Year 2 Class News

Observation over time

Over the past few weeks, Year 2 have been growing radish seeds in different conditions in order to find out what seeds need to be healthy. This week, we recorded our results and made conclusions about our experiment.

Prior to recording our results, the children decided that the best way to assess how healthy the plants were was to compare their height and colour.

Through careful observation and diligent measuring, the children recorded their results and then made conclusions about what a plant needs to be healthy, based on their findings.

The children discovered that the plants that received water and sunlight grew the tallest and also looked the healthiest colour. Therefore, they concluded that plants need water and sunlight in order to grow.

We have really enjoyed our science topic this half term and hope that it has encouraged the children to plant more things at home.

Remember to send us pictures of your sunflowers as they grow!

Stamp Competition

This year, Royal Mail are hosting a stamp competition in order to honour the people who have done great things since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Eight designs will be picked by a special panel including none other than Her Majesty the Queen! These winners will be seen by millions of people and there are other cool prizes up for grabs for runners up.

Thank you to everyone who got involved and submitted their creative efforts in appreciation of our COVID heroes. You should be very proud.

Check out some of the many entries below.

E-safety

We have also been learning about how to stay safe online. The children completed a sorting activity where they had to decide whether various online scenarios were safe or unsafe.

After the activity, the children wrote sentences in their books stating what they each do to stay safe online. Here are some examples of their sentences:

I stay safe online by keeping my username and password private.
I stay safe online by only speaking to people that I know.
I stay safe online by telling a trusted adult if something makes me feel upset or worried.
I stay safe online by playing games that are appropriate for my age.

Programming

This week, we have been using Bee-Bots and Blue-Bot devices to test our programming skills.

The children enjoyed completing a series of challenges where they had to put their algorithm and directional knowledge to the test.

I was really impressed with how well the children worked as a team – ensuring that every child had a fair turn to test their algorithms whilst also helping and supporting their teammates when it was needed.

If the algorithms didn’t work, we used our debugging skills to fix the problem.

After-school club availability

Our after-school clubs return from next week and we still have some places available. It is not too late if you would like to book your child on. Clubs are mainly based on your child’s class bubble at the moment.

Monday

Year 6 dodgeball (starting 24 May)

Year 2 multi-skills

Tuesday

Year 2 Wake up Shake up

Year 3 football

Wednesday

Year 4 Wake up Shake up

Thursday

Year 1 multi-skills

Friday

Year 4/5 multi-games

Please check on School Gateway or contact the office for more details.

Planting

This half term, Year 2 have been learning about plants in Science.

100 skips

This week, Year 2 took part in their Captain Tom 100 challenge by completing 100 skips in the playground. The class really enjoyed the challenge and some children even carried on skipping after they had reached 100!

All of the funds that were raised from this event have gone to our new school charity, Dogs Trust. Thank you for all your donations.

Living and Learning: Sun Safety

Year 2 have been learning about about sun safety in our living and learning session this week. We have been reading the text below daily to help us know how to reduce the risk of sun damage.  

The children used the text to create posters. We are going to to stick  them on our living and learning display to help us remember how to stay safe in the sun.

Living and Learning: health and prevention

Across school, our current Living and Learning topic is all about health and prevention which forms part of the new statutory Health Education. Here are the objectives for the children to learn by the end of Year 6.

Year 1 and 2 will be focusing their learning on sun safety and sleep but as dental hygiene is also part of this learning, the children will soon be bringing home their own toothbrush and toothpaste.

Here is some information you might want to read with your child to talk about this at home.

Summer term

Welcome back!

We’ve already had a busy start and it is set to continue. Here is a quick overview of what we’ve already been doing and what’s coming up.

Writing

In writing, we’ve been recapping different sentence types.

Inspired by the novel, ‘The Boy Who Grew Dragons’, the children will be applying their knowledge to writing about a beast and what you need to do to grow it.

We’re going to be recapping expanded noun phrases and conjunctions. Also, the children will be learning how to edit and improve their writing so that it is ready for Year 3.

Maths 

In maths, we will be revisiting a range of addition and subtraction topics.

• Adding and subtracting across 10.
• Solving addition and subtraction problems.
• Adding and subtracting within 100.

Not only this, we will be continuing number facts learning as well as practicing our 2, 3, 5 and 10 times tables.

PE

The children have been enjoying learning the basics of hockey.

Science 

The children will be investigating, observing and describing  how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants. They will find out and describe how plants need water, light and suitable temperature to grow and be healthy. Below is the specific vocabulary that will be used in our science lessons. Talk about these words at home. Does your child know any of them? Can you child tell you the definitions?

• seeds
• bulbs
• temperature
• growth
• survival
• healthy
• mature
• plants

In our first session, we looked at the inside of a fruit and identified the seeds.

Computing Topic        

The children will be learning about computer programming. They are going to discover what an algorithm is and what it needs to work effectively. We will be creating and debugging simple programs and  will use logical reasoning to predict what will happen when an algorithm is executed.

In some of our lessons, we have regular ongoing online safety messages. These are usually prompts and reminders about the important of staying safe on and offline. Asking for a person’s consent is very important and this is something we regularly rehearse.

May I take your photo?

Yes, of course you can.

Would you mind if we show your learning to the whole class?

No, I really don’t want to share it.

As well as programming, the children will be having specific lessons about the following;

Age Restrictions

• I know that some online activities have age restrictions because they have content which is not appropriate.

Digital Content
• I am beginning to understand what a digital footprint is.

Misinformation, disinformation and hoaxes
• I know that I shouldn’t believe everything I see or read online.
Fake websites and scam emails
• I know that some websites have secure markings (eg padlock symbol next to URL) that makes them more trustworthy.
Password safety
• I know that passwords are important and that I should not share them. Personal data
• I know that I’m too young to share personal information (eg full name, address, school, age) online.
Persuasion
• I know that there are adverts online which, if clicked on, may take me away from the page I’m looking at.
Online vs. offline behaviours
• I know that people should treat others respectfully when they are online.
• I know what to do if someone is mean to me or someone else online.
Impact on quality of life
• I know that being online offers lots of positives but that
there needs to be a balance between time being spent on
and offline.

Below is the vocabulary that links to the computing topic.