The Launch of Our Campaign for Drawing!

Tomorrow: Wednesday 1st October, 2008.

One Giant Doodle.

We would love to see family members join us in this launch! The hall will be open from 3.15 to 4pm for any parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts. brothers, sisters, carers, friends and family to contribute to our first event, one giant doodle.

See you there!

Books for Breakfast

This project starts tomorrow!

If you have received an invitation please make every effort to come along because places are very limited at this point in the term.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Numeracy overview updates. 24/09/08

Here is an updated numeracy overview.


Children know addition and subtraction facts for each number up to 10 and are learning which pairs of numbers make 20.

Children can consolidate and use these number facts to add or subtract quickly, for example using the fact that 7 – 3 = 4 to find 57 – 3.

Children understand that addition and subtraction are inverses, and apply this knowledge in a number of ways. For example, they recognise that if you add 5 to a number and then subtract 5 you end up where you started; they state the addition fact linked to any subtraction fact and vice versa; they use addition to check the answer to subtraction calculations and subtraction to check addition.

Children know that addition can be done in any order. They begin to use efficient methods for addition and subtraction; for example, to work out 5 + 47 they start at 47 and count on 5. They count from zero in steps of 2, 5 or 10, describing patterns in the count. They identify even and odd numbers. They identify multiples of 5 and 10, appreciating that multiples of 5 end in 0 or 5 and multiples of 10 end in 0.

Children recall doubles of all numbers to 10. They recognise that if you double a number then halve the answer you get back to where you started, and use this to find halves of numbers to 20.

Children use the appropriate operation to model and solve a word problem, such as:
A mango costs 48p. A pineapple costs 36p more than a mango. How much is a pineapple?
For example, they use practical equipment, a 100-square or empty number line to help them to make decisions. They record calculations using the plus (+), minus (–) and equals (=) signs. They explain their answers and describe their methods, for example using an empty number line.

Children use patterns, relationships and properties to solve number puzzles, such as:
How many dominoes have a total number of spots that is odd?On a 100-square, what is the biggest number with a digit sum of 9?

Children explore properties of shapes. For example, they sort a set of 3-D solids according to whether or not each solid possesses a given property, such as whether or not it has a rectangular face. They use their knowledge of shape names and properties, for example to predict which 3-D shapes will roll and which will slide when placed on a slope. They recognise and name shapes in different positions and orientations, including in pictures.

Children extend their understanding of properties of a range of 2-D shapes including pentagons, hexagons and octagons, both regular and irregular. They use mathematical vocabulary to name, classify and describe some features of shapes, such as the number of sides and whether the shape has a right angle. They draw and make shapes, for example using pinboards to make shapes with five straight sides (pentagons) and then identifying those with a right angle.

Curriculum Meeting. 24/09/08

Thank you all those parents who attended the curriculum meeting this morning, hopefully you found it useful. Please could you spread the word about our blog amongst other parents as we will be using this site as an ongoing way of publishing other meetings and project updates.

Open Classrooms: Tuesday 21st October 2008.

Open classrooms: Tuesday 21st October. 2008.

During October the children in year two will be celebrating Black History Month. As part of these celebrations we will be asking the children to design and create a research project about a significant figure from Black History, a person and life story that really captures their imagination.

At the end of the month we will be opening up our classrooms and inviting you top come and visit the children's Museum and exhibition displays.

This will be the first of our open classrooms, starting at 8.45 to 9.15.

The exhibitions will also be open after school from 3.15 to 4pm.

Homework Guidance.

As it is the start of a new school year we thought that it might be helpful if we outline our expectations around homework and how it should be done.

We expect your child to be supported by an adult.

Homework will be set each Friday and we would expect it to be returned on the following Monday.

The supporting adult is responsible for ensuring that the child is successful.

The supporting adult should ensure that the homework is completed successfully, explaining any misunderstandings or supporting any difficulties a child may come across.

The supporting adult should ensure that the child is praised for taking time to complete these pieces of learning.

Throughout the homework the supporting adult should use discussion as a way of both supporting and encouraging the child.

As teachers we will look through the work and acknowledge the successful completions of the homework.

The homework we set will always be discussed with the children before they take it home.

Sometimes the homework maybe in the form of open ended mini projects, these will be used to support your child's learning in class. These projects allow each child to add a personal flavour to their work and allow us to see what they really value.

If you have any general questions please use the comments tab on this post to place them on the blog. We will answer them as quickly as possible.

Books for Breakfast-A new project.

“Books for Breakfast” is a new project we are looking to launch on Thursday 25th of September, from 8.30 to 9am.

This is a project that will look to develop our children’s love of books and deepen their own personal interest in reading.

We want invite both children and supporting family members to join us in the mobile each Thursday morning, to share a healthy breakfast and a book.

Due to the nature of this project and its focus on developing reading as a pleasurable experience, we can unfortunately only invite a small group of children and parents to each six week block.

Our First "Big Draw" Event.

The Gants Hill Extended
School Partnership Arts Project.



Event One: MY IDEAL GANTS HILL.
(Environment, community and architecture.)

Wednesday 1st October 2008.



On Wednesday 1st of October, Gearies Infants School will be hosting an exploration into our local communities’ ideas of IDEAL environment, community and architecture. All members of the Extended School Partnership and local community will be welcome to come and participate by recording their ideas in doodle form.

In this event all participants will be encouraged to contribute their ideas around these three concepts onto a huge doodle. The hall floor will be covered in plain paper with Gants Hill roundabout identified in the middle of this vast space. From this point, all participants will be encouraged to communicate their ideas about ideal architecture and environments, and what “community” means in visual doodle forms. Can you draw your perfect ideal of community and shared space? The end product will look like one huge survey map but in fantastic doodle form illustrating our communities’ ideas around these important concepts. From the youngest child in our school family to Gants Hills’ older residents.

The event will only be a success if a wide variety of our community contributes.

If you are interested in joining in with this first project please contact me at Gearies Infants,
I look forward to hearing from you and meeting up on the day.

Dan Lea.
(Arts Coordinator @ Gearies Infants.)

Themed and cross curricular learning focuses.

ICT

To communication information through visual techniques.

To use a digital camera correctly.

To save, file and print images

To begin to create a new retelling of an old traditional tale using supportive software.

Using digital cameras and digital blue movie makers to record scientific observations.

ART

To be introduced to the medium of sculpture and the work of Elisabeth Frink.


PSHE

To explore ideas along the theme of tolerance.


PE

Gymnastics, to travel and balance confidently on different body parts, exploring contrasting heights and speeds.

SCIENCE

To learn that there are a range of materials that have different properties.

To be able to sort by criteria.

To investigate how some materials can be altered by manipulation.

RE

To understand what it means to create something.

To link these experiences to the Jewish/Christian stories of creation.

Overview of Numeracy learning. Autumn Term 2008.

Present solutions to puzzles and problems in an organised way; explain decisions, methods and results in pictorial, spoken or written form, using mathematical language and number sentences.

Read and write two-digit numbers in figures; describe and extend number sequences and recognise odd and even numbers.

Count up to 99 objects by grouping them and counting in tens, fives or twos; explain what each digit in a two-digit number represents, including numbers where 0 is a place holder; partition two-digit numbers in different ways, including into multiples of 10.

Order two-digit numbers and position them on a number line; use the greater than (>) and less than (<) signs.

Overview of Literacy Learning. Autumn Term. 2008.

Children can express ideas about a character using evidence from the text to justify their opinion.

Children understand that connectives can be used to link ideas and create tension in a narrative.
Children can write a simple traditional story using a range of connectives to link ideas and build tension for the reader.

Children understand that words, images and sounds can convey different elements of a narrative for a reader.

Children can write a traditional narrative using words, sounds and images to convey information about the main characters.

Welcome!

Dear Parents/Carers,
You have found our new year two blog space. In this space we will be posting important information, relevant news updates and curriculum guidance. The purpose of this blog is to provide you with an interactive way of communicating with our year group team. If this blog is to be successful, it requires consistent participation and involvement from you. Its your blog, your opportunity to communicate and comment on events happening throughout your child's time in year two.

This blog will be updated every Wednesday evening. But please feel free to add posts yourself, at any time.
We look forward to developing this interaction throughout the year, however, if you do have a personal matter regarding your child please do not hesitate to contact your class teacher in person. It is not the intention of this blog to replace the all important home school relationship, but to add an extra dimension to this.

We look forward to reading your comments.
The Year Two Team.