Year 2 Autumn term 2023 - Curriculum Letter

Dear Year 2 families, 

Welcome to Year 2! We hope that your children are feeling excited about the year ahead... We all are! 

This is what a typical school day will look like for your child this year: 

 Phonics / Guided Reading

Writing - Including handwriting / spelling

Break

Maths – Intelligent Practice

Lunch and Play

Maths –Mastering Number

Foundation subjects / PE

Picture News / Newsround / Storytime

Home Time 

PE sessions for this term (subject to change) are:

2W -Tuesday & Wednesday

2SJ - Monday & Friday

Please ensure your child comes to school wearing appropriate PE kit on these days. 

Maths

Throughout the Autumn term we will be covering units on Number and Place Value, Properties of shape, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division as well as Position and Direction. 

Remember that your child has access to Numbots and Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS) which will support your child’s maths. We will put your child’s log-in in their Reading Records. If you lose it, don’t worry! Please let us know as soon as you can and we will give you a replacement.

When we start a new unit of work in maths, we will send home a ‘knowledge organiser’ which will show you visuals about what your child is learning. 

We will properly introduce Times Tables Rock Stars when we start learning about multiplication, but you are welcome to let your child go on it if you’d like them to get going with the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. 

Homework

We will inform you each Friday of any homework activities. The home work will include: 

  • Reading every day (please see the information below)
  • A maths activity to support what they are doing in class
  • An English-based activity to support their learning – including spelling 

Reading

  • Please read daily with your child and record what they have read to you in their yellow reading records. It could just be a tick/ your initials; it will help us to be able to more closely and effectively monitor which books have been read if you do this.
  • In the RWI home reader groups, there is a guide on how to use the reading book effectively
  • Your child will also be given the opportunity to choose a story time book from our library trolley at the end of the day by the adventure playground for you to read together. This will usually happen on Fridays.
  • Please return all books on Fridays so we can check reading records and change the children’s books. 

Remember

  • Reading should be enjoyable (not too tricky!)
  • If English isn’t your first language, do read books in your first language as well.
  • Reading should include a wide range of fiction and non-fiction.

Writing

As well as working towards the Year 2 skills for writing, we will be having a big focus on handwriting and spelling this year. We will give you information that will be useful to use at home at the ‘Meet the Teachers’ meeting on Wednesday 13th September at 9am.

Spellings

It is invaluable to continue to practice the Year 1 and now the Year 2 high frequency (common exception/red) words. These are the words that the children should be able to read and spell by the end of Year 2. We will inform you each week of any focus spellings that we would like you to support your child with.

Other curriculum subjects:

We will be covering the following subjects this term –

Autumn 1

History – The Great Fire of London

PSHE – Relationships – ‘Being Me in My World’

Science – Materials and their Properties

Art – Printing – William Morris / David Hearld 

PE – Gymnastics and Commando Joe

RE – What do Christians believe God is like?

Computing – E Safety, Digital Photography

Autumn 2

Science – Materials and their Properties

History – Remembrance Day and Walter Tull

Music – African Rock ‘Hands, Feet, Heat’

DT – Textiles. Make a hanging poppy for Remembrance Day

PE – Invasion & Ball Skills

Computing – E Safety

PSHE – Celebrating Differences

Dates for your diary:

Thursday 28th September – parents are invited to join us making Tudor Houses at 1:30pm.

Monday 9th October – Great Fire of London Theme day (see details below)

Thursday 9th November – parents are invited to join us making poppies at 1:15pm.

Great Fire of London day – at school

This is a great learning opportunity where the children are transported to London in1666 in our very own school hall! Those History People have come to Dunalley a few times over the last couple of years and the children, parent helpers and teachers are always thrilled by the experience! They learn SO much throughout the day in a very fun way and often refer to the day during the year.


The children are asked to dress up, however this can be done VERY simply. Your children will be given a page with ideas for dressing up well in advance of the trip to give you time to get a costume together. You really do not need to spend money on this unless you are keen to! Hopefully you will find something simple at home that can be cobbled together to create a costume. 

Thank you for all the support that you give your children at home; it is really appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher. We are here to support you and your child in every way we can. We look forward to working together with you all so that we have another exciting and productive year.

From The Year 2 Team

Miss Nicky Woollatt (2W Class Teacher)

Mrs Toni Sarna (2SJ Class Teacher - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday)

Mrs Rachel Jones (2SJ Class Teacher - Thursday and Friday)

Miss Gill Stacey (2W TP - Mornings), Mrs Mason (2SJ TP – Mornings and Year 2 TP in the afternoon)

Mr J-T (1:1 support in 2W) and Mrs P-J (1:1 support in 2SJ).

 

Mrs Fox will be teaching 2W on Wednesday mornings and 2SJ on Wednesday afternoons when we have our Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA) time.

Coffee, Cake, Cheese & Wine - Thank you

18 Nov 2024

Thank you for joining us to discuss the work of Jonathan Haidt and his book The Anxious Generation, more information can be found HERE.

Winter Coats - Does your child need one?

15 Nov 2024

We have warm, winter coats for children of families struggling with the cost of living.
Please contact us for more details.

Dunalley Pantry

01 Nov 2024

We would like to remind our families about Dunalley Pantry.
Set up to help families who are struggling with the cost of living crisis.

Donations for OPAL

25 Oct 2024

If you are thinking of having a pre-Christmas sort out please keep OPAL in mind for the usual donations.

OPAL Stay & Play

27 Sep 2024

We would like to invite all of our families to join us for an OPAL Stay & Play on Saturday 5th October from 10am - 12pm.

Free Uniform

01 Sep 2024

We have lots of unclaimed uniform items here at school, should you need anything for your child(ren) please pop along and see us.

Back to School

08 Aug 2024

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday 4th September

Dunalley Pantry

31 Jul 2024

Our Dunalley Pantry will be open during the school holidays.
9am to 10.30am on Thursdays 1st, 8th & 29th August


Helping where we can.

Exceptional Learners

22 Jul 2024

Thank you to all of our children for their hard work and perseverance this year. Visitors to our school always comment on our focused learners.

Non-uniform Day

24 Jun 2024

We raised £300 from our non school uniform day on Friday.
£150 each for the Air Ambulance & The Cystic Fibrosis Trust