Poland Blog
Poland blog
Victorian seaside experience
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We had a visit from a very special visitor from the past yesterday! A theater company came to perform a Victorian seaside experience for the children in year 2. They learned lots and had lots of laughs along the way too!.
See the lovely pictures below
Mrs Sowden
Goodbye and good luck!
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As we near the last day I would like to say a huge thank you to the children for all their hard work this year. Also a massive thank you to parents for all your support throughout the year.
Good luck for year 3 and have a fantastic summer!
Mrs Sowden
SeaLife Centre
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We had a fantastic time at the Sealife Centre despite the rain! The children were very inquisitive and loved seeing the wide variety of sea creatures. The children learned about how the animals had adapted to their habitats.
See the lovely pictures below.
A bit of bunting!
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Thank you to Mrs Vertigans and Mrs Jones who have been helping the children sew and create their own bunting this half term.
See the lovely pictures below, the children have loved this D.T topic.
Celebration of the life of Jo Cox
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This week we have been celebrating the life of Jo Cox and the fantastic work she did in our local community. Jo's aims were to have a harmonious multicultural society where everyone is treated equally and that is what we continue to do as a school.
We talked to the children about what makes us all different and how that makes us special. They then wrote these messages on hand prints which when put together made a large tree. We displayed this in the KS1 ICT suite, please feel free to come and see it on evidence of learning day.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Sowden.
Chinese food tasting
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Ni hao! Today in year 2 we tasted some Chinese food as a celebration of completing our SATs and our 'Let's Visit China' Geography topic. The children loved trying sweet and sour chicken with rice and prawn crackers. Thank you so much everyone for all your hard work during SATs week!
Have a safe half term everyone.
Mrs Sowden
Good luck!
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Good luck everyone in Poland for our SATs next week. You will be amazing!!
A Chinese visit!
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Today we were so lucky because Mrs Stirk who was born in China came to visit Year 2. The children had prepared lots of questions to interview her and we found out lots of facts for our reports about China. One of the questions was whether the dragon was real and Mrs Stirk could neither confirm or deny!
Lots of amazing facts gathered which will come in very useful next week when we begin to write our non chronological reports.
Mrs Sowden
China!
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This half term our main focus for writing is China. We will write non chronological reports about the country and over the next few weeks we will gather lots of facts about China to include in our reports. We will research using books and ipads in class but we have also set the children a challenge to research facts at home and bring them in. We can then add these facts to our working wall for use later.
If you know any interesting facts about China that might help us then please comment on our blog.
Many thanks
Mrs Sowden
Easter week poetry
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Hi everyone,
this week we are becoming poets! We are reading, reciting and writing poetry. We will be looking at the Oscar Wilde poem - Easter Day
THE silver trumpets rang across the Dome:
The people knelt upon the ground with awe:
And borne upon the necks of men I saw,
Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome.
Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam,
And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red,
Three crowns of gold rose high upon his head:
In splendour and in light the Pope passed home.
My heart stole back across wide wastes of years
To One who wandered by a lonely sea,
And sought in vain for any place of rest:
'Foxes have holes, and every bird its nest,
I, only I, must wander wearily,
And bruise my feet, and drink wine salt with tears.'
Through the year we will expose children to classic poetry and look at the symbolism. Have a go at working out what the poem might mean with your child.
Comic Relief
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Hi everyone,
we have had a fantastic day today raising money for Comic Relief. The children have enjoyed telling jokes in class and seeing who can get the biggest laugh!
Here are all our comedians!
A massive thank you for all your generous donations and baking. We hope to raise a record breaking total this year!
Assessment week
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Hi everyone,
this week is assessment week here in year 2. We will be doing lots of practice tests all week but it is nothing to worry about. Some of the questions will be tricky and some a bit easier. when I have marked your tests it will give me a really good idea of what I need to teach you next.
Try your best everyone and don't give up!
Mrs Sowden
Homework club and parents evenings
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Thank you everyone who came to see me at parents evenings. It was so lovely to share lots of exciting learning with you all.
Some parents raised concerns about children struggling to find the time to do homework. In response I am starting a homework club on Monday lunchtimes in my classroom so children can complete their homework if they wish.
This is an optional club and doesn't have to be attended weekly but it may be helpful for the busy weeks at home when homework can't be completed.
The club will start this Monday (13th March). I hope it helps.
Many thanks
Mrs Sowden
World Book Day!
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Wow! I am amazed by the effort and creativity you have all put into your outfits today. We are so excited to explore the books the children have brought in. It is great to see children so excited about reading.
Many thanks
Mrs Sowden
Welcome back
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Welcome back everyone!
We are excited to start our Spring 2 half term which involves lots of new topics.
Here is a brief overview of what your children will be learning:
English - character descriptions and story writing based on The Twits and Horrid Henry
Maths - solving number problems
Geography - magic mapping
Science - living things and their habitats
RE - how and why do people pray?
Art and Design - sewing fabric bunting
Any questions please feel free to ask me.
Many thanks for your continued support
Mrs Sowden
Dips and Dippers!
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Hi everyone,
We are nearly at the end of another half term which believe it or not brings us to half way through the school year!
The children have been channeling their inner chefs these last few weeks in D&T by designing and making their own dips. The children could make either a sweet or savoury dip using either mayonnaise or yoghurt as a base. They had to use their cutting and combining skills. The children have also learnt which combinations of ingredients work well together....or not as the case may be.
There were some very interesting concoctions!
Here are some pictures of the class enjoying the process - A special thank you to to Mrs Vertigans and Mrs Jones for all their help with our D&T this half term.
times tables and number facts
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Hi everyone,
In class this week we have reminded children how important it is to know their quick recall of times tables facts. In Year 2 we learn the 2, 5, 10 and 3 times tables. Keep asking your children random facts. for example - What is 7 x 2? We also need children to learn number bonds to all numbers up to 10. For example - 7 is made of 5+2, 3+4, 6+1, 7+0 etc.
These number facts underpin all the maths work we do in class so are really very important.
Please continue to use the Rockstar Times tables website for a great chance to practice times tables.Please follow the link below.
Many thanks
Mrs Sowden
Statistics and recounts
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Hello everyone,
This week we have started 2 new units in English and Maths.
In English we are learning to write recounts based on historical events. We have chosen to write about the life of Mary Seacole.
In maths we are looking at statistics including making tally charts, block graphs, pictograms and tables.
Our maths homework this week is to log onto the Rockstar Times Tables website - please see maths homework books for your login details.
Please continue to read every night with your child at home.
Many thanks
Mrs Sowden
Learning about inequality
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This week the children are learning lots about how people in history have tackled inequality. We have taught the children about the life of Mary Seacole and how she battled inequality all her life including when she was helping British soldiers in the Crimean War.
Our Care, think and learn statement this week has been to respect all religions in Britain and the world. In assembly children were asked to think about the lives of refugees fleeing from Syria. This helped children realise how lucky we are.
We will continue to teach the history of inequality this half term. We will learn about the lives of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Sowden
Happy New Year!
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Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and Santa brought you everything you wanted.
This half term we are going to be learning lots of new things. They will include:
Maths - fractions and statistics.
English - Non-chronological reports about animals.
History - How people have changed inequality.
R.E - Rites of passage.
P.E - Athletics.
D,T - Dips and dippers.
Science - Animals
Many thanks for your continued support.
Mrs Sowden
A very merry Christmas!
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Wow, what a day we have had in Poland class today! The party was a great success with lots of fun and games including a dance competition! I told the children today how proud I was of everything they have achieved this term and to spend the holidays thinking of their next steps in learning (and eating lots of chocolate of course!)
The Christmas concert was a great success last night and we were all left with that lovely Christmassy feeling afterwards!
I can't thank you all enough for all the amazing and generous gifts I received today.
A very merry Christmas to all and a happy new year !
Mrs Sowden
Our Temple Newsham portrait adventure
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Hello everyone,
what a wonderful week we have had in Poland. The highlight of our week was the school trip to Temple Newsham. The trip had an art focus and we were bringing the portraits in the gallery 'to life.'
The children were so well behaved and were a credit to our school. Please see below for the much anticipated pictures from the day.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
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Hello everyone!
We have already started to get festive in Poland this week. We had a visit from an elf and Rudolph who gave out advent calendars to all the children. Today we are going to decorate our classroom with handmade decorations.We also have a class advent calendar. One child is chosen each day to open it based on effort in lessons.
We have been practicing our Christmas tableau and songs so we can impress you at Morley Town Hall on the 15th December. It would be lovely to see you all there. A reminder that our class non-uniform day is also on Thursday 15th December.
In maths this week we have been learning how to halve, double and quarter whole numbers. We did this by using arrays (groups of objects or images).
Next week in English we are starting a new topic of formal letter writing which will lead to us writing our letters to Father Christmas in The North Pole. We are also very excited for our trip to Temple Newsham on Wednesday 7th December. (Pictures to follow)
Thank you so much to everyone who brought in chocolate for our tombola at the Christmas Fair which is this Saturday. The children enjoyed wearing their own clothes for the day.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Mrs Sowden
Diary of a villain!
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Thank you for visiting the Poland blog.
This week we are really getting into role and imagining we live in 1605 when The Gunpowder Plot took place. We will be writing diaries from thew point of view of Guy Fawkes and King James I. These diaries will include use of personal pronouns, descriptive sentences and writing in the past tense. Next week we move on to letter writing and persuading Father Christmas to bring us what we wish for this Christmas.
We have started learning our Christmas show songs and we are all so excited to perform them to you at Morley Town Hall on the 15th December.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Mrs Sowden
Remembrance Day
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Hi everyone,
this week we have been learning about Remembrance Day and why we have a Cenotaph in Drighlington. We made a poppy wreath with messages to the fallen soldiers on the poppies. Today we visited the Cenotaph at Drighlington to lay our wreaths and pay our respects to the soldiers.
We were joined by lots of parents and a special visitor who played us the last post on his brass instrument. Many thanks for all the people who helped us on our walk today.
Kind regards
Mrs Sowden
Christmas half term
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Hi everyone,
welcome to the second half term of Year 2. We have hit the ground running and have already started all our new topics. This half term they will include:
English - Firework poetry and diary writing based on Guy Fawkes
Maths - 2D and 3D shape, measures, time and number facts.
Science - Use of Everyday Materials
History - A local villain - Guy Fawkes and The Gunpowder Plot
RE - Celebrating new life
PSHE - Relationships
PE - Under the sea dance
Art - Portraits (this will include a visit to a portrait workshop, details to follow)
Please feel free to comment and ask any questions.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Sowden
Superhero Day
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We have had such a fun day as superheros in Poland. The children have been talking about what special power their superheros have and what they can't do.....yet!
We have finished our instructions writing unit by creating instructions for carving a pumpkin, we then carved the pumpkin together using the instructions.
Learning Log family challenge is going home today so please complete it together with your child.
Have a fantastic half term!
Mrs Sowden
Last week, nearly there!
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Hi everyone and welcome to the last blog of the current half term, we are nearly there and the children have worked so hard!
Thank you so much for all the parents who visited me for parent's evening, I apologise again for my croaky voice! It was so great to chat to you all about your child's achievements and efforts.
This week will give children a chance to show off what they have learnt as I do some classroom assessments for writing and maths, these will be very informal and will let children see how far they have come in just a short time. These will then inform my future planning and teaching in order to bridge any gaps in learning.
As discussed at parents evening,please continue to read at home with your child and ask lots of questions about what they have just read. This week's maths homework will be column addition, please support your child in learning this method. Learning logs will be sent home for the first time this school year, children will have the half term to complete a family challenge.
Have a fantastic half term!
Many thanks for your support, please feel free to comment!
Mrs Sowden
Very proud teacher!
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The children have settled so well into Year 2 and you should all be really proud of them for their hard work and resilience. Year 2 can be a big change for some children but rest assured, all work is set according to the child's ability and we do encourage challenge and having a go. The children are really getting in to the idea of growth mindset and are now using the language of 'being in the dip' and trying to get themselves out of it by using the classroom environment including our working walls to help them.
Parents evenings are this week and I really look forward to meeting you all properly and sharing some of the amazing learning your children have been taking part in.
Just a reminder - homework should be a family experience, please don't resist sitting with your child and talking through the activity, encouraging answers and having a go even if they find it tricky. I have also just heard we are the winners of the dojo school competition this week so smiles all round!
Click here to sing the Growth Mindset song
Once again thank you all for your continued support and kindness.
Mrs Sowden
Is there a crack in the egg???
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Another busy week in Year 2, thank you to everyone who visited the Poland blog last week. It is a great place for us to communicate what your children are learning and enjoying within the classroom!
This week we did a trial run of our sponge monsters (see pictures below)...we are teaching the children not to be afraid to make mistakes and review outcomes to improve them. The children decided that gluing the monsters' head's on was too tricky (as you might have found out at home) so this week they will try again and adapt their designs appropriately.
We are still on egg watch and we have become mother hen as the eggs need turning and checking 3 times a day. Some children are convinced they have seen cracks but I have assured them we still have 10 days to go!
In maths this week we are adding to 10, 20 and 100 in as many different ways we can think of - encouraging children to add 2 numbers that are more difficult - e.g 36+64=100 rather than 40+60=100.
In English it is our week to shine and invent out own stories set at the seaside - we are busy researching character ideas and mind-mapping seaside settings.
Please remember that children's reading books and reading records must be in school everyday and please encourage your child to read at home with you, reading breeds creativity.
Many thanks for your continued support
Mrs Sowden
Welcome back!
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Welcome to a new school year! I hope you enjoyed your summer break. Just some reminders, PE is on a Monday and Friday, please see the parents page on the website for uniform policies. For homework, see the policy section of the website for the homework policy. We have already started our topics which include; Story writing in English based on The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch, Our Wonderful World in geography, and pattern sniffing in Maths. Ask your children about what they have learnt. Please feel free to see me with any problems or queries.
Mrs Sowden and the Poland team!
A busy 2 weeks in Poland
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Hi everyone and thank you for visiting the Poland blog.
We have had a busy first 2 weeks. The children have settled in amazingly well and have now become familiar with our Year 2 routines and timetable. Thank you for your contributions of boxes and sponges, we look forward to making trash monsters with them in our Art topic.
We have an exciting week ahead of us in science. As part of our health and growth unit we will be incubating chicken eggs in the classroom and waiting patiently (fingers crossed) for the chicks to hatch. We will observe the eggs everyday for the 21 day incubation period to look for changes or cracks! We have 7 eggs so we are hoping for at least 3 healthy chicks.The chicks will be free to a good home once they are hatched (we will provide a warm light for you to use for the first 8 weeks) so please let us know if you would like them.
In our Geography unit - Our Wonderful World, we have been locating the 7 continents and 5 oceans on a map - test your child to see if they can name any of them!
In English we have been focusing on the features of a story including; setting, characters, structure, and character stereotypes.
Maths has taken us on a journey through the number system where we are looking at number order, value, place value and numbers as words. We will continue practising the 2, 5 and 10 times tables so please help your child with these at home when you can.
In PE we are becoming superhero gymnasts and putting together a gymnastic routine with superhero moves. We are instilling resilience into the children and reminding them that mistakes are just first attempts in learning - we can do it, don't give up!
Many thanks for your continued support
Mrs Sowden
