Class Two Newsletter – Spring Term
Class Two Newsletter Spring 2019
Happy New Year and welcome back to school. I hope you have had a restful and festive Christmas break and looking forward to a busy Spring term.
English
In English we will be studying a variety of text types to help further develop your child’s writing skills. We will become familiar with a range of texts by the same author – Roald Dahl, particularly Fantastic Mr Fox and The Magic Finger, also, we will be writing information booklets and creating Space poems. Areas of grammar will be taught through activities based on these texts including complex sentences, how to punctuate direct speech, verb tenses, noun phrases and adjectival phrases.
Listening to your child read continues to be very important, as does discussing their understanding of the texts they are reading. There will be daily classroom time for reading, handwriting, grammar and spelling activities.
Maths
This term we will continue to build on their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills as well as developing the children’s times tables knowledge by learning the 5 times table and improving their speed and confidence in mental calculation – doubles and halves to 30+ and number bonds. Some of the objectives we will covering this term are: Place value, 3-digit numbers on a number line, partition 2-digit numbers into 10s and 1s, compare and order numbers, add 2-digit numbers, subtract a 2-digit number from another 2-digit number using counting up, measure in metres and cm. measure in kg and g, find fractions of amounts (1/3s and 1/2s) and comparing fractions, division within tables and multiplication and division word problems
Topic (Geography/History)
Our topic is Journeys we will be studying a contrasting island (Australia) the climate and culture, as well as looking at the history of transport and in the second half term our topic will be Space with reference to famous people Neil Armstrong, Edwin (“Buzz”) Aldrin Jr, and Michael Collins, studying the moon landings.
Science
Our topic is the uses of everyday materials – the children will identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for uses, find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
Through investigations the children will develop their skills by asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways, observing closely, using simple equipment, performing simple tests, identifying and classifying and using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions.
Computing
Linked to our topic we will be programming the Bebots and robots to guide a bebot from one place of an island to another. We will debug the route until the challenge is met where necessary. Also, we will be developing our computing skills by using a paint package to create a map of a focus island.
Art and DT
Both subjects are linked to our topic work and aboriginal art and as part of the RSPB Bird Watch we will be drawing birds trying to add detail to our drawings. In DT we will be designing, making and evaluating models of space rockets.
RE and PSHE
In RE we will be studying Islam and the life of Mohammed and in the second half term the life of Jesus and his parables. In PHSE we will talk about the role of drugs and medicines and how to keep safe.
Music
Year 2 will have music lessons with Mrs Ford on a Thursday morning we will be selecting and combining sounds using tuned and untuned instruments. They will be working together to compose short pieces of music, perform and evaluate their compositions.
PE
PE will take place on Thursday and Friday. Mr Snelling will be working on gymnastics on Thursday afternoon. On Friday we will be following Time to Move in Dance and in the second half term Class 2 will have PE with Mr Dyce on Friday afternoon focusing on multi-skills.
Homework
As previously, in addition to hearing your child read whenever possible, the children will be set spellings to learn each week on Friday, ready for a test on the following Friday; please assist them with look, cover, write, check activities to consolidate their learning. Maths, English or Topic homework will continue to be set on Fridays for return the following Wednesday.
Forest School – dates to be confirmed. This will be later in the term details to follow.
Please support your child to ensure that they understand what has been asked of them and to make sure that their work is clearly and neatly completed.
If you have questions or concerns, please make an appointment to speak to me before or after school.
Best wishes for 2019!
Mrs Hall