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