Friday 5th December 2025

Dear Parents, 

This week was another exciting week in Year 2. The children enjoyed attending the Israeli shuk and spending their shekels on different items, including falafel, toys, keyrings and balloons. 

In English, the children focused on writing a well-structured story. We discussed how a story has a beginning, middle and end, and what goes in each section. In the beginning, you establish your setting and characters. The middle section is the main event or adventure and sometimes there is a problem that needs to be solved and the ending is how you resolve the problem. The children wrote excellent, well-detailed stories which included time connectives and a range of adjectives. 

In maths, the children started a new topic, Shape. They started off by identifying 2D and 3D shapes and the differences between them. They then moved on to counting the number of sides of a 2D shape, and the number of vertices. The children learnt that a vertex is formed where two sides meet, and “vertices” is used when referring to more than one vertex. Lastly, the children were introduced to the concept of vertical lines of symmetry. 

In Jewish Studies, we continued with our Hebrew Reading skills. We reviewed the chataf vowels from last week, and learned  the double sh’va mid word reading rule such as עַבְדְךָ. The children read, played iPad games, worked in their workbooks, and hunted for the chataf rule to reinforce their learning. In our script lesson, we recapped letters yud, vav, and nun and began learning how to form a script kuf. The children are so enthusiastic about our Chanukah learning and the upcoming extravaganza! They enjoyed retelling the story of Chanukah by creating their own comic strips.

In science, the children discussed in detail the life cycle of a human. They were interested to know and learn about what we can do in the different stages of life.  They then sorted the items that can be done in the different stages of life such as voting, buying a car, starting to eat solid food etc. The children then were challenged to add different things to the stages of the cycle.

In geography, the children created their own journey lines around the world. They learnt about a journey line and then had to decide which journey to take to get from one place to another. They had to write down which continents and oceans they would need to travel through.

This week in music, we have been practising our songs for the show next week. Please encourage your child to practise their songs before next week. The children are really looking forward to entertaining you!

In phonics this week, the children were introduced to an alternative grapheme for the /s/ sound - ‘sc’. They learnt words such as science, scene, scent, crescent, scenery and scissors. 

This was our last Forest School session for this term. The children began their session with a fun team game of Head Honcho and then we played a game called 1,2,3 which is a partner game. At various points the children had to change a number for a sound and then an action. It helps children to practise turn-taking, listening, focus and collaboration. For the rest of the session, some children used the variety of resources available to create their own Chanukah decorations. Some children used the bow saw with Emma to saw a wood cookie and then drilled a hole into the wood using a hand drill. There were chanukiahs drawn and a dreidle and doughnut design. Other children chose to make necklaces.

Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom, 

The Year 2 Team

Friday 28th November 2025

Dear Parents, 

This week in English, the children listened to Katie in London, to remind them of the story.  Then they had to sequence the story with given pictures. Next, the children used the pictures to write the outline of the story, using time conjunctions and remembering to use full stops and capital letters. Later in the week, the children used their story boards, and wrote a detailed paragraph about one part of the story. They were encouraged to use the five senses in their writing, as well as a range of adjectives and expanded noun phrases. 

In maths, the children learnt to add and subtract two 2-digit numbers composed of both tens and ones. They used base 10 and place value counters to support their learning. They looked at questions where an exchange was and wasn’t required. When an exchange was required, children learnt that they needed to exchange 10 ones for 1 ten. Next, the children learnt to compare number sentences. They were encouraged to use the correct mathematical language to say their answer in words, for example, 4 + 7 > 4 + 5 should be said as “4 plus 7 is greater than 4 plus 5”. Lastly, the children learnt to work out missing number problems. For example, 10 + 6 = 13 + __. 

In science, the children learnt about the life cycles of animals, including humans. They discussed what was different at every stage of the life cycle and how animals develop throughout their lifetime. The children used an information sheet to then write out the life cycle of a human, duck or a butterfly. 

In geography, the children learnt about the different continents and then did some research into a continent of their choice and wrote some facts about it. They included some animals that would be found in the continent.

In music, the children built on the Aquarium piece that they created last week, based on the movement in Carnival of the Animals. Using different instruments, they represented the water, the fish, bubbles and other moving things in water. 

In Forest School, the children started their session with some mindful breathing and then listened intently to Emma read a poem called ‘Get Out of the Classroom’ by Jonny Fluffypunk! After this Emma taught them the game Wolf and Deer, which they had great fun playing it and were eager to play a second time. After this, Emma told a story called ‘How the Stars Came to Be’ which is a fun and imaginative folk tale about how the stars were originally created. The craft activity followed the star theme of the story. Some children chose to make their own star wands out of willow. This involved bending and manipulating the willow into a star shape and securing the shape in place with pipe cleaners. Children helped each other by holding the star shape in place for each other and it was lovely to witness this kindness. Other children chose to play the Wolf and Deer game independently and a group of children returned to their ‘building site’ project.

In computing, the children learnt word processing skills. These included changing the font, size and style of their work. 

Important information:

• Next week is the final Forest School session. 
• Please keep your child’s reading book in their bag so we can read with them daily. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom.

The Year 2 Team 

Friday 21st November 2025

Dear Parents, 

This week has been fantastic! We had our first school trip of the year, to the London Eye and a Thames Riverboat Cruise. The children were very excited and behaved in a manner to be proud of throughout. They saw several London landmarks, which they read about in our English book, ‘Katie in London’. They saw Buckingham Palace, Wembley Stadium, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and The Shard from The London Eye. They loved sitting on the boat, and pointing out lots of interesting sites. 

The week also ended with Mitzvah Day. The day began with an assembly to introduce the charities we were working with. The children then made beautiful and colourful bookmarks for the residents at Hammerson House.  

In English, we used our Mighty Writer board to plan and write a well-sequenced story. The children had to think about who their characters were, as well as where their story is set. We discussed how their story should follow a beginning, middle and end structure and what to write in each section. The children were encouraged to use expanded noun phrases and a range of sentence starters. 

In maths, the children learnt to add and subtract two 2-digit numbers composed of both tens and ones. They used base 10 and place value counters to support their learning. They looked at questions where an exchange was and wasn’t required. When an exchange was required, it means that the answer crossed the tens boundary, for example, 37 + 17 = 54, and to find the answer they needed to exchange 10 ones for 1 ten. 

In geography, the children reviewed the seven continents and learnt about the five oceans across the globe. After this, the children had to find and label the oceans on to a map using an atlas for reference.

In science, the children learnt about animals’ offspring. They learnt that some animal offspring look like their parents and some do not. They went on to match adult animals with their babies. 

In D&T, the children finished their succahs that they have been working on. They finished cutting their ‘roof’ and the fruits that they made. They also finished off the design around the sukkah. 

This week in music, we continued exploring our theme of Carnival of the Animals. Using a range of percussion instruments, the children worked together to create their own version of “The Aquarium.” Each child was responsible for a particular instrument, helping to build the shimmering, flowing sounds of water. They did a wonderful job and showed great creativity and teamwork!

In Forest School this week, we started off by discussing the challenging weather and how we could best look after our bodies through movement. We played Giants, Wizards and Elves and the High Five Challenge Game, in order to keep our bodies moving. The children then had the opportunity to be creative with a slate and paracord, which was used to make knot key rings. This activity required a lot of perseverance and fine motor skills were needed to manage the paracord effectively. Other children experimented with the slate and sanding blocks to make their own unique shapes. 

Important information:

• Please pack warm socks for your child to wear at Forest School. 
• Please submit your child’s homework on to Google Classroom.

Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom. 

The Year 2 Team

Friday 14th November 2025

Dear Parents, 

It has been another busy week in Year 2! This week was anti-bullying week and the children participated in lots of fun activities, including a wonderful workshop on bullying, and learning how to be an upstander. The theme this year was ‘Power for Good’, and we discussed how we need to use our ‘powers’ to encourage kindness and respect others.

In English, the children imagined they were Katie from the book ‘Katie in London’. They wrote a postcard detailing their favourite part of the trip, remembering to include adjectives and expanded noun phrases. 

In maths, the children learnt to subtract a 1-digit number from any multiple of 10 within 100. Their knowledge of fact families for number bonds was particularly helpful. For example, if they were calculating 50 − 6, they used the fact that 6 + 4 = 10, so 10 − 6 = 4, and so 50 − 6 = 44. They then went on to finding 10 more and 10 less than a given number within 100, as well as adding and subtracting multiples of 10. 

This week we started a new topic in Geography, ‘Oceans and Continents’. The children reviewed the seven continents and learnt about the five oceans across the globe.  After this, they had to find and label the oceans on a map, using an atlas for reference.

In science, the children learnt about food chains. They learnt the words herbivore, carnivore and omnivore. They also learnt about a food chain starting with a plant (a producer) then a small animal (consumer/prey) and then a larger one (predator). For example, there was grass, cow, and human in the food chain. The children were able to understand the food chain and correctly draw and label them.

In D&T, the children started to put together their sukkah by adding their ‘roof’ and the fruits that they made. They also finished off the design around the sukkah. 

In computing, the children learnt about taking digital photos and editing them. We used the edit and cropping tools to focus on the subject within the photo. The children learnt how to take clear photos and how to delete the ones they didn’t need.

In phonics, the children learnt the alternative spellings for the /sh/ sound - ‘ti’ and ‘tion’. Some of the words they spelt were station, patient, addition, subtraction, relation, attention. 

This week in music, we continued with our animal theme. We listened to excerpts of Carnival of the Animals.  The children learnt that the music has 14 different parts, which in music are called movements, and lots of them are to do with animals. We played a game, moving to the movement called Aquarium. Children had to move as if they were sea creatures. We also learnt about the glass harmonica, which is used in this piece. 

In Forest School, the children started with an observational and creative activity called 1 to 10. They worked independently to discover and write down specific numbers of things in nature and an interesting description to go with it. Then they played a game called Giants, Wizards and Elves which is a game involving two teams. Everyone really enjoyed playing this and we were impressed that they were able to focus on the fun of the game over who was winning or losing. For the rest of the session, some children chose to make poppies with sticks and wool. Other children were digging in the forest or relaxing in the hammocks. 

Important information:

• We are going on our school trip on Wednesday. Children should arrive at school at 8.25am. 
• Please remember to keep your child’s reading book in their bag so we can read with them throughout the week. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom, 

The Year 2 Team

Friday 7th November 2025

Dear Parents,

It was wonderful to see the children back in school after half-term and to hear all about their holidays. We also continued our World Religions programme, this week learning about the festivals celebrated by Sikhs, including Diwali and Vaisakhi. 

In English this week, the children planned a setting description based on our story Katie in London. They thought about what they could see, hear, taste, touch and smell when exploring London. After that, they wrote their plan into a paragraph, using expanded noun phrases and adjectives to enhance their description. They then focussed on reading over and editing their work, making sure they have included all their capital letters and full stops. 

In maths, the children learnt to add three 1-digit numbers, using concrete resources to help them. They then went on to add to the next 10, for example, 25 + ? = 30. They had to use their number bonds knowledge to help them. They built on this and moved on to adding and subtracting numbers across a 10. They started with a 2-digit number and either added or subtracted a 1-digit number, but crossed the tens boundary. For example, 45 + 7 = 52. They used base 10, number lines and partitioning to help them. 

In history, the children learnt about how London was rebuilt after the fire, including how they changed the way in which they built houses. They also learnt about how the firefighting service was developed as a result of the fire. 

In science, the children recapped their knowledge of world habitats, such as the arctic, rainforest, ocean and the desert. The children talked about how the plants and animals depend on each other, in the habitat, for food, shelter from prey and to spread the seeds of the plants. They played a habitat game and looked at a specific habitat in detail.

In Jewish Studies, the children continued developing their Hebrew Reading skills, focusing on blending letters with vowels in two-syllable words and learning to recognise and sound the Patach-Yud.They practiced reading words, completing activities in their workbooks and even took turns being the teacher. In Ketiva, the children practised forming script letters Nun and Mem, while revisiting correct handwriting posture. In Jewish Life, the children reviewed all the food Brachot learned last year and then sorted food pictures into the  correct bracha section. In Parasha, the children reflected on Avraham’s incredible care for others. When Hashem told him about the city of Sedom, Avraham pleaded for the people’s safety, showing compassion and courage. 

In D&T the children started making and decorating their sukkahs. Next week, they will stick the sides of their sukkahs together and make fruit decorations to hang from the top. 

In Forest School, the children played a game called Four Step and this involved children working in pairs to observe different things in the environment. Then, they played Hunter, Fox, Mouse which promotes quick decision making and connecting with others. After the games, the children listened to Emma tell a story called ‘Grandmother Spider and the Light’. It is a Cherokee tale about how darkness and cold were replaced by light and warmth. For the rest of the session, there were different activities on offer which continued the light and spider theme from the story, including making their own candle holders. 

This week in Music, the children listened to a song called "I once saw an elephant" which went through different animals who played different instruments. We created actions to go with the words. 

Important Reminders:

• Lots of children need 50p to replace items in their pencil pot. 
• Please can the children have their reading book in their bag so we can read with them each week. 
• English and maths homework has been posted on Google classroom. 

Wishing you all a shabbat shalom, 

The Year 2 Team

Friday 24th October 2025

Dear Parents, 

It has been a busy week in Year 2! This week marked the beginning of the Year 2 World Religion Programme. This year, the children are exploring Sikhism. They learned about the origins of the religion, its founder and their core beliefs. 

In English, the children focused on using expanded noun phrases and adjectives when writing a setting description, based on our story Katie in London. They also incorporated the five senses in their descriptions, to add more detail and enhance their writing. 

In maths, the children built on their previous learning of number bonds to 10 and related facts to find bonds to 100. For example, if 4 + 6 = 10, then 40 + 60 =100. They then learnt to add and subtract 1s from any number. They started to spot patterns when adding and subtracting 1s and linked these to their knowledge of number bonds. If they know, for example, that 3 + 1 = 4, then they can use this to understand that 23 + 1 = 24 and 53 + 1 = 54.

This week in Music the children revised our school song which they enjoyed singing yesterday for Rosh Chodesh. The children learnt a series of rhythm patterns which built up to create a sequence of rhythms and they used cups to do this. They even had to pass the cup along to the person next them as part of the sequence. They did a great job!

In science, the children recapped what a habitat is and the different kinds of animals that live there.  Our focus today was on world habitats.  They learned about the tropical rainforest, desert, arctic and the ocean.  They had to research their chosen world habitat and then write some facts that they had researched.  After the children drew the habitat and some of the animals that live there.

In history, the children learnt more about Samuel Pepys and how we know a lot about the fire due to the secret diaries he kept. They learnt that he wrote in code, so his wife wouldn’t know what he had written.  We focused on different sources of information that help us to understand the fire. They had to choose which source was relevant to us learning about the fire and those that had no bearing.

Due to the strong winds, there was no Forest School this week. However, the children demonstrated their flexibility of mind and resilience and adapted very well to the last minute change. Well done Year 2!

Important information:

• Please send in 50p with your child so they can replace any stationery they need in their pencil pot. 
• There is no homework this week as it if half term. Homework will restart when we get back. 

We hope you have a wonderful half term!

Shabbat shalom, 

The Year 2 Team

Friday 17th October 2025

Dear Parents, 

In English, we read our class book ‘Katie in London’. The children discussed their favourite part of the book and how they would feel if they went on an adventure around London. They then wrote a detailed character description, thinking about what Katie looked like, as well as her personality. 

In maths, the children looked at number bonds to and within 20, making links to number bonds to 10. They used part-whole models to support their learning and wrote the addition and subtraction fact families to enhance their understanding. They also learnt to identify related facts for both addition and subtraction calculations. If they know that 2 + 5 = 7, then they should be able to use this knowledge to state that 20 + 50 = 70. 

In history, the children recapped the story of the Great Fire of London (GFL) and then had to write about the causes of the fire. The causes were due to wooden houses, a dry summer, strong winds, houses being close together, rubbish in the street, no real fire service and flammable objects close to the River Thames.  See which causes your child can remember.

In PSHE, the children had to work together to design a box. They were split into groups and had to focus on how best to collaborate with eachother, making sure they are listening to their peers and respecting what everyone is saying.

Important information:

• Please make sure to leave your child’s reading book in their bag daily so the team can hear your children during the week.  We don’t want them to miss out on being read with.
• Please make sure your child has 50p in their bag to replace any stationery they need. 
• We have Forest School on Thursday.

Shabbat shalom, 

The Year 2 Team 

Friday 10th October 2025

Dear Parents, 

The children had a wonderful time at their first Sukkah visit! Thank you to the Freemans for hosting us. 

In English, the children read a comprehension text all about Succot. They were able to use the information they learnt to answer questions on the text. It also gave all the children an opportunity to practice their reading skills. 

In maths, the children recapped their number bonds to 10. The children are going to use this knowledge to help them in our new topic, ‘Addition and Subtraction’. It is really important that they are confident in their number bonds, so please practice these regularly with your child. 

In D&T, the children tested their model sukkahs to see if they were stable, stiff and strong.  We took them outside and simulated wind by fanning the models with our books. Then we had to see if they could withstand rain by pouring water over the models. After this, we looked at the models to evaluate them. The children then discussed what materials would be better to make another sukkah. After this, the children then wrote up their evaluation and what happened to their models.

In Forest School, the children started off by discussing autumn and what it means to them. They observed some of the surrounding trees and discussed how some leaves have changed colour already. They then went on to play a game called Heads and Tails. It’s a fast and fun game that helps children develop their ability to control their bodies and perform coordinated movements. After that, Emma told the children a story called ‘The Warm Fuzzies’ about some little people who lived in a forest on a faraway island. It is a story about giving to others and receiving things from others and how that can make you feel. Afterwards, we discussed what ‘warm fuzzies’ could mean in a wider sense in our everyday lives. For the rest of the session, some children decided that they would like to make their own ‘warm fuzzy’. Some children chose to lie down on a tarp and take part in a bit of Forest Bathing - looking up at the tree canopy with its varying colours and seeing how it made them feel. Other children continued their interest in den building creating different debris dens. A few children made bird nests and placed them in the trees for the birds. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom and Chag Sameach. 

The Year 2 Team

Friday 3rd October 2025 

Dear Parents, 

We hope you all had an easy and meaningful fast. 

In English this week, the children recapped what an adjective is. They built on this knowledge to learn about expanded noun phrases (ENPs). ENPs are nouns with added adjectives to give more detail and description, for example, the bright, blue sky or the long, bumpy road. The children were given a range of pictures with different settings and used ENPs and adjectives to describe these settings.

This week in maths, the children learnt to count in 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s. When counting in 2s and 5s, the starting number was a multiple of 2 or 5. They were able to count both forwards and backwards in 10s from any number. When counting in 3s, they used concrete resources to physically make each number and begin to spot patterns.

In history, the children talked about the fire using their senses. They then had to write a diary entry as if they were there at the time of the Great Fire after we brainstormed and modelled an example. To make their entries descriptive, the children tried to use all of the senses, see, hear, feel, smell, touch and taste.

In science, the children learnt about microhabitats, small habitats within a larger one. We discussed the different types of microhabitats, for example, under a stone, or by a pond. The children then went outside to the fields to find different minibeasts living in their microhabitat and the conditions of the habitat, for example, it could be dark, dry, cool and damp. 

Wishing you all a lovely Succot. 

The Year 3 Team

Friday 29th September 2025

Dear Parents, 

In English, the children learnt about the features of a poster and designed their own posters welcoming someone to planet Earth, inspired by our class book ‘Here We Are’. 

In maths, the children compared quantities of objects, using the language ‘greater than’, ‘less than’ and ‘equal to’, alongside the inequality symbols (< = >). They then went on to compare numbers, looking at the tens and ones to see which number is greater or smaller. 

In history, the children learnt all about the story of the Great Fire of London. This included how, when and where it started, why it spread so quickly and how it was put out.  The children then had to sequence the story using different information from the time of the fire.

In Forest School, the children learnt about the Autumn Equinox and the festival of Mabon which took place on Monday. Autumn Equinox is the day where there is an equal balance of daylight and darkness. It is a time to remember and be grateful for all the Earth gives us in the form of harvest and to start preparing for the longer nights ahead. They then took part in a mindful walk to find offerings on the ground that they saw as ‘autumn treasures’ which they added to the Autumn Equinox ground display. After this, the children took part in a mystery bag challenge. In small groups, they explored different bags with only the sense of touch to try and work out which natural object related to autumn was inside. They really enjoyed this game and worked well with their teams. 

In phonics, the children recapped the alternative spellings for the ‘j’ sound, including ‘dge’ and ‘ge’ spellings. A few of the words they learnt for the ‘dge’ spelling included fudge, bridge, hedge and squidge. Words for the ‘ge’ spelling included large, charge, barge, fringe and orange. The children should continue practising these spellings at home to consolidate their knowledge. 

Important information:

• Please make sure to leave your child’s reading book in their bag daily so the team can hear your children during the week.  We don’t want them to miss out on being read with.

Wishing you all an easy fast next week. 

Shabbat shalom, 

The Year 2 Team

Friday 19th September 2025

Dear Parents,

In English, we continued reading our book ‘Here We Are’. The children wrote a detailed setting description, using the five senses to add more detail to their descriptions. As the book is all about Earth, we discussed why it is important to take care of our planet and how best to do this. The children came up with some excellent ideas of how to care for the planet.

In maths, the children started off writing numbers to 100 in words and in the expanded form. For example, they know that 43 is made up of 40 and 3, so 40 + 3 = 43 (forty-three). They then moved on to using base 10 and part-whole models to partition numbers, thinking about how many different ways they can partition a two-digit number. For example, 27 can be made up of 2 tens and 7 ones, or it can be made up of 1 ten and 17 ones. Lastly, they learnt how to place 10s and 1s on a number line to 100. They were exposed to different start and end point values, as well as the standard 0 to 100 number line. Children used their knowledge of counting in multiples of 10 to label number lines.

In history, in preparation for learning about the Great Fire of London, the children compared London now to the past. We looked at clothing, houses, transport and streets. The children were able to sort the cards from ‘now and then’ and then they drew these comparisons in their books. The children began to have an understanding of how different life was back in that time period. 

In science, we recapped on the terms discussed last week, ‘alive’, ‘dead’ and ‘never alive’. They learned the term habitat and then looked at what we might find in our local habitat. After that, we went to the park to find and locate different plants and animals we could see in the park, which the children loved!

In DT, we built our model sukkahs with the ‘junk’ modelling materials that were sent in.  Thank you very much! The children had to think about the words strong, stable and stiff, in order to make the best sukkah. They added decorations and tried to create a strong, stable sukkah.  Next week, we will test out their designs.

In computing, the children worked on logging into Google Docs and then writing about their favourite thing they had done that day. This provided them with the opportunity to become more familiar with the letter placement on the keyboard. They also learnt how to select and highlight their writing, change font size, style and colour. We will continue to work on these essential skills.

This week we sang songs for Rosh Hashanah and played lots of rhythm games. The children loved the song Someone is knocking on my door and we changed the lyrics for Rosh Hashanah, for example, Someone is blowing the shofar. We also did a group activity where everyone had to say their favourite food and we clapped the rhythms together. 

In Jewish Studies, the children began with their Hebrew reading, singing the vowel song and looking at the sh'va, focusing on the rule of sh'va at the start of a word. They reinforced their learning through reading, continuing their workbooks, a game and a read-and-colour sh’va sheet. The children learned all about tashlich and then we all took part in a practice Tashlich in the playground, throwing their aveirot away! They also enjoyed a Rosh Hashanah mock seder, tasting the simanim and saying the special Yehi Ratzon and brachot for each one. The Seed event was a wonderful experience - thank you to all the parents who came and created such beautiful booklets with their children.  

In Forest School, the children first tested their strategy and teamwork skills with a fun game called Acorn Takeaway, which they really enjoyed! They also learnt a new movement song which they found really fun and definitely gets the brain working! After this, we recapped the body sensations work we did last week and the children checked in with how they were feeling and shared this with a partner. For the rest of the session, some children chose to work with gifts from the elder tree. Emma had brought along some elderberry juice to paint with and explore. Some children chose to try elderberry cordial. A group of children worked collaboratively on a den and discussed a seating plan and how to decorate the den. 

Important information:

• There will be no formal homework set during the chaggim period. However, children will still have a reading record book and should continue to be read with over this period. 

Shabbat shalom and wishing you all a happy and sweet new year!

The Year 2 Team

Friday 12th September 2025

Dear Parents, 

As we conclude our first full week, we are truly impressed by how well the children have settled into Year 2. They have quickly adapted to the routines and are approaching their tasks with focus and maturity. With such a promising start, we are even more enthusiastic about what the rest of the year will hold.

In English, we have started a new book called ‘Here We Are, Notes for Living on Planet Earth’ by Oliver Jeffers. The book was written for his newborn daughter to explain little bits of how the world works. The children used the pictures on the front cover to predict what they thought the book was about, whilst focusing on using the correct punctuation in their sentences, including capital letters, full stops and finger spaces. After reading the book, the children generated their own questions about what they wanted to learn and discover about the world, using a range of different question words. 

In maths, the children were introduced to our topic ‘Place Value’ The children had opportunities to use manipulatives and make drawings on their whiteboards to represent numbers. They learnt about place value tables, and partitioning the number into tens and ones by drawing it on a Place Value table. They also learnt about part-whole models and how to use these to show tens and ones.

In history, the children found out that they are going to be learning all about the Great Fire of London. The children discussed what they knew about the topic and then what questions they had about the topic. Then, we discussed when the Great Fire occurred on a timeline and ordered significant time periods on a timeline.

In science, our topic is living things and their habitats. The children learned the terms alive, dead (as in an apple from a tree) and never living (a cake). We discussed what processes all living things go through in order to be considered alive, such as food, water, movement and breathing. They sorted pictures and then drew and wrote about the terms alive, dead and never living. They were able to understand the different processes of being alive.

In Forest School, the children focused on the ‘Knowing Me’ part of the motto. They discussed the different feelings that we may have, along with the sensations in our bodies when we have these feelings. Then the children learnt about wildlife tracking, including the skills required and the type of questions to ask when discovering something. The children went tracking in the woods to see what signs and clues of wildlife they could find. 

In computing, we introduced the code of conduct contract and the expectations around using technology at Kerem. Then the children logged into their school email account so they could access Google Docs, as this allows them to save and organise their work into folders.

In D&T, the children were introduced to the topic, ‘building a sukkah’. We discussed what they are used for and why we have them. They learnt the laws of building a sukkah and then they had to design and label a sukkah they would like to build.  Their sketches came out so well!

This week in music we played lots of rhythm games giving the children lots of opportunities to hear rhythms and repeat them. They enjoyed singing along and joining in. We also learnt a song for a song for Rosh Hashanah about Tashlich.

Important information:

• Can you please send in any junk modelling you have at home. We need items such as kitchen rolls, cereal boxes, containers and shoe boxes.
• With regards to the homework being printed, as it stands we are not able to print homework sheets for each child. Homework in Year 2 is differentiated, and printing the sheets for all children would not be beneficial as it could make those differences more obvious within the classroom. To support this, homework is uploaded to Google Classroom, where it can be tailored discreetly to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Please find the Meet the Teacher slides attached as a PDF. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom.  

The Year 2 Team

Dear Parents, 

Welcome back to Kerem! We hope you all had a wonderful summer holiday. 

It has been a fabulous start to the school year. We wanted to wish you a big welcome to Year 2! We can’t wait to teach all the exciting topics we have planned. It has been wonderful getting to know the children so well and I look forward to this continuing throughout the term. 

The week started with a whole school assembly and communal davening. They came in with a positive attitude and settled well. The children remember the school routines and came in well on their first day in Year 2. This week we have focused on settling into the new class, with PSHE discussions about how they are feeling being back at school, in a new class. We also spoke about what a ‘mensch’ is and discussed that we should all aim to become a mensch. We discussed the different components to being a mensch, including how we can show compassion, kindness, and respect towards others. The children wrote lovely sentences about a time when they were kind to others.  

The children had their first Forest School session this term, which they thoroughly enjoyed. They began their session with a recap of Forever Green’s motto: ‘Knowing Me, Connecting with my Community and Caring for Our Earth’. They played a game called Dotty Spotting which involved finding different coloured spots with letters on them and then working together to try and make specific words out of them, which linked to our motto (e.g. care, love). For the rest of the session, some children chose to work with acorns and conkers and come up with their own creation. They had access to palm drills, clamps and different fastening resources. Other children were busy in the woods, digging and exploring, making dens, having peaceful moments in the hammocks, and helping look after the site by litter picking. 

In art, the children were given half a picture of their face from a photograph and then they had to complete the other half.  The children really enjoyed this and put in a lot of effort and concentration.  These will be on display so you’ll be able to see them when you come in for ‘Meet the Teacher Evening.’

Important information:

• Each child has been given a reading book, along with their reading record book. Please make sure you leave your child’s reading book in their bag daily so the team can hear your children during the week.  We don’t want them to miss out on being read with.
• Meet the Teacher evening is on Tuesday 9th September. 
• All communications should be sent via year2@keremschool.co.uk. 

We are so impressed with the children’s attitude to Y2.  Keep up the hard work and positive attitude!

Shabbat shalom, 

The Year 2 Team