roundwelcome

Year One Transition

If you are heading from Miss McKibbin's class, or from elsewhere, to 2LC in September, here is a short video that explains a little about the mobile classroom and some of the details that you may have been curious about.

Me, Mrs Williams and Mrs Taylor can't wait for you to join us in September.  Have a wonderful holiday and we will see you very soon!

Mrs Chapman 😀

(posted 14/7/2020)

What a wonderful week!

It was so lovely seeing all the children who returned to school this week.  The children were so sensible in regards to social distancing and safety and it was lovely to see those smiling faces at the end of the day after being able to check in with each other and spend time with those we haven't seen in person for quite some time. We really did miss our friends who are unable to rejoin us and hope that you are keeping safe and well at home.  Thank you to everyone for making my week so wonderful!

As you have probably guessed, the weekly overview can be found below in pdf format, along with the spellings for next week.  This is the natural end of the contractions spelling list and is where we will be ending our spellings tests for this academic year.  Next week we will, however, be posting a full list of the high frequency words that have been part of the weekly tests this year.  If you wish to revisit the words periodically during the summer break then this will be available for you.  This is not compulsory, the children are deserving of a well-earned break but the list is there if you require it.

Please also remember that current Seesaw codes run out on Sunday 5th July.  Please contact us on Seesaw to receive your new code which you can begin using today.  If you are reading this after the 5th July, please email the school office who will forward your email to us and we will send the new code to you via email. We will be posting more information about the transition to Year 3 on Seesaw and do not wish for anyone to miss out.

I am looking forward to the next school week with all the different bubbles. If you are not returning to school I can't wait to see your Seesaw postings. See you all very soon!

Mrs Chapman 😀

Here we are again!

Is it just me or do the weeks pass by really quickly?  

As it is Friday the weekly overview is ready for you.  There are a few small changes and the addition of some highlighting to hopefully help to show what tasks can be completed and when. There is more information on Seesaw for you and I have hopefully explained it in each task description too.  The slight changes are new for us all so please do not hesitate to ask questions if you need to.

Also on Seesaw, I have sent a classroom viewing clip that shows the layout for the 'new normal' classroom and yesterday there was a tour of the school and grounds for you to see in preparation for your return.  When you return there will be lots of new routines and we will be able to explain more when you arrive and also answer your questions.  We are looking forward to welcoming you back on your day at school.

Please keep sending the wonderful things you are doing my way.  I love to see all the learning you are doing beyond the tasks set from school. Keep going with the great effort one and all!

See you soon!

Mrs Chapman  😀

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your patience in awaiting the weekly overview document in this format.  As is now the custom, the pdf document is available for you as is the spelling document for next weeks' spellings.

During the next week, look out for announcements on Seesaw regarding the return to school on 29th June 2020 and for details regarding the children's transition to Year 3 which we hope you will find useful.

Mrs Chapman 😀

It's the weekend!

What a fun week it has been, travelling to Botswana and seeing the sights and also speaking to most of you on the phone on Wednesday.  If I missed you I am so very sorry.

As you would expect, the weekly overview is here!  Once I again, I think there is a fantastic task to complete and look forward to finding out what your observations are when you have been on safari!  Should you need any assistance with any of the tasks, please get in touch.

New chapters of the story "The Train to Impossible Places" will be available from Monday via the playlist link provided on Seesaw. New chapters are there every weekday morning from 9 am via the same link.  If you have not had a chance to listen yet, the first six chapters are all there for you.

Have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend, and I will see you on Monday back over on Seesaw! 

Mrs Chapman 😀

Friday check-in

It has been lovely to see and hear you all back after a well-deserved break.  You have again shown great learning this last week and the effort you are all putting in is amazing to see. THANK YOU for all your hard work and enthusiasm.

The weekly overview for next week is available in both formats below, as are the spellings for next Friday, 12th June. Spellings and times tables can be practised on Just2easy - J2blast.

In the announcement section on Seesaw, I have posted a link to a reading of our new chapter book. More details are posted there. Each weekday a new chapter will be made available.  After a few issues with the link, you should now be able to hear me reading chapter one.  Head over to Seesaw to discover what the book is and follow the link to the reading. 

I'm really looking forward to the tasks next week and seeing how you get on with them.  Until then, have a relaxing weekend and hope to hear from you all soon.

Mrs Chapman 😀

I hope you are all having a relaxing and enjoyable half term.  We have been so fortunate with the weather to help us have fun outdoors.

As promised, here is the weekly overview for next week, week beginning 1 June 2020.  The spellings for next week are also below.

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things with our learning! See you back on Seesaw on Monday!

Mrs Chapman

Week beginning 25th May 

Happy half term to you all!

Well done for working so hard with your home learning over the past few months. It has been lovely to see how well you have been doing and some of the lovely things you have been doing with your families too. 

This week we would like you to take a break from the work and enjoy your half term holidays. There will be no tasks set this week and activities on Seesaw will show up again from Monday June 1st. 

Here we are again! It's Friday and time to issue the weekly overview for the next week.

This week we have not included as many tasks as we are aware that the children have been working so hard and are getting rather tired! The children have adapted well to working at home. The way the tasks have been completed is amazing and for that we are grateful and so pleased with what we are seeing over on Seesaw.  There are some column addition and subtraction Math tasks, Literacy, Welsh and topic tasks, and the regular and daily activities. As a suggestion, we would like to ask you to complete any tasks that have not been responded to if you require more activities this week. Following this, the week beginning the 25th of May 2020 will be half term week and there will be no new allocated tasks.  Please use this time to take a break as you and the children thoroughly deserve it!

As usual the new spelling patterns issued today can be found on Spellblast over on JiT via Hwb. New spellings will appear next Friday (and the new patterns added to Spellblast) but the test for these words will be on Friday 5^th June. New Abacus allocations will also be available from Monday and these can be accessed at any time with your usual login details. The weekly overview for the first week back after half term will be provided on 29th May.

Following this document there is also a larger PDF file for you to access the weekly overview if you would wish and copies of the spelling pattern words too.

As mentioned and provided on Seesaw yesterday, here is the link to access the children’s questionnaire regarding coronavirus. If you wish your child to participate in this questionnaire then you have until the 27th of May to complete it.

Thank you for your patience this week with the modifications of the activities and the links provided. Should you encounter any difficulties this week please contact us on Seesaw and we will attempt to sort out any problems.

Please continue to take care, wash hands and stay safe.

See you all very soon. 

Mrs. Chapman

That time of the week!

Just in case you were unsure what day it is, it's Friday and weekly overview time!  You will see an image of the document below and the document, as always, is available in pdf format at the end of this update in case you would like to print off a paper version. Any information posted here is also available on Seesaw in the inbox/announcement section.  Should you encounter any difficulties accessing any of the resources please let me know and I will try to assist you with any issues you may have. The activities for this week are usually so much fun to do in school and I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do!

New allocations on Abacus will be available from Monday and the current - and previous - spelling patterns are there to practice on Spellblast which is accessible through JiT on Hwb.  If you need any reminders on how to find these, or any other items, please do not hesitate in letting me know.

I would like to once again thank you for embracing the activities we set in Year Two and for the learning that is taking place.  It is so lovely to see and hear the responses from the children who are working so hard in this very strange situation. I love to see what else you have been up to too so feel free to post any other examples of learning taking place.

Continue to stay safe, be helpful and well behaved at home and look after yourselves and those around you. Hopefully I will see you all again soon.

Mrs. Chapman 

Another week ends!

We have come to the end of another week learning from home.  Everyone is really working hard and trying new challenges to develop learning.  Thank you so much for all your effort and your contributions to Seesaw!

You will once again be able to see the weekly overview below.  If you have any questions please contact us via Seesaw and we will hopefully be able to help.

New spellings will once again be on Spellblast on JiT. Please visit the Seesaw announcement dated 8 April and click on the link if you need a reminder on how to locate them. A pdf version of the spellings will also be posted after this update as will a pdf version of the weekly overview that you can print off if required.

The week after next - week beginning 11 May - there will be an optional activity to go along with one of the activities being set. We would normally have this set up in the classroom but obviously this is not possible at the moment.  You may not have the items immediately to hand so hopefully knowing in advance will help.  For now I'll remain cryptic if you want to complete it you will need:- one empty 2 litre bottle (clear), a smaller empty 500ml drink bottle, some garden soil and some sand.  Scissors and sticky tape will also be needed.  

The tasks for next week will appear on Monday morning. So until then, have a relaxing weekend, stay safe and keep washing hands!

Mrs Chapman 😀

Click on the soft toys below!  Enjoy...

Mrs Chapman 😀

Friday, Friday.

It's Friday - I think! - so please find below the weekly overview for the coming week.  Should you have any questions regarding any of the activities, please ask. 

Abacus activities are allocated on the Monday of each week.  Should you still require log in details, please contact us via Seesaw and your child's details will be returned to you.

As always, the spellings for next week follow this.  If you completed the 'ure' spellings this week this week, your spellings for next Friday 1st May are 'tion - it's a celebration.'  Don't forget you can practise the spellings for each week in J2blast where the new spelling list will be available. 

Just below this you should also be able to find a pdf format of the weekly overview document to download should you wish.  The overview will also be posted on Seesaw in the inbox announcements.

I hope that you are all keeping safe and well and that your families are too.  The commitment of the children and yourselves to complete the tasks being set is truly wonderful and I am extremely grateful for your continued support. 

Mrs Chapman 😀

Please find the weekly overview of tasks for Year 2 for the week beginning 20th April 2020.  Should you encounter any problems please contact us via your child's Seesaw account. A larger copy of this document can be accessed in the documents underneath this post.  

I would also like to say a huge thank you for your continued support and the effort you and the children are putting into the learning that is taking place.  It is lovely to receive the messages and voice recordings off the children and receive feedback about how things are going.

Please look after yourselves, stay safe and well and hopefully I will see you all soon. 

To log in to Abacus/Active Learn please click on the picture link below.  This will take you to the log in page. If you encounter any problems, please pop a message on Seesaw.

Many thanks.

**Week beginning 13th April**

It has been lovely to see your brilliant work on your individual Seesaw accounts this week. Well done everyone!

From Monday you will see your new tasks on Seesaw. All of the tasks are on Seesaw this week apart from continued work on the Hwb task from last week that a few of you haven't started yet.

New spellings for next week can also be found after this document and you can practise new words on J2Blast - Spell Blast.  Don't forget to drop me a message on Seesaw if you would like to request your Abacus log in details where you will be able to access Maths learning games once they have bee allocated.   Keep up the fantastic effort with your work at home.

**Please check your Seesaw and Google Classroom accounts for activities.  Details of where and what you can find are detailed below.**

Home Learning Update

Hello everybody!

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well.  All is good here.

Thank you to those of you who have already logged in to Seesaw and Google Classroom.  It's good to know that our learning platforms are up, running and working well for a lot of you at home.  

For the week beginning 6^th April there are activities to complete both on Seesaw and on Google Classroom.  We have been busy putting activities together to help you keep learning whilst you are at home.  Some of the work will be completed on Seesaw/Google Classroom whilst other pieces of work will be written work with completed work photographed and added to Seesaw.   A reminder of the number of tasks for the week is outlined below. There are also further examples of websites, apps and activities found under the 'Home Learning' section which can be found on the school website homepage.

New spellings for Friday 10th April can be found in the attachment below or on Seesaw. There is a spelling activity for the last set of spellings on Seesaw too.  This spelling format will be how we review spellings each week.  Don't forget to practise spellings on JiT - J2Blast - spelling blast!  The new spellings for next week will be there to practise! 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rNEt09Gq1ytw5zRP8VwDqAO9z3sFXTLn/view

This kind of teaching and learning is new for everyone so please do not hesitate to pop a message to me if you need to.  We also love to see what else you have been doing so don’t forget to send us things on Seesaw to keep in touch.

Hope to see you soon!

Mrs Chapman 😀

**Please try to access Hwb and Google classroom as soon as possible.  By doing this I will be able to support any accessing issues before tasks are set from the 6th April onwards.  Please use your child's Seesaw account as a way to drop me a message and I will see what I can do to help.**

Thank you!

 When trying to log in to Google classroom the email address for the Hwb account is what you will need to use where it asks for the Google account email address.  It likes to confirm that the Hwb account links to the Google classroom account!  Sometimes it may ask several times as it has been known to get into a loop.  Any other issues, pop on to Seesaw leave a message and I will do my best to sort it out. 😀

 Minecraft - Education Edition for FREE

Everyone with a Hwb account is eligible to download Minecraft - Education Edition for FREE.  Copy and paste the link below or use the link on the "HOME LEARNING" page to download the relevant software.  Use Hwb login details when prompted.

https://education.minecraft.net/get-started/download/

**Apologies ...**

A few changes mean that work set by your teachers will go live from 6th April. Have a look on Seesaw/Hwb from then on to access specific activities for you to complete.

Tasks already scheduled and posted will still be there and can be completed in your own time.  You can still add to your own journals.

Thank you for your understanding.

Please check out your daily activities that will be published on Seesaw tomorrow morning from roughly 8:30am.  

I look forward to seeing your responses. 

**If anyone is having any trouble with Hwb or Google classroom access, use your child's Seesaw account as a way to drop me a message and I will see what I can do to help.**

Thank you!

Edit (Saturday 20:45) - When trying to log in to Google classroom the email address for the Hwb account is what you will need to use where it asks for the Google account email address.  It likes to confirm that the Hwb account links to the Google classroom account!  Sometimes it may ask several times as it has been known to get into a loop.  Any other issues, pop on to Seesaw leave a message and I will do my best to sort it out. 😀

This is what the log in page for Hwb should look like.

Click 'log in' and then enter the user name and password you have.

https://hwb.gov.wales

Time flies in school...

This week we have been using simple coding skills using the 'turtle' package on j2launch. You will be able to see what the children have been up to if you look at their files, logging in via their Hwb account.  I recently discovered that j2launch can be accessed via an app on both Android and Apple devices.  Searching for 'Hwb', it was quick and easy to install.  On the home screen select 'Hwb' from the drop down menu and then use Hwb login in details to enable use on tablets/iPads.  I have also added the weekly spellings to the 'spell blast' section.  Click  to have a practise, and then choose the 'shared' option.  Lists of spellings can be found here.  Children also received information about accessing Google classroom via their Hwb account.  Should this not have reached you, please see below to read a copy of the letter.

In addition to this programming, we have begun looking at how to program a Blue Bot.  This will be something we develop further in the coming weeks.

We have been focusing on the concept of time in Maths sessions.  We have looked at o'clock, half past and the quarters to and past in analogue form.  Identifying and understanding the features of a clock have helped us tell the time in various different ways.  We will be continuing this over the next week and looking at the passing of time.

As a mini topic we are discussing the solar system.  This has really peaked the interest of the children and we hope to learn lots of new facts and make discoveries in this child led topic. 

P.C. Vicki dropped in to see us on Wednesday.  She talked to us about drugs and medicine and safety around them.  There were some very sensible and thoughtful questions asked that really impressed me.  There was great listening and a lot learned.   Below is a link to the schoolbeat.org website that was mentioned by P.C. Vicki to the children. There are things there that reiterate the session during the week.  

Next Friday - 20th March is our World Book Day celebration.  We will be dressing up as characters from our own school book that reflect the four purposes of the new curriculum for Wales: ambitious, capable owl; ethical, informed leaf; healthy, confident acorn and creative, enterprising squirrel.  We will be creating our own work based on the tale we read in school.  Along side this we are completing a sponsored spell.  This will take place instead of our regular spellings on Friday, and the planned times table quiz that we intended to begin will commence the following week with the next spelling pattern spellings - ew - chew the stew.

This week we also have a tennis taster session planned.  Please ensure all P.E. kits are back in school as there were a few missing last week.  Many thanks.

Thanks for popping back to see what we have been up to.  

Please come back again soon.

Busy, busy, busy!

It’s been another fun packed week in school!

It seems so long ago now, but on Tuesday it was our Foundation Phase Eisteddfod.  Many thanks to all the children for their amazing performances on the day.  The Year Two pupils once again made the teaching staff extremely proud with their sgwrs cymraeg on the stage.  Mrs Sawyer was equally impressed with the standard of Welsh used by the children.  Diolch yn fawr iawn plant.  Homework entries were gratefully received and Mrs Mercer was given the tricky task of judging entries.  There were books, baking, photograph, artistic and model entries.  Llongyfarchiadau i pawb – it was lovely to see all the hard work that showed what Wales meant to you.  I will be posting photographs from the event soon.  Please take a look at the images of the on stage event and the entries for the “What Wales means to me” competition.

A huge thank you to anybody who went to Pentre.  Behaviour was very good and it was lovely to see children embracing new activities and learning from these new experiences.  Please look in your child’s reading record book for a slip of paper that provides details of a memento from the trip. At the end of the trip there was very little left-over property.  What we had was collected was returned to the owner on the day.  If you have any items at home that do not belong to your child, please return them to school as soon as you can so they can be reunited with their owner. Many thanks.

The children who stayed in school with Mrs Land had a wonderful time too.  They had a trip to the woods, planted seeds, created dances in the hall and had fun with bubble mixture.  They talked with great enthusiasm about what they had done.

Next week we return to our regular ways and will have more information for you about what we have been up to.  New spellings are posted below for next Friday.  The sound pattern is ‘oa – goat in a boat.’

Have a lovely weekend.  See you back here soon! 😀

And we're back!

Hopefully you all had a relaxing week of and are ready and recharged for the next half term at school.  It was lovely to see you all again at parents' evening.  Thank you for coming along.  

Already we have started as we mean to go on!  Our week has been filled with the regular Maths and language sessions as well as Eisteddfod rehearsals for our stage performances and making our creative work for the competition.  

The Eisteddfod itself is on Tuesday 3rd march.  Clothing for the day is based on Welsh colour, football/rugby top, traditional Welsh clothing.  The Eisteddfod will be held in the school hall during school time.  Please make sure any home made entries are brought to school by Tuesday morning ready for the judging.  

In Maths our focus has been on number - more than/greater than, less than and equal to. Some of us have been learning the signs and symbols too.  We have also been regularly practising our 2 and 5 times tables.  This coming week a short letter will be stuck into your child's spelling book explaining what will happen with regards to the copy of the times tables stuck in the back of the spelling book last week.  Please keep practising these at home.

Our literacy focus has been based on script work that we are linking to the story of "The Good Samaritan."  We have been learning about the features of a script and will be adapting the story in the next few weeks in to script form.

We were also lucky to have a visit from 'Keystrings.'  They taught us about string instruments and the difference in sound between the smaller and larger members of the string family.  They played some fantastic music, included audience participation and made us all laugh!

For anyone attending the upcoming trip, a letter was sent home with final arrangements outlined.  If you have not seen the letter for whatever reason, please let a member of the Year 2 staff know as soon as possible.

That's all for now.  

Please check back soon to see what else we have been busy doing.

Thank you! 

Week Four Fun!

In our literacy work this week we have been focussing on instructions.  This also has links to our computer work and algorithms.  In both it is important to understand the need for accuracy and detail along the way.   So, firstly we wrote instructions for making a jam sandwich without any prior discussion.  Then we made a jam sandwich individually which meant we had opportunities to use other skills like spreading, cutting and controlling the implements we used.  We then rewrote our instructions considering each step along the way.  This had to be done before eating the jam sandwich we had prepared if we chose to try our wares.

We have begun working on halving numbers and are learning different strategies.  We are currently looking at numbers that contain even digits so there is no halving of an odd number.  

We have also thought about using information we have in a question to reach an answer.  Every morning we have a maths puzzle that involves addition and subtraction problem solving so it was necessary to use the knowledge gleaned from this regular activity to attempt to solve the mystery of what the missing number is to open the door.

Our Lego session involved building items of use on a construction site in the form of vehicles and tools.  There was a great variety of examples given and we also discussed what some safety features may be.  In the computer room we had the opportunity to create our own buildings and city using a BBC package.  When creating their own buildings, the children really had to think about why some of their building attempts were not structurally sound and had to reconsider their building strategies to ensure they didn’t collapse. 

Please could everyone ensure that all school clothing is named and that garments taken home belong to your child.  We have had a named cardigan misplaced and are hoping that it can be returned to its owner.  Many thanks for your understanding.

Children attending the upcoming trip have brought home a medical form and kit list.  Please fill in the relevant details and return to school at your earliest convenience and return to school so we can let the venue have our information. Diolch.

Spellings this week are in the document below.  Our sound pattern is 'ur - nurse with a purse.' We have discussed the vocabulary in school so the definitions of the words should be understood.  Some of the challenge words (high frequency words for Year 2) may have already been covered in our sound patterns earlier in the year 😀! 

*Please come back again soon to read all about our classroom fun and learning.*  

The end of week 3 already!

As always we have been busy fitting lots of activities into our week.

Our third Lego session was another success and involved making a bridge following instructions.  Team work and cooperation in these groups are now becoming well aligned and some great work is being produced.  The children also had the chance to create their own ideas for crossing a river with some marvellous ideas!

We have been learning the ‘Supertato’ story with actions and are beginning to recite the story from memory.  We have some very enthusiastic story tellers who are great at recalling the story adapted from Sue Hendra’s original. The children have also independently made their own “Supertato’ character complete with cape - they look AMAZING! 

Creatively, and once again independently, the children have been making their own superhero using a lollypop stick and other materials.  This is a task that will continue next week...

The children have also used the bar charts they created in class last week to interpret the data and answer the questions.  The children were great at this task showing clear understanding of what they had produced and the questions they were answering.

Mathematically we have also continued with doubling.  Lots of the children were using a column addition method to double two digit numbers - some with carry overs.  I was extremely impressed with the learning taking place and the adaptation to new ideas.

Now in groups, the children have begun their superhero dances.  Working in different groupings has meant adjusting to a different set of peers to work closely with.  At times this has not always been easy but new skills about interactions and working with others are being learned all the time.  It has been great to see the ideas that the children have in relation to actions and formation.  I can’t wait to see the completed dances.

Next weeks’ spellings can be found below this article as can examples of the children’s Lego creations from session 3 and the replica "supertatoes" that have been made in the provision areas.

Thank you also to everyone who donated/contributed to the 'Australia Day' event in school today.  Diolch yn fawr iawn.  

What we have been up to this week...

The children have been marvellous this week undertaking four different mock tests in preparation for the WAG tests in May.  I know that they are not easy but the children have adapted remarkably well to the different situations they have been placed in.  Da iawn pawb!

In addition to the tests we have continued work on Superheroes, learning a new song to accompany a dance routine that the children will make in the coming weeks.  We have also read ‘Supertato’ by Sue Hendra and next week will learn to tell the story from memory using actions.

We have been also doubling numbers and learning different techniques on how to do so and collecting data in tally form to complete a favourite superhero bar chart.  Next week the children will be independently making a bar chart on the computer and also answering questions by using the completed chart.

At the beginning of the week we discussed the issues that can arise when using the internet and have discussed issues surrounding cyberbullying.  The children now have knowledge on how to treat others and what to do should someone be unkind to them.  Our practical technology learning was focused on using a search engine – what one is and how to use them to find information.  This is something we will continue to practise as thinking of keywords to search for information is not easy.

The app ‘Chatterkids’ was also used to create a chatterpix.  The children used an iPad to take a picture of one of the learning power characters.  They made the character talk providing a voice to say when they used that learning power.  They uploaded their work to their Seesaw journal with a little help.

Amongst everything else we also managed to complete week 2 of the Lego challenge and in their groups the children chose a building to construct.  We then were able to  take a look at all the designs produced.  Creativity, imagination and team work helped to produce some fantastic buildings and gave us the chance to discuss what buildings need an how we can strengthen them when we use the Lego.

Spelling words for next week are posted below this document. The sound pattern is ‘aw – yawn at dawn.’

Have a relaxing weekend everyone.  See you all next week. 😀

Welcome back!  

Hopefully everyone had a relaxing holiday and time to recharge.  It is lovely to see the children again and be back in to routine here in school.

This half term our topic is ‘Superheroes’.  We have already begun to think about what we already know and what we would like to find out during the next 6 weeks. 

Today spelling books were sent home with the spellings for next Friday.  The sound is ‘u-e’ and if for any reason you need another copy of the list you will be able to find it below this update.

This afternoon you should also have received a Year Two newsletter with a few extra bits of information about events that will be happening over the coming weeks.  There was also a letter about the Pentre trip which will need completing and returning to school should you wish your child to attend. The newsletter also contains details of a short meeting we will hold after school next week to answer any questions regarding this trip.

Next week in school we will be having a run through of different tests so that the children are familiar with the processes involved before the Welsh Assembly Government tests that will take place in May.  Some of these will be online and this will give the children (and the adults in school!) the opportunity to see what these look like on screen.

We have been lucky enough to obtain Lego kits to enable us to participate in the FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. Discovery programme. This is a STEM project that will run for ten weeks.  This week we did our first session which was purely exploratory.  The children have teams that they will work in for the duration of the project.  The project will see them collaborate, practise skills and refine ideas and thinking across Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM.) Next week the children will be bringing something home with them that will be explained in more detail via a letter.  The box and its contents do not need to be returned to school and can be used at home.  The letter will contain ideas and a link to other activities. 

Please check back again soon to see more of experiences.

Plans and updates

You should have received an email today about new arrangements for next week regarding forest school and spellings.  If for any reason you have not seen it please see the document attached.

If you have not discovered them, please find your tickets for the Christmas concert performance in your child's book bag.  You will receive an email/letter on Monday with arrangements for the Wednesday performance.  

Upcoming dates to also remember:          

Saturday 7th December - Christmas Fair - I'll be there so pop along and find me!

December 10th - Pantomime visit  - all children will require a packed lunch on this day please.

December 12th - Christmas lunch for anyone who would like it.

***Thank you for all your support, cooperation and understanding at this busy time of year.***

Week beginning 18 November 2019...

This week has been about measuring and story recall writing.  We have been using rulers to measure in standard measures, discussing centimetres and metres.  We have ordered sticks by length and also worked independently measuring in cubes and drawing lines of specific lengths.

Our writing and comprehension have been based on “Stick Man” by Julia Donaldson.  We had a cold task which means we had to write as much of the story from memory after just one reading.  What a fantastic job the children did remembering the details.  Our comprehension showed good understanding of the text too.

In forest school the children went to the woods where they did some poetry work.  Upon their return they wrote up their own Kennings and also did some stick whittling.  Those who did not whittle this week will get the opportunity next week.  Our next forest school session is Monday 2 December.  Please ensure that children have wellies and warm clothing and also a change of shoes as the ground is very wet and muddy at this time of year.  Many thanks.

We have received most of the costumes in preparation for the concert.  Thank you all for the efforts you have gone to.  The children will look amazing on the performance days.  We have been in the hall again to run through the scenes adding props, lighting and backdrops.  Everything is coming together well.  Please ensure that you return your performance ticket requests to school in the next few days so we can sort these out.   If your child’s costume is not already in school, we would appreciate these in school as soon as possible as we will have a dress rehearsal before our main performances.  

Once again, a huge thanks for your support in this.

This week in school ...

This week has been another full on and busy week.  As is usual in the run up to our production we have been rehearsing out concert songs and lines.  All the performers are so good at recalling their lines and their prompts.  We are thankful for the continued efforts of all concerned.

This week has been anti bullying week.  There were lots of odd socks on show!  This lead to a discussion about it being ok to be different and not ok to be unkind to others.  To go along side this we designed our own pair of odd socks and wrte our thoughts about why bullying is wrong.

Today was our Children in Need non uniform event.  We had lots of Pudsey references through ears, badges, face paint and tops.  Thank you all for your generous donations to support this event.  We had our slot in the hall with Mr Dentith, the Ysgol Pen Y Bryn sports ambassadors and Joe Wicks (via the wonders of the internet!) We completed two, five minute HIIT workouts that left us feeling energised.  

We also managed to squeeze in a visit from PC Vicki who came to talk to the children about safety at home amongst maths work using Carroll diagrams to sort numbers and a comprehension activity to show our understanding of a text extract.

Our next Forest school session is Monday 18th October with a proposed trip to the woods with Mrs Land.  Please wear PE kits and wellies and send an extra pair of shoes for wearing upon return to school.  Many thanks.

Welcome back after half term!

We are already back in to the swing of things here!  We have had a busy week with rehearsals for the Christmas concert well under way.  A huge thanks to everyone for practising their lines during the week off,  it is gratefully appreciated.  Our performances are in the first week of December - the evening of the 4th December (you will receive more details nearer the time) and the afternoon of 5th December - in the school hall.  There will be the opportunity to select which performance you would like to attend and tickets will be issued.   

This coming week we have another full week of work ahead with other activities planned for anti bullying week and Children in Need.  Please remember that on Friday 15th it is a non uniform day with all donations raising money for Children in Need.  We will also be participating in a fitness event for schools so please send children in clothes that will suit this activity.

Thank you to everyone who came to parents' evening.  It was lovely to meet you all.  

Weekly round up.

This week we had a gas safety session to teach us about carbon monoxide.  We learned about its sources, how it can make you feel and what number to call in case of emergency -  0800 111 999.  The children were attentive listeners and learned lots of valuable facts - as did the staff 😀!  Safety Seymour is visiting the children of Year 2 and over the next couple of months each child will come home with an orange bag and a book with information in and a page in the book to complete.  They will receive a certificate upon Seymour's return to school. Please take a look at the link below to watch a short educational film that we watched in the information session. https://vimeo.com/288525108/f3b3dd3f82

Also this week we have been learning all about Uganda.  We have been looking at the globe and maps to find where on earth it is and comparing the food and animals, housing and provisions to those of Wales.  We have looked to find the names of rivers and mountains in both countries and learned the the Welsh and Lugandan words for a few animals using Welsh dictionaries and a Lugandan word bank.  We have also made flags of Uganda and used charcoal to recreate African patterns in the provision areas.

Monday is 2LC's forest school day with Mrs Land and the children are off on a walk to the woods!  Children can change in to P.E. kits in school if necessary as we forgot to send them home today. Sorry! Please bring wellies if they are not already in school and don't forget waterproof coats, hats and gloves now the weather is getting colder. A change of footwear is also handy as wellies may be very muddy after our morning stroll.

Next week our spelling patterns are 'or' and 'ir' and a copy of spellings are posted in case you need them.

**Many thanks for your continued support.  Have a great weekend.**

Mrs Chapman

Welcome to 2LC 2019 - 2020

Staff

Class Teacher - Mrs L. Chapman

Teaching Assistant - Mrs C. Humphreys

Forest School Teacher (alternate Mondays)  - Mrs N. Land

We are looking forward to the next school year with lots of fun learning opportunities.  We have high expectations and encourage the children to challenge themselves in the tasks they complete.

Our current topic is 'Supermarket' - we will be asking the children what they would like to learn about the topic to help us plan around the skills we need to practise. We always encourage the children to bring in items of interest that may be related to the topic or just interesting!

Please find below some useful class information.

P.E. (alternate Monday afternoon) - blue or white polo shirt, blue shorts, black or navy joggers/leggings, blue sweatshirt, trainers/pumps to be left in school.  Please label all clothing so it can be returned to the correct owner.  Thank you. 

Forest school (alternate Monday) - white polo shirt, school jumper, black or navy joggers/leggings, wellington boots and waterproof coat.

Reading bags - Please bring reading books to school school daily.  There will be three opportunities to change reading books if the book has been completed and signed.  Please make comments and note the page reached as this is really helpful for us.  Thank you.

Water bottles - Please send filled water bottles to school daily. Unfortunately we do not have access to drinking water in the mobile. Naming bottles is also helpful as quite often there are duplicate designs.

Spellings/Abacus homework - Spellings will be sent home on a Friday for a test the following Friday.  Please look at the front of spelling books for more information.  I will be posting a pdf copy of spelling here each week so if you misplace them or your child is absent you can always locate a copy.  If you have any queries please do not hesitate to ask.  Details for Abacus homework will also be sent home soon.  Again, you will receive details shortly about how to log in to your children's account.

Please come back and have a look at some of the activities we complete as the term progresses.  

Just a reminder...

School will be closed to pupils on Monday 7th October as there is a staff training day.

Many thanks.

Weekly Activities - Please take a look at a few pictures of things we have been doing this week.  

Next Friday's spellings are also posted in case they are needed for any reason.

This coming week will be a 4 day week due to the training day on Monday 7th October but we have lots of fun learning experiences planned for there rest of the week.  We have a gas workshop on Tuesday and then Wednesday is our Year 2 'Uganda Day.'  

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday 😀!

Come back soon to see what else we have been up to.