Stanningley Primary School

We had a fantastic day at the farm in Esholt. We all had the opportunity to pet the animals. Farmer James told us all about them. We played in the Play Barn, The Hay Barn, The Activity Park and we even had a walk around the farm. It was great fun!

Ten children from Year2 were invited to partake in the Rainbow Club at LWA. Lots of children from other schools attended this event. We were so lucky to have the opportunity to go along and show of our amazing skills. We took part in lots of different activities such as; balancing, catching, throwing, ball control and we even used hockey sticks. We all showed our best behaviour using our brilliant manors. A great time was had by all.

Class 2 enjoyed sharing their assembly on Mini Gray. We all acted out and performed a scene from Traction Man for all out adult and school friends. We shared at a variety book the Mini Gray has written and gave character description .

On 23rd March, class two dressed up for Sport Relief, alongside the whole school. Year two were very lucky to have an opportunity to undertake some cricket. Although the weather was a little cold, the children had a fantastic time learning a new sport.

The whole school took part in Healthy Week, however year 2 have been looking at keeping healthy throughout this half term with all the different topics we have been completing. During healthy week we looked at how to clean our teeth correctly and wash our hands. We made posters and sets of instructions to reinforce our learning. The children also had an opportunity to slice, chop and cut fruit to make a fruit salad. We used our knowledge from our science lessons to revisit healthy food and used this to play a game - using a very large plate - and food!

The whole school contributes each year to a non uniform day. An Easter egg is brought in from each child and these are collected together and sent to St. James' Hospital where they shared amongst the children who are under the care of Candle lighters.

Year Two had a parent/carers maths workshop and information session about year 2 maths. Along with Mrs Whiteley, Miss Soanes the schools maths lead, shared the year 2 maths strategies used and shared ideas about how to help their child.

During PE the children came inside due to the very cold weather. Year 2 have been working with a partner and leaning how to control a ball. They looking at different ways of moving the ball around their bodies, standing back to back and passing it over their heads and moving the ball through their legs.

During science we have been investigating how different foods help keep our body healthy. We have researched and classifying the different utensils and materials needed for cooking and which are the best materials and the reasons why.

On Friday 2nd March, class two had a fantastic morning with Colin, Julie and Adam. We were thrilled to share with them all the knowledge we had about the book Traction Man. Colin had written us a brilliant poem to go alongside the story and Julie had put some actions together. We had a lovely time learning the poem. To finish our time with them Colin, Julie and Adam used some very famous music to learning some movement to music, by the end of the session we all felt like Traction Man.

On 27th February, all class Two had a fantastic time learning how to hoola hoop. The children used a larger hoop which was slighted weighted. Listening carefully to our instructor, all the children successfully hooped.

In Science the children have been using hand lens and microscopes to observe and look closely at the world around them. They have carefully described what they have observed using different senses. To complete the end of the project the children enjoyed making a mini garden.

The whole school celebrated Computing Safety Day. Year 2 watched a video - Buddy and his Dog - about a small boy who had to make choices about keeping safe whilst using an i. pad and a smart phone. At specific parts in the story, year 2 children then had to discuss what would be the right decission for the child - Buddy to make. At the end of the day the children understood the importance of keeping safe, learnt why age restrictions are important and know what to do if they come across something inappropriate when on the internet.

In You , Me and PSE the children have been looking at medicines. They have been learning about why medicines are taken, know that medicines come in different forms and that each medicine has a specific use. The children have discussed where medicines come from, knowing when to use a medicine and staying safe around medicines.

After learning the different static positions of gymnastics. Mr Anderson then taught the children different movements to move across the gym mats. Using the caterpillar, the bear, the crocodile and other movements the children finished their gymnastics by moving across a mat and completing a static position at the end.

IN art Year 2 children took their view finders outside to see if they could use them in the wider world. All the children had to remember to draw / sketch what they saw within the view finder. Everyone was very focused.

In PE sessions this half term year 2 children have had the opportunity to work with Mr Anderson from Leeds West Academy on gymnastics. He has taught the children 10 gymnastic moves such as the pike, tuck, straddle and dish. All the children focused and concentrated to improve their movements over each lesson.

In art we have been looking at working close up and detail. Using view finders helped the children to focus on a specific part of their work. The children realised that they only needed to draw what they could see and came up with some fantastic pieces of art work.

At the start of the Spring Term year 2 looked at where food came from. We visited our local Tesco and looked at the labels on their fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. We were even lucky enough to recieve some fruit from them which we brought back to school. Afterwards we returned to school and used the atlases so that we could see how far our food had travelled to get to the shop. We talked about the distance and time it would have taken as well as if we could have grown some of the food on our own farms around Britain.

To celebrate the end of half term, year 2 enjoyed designing and decorating the Christmas table cloth and plates before enjoying the Christmas Party. We played lots of party games and sang Christmas songs. Then our special guest arrived - Father Christmas he gave every child a gift to take home to put under their Christams tree.

In DT the children have been investigating wheels and axles. They began by discussing which vehicles used wheels to move around from one point to another. They came up with a fantastic list from skateboards to dustbin lorries. They then watched a programme about wheels and axles and later discussed how we could make a vehicle as a Christmas gift. All the children worked hard connecting the axles and wheels together, with the hardest challenge of keeping the wheel attached but still spinning around. With alot of help from each other around the room eventuallky all the children had made a moving trolley. Carefully decorated every child had a trolley to take home.

In computing this half term the children have been re - investigating the word algorthums which they learnt about whilst in year one. They have used this term in the first instance to help a friend move around a specific part of the playground. The children then began to program the beebots to move around different types of maps and send them to a specific point. Finally the children had opportunity to explore a programme called Scratch. With the knowledge they had learnt they then transfered this to the program enabling them to move a character around.

In science year 2 have been investigating different materials. The children have carried out simple comparative tests to classify a materials, described the properties of the materials, and learnt that some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.

Year 2 children had a fantastic time performing Whoops A Daisy Angel to all the children at Stanningley Primary. Later in the week they repeated the performance to their families. Every child was fantastic with their acting and singing.

Year 2 had a fantastic time at the Leeds Art Gallery. Our focus was DT structures and investigating the word flight. We all explored the Art Gallery with the word flight in mind. We found some wonderful things from angles wings, umbrellas and birds. Then we discuss our findings and what we could make using limited resources of corrugated card, string and masking tape. Do you like our models.

All the school have been celebrating Black History Month. Year 2 have looked at the live of Mary Seacole and each child has compiled a fact booklet about her life. During the week Colin, Julie and Adam came in to school to learn us a poem and a dance to help us celebrate this true inspiration. After our lesson with them we were able to perform it in front of all keystage one and year 3 parents and children.

The whole school enjoyed the Macmillan Coffee Morning. All the children took their morning drink into our cafe in the hall and enjoyed purchasing a bun. In total the school raised over £262.00

In music we have been expoloring pitch.

During PE we have been learning about balance. We ba egan our first few weeks holding a balance using both feet either firmly on the ground and through tip toe. Over the last two weeks we have held a static balance using one leg. We know that we have to hold our arms in a particular way and for some of us we need to work in pairs to hold a balance.

We used our Geography lessons on weather and seasons to inspire our art work and paintings. We focused on the difeerent colours and how we mix colours to make an array of the same colour from a light shade to a dark shade. Over the following few weeks we looked at the art work by the artist Howard Hodgkins and the children began to give titles to their pictures such as , Seven Seas, A Little Bump and Rain with Thunder.

In science we have been learning about keeping healthy. We have learnt that you need a healthy and happy mind as well as a well balanced diet and excersice.

During Brain Awareness Week we did lots of exciting things learning all about the brain. We looked at our senses and had a fantastic day moving around areas of keystage one and exploring different sounds, different tastes, different smells, how we feel objects, and using our eyes. Later in the week we learnt how our brain works and that we have three brains in one! We now know that when we learn something new our stars begin to shine and our light bulb goes on.

In maths we have been revisiting and exploring 2 digit numbers.We have been partitioning numbers into tens and ones and recording them as an addition. We have been learning how to use a place value grid and compared numbers, saying who has most and who has fewer.

During Safety Week we had a visit from the road safety team. We discussed how to cross the road correctly and then we went out in small groups to show what we had learnt. We all knew to find a safe place to cross, think, stop, look, listen and then cross - always looking and listening as we go.

This half term the year 2 have been learning all about programming on - screen. We started our lesson by revisiting and understanding the word algorithms. In small groups the children had to carefully think about a set of (instructions) algorithms which would take them around space visiting different planets. Later in the term we will be using the computers to test our programming skills on scratch.