Squirrels

Our class teacher is Miss Law

Our Teaching Assistant is Mrs Viola 

And our HTLA is Mrs Tarkowska

 

Here is some information about Year Two at Holy Rood Catholic Primary School:

 

Hard work always pays off

 

 

With so much to learn this year, it’s important not to fall behind, so please try to make sure the children are in school each day, on time and with the correct equipment. Regular attendance makes a massive difference to progress and attainment.

 

Book bands

We use the Oxford Reading Tree scheme books, that  are colour coded into reading bands. Children progress through the colours as they show that they can both read and understand the texts. Each time they move up a band we’ll write it in their Reading Record. Books will be changed weekly on a Tuesday.

 

Spelling

English spelling is sometimes tricky. But, good spelling makes a good first impression so many times in adult life, whether you're applying for a job, writing a report or even just emailing. In primary school, good spelling is still an important part of Key Stage 2 SATs. Feeling confident about spelling can also boost children’s writing to a higher level, encouraging them to use more adventurous, exciting vocabulary.

 

Phonics

The children take part in daily phonics sessions to support their spelling, reading and writing. Please ensure that they practice their weekly spellings as these will include common exception words, as well as sounds that they have learnt this week.

 

 How you can help your child fast-track to fantastic spelling:

 

• Ensure they learn and practise any spelling homework.
• Check out the Year 1 and 2 words that children should know by the end of KS1.

Term 4

 

English

In English this term our topic focus is ‘Journeys’. We will be learning a written text from the book ‘The Journey’ by Aaron Becker.

We will be learning to:

• Segment spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly
• To spell common exception words
• Distinguish between homophones and near-homophones
• Accurately use capital letters and full stops
• Use commas for lists
• Use Subordination in our writing e.g. because, if

 

Handwriting 

Will be carried out twice a week as a focused lesson. Children are expected to produce clear, neat writing in every piece of work

 

Maths

In Maths this term, we are recovering the curriculum in preparation for the SATs in May.

We will be learning to:

• Count in steps of 2, 3 and 5 from 0 and in tens from any number, forward and backward.

• Recognise the place value of each digit in a two digit number (tens, ones)

• Identify, represent and estimate numbers to 100 using different representations including the number line.

• Compare and order numbers from 0 up to 100; use and = signs.

• Read and write numbers to at least 100 in numerals and words.

• Use place value and number facts to solve problems.

•Using concrete objects and pictorial representations, including those involving numbers, quantities and measures

•Applying their increasing knowledge of mental and written methods

•Recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently, and derive and use related facts up to 100

•Add and subtract numbers using concrete objects, pictorial representations, and mentally, including:

• a two-digit number and ones
• a two-digit number and tens
• two two-digit numbers
• adding three one-digit numbers•show that addition of two numbers can be done in any order (commutative) and subtraction of one number from another cannot
• recognise and use the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction and use this to check calculations and solve missing number problems.

Term 1

‘How has technology changed the world?’

 

This term the children are learning about the difference between technology now and in the past. The Jupitarian Satellite Early on in the term a satellite crash landed into the playground! The children were very excited to find it. The next day a letter from MI5 was delivered; explaining that the satellite belonged to an alien from Jupiter called Zip.

 

Throughout this term we have been learning about Zip and writing our Non-chronological reports about them. The children took part in lots of deepening activities such as hot seating, drama and letter writing.

The children then began to invent their own Non-Chronological reports about the Saturian (an alien from Saturn). They have worked hard to plan, map and then write each part of the text and use interesting language to support them.

Samuel Morse

 

As part of History, the children have been learning about Samuel Morse. They then practiced different ways of communicating with others and chose the most effective way. During Guided Reading, the children have also been learning about Samuel Morse and his creation of the Morse Code.

English

 

In English this term we will be writing Non-Chronological reports and poetry; we will be learning to:

• Segment spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly

• To spell common exception words

• Develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional); and when writing poetry.

• Consider what they are going to write before beginning by writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary.

• Use subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)

• Use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify.

 

Handwriting

 

Will be carried out twice a week as a focused lesson. Children are expected to produce clear, neat writing in every piece of work.

 

Maths

 

In Maths this term we will be concentrating on ‘Numbers and the Number system’, ‘Counting and Comparing’ and ‘Investigation properties of shape’.

 

When learning about ‘Numbers and the Number system’ and ‘Counting and Comparing’ we will learn to:

• Count in steps of 2, 3 and 5 from 0 and in tens from any number, forward and backward.

• Recognise the place value of each digit in a two digit number (tens, ones)

• Identify, represent and estimate numbers to 100 using different representations including the number line.

• Compare and order numbers from 0 up to 100; use and = signs.

• Read and write numbers to at least 100 in numerals and words.

• Use place value and number facts to solve problems.

 

When learning about ‘Properties of shape’ we will learn to:

• identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides, and line symmetry in a vertical line

• identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces

• identify 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes, [for example, a circle on a cylinder and a triangle on a pyramid] • compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes and everyday objects

Term 2

Term 2 is going to be a busy one with our fantastic Christmas play! Keep your eyes peeled for the date.

 

Our topic for English is Suspense writing and we will be looking at an adaption of the famous traditional tale 'Little Red Riding Hood' by reading 'Little Red' by David Roberts.

The children were given the challenge in Science to use their knowledge of materials to stop the chocolate buttons from melting- their prize was to eat the chocolate if they had managed to keep it solid!

As part of our Deepening activities when learning the story 'Little Red', we made biscuits for Grandma. The children enjoyed making these biscuits and wrote instructions as part of our English activity the next day.

The children had lots of fun making their own toy cars as part of our History project! They had to design, make and test their vehicles and could make them as cool as they wanted. It was a great end to a very busy term.

 

 

English

 

In English this term we will be focusing on suspense writing, we will be learning to:

• Segment spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly

• To spell common exception words

• learning the possessive apostrophe (singular) [for example, the girl’s book]

• Consider what they are going to write before beginning by writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary.

• Use subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)

• Use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify.

• Use adverbs to describe a verb

 

 

Handwriting

 

Will be carried out twice a week as a focused lesson. Children are expected to produce clear, neat writing in every piece of work.

 

Maths

 

In Maths this term we will be concentrating on ‘Addition and Subtraction', the children will be taught to solve problems involving addition and subtraction by:

 

•Using concrete objects and pictorial representations, including those involving numbers, quantities and measures

•Applying their increasing knowledge of mental and written methods

•Recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently, and derive and use related facts up to 100

•Add and subtract numbers using concrete objects, pictorial representations, and mentally, including:

• a two-digit number and ones
• a two-digit number and tens
• two two-digit numbers
• adding three one-digit numbers•show that addition of two numbers can be done in any order (commutative) and subtraction of one number from another cannot
• recognise and use the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction and use this to check calculations and solve missing number problems.

 

Term 3

 

'How is the world filled with colour?'

 

 

As a link to our topic 'How is the world filled with colour?', we have been learning about natural art and the artist Andy Goldsworthy, who uses natural materials to make sculptures. We noticed that he uses a lot of circles and spirals in his work so we used that as a starting point and then were encouraged to work co-operatively to create our own sculpture.

For Science this term we are learning about 'Plants', our first lesson in Science was to identify different seeds and bulbs of plants. We enjoyed sorting them and having a go at naming the plant that it would grow into. 

English

 

In English this term we will be learning about persuasive writing; we will be learning to:

• Segment spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly

• To spell common exception words

•Distinguish between homophones and near-homophones

• Add suffixes to spell longer words, including –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly

• Learning to spell more words with contracted forms

 

Handwriting

 

Will be carried out twice a week as a focused lesson. Children are expected to produce clear, neat writing in every piece of work.

 

Maths

 

In Maths this term we will be learning about 'Time', 'Multiplication and Division' and 'Fractions:

 

When learning about ‘Time' we will learn to:

-Compare and sequence intervals of time

-Tell and write the time to five minutes, including quarter past/to the hour and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times

-Know the number of minutes in an hour and the number of hours in a day.

 

When learning about ‘Multiplication and Division’ we will learn to:
-Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers

-Calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division within the multiplication tables and write them using the multiplication (×), division (÷) and equals (=) signs

-Show that multiplication of two numbers can be done in any order (commutative) and division of one number by another cannot

-Solve problems involving multiplication and division, using materials, arrays, repeated addition, mental methods, and multiplication and division facts, including problems in contexts.

 

When learning about ‘Fractions’ we will learn to:

 

-Recognise, find, name and write fractions 1/3 , 1/4 , 2/4 and 3/4 of a length, shape, set of objects or quantity

-Write simple fractions for example, 1/2 of 6 = 3 and recognise the equivalence of 2/4 and 1/2 .