Key Dates for Term 2

Week1

The timetable has changed in Term 2 to include formal English sessions.  We learnt to recite the poem 'Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear' and studied the text 'We're going on a Bear Hunt'.  

In maths we started to understand comparison of quantity using the stem sentences more than or fewer than to describe different objects and groups.

Forest school was postponed until Friday morning due to high winds but the children then enjoyed learning the rules of Forest school and going on a bear hunt themselves to find bears hiding in trees and bushes.  

We also started Gymnastics with the P.E coaches.  

Week 2

In English this week we considered Diwali and how it is celebrated.  The children created Rangoli patterns, tried Indian food and dance.  We also learnt about Remembrance Day and how people who served in the past and present day are remembered.

In maths we focussed on careful counting to 5 and collecting objects of the same and different categories to make 5.  Children also learnt to recognise the dice pattern of 5.  The children identified that 5 and 5 fingers makes 10 altogether.   

Week 3.

Children enjoyed reading the Gruffalo this week and made Gruffalo crumble peeling and cutting the vegetables themselves!  Everyone looked fantastic on Friday for Children in Need and did amazing pictures for the Pudsey colouring competition.  In maths we considered more, fewer or equal when comparing different objects.  We also continued to carefully count objects so our Gruffalo's could go on a picnic with equal amounts of food in their basket.

Week 4.

In English we explored the Gruffalo's child text and investigated which animals made tracks in the snow, drawing their picture and writing their names phonetically using known sounds.  We realised the mouse played a trick on the Gruffalo's child and had made a shadow of the big bad mouse to frighten her!  Children noticed their own shadows and that light travels in straight lines.  In maths we started to understand that parts can make up a whole e.g. our head is part of our whole body.  This initial understanding supports learning around numbers being composed of other numbers.  The idea will be explored further in week 5.

Week 5.

This week we studied the book 'The Jolly Postman' by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.  We followed his journey and learnt how to address an envelope ready for our own letters to Santa.  To safely post our letters we discussed road safety using the South Gloucestershire Council initiative 'Holding Hands'.  In maths we continued to examine how numbers can be broken down into other numbers or parts.

Week 6

This week we studied the book "Stick Man" by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

We used our phonics to list some of the things Stick Man was used as, such as pen and mast, and then drew pictures to show what we would use a stick for and labelled them.

In forest School we collected sticks. We had to make sure they were within the length of a ruler Mrs Sheppard had. We then used these to make our own musical instruments, "Jingle Sticks", by threading different size bells onto pipe-cleaners and wrapping them around the stick.

In Maths we sang "10 Little Elves" and practiced our subitising using Christmas themed objects. We then had to be elves to help Santa and count out the correct amount of presents to equal a given numeral, between 1 and 10.

Week 7

This week we joined Years 1 and 2 to perform "Little Angel Gets Her Wings". We did three performances and each one was better than the previous. 

In English we studied the traditional tale "The Gingerbread Man" and even made our own gingerbread biscuits.

In Maths we used the sticks we collected the previous week to compare and order objects by length, using the phrases:

"This one is longer than that one."

"This one is shorter than that one."

"This one is the longest."

"This one is the shortest."

We finished the week with a party. We played sleeping lions, pass the parcel and musical spots.

Now to rest and look forward to Term 3.