Autumn Week 10: a lot of rain and a lot of kindness.

 Hello Class 2 Parents,

It's been a very soggy but very good week in Class 2!

A missing fleece.
Liam's new school fleece has gone missing - please can you check at home in case your child has accidentally brought it home? Thank you. 

Nativity lines!
Your child has their nativity words in their purple folder. We have a lot of time to practise, but please help your child to start learning their words this weekend. One line at a time is a good approach - get them to learn the first line very confidently, before adding in another one! Information regarding costumes will follow very soon. 

Power for Good. 
The week started on Monday with Odd Socks day and an assembly led by our anti-bullying ambassadors to introduce anti-bullying week. The theme this year is Power for Good, and how we all have the power in us to do good. The children have taken part in several different activities, including making a Power for Good paper chain; each child wrote on their link how they could use their powers for good, and the intention is to create a whole school Power for Good paper chain. The week has been based around a very good book called 'Have you Filled a Bucket Today?'   - have a chat to your children about it and see if they can think of ways to use their powers for good at home too!

Maths this week:

Year 1 children have continued to look at number bonds (two numbers that make up another number) and fact families, with a focus on number bonds to 10. Number bonds to 10 are very important going forwards and by the end of Year 1, the aim is for the children to know them off by heart. 

If you like songs, there is a song here that helps (and may get stuck in your head).

You can play 'pairs' using playing cards - take two each of the numbers 1 to 9, turn them all face down, and play pairs. Each player takes it in turn to reveal two cards and if they total 10 they can keep them. If they don't make 10, they get turned face down again. 

If your child is more confident and is beginning to know the bonds to 10 by heart, you can play hit the button.  Select 'number bonds' and 'make 10'. 

Year 2 children have continued their work on addition. This week, they have looked how to add three small numbers efficiently by looking for known number facts (eg, for 7 + 5 + 3, they know that 7 + 3 = 10, which helps to make the addition simpler.  They have also looked at adding two numbers by making 10 first, again making the addition simpler. For example, if they have 8 + 5, they know that 8+2 = 10, so  8 + 5 = 10 + 3 which is 13. 

Their maths homework is here and will be in their purple folders. 

In phonics the children have learnt three new digraphs: wh (whisk, whisper, whale), ph (phonics, alphabet, dolphin) and ck (which they have learnt, but this week they 've started to learn that the digraph goes at the end or in the middle of a word, after a short vowel sound). 

In spellings the children have been learning to spell words with 'ge' at the end making the 'j' sound. Last week they learnt that 'dge' goes after a short vowel. This week they learnt that 'ge' is used in other circumstances. 

I have assigned the Year 2 children a new spelling list this week on The Spelling Shed. A few of you have had a go at the games, which is great - the idea is for the children to practise their spellings in a fun a low-pressure way, which will help them going forwards so if you do have a chance to look at The Spelling Shed that would be great. 

Year 1 Spelling Shed. 
Although Year 1 children don't have weekly spellings, I have uploaded the common exception word lists (the ones in their home spelling books) onto The Spelling Shed. I have assigned every Year 1 list to every child, so that you can work through them in your own time (they directly correspond to the lists in your home spelling books). 

Your child's login will be in their purple folder, and the parent guide is here. I hope you find The Spelling Shed useful!

Have a good weekend and I will see you all next week,

Mrs Simpson

Autumn Week 9: Autumn Term Part 2 Commences!

Hello Class 2 Parents, 

It was lovely to see the children's smiling faces on Monday. We have welcomed a new member of Class 2 - AJ, in Year 2 - and the children have been very friendly and welcoming. 

The children have taken a break from being Bog Baby Protectors this week. Instead, we've been doing some history learning around Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. If you go to any bonfire night parties this weekend, ask your children if they can remember why they are celebrating!

In Maths:

Year 1s have continued to work on addition, learning that a part + a part = a whole, and that a whole = a part + a part.  They looked at addition fact families - four addition number sentences which are related. For example:

3 + 4 = 7
4 + 3 = 7
7 = 3 + 4
7 = 4 + 3

Year 1 homework is a dice game! 

Year 2s have been learning that they can use simple addition facts to work out facts within 100. For example:

5 + 2 = 7 and so  50 + 20 = 70

They have also been using their bonds to 10 to work out their bonds to 100. 

Year 2 homework is to play Hit the Button, which you will have seen before! Choose 'number bonds' and 'make 100'. Warm up, if you like, with choosing 'make 10'. 

In phonics Year 1 children have learnt three new graphemes this week:

ay - as in play, clay and away
oy - as in boy, toy and enjoy
y  making the 'ee' sound at the end of words - as in silly, grumpy, sticky

Look out for these graphemes around and about!

In spellings Year 2 children have learnt the 'dge' trigraph. 

dge makes the 'j' sound mainly at the end of words, following a short vowel:

badge, hedge, dodge, fridge.

New spelling program!
Year 2 children will come home with a log in to The Spelling Shed. This provides a way for your children to practice their weekly spellings. You can use it as much or as little as you like. I will give your child new spelling assignments each week based upon the week's spellings. 

There is a parent guide here.  Hopefully I've assigned your children some 'dge' words this week - have a go with the games etc, and let me know if you have any problems!

Year 1 parents - I'm aiming to add your children to the Spelling Shed ready for next week's blog/homework too!

Forest school this week:

Forest school had changed a lot in the few weeks we haven't been up there! There were many more leaves on the ground and a lot of toadstools about. The children had a great morning exploring, role-playing, testing their balance on the barrels, making lard bird balls and threading leaf wreaths!

Autumn Week 8: winding down to the holiday.

Hello Class 2 Parents,

And here we are - the first half term is done and dusted! The children have done such a good job to make it to the end - the first half term is always tiring after the summer holidays and even more so for our new Year 1 children. 

We have had a busy-and-good half term including: phonics, spellings, maths, drawing club and writing, special places in religions, lots of singing, rainbow jobs filled with lots of different subjects, painting self-portraits, performing our Harvest story, becoming the B.B.P, starting Forest School ....

...among other things. 

In maths this week both year groups have started work on addition and subtraction, recognising that a number can be split into different parts.  Year 1 children have focused on  a part plus a part equals a whole (eg 4 + 3 = 7) while Year 2 children have been recapping number bonds to 10 and looking at fact families (related number sentences such as   3 + 4 = 7   4 + 3 = 7   7 - 4 = 3  7 - 3 = 4).

Year 1 homework is here and will be in their folders. 

Year 2 homework is here and will be in their folders. 

In spellings and phonics we have been taking time to test the children on their common exception word spellings. 

In our story the children did some super work learning to tie knots in order to make a net. To start with everyone had a piece of twine and learnt how to tie a simple half knot (as you do when tying laces). Then, one at a time the children had a go at applying this to make part of a net. There was an incredible amount of perseverence going on and the children were very pleased with their finished net!

It was good to catch up with you all this week and thank you for your ongoing support of your children's education. 

A couple of notes for next half term. 

Spelling booklets. I have updated your child's spelling booklet accordingly by highlighting the words they were able to spell. If your child's booklet was not in their folder, I have been unable to do this. 

Water only in water bottles please.  If your child has a medical or other need for squash, please come and talk to me, otherwise their bottles will be refilled with water. Squash gets sticky when spilled and is of course not as healthy as water. 

Small keyrings on book bags please. Large cuddly toy keyrings just don't fit in the book bag boxes!

Forest school clothing - the weather will take a turn towards winter so please make sure your child has suitable layers, thick socks and waterproof tops and bottoms, thank you!

Forest school wishlist - several of you have kindly offered to supply things for Forest School. There is of course no pressure at all ( you've already helped a lot with the initial sponsor money) but I will put a list of things together over half term and send you the link. 

For now, any bricks or large stones  you have lurking around, or decent pallets, or unused raised beds would be great!

I hope you all have a good week - see you for the countdown to Christmas!

From Mrs Simpson

Autumn Week 7: bog baby problems.

Hello Class 2 Parents,

This week in Class 2....

The children have been rehearsing for the Harvest Festival. They did some fantastic artwork for it as well and I hope many of you will have been along to watch!

The bog babies were in danger.  The B.B.P. (Bog Baby Protectors) learnt that bog baby numbers in the pond were dwindling. They took a trip down to the woods and watched as a large heron carried a bog baby away! Luckily, the team was able to rescue that particular bog baby and next week we will decide how we can further protect the bog babies from the predators in the woods, whilst also not allowing those predators to go hungry. 

The children compared numbers: Year 1 were comparing and ordering numbers to 10. (eg putting the numbers 6, 3, and 9. in order 3,6,9) and started to learn how to use a number line. Year 2 children were comparing numbers to 100, learning that they should look at how many 10s a number has before looking at how many 1s it has. 

Both year groups can practice ordering numbers using this game.  Just alter the start and end numbers accordingly (Y1s start with up to 10 or 20, Year 2s start with numbers up to 100, and if confident go from there!)\

In phonics the children revisited the digraphs ow and oi, and the trigraph ear. 

In spellings the children looked at 'oa' rhyming patterns - oat/ one/ low. The words they have been learning to spell can be found here. 

In R.E. this half term the children have been learning about special places. So far they have talked about places that are special to them, and have learnt about churches, mosques and synagogues. If you see any of these buildings while you are out and about with your children, or even better, have the chance to go in to them, please do so!

At Forest School today:
The children built dens using some new, large den pegs and tarpaulins. They picked more apples, made some autumn wizard wands and learnt a new game. We were so busy, I forgot to take any photographs!

I hope you all have a good weekend - I'm looking forward to catching up with you on Monday or Thursday evening!

From
Mrs Simpson

Autumn Week 6: all sorts

 Hello Class 2 Parents,

I'm not really sure where this week has gone, but it's been a good one. 

Important: Harvest Festival!
Class 2 will be telling a story at our Harvest Festival next Friday, Every child has a line or two to learn. These can be found in their book bag - please help them to learn their lines and speak them loudly and clearly! 

The children have had a lot of P.E. this week. We currently have a visiting teacher from Wollaston High School teaching P.E. on a Tuesday (until half term). The children have been learning rugby skills (especially throwing and catching!) and some agility, balance and co-ordination skills. In addition this week the children had a special one-off football session led by a coach which they thoroughly enjoyed.

In our Bog Baby Protectors story the children started to categorise the animals in The Magic Blue Wood, learning what a mammal, reptile, amphibian, bird and fish are. When you are out and about this weekend, see if you can spot any of these creatures and discuss their category with the children. 

In Maths the Year 1 children have been looking at 'greater than', 'equal to' and 'less than', comparing numbers using the symbols.  < > and =.  The Year 2 children have continued their work on number lines, learning how to estimate what a given number might be on a number line. 

There is no maths homework because I'd like everyone to practise their Harvest words!

In Phonics the children have revisited  or, ar and ur this week, once again, learning how to read words containing these digraphs as well as spelling words. 

In Spellings the Year 2 children have been looking at 'igh' sounds, with the rhyming patterns:   ight,  ine  and   ie. The words we've been looking at are here. 

At Forest School this week the children made a bug hotel, which we are going to add too. If you have any bricks hanging around, preferably the ones with holes in, we will happily take them off your hands to expand the hotel!  They also made flying conker streamers and were introduced to our climbing tree and how to use it. 

Have a good week end!

Mrs Simpson

Autumn Week 5: lots of living things.

Hello Class 2 Parents,

A couple of notes to start with:

Clothing.
Please can you check at home because a couple of children have lost school jumpers and they aren't at school!  As usual, please make sure everything is named. 

Forest school clothing.
Today's session was the first really rainy one! A couple of notes - 
* children need to come to school in their school shoes please, and carry their wellies. 
* children must have waterproof trousers!
* If your child comes in a mud suit, please can they have a separate coat to wear later in the day. 

Thank you - it's all going well so far, just a few teething problems!

No-bookbag Fridays. 
Your child no longer needs to bring in a bookbag on a Friday, which will help with the logistics of Forest School kit and wellies! Please ensure your child's homework folder, group reading book and free choice (badger/squirrel) books are in their bookbags on a Thursday so we can do the changeovers. 

Mantle of the Expert. 
This week the children did some more learning about the features of living things. They used the acronym Mrs Gren to check the bog baby that they had found in the woods. 

Movement
Respiration
Senses

Growth
Reproduction
Excretion
Nutrition

These are, of course, some long words to learn but we are going to keep revisiting them. Luckily the bog baby was moving and breathing, it ate the flies offered to it and responded when the children touched it. Next, the children learnt that, to survive, living things need food, water, oxygen and shelter. They used this knowledge to rescue the bog baby. 

They discovered, though, that the bog baby couldn't survive for long out of the water because it was an amphibian. The children learnt about what an ampibian is, and will continue to work on this next week (as well as reptiles, mammals, birds and fish). 

Maths. 

Year 1 children have been counting backwards and finding '1 less' than a number. Their homework is here and will be in their folders. 

Year 2 children have continued their work on number lines, identifying what each interval is worth (1 or 10) and finding missing numbers.  Their homework is here and will be in their folders - the first sheet only, unless your child would like an extra challenge (the second sheet, which will be printed on the reverse). 

In phonics the children have revisited ee, igh, oa and oo. They have also been spelling was and want - two words with the same spelling pattern in. 

In spellings the children have been looking at rhyming patterns with different 'ee' graphemes - eam, ield and eep. The words they've been learning can be found here. 

Forest School:

The Forest Rangers embraced the rain this week! They were busy planting teasels and wildflower seeds and creating conker hedgehogs. 

Have a good week end!

Mrs Simpson

Autumn Week 4: fences, maps and a lone bog baby.

Greetings Class 2 Parents!

I hope your week has been as good as ours. 

Firstly, just a friendly reminder - please don't snip or use any photos from this blog. They are for this blog and our class community only. Thank you!

Keyrings and bookbags. 
Please could children have just one keyring on their bookbags - saves space and stops the bookbags all getting tangled together! Thank you. 

The B.B.P.
Having taken on the mantle of Bog Baby Protectors last week, the children had a couple of important jobs to carry out this week. First, they visited the bog baby pond to survey the wildlife. After a couple of people walked into the pond, they decided a fence was needed. A D.T. project followed whereby the children built some fences using card, glue, staplers and tape. A couple of enterprising children also added gates using a split pin. 

Next, we worked as a team to create a map of the woods. The map had a key showing the symbols needed and the children added the symbols to the map. However, they learnt that in one located (X marks the spot), there was a problem. They discovered a bog baby, all alone and far from the bog baby pond. It wasn't moving. The children did some learning about features of things which are alive, have once been alive, or have never been alive and decided that, luckily, the bog baby was alive. Next, they need to decide what the bog baby needs and therefore what to do with it. 

Phonics/Spellings. 
In phonics the children continued to revisit last year's learning, looking at the digraphs th, ng, nk and ai. A large focus of this revisiting is helping the children to use these digraphs when they are spelling words. It doesn't matter whether a word is correct at this stage, as long as the children are using their phonics correctly - for example they might spell 'snake' as 'snaik' and that is fine for now - as long as they are making phoneetically plausible attempts at words. 

In spellings the Year 2 children looked as some ai and a_e spelling patterns, learning that rhyming words can help them to spell - e.g. if they learn to spell make, they can easily spell cake, take, snake and shake. The words we have looked at are here. 

Maths. 

Year 1 children have continued to look at numbers within 10, counting on or back from any given number and finding '1 more'. They also started to look at and use a number line. 

Year 1 homework is to play Whack-A-Mole (this game will come up several times for homework - it's good for counting!). Choose the start number (start below 10 to begin with, then if your child is confident, pick all sorts of numbers) and your child has to whack the moles in numerical order. When they've whacked a few moles correctly, start again from a different start number. 

Year 2 children have continued to work on partitioning (flexibly partitioning a 2-digit number) and have also been looking at number lines. They have been looking at what the start number is, what the end number is, and what each interval is worth. 

Year 2 homework is to start familiarising yourself with Times Table Rock Stars - I don't monitor this in Class 2 (that starts in Class 3) but use it as a way to practise times tables (for Year 2 the focus is on the 2, 10 and 5x tables and related division facts). 
A letter with your child's login will be in their folder. 

At Forest School...

This week's activities included creating  digging area (so that we don't dig up the whole Forest School area!), picking apples and scarifying an area ready to plant some wildflower seeds. 

Have a good weekend,

Mrs Simpson