Spectacular Sycamores and Helpful Hollies

Spectacular Sycamores 

Teacher  – Mrs Moore

 Teaching Assistant – Mrs Thackray

Helpful Hollies

Teacher – Miss Walker

Teaching Assistant –Miss Torrance and Mrs McGrath

 

Welcome to Year 2. During this year we continue to develop on the independence and Firsy Values that the children have been taught in Year 1. We have lots of exciting things planned for the year ahead as well as the Year 2 SATs in May. Year 2 is a busy but fun year for the children.

 

Key Stage 1 Curriculum Overview 

Long term plan sept 2019

Spring 2 2020

Our next topic focuses on Seasonal change, common trees and flowers and the growth of seeds and bulbs. The children will learn how to conduct a scientific experiment and record their findings. In Art the children will be looking at the works of Georgia O’Keeffe where they will learn a range of different skills such as shading, colour mixing and how to make observation sketches of flowers.  They will then create a final painting of a flower, displaying the skills and knowledge they have learned and compare their final picture with the work of Georgia O’Keeffe.

In RE we will be looking at Christianity 

 

English – Quality Text

Our Quality text for this term in English is ‘The Flower’ by John Light. Through Talk for Writing the children will  build up a range of different skills to enable them to write a Rags to Riches tale. They will be writing stories, including different types of sentences, adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions. In addition to this the children will learn and perform a piece of poetry. They will look at the features of the poem and learn how to write their own. 

 At Firs we encourage reading for pleasure and if you would like to read these books at home with your child please do so.

 

Spring 1 2020

Our next topic introduces us to different animals from pets at home to animals that live in the zoo.  This half term the children will be learning about different habitats, what animals like to eat and where they sleep. 

In Music the children will be focusing on the unit ‘Zootime’ from Charanga. During this topic the children will learn to sing, play and compose music. They will also build on skills from previous lesson and use these skills to listen and appraise different styles of Reggae music.

In Science we will be looking at habitats, life cycles, food chains and the basic needs of animals. 

In RE we will be learning about Hinduism. 

 

Linking Science with Art and D&T.

In Science the children  have been learning about different animals and their habitats. In D&T the children designed and made their own habitat using a range of different materials. They then  linked their knowledge of sculpting to create an animal to go in their habitat. The children used different tools to mould and shape the clay.

English – Quality text 

Our Quality text for this term in English is The Tiger who came to tea by Judith Kerr. The children will also be using the knowledge they have learnt throughout the topic to write their own non-fiction book.

This half term in English we will be focusing on co-ordinations (or, and, but) and subordinations (when, if, that, because) to join sentences together. We will also be learning how we can use adjectives, adverbs and tenses within our writing. 

At Firs we encourage reading for pleasure and if you would like to read these books at home with your child please do so.

Talk 4 Writing

Mrs Moore and Miss Walker planned a lovely afternoon tea for Year 2 on Tuesday but when they entered the classroom the food had all gone and the room was a mess! Who could it have been?…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday the children tweeted Pie Corbett with their dilemma and guess what……he tweeted back….

Our Memorable experience

The children in Year 2 enjoyed a Trip to the Peak Wild Life Center. They learnt about a range of different animals and their habitats. 

Christmas at Firs

During Autumn 2 the children enjoyed taking part in different activities to develop our Cultural capital. In Year 2 we were very lucky to visit the cinema to watch the ‘Grinch’, make gingerbread men and decorate them (we even washed up afterwards!) and we even had a surprise visit from Santa. 

In the last week we enjoyed having Christmas dinner with our friends and watching a fantastic performance of ‘Robin Hood’. To finish off the term we performed our song ‘When Santa got stuck up the chimney’ to the whole school at the Christmas Extravaganza. 

Autumn 2 2019

Our next topic introduces us to a range of real life superheros from the past and present. This half term the children will be learning about Amelia Earhart, Nelson Mandela, Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale and Greta Thurnburg. In art the children will be learning about Pop art and using the computers to find facts about different artists who specialise in Pop Art.

In Science we will be looking at hygiene and how to stay healthy. 

In RE we will be learning about celebrations and in particular Diwali.

Quality texts   

Our Quality texts for this term in English are Traction Man by Mini Grey and Non-Fiction texts on Amelia Earhart. We will be writing stories, biographies, persuasive text as well as learning about how we can use adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions within our writing.  At Firs we encourage reading for pleasure and if you would like to read these books at home with your child please do so.

Talk 4 Writing

As part of Talk for Writing we start each new book with a Hook. The purpose of the Hook is to create a love of reading. This week lots of things went missing in Mrs Moore’s and Miss Walkers classroom. The children went on a superhero quest to find the items. They found all but one! Then they received a special parcel containing ‘Traction Man’….could he help the children complete their mission….?

Autumn 1 2019

 

Our first topic takes us on an exciting journey to the city of London where we will be learning all about the big city and the Great Fire of London. The children will be learning how to study maps and find the capital cities of the UK

In Science the children will explore different materials and their properties. 

In RE we will be basing our learning around the question ‘Who is a Hindu?’

To introduce our topic we had an exciting memorable experience where we made sandwiches and flags. We then went outside and held a Royal Tea Party in the playground. We listened to music by Elgar and learnt how to bow and curtsy ready for when the Queen visits!

Memorable experience

To end our topic ‘Bright Lights Big Cities we held our own ‘Great Fire of London’. As part of D&T the children designed and made their own Tudor houses. We then created Pudding lane and watched as the fire spread.

Quality texts  

Our Quality texts for this term in English are The Queen’s hat by Steve Anthony and Non-Fiction texts on The Great Fire of London. We will be writing set descriptions, talking about how we can use adjectives and conjunctions within our writing. The children will also be learning how to write non-fiction text such as Newspaper reports, Instructions and Diary entries.  At Firs we encourage reading for pleasure and if you would like to read these books at home with your child please do so.

 

Talk for Writing

As part of Talk for Writing the children have had lots of fun creating Freeze Frames based on a non-fiction text.

Reading

We aim to develop a love of reading in every child. Every day your child will come home with a reading book which can be read in addition to other books you may have at home or from the local Library. Please write in your child’s reading diary when you have heard them read and ensure they bring their book back every day. There reading book will be changed at least once a week.

Class Dojo Master

In each of the classes the children have voted for who they would like to be their class dojo master. Class dojos are rewarded for good behaviour. Dojo masters will attend meetings each half term where they will represent their class.

School Council 

Gold book

Each week two children will be picked to go in the Gold book. One child will be picked for their learning and the second for respecting the FIRSY values. Each week the focus on the Firsy Value will change.

Useful Information

Dates for your diary

Year 2 trip to Peak Wildlife Park – Friday 31st January 

https://www.peakwildlifepark.co.uk/

Home learning

Each week your child will receive English and Maths home learning activities. These will be given out on a Friday and should be returned by the following Wednesday. 

In addition to this each Half Term your child will be given a topic home learning grid. If your child can complete three or more tasks on the grid they will be awarded a certificate and a prize at the end of the half term.

 

Homework superheroes

SATs Tests

In May 2020 every child in Year 2 will be taking part in the Key Stage 1 SATS tests. In total they take 4 tests

Maths – Arithmetic and Reasoning

English – Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar and Reading.

  

Key words the children need to be able to spell 

Useful website to help at home

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-practice-materials – Scroll down fro KS1 Papers.

https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/levels/z3g4d2p 

PE

PE will be every Monday afternoon. Please sent your child to school with their own PE Kit. This will be kept in school and sent home at the end of each half term.