This week’s poem – Pile of Leaves
This week our poem was called Pile of Leaves by Denise Rodgers. In writing this week, we’ve been looking closely at adjectives and we were able to spot lots in our poem – big, plump, crinkly, red, gold and brown.
Living & Learning: democracy
This week, our Living and Learning has been around one of the British Values, democracy.
We use voting within the classroom. For example, what class reward the children would like or which book to read at the end of the day but this week it’s our Junior Leadership Team elections so all the children had a difficult decision to make when giving their vote at the polling station.
Year 2 did a fantastic job delivering their speeches to be elected for the Junior Leadership Team (JLT). The children thought about what would make them a good leader and what ideas they’d bring to the JLT.
Every child had their democratic vote by deciding who they’d like to see represent our class in the JLT.
Help at home: think about voting and why it is a fair way to make a decision. Are there any times you vote at home?
Half term football opportunity
Here’s a new football venture starting locally during half term.
Science: hygiene experiment
Yesterday, we worked as scientists by conducting an experiment to test the importance of washing our hands. We began by speaking about germs and how these can make us very poorly. To stop germs spreading, we discussed ways we can be hygienic…
We should wash our hands.
We can wash our face.
We should shower or bath.
We should brush our teeth twice a day.
We should sneeze and cough into our elbows.
To test how effective hand washing is, we conducted an experiment using bread. We had a control slice which we didn’t touch, a dirty slice which we all touched without washing our hands and a clean slice which we touched after washing our hands with soap and water.
We’ll be observing the bread over time to see how the mould grows on each slice. Stay tuned for our results….
Living & Learning: Me and my community week 2 November
Our next whole school themed week, based around identity, diversity and community, will be taking place from Monday 2nd November. This is the first of two themed weeks in the year. In our ‘Me and My Community’ week, children will learn about what it means to belong to a community, from family to national or even international communities. Importantly, our children will also learn to respect and celebrate different communities.
Active travel in the community
We encourage children to get out in the community in an active way on their way to and from school. By walking/scooting/biking to school, families will be keeping our community safer and healthier by reducing congestion at the school gate. Maybe even pick up a piece of litter on the way. Even by parking further away from school your child could then travel the final part of their journey by foot, bike or scooter.
Email us ([email protected]) a picture of your active travel, maybe by a landmark in our community on your route to school, for the chance to win one of three vouchers. Entries to be submitted by 4pm on Thursday 5th November.
New school charity
At the end of the themed week, classes will have the chance to discuss our charity shortlist and the Junior Leadership Team will have the final vote for which charity they would like our school to support, replacing our current charity, Martin House Hospice.
Identity day
Friday 6th November 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. There is no donation or contribution required for this day.
SAVE THE DATE PTA coffee morning Friday 6th November 9-10am
As part of the week, we welcome all parents and carers to an informal coffee morning to meet other members of our school community including representatives from the PTA. A whole school community Wake up Shake up will follow at 9:50am in the main playground.
Can you help?
Maybe you speak another language and you would be happy to speak to children about this or you would like to share about your own family culture and heritage. If so, please contact the office to pass on your details. Also, do you have any local community links that may support our week?
This week’s poem – Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
This week our poem was called Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf by Roald Dahl. It’s a poem inspired by the famous fairy tale. This week, we discussed the direct speech used in the poem and how we can change our voice when we read this. For example, the word ‘cried‘ helps us know how to read Grandma’s line.
Maths: outdoor learning
Maths was taken outdoors today for some hands-on learning!
Your children have been learning how to mark and explain numbers 20-99 on a number line. Today we explored those numbers through the concept of length.
We used chalk and metre sticks to draw out a full metre. When then explored dividing these lines into halves and tenths to help us actively explore and understand numbers from 20 to 99.
Help at home: give your child a number between 20-99 and ask them…
What is the previous number? What is the next number?
What is the previous multiple of ten? What is the next multiple of ten?
This week’s poem – There was an Old Man with a Beard
This week our poem was There was an Old Man with a Beard by Edwards Lear. This poem is from The Book of Nonsense.
Year 2 will be reading this poem to the school in assembly next week as part of National Poetry Day. This poem has been sent home today on your child’s homework so help at home by practising this poem with your child. Make sure to encourage expression and voice projection.
Writing: Vlad and the Great Fire of London
This is Year 2’s current class novel – Vlad and the Great Fire of London by Kate and Sam Cunningham. We’ve been reading and using this book for our writing learning.
Today, your children wrote some excellent sentences about what happens in our story. Take a look at some of their fantastic writing…
Help at home: ask your child to explain the story in 3 key sentences.
This week’s poem – The Great Fire of London
This week our poem was a few stanzas from The Great Fire of London by Paul Perro. This poem links to our History topic.
Our focus words were billowed and awoke.