Warwick Road Primary School

Year Two - Classes Jupiter and Saturn

TEACHER WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Year 2.

In Year 2, we have classes Jupiter and Saturn.

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and the largest planet in the solar system. It is a giant planet with a mass one-thousandth of the sun! Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and the second-largest in the solar system, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius about nine times that of Earth.

In Year 2, we all have a growth mindset and try our very best in all that we do. Our learning is fun and our voices are heard. We take pride in the work we produce, and we regularly use the Secrets of Success to show positive behaviour for learning.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

• The school day will  begin at 8:45 and will finish at 3:15. Entry to school will be through the bottom playground.
• PE for Year 2 is on a Thursday (Saturn) and Friday (Jupiter).  Please ensure your child comes into school in their PE kit on this day.  It is important that your child does not come to school wearing jewellery or earrings on this day as they will not be able to participate.
• Books will be changed on a Wednesday. Please ensure that your child brings their book bag. Please also remember to comment in the reading record to let us know more about your child's reading at home.

HOMEWORK

•  We will continue to assign work via an online maths platform and digital books will continue to be assigned via Bug Club — if your child has misplaced any of their passwords, please contact us on year.two@kirkleeseducation.uk.
• Your child will also receive a log in to access TT Rockstars; a great place to practice times tables!
• Spellings are sent out half-termly. These spellings will be sent to parents prior to the start of half-term.  Spellings will be tested on a Wednesday.
• Fun topic projects linked to upcoming learning will be set half termly.

OUR CLASS RULES AND REWARDS

In Year 2, we have a set of class rules which we expect all children to follow:

• Be ready to learn
• Work hard
• Don't give up
• Look after each other
• Be positive
• Have fun!

UPCOMING AND EXCITING EVENTS

We are very excited about the trips  that we have lined up for this year...some of which we will keep a surprise!

As part of our History topic- 'The Great Fire of London', we are hoping to have a visit with real life superheroes — firefighters! — to discuss the importance of staying safe around fire.

Scarborough: As part of our final topic, we hope to visit the seaside.  Children will have the opportunity to paddle in the sea, have a picnic on the beach, build sandcastles and develop their team building skills by playing a range of fun beach games.  We will also build on our skills as Geographers by conducting some fieldwork research!

HOW PARENTS CAN HELP AT HOME

There are many ways you can support your child at home. Here are some suggestions about how you could help:

• Encourage your child to talk about what they have learnt at school.
• Link learning to real life experiences- encourage them to write shopping lists, read signs around the environment, count out money etc.
• Listen to your child reading– Please try to read on a daily basis with your child and ask them questions about what they have read.
• Encourage your child to practise and learn their spellings– discuss spelling patterns or rules, watch our phonics videos on the Warwick Road Youtube page and please attend the phonics/ early reading workshop if you can (date to follow).
• Talk about your child’s homework– discuss the work, ask your child to explain it to you and encourage them to work with increasing independence.

You may find some of these additional websites useful to support your child:

• www.twinkl.co.uk
• https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/twinkl-go/games-twinkl-go
• www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/phonics/play/
• www.topmarks.co.uk
• www.ictgames.com  

The most important message to give your child is that learning is fun. The most beneficial learning you can do with your child at this stage in their development is through talking and playing games together.

HOW TO HELP WITH HOMEWORK

Although homework can be completed by children independently, we suggest that parents and carers are actively involved in supporting their children’s homework as this will make it most meaningful.

• Spread the homework over several days rather than trying to complete it in one long session
• Make sure your child has a quiet place to work with no distractions
• Talk through the activity with your child before they start
• Encourage and praise them when they have completed the activities
• Listen to them as they read and show you what they have done
• Help test their spellings and check that they remember the meanings of the words
• Help them to learn their times tables and to increase their speed 
• Visit the library and get books out on topics they may be studying in science, history, geography etc