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SUMMER TERM

We can’t believe that we have now started our last term in Year 2!  Where has the time gone?  It only seems like yesterday when we were settling into our new class!  We have learnt so much and have grown up a lot since September, but there are still plenty of exciting things to learn before we leave KS1 and venture into KS2.

Our English work starts with stories from other cultures.  Later, we will be reading a selection of stories on a theme; the sea. Towards the end of term, we’ll be learning and performing Edward Lear’s classic poem ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’.  

In Science, we will be looking at plants in our Ready, Steady, Grow unit of work.  We will be looking at seed dispersal, wind pollination and how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

 For our Computing work this term, Y2 will be creating pictures, looking at the work of Impressionist artists and recreating them using the Impressionism template in 2Paint A Picture. We will also be looking at the work of pointillist artists such as Seurat and learn how to recreate pointillist art using the Pointillism template.  Later, we will be looking at how digital content can be represented in many forms, as well as manipulating and presenting digital content and information.

In RE we’ll be learning about what happened in the aftermath of Easter.  We will be reading stories about the times Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection, His Ascension into Heaven and the events of the Pentecost.  During the Pentecost, Jesus blessed the disciples with the Holy Spirit and we’ll be thinking of ways to show that the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts as well.

Topic work will start with the weather.  We will learn about seasonal weather patterns in hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles and comparing these to weather patterns in the United Kingdom.  After half term, we’ll be ‘going to the seaside’ as we compare the seaside now to what it was like in the past.  We can’t wait for that!

In DT we’ll be exploring simple mechanisms, focusing on wheels and axles.  We will design and make ice cream vans – perfect for our seaside topic.  After all, we can’t visit the seaside without treating ourselves to a cornet or an ice lolly!

As you can see, we’ll be keeping our noses to the grindstone as we try to make this term the best one ever!

Mrs Hathaway and Mrs McGarry

Email your class teacher on Y2H@ourlady-st-gerards.lancs.sch.uk

We have selected these recommended reading lists from Peters Education to ensure that our children have access to a wide range of books.  These books are all available in school and form our 'core' texts in our class libraries.  These lists are chosen because they:

• link with our curriculum for each year group
• represent different cultures
• introduce children to new authors and expand their knowledge of familiar authors
• ensure progression 
• match topics of interests for our children
• tackle current themes

OUR BEHAVIOUR CHARTER

At the beginning of the Autumn Term we had to become familiar with our school's new behaviour charter.  We  read books about Webster the Spider and we know that we will be safe online if we follow his advice.  We have shared super ideas as to how we can be good learners.  We can distinguish between kind/ unkind actions and between respectful/  disrespectful behaviour.  

We've all agreed that we will do our very best to abide by the charter throughout the year.  

Y2H 2021 - 2022

We love our classroom and  thought you might enjoy a whistle-stop tour - just some of our brilliant work throughout the year! 

Have you ever wished you could be a fly on the wall to see what goes on in class once we've been dropped off at school?  Here's your opportunity to take a glimpse into what we get up to!

SUMMER TERM 2022

GEOGRAPHY

Our Geography lessons this term focuses on weather patterns.  We started our work by making our very own wind socks - it was the perfect blustery day for trying them out!   Then we set up a weather station and kept a weather diary for a week keeping track of the temperature, rainfall and wind direction.  We had to learn new skills such as compass directions and how to measure temperature. 

Using the equator and the Polar Regions as reference points, we've been looking at weather patterns around the world. 

ART/ GEOGRAPHY

Using chalk pastels, we created our very own Aurora Borealis.  We'd love to see the real Northern Lights  but in the meantime we think our versions are equally as beautiful. 

ART

We're studying the Impressionists with a particular focus on Claude Monet.   

ART/ ENGLISH

In our English work, we are reading stories with a seaside theme and one of our favourites is 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch'.  Using mod-roc we made our very own lighthouses, with proper lights, to compliment the story.  

SCIENCE

With a little more sunshine each day, it's the perfect time to find out about germinating seeds and growing plants.  

It seems that our Ukraine sunflowers and our hydroponic beans have inspired many of us to get out into our gardens at home!  

We worked with our friends from YEW to create a beautiful garden in school.  We donated a wide range of plants, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, a wonderful range of flowers and even a bird box!   We love learning and having fun at the same time. 

COMPUTING

We're exploring digital art and creating our own masterpieces in the style of some of the Great Masters.

ENGLISH

We've been reading stories from other cultures with a particular focus on Baba Yaga, a traditional tale from Russia, and Hansel and Gretel, a well-known tale from Germany.   We've noticed many similarities and differences between the two stories and we've  even written our own version of 'Baba Yaga and the Black Geese'. 

RE

Each class has been asked to depict a scripture of its choice as a canvas.  We chose one of our favourite verses from the Psalms: 

"Your  Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"

                                                                                       (Psalm 119, verse 105)

 The verse tells us that the Word of God lights our path and shows our feet which direction we should follow. In other words, The Word of God instructs us as to how we should live our lives.  In Y2H we try very hard to follow God's Word.

MATHS

Summer Term sees us consolidate our learning by representing a number of our own choice in different ways - base ten, tally counting, number sentences, money, word problems, drawings etc.  Super work and look at how neat we work!   We have learnt how important it is to work in an organised, methodical way. 

PE

Cricket is a popular sport during the Summer and we got the opportunity to hone our skills.

JUDO

Some of us are eager beavers and turn up for school at 8am to learn Judo skills. 

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY: Simple Mechanisms

We have been learning about wheels and axles and used our newly acquired knowledge to make ice cream vans!

SPORTS DAY 2022

Such great team spirit and sportsmanship shown on the day and so lovely to see the children encouraging and cheering each other on.   

MUSIC

We love all kinds of music in Y2H.  Here we enjoyed a rock music workshop with Rock Steady with some of us having the opportunity to play drums and keyboard in the band!

PSHE

July brought a heatwave.  Not to worry, we know how important it is to protect ourselves from the hot sun.

SEASIDE DAY

We have been learning about the seaside in our topic work and looking at how holidays at the seaside have changed over time. To round off our work, all the Year 2 children enjoyed a wonderful ‘day at the seaside’ with plenty of fun, laughter and lots and lots of splashing!

CELEBRATING THE QUEEN'S PLATINUM JUBILEE

SPRING TERM 2022

ART

Our art lessons this term focuses on the work of the French artist, Paul Cezanne.   We will look carefully at his masterpieces and try to emulate his still life paintings.   Our work started by using pencils to sketch and add shading to our drawings.   We then used watercolours for the first time to emulate one of Cezanne's paintings. 

Developing our skills - PERSPECTIVE 

RE

 We are looking at special books in our RE lessons, books that are used during Mass.  The main focus is, of course, on the Bible - the most special of books.  We are learning about how the Bible is organised and listening to stories from both the Old and the New Testament.

'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.' (Psalm 119)

PRAYING FOR PEACE

Much of our collective worship this half term has focused on 'peace'.  With Ukraine in our hearts, we worked together to make a sign for peace using sunflowers, the National flower of Ukraine.  

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

As Easter approached, each class was tasked with preparing a cross for our school's Stations of the Cross.   We were given the second station,  Jesus Carries His Cross.   As we made our cross, we asked God to be with us when we face our own difficulties and challenges in life, just as He was with Jesus as he made the difficult journey to the Cross.  We then visited each station, praying and reflecting at each one.

ENGLISH 

 We have written our own non-chronological reports about bats - we're now quite the experts on these little (and not so little) mammals!  Before writing our reports we had to develop new skills.  Can you spot some of these skills in our final reports?       

MATHS

We have been learning about shapes in our Maths lessons.    

2-D SHAPES

We've been describing the properties of shapes, sorting shapes according to their properties, making patterns, finding lines of symmetry and developing our Mathematical vocabulary to include terms such as polygons, quadrilaterals and vertices.

3-D SHAPES

We've been describing the properties of shapes, looking for everyday 3-D shaped objects around our classroom and at home and we have used our knowledge of vertices, edges and faces to build our own 3-D models using straws and blu-tak.  

SCIENCE

During our Science lessons, we have been looking at animals and their habitats.  We learnt how animals and plants depend upon each other as we made our own food chains.  Most of us already knew the meaning of the word habitat but micro-habitat was a new word for us.   We soon discovered its meaning as we went searching for minibeasts under the soil, on tree trunks, under stones and on leaves!  We also looked at animals who live in larger habitats such as the Polar Regions and the desert.  We thought about how each animals is suitably adapted to be able to survive under such conditions. We had such fun creating dioramas of some larger habitats. 

During Spring 2, our Science focused on Animals including humans.  In one of our investigations, we used glitter to show how quickly and easily germs can spread. 

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Our focus this term was food and we made healthy rainbow wraps.  We started by tasting a range of vegetables - some we liked and some we weren't too keen on but our teacher was proud because we were all willing to at least try each one!  Then we practised chopping and grating and thought about the importance of hygiene when preparing food.   We designed our wraps and then had fun making (putting our new knife skills into practise) and eating them.  They were delicious!  We even thought about how we could improve our wraps if we were to make them again.  

PE

Working on balance!

WORLD BOOK DAY

We celebrated the books of Julia Donaldson!

AUTUMN TERM 2021

ART 

Using nature and our local environment as our inspiration, we are developing our drawing, printing and painting skills.  We then used our new skills to create our very own masterpiece of Our Lady & St. Gerard's church. 

SCIENCE

We are exploring the properties of different materials in our Science work.  Here we're testing materials in terms of how absorbent they are.  Super learners - working together and sharing ideas!

Having tested a range of  materials for absorbency, we decided to test a brick to see if it can absorb water.  We needed a full bottle of water, a brick and a bowl to carry out this investigation.  We had to wait a few days to come to a conclusion and many of us were surprised with the result!   Take note that after a few days the bottle of water is no longer full. Where has the water gone? 

HISTORY

One of the highlights of this term's learning has been finding out about The Gunpowder Plot.  Now, when we celebrate Bonfire Night in November, we'll know the story behind it. 

GEOGRAPHY

We've learnt about the seven continents and the five oceans that make up our world.  We were surprised to learn that 70% of the earth is water and only 30% is land!

MATHS

 Y2H think Maths is Magic!   Here we are exploring number bonds and place value.

There are so many different ways to add numbers together!

READING

‘You can find magic wherever you look.

Sit back and relax, all you need is a book!'

Dr Seuss

AUTUMN TERM CLASS NOVELS

There is no better way to end the school day than by sharing a good story!

CHRISTMAS STORIES

During Advent, we decided to bring in some of our favourite festive books from home to share at story-time.   Here are some of the books we  enjoyed.

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

The focus for our first DT unit was Textiles and we made our own festive hand puppets.  Do you recognise them?

PE

In October, we participated in a Triathlon coaching session, organised by TriKidz.   We had the opportunity to run, cycle and ‘swim’.  As well as having lots of fun, we learnt about the importance of having active, healthy bodies along with healthy minds.  We all tried incredibly hard and the coaches were very impressed with our determination, perseverance and resilience.

WELLY WALK

We supported our PTA by participating in a sponsored welly walk.  A little bit of drizzle didn't spoil our fun!

REMEBRANCE DAY

We made poppies for Remembrance Day.  Then, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month we held a beautiful collective worship in class using out hand-made poppies.  We thought about and reflected on the sacrifices of all those who have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

CHRISTMAS HOMEWORK PROJECT

Having learnt about different materials and their properties during the Autumn term we were tasked with making a Christmas decoration using recycled materials. Y2H - what a creative and imaginative class!