Class 2-Autumn 1-Week 5

What a busy and brilliant week it's been in school! The children have dived deep into their learning, celebrating their achievements and exploring new concepts. We're so proud of all their hard work! In Maths, we've been continuing our fantastic work on addition and subtraction. The children have been hands-on this week, using counters and other resources to help them visualize the processes. This practical approach is brilliant for helping them really understand the concepts before moving on to more abstract methods. A major focus this week has been on doubles! The children learned how knowing that 3+3=6 can help them quickly solve similar addition problems. They've been very quick at spotting and using their doubles knowledge—it's like a maths superpower! Our English work has reached a wonderful milestone! The children have been working hard on their retell of the classic story, "Dear Zoo." They finally finished writing their wonderful versions of the story and got to move on to the publishing stage. They added beautiful illustrations to their work, transforming their drafts into finished books they can be truly proud of. This week, Year 2 has been exploring the intricate beauty of pottery in Art. We started by carefully mixing our paint until we achieved the perfect shade of Wedgwood blue. The children then meticulously painted the inside and outside of their pots with their blue colour. Finally, they used white paint to highlight the raised decoration, allowing them to create their own unique and creative designs. The results are truly stunning! Year 1's outdoor learning session was all about discovery, teamwork, and becoming super scientists as they explored the natural world around us. The core of our adventure was a Nature Scavenger Hunt. The children worked in small groups, using challenge cards to find various natural items—like a smooth stone, a wrinkled leaf, or a twig shaped like a 'Y' This mission was a fantastic chance to develop key skills such as teamwork and scientific observation. As they collected their treasures, they were encouraged to use their senses and describe what they found. Questions like, "Is your leaf rough or smooth?" and "What is this object made of?" helped them focus on materials and properties. It was so wonderful to see the children's collaboration in action! After the hunt, we enjoyed a small snack and some yummy hot chocolate while proudly looking after the treasures in our collection baskets. In a final group Share and Reflect moment, each team chose their favourite item and explained their choice. They showed exceptional teamwork and enthusiasm, with brilliant reasons like, "We chose this stone because it’s the smoothest one we could find!" We hope they came home excited to tell you all about the natural treasures they discovered. The highlight for the whole school was our annual Harvest Festival on Thursday. We walked to the church for a lovely service to give thanks for the autumn harvest. The children were brilliant and performed their acrostic poem for everyone, including the parents who joined us. They spoke clearly and confidently, and it was a really special moment to share with the whole school community. Thank you to all the parents who came along to support the event and for your generous donations! It's been a truly productive and joyful week and we look forward to another great week of learning ahead!