Free tennis lessons
Free tennis lessons (for children and adults) are available locally at David Lloyd and Roundhay Park over the next few months.
What’s happening this week?
Our plant topic continues and we’re starting to see the fruits of our labour.
This week, we’ll see our plants moving outside into planters so see if you can spot them and see how they’re progressing.
Maths – As we’re watching our plants grow, we’re going to practise our ruler skills so that we can measure the height of our plants and continue doing so as they grow. Additionally, we’ll be looking at temperature. When do we measure temperature? How does temperature change throughout the year? How does temperature affect us and the world around us? We shall also look at reading scales on thermometers which will involve our being introduced to negative numbers.
English – After two weeks of writing non-fiction, our creative juices will be flowing again as we take on the character of The Hungry Caterpillar and perform, discuss and write poetry. Help at home by talking about poems you know or like and seeing how much of it you can learn and remember.
This week we begin our new SEAL theme, Changes
Following our focus on manners last week, we now begin the SEAL theme of Changes. This theme aims to equip children with an understanding of different types of change, positive and negative, and common responses to change. It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in three key social and emotional aspects of living and learning: motivation, managing feelings and social skills.
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.
Within school, children, who are coping with or have undergone significant change, are supported in a variety of ways:
- Our positive ethos within school
- Support systems, from staff and peers, for children who have undergone change or who maybe new to the school
- SEAL and circle time sessions where children feel safe to talk about their feelings
- Class SEAL boxes for children to record any concerns
- Preparing children wherever possible for planned changes for example, a change of class teacher, Key Stage or even school
Moortown botanists
Lab coats went on yesterday as we all turned into botanists. It was time to find out once and for what plants need to grow so we set up an experiment. We planted the same seed and gave it different conditions to see which would grow and which would not.
Here are the conditions we set up:
- soil, water, light, warmth, air
- no soil, water, light, warmth, air
- soil, no water, light, warmth, air
- soil, water, no light, warmth, air
- soil, water, light, cold place, air
- soil, water, light, warmth, no air
Plant news
Having planted all sorts of seeds last week, let’s see how they’re getting on. We’ve had them sat on a sunny window sill and they’ve been watered everyday.
The sunflowers have started growing very quickly but we’ve also got tomatoes shooting through the soil and some marigolds and courguette poking through too. They’ll be planted outside next week so you’ll be able to come and have a look.
Making it through the maze.
We’re trying to make our way through mazes in maths by using lots of directional language.
- forward
- backward
- left
- right
- quarter turn
- half turn
- three-quarter turn
- clockwise
- anti-clockwise
Return of Leeds Sky Ride
Join the cycling revolution in Leeds as Sky Ride returns for its third year bringing thousands of cyclists and spectators to a traffic free city centre.
The free family friendly mass-participation bike ride takes place on Sunday 14 June 10am – 3pm. Registration is now open at and people are being encouraged to sign up fast as places are filling up.
Previous years have proved to be very successful attracting more than 8,500 people of all ages and abilities, with many more lining the streets to cheer along friends, relatives and loved ones.
For those not jumping on a bike there is plenty to get involved with thanks to the return of the “Tricks and Tunes” area featuring top DJs as well as pro BMX and mountain bikers performing jaw-dropping stunts not for the faint-hearted.
Riders can look forward to starting from the same point, on The Headrow, as cycling legends during last summer’s “Grandest of Grand Départs”. They will also pass iconic city landmarks from Leeds University to the town hall and First Direct Arena.
Riders can challenge family and friends in the Sprint Zone, experience the sensory tunnel and find out more about cycling opportunities in Leeds. Bike experts at Halfords are offering a free bike safety check to everyone who registers and will be on hand to help out with any last minute problems. Join the cycling revolution in Leeds as Sky Ride returns for its third year bringing thousands of cyclists and spectators to a traffic free city centre.
The event is one of 15 to be held nationally and is part of a continuing partnership between Leeds City Council, British Cycling, Sky and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which aims to encourage more people to get cycling.
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’.
