Year 2 Class News

Living and Learning: new school charity

Posted on Friday 17 November 2023 by Mrs Taylor

Every year, we vote for a new school charity to support and this week is the start of the selection process.

Our new charity will replace our current school charity St Gemma’s Hospice. An amazing £1500 has been raised for this great, local cause.

Whole school homework this week is to consider the following shortlist of charities.

The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund

The main objective of the charity is to enhance the quality of care and support available to babies, young children and adult congenital cardiac patients, who are treated at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit, based at Leeds General Infirmary. https://www.chsf.org.uk

Zarach

We receive referrals through our network of schools. We deliver a bed bundle for every child in the household that requires it; this includes a brand-new Bed, Mattress, Duvet, Pillow, Bed Sheets, Pyjamas and Hygiene Kit. We work with local partners to include Food Parcels and, if needed, a school uniform. We can also mediate between families and their support services, as well as making referrals. https://zarach.org/

Leeds Hospitals Charity

To further any charitable purpose or purposes relating to the general or any specific purposes of Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust or the purposes of the National Health Service. https://www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk

Simon on the Streets

Objectives are to: 1) prevent and relieve hardship and need and distress amongst those who are homeless and rootless by the provision of practical and emotional support, in particular but not exclusively to those who are sleeping rough or who are unwilling or unable to accept existing provision; 2) educate the public concerning the problems of social isolation and homelessness. https://simononthestreets.co.uk/

Trussell Trust

The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of food banks and together we provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. www.trusselltrust.org

Mind (The National Association for Mental Health)

We provide information and support, campaign to improve policy and attitudes and, in partnership with independent local Minds, develop and provide local services. https://www.mind.org.uk/

The charities will be reviewed in class on Thursday 23 November. Each class will vote for one charity which will be brought to the Junior Leadership Team who will have the final vote on Friday 24 November.

Design and technology food: banana sandwich

Posted on Thursday 16 November 2023 by Mrs Taylor

This week, Year 2 have been using their food preparation skills to create their latest product, a banana sandwich.

This forms part of our Design and Technology food learning which involves following a recipe to create a product each term.

Here are some of the skills we used.

Peeling

Bridge hold (for cutting)

Claw grip (for cutting)

Spreading

Arranging toppings

Sprinkling

The comments from the children when they got to eat their product were very positive!

I can’t stop eating it!

I’ve never had this before but I like it.

It’s the best sandwich I’ve ever had.

I’m going to make this at home for all my family.

It was unbelievable!

I didn’t think I’d like the cream cheese but it’s amazing.

The cinnamon gave it a little bit of a spicy taste.


We always evaluated our product afterwards to see how it could be changed it next time.

Well done to all the children who worked safely and sensibly with Ms Canning. Next week, we will be using this learning to help with instruction  writing.

Help at home: your child has taken this recipe home. Can they demonstrate some of their food preparation skills by making this again at home.

Living and Learning: anti-bullying day and odd socks day

Posted on Tuesday 14 November 2023 by Mrs Taylor

We kicked off anti-bullying day with our odd socks to celebrate that we are all unique and different.

First of all, we explored our school definition of bullying, created by our junior leaders, by looking at what some of the words meant.

What are the different types of bullying?

Our school definition helped us understand the different types of bullying – physical (hurting our body), emotional (hurting our feelings) or cyber bullying (online).

The story #Goldilocks looks at how we should treat everyone with respect whether it is in person or online.

How can you STOP bullying?

We used our weekly circle time to think about the role we all have to STOP bullying. Year 2 had some excellent suggestions.

Our main message is Start Telling Other People and to continue to do that until you are heard.

You can stop bullying by…

saying STOP to the bullies and if they don’t stop, tell an adult.

telling the bully to stop if you are a bystander.

being kind to people and not hurting them.

help the person being bullied and take them to an adult.

looking out for people and helping people solve problems.

telling an adult at home if it was online.

being resilient and saying STOP.

ignoring the bully, walk away and don’t say anything back to them.

What is the impact of bullying?

We used drama techniques to think about how someone being bullied might feel. By thought tracking the victim, we explored their different emotions. We also considered the role of bystanders and what they should do.

How can you get help?

Seeking help can be done in a number of different ways.

Who could you tell? (taken from our child friendly anti-bullying policy)

  • Safeguarding team – Mrs Weekes, Mr Wilks and Mrs Russell
  • Any other members of staff
  • A trusted adult
  • Someone in your family
  • Friends
  • Childline (0800 1111)
  • Write a worry slip and put it in your Living and Learning box or the whole school worry box (outside the school office)
  • Email stayingsafe@spherefederation.org

The children thought about who they would tell if they needed to Start Telling Other People.

Help at home: discuss our school definition of bullying with your child. Do they know the difference between falling out and bullying, and between a one-off situation and something that’s happened more than once?

Living and Learning: anti-bullying day and odd socks day

Posted on Friday 10 November 2023 by Mrs Taylor

On Monday, all children will be learning about bullying and how to STOP bullying as part of the national antibullying week.

Our Junior Leadership Team have recently reviewed our bullying definition. As part of this, we use two STOP acronyms: Several Times On Purpose Start Telling Other People – one’s a definition of bullying and the other’s a solution.

On Monday, we will also be taking part in Odd Socks Day which celebrates that we’re all unique. Children are invited to wear odd socks to school, marking the fact we’re all different in some way.

Odd socks day sends an important message to pupils that they should be allowed to be themselves, free from bullying. It helps us celebrate anti-bullying day in a fun and positive way.

Help at home: Talk about our school definition of bullying and the differences between falling out and bullying, and between a one-off situation and something that’s happened more than once.

Living and Learning: Me and My Money week

Posted on Friday 10 November 2023 by Mrs Taylor

Year 2 have been learning about all things money this week during our Me and My Money week.

This learning forms part of our Living and Learning curriculum.

At the start of the week, we had lots of questions about money.

What money do we use?

In maths, we identified and compared the different coins and notes we use in this country.  The children were keen to share other currencies they’d used in different places around the world.

Why is money an important part of people’s lives?

We thought about this in our weekly circle time.

Money is important because…

It would be confusing without money. 

People use money to buy the things they need to survive like shelter, food and water.

You can donate to charities.

You can save for something expensive.

Long ago, people didn’t have money and they had to swap things.

Now, money makes things fair.

What is the difference between needs and wants?

Year 1 and 2 worked together to learn what is a need and what is a want. We realised the link to our basic needs learning in science recently.

A need is food as you need this to survive.

A want is a Lego set as you can survive without this.

How do people use money?

People make different choices with their money.

Some people choose to donate money. On Monday, Steph from St Gemma’s Hospice, our current school charity, shared how our donations of £1500 have helped the hospice.

This week, we’ve been donating money to St Gemma’s Hospice by bringing any spare 1ps and 2ps to make a penny trail at the end of the week.

Where does my money come from?

We thought about where our money might come from and how that would change as we get older and have a job.

Help at home: discuss this learning with your child at home to consider how they use money and why money is important.

 

Me and My Money week – school charity donations

Posted on Wednesday 08 November 2023 by Mrs Taylor

Donating money is one choice people might make when using their money.

As part of our Me and My Money themed week, we welcomed visitors from St Gemma’s Hospice, our current school charity, to hear how they have been using our donations over this year.

We have raised a staggering £1500 across the year so thank you for all of these donations. St Gemma’s Hospice are very grateful for this support.

There is one more way we can donate money this week and this is by bringing any spare 1ps or 2ps into class to deposit in each class’ saving jar.

On Friday, we shall be having a money trail with all the coins donated so please bring any spare change before then.

Here are Year 2 counting their coins so far.

 

We are biologists!

Posted on Sunday 05 November 2023 by Mrs Taylor

This half term, Year 2 have been busy learning all about animals including humans and what they need to survive.

We’ve learnt lots of knowledge about different types of animals and if you remember from our class assembly, they all have the same basic needs – air, water, food and shelter.

Here is the key vocabulary we have been learning.

More recently, we’ve been learning about humans in particular and how humans need to keep healthy as well as having their basic needs.

Help at home – the BBC website has some great videos to summarise the different types of animals and their basic needs. Choose some to watch with your child to discuss this learning.

 

We are readers!

Posted on Thursday 26 October 2023 by Miss Wilson

This half term, teachers have been keeping an eye out for children impressing them with their reading.

In KS2, teachers were looking out for Reading Records where the weekly activity had been completed with time and care, book reviews had been done or challenges ticked off!

In KS1, teachers were looking for children who were putting the most effort into learning to read fluently.

Well done to our winners for this half term and welcome to the Library Team! They’ll meet with Miss Wilson occasionally to share their ideas and help make decisions about our library.

Take a look at some of their fantastic efforts:

Did you know?

Those who read for pleasure…

  • Know more words
  • Are better writers
  • Have more empathy
  • Have better general knowledge
  • Have a better understanding of other cultures
  • Are better at making decisions
  • Do better in school generally!

Keep up the fantastic reading, everyone. There were so many people to choose from and you never know – it could be you next time!

Democracy

Posted on Thursday 19 October 2023 by Mrs Lake

Today, Year 2 did a fantastic job delivering their speeches to be elected for the Junior Leadership Team (JLT).  The children prepared some wonderful speeches with brilliant ideas. Every child had their democratic vote by deciding who they’d like to see represent our class in the JLT.

Well done to Isla and Henna for being voted as our new members of the JLT.

 

Tom Palmer local events

Posted on Tuesday 17 October 2023 by Mrs Lake

This year, some children at school attended an online workshop with author Tom Palmer. Tom Palmer has been in touch to let us know about some local events he is attending in half term.

Message from Tom

For children and families – I am also coming to Leeds on Thursday 2 November
2023 :
*       Farsley Book Festival – 10am-11am more here
https://trumanbooks.co.uk/event/flf-kids-day
*       Chapel Allerton Library – 2pm
*       Pudsey Community Hub and Library – 4pm