Welcome back to the last term of the year. We trust you all had a well-rested
break over the holidays. This term we welcome Judith Hannan to our team and
wish Sarah Cockroft all the best with the anticipated arrival of her baby. In
her absence Serena Bateman and Jane Butel have taken over as team leaders of
the Year 2 team.
This term the whole school is studying the concept of Structure. Our
Year 2 topic is “Orchard Structures”.
Inquiry
Learning
Technology: Our year-long focus on the junior orchard will culminate
with each class researching, designing and building a structure to enhance the
orchard.
Science: Children will describe how the orchard has changed over time
and classify the changes as natural events or human actions.
Maori: Classes continue to learn Te Reo Maori such as days, counting,
singing and classroom instructions.
The
Arts
Visual Art: Skills this term focus on drawing and printmaking. Each
class will select a method of printmaking to create their artworks.
Music: This term each Year 2 class will have a weekly lesson with our
specialist teacher Miss Dekker. We also regularly practice singing at our
assemblies.
English
Oral Language: Children will prepare and present a short play to their
class.
Handwriting: Children are developing correct pencil grip, even sizing,
spacing, and slope. We follow the Magic Caterpillar formation programme.
Reading: Children will be re-tested and grouped early in the term.
Groups are working on improving their word attack skills and comprehension
strategies. Classes visit our school library once a week.
Writing: We are learning the skills needed to plan, draft, revise,
proofread, and publish writing. Children will be writing on a wide variety of
topics including narrative stories, letters, poetry, and plays.
Spelling: Children bring home spelling words to learn for homework which
are tested weekly. Class programmes include phonics teaching and dictionary
skills.
Mathematics
Within our cross-grouped classes, all classes have a strong focus on both number knowledge and number strategies to solve problems. Strategy describes the mental processes students use to estimate answers and solve operational problems with numbers. Whereas knowledge describes the key items of knowledge that students need to learn. It's important that students make progress in both areas to achieve higher academic results. Students will also be learning about measuring, volume, capacity and area.
All children will remain in their current maths class for the rest of the year with their current maths teacher. We are lucky to have the support of Miss Ko this term who will be working alongside Mrs Hannan in Room 21 and Sam Ponds will continue to support Miss Butel in Room 22. Children have ben placed in maths classes based on their current numeracy stage and within classes they are grouped according to their individual needs. Each group will work with the classroom teacher during the week to explore new concepts. When children are not with the teacher they will be consolidating these new concepts in the form of bookwork activities, mathletics, number and strategy focused games and hands-on exploration activities.
We will continue to set Mathletics tasks, where
children are expected to use strategies taught in class to solve the answers by
themselves at school and at home. Tasks will be set by math’s teachers every
Monday and children will be shown and taken through what tasks have been set.
If your child completes all their tasks before the end of the week they will
need to practice their basic facts speed by working on ‘live mathletics’,
aiming for 1000 points a week. It is not expected that children exceed this
amount per week and it is advised by mathletics.co.nz that children should only
be spending a maximum of 30 minutes per day on this programme.
Please look out for maths goals that will be coming
home with your child to inform you of what they will be working on in class,
and what you can help with at home.
Physical
Education
Classes have lessons with our specialist teacher Mrs Heathorn and their class
teacher. This term the focus is on athletic
skills and disciplines which will be used in our upcoming junior athletics day.
Mandarin
Each class has two weekly lessons with our specialist teacher Miss Ko. This
term we will be learning animal names, short sentences and new Chinese
characters.
Homework
The expectation
for Year 2 children at Meadowbank School is that they spend 15minutes a night
on homework related tasks. This may include practicing spelling words, reading
guided readers and library books, preparing oral language to be presented in
class and Mathletics.
Children are
expected to bring their reading bookbag to school every day and take it home
every night. Their bookbag should contain their class reader, yellow Kluwell
Reading Log, and spelling notebook, as these are needed for class instruction
each day. Library bookbags need to be brought to school on your child’s library
day. No bookbag = no book.
Playtime
During lunchtime
children are given the opportunity to borrow sports equipment from the sports
shed. This equipment includes balls, hockey sticks, skipping ropes, cricket
bats etc. Therefore children are asked to no longer bring their own sports gear
to school.
Beyond
Green Gold Reflection Day
On Thursday 25th
October the school is reviewing and reflecting on our current Green Gold
status. This year the Year 2 children have all been involved in upgrading the
schools orchard. We welcome you to join us in celebrating their progress and
achievements on Thursday afternoon from 2.30pm.
