Year Two weekly newsletter

In English this week, you finished writing your return narratives about traveling to an island. You worked incredibly hard to write coherent and engaging sentences, using your imagination to create unique and exciting islands. We placed a strong focus on handwriting and spelling, ensuring that your writing was clear and well-presented. Your dedication and creativity truly shone through--well done!

In spellings this week, you have been learning how to spell words with the suffixes -y and -ly. You practiced using these words in sentences, found rhyming words, and worked hard to correct your misconception words. Your dedication to improving your spelling skills has been fantastic--keep up the great work!

In maths this week, you have worked incredibly hard on measuring length and height. You practiced measuring with rulers and meter sticks, understanding when to use each tool. You then compared and ordered measurements and applied your knowledge by using the four operations to solve word problems on measuring. Next week, you will be moving on to measuring weight and capacity--great job, mathematicians!

In RE this week, you learnt about the Paschal candle and its importance in the Easter celebration. You discovered that a new Paschal candle is brought into church each Easter and explored the symbols on the candle and their meanings. You found out that the cross represents Jesus' sacrifice, while the Alpha (') and Omega () symbols show that Jesus is with us from the beginning to the end of everything. To demonstrate your understanding, you drew your own Paschal candles in your books and carefully labelled each symbol--well done!

In Courageous Advocacy this week, you took part in a range of perseverance activities to challenge yourselves and reflect on the importance of not giving up. You worked on building LEGO models, creating origami, and completing a jigsaw puzzle. Throughout the session, you had to make a decision--would you stop when the timer went off, or would you keep going? It was amazing to see so many of you show resilience, determination, and a never-give-up attitude!

In Science this week, you explored how different fitness activities affect your heart rate. You completed a variety of exercises, such as jumping, running, and star jumps, and then measured how fast your heart was beating after each one. This helped you understand how physical activity impacts the body and why exercise is important for keeping our hearts healthy. You were fantastic at recording your results and comparing how different movements made your heart rate change!

In DT this week, you practiced a variety of food preparation skills by working with different ingredients. You learned how to safely chop cucumbers using a knife, grate cheese, spread hummus evenly, and finely cut coriander. You showed great care and control while using the equipment, ensuring you handled everything safely. These skills will help you as you continue to learn about healthy eating and balanced meals.

In Art this week, you completed your paintings of the poppy field inspired by Van Gogh. You focused on expressive and gestural painting techniques, learning how to use bold brushstrokes and movement to bring your artwork to life. You experimented with different brush sizes and pressures to create texture and depth in your paintings. The final pieces were beautiful and full of energy, showing your growing confidence as artists.

In Geography this week, you expanded your knowledge of Kenya by exploring its physical and human features. Using Google Earth, you were able to virtually explore Kenya, spotting its stunning landscapes, bustling cities, and vast savannahs. There were lots of "Aaaah" and "Wows" as you discovered Kenya's mountains, rivers, national parks, and famous landmarks. You discussed the differences between natural features, like Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley, and human features, like Nairobi's skyscrapers and Maasai villages. Your curiosity and excitement made this lesson truly engaging--well done, geographers!

In PE this week, you continued your net and ball games unit, focusing on tennis. You practiced dribbling a ball with your racquet, working on your control, coordination, and focus. After mastering this skill, you put your learning into action with an exciting game of tennis! You showed great teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship throughout the session.

In our music lesson this week, we recapped how to play note B on the recorder. We then moved on to learn how to play note A. We just need to remember our left hand must be placed at the top part of the recorder. A few of us are still placing our right hand at the top. Practise is very important when trying to remember this. We also practised our class worship song.

We also shared our Ogden trust science books with each other in the sunshine. We found this so interesting.

Year Two, you have worked so hard this week! I am amazed by the dedication you show to your learning and how kind you have been to each other this week. Your homework on measuring this week has been sent out.

Have a wonderful weekend,