Class 2 Newsletter Spring Term 2021
Dear parents/carers,
Happy New Year and welcome back to Year 2. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas break.
Mrs Barker, Mrs Thomas, Mrs Abusham and I would like to thank you for all the very generous Christmas gifts we received at the end of last term.
As the start of our Spring Term is very different to what we had all expected, some of the curriculum I had planned to do this term will have to be changed or modified to fit with remote learning. Some aspects of the curriculum will be dependant upon a return to the classroom. However, I anticipate covering as many areas as possible remotely.
Remote Learning
There are 2 hour long live sessions 9.30- 10.30 and 11-12 each morning. In the afternoon everyone is expected to do the Handwriting, spelling, phonics and reading activities set, plus another independent activity of: Science, Topic, PE, RE or Art.
Please ensure the device your child is using for these sessions has updated Teams and PowerPoint so that they can access all the activities set.
Please could all work be uploaded on Teams assignments (same as homework from last term) by 9:30am the following day.
Please look at the assignments (posted the evening before) and print (if possible) all relevant work to support your child within the live sessions.
If you are unable to attend a live session please let me know before 9:15am, I am unable to see messages once in the call. This will save me trying to invite you to the session unnecessarily. If you are unable to attend you must still go through the session (using the slides/ work in assignments), complete all activities and submit your work.
If you experience any problems accessing an on-line lesson, please contact the school office in the first instance. This will enable me to concentrate on my teaching. If you are able, in the meantime, to access the work via Teams, we will endeavour to resolve any problems before the next lesson, but your child may have to miss the live part of the lesson on that occasion. I will invite all pupils before the lesson starts to help alleviate some of the problems experienced. Please do not message via Teams to inform me of any issues once the call is underway, as I do not receive these until the session has ended.
Marking is more of a challenge during remote learning and is taking up a lot of the time which would be better served spent on planning and acting on children’s next steps. I will be providing next step feedback for both Maths and English once a week and other work will be depending on the learning at the time. All work will be acknowledged through the receiving and sending back process, but it may not have a comment.
I am aware that some children need ‘backgrounds’ whilst in the call. Please can we keep backgrounds to just a blur or something simple. Some children are finding the elaborate backgrounds distracting.
Please find below a brief outline of what we hope to be covering this term.
English
We are starting the term with a focus on fiction, particularly Traditional Tales. Please take the opportunity to read as many of these kinds of stories with your child along with alternative versions, for example ‘The Elves and The Shoemaker’. We will of course be sharing many of these stories through our Teams Calls. Through exploring Traditional Tales, we will have the opportunity to develop many of the children’s writing skills. Again, through other aspects of the curriculum (science, geography, history etc.) we will be developing our non-narrative skills with information, report and instructions writing. Ensuring your child reads for at least 15 minutes a day will help their reading skills to develop along with discussions around the text read. It is just as important to read to your child regularly along with listening to audio books.
Maths
To begin the term, we will be continuing to look addition and subtraction. We will then be moving onto multiplication and division. Throughout the term we will develop children’s statistic knowledge, geometry (property of shapes), fractions and measures (length & height). To assist with children’s mathematical development encourage them to handle real money and understand the value of coins and notes along with reading analogue and digital time in a 12hr and 24hr format.
History and Geography
Our geography topic this term is a comparison of Ghana to the UK this will give the children the opportunity to learn about similarities and differences between places in the world.
Science
Throughout the Spring term we will be looking at the area of Science ‘Uses of Everyday Materials.’ Children will be identifying and comparing the uses of a variety of everyday materials. They will be finding out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials may be changed.
Computing
We will continue to reinforce the importance of ‘how to stay safe online’. Children will be learning to research and find useful and trustworthy information and will continue to consolidate their word processing and keyboard skills.
Art and DT
Through our art children will be learning about African Art. DT will be linking closely with our Science and children will be testing materials to suit a particular product.
RE and PSHE
In RE, we will be considering special books and focusing in on different religions. Our PSHE learning will ensure children will understand that household products, including medicines, can be harmful if not used properly and other aspects of keeping safe.
Music
The children will be combining the musical elements of rhythm, pitch and pulse with singing and playing musical instruments. Children will also be considering tuned and untuned instruments and how they can be used musically.
PE
Children will be focusing on team games and multi-skills.
If you have any concerns or issues you would like to discuss regarding your child, please do email the office and I will be in touch.
Kind Regards,
Miss Hagger