Happy Summer!

Hello Class 2 Parents,

We made it!

What a fantastic year we've had in Class 2. Your children have worked very hard, laughed a lot and kept me smiling. I've had such a great year teaching them - it's flown by!

Thank you so much for all of the lovely cards and gifts I've received. I appreciate them so much. 

Year 1 parents I am so very pleased that your children will be my Year 2s next year. They are such a fun, happy group of children and I can't wait to see them in September!

Year 2 parents thank you for my lovely gifts and card, you are all so kind. It's going to be very strange next year not seeing your eight lovely children each day. Getting to know them all over these past two years has been a pleasure - eight very different but equally wonderful children. I look forward to seeing how they get on over the next few years!

Have a really good summer,

From

Mrs Simpson

Summer Week 13: it's starting to feel like summer.

 Hello Class 2 Parents,

EDITED to add photos of pizza making!

I'm sure it won't last long (I just don't trust this year's seasons) but it feels very warm and summery where I'm sitting. It was lovely to see you all at our sports' day - I was very proud of Class 2's participation and positive attitudes!

A few notices:

I've taken in all reading books now, but if you would like a few books for your child to read over the holidays let me know and I can find some. 

Please send your child in with a big bag next week (a big backpack or a shopping bag) to bring home their school books and a few pictures etc

Unclaimed clothing will go out on a table on Tuesday after school so please come and see if you can claim any of it!

We've been doing a lot of finishing off this week:

* The children finished their petroglyphs which will be coming home this week. Ask them about the symbols and what their carving shows. 

* They finished learning about weight. If you want something to do this weekend, spend a bit of time with your children looking at packets of food around the house to see how much they weigh. The children particularly enjoyed feeling a 1kg weight!

*  They finished their final pieces of writing in their English books. This was entirely independent so I hope you enjoy looking at them when the books come home. 

* Tomorrow (Friday) the children will be participating in a well-deserved marble jar treat - making pitta bread pizzas. They will also be making fruit kebabs - a D.T. project started with Miss Pratt a few weeks ago. 

* We've been doing a lot of science this week. The children have taken part in five investigations:

     - are younger people always faster than older people?  (a question the class came up with)

    - are taller people faster than shorter people? (another question they came up with - we've been doing a lot of sprinting practice this term!)

    - can we make a blob of plasticine float?

    - which material would make the best race track?

It's been another good week. 

See you soon!

Mrs Simpson

  

Summer Week 12: nearly there

Hello Class 2 Parents,

A couple of notices to start with:

Reading books and Badger books have been taken in for the holidays now so that we can sort them out next week.  Please double check for any stray ones at home. I'll send out a list next week of any specific ones I know are missing.

P.E. kits have come home. Your children need to come to school in their P.E. kit on Wednesday when it is our sports afternoon. On that day, they only need to bring themselves in their kit and their water bottle - no book bags. 

Reading cafe has finished for the academic year - thank you to everyone who has come at some point!

Optional parent meetings are on Monday after school. Please arrange these through the office so they can organise the timings. 

In Class 2 this week:

The children have started to write their final story, having been learning about story writing for the past few weeks. They are writing these entirely independently and it's great to see their confidence and enthusiasm for story writing!

In Maths we have been weighing things! The children started by weighing using cubes, then today started to weigh in grams. This will continue next week. 

Today the children completed their final spelling challenges. Thank you very much for all of the help you have given your children this year with their spellings. They've come a long way!

Aside from all of that, the children have been creating petroglyphs by carving images into clay, learnt about the fifth and final pillar of Islam and practised their sports day races and events! They also finished off their Turtle Watch story by taking Class 1 on a Turtle Tour (see photos). Some children represented tour guides, while others represented turtles. 

I think that's all for now. There's no homework this week, but if you wanted something to do, you could do some baking using a recipe in grams and send me photos!

From Mrs Simpson

Summer Week 11: allsorts

 Hello Class 2 Parents, 

This week has seen all sorts of things going on in Class 2. 

Most importantly, in our story the turtles have returned to Honu Island. The trackers indicated they were getting close so Turtle Watch went to the small island they had prepared in order to watch out for the turtles. Before they did this, we did a bit of reserach on how to watch turtles (things such as being quiet, keeping our distance and so on). The team was excited to see them. 

In art, the children have started to learn about ancient Polynesian petroglyphs. They have studied images of petroglyphs and tried to work out what the symbols mean. They have also had a go at copying some of the symbols. They were really fascinated by them. The plan is for the children to record the return of the turtles to Honu Island using some petroglyphs carved into clay. 

In Maths the children have continued to use money. 

Year 1 children have been paying for items in a small classroom shop role play. They've been selecting the correct coin or, where needed, coins. They've also had a go at finding different ways to make the same amount. Their homework is here and will be in their folders. 

Year 2 children have also been making different amounts of money using coins and they have started to work out how to find change from £1.00. Their homework is here (two sides - one for all, and one as a tricker challenge) and will be in their folders. 

As mentioned last week, any opportunity for your children to handle real money, paying for small items and receiving change, will be very beneficial. Their time telling is coming on brilliantly due to the watches that have appeared and their constant use of the classroom clock!

Spelling homework for both year groups is to work on their 'final fifteen' words. They should all have these in their homework folders. We will hold the spelling challenge next Friday. 

Your children have reading books as usual, but this will be for the last time. I will collect their books at the end of next week ready to sort out. Please could you check your house for any stray reading books or badger books over the next week - thank you!

Finally, it is the last Reading Cafe on Wednesday!

Have a good week end,

Mrs Simpson