some of our staff in their early years? This photo competition will run throughout the week with details to follow separately. Again, proceeds will be shared between St Gemma’s Hospice and the Nepal earthquake appeal.
We’ll keep you up to date about events during the week through Twitter and the class news pages on our website. It’s going to be a busy week!
Our website and Twitter continue to keep you up to date with key community events. Upcoming events include the Roundhay Park Fun Run on 20 June and the PTA Summer Fair on 04 July. We hope you can support these.
Hedgehog habitats
On Friday, we looked at what would make a good habitat for a hedgehog. We decided it would need to be warm, dry and sturdy so, with the materials we could find, we worked in teams to make our own.
We were pretty proud of our final hedgehog houses and Mossy the hedgehog seemed to like them, too!
Mrs Burke was so impressed that she’s put them in Reception’s nature garden to see if any hedgehogs decide to move in. It also gives Year 2 the chance to be the teacher, passing on all of their knowledge about nocturnal animals to Reception. Stay tuned to see if we have any visitors.
What’s going on? 11.05.15
For the week beginning 11 May, our topic continues to focus on night time but we’re really exploring the animal world. Bats, foxes, badger, owls and hedgehogs will be the topic of conversation as we think about describing what they look like as well as thinking about how they behave. Lots of us have wondered why they come out at night so we shall focus on how these animals are adapted to night time.
Maths
Everyone will revisit multiplication and division this week. It’s great to look at them together so that we can understand them as opposites. Practise times tables at home (particularly 5s as this will be our test on Friday), thinking about how we can use this to know division facts too eg 4 x 5 = 20, so 20 / 5 = 4. When do you use division and multiplication at home? Maybe when you’re sharing sweets or making a recipe bigger to feed the whole family.
English
Unfortunately, we’ll be delving into Mr Twit’s revolting beard! I wonder how many synonyms for disgusting we can learn and if we can remember all of the food that gets stuck in his bristly hair. Ask your child what they think about Mr Twit and why they think that using events from the book.
If you have any questions, pop in and see us.
