Welcome to Class 2

Dear Parents,

I hope that you all had a great Easter holiday. This week the children have appeared calm, focussed and ready to learn which is great to see!

We have a very busy term ahead. Our topic for the term will be Africa – see below for more details.

A few advance dates for your diary - Sports Day will take place on Thursday 4th June at 2.30pm and the PTA summer fair will take place on Sunday 7th June 2-4pm.

Some of the Year 3 children will be going on the residential trip to Berwick (Monday 15th June – Friday 19th June) with Class 3. Mr Harrison and myself will hold a meeting for parents to share more details about the residential on Tuesday 5th May at 3.40pm.

Africa

In Class 2 our focus for each subject area will be as follows:

• Art: drawings of African animals and sculpture – making and painting clay pinch pots;  
• British Values: respect and tolerance
• Computing: internet research and presenting findings using PowerPoint 
• D and T: textiles – fabric printing and tie-dyeing; 
• Geography: world map, continents and oceans; maps of Africa – countries and physical features; weather in Africa, research on a chosen African country; 
• History: the life and achievements of Nelson Mandela; 
• Music: songs about friendship, African drumming; 
• PSHE: Healthy Lifestyles, Keeping safe, internet safety – do I know who I am talking to online, privacy, growing and changing bodies; 
• PE: cricket, football, sports day, outdoor and adventurous activities (Y3 residential)
• RE: why do people have different views about the ideas of God? Stories, prayers, images of God from different religious traditions; Humanist views about God;
• Science: living, non-living, once-living; offspring of animals; growth and change; animal classification; African animal habitats.

Homework

Homework will continue as before – a brief summary below.  

• Reading – little and often, listening to your child and asking questions about the book; 
• Spellings to learn for test on Fridays – a few minutes regularly throughout the week; 
• Times tables – to learn for test on Fridays – again a few minutes regularly throughout the week; 
• Maths and English – one small task for each per week. 

I very much appreciate the support given to your children with their homework. Your support really helps your child to achieve their potential. If you have any queries or concerns regarding homework, please do let me know.  

Please remember also to send your child to school with a full water bottle every day, especially important when or if it is hot.  

Children will need PE kits in school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for football and cricket – if your child attends Rowan’s after school club on Tuesdays and takes their PE kit or parts of their PE kit home afterwards, please send it back in to school with them on Wednesday.

I hope that this newsletter will be useful to you. As ever I am available for a chat at the beginning and end of the school day, so please do not hesitate to come and see me if you have any queries or concerns.  If you need to send me an e-mail please do so! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

I am looking forward to another exciting term with the children and I hope they are too!

Yours sincerely,

Fiona Sweetman