A big, warm welcome to Class 2! I hope you all had some lovely family time in the sun this summer and feel ready for the year ahead. We have already had such a great start to the school year and I know we’re going to achieve so much and have lots of fun along the way!
During Term 1 we welcome Ms Tohil from University of Sussex on her PGCE placement. She is near the end of her course so will be taking on quite a bit of the teaching of the class.
We have some exciting themes within our subjects this term, mainly based around the overarching theme of Houses and Homes.
If you have any questions, please contact me at hsullivan@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk
Best wishes
Mrs Sullivan
Geography
We will be using a few Geography skills this term when we look at maps of the local area and where the houses in our village are.
Literacy
In Literacy we shall be looking at two lovely picture books. The first is “The Something” by Rebecca Cobb, which is about a hole in a little boy’s garden and the imaginative ideas his family has about what might be in the hole. The second book is “House Held up by Trees” by Ted Kooser, which looks at what happens to a well-loved house when the people who live there grow old and eventually have to move away. Both books should inspire some fantastic creative writing. We will also be studying a poem called “The Deserted House” and trying to write some poems of our own. Finally, we will be using a non-fiction book about The Great Fire of London to complete some non-fiction writing.
History
In History, we will be learning about how houses have changed throughout history from the Celts up to the modern day. After half term, we will be learning about the Great Fire of London and making links between what we know about how houses were made and why the fire spread so quickly. We will be trying to answer the enquiry questions: Why was there a “Great” fire of London? And Has London burned since?
Computing
In Computing we will be spending sometime exploring Purple Mash, learning how to log in, create, save and find our work. We will also be looking at how to safely search for content on Purple Mash, learning invaluable skills about future online searching.
PE
PE will be taught by All Star Soccer, who will be teaching the children football skills. These sessions will be on a Tuesday morning. Then on a Thursday morning, Mrs Hall will be teaching the children Striking and Fielding skills. Please ensure that your child has appropriate PE Kit ready on those two days. Tracksuit bottoms or leggings won’t be needed until after the October half term, so please ensure your child has a pair of shorts to wear before then.
Music
In Music, we are going to use a BBC unit called “No Place Like” by composer Kerry Andrew which involves us responding to music and composing our own piece about the places that we live.
Homework
Your child will have a Home Learning Book and will be set a selection of Maths and English questions to work through each week, which will cover a variety of topics. Please support your child to work through as many of the questions as they can.
Reading
Every child should be reading for a minimum of 10-15 minutes each evening. This is perhaps the most important piece of homework! As children progress through Year 2 they may start to want to read to themselves, but please do encourage them to also read aloud to you so that you can help them to really understand what they are reading. Remember to discuss the book, pick out favourite words, retell the story and make the reading fun! If your child is tired, support them by reading together or just sharing a book and talking about the characters, plot, setting – this is very important when learning to read.
Your child will bring home a Phonics decodable book, either a Monster Phonics book or a Dandelion Reader. These will be changed on a Friday during your child’s Phonics lesson so please make sure they have these books in their book bags to facilitate this happening. They will also be able to choose 2-3 book banded readers to bring home. The children will choose these independently and when they feel the books are becoming too easy they can choose a book from the next level up. They are able to change these whenever they need to and this will happen at the end of each day. You may of course read your own books and books that you have borrowed from the library.
All reading (including any books you have at home or from the library) can be recorded on the Reading Record Booklet and then brought to school to be stamped – a certificate will be given in Thursday assemblies for each completed booklet. We will occasionally ask to see children’s reading records, so please also make sure that these are kept in your child’s book bag.
Spelling
Our Spelling work is done through our Monster Phonics daily sessions rather than by weekly testing. However, it would be great if you could help your child to read and spell the common exception and high frequency words appropriate to the Phonics they are learning.
Numbots
Last year we introduced Numbots into KS1. This is a fun way for your child to become proficient at those Maths fluency skills that are so important to help them to do more complicated calculations as they go through school. Please encourage your child to try to work through the program and there are certificates awarded each week for the biggest improvements in speed and accuracy of answering.
Maths
In Maths we shall be looking at place value of numbers within 20, before moving onto addition and subtraction of these numbers. Following this we move into looking at the place value of numbers within 100.
Science
In Science this term we will be learning about everyday materials and learning the difference between objects and the materials they are made from. We will be sorting and grouping materials and testing the properties of these materials.
DT
For our DT project we will learn how buildings can be strengthened by the way they are built. We will be using this knowledge to design and make a house for the three little pigs to keep them safe from the big bad wolf!
Art
In Art, we will be learning how to draw, in particular looking at the concept of line and how line can be used for different effects. We will use this short unit to help us to create some Harvest Artwork ready for our Harvest Festival. After half term our focus will be on exploring and creating maps through various art forms, including drawing, felt making, printmaking, and designing stained glass.
RE
In RE we will be learning about the religion of Islam, in particular asking the question: “Who is Muslim and how do they live?” This is a two part unit that we will return to after Christmas. After half term we will have a Christianity focus and will be asking the question: “Why does Christmas matter to Christians?” This learning will be supported by the performing of our Nativity Play.
PSHE
In PSHE, using the Jigsaw scheme, the children will be thinking about and discussing what it means to Be Me in My World before Celebrating Differences in term 2.
Reminders
Uniform
Please check that all of your child’s uniform is clearly labelled with their name – this saves so much time when trying to sort out clothing!
Water Bottles
Please send a named bottle of water for your child to drink in class. The bottles will be kept in a box in the classroom to eliminate distractions on the tables, but the children are encouraged to drink regularly throughout the day. It is important to remind your child to take bottles home everyday to ensure they are clean and hygienic.
Stationery
Your child will have all the stationery they need provided for them. There is no need for the children to bring in pencil cases from home, however if they do bring in their own stationery, then I must insist that the pencil case is small enough to fit into their tray so that the tables are clear for cleaning at the end of the day.
Key Dates
Friday 13th September – PTA Coffee Morning
Thursday 26th September – In-school Poetry Recital competition
Thursday 26th September – PTA AGM 7pm School Hall
Friday 27th September – Parents Phonics Workshops – 9.00-9.30 @ Blackboys & 2.45-3.15 @ Framfield
Tuesday 1st October – Harvest Festival in the church
Friday 4th October – INSET Day
Friday 18th October – Parent Maths Workshops – 9.05-9.30 @ Blackboys & 2.40-3.05 @ Framfield
Monday 21st October – Parents Consultations 3.30-6.00
Tuesday 22nd October – Great Fire of London Immersive Workshop @ Framfield tbc
Wednesday 23rd October – Parents Consultations 5.00-7.30
