Year 2
Welcome to Year 2, Summer Term 2018
We're already making the most of the sunshine and have enjoyed a visit to Plymouth Hoe to launch this term's topic; All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Take a look at the curriculum poster and letter below to find out more about the term ahead.
26.06.18: Today we were visited by the very talented children’s author and illustrator, Simon James. We’ve enjoyed many of his stories this year, so it was brilliant to meet him and learn more about how he writes and paints. He was very funny and we had superb morning.
19.06.18: A day out at Dartmoor Zoo
The animals put on a great show for us today. We saw tigers, cheetahs, lions, jaguars, meerkats, marmosets, a bear, otters, poison dart frogs and so much more. What an amazing day!
Howling with wolves! Year 2 join the wolf choir ...
Twit-twoo ... we experiment with the male and female owl call.
Every Friday, children in Year 2 have an independent writing session. This week it was based on the story 'Dear Greenpeace' by Simon James. The children had great fun imagining various animals appearing in their homes. We thought you'd enjoy reading a few of their letters.
Dear Greenpeace,
Last night when I came home from school, I heard a snoring sound. I went to look and it was a Komodo dragon! He kept eating my potato waffles (annoying!).
Love, Reuben.
P.S. He’s so cute! Do you think I should call him Cameron? Please could you send me some information?
Dear Reuben,
By what your letter said, your Komodo dragon seems kind, but that cannot be true because they are normally quite aggressive. It’s probably your imagination.
Yours sincerely,
Greenpeace
P.S. Maybe you should call it Komodo Cameron.
Dear Greenpeace,
I think it’s true that Cameron is a Komodo dragon because I looked it up on the internet and he is the same as the image.
Love, Reuben
P.S. What does he eat?
Dear Greenpeace,
In the middle of the night I heard a munching noise. What could it be? I crept out of bed and looked out of the window, and …THERE WAS A MONKEY IN MY TREE HOUSE!
Yours Sincerely,
Grace
P.S. How do they behave?
Dear Grace,
Surely there can’t be a monkey in your tree house because monkeys only live in trees – not houses, just trees.
Yours sincerely,
Greenpeace
Take a look at the children’s shoebox habitats which they completed for homework. They have worked extremely hard and the finished results are spectacular!
We were so excited to watch the development of our caterpillars.
When they were strong enough we released them into our school garden. Maybe they’ll lay eggs and the life cycle will begin again.
Now we’re fascinated by the tadpoles Jude brought in ... they’ve just grown legs!
What a beautiful day to celebrate a royal wedding,
We had a delicious Active Travel breakfast today, but it was too wet for the obstacle course so Dr Bike got us working hard to make fruit smoothies with pedal power!
Look back at Year 2, Spring Term 2018
Our cross curricular topic this term is ‘To the Edge of the World’ as detailed on the curriculum poster below. It has a strong historical focus, and we will be comparing the lives of Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong - two well known explorers who lived in very different times. We want the children to develop their enquiry skills - asking relevant questions and gathering information from different sources, such as books, pictures, films and the internet. We will also look at the legacy of these explorers and how they are perceived today. To help bring the topic to life, we will have two exciting adventure days, full of hands-on practical experiences.
29.03.18: We hope you have a lovely Easter holiday with your friends and families. Enjoy all the many delights of springtime and make sure you relax and have fun!
23.03.18: We finally celebrated World Book Day today. The children (and staff) all looked amazing in their costumes and we had lots of book related fun. We had a special assembly, shared our favourite books with our friends, bought new books at the book sale and enjoyed story time with different adults around school.
20.03.18: We’ve now learned to play the F chord on our ukuleles. Reuben shows how he can switch confidently from the F to C chord to play Frere Jacques.
11.03.18: Happy Mother’s Day to all our lovely mummies. We hope you have a wonderful day with your families.
09.03.18: Olympic athlete Robert Mitchell joined us at school this morning. He talked to the children about fitness, the importance of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, then put them through their paces in a very energetic fitness circuit.
Here’s some of the action!
Star jumps!
Press ups
27.02.18: It’s not every day that we meet a professional adventurer, so welcoming Debra Searle MBE to St Andrew’s today was really special. We were excited to discover that Debra has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, just like Columbus, except she rowed single handed in a smaller boat and had some modern technology like solar panels and GPS navigation to help her. We heard about her adventures with sharks and Barney the turtle, what she ate, how she communicated with friends and family and how she survived so many months alone. We even held one of the oars from her boat - it was very heavy!
Debra has also been to the Arctic and taught us about survival in freezing temperatures. She dressed Hannah up in layers of clothing - making sure she was completely covered to avoid frostbite. She said that if you look after your kit, your kit will look after you.
We’d like to say a great big thank you to Debra for spending time with us this morning. We will all remember your motto; YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE, and will try to use it when things are tough.
21.02.18: This afternoon we were lucky enough to have a visit from Leah. She taught us all about the traditional Chinese New Year celebration and how people prepare for it. We enjoyed looking at a range of decorations, learning how to say Happy New Year, practising a dragon dance and hearing a story. The children were so attentive and asked brilliant questions. I was very proud of their manners and listening skills.
The dragon dance was so much fun!
08.02.18: Columbus Day
Today we had the first of our special adventure days ... we travelled back in time to 1492 and prepared for a great voyage to the Indies on board the Santa Maria.
We needed supplies for our journey and so we baked some ship’s biscuits using flour, salt and water. We’ll store them in barrels and hope they’ll last until we reach land again.
We needed maps to help guide us on our journey West to the Indies.
All sailors need a good telescope to keep watch for land (and sea monsters or mermaids!)
We let our imaginations go wild and had fun creating sea monsters to hide in the ocean.
Finally we were ready to board the Santa Maria and set off on our adventure. We prayed for God to protect us and lead us safely to land.
It was crowded on board and there were no cabins for the sailors, so we took turns sleeping and working. The ship’s boy turned the sandglass and rang the bell when it was time to switch.
After many days at sea our fresh supplies had all gone, so we needed to eat some ship’s biscuits...not everyone liked them!
Finally we reached land ... we left the ship with great excitement, wondering what we would find in this strange new world. We tried to communicate with the native people and traded some goods with them. We tasted many new foods which we will be sure to take back to Queen Isabella when we return to Spain.
Look back at Autumn Term 2017
This term, Year 2 will be embarking on a 'Grand Tour' of Great Britain, travelling the length and breadth of the country from Land's End to John O'Groats. We will be exploring the landscape, sampling local foods, learning new languages, finding out about famous landmarks and people and discovering what makes our islands special. The children's KS1 Supersaver travel passes are all ready for their first trip on board the Magical Mystery Tour Bus ... keep checking our class page to join the adventure!
28.11.17: Today we were treated to an entertaining performance of Snow White. It was produced and performed by a talented group of students at City College Plymouth. A BIG THANK YOU from all of us at St Andrew's.
03.11.17: Today was our St Andrew's Internet Safety Day. We all dressed up as 'Webby Wolf' our new E-Safety digital mascot. Webby Wolf will be on duty for the first time next week, going home with one of the children to help them keep safe when using technology.
01.11.17: Following our virtual trip to Wales (the land of castles), Year 2 designed and built some amazing castles for their holiday homework. We are really impressed with the effort you have all put into this project - big, small, wooden, cardboard, fairytale, Lego or K'nex, they all show some of the defensive features of castles. See if you can spot any moats, towers, drawbridges, arrow loops, ramparts or hills ...there are even some freshwater sharks to beware of!
31.10.17: Our first lesson after the holiday was a music lesson. We can now play the C chord and used it to play 'Row, row, row your boat'. What amazing progress we've made in just a few weeks!
18.10.17: We've been exploring the work of the famous British artist; J.M.W Turner. Lots of his work is displayed in the National Gallery in London. He was one of the first artists to work outdoors and is remembered particularly for his ability to capture the mood of different skies. We spent time sketching clouds outdoors, then practised our colour mixing skills to paint warm evening skies and cold winter skies. Finally we used a range of skills to paint a fiery sky in the style of Turner and created our Great Fire of London paintings.
11.10.17: Today we were visited by Darren from Greenbank Firestation. He taught us how to keep safe at home and what to do in the event of an emergency. Reggie demonstrated 'stop, drop and roll' which is what we would need to do if our clothes caught fire. We looked at the uniform of a fire safety officer and even saw his oxygen tank.
The Queen may well commission Y2 to paint her annual portrait this year!
19.09.17: We had our second ukulele lesson today. A quick look at these photos will show you just how proud and excited the children are to have this opportunity.
Confidence and musical talent - Sofia and Khalia show us how to pick and strum the ukulele.
18.09.17: The Lost Son, Luke15: 11-32
We've been reading and enjoying poems by well known British poets in our English lessons over the last few weeks. The children have spotted rhyme, pattern and rhythm in poems by A.A.Milne, Michael Rosen and Christina Rossetti. We've used the poems as a stimulus for our own writing. Here are a few for you to enjoy.
Now I am Six by Neveah
When I was one
I was as sweet as a bun.
When I was two
I got my first shoes.
When I was three
I was a queen bee.
When I was four
I played at the moor.
When I was five
I learned to dive.
But now I am six
I'm as clever as clever,
so I think I'll be six now
for ever and ever.
I'm Just Going on The Slide by Louie
I'm just going on the slide.
Why?
Because it's fun.
Why?
Because you go really fast.
Why?
Because it's steep?
Why?
Because it was built like that.
Why?
Why don't you stop saying why?
Slide time why.
High time you stopped saying why time.
What?
Now I am Seven by George
When I was one
I had lots of fun.
When I was two
I went to the loo.
When I was three
I hurt my knee.
When I was four
I learned to draw.
When I was five
I learned to dive.
When I was six
I learned how to mix.
But now I am seven,
I'm as clever as clever,
so I think I'll be six now
for ever and ever.
15.09.17: Meet our young scientists!
Look back at last year's Class Page
2016-2017
Summer Term 2017
This term our cross curricular topic is 'On the Farm'. We have oodles of exciting things planned and the children have already started investigating plants, exploring where our food comes from and writing plant themed poems. We are all looking forward to our trip to Pennywell Farm on 23rd May. Take a look at the curriculum poster and termly newsletter below to find out more.
24.05.17: Our Great St Andrew's 'Salad- Off'
As part of Healthy Week we held an inter-class salad making competition today. In Year 2 we learned about different salad ingredients and preparation techniques, then worked in pairs to design a colourful, imaginative salad. The children had amazing ideas, such as a 'Monster Munch' salad, Star Wars themed salad and even a farm. After that we looked at each other's designs and voted for our favourites - it was a tricky decision, but the winner was Lola and Ghalyah's Smeaton's Tower salad. Well done girls! Here's how we made it ...
23.05.17: Our visit to Pennywell Farm
Today we became farmers for the day! It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of fun; riding on the tractor; collecting eggs from some very friendly chickens; feeding the deer and sheep; milking a goat; brushing the horses and cuddling the pigs, guinea pigs, mice and ducks. We were shown around by a lady called Julia who taught us all about life on the farm. It was a superb day with lots of special moments, take a look at the slideshow below to see the action.
Look back at Year 2, Spring Term 2017
Our cross curricular topic this term is ‘Where We Live’ as detailed on the curriculum poster below. We will be exploring both the geography and history of our local area, and thinking about its location within the South West and United Kingdom. Naturally, we plan to take the children on lots of trips, within the immediate vicinity of the Hoe and Barbican, across to Mount Edgcumbe and hopefully on a river cruise up the Tamar. We will teach the children how to use simple maps and plans and see things from a ‘bird’s eye view’. We also want to develop the children’s sense of community and help them find ways to be good citizens. If you know of anyone who has a job or hobby linked to our topic and might be willing to offer something to our curriculum, then please let us know.
Thanks once again to the Hoegate Street Co-op for running another Easter competition. This year the Year 2 children were asked to decorate an egg box in an unusual and imaginative way. When Sylvia came to judge the entries, she was stunned with the children's creativity and found it really tricky to choose a winner. Take a look at a few of the boxes below - we're sure you'll be impressed.
30.01.17: Today we've been thinking about forgiveness. We read Luke 6:37-38. Jesus taught 'Forgive and you will be forgiven' - we talked about what this might mean in our lives. The children had some insightful ideas. Take a look at some of the follow up work below.
27.01.16: It looks like the children had an extremely exciting afternoon with Mrs Lane today. They planned an investigation based around The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch and decided to test whether different types of rope would affect the time it takes the basket to slide down. They found out that the basket travelled fastest down the plastic coated rope. Maybe your child can try and explain why!
Take a peek at some of the Year 2 Science action!
26.01.17: We've just completed a block of work using the paintings of local artist, Brian Pollard as a stimulus. We investigated colour and the effect that different types of paint produce, as well as drawing technique. On Monday afternoon we visited the Hoe in glorious sunshine and had a great afternoon sketching the views. Finally, we've put all our skills together and here are a few of the finished pieces. Come to year 2 if you'd like to see more!
15.01.17: In R.E this week we have studied Matthew 9: 9-13, which tells the story of how Jesus chose Matthew the tax collector to be one of his 12 disciples. We considered what the story means for Christians, and decided that it shows how Jesus can be a good friend with someone who has no friends. As well as some great acting (see one clip below), Year 2 impressed me with their thoughtful ideas about friendship and kindness.
Rhonan and his group act out the story of Matthew
Look back at Autumn Term 2016
This term our cross curricular topic is 'Toys we Love'. We will explore how toys have changed through time, toys around the world and the different materials toys are made from. We will also be designing and making our own games and puppets, creating sculptures from broken toys and bringing toys to life in our very own film. To find out more and see how you can help, take a look at the curriculum poster below.
My new class have already impressed me with their manners, enthusiasm for learning, positive attitudes and super smart behaviour. I'm certain we'll have a great year ahead.
16.12.16 Merry Christmas everyone!
Learning how to keep safe with some of Plymouth's brave firefighters.
19.10.16: It was our Year 2 class assembly AND the second of our toy days today - this time we were exploring modern toys. We had lots of time to play with all the toys, then created mini adverts to try and persuade someone to buy our favourite toys. In the afternoon we became puppet masters, making our partners move in funny ways by pulling their imaginary strings! We also enjoyed lots of toy themed stories. Take a look at some of the fun we had...
Sofia, Besa, Sophia and Kayla try to persuade me to buy a bear.
Olivia and Joann's confident advert for A 'Spy Girl' doll.
11.10.16: Today, Year 2 and children in Gardening Club planted hundreds of crocus corms on Plymouth Hoe, to mark the success of Rotary International's campaign to eradicate Polio across the world. The crocuses were planted in a big circle and will bloom in the spring. It was pretty hard work - we planted corms for over an hour and the circle was only half full. Thankfully there were several Rotarians and gardeners on hand to finish the job!
28.09.16: Today we've had fun playing with old toys ALL DAY! We learned how to play marbles, jacks, pick up sticks and tiddlywinks; outside we played hopscotch, skipping and hoops. We even played a game of table skittles that belonged to Miss Lewis when she was a little girl!
23.09.16: We've been exercising our creative brains in Literacy lessons this week and have written some poems based on 'What's in the Box? by Trevor Millum. The children have been trying to use interesting adjectives to describe the toys hidden away in drawers or playrooms and even had a go at re-drafting and improving their first attempts. Here are two examples to enjoy.
What's in the Toy Bag? by Sol Dean
What's in the toy bag?
What's in the bag?
What's in the bag
with the black and white pictures?
There's a soaring frisbee
And a hooting owl,
Some reading books
And a big box of Lego,
A cheeky monkey
And a glorious princess doll,
A golden car
And an abandoned, trashed
Jack-in-the-box,
A magical fairy puppet
And a box of army men.
That's what's in the toy bag!
That's what's in the bag!
What's in the Playroom? by Bea
What's in the playroom?
What's in the room?
What's in the room
with the white walls?
There's a one-legged princess Barbie
And a shimmering horse,
Some blue bricks
And a paint brush,
A sparkly Girl's World
And a moving storm trooper,
A fluffy pink bunny
And a furry teddy,
An ancient Jack-in-the-box
And a pretend parrot.
That's what's in the play room!
That's what's in the room!
09.09.16: Meet our new Year 2 School Council representatives, Olly and Phoebe. We held an election in class and after some stirring speeches the class all voted for the person they thought would be the smartest, most confident School Council member. It was a secret ballot and was very exciting - democracy in action!
13.09.16: This morning we had our very first ukulele lesson with Mrs Welsh. We learned how to hold the ukuleles properly, use a pick and even played 'Greedy Caterpillars Eat Alone' with a little strumming!
08.09.16: A VERY exciting morning in an explosive Science show!
