Year 2

This week, in year 2, we have been continuing our time work by solving time problems, for example: ‘Tom left the castle at half past 2. It took him an hour and a half to walk home. What time did he get home?” We also played a pairs game to help us remember how many minutes are in an hour, hours in a day, days in a week, etc. At the end of the week we looked at number patterns, worked out the rule, and applied it to continue the sequence. In English we made a map to show the princess’ journey from the palace to the castle. Children worked in pairs to create maps showing the Norwegian features, such a ‘thickly needled pine forest’, ‘frozen lakes’ and ‘bride-white snow’. They then used these maps to help them write a set directions using adjectives, similes and alliteration. In topic we have looked at how animals are adapted to cold climates and had a go at designing our own animal with winter features. We also looked at towers from around the world and located these on a world map.

We have had a busy week in Year 2 and taken part in lots of exciting activities, which we have really enjoyed. In Maths, this week we have been practising counting in 2’s, 3’s, 5’s and 10’s forwards and backwards. We have also been learning to tell the time on an analogue clock by reading the times on the clock. We have practised o’clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to and some of us have been learning to tell the time to the nearest five minutes. We have also practised drawing the hands on the clock to show the correct time. In English we have been really enjoying our work on the ‘Power of Reading’ project. We started the week by making a crown for the Princess that was brighter than the sun. The children then wrote some fantastic letters to the King to persuade him that their crown was the best. Children wrote questions to ask the Princess about her journey with the bear and went on to write a diary entry about her day. In Topic we have been learning about hot and cold c

We have started to think about our new book for the half term and looked at some interesting artefacts in a bag.  We used these for inspiration and thought about what sort of story we are going to have.  We planned out our own ideas for a story and thought about other stories we know that could also have these things in.  We found: A silver cup A knife A bell A crown A candle and a pair of Silver scissors.

Today we enjoyed a real treat and a visiting theatre company came into school and told us the story of Aladdin.  Mrs Smith even had to get up and dance with the Genie!! 

We had so much fun on our trip to Norwich Castle.  We learnt all about life in a castle and how to prepare for a joust.  Lady Isabella, Jack the rat catcher, Maud and Helena told us stories, did craft with us and let us sort and try on thinks that real knights would have worn.   Maud told us a story about a green man.   We learnt about how the toilets worked in a castle and that people wiped their bottom on a piece of sponge soaked in vinegar that they put back in the bucket for the next person to use!!   Jack the rat catcher told us all about the feasts in a castle and that their pigs in blankets weren't like ours as theirs would be a whole pig wrapped in bacon!!   Helena let us try on knights armor and we helped her to sort the items she had left lying around into castle or knight!   Then we got to explore the exhibitions.  Our favourite was the animals!

It has been an excellent start back to school so far.   The children have written recounts of their Christmas holidays and enjoyed sharing their news.   We had a fabulous trip to the castle where the children were treated to stories, pennant making, rat catching and the opportunity to sort artefacts.   We learnt lots about what life would have been like in Norwich Castle during a joust from how they prepare the castle, what the knights need to wear, how to cheer them on (Hazaa!), the feasts they would have had and how they would have used the toilet!   We also had an opportunity to explore some of the exhibitions where the children were fascinated and all impeccably behaved.   This week we have written a recount of our trip and thought carefully about using commas, conjunctions and time language within this.   We have also begun to explore our new story for the power of reading in very small pieces – ask your child about this. In maths this week we have been exploring division an