T1 W6 – The Week ahead …

Yet another super week for Highflyer Class this week – including our fantastic LIVE Henley Literary Festival screening featuring Joseph Coelho and his latest 'Children of the Throne' storybook yesterday morning! A virtual trip to Antarctica also helped us understand 'What a cold place is really like and how it compares to the U.K.?; with the children all fascinated by the descriptions and different stories recounted as well as seeing some stunning close-ups photos of the animals and birds who  live there. 

As with last week, we shall happily be continuing our Kapow geography topic work whilst learning about different climates and weather conditions – in addition to thinking about where various climate zones appear on a world map. We shall also be discussing our own weather this week and then using compass directions outside on the playground and – hopefully – within the walled garden! Therefore, please do keep an eye out for our chalk patterns/recording marks throughout the coming week …!?

Phonics and Spellings

This week our phonic focus is:  

Week 6 - Long /u/ + endings to split digraph words / other words ending in ‘e’

Please do remember to pop school planners into school every day if at all possible …

Reading

We will be switching our Class/Group Reading book on Friday this week – following on from National Poetry Day on the 1st - to ‘Animal Poems'; given our recent class discussions about our love of nature plus greater curiosity, and interest, in local, national and international ecosystems.

However, if any copies of our non-fiction text - Extreme Earth could now be whizzed back into school (at your earliest convenience) that would be greatly appreciated. We shall also be learning how to use our First/Junior dictionaries to not only find but equally understand the meanings of new target words/vocabulary.

Maths

This week our mastering number unit is focused on the children developing recall of the bonds of 10. The representations used this week – a 10-frame, fingers and individual rekenreks – will draw attention to the different ways of composing 10; including opportunities to practice recalling bonds of 10 (both when working practically but also with expressions and equations).

Our Oak Academy focus shall remain within learning about addition and subtraction; with a particular focus on our own understanding as to how they are intrinsically linked together.

Dyslexia Awareness Week - we all thoroughly enjoying taking part in Mrs Burbedge's assembly this week; and 'how different minds sometimes need different tools'. The children all worked SO beautifully to build our own class toolkit together (as well as their own) - to help us remember, organise and even process all the information we hear/see/absorb each day in school ...

Today (Friday), we also took some extra time to mark World Mental Health Day - with our very own simple thought bubbles of "How To Be Happy". The children excitedly came up with some wonderful ideas of reading a book, stroking our pets, playing with our friends/family, being active - football was a favourite!, listening to music, taking a walk, going to the park, having a picnic and even doing some yoga :) ... All really terrific ideas which we can share - and enjoy either by ourselves or with others.

And finally …

Just a quick reminder from Mrs Greenwood and the School Office, this afternoon, for all staff to remind our wonderful parents to download our new MCAS App. check the data and 'book' (if you haven't already done so!?) your parent appointments - as it remains open until Sunday evening so you, I promise, still have time over the weekend to have a quick look in a spare moment ... as there are several 'spaces' left if any remain convenient for you.

It goes without saying, and I am very much looking forward to meeting and seeing you all then - to share all your child's recent, and equally, super achievements so far ... and the wonderful progress they DEFINITELY look set to make in the coming months ahead. I think you will all be very proud indeed - especially how well they have settled, taken to our various routines, accessing their new classroom and, truly, gasping every learning opportunity with both hands - such wonderful stuff!

However, PLEASE do not hesitate to drop me a quick line via our class email address at any time - Highflyer@nettlebed.oxon.sch.uk if I can ever help with a query (large or small!) as always here to help or support whenever and wherever possible ...

With MANY thanks and wishing you all another lovely week ...

Best wishes – as always

Mrs Winters (and the fabulous Year 2 ‘Team’)