2019 - 2020

A very big welcome to Year 2!

The Year Two Team

Class Teachers:

Mrs Jan Figueiredo (Van Gogh)

Miss Sarah Millard (Dali)

Miss Martha Hall (Learning Lodge)

Teaching Assistant:

Ms Sally Dove

Important Days of the Week

PE will be taught on  Tuesday and Wednesday - Please remember all children need the appropriate school PE uniform on these days.

Music will be taught by a Specialist Music Teacher every Thursday.

Spellings and MyMaths home learning are set every Friday. Spellings are tested each Thursday to support teacher assessments. The spellings do not need to be returned, but if your child wishes to share their practise with their teacher, they can show us their sheets for a house point. 
 

Login details for MyMaths and Bug Club remain the same as Year 1. If you have any questions regarding these, please speak to a member of the Year 2 team. 

This week in Science, we have been learning about gravity.
 

We learnt:

-gravity is a force

-it pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth

-gravity was discovered by Isaac Newton

-there is no gravity on the moon

-gravity prevents us from floating around!

We carried out an investigation to explore how weight affects gravity. We discussed ways to ensure our test was fair and enjoyed drawing conclusions based on our results. 

Welcome back after the Christmas holidays! We hope you had a restful break and the children are ready for a new year of learning!

Please note that the PE days in year 2 have changed. PE lessons will now happen every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. 

Over the Spring term, we will be:

-Exploring maps in Geogrpahy, comparing Kadoma with Stevenage

-Learning about different techniques to create landscapes in Art

-Researching significant people of the past in History

Here’s to a happy and successful 2020! 

As part of our Maths learning on ‘Measures’, we will be exploring clocks and learning to tell the time. The below link may be a useful tool to support in making and telling the time at home:

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/time/teaching-clock

Welcome back after the Half Term Holiday! Our new topic this term is ‘Toys’ where we will be:

-comparing old and current toys

-exploring materials that toys are made from 

-designing our own toys

-making our own felt toys

We will also use this topic to link to our English learning on ‘The Nutcracker’, in time for Christmas. We have a busy term ahead so watch this space! 

This week, Year 2 have enjoyed exploring Poetry! We watched Michael Rosen perform some poems like ‘Chocolate Cake’ and ‘Strict’, read a range of rhyming and non-rhyming poems and performed our own poems. 
 

Two groups had a go at writing and performing their own versions of ‘Caribbean Counting Rhyme’. We decided on the name ‘Round Diamond Counting Rhyme!’

Week beginning 30.09.19 - Expectations in Year 2

Now that the children have settled back into the routine of school life we would like to remind you of ways you can support your child with their learning at home. 
 

Please enjoy sharing books with your child as often as you are able to. Books are changed weekly at school but if your child needs to change them more frequently, they are able to do so during morning registration time. 
 

Spellings are sent home every Friday. These are a combination of words linked to the spelling rule that has been taught that week and common exception words (words that the children are expected to be able to read and write by the end of Year 2). To support our teacher assessment, the children will be tested on the spelling of these words in a dictation style exercise every Thursday. Please practice them at home on the sheets provided. 
 

MyMaths and Bug Club logins remain the same as those that were issued in Year 1. Tasks on MyMaths are set weekly and books on Bug Club are changed when your child moves onto the next reading level. 
 

As always, if you have any questions at all, please speak to a member of the Year 2 team! 😊

This week, as part of the Computing curriculum and our continued coverage on e-safety, the children have been introduced to ‘Jessie and Friends’. 

‘Jessie and Friends’ is a 3 part animation which aims to equip children in Key Stage 1 with the knowledge, skills and confidence to stay safe online. 
 

We have been learning that while the internet can be an exciting place full of fun and learning opportunities, this may not always be the case. The children were able to discuss their observations after watching the first episode - do ask them what they’ve taken from the animation so far!

This half term, Year 2 are discussing online safety; we are learning about ways to stay safe when using the internet. 

As part of this learning, everyone has signed a copy of Round Diamond’s Online Safety Rules. We are committed to using the Computing equipment at school safely and transferring these skills into our online activity outside of school. 

Fluency Facts have been sent home this week! These can support in learning/consolidating the rapid recall of number facts. 

If you need another copy, please let your child’s class teacher know. 

Academic Year

2018-2019

Friday 28th June 2019

Year 2 enjoyed the warm weather on our trip to Shuttleworth. We were able to observe the plants and animals as well as take a ride in the open topped bus. 

Tuesday 7th May 2019

As part of our cross curricular learning Dali and Van Gogh explores the nature walk and courtyard to see what lived there. 

We will be using the laptops to make block charts. 

Tuesday 30th April 2019

LI: To use a branching data base.

(CC link to topic "I’m Alive")

SC

*Answer yes/no

*Follow the key

*Name the minibeast

We used branching data bases to name and sort the minibeasts.

Spring Term Home Learning Projects

Thursday 4th April 2019

We shared our research projects linked to our topic 'People from the Past'.

You can see our projects in our cloakroom museum!

Monday 1st April 2019

Sports on Tour

Year 2 enjoyed trying out a range of different sporting activities this afternoon. 

Monday 1st April 2019

We were delighted to receive a letter and present from our favourite author Martin Waddell this morning!

He wrote to say thank you for the letters that he received from us earlier this month. 

Thursday 21st March 2019

LI: To present. 

(CC link to History and English)

SC *Programme found *Titles made * Text used 

In Computing today, we used our research on our "People from the Past" topic to begin to make a presentation of our knowledge digitally. 

We opened Power Point, added slides and used text to begin to share our knowledge. We saved our learning and will be adding more information and images to our presentations. 

Thursday 14th March 2019 and Friday
15th March
LI: To research
(CC Link to topic People from the Past)
SC
*Safe search engine
*Facts found
*Facts recorded
 

We used computers, ipads and books to research famous people from history.
We used a safe search engine especially for children.
 

Wednesday 13th March 2019

A team of Year 2 children from construction club attended the Lego Challenge. 

Our team did really well, they worked well to display their model moon base and talk about the elements they had built and what you would need on the moon. They enjoyed the activities during the afternoon as well as looking at all the other moon bases. They received a medal and certificate each and a team trophy for doing so well at explaining and describing their base. 

Thursday 7th March 2019

We had a fantastic time dressing up for world book day.

Friday 1st March 2019

As part of our English learning, Miss Cousins’ group chose the story Pig in the Pond by Martyn Waddell for their “Take One Book”. 

We really enjoyed making masks and then acting the story out. 

Thursday 14th February 2019.

LI: To understand symmetry

SC *Shapes used *Line of symmetry *Accurate position

In Maths we looked at lines of symmetry and designed our own jumpers.

Thursday 7th February 2019

In Music today, Ms Thomas brought her violin to share with Year 2.

We talked about the different parts of the violin, how we play it and acoustics.

Ms Thomas also played some music and we had to use some powerful adjectives

to describe it.

Friday 1st of February 2019

In Art we thought about the sculptures made by the natural artist Andy Goldsworthy.

We had fun using the snow to create our own winter sculptures.

Thursday 17th January 2019

In music we practised the skills of rhythm and pulse using the song “Engine, Engine Number Nine”.

Thursday 6th December 2018

Year 2 were joined by their parents for a super afternoon of making and creating together.

Wednesday 5th December 2018

Year 2 had a fantastic time at St Nicholas Church this morning!

We met The Three Kings, Mary, Joseph and even a real life baby Jesus!

We were especially pleased to meet Bishop Michael (The Bishop of Hertford) who commented on our superb behaviour.

Thursday 29th November 2018

Year 2 enjoyed using their sense of taste to explore different flavours. We tried food with sweet, salty, umami, bitter and sour tastes. 

Design and Technology

Wednesday 21st November 2018

In Design and Technology we have been using lots of different techniques to make moving pictures.

We will use these techniques to design and make our own moving pictures.

Monday 12th November 2018

Sporting Futures Pudsey Event

Year 2 had a fantastic morning taking

part in a range of sports and games hosted

by Sporting Futures.

Tuesday 23rd October 2018

Year 2 enjoyed a Healthy Living Afternoon with Sporting Futures.

Thank you to all the parents that attended.

Thursday 4th October 2018

LI: To use an atlas.

(CC link- English)

*Order the words

*Use the index

*Locate on the map

We used alphabetical order and the index of an atlas to try and locate different places.

Thursday 20th September 2018

LI: to take photographs.

sc

*frames

*focussed

*effect used

Year 2 used the photo booth App to take portraits using effects. 

Thursday 13th September 2018

LI: To take photographs

(CC Link to topic Who am I?)

SC

*Framed

*Focused

*Permission asked

E-Safety tip:

Always ask a person’s permission before

you take a photograph or digital image of them.

Always let them know what you are going

to do with their image and get their

permission if you want to us it online.

Thursday 6th September 2018

Who am I-Entry Point

Dali Class and Van Gogh Class enjoyed using the artist Andy Warhol as an inspiration for their self portraits.

We will be learning about different artists and their styles during this topic.

Week beginning 16.07.18

Year 2 designed, created then evaluated their own fruit salads. We had a selection of fruits and juices to choose from when planning what to include. We discussed the importance of food hygiene and safety when using knives. The best part was tasting what we had made! 

Week beginning 09.07.18

Year 2 are developing their reasoning skills this week by using ‘Always, Sometimes, Never’ grids to sort mathematical statements. The challenge is to prove how we know we have sorted correctly. 

Wednesday 27th June 2018

Brave Nurses- Singing with Mr Meek

Year 2 have been busy perfecting their rendition of  the Brave Nurses song ready for thir performance at the Music Festival. 

Here is a snippet of what to expect. 

Week beginning 18th June 2018 

We have been exploring non-fiction texts ready to write our own explanation texts about the digestive system. 

We created a colour coded mind map to share what we know already about non-fiction. 

Week beginning 11th June 2018

Welcome back after Half Term! Year 2 have been busy in English and Topic this week, thinking about parts of our bodies and the amazing things they do. 

We labelled internal and external parts of the body then watched a short film to find out facts about our heart. 

Week beginning 21.05.18

Year 2 enjoyed a wonderful trip to Shuttleworth where we explored the gardens, planted acorns and played in the sunshine. Look at the fun we had! 

Week beginning 07.05.18

Over the past two weeks, Year 2 have been creating Minibeast pictures in our Computing sessions. We have learnt how to save our pictures, giving them a file name, and have practised opening them again to make changes.  

Week beginning 23.04.18

Year 2 created a Minibeast Playground in Design and Technology this week. They folded and curled strips of paper to create a 3D, imaginative model. 

Wednesday 18th April 2018

LI: To know about habitats

SC *Describe *Identify and name a variety of animals *Reason

Dali and Van Gogh enjoyed searching the school environments to look for animals in different habitats. 

We used a branching key as part of our Computing learning to help us identify and name animals that we were unsure of. 

Week beginning 16.04.18

Welcome back after the Easter break! Year 2 have been busy exploring instructional texts in English this week. We discussed the features of instructions ready to follow instructions to build a ‘Bug Hotel’ next week. 

Week beginning 19th March 2018

Year 2 enjoyed the theme 'Exploration and Discovery' as part of our Science Day this year. One of the investigations we carried out was to explore which material would be the best choice to build a shelter. We made a prediction then worked collaboratively to build a shelter using empty cans, lolly sticks, card, blocks and toilet paper. Surprisingly, we found that the toilet paper created the strongest shelter to survive a windstorm (a hairdryer!)

Week beginning 12th March 2018

We have been making our own 'Flanimals' and describing them using expanded noun phrases. We focussed on using a comma between our adjectives.

Week beginning 5th March 2018

We have been learning to tell the time to 5 minute intervals. We used our clocks to make different times and focussed on accurately positioning the minute hand.

Week beginning 26th February 2018

As part of our Topic, we have been learning about Florence Nightingale and the important changes she made to Nursing. We looked at examples of Paul Klee's artwork and imitated his style to create portraits of Florence Nightingale using a mix of 'Hot' and 'Cold' colours.

Jill Murphy

Week Beginning 19th of February 2018

In Year 2 we have begun a new writing unit based on the author Jill Murphy. We enjoyed discovering some new characters and stories 

written by her. Have you got any Jill Murphy books at home? Which characters do you like?

Wednesday 10th January 2018

In Year 2 we are researching different types of transport in English. We will be writing a non-chronological report using what we have found out. Here is some of the key vocabulary we have found and will use in our writing. 

Entry Point From A to B 

Friday 5th January 2018

Year 2 started their new topic from A to B today. We designed and made boats in teams to try and take our figures across the river. In the topic we will be learning about travel and transport in the past. 

Year 2 Visit to St Nicholas Church

Tuesday 5th December 2017

Year 2 had a fantastic afternoon finding out about the Christmas story 

with the Bridge Builders Charity. 

We met the three kings, the shepherds and even the baby Jesus!

Parents Open Afternoon

Tuesday 28th November 2017

Dali and Van Gogh Classes enjoyed sharing their learning with their families.

They were able to make toys, play with old fashioned toys and look at our Design and Technology learning on pop up books.

Friday 17th November 2017

Sporting Futures Pudsey Afternoon

Year 2 had a fantastic afternoon taking part in a range of sports and games hosted by sporting futures. 

Special Visitor!

Today year 2 had a very special visitor. Mrs Goodwin, who works for GSK, visited year 2 and told the children about how medicine is made, who makes it and what the staff have to wear during production. 

Mrs Goodwin brought some items in, that are made at GSK, so the children could get a hands-on look. The children asked some intriguing questions which heightened their enthusiasm throughout the afternoon. Two children were lucky enough to dress up in the overalls that are worn during the production stage and we had a discussion about why medicine needs to be kept clean.

The children were fully engaged and really enjoyed their afternoon.  

Year 2 were very pleased to win the "Blue Rosette" for their Hansel and Gretel display. 

All the children and adults would like to say a very big thank you to our parent helper Mrs Barnsley who used her artistic flair to create our forest scene. 

Monday 2nd October 2017

LI: To perform poetry.

(CC link to topic-Who am I?)

SC

*Use a clear voice

*Use actions

*Work with your group

The children have been performing poetry by Micheal Rosen. The children have really engaged with the start of our new learning journey coming up with exciting ideas. The children will now be writing a poem in the style of Micheal Rosen's "I know someone who..."

Wednesday 27th September 2017

 LI: To present information (orally).

SC

*Time adverbs

*Conjunctions- and, so, when, because

*Lexical vocabulary

The Human Life Cycle 

We have been learning about the human life-cycle in Science and English. 

We prepared oral presentations and shared them with the rest of the class.

Partitioning to Add

18.09.2017

LI: To add

SC

*Put the largest number first

*Count on

*Check commutativity

We used dienes to help us make numbers using our tens and units knowledge. 

Tuesday 12th September

LI: To take photographs
(CC Link to topic Who am I?)
SC
*Framed
*Focused
*Permission asked

In computing we are learning how to use technology safely. We practised asking the people if they were happy to have their photograph taken. We also let them know we would be using their photographs on the school website. 

Friday 8th September 2017 

In Year 2, we will be practising reading and spelling the common exception words for Key Stage 1 accurately. We would appreciate your support with this and have attached a list of these words for you to download.