Stanway Fiveways Primary School

Welcome to week 4 of Spring 2.

This week the children have begun learning about measures in maths, starting off with using rulers and metre sticks to measure in cm and m.

We also celebrated Young Carer’s Day this week by wearing our funkiest socks to school!

The science learning has continued. Our caterpillars are still growing and should be in their chrysalides soon! This week is science, the children also learned about animals and their natural habitats and the basic needs of animals including humans.

For our RE topic, we are currently learning about Passover and why is important to Jewish people. This week, the pupils go the opportunity to taste their flatbread and handle a real life seder plate.

We’re halfway through Spring 2 already, can you believe it?

This week, the children have been working hard to innovate our story of Smok the Dragon in English and over the course of the week, have completed their own version of the story including a troll as the monster. The children have working incredibly hard and we cannot wait to read their new versions as they continue next week.

In art, year 2 have been exploring all of the skills they have learned so far by mixing colours and adding black and white to change the tints/tones of a colour. They also used thick or thin paintbrushes to paint their pictures depending on the space they were painting. They were fantastic and used their knowledge well.

In computing, the children have been continuing to explore directions using the Beebots and in PSHE we looked at the effect that soap has on our hands when dealing with germs in a little experiment. Some lucky children also got to go to the forest school area on a search for worms for our worm farms in class. Overall, another fabulous week. Well done year 2.

How are we 2 weeks into Spring 2 already?! Time really does fly when you’re having fun!

This week has been yet another full on week for our year 2 children. This week they have continued practising their hockey skills in outdoor PE. They have been exploring news ways of dividing in maths and they have been learning about tints and tones in our art topic. In our science topic, we have been exploring life cycles and this week our caterpillars arrived! We have put each individual caterpillar into their vials and will be observing them over the next few weeks as they turn into beautiful butterflies.

Finally, this week, we also celebrated World Book Day. The children and adults looked fantastic and it was great to see so much effort going into their costumes. Well done year 2!

What a great first week back it’s been for our year 2 pupils. We’ve started learning all about Henri Rousseau and his fabulous pieces of artwork in our new art topic, we’ve started our division topic in maths which the children have been absolutely fantastic at and we’ve also been lucky enough to have Mr Watts – an SCS coach – in to teach us for our indoor PE topic – multi skills. This is ongoing for the rest of the term. The children have shown great enthusiasm since being back after the half term and we look forward to what the rest of the half term brings.

As part of their India topic, Year 2 had the privilege of having their Indian Drumming Workshop on Monday, hosted by musical personality King G Mall (aka Gurcharan Mall). King G has received many awards and is widely known within the Asian industry as one of the pioneers of making the Dhol drum popular. During the day, Year 2 was taught how to play the Dhol drum, and were given a set piece of music that they performed. Children were also taught a rhythm they could clap, to provide an accompaniment to the Dhol drum musicians. The day was a true success and the children were engaged from start to finish.

In Science, the children have been learning about food chains. Using a range of toy animals, the children were able to create a number of different food chains. 

Sycamore and Willow class, finished their DT project. The children successfully cut out either a hand puppet or a finger puppet and used running stitch to sew the materials together. They then decorated the puppet using a range of techniques. 

This week in Science,  the children are continuing to learn about habitats, plants and animals that live within them. 

In English, the children wrote an innovated story over the week. Children have been able to discuss and use appropriate adjectives, nouns and similes to incorporate within their story. 

In Maths, the children are continuing to develop their understanding of multiplication. This week they have grouped amounts writing and drawing their answers as well as write repeated addition and multiplication sentences for each group.

The children's sewing skills are continuing to develop. The children are becoming more able at tying knots and are growing with confidence when applying running stitch to a piece of fabric.

Year 2 also teamed up with Year 5 to enjoy paired reading. This is a wonderful time for the younger and older children to develop their reading and social skills. The children love being able to share a book with each other and look forward to this every week.

This week, Year 2 were luckly to have dance teacher Miss Barnes lead indoor PE this week. Miss Barnes had created a Bollywood dance routine and taught the children the key moves step-by-step. During the session, the children worked hard on their co-ordination and there were plenty of smiles too. Whilst in outdoor PE, the classes have been continuing to develop their netball skills and Willow class were lucky enough to have Mr Lehain teach them this week. 

In English, the children are developing their Talk4Writing skills. This week, they have innovated sentences using alternative adjectives and similes this will get the children ready for next week when they will be innovating paragraphs to write an innovated story.

During Maths, children have been getting use to dealing with pounds and pence. The children have been learning to make different combinations of a set amount and they are now using their skills to solve one step word problems. 

This week in Whole Class Reading the children have been learning about the game hopscotch. They were very excited to have a go at hopscotch in the playground.  

In Maths, the children finished their geometry unit by sorting 3-D shapes into different categories. The children are now starting to learn about money. This week they have looked at the different types of coins and notes we have. They have then started to make different amounts of money using a combination of pence and pounds. 

In Geography, the children identified key facts about India using a range of methods including apps, search engines and books. 

During indoor PE, the children have started to learn how to find the beat of Bollywood music and they have started to do body and hand movements in time with the beat. . 

Finally, Rowan and Sycamore started their DT topic and have started to evaluate existing puppets. Willow class have gone one step further and have started to practice their sewing skills. The children were able to thread a needle and tie a knot at the end. They then started to practice running stitch. .

This week marks the start of a new year and the Spring term. The first two days back, after the Christmas holidays, has seen all the Year 2 classes settling back into their learning journey. 

In Maths, the children are continuing their Geometry unit and are learning more about shapes. This week they started to investigate 3-D shapes, which involved learning names and properties of some shapes.

In Geography, the children have been using atlases to identify the 7 continents and 5 oceans of the world, which they then plotted on their own map.

In PSHE, the children identified the special people in their lives and were able to explain why these people are important to them. 

Finally, Willow class started their DT unit for this half term which is to make an Indian animal hand puppet. In their first lesson, the children were introduced to a range of hand puppets which they evaluated to determine what is important when making this product. The children will then apply this information to their hand puppet designs.

The last full week of the year has been filled with Christmas and learning.

In Maths we have been learning all about 2D shapes and their properties. The children can confidently describe a variety of 2D shapes and talk about the number of vertices and sides they have. They have worked in groups to sort shapes and also showed excellent understanding of symmetry.

In English the children have been practising their rhyming skills and applying these to write rhyming couplets about Christmas.

In RE the children created class prayer chains, encouraging them to think of others who are not as fortunate as themselves at this time of year.

In Art the children used the printing skills they have been developing to print some Christmas wrapping paper, the results were great!

Finally the children loved sharing the homework pieces that they have been busy creating at home. All three classes got to go and see each other’s work and we really enjoyed welcoming parents into school for our very successful open afternoon event.

This week Christmas has begun in Year 2. On Wednesday the children really enjoyed Christmas dinner wearing their Christmas jumpers. In the afternoon they stayed in the Christmas mood making cards for their friends.

The classes also enjoyed their final week of forest school with a hot chocolate around the fire circle.. The children have loved their forest school sessions this term and have had a great time despite an awful lot of rain and the freezing temperatures this week.

Finally on Thursday the children had a science day. The children spent the day investigating the question ‘which material is best at absorbing water?’ They made predictions, decided how to make it a fair test, drew scientific diagrams and finally bar charts to show their results. The children really enjoyed spending the day being scientists.

This week in English, Y2 started a new unit of learning, all about poetry. They explored a lovely collection of poetry books, finding their favourite and performing this to their class.

In RE the children have been retelling the story of the nativity in groups and learning about why this story is so important to Christians.

In Art the children have been learning how to make overlapping print patterns using the shape sponges that they designed last week.

Finally in DT the children have been developing their skills as well as their resilience when facing difficulties. They worked hard to construct cuboids using paper nets and then added straw axles and wheels to make a vehicle – these skills will be important when they come to make their final products later in the term.

This week in Maths, Y2 have been learning how to answer subtraction questions that involve exchanging. They worked with coaching partners using practical resources and by the end of the week had developed confidence with this very tricky concept.

In History, the children have been finding out what it was like for children in Victorian times using pictures and information texts.

In Computing, the children used a program on the I-Pads to present data as a pictogram.

Finally the highlight of the week for Willow class was making smores during their Forest School session, they also enjoyed being creative with clay and other natural materials to make forest creatures.

We have had another very busy week in Y2 with lots of exciting learning going on.

In English, the children were learning how to write amazing character descriptions using a variety of language features such as possessive apostrophes, expanded noun phases and similes.

In Maths, the children have begun their unit on subtraction and have been using base 10 and number lines to help them to find the answers to subtraction number sentences. They also completed a puzzle challenge to demonstrate their understanding so far.

In RE, the children have been learning about advent and enjoyed making advent candle wreaths. In History, the children have been exploring Victorian toys and making comparisons with the kind of toys they play with today. In Art this week, the children made repeating patterns using the sponge templates they designed previously.

This week in Y2 we have completed our addition unit in maths. The children have been learning how to add any two 2-digit numbers and this week it involved exchanging, a tricky step, but one which the children successfully conquered using concrete resources such as base 10 and pictorial methods.

In DT this week the children began to develop their skills by undertaking focussed practical tasks. They worked with a partner to construct a net, measured accurately and used saws to cut an axle.

In PE the children were balancing on different parts of their bodies both large and small.

Finally in Forest School the children enjoyed a variety of activities including climbing trees, getting creative with conkers and ‘cooking’ in the mud kitchen.

The children have made an excellent start to the new half term and have enjoyed beginning their learning related to our Queen Victoria topic.

In English the children have begun their story writing unit and have enjoyed creating a story map and actions to help them remember the Tale of Peter Rabbit.

In Maths we are continuing our learning about addition and by the end of the week the majority of the children were able to add two 2-digit numbers together.

This week in Rowan class the children have used a data handling program on the I-pads to create pictograms. Sycamore class enjoyed exploring printing using sponges. In Willow class the children began their DT project to design a moving toy for a Victorian child by evaluating existing toys and thinking about the materials used and how their parts moved.

The most exciting part of the week by far was the start of Forest School. All the children loved being outside and enjoyed exploring the outside area and all the activities available to them. They are all thoroughly looking forward to next week’s session.

In English this week, the year 2 pupils have been editing their Great Fire of London diary entries that they have written. They have designed their own diaries and then finally copied out their fabulous final pieces into their diaries using a ‘quill’ like they did in 1666. They thoroughly enjoyed this and were very proud of their work. We also got to see their amazing Great Fire of London themed homework this week. It was clear the children put lots of effort in and had a great time sharing what they had done.

For art this week, year 2 have been practising drawing wooden houses with charcoal and using different smudging techniques. They also moved onto using oil pastels and creating a picture of fire using the techniques they have learned. Their final pieces looked brilliant, well done year 2!

In maths, we have continued with our adding topic and have practised adding 2-digit and 1-digit numbers together which they are doing particularly well with. Overall, a fantastic way to end the half term. See you in November!

This week was the week where year 2 got to explore what life was like in 1666 at the fantastic Great Fire of London day. History off the Page came in to set up our hall into shops that would’ve been on the streets of London during that time. Throughout the day, he told us the story of the Great Fire of London and made us feel as though we were experiencing it by pretending the fire was getting closer and closer. The children had a fantastic time and learnt so much about the Great Fire of London and what London was like in the past. Why not take your children to London during the half term to see what it is like now? Thank you to all of the parent helpers for making it such a fab day too.

In maths this week the children have begun our adding topic by exploring their number bonds to 10 and 100. In English, they have written a recount all about their time at the Great Fire of London day and then wrote a diary entry as if they were alive during 1666. We have continued tag rugby for outdoor PE and explored a pirate’s diary in our whole class reading topic.

This week has been a very exciting week for our year 2 children. They have enjoyed lots of outdoor learning for English, maths and science this week.

Paired reading has begun which means the children get the opportunity once a week to pair up with someone from another class/year group and read together. The children have thoroughly enjoyed this and it was a pleasure to see them enjoying reading so much.

In English, we have been preparing the pupils for diary writing as someone who was alive during the Great Fire of London. For inspiration, this week we went to the Forest School area to light an actual fire so the children could describe it using their 5 senses. In science, the pupils have been exploring different objects and categorising them by their properties.

In maths the children have been learning how to use symbols to compare numbers. This was a very practical lesson which the children thoroughly enjoyed. They have also been learning how to order numbers from smallest to biggest and place them on the number line. Overall, a very busy week for year 2 with lots of fun learning involved!

Can you believe we’ve already completed our fourth week of the school year? Time really does fly when you’re having fun.

This week pupils have continued to progress with their learning. In maths, they have been learning about different ways to partition 2-digit numbers and how to place number on a number line. In English, they have been learning how to write in past and present tense and how to use time conjunctions to order their writing.

Tag rugby has continued in outdoor PE. The children are thoroughly enjoying learning how to play this game! The children have also had the opportunity to practise their spellings with their friends within the classroom by playing games which was great fun!

In history, the children used the iPads to visit the https://www.fireoflondon.org.uk/game/ website to explore the events of the Great Fire of London. It is a great interactive tool so why not explore this with your children at home too!

Considering this week has only been a 4-day week, the children have still managed to fit a lot in. This week, In English, the children have been exploring the structure of sentences and how to write the words in the correct order and use capital letters and full stops in the correct places. They have done an amazing job at this and we are looking forward to reading some of their own sentences in the upcoming weeks.

In maths, we have been exploring how to partition 2-digit numbers and understanding the value of each digit in a number. Their understanding of this is improving and will support them greatly in our maths topics throughout the year.

In RE, they have been exploring how light is important for different religions, focusing on Christianity this week. They looked at the Christmas Story. In computing we have been looking at different types of information technology and what each is used for and in science we have been exploring the properties of different materials. Why not ask your children what materials your household items are made of and see if they can describe their properties using some scientific vocabulary?

This week, the year 2 pupils have been working incredibly hard. They have begun their topics for the Autumn term and have been getting used to what school life will be like during their time in year 2.

In maths, they have begun exploring 2-digit numbers and understanding the value of each digit. They have shown how confident they are at representing these numbers using different equipment. The year 2 teachers have been very impressed!

In English, the pupils have had time to explore different word classes, such as nouns, adjectives and verbs and have been using these words in different sentences. For our materials topic in science, the pupils were able to explore the room and group objects based on the materials they were made of. They thoroughly enjoyed this and demonstrated how keen they were to share their knowledge of materials. Overall, an exciting but tiring week. Keep up the good work year 2.