Mrs Lucia Lopez
Teacher 2L
WELCOME TO YEAR TWO!
We hope that you and your children have had a wonderful summer and that they are now raring to start their journey in Year 2. We have had a fantastic time getting to know our classes during these first few days, and we are looking forward to working with you and your children to ensure a very happy and productive year!
We would like to invite you to:
The Year 2 'Get To Know You' morning
All Year 2 parents are welcomed into their child’s Year 2 class to meet the teachers on Wednesday 17th September at 2.30pm. Here, your teacher will help you ‘get to know’ all about the exciting curriculum your child will be learning, as well as more information about Year 2 routines and expectations.
We are looking forward to seeing many of you there! In the meantime, we have outlined some key information below about Year 2 which should help you and your child ease into the start of the year.
Staff:
2L Class Teacher - Mrs Lopez
2L Class Teacher Assistant - Teresa Garland (am) and Sam Smith( pm)
Learning
Year 2 Curriculum:
We kick off the year with our first creative topic: Mighty Me! We will be looking at how we can keep our bodies mighty within our science unit on Healthy Living and through our physical education lessons. We explore how we can keep our minds mighty by being keen to learn and working hard to achieve our best. We will understand what makes US mighty by celebrating our different cultures and using our mighty investigative skills to discover where we live within our geography unit on the British Isles and its surrounding continents and oceans.
Further details about the year’s curriculum will be shared at the ‘Get To Know You’ meeting, and we will be putting our curriculum map - which gives you an overview of all the units taught in the Autumn Term – on the Nelson School website shortly.
Reading:
Within Year 2 we strive to create an environment which promotes the love of reading. We will regularly create many opportunities within school for: buddy reading, independent reading, small group reading, partner reading, as well as whole class stories. Your child will have the opportunity to visit the library to choose a reading book of their choice. Being independent in choosing their own book is important for children as it encourages curiosity and enjoyment of reading. Over the year, your child’s teacher will carry out ongoing assessments of your child’s reading to ensure the correct time for them to progress to the next reading level. We will continue with our Little Wandle programme and children will also take one book per week to practice their reading skills.
- Parent reading at home and at school:
Learning to read gives your child an invaluable tool for life: it opens a whole new world of understanding, feelings and imagination. The more you can help support your child’s reading, the more pleasure they will gain while developing this vital skill. Your child will bring home a Reading Record booklet which supports the Little Wandle phonics teaching in class. You will be able to communicate with your child’s teacher when you have read with your child and more about the changes will be explained during the ‘Get to Know You’ meeting. Reading to your child is a pleasurable way for you to help your child learn to read and love books. You can share the story together and encourage your child to talk about what is happening in the pictures, ask them questions or get them to predict what might happen.
Learning at home:
Within Year 2 we have weekly spelling quizzes and your child will be given a spelling page to practice key words. The words focus on the sounds that we have learnt or reviewed on that week. The spelling quiz will take place on a Wednesday and the new spellings will be given out on a Friday.
Start of the day routine:
The children can enter their classroom from 8.35am. Please say goodbye to your child in the playground by your child’s classroom. At the door, the class teacher will greet your child (and be available if any messages need to be relayed). We are hoping that this gradual entry will provide a relaxed start to the day in which your child is encouraged to organise their things and complete a morning task.
End of the day routine:
Each class will be dismissed from the door of their classroom. Note: Teachers will not permit children to leave their care until a parent or other authorised adult is identified. Children who have not been collected by 3.15pm will be taken to the school office.
Notice Board:
Each class has a notice board area on the window that provides important information, such as: cake sales, timetables, trip reminders, ‘special’ days. Information can also be gathered from the office when required.
Class representatives:
Each class will need two class representatives for the year. Please let your child’s class teacher know as soon as you can if you wish to be a class rep.
Important reminders
Medication:
Please ensure that the office/welfare has up to date information regarding medication for children to be administered at school. Also please check that medication is within date. This is particularly important for Epipens and asthma inhalers.
Contact Addresses and Telephone numbers:
If you have moved recently or changed home or mobile telephone number, please let us know. It is vital that we can contact you quickly if your child is unwell.
Once again, welcome to Year 2, and we hope to see you at our ‘Get To Know You’ meeting on the 17th September.
Dates to remember:
Friday 26th September - School photos
Thursday 13th November – Year 2 scooter training- Free
Tuesday 11th November- Great Fire of London workshop- Parents pay.
Wednesday 22nd October – Start of Half term (school closes at 3:10pm)
Best wishes,
The Year 2 Team