Dancing raisins
In our Food mini-topic so far, we’ve been learning about sources of food, where in the world our food comes from, different food groups and which are the most important for our health (check out the Eat Well Guide). Today, we became scientists to carry out an experiment with a type of food – raisins.
The children suggested their own question to test using different equipment and resources provided. It was great to see the progress the children have made with their scientific questioning throughout the year. The chosen test was to see what happened when we put raisins in the still water and the fizzy water. After using another key scientific skill, predicting, we started our test by making sure it was fair, too.
The results were dancing raisins in the fizzy water!
Our observation skills were needed to watch what was happening to the raisins and the bubbles. After the investigation, there were some great suggestions about what we could test next. Isabella wondered what might happen if we tried it in apple or orange juice?
Finally, we did some mindful eating (using our senses) to try some raisins. Most of us were able to wait until we actually tasted them!
American Independence Day themed menu
Catering Leeds, our school meal provider, will be running a special American Independence themed menu on Wednesday 05 July.
Please contact the office by Friday 16 June if your child would like a school dinner on this day.
Capacity finding
We’ve been making a mess this morning in our maths lesson. Children had to find the capacity of different containers in litres. First they estimated the capacity and then used a litre measuring jug to find how close their estimates were.
Measuring, comparing and observing
As part of the Year 2 learning on capacity/volume, we’ve been measuring and comparing today. Hopefully, your child has been looking at labels at home to compare volumes of everyday household things.
By the end of Year 2, this is what the children should be able to do.
Choose and use appropriate standard units to estimate and measure length/height in any direction (m/cm); mass (kg/g); temperature (°C); capacity (litres/ml) to the nearest appropriate unit, using rulers, scales, thermometers and measuring vessels.
Compare and order lengths, mass, volume/capacity and record the results using >, < and =.
Concert in Year 2
We had a short concert in the classroom this afternoon showcasing the guitar skills of one of our classmates.
The playing was almost as impressive as the understanding of how to read music.
SEAL theme – Changes
We start this half term with a focus on manners.
Our SEAL statement is I cover my mouth (when I yawn, cough, sneeze).
For coughing and sneezing we have referred to the vampire method of sneezing into your elbow rather than a hand. After introducing this method a few years ago, it is great to see children now doing this without reminders.
During this half term, we start to think about changes the children will experience in school in terms of moving class, key stage and even school.
This SEAL theme tackles the issue of change and aims to equip children with an understanding of different types of change, positive and negative, and common responses to change. The key ideas and concepts behind this theme are:
- Change can be uncomfortable, because it can threaten our basic needs to feel safe and to belong
- Change can also be stimulating and welcome
- Both adults and children can experience a range of powerful and conflicting emotions as a result of change – for example, excitement, anxiety, uncertainty, loss, anger, resentment
- Worries about change can be made worse by uncertainty, lack of information, or misinformation and lack of support from others
- People’s responses to and ability to cope with change are very variable, and might be influenced by individual temperament, previous experience of change, and the nature of the change – chosen or imposed, expected or unexpected, within our control or out of our control
Some children may welcome most forms of change and dislike routine and predictability. Other children may find even small changes very difficult.
Perhaps you can support your child’s learning by discussing at home any current and future changes, too.
Dogs Trust
We had a visit from the Dogs Trust yesterday who taught us how to stay safe around dogs.
Scooter safety training
Thank you to Anne from Leeds City Council road safety department who provided lots of safety advice for riding a scooter today.
The first job was to make sure we were safe to scoot by checking safety helmets were fitted correctly and listening carefully to the instructions for the training. Children then followed the playground course making sure they were keeping a safe distance between scooters.
We look forward to some of the children developing these skills in the scooter after-school club starting after half term.
Staying Safe week so far
Our themed week has been jam-packed so far with visits from NSPCC, d:side drug education, Moortown Fire Service, Leeds City Council Road Safety team, Canal and Rivers Trust and Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative.
Children have also worked with different classes to take part in safety carousels including food safety, sun safety, water safety, first aid, safety in the home and the importance of safety helmets.
Ask your child about all the learning they have experienced so far.
Still to come is One Day Creative (e-safety drama workshops), local PCSOs, Dogs Trust and an outdoor adventure day for Year 6 at Yeadon Tarn.
Year 5 and 6 parents are invited to watch the e-safety workshop showback at 2:30pm on Thursday.
The weather has certainly helped to encourage lots of children to travel to school in a sustainable way on foot, by bike or scooter. There are two more days to register your journey to school to be in the prize draw for vouchers for each class.
d:side
D:side, a drug education provider, have worked with all classes this week as part of our Staying Safe themed week.
In Year 2, we started by looking at similarities and differences in our appearance.
We then considered what should and shouldn’t go into our body before identifying and naming internal parts of the body. The test was could we remember their position in the body?
We finished our learning with a special person car wash. This was a chance for all the class to show how they value others by telling them a compliment as they passed through the ‘car wash’. The smiles show how much they feel valued!
