Trapped in the ice!
In a Science lesson this week, we investigated how we could release some people who were trapped in ice!
Children had to think about how they could release the people. There were lost of suggestions: smashing the ice, melting it by using hot water, the sun, a radiator, using salt, using the warmth from our hands.
We tested some of these and measured how quickly the ice was melting by measuring how much water had melted and how much they had melted by observing them carefully.
James Mayhew Homework
Thanks for all the letters and emails to James Mayhew. We’ve even had a response from the author to Will’s email!
Below are some of our favourite homeworks. A special mention to Albie’s letter and Harris’ email which were also chosen as favourites.
STEM themed week
Year 2 have had a busy start to our STEM themed week. Can your child remember what STEM stands for?
Firstly, Mrs Garside visited us and we made our own cupbots. Using cups, pens, a battery and a motor we had to use our problem solving and thinking skills to make the cupbots draw a picture. This certainly tested our resilience but the children worked together to get some great results.
Our next visitor was Lucy, from Marks & Spencers, and we found out all about their famous melt in the middle chocolate puddings. We learnt how the pudding was designed and tested to make sure it was the perfect pudding. To make it last longer, an ingredient called an emulsifier is added and we observed the effect of this ingredient. Finally, we had chance to do some tasting!
We are all very excited about our class STEM project. All will be revealed at the end of the week, at the STEM fair, but for now here is how we have been testing the prototype.
Year 2 famous artists for a day
This afternoon saw the opening of the Year 2 Art Gallery. Thank you to all family who came to visit. We hope you enjoyed seeing all the amazing work Year 2 have produced during our Katie and… topic.
You could have a read of the books that helped us create all of this fantastic art.
You could put on your headphones and listen to the pieces of music (Adagio for Strings and O Fortuna) and then show the different emotions in your art.
You could take a vote on your favourite piece of art.
You could spend the time viewing the many pieces of artwork.
We hope you enjoyed our hands on live poppy field art for Remembrance Day.
Did you attempt some spirograph art? It’s not as easy as it looks!
Thank you for the donations to our school charities, Leeds Mind and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
We have been very impressed with the engagement and enthusiasm from the children throughout this topic. We will miss Katie and her adventures.
Anti-bullying tips
Thank you, Emma (Year 2) for recommending CBBC for lots of Anti-Bullying Week advice.
‘Power for good’
Next week is national Anti-Bullying Week.
The theme this year is ‘Power for Good‘ with the following key aims:
- To support children and young people to use their Power for Good – by understanding the ways in which they are powerful and encouraging individual and collective action to stop bullying and create the best world possible.
- To help parents and carers to use their Power for Good – through supporting children with issues relating to bullying and working together with schools to stop bullying.
- To encourage all teachers, school support staff and youth workers to use their Power for Good– by valuing the difference they can make in a child’s life, and taking individual and collective action to prevent bullying and create safe environments where children can thrive.
Our school definition has recently been reviewed by the School Council and remains unchanged.
‘Bullying is when you hurt someone, physically or emotionally, several times on purpose.’
We also encourage children to use their ‘Power for Good’, if they were to experience or witness bullying, by using another STOP message, start telling other people.
In class, children will discuss these aspects of bullying:
- Our definition of bullying (above)
- Types of bullying – cyber-bullying and prejudice-based bullying related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion and belief, special educational need and disability
- What to do if children experience bullying. The key message is to tell someone (start telling other people)
Recently the School Council responded to this question, ‘What would you do if you were bullied‘?
- ‘Start telling other people – tell someone who I trust and who I can talk to.’
- ‘I would tell someone I trust (family member, member of staff or friend).’
- ‘If I were bullied, I’d tell my parents, a friend, a teacher and if nothing changed I would phone ChildLine (08001111).’
- ‘I’d tell a teacher, maybe a friend and put in a worry in the ‘worry box’. Also, I’d tell a parent.’
- ‘I would tell anyone I trust: my friends, my mum or dad or a member of staff. They could sort it straight away.’
- ‘I’d tell my mummy and daddy.’
All classes have access to their class SEAL box or a whole school worry box where they can tell an adult any concerns about bullying or any other issues.
For further support, bullying resources can be found at…
- http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/resources/disablist-bullying/resources-for-parents/
- http://www.childline.org.uk/explore/bullying/pages/bullying.aspx
- http://www.bullying.co.uk/advice-for-parents/
- http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/worried_about_your_child/bullying
Moortown’s artists
We’d love to see you next Tuesday to share our learning from our Katie and…topic. Art gallery open 2:45-3:30pm.
Christmas dinner themed menu
Catering Leeds, our school meal provider, will be running a special Christmas themed menu on Thursday 15 December.
Please contact the office, by 30 November, if your child would like a school dinner on this day.
8 Rs for learning – our new SEAL theme
This half-term, we’re thinking about the ‘8 Rs for learning’. This theme is about promoting good learning behaviour for your child.
Each week, we’ll focus on different ‘Rs’. We use an animal to symbolise each ‘R’, which might help your child remember all eight – can your child remember which animal matches the correct ‘R’?
You can support your child at home – we’ve listed a few ideas to help you below. Ask us if you’ve any questions or comments.
Download top tips for promoting the 8Rs for good learning behaviour.
I take a safe risk.
Talk about the difference between a safe and unsafe risk. At school, we want your child to take a safe risk by having a go at answering, even if unsure; trying something new and attempting harder learning.
I take responsibility for my own learning.
Provide time and space at home so your child is able to organise themselves: their PE kit, reading book, homework, spellings and tables… Don’t organise everything for them!
Make a link between rights and responsibilities: your child has the right to a great education, but needs to be responsible for their own learning.
I respond to feedback.
Ask your child if they remember their ‘stars’ and ‘steps’ in English and Maths.
I can show I am ready to learn.
Make sure your child is at school for a prompt start of 08:50.
Make sure your child has had plenty of sleep so they are alert and ready to learn at all times.
Encourage your child to ask lots of questions – that shows they want to learn!
I am resourceful.
Encourage your child to be organised so they can play with a range of different toys.
Encourage your child to try new ways to solve a tricky problem.
I am resilient.
Encourage your child to keep going! Set a tricky challenge or puzzle for your child to do.
Encourage your child to think of different ways of doing things.
Don’t let your child win when they play a game – they need to experience losing, too!
Celebrate mistakes as opportunities to learn – be happy that your child found some learning hard and encourage them to ‘bounce back’ and learn from the experience.
I remember.
Make sure they have time to learn spellings, number bonds and times tables – a little practice daily is best.
Play memory games:
Kim’s game: show them objects for 30 seconds… can they remember all the objects?
Can they build up the sequence, ‘I went to the shop and I bought an apple’… ‘I went to the shop and I bought an apple and a bike.’… ‘I went to the shop and I bought an apple, a bike and a cucumber.’ etc … Take turns!
I reflect about my learning.
Talk with your child about what they’ve learnt, asking questions about:
how they learnt
why they learnt it
when they’ll use their learning
how they would teach this to someone else
what learning might link with what they’ve learnt today etc
York Art Gallery
After reading all about Katie’s adventures in art galleries and museums, in our class novel topic, we enjoyed a class trip to the York Art Gallery. We were very impressed by the children’s behaviour, interest and knowledge throughout the visit. Here is a snapshot of the day.
