Pott Shrigley Class 2 2023 - 2024

Summer Term 1

Welcome back to school for our summer term. The spring term was incredibly busy and went by in a flash but the children in Class 2 worked so hard and learnt so many new things. I can’t wait to see what they achieve this term, they always return to school willing and eager to know more!  

We start off each term with 'No Outsiders'. Linked to a book, we explore different areas of inclusion, diversity, and tolerance which encourages children to understand the importance of how to be global citizens. Our book this term is, 'It's a No-money Day' by Kate Milner. It is a poignant and powerful story which explores foodbanks and life below the poverty line. We will have meaningful discussions around the text which will encourage the children to think about people in different situations to their own. 

In English we will start by exploring the book, Jeremy Button by Alix Barzelay. This is a beautifully written and illustrated book that the follows the journey of a boy leaving the comfort of his island for the very first time. The children will predict what he might find on his adventure to new places and the people that he might meet before using the book to inspire them to write their own return narratives and letters.

This half term in maths, the children will be learning about time and money. These topics can sometimes be difficult for children to understand so ensuring that they are given the opportunity to put these skills in to real life practice is vital. Children will have the chance to take our class analogue watch home to assist with this and as always, we will use concrete and pictorial resources to enable them to truly understand something before transferring knowledge to abstract number and word problems.

The children of Class 2 are always so interested to learn about historical events and people. To spark their curiosity further, the children will be researching Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole to discover why they were pioneers of their time and how things have changed as a consequence of their significant contributions to nursing. We will use primary and secondary sources so that the children gain an understanding of how we can piece together historical events and why this is important.

During RE lessons, the children will learn about, Rules for Living. They will examine Christian rules through Bible stories but also look at how other world religions follow rules. To gain a deeper understanding of why we are encouraged to follow rules, the children will think about the big question, ‘If we are all made in Jesus' image does that mean, we should all be the same?’ The children are always so thoughtful during discussions in RE and love sharing so many different valid opinions and views with each other. It’s a joy to listen to!

As a class, we will be visiting RHS Bridgewater in Manchester so that we can explore and develop our knowledge about plants and how they grow. Alongside this, we will be carrying out investigations and research in the classroom and children will make detailed observations and analyse data to draw conclusions. Hands on experiences mean that children can really start to deepen their scientific thinking and hopefully inspire some future scientists!

In art and design, the children will be learning all about the Japanese artist Katsuma Hokusai and his famous paintings including, ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa'. The children will study techniques used when painting with acrylics and will then create their own Hokusai inspired artwork. I can’t wait to see their artistic creations!

Reading remains a crucial part of the curriculum.  In Class 2 we aim to read as regularly as possible.  Children will take part in one to one reading sessions, whole class guided reading, and reading for pleasure.  We would ask that you please read with your child as much as possible at home too.  Either reading to them or listening to them read for ten minutes every day can have a huge impact on their progress which is vital for developing not only fluency and comprehension, but for accessing all areas of the curriculum. 

For homework in class 2 we will send spellings home on a Monday for your child to learn and return by the following Monday, ready for our weekly spelling test.  There are lots of different ways that children can learn spellings to help embed and apply them in their work.  If you require any assistance with the spelling homework, please do ask. 

We remain as active as ever here at Pott Shrigley and the children will continue PE lessons with AT Sports Coaching on Thursday afternoons and Forest School on Friday afternoons. The children will also be learning the recorder with the Love Music Trust on a Tuesday afternoon. Please ensure that the children have the appropriate kit for each activity and bring a water bottle to school daily. 

We are very lucky to have Miss Pearson in Class 2 four days a week and Mrs Donnerly each morning, who help support the children with their learning. 

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries or concerns. 

Miss Millington