Year 2

Happy Easter! 

Wow! I cannot quite believe we are already on the brink of completing two terms in Year Two! I often look back at pictures and I am quite emotional at how much everyone has grown up. The children have worked super hard this term and are certainly entitled to a full rest with their families. 

Homework

Homework books had fallen into disarray during the last couple of week (in terms of pages completed); therefore, I have now tried to ensure that we are all up to the same pages and that may mean your child has little or more homework. Furthermore, we have sent two reading books home for children to enjoy over the break. 

Below I have attached a link to the Government website and a good website for homework tips. You may wish to use these links to become accustomed to some of the types of questions your children will be accessing after the break, when they sit their SATs. There is no pressure to do this but might be beneficial so you have an awareness of what is expected. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-practice-materials

https://www.theschoolrun.com/

I hope you all have a lovely Easter and look forward to seeing my wonderful class on their return (well rested and ready for another term of hard work!!)

Miss Wood and the Y2 team x 

28.02.22 Update 

Happy Monday to all my lovely Year Two adults! Just thought I would update the class page with a few things that will be going on and changing in the upcoming term. 

PE

PE will now be taking place on Mondays (as is the usual arrangement) and on Fridays. This change has been implemented due to a timetabling issue with the hall and good weather is not always guaranteed for outdoor PE! 

Homework Books

Homework books will be sent out every Friday (both). The due dates are still different, but this will give children the opportunity to complete them at the weekend if desired. Please ensure they are in so they can be marked, and updated with the new due dates at the top of the next two pages. 

Special Item

Could you please ensure that children bring in their own special item from home on Wednesday 2nd March, so children can contribute to their RE lesson. 

Hope you all had a fabulous half-term and my cherubs are well rested for the upcoming term! 

Miss Wood x 

Update 22.01.22

What a fantastic start to the year we have had in Year Two! The children have come back with such determination, maturity and a willingness to be the best learners they can. I can honestly say that our classroom is full of Melling learners, and I am so proud of the progress in my Melling babies. This term is going to be challenging, as we have a vast amount of curriculum to recover. Please continue to support your children with additional learning, positive praise and plenty of family time each weekend! 
 

Updated homework expectation 

CGP books have now been sent home and this will be our mode of homework until further notice. 
 

English (SPAG) 

These books will be sent out every Friday and need to be returned the following Tuesday. This is very important as we will mark the work together, addressing any misconceptions. 
 

Maths (Arithmetic) 

These books will be sent out every Tuesday and need to be returned the following Friday. As we mark, the children will put a star on the following pages that need to be completed. 
 

Spellings

Spellings are going to be sent every Monday and must be returned the following Monday. Please encourage children to use the words in context (making sentences) to ensure these words becoming embedded vocabulary, rather than learnt words that may only be acquired short-term.

I do understand that this seems a lot, but your children thrive when they are given high expectations; furthermore, this will support me in ensuring they are confident and happy when they enter the juniors as they have recovered more curriculum than possible if just left to the classroom.

Secret Student 

Last weeks secret student is …………

Annabelle! Annabelle is a beautiful, kind and diligent learner. There isn’t a time during her secret student week that she wasn’t totally focused and setting high expectation to other children on how to behave! Well done Annabelle! 

Finally, I am excited about the upcoming term and look forward to our future adventures yet to be had in Year Two.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Miss Wood and the Year Two team x 

Final update of 2021! 
 

Wow! I cannot quite believe it’s been a whole term in Year 2! The autumn term is often quite challenging for children as they have to adjust to a totally different routine and working atmosphere. I can happily say that the children have made tremendous progress in becoming independent learners and are starting to become quite reliant on their routine, which is an incredible bonus! There were actually a few sad faces today because we focused on some Christmas crafts instead of work! 
 

School performance

Wow! The children made me incredibly proud on Wednesday with their phenomenal performance. The play was very ambitious but they blew me away! I am sure you were all as proud of your children as I was. I have promised them all a class coupon each as a special reward. 
 

The upcoming week 

It is own clothes Monday. Additionally, children are asked to bring in their own toy to play with during the Christmas party day. I have said that I will provide some party food but please send your child in worth a plate of special food if you wish. Please be kind, as they will stay in my care for a few hours after the party starts!

 Secret student

This week it was………. Jack! This wonderful helper appeared at Miss Wood’s side the other day as she was eating her dinner with a fork, just as Miss Wood was about to get up and get one herself! Jack is a lovely, considerate and well- mannered boy ,who spends most of his time trying to support the adults in the Year Two classroom. We are so lucky to have him! 
 

I would like to take this time to thank you all for the support you have given me this term, as your children’s teacher. We do not acknowledge this enough, but having your support and understanding means a lot and I wish you and your children the happiest of christmases. I imagine this Christmas may continue to be slightly different to those we have celebrated before, but please have fun, be safe and enjoy it with those precious to you! 
 

Miss Wood x 

Costumes 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend (hopefully not spent trying to resource costumes). Our dress rehearsal is Tuesday, so could I please ask that costumes are in on this day. Please let me know if there are any issues and I will try my best to resolve this for you. I will not be setting work this weekend as I know the children will be practicing songs and lines. 
 

I know our little stars will make us all proud on Wednesday and we can’t wait to show you all the hard work and effort we have put into making all our year two adults proud!

Miss Wood and the Year Two team x 

Update 09.12.21

Sorry for the delay and lack of posts recently, I have been rushed off my feet making sure your adorable children have plenty of practice for our school play! We have been extremely busy in Year Two and are very excited to show off all our hard work on the 15th December. I am very sorry that a letter has not gone out earlier regrading costumes. For clarification, I have not been able to resource costumes for the school play. The existing costumes in school are too little or are part of other school plays. I have sent a letter home today and will also attach this below. I know how rushed and panicked this time of the year can be, so please do not go to any great expanse and if you cannot find a costume, please let me know and I will see what I can do. 

Secret Students (backdated with apologies!!)

Olivia !! Olivia is the sweetest, kindness young teaching assistant a teacher could ask for! She is a friend to all those that need her and is consistently showing other children how to behave on the carpet.  

Zoe!! The greatest midwife from Nazareth to Bethlehem! Zoe is everybody's biggest cheerleader and coach in Year 2. Her beautiful manners, vivacious charm and positive attitude shine through  our classroom and show everyone what they should be doing during that time. 

Both girls are a credit to their parents and is is my pleasure and honour to be their teacher. 

School Parties

I do know that letters have gone out regarding parties and suggested children bring in food; however, I have found that during these occasions, quite a lot of food is generally wasted. Therefore, I will provide enough food and suggest that children only bring in their own little preferred sweets or snacks (please be kind!).

22.11.21 Update 

Firstly, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. It has been lovely to be back with my hardworking, adorable year twos and I really missed them during my

absence. I would like to say thank you for all your well- wishes during my isolation (that were passed on to fellow staff members) and I am hopeful that I will be safe from Covid for a while now! However, your children made me proud in my absence, by showing Ms Ainsworth- Brown how much they have matured since the start of the school year.
 

It’s Ccchhhhrrrriiiisssstttmmmassss!!!
 

We will soon be able to dazzle our adults with our school play on the 15th December. I will be sending out scripts with lines and songs (lines will depend on child). Please try and practice these as much as possible. I will let you know as soon as possible what part your child has been given so you can get a head start on costume- buying! Please do not go to any great expense and if there are any issues- please let me know and I will see what I can resource myself.  

Reading records and homework

I am returning to sending homework books out with children’s weekly spellings. Additionally, I will be sending a weekly sheet of phonics screening practice as we are due to assess all children this coming half term. This is double sided and will allow your children to become familiar with the screening process and give them an opportunity to impress their adults with their phonics knowledge (no need to return this)! Maths homework will also be set weekly and will be available via education city. I know this does seem a lot of homework but realistically the homework books are literacy based and education city is numeracy. We appreciate your support with homework as this helps your child continue their learning beyond the classroom. Reading records should be brought in daily with reading books. These are checked daily and although we are encouraging children to give these in with reminders, some children are still forgetting so please remind your children to hand these in to Mrs Freeman each morning.  
 

We will soon be decorating our classroom so please check back soon for some pictures….. 

Miss Wood and the Year Two team x 

Happy Halloween! 
I hope the children have enjoyed a fun and relaxing week off. I am sure you will be currently getting ready for a night of trick or treat with their spooky costumes, or alternatively opting for a more relaxed evening (like me), with catching up on work and answering the door to our fellow witches and ghouls! I look forward to seeing them return tomorrow. 
 

**Important Update**
 

As Covid counties to circulate in our community, I am sure that our class will be impacted by children isolating or being unwell. I completely understand the pressure and toll this can take on families and I want to make this period of time as stress-free as possible, whilst also ensuring your cherubs are busy, content and do not fall behind with their lessons. 
 

In the instance that children are isolating due to COVID-19, please log on to Google classrooms so your child can access the work they have been set for that day. I will try and ensure lessons are as interactive and fun as possible. A lot of lesson are resourced from Oak academy as they offer live teaching and are more suitable and engaging for younger learners. They will only need a pencil, paper and some other tools and work can be uploaded via Google classroom for me to mark. Please note that if your child is off due to other illnesses, Google classroom work will not be set as your child is unwell so will not need to complete work.

Suggested Routine 

1. Practice the weekly spellings ( I am waiting clarification if I can utilise an alternative platform for children to practice spellings). 
2. Handwriting- practice writing some of your spellings on paper (no need to upload) 
3. Sign on to Google Classrooms- look over feedback from previous day. 
4. English/Literacy- set task to be completed and submitted 
5. Maths- Times table practice/ 4 a day. This will be set on alternate days as it would be in school. Tuesdays and Fridays are dedicated to Times Tables (Times Table Rockstars) and all other days you will be set 4 a day. If possible, I would recommend using TTRstars on all days for general practice.
6. Maths- Set piece of work to be completed and submitted online. 
7. Topic/Science- These will be set at various points throughout the week for each afternoon. 
8. Additional work (if needed) will be accessible via Purple mash. 

Although I will always make myself available to reply to any contact, it must be out of school hours as I am still teaching full time during each school day to children who are still attending school. I would also sincerely appreciate your patience with the marking and feedback as this may be late in the evening after I have finished teaching during the day. I will always aim to have this done the same evening to ensure your children can progress in their learning with feedback from their teacher. Your children are our priority here at Melling and we are 'being the best we can be' so that we can transition your families through this stay at home as easily as possible. 

I know children can sometimes start to feel unsure, fed up or isolated. Please contact me as soon as possible and I will try and make sure I contact them at the earliest opportunity. 
 

Thank you again for you anticipated support. We will get though this together! 
Miss Wood x 

Reading Books 

This school year,  we are attempting to find a way that encourages a love for reading and teaches children the core skills of reading. 
However, I am concerned that I am not hearing the children read their current band of home reading book and it is causing issues as children are not handing in their book or taking it home. Furthermore, we are fortunate to welcome new student teaching assistants (Mrs Pickavant and Mrs Parker) during Wednesdays and Fridays; therefore, I am returning to the previous system of children brining in their home reading book every day. We will not be writing in their home reading book but that does not mean that your child has not read with an adult that day. We will change the books when necessary. I would still encourage children to read fewer pages but with a better fluency but understand that some children may have a thorough understanding and not need to keep certain books for as long as others. I appreciate your continued support and if you could remind children to give in their reading books- this will help! This arrangement will stay until further notice .

Thankyou,

Miss Wood x 

Week ending 08/09/21 

As we say in Year Two- happy Friday! This week we have been very busy celebrating the harvest festival and moving on to our new topic of addition and subtraction in maths! We are still continuing our literacy focus of “the way home for wolf”, alongside our daily phonics lesson. I am impressed at how the class are adjusting to a more structured routine. They are certainly a lively bunch; yet, they make me smile and laugh all the time with their vivacious characteristics and are so caring and loving! I know Year Two is a massive adjustment every year for a child; even more so for your children as they have had unfortunately and uncontrollably had their learning disrupted. We are continuing to try out best to become independent learners and are looking forward to discovering all the wonderful topic we have in Year Two. We have already made so much progress so I’m excited to see where we will be by the end of this term…
 

Homework Books

Just a reminder that I have updated the return date for homework books to a Monday. This gives me the entire evenings to mark their work during the evenings an set further homework. Times table rock stars is now available as a further option- let’s make Year Two the kings of Melling for times table rock stars! I have noticed how excellent this class are for returning homework and the children are greatly benefiting from extending their learning beyond the classroom. 
 

Reading Books

As we read differently in school now, your children’s books are returned in their tray throughout the day. Mrs Freeman and I are on a mission each day to make sure childrne empty their trays and take all their homework home; however, there are times when children are still forgetting to take their things home. If this happens, could you please remind children that evening to empty their trays the following day as they may have ignored our pleas the previous afternoon! 

Secret student  

Our previous secret student was ……… Sam!

Sam is a beautiful child with both sensitivity and a smile that melts his teacher’s hearts! He is consistently found getting on with his work and being the best student he can be! 
 

This week it was ………. Indie! Indie is a Melling princess! Calm, poised and always found being kind and considerate to all this around her. She is a superb role model to all other children and makes Miss Wood so happy each morning when she sees her lovely beaming smile.  
 

I hope all my wonderful year two cherubs and their adults have a lovely weekend! 
 

Miss Wood x 

Science Week 2021

We had an amazing time with Professor Chaz...

We explored lots of scientific concepts and had fun with plenty of mucky experiments!

We love being hands on in Year 2...what an exciting time Miss Wood planned for us!

Meet the Teacher 

It was lovely to meet all my lovely children's adults this evening! Please don't be too alarmed if you were not able to attend, as I have uploaded the slides to the class page. 

I will send further details regarding the CGP books for SATS revision in due course. 

Thank you, 

Miss Wood x 

Homework Books 

Just an update to say that unfortunately homework books have not been handed out today. Apologies! I was out of class this afternoon and it seems that they were not given out. They will be given out Monday and I will extend the spellings until the following Monday and also the give in date for the homework. Friday does seem a busy day with assemblies and other activities, so I have decided to change the homework date to Monday. They will then be sent out on Tuesdays with the new homework and spellings and due by the following Monday. This will also give me more time than one lunch to mark all their hard work! 

Friday 17.06.21 

Happy Friday! In Year Two, we have been very busy looking at place value and discovering the cute, fluffy wolf Wilf. Our main literacy focus is about a wolf finding its way home; so please don’t be alarmed if your child has developed a sudden interest in these fierce, intelligent (your children’s adjectives) animals! All the children have such vivid imaginations and I was very impressed with their writing- I can’t wait to see their final piece! As each day goes by, I am excited to see their independence grow and they are trying their best to be a superb role models to the rest of the infants.
 

Homework reminder 

A gentle reminder that homework is set on a Friday and needs to be returned the following Friday. Spellings are a key focus in Year Two, so please practice these daily and try to encourage children to apply these spellings in any pieces of writing practice at home. 
 

SECRET STUDENT

The not so secret student this week goes to……. Neveah! This polite, kind and sensible little lady figured out it was her by Tuesday! However, it was formally revealed today! Neveah has incredible manners and can always be found working diligently in whatever tasks she may have been set. Well done Neveah! 
 

That is all from me.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend! 
 

Miss Wood x 

Reading update

We have reimagined our reading system to ensure that children are given the highest quality reading intervention during the day. Consequently, children will be taught the skills of reading using alternative resources within school. Therefore, home reading books are only going to be read at home and to avoid any missed opportunities for teaching time, children will only bring in their book, once each week, on a set day. The timetable is underneath but I will also leave a note in your children's book. I know how busy us adults can be! Please remember to read little and often with deeper questioning, as this is more beneficial than reading numerous texts with little understanding. 

Thank you, 

Miss Wood x 

Hello year two adults!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish a warm welcome to all my lovely children in Year Two and their adults. My name is Miss Wood and I am your children's new teacher. We are also very fortunate to have Mrs Freeman, Mrs Taylor, Mrs Ashton and Mrs Cernat as part of the Year Two Melling family.
We are looking forward to the journey ahead with your precious cherubs. I know that this class has had a difficult beginning in Primary school and have had multiple disruptions due to school closures; therefore, I really hope that this will be the year that we are able to give them a full, happy and structured year. Year Two is often quite challenging for children, as the amount and standard of work jumps up quite significantly; however, I am confident that the children will settle into their new routine and take pride in being the top of the infants! My door is always open and please contact me if there are any issues. Please be mindful that I am taking care of your  precious cargo during the day and cannot access emails during the day. I do often find that sometimes a phone call is best and will call you back as soon as is possible. My role is to make sure your child is happy, safe, loved and receives an enriched and wonderful education. Their happiness comes before anything, so please do not hesitate to contact me. 

PE

PE will be be on Mondays and Thursdays. Please send your child to school in their PE kits on those days. It saves a lot of time and gives us more time for fun lessons!

Homework

I will be sending out homework books on Monday. These will have your child's spellings and one piece of written work (Maths or English). The spellings should be completed once per day and then finished and handed in on a Friday. They will usually be given out on a Friday so please accept my apologies for the loss of two days this week- it has been a very busy week! I know how precious family time is at weekends; however, homework is vital for our children at the moment to offer more opportunities to extend their learning and really solidify their knowledge gained throughout the school day. Additionally, children should read a minimum of three times per week. At Melling primary school, we encourage you to read a few pages with your child read each night and read these pages three times.

Once for simple decoding - sounding the words out and word recognition.

Second time is for revision of words that were tricky within the first decoding session and exploring the meaning of some unfamiliar words.

Third time is for fluency, adding some expression and then asking some simple questions to gain a better understanding eg., why do you think Dad was unhappy?  
 

I look forward to meeting you all in your 'getting to know your teacher' welcome sessions coming up! I hope you and your children have a lovely weekend! 

y2.melling@schools.sefton.gov.uk

Miss Wood and the Year Two team

xx