Mrs Mills
2M Teacher
Dear Parent and Carers of Year 2,
The Summer Term has arrived!
We have enjoyed a remarkable Autumn and Spring term in Year 2 and welcome the Summer term with anticipation and excitement. So far we have learnt how to improve our health and develop strong bodies through our Mighty Me topic; got creative during Flash, Bang, Whizz to develop our historical understanding; and studied Explorers to appreciate how new developments led to changes in our daily lives. In the Summer term we will be learning about the advantages and disadvantages of different explorers through our what it means to be Daring Discoverers topic.
Curriculum
Attached to this letter is a curriculum overview which provides an overview of our learning focus for the summer term. In English our writing will use the texts ‘When We lived in Uncle’s hat’, ‘Millie’s Marvellous Hat’ and ‘James and the Giant Peach’ to continue to develop writing for different purposes. In addition to this we will be developing their skills to research and write information texts as we explore the voyages of Christopher Columbus in history, what plants need to grow in science and how. In maths, we will be extending the children’s knowledge to calculate multiplication and division as well as continuing to consolidate their understanding of addition and subtraction.
Reading
To continue to develop confident, fluent, independent readers Year 2 we will carry on using VIPERS to develop fluency prosody and comprehension skills. VIPERS stands for: vocabulary, infer, predict, explain, retrieve and sequence/summarise. Please continue to share a story together, encouraging your child to talk about what is happening in the pictures, asking questions and predicting what might happen next.
Learning at home: In the coming weeks your child will have the Summer Term Home Learning grid. This continues the school’s policy for home learning by giving children the opportunity to complete a variety of different activities during the summer term. They can choose to do any or all of the tasks, at any time which can then be shared with the class and added to the classroom display. Thank you for all your support with the homework grid activities.
Homework
Spelling bookmarks: These will be continuing this half term and will be given out on a Friday ready for their quiz the following Wednesday. Each bookmark has key words to learn as well as the spelling pattern to learn.
Soapbox: In the second half of term we will give each child the opportunity to speak about a topic of their choice to their class for 5 minutes. This is then followed with 5 minutes of a Q&A session. We feel public speaking is an invaluable tool for life and this opportunity can provide children chance to develop confidence and the ability to present in front of their peers. Nearer the time, you will receive a letter which will give more guidance about preparing for the soapbox and the date your child’s soapbox. These will also be in the class notice boards as a reminder.
Planting: As part of our science topic, we are looking at plants and considering what they need in order to grow. We will be growing plants from seeds at school and recording changes over time. This can eventually be planted outside if possible and your child can watch it grow over summer and discover how tall the sunflower can become! Discuss with your child where the best place to plant the seed might be.
School Uniform and P.E Kits: Please ensure that your child is wearing the appropriate track suit/leggings/short a and their school PE top. On the class PE days children should continue to come to school in their PE kit and wear suitable shoes for PE. It is good practice to make sure all uniform and P.E kit is clearly labelled. This is particularly important for jumpers/cardigans as various items of clothing often get muddled up or mislaid!
Summer Hats and Sun cream: As the weather continues to get warmer please encourage your child to have a sun hat at school. These will be kept safe in class for them to wear on the days that are particularly sunny. Also, children can bring in a small bottle of sun protection they can apply during the day which can be kept in their trays.
Transition: In the second half of the term we will be concentrating on easing the transition for your child from Year 2 to Year 3. This will involve: writing to their Year 3 teacher and finding out what to expect in Year 3 as well as PSHE/Circle Time sessions.
Updates and reminders
Morning Routine – Children come into class from 8:40am ready for the day’s learning.
Snacks – We ask that any snack you send in for break time is a piece of fruit or vegetable. There will also be some fruit provided in class for your child.
Medication – Please can you update the class teacher and school office of any changes to your child’s medication needs.
Key Dates –
Sunday 21st April – St George’s Day parade Whitton High Street
Tuesday 23rd April – class and team photos
Monday 6th May – May Day Bank Holiday
17th June – Launch of Arts Week
Thursday 27th June – Sports Day
Friday 5th July – Move Up Morning
Tuesday 23rd July – End of term. School closes at 1:30pm
As always if you have any questions or need further information please just ask.
The Year 2 Team