Mrs Mills
2M Teacher
Mrs Lucia Lopez
Teacher 2L
Dear Parent and Carers of Year 2,
We hope that you and your children have had a wonderful summer and that they are now raring to start their journey in Year 2. We have had a fantastic time getting to know our classes during these first few days, and we are looking forward to working with you and your children to ensure a very happy and productive year!
We would like to invite you to:
The Year 2 'Get To Know You' morning
All Year 2 parents are welcomed into their child’s Year 2 class to meet the teachers on Tuesday 24th September at 2.30pm. Here, your teacher will help you ‘get to know’ all about the exciting curriculum your child will be learning, as well as more information about Year 2 routines and expectations.
We are looking forward to seeing many of you there! In the meantime, we have outlined some key information below about Year 2 which should help you and your child ease into the start of the year.
Staff:
2M Class Teacher – Mrs Mills
2L Class Teacher - Mrs Lopez
Learning
Year 2 Curriculum:
We kick off the year with our first creative topic: Mighty Me! We will be looking at how we can keep our bodies mighty within our science unit on Healthy Living and through our physical education lessons. We explore how we can keep our minds mighty by being keen to learn and working hard to achieve our best. We will understand what makes US mighty by celebrating our different cultures and using our mighty investigative skills to discover where we live within our geography unit on the British Isles and its surrounding continents and oceans.
Further details about the year’s curriculum will be shared at the ‘Get To Know You’ meeting, and we will be putting our curriculum map - which gives you an overview of all the units taught in the Autumn Term – on the Nelson School website shortly.
Reading:
Within Year 2 we strive to create an environment which promotes the love of reading. Your child’s teacher will regularly create many opportunities within school for: buddy reading, independent reading, small group reading, partner reading, as well as whole class stories. Your child will have the opportunity to visit the library to choose a reading book of their choice. Being independent in choosing their own book is important for children as it encourages curiosity and enjoyment of reading. Over the year, your child’s teacher will carry out ongoing assessments of your child’s reading to ensure the correct time for them to progress to the next reading level.
- Parent reading at home and at school:
Learning to read gives your child an invaluable tool for life: it opens a whole new world of understanding, feelings and imagination. The more you can help support your child’s reading, the more pleasure they will gain while developing this vital skill. Your child will bring home a Reading Record booklet which supports the Little Wandle phonics teaching in class. You will be able to communicate with your child’s teacher when you have read with your child and more about the changes will be explained during the ‘Get to Know You’ meeting on September 24th. Reading to your child is a pleasurable way for you to help your child learn to read and love books. You can share the story together and encourage your child to talk about what is happening in the pictures, ask them questions or get them to predict what might happen.
Learning at home:
Within Year 2 we have weekly spelling quizzes and your child will be given a spelling bookmark to practice key words. The words focus on the common exception words the children should know how to spell by the time they leave Year 2. The spelling quiz will take place on a Wednesday and the new spelling bookmark will be given out on a Friday.
Routines and Reminders
Start of the day routine:
The children can enter their classroom from 8.35am. Please say goodbye to your child in the playground by your child’s classroom. At the door, the class teacher will greet your child (and be available if any messages need to be relayed). We are hoping that this gradual entry will provide a relaxed start to the day in which your child is encouraged to organise their things and complete a morning task.
End of the day routine:
Each class will be dismissed from the door of their classroom. Note: Teachers will not permit children to leave their care until a parent or other authorised adult is identified. Children who have not been collected by 3.15pm will be taken to the school office.
Notice Board:
Each class has a notice board area on the window that provides important information, such as: cake sales, timetables, trip reminders, ‘special’ days. Information can also be gathered from the office when required.
Assembly:
Every class has a special assembly where they get to show all the exciting things they have been learning at school. Parents are warmly invited to attend these. They will take place on a Friday at 9.30am. The assembly usually lasts for 15 minutes. You will be informed of the dates for class assemblies shortly.
Class representatives:
Each class will need two class representatives for the year. Please let your child’s class teacher know as soon as you can if you wish to be a class rep.
Important reminders
Medication:
Please ensure that the office/welfare has up to date information regarding medication for children to be administered at school. Also please check that medication is within date. This is particularly important for Epipens and asthma inhalers.
Contact Addresses and Telephone numbers:
If you have moved recently or changed home or mobile telephone number, please let us know. It is vital that we can contact you quickly if your child is unwell.
Once again, welcome to Year 2, and we hope to see you at our ‘Get To Know You’ meeting on the 24th September.
Dates to remember:
Friday 6th October - school photos
Friday 1st November – Year 2 scooter training
Friday 26th October – Half term (school closes at 3:10pm)
Monday 4th November – All children return to school
Thursday 19th December – End of term (school closes at 1:30pm)
Best wishes,
The Year 2 Team