Top tips in maths
In recent weeks, our maths focus has been adding and subtracting. We’ve practised using number lines to count on in jumps of 1, 2 and 10. Some children have also begun to learn the column method. Why not practise counting in tens from different numbers when you’re walking to school? Start at any number, and add (or subtract) ten as you walk along: 46, 56, 66, 76…
We’re currently learning all about data. We’ve read information in pictograms and bar graphs. We created our own graphs in ICT, too. In the next few weeks, we’ll learn to multiply, divide and know about fractions. Why not try discussing fractions with your child when you next cut a cake or a pizza, or or when you look at the segments in fruit or chunks in chocolate bars?
Top tips for reading
The children’s reading and writing in Year 2 is coming on well. Remember to keep checking your child’s understanding of what they are reading. Here are some tips to help you:
- Find the word / phrase that tells me that…
- How is the character feeling on page _? How do you know?
- What is the problem in the story? How do you think it will be solved?
- Why are there words in bold / capitals / italics?
- Was there a meaning / moral to the story?
What do you treasure?
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to become artists using photography. Our iPads will be used to record treasures that are important to us. We will use these photos to create collages of our treasures. Please can your child be ready to bring in two or three items that are important to them and be ready to explain why it is a treasure. Children may want to bring in a certificate, a medal, a photograph, a souvenir or perhaps a toy that has a special meaning. Please make sure children have their treasures in school by Friday 08 March. They will be returned to you at the end of the day on Friday. Thank you.
School Council elections 2013
Today, during our whole class assembly, we launched our annual school council elections.
Our current school council feel these qualities are very important in a school councillor:
- Good listener
- Confident speaker who is prepared to contribute in school council meetings and feedback to their class
- Has lots of realistic ideas and suggestions to improve the school
- Good decision-maker
- Works co-operatively with others
Other key points about the election include:
- Two members of each class, including Reception, make up the school council.
- Current and previous school councillors are welcome to stand again in the elections.
- Children can vote once for one person.
- Children can vote for themselves – just like in a UK election.
- Vote for the candidate with the best qualities to make a good councillor – don’t just vote for a friend.
- Good school councillors represent the class well – always!
If your child is interested in representing their class on the school council, they need to prepare a speech to present to their class. This will be the homework for this week.
Here are the key dates for the election process:
Friday 01 March
Homework to prepare a speech for those children interested in becoming a school councillor.
Wednesday 06 March / Thursday 07 March
Speeches from all the candidates to their class.
Thursday 07 March
Children vote for their chosen candidate. Results counted.
Friday 08 March
New school councillors announced.
Good luck to all children who choose to stand as candidates and thank you to the current school council for their valuable contributions and decision-making over the last year.
New SEAL theme – Relationships
Our new SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) theme for this half-term explores feelings within the context of our important relationships including family and friends. The key areas of learning are self-awareness, managing feelings and empathy.
There is a focus throughout the theme on helping children understand the feelings associated with an experience that we all need to cope with at some time: that of loss – whether of a favourite possession, a friend, a family home, or a loved one. Although relatively few children are bereaved, most will experience losses of other kinds during their childhood; losing a home, losing friends because of moving house or changing schools, or losing a pet are examples.
We would therefore ask for parents /carers to alert us to any experiences your child has had that might make this area particularly difficult for them – for example, a bereavement.
‘I know how I feel and how others make me feel‘ is the first SEAL statement to launch the theme of Relationships.
Green screen news reporting
Before half-term, we went to the City Learning Centre (next to Allerton Grange) to create some news reports based on an alien crash landing which happened in the school field. The children had to write a script which they performed whilst being recorded. They then had to edit the videos and add titles and credits to them.
Marvellous Maths
We’ve been learning about 3D shapes. You might be surprised when you discuss shapes with your child, but remember it’s important for them to know mathematical vocabulary.
Do you know how many vertices a cube has?
Over the next few weeks, there’ll be a lot of reasoning about numbers and some problem-solving. This will mean deciding which calculation to do, following sequences and working out number patterns. Symmetry and handling data will also be featuring in our learning towards Easter.
Is this Easter egg symmetrical?
What do you treasure?
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to become artists using photography.
Our iPads will be used to record treasures that are important to us; the photos will then be used to create collages to show ‘Hidden Treasures’. Instead of ‘show and tell’ this week, we’d like your child to bring in two items that are really important to him / her, and be ready to explain why it is a ‘treasure’. These objects will be photographed so they can be brought home the same day. If you’d like to send any photos in of other treasures, eg family, then these can be used in the collage also.
Please make sure they have their treasures and photos this Friday (01 March). Thank you.
WEEE!
Earlier this year, we had a recycling unit installed at the front of our school to collect waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). So far, we’ve collected 38kg of WEEE – not bad going for a school our size when you compare this to the average, but we can do better, please!
For the autumn term, a total of 2.25 tonnes of WEEE was collected across the 30 schools that host a WEEE bank. That’s an average of 75 kg per school. Without WEEE banks, it’s likely that the items would have been disposed of to landfill and all the various metals, plastic etc from which they are made would have been lost and not recycled. So it’s excellent news for the environment. Thank you all for your support with this.
Seven schools did particularly well and managed to collect over 100kg of WEEE. The three schools that collected the most WEEE will be receiving rewards of £500, £300 and £200 to spend on environmental projects of their choice as directed by School Council and/or the Green team.
In this period after Christmas, it’s likely that you will have extra bits of WEEE to dispose of as games consoles, phones, computers etc are upgraded, and broken toys and electrical items are uncovered as spring cleaning starts. The £500, £300 and £200 cash rewards are available again this term for schools that collect the most WEEE!
Incidentally, I’ve suggested the rewards actor in the size of school in future, so fingers crossed and start WEEEing wisely!
Reception class
About a year and a half ago, Ofsted inspectors visited school. We were very happy with the school’s overall judgement of ‘outstanding’ but we were disappointed that our Reception class was singled out as an area to improve. Parents tell us (and told the inspectors) that they are happy with their child’s progress in the first year at Moortown Primary, but inspectors were less enthusiastic.
Since the inspection, we have been working on a year-long project with a private, Early Years specialist, Early Excellence.
Part of the project involves visits from an Early Years specialist. We’re delighted with the feedback so far; here are a couple of extracts from her second report:
The indoor space has undergone significant development since my last visit. There are now well organized wet sand and dough areas and a miniature water area – this makes provision for materials exploration much wider-ranging. I observed the children using these three key areas of provision very well and in the case of the wet sand, two boys spent extended time on a project of their choosing, really concentrating and negotiating each step of their investigations. There was a high level of involvement, language use and reasoning.
I was impressed with the amount of writing that children freely engage in and the ways they confidently use writing as part of their play. Within the areas, they are offered opportunities for writing for real purposes as well as a range of literate materials which stimulate this.
As well as this project, we’ve invested a lot in new furniture and resources and on staff professional development. We’ll continue to invest to ensure the best provision and the best outcomes. We already have plans in place for another long-term project in 2013-14.