Year 2 – Beech

Welcome to Year 2. We have a busy and an exciting year ahead of us, let’s get started!

Working with your child this term will be Miss McNeilly (Class teacher), Mrs Simpkinson (Teaching assistant) and Mrs Atkinson (Covering on Thursday mornings). 

Movers and Shakers

In the Movers and Shakers project, your child will learn five statements from Dawson’s model that will help them identify people who are historically significant and use the words year, decade and century to describe dates and times. They will study the life and impact of a significant person in the locality and of 10 significant individuals from around the world. They will complete in-depth studies of significant explorers Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, and significant activists Emmeline Pankhurst and Rosa Parks and think carefully about the impact of their actions. The children will also carry out an independent study of a significant person from the past and learn about people who are significant today. They will also learn how significant people are commemorated and design a memorial for a person they have studied.

Coastline

In the Coastline project, your child will use maps to learn about the location of the world’s seas and oceans and keys to learn about map symbols. They will also find out about the directions on a compass. They will learn about the human and physical features of a coastline, including the effects of erosion and how to stay safe when visiting the coast. They will have the opportunity to learn about the work of the RNLI, what happened to the SS Rohilla and about the coastal town of Whitby, including how Captain Cook is linked to the town. They will research the tourism industry and consider what features make a place a successful tourist destination.

Magnificent Monarchs 

In the Magnificent Monarchs project, your child will learn about English and British monarchs from AD 871 to the present day and consider how the power of the monarchy has changed over time. They will study six significant sovereigns; Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II. Finally, they will choose which of the sovereigns that they have studied is the most significant.

A topic web will be sent home next week with more detail about what is being taught in each subject.

Home Learning expectations:

Reading Children should read at home 5 times a week with an adult. Don’t forget to fill in their reading record with this information so they can gain rewards (raffle tickets). 

These books should be brought into school every day in your child’s book bag. Please ensure that books borrowed from school are returned. New book bags can be purchased from the school office.  

Maths Freckle.com tasks will be set regularly via class dojo. Freckle is a fantastic website used for developing maths fluency and understanding. Freckle log-ins can be found in the front of the children’s reading records. Aim for 30 minutes over a week, this could be a few longer sessions or little and often.

Just a few reminders:

PE Kit PE is taught on a Wednesday (with Miss McNeilly) and a Friday afternoon (with Mr Boutwood). Children will need to come to school in their school PE kit on these days. PE lessons will take place outside as often as possible and so please ensure children are dressed appropriately for the weather that day. 

Water Bottles

In order to help your child to stay hydrated and ready to learn, please make sure that they bring a labelled water bottle to school with them everyday. We kindly ask that bottles are filled with water only- rather than juices or squash. 

Toys and Games

In order to help us avoid any unnecessary distractions from our learning, we kindly request that toys and games from home are not brought into the classroom.  

Show and Tell

If your child has recently achieved something, made something at home or has something that relates to our current learning, please encourage them to come into school and talk about it or send information via class dojo.  We will always do our best to make time to foster the links between home and school based learning. 

Many thanks,


Miss McNeilly 

Year two class teacher, SENCO and Computing lead