Cormorants are medium sized coastal birds who thrive in their environment by working in teams, just like one of our school values, teamwork. Cormorants can often be found diving in to the water simultaneously. Just like the bird, in Cormorants class we can be found diving into our learning together and using our skills in teamwork to thrive successfully together.
This term we are using our curiosity to investigate what it means to be part of a community. We will also be learning all about space and how to keep ourselves and others healthy. We will look at the News and at the amazing people making a change across the globe. We are also going to be creating fact files for the school and even putting on our own 'cafe' to educate others on the importance of healthy eating. Finally, we will be conducting Science experiments to see if we can send any of our own rockets to the moon!
WELCOME TO CORMORANTS
The class teacher for this year is Miss Daisyann Restorick and the LSAs who work in this class are; Mrs Astin and Mrs Patemen.
P.E. days: Wednesday and Thursday
Our PE days in Cormorants are Monday and Wednesday, please make sure children's PE kit are available at all times. We will ensure they are sent home at the end of every half term.
Home Learning:
Handed out on a Friday and in on a Wednesday. This will give you the opportunity to explore your child's learning if you wish.
Team Leader:
Year 1 and 2 Teaching and Learning Lead: Alison Dowdeswell
Key Stage 1 Lead: Sarah Jarrett.
If there are any issues or concerns, please feel free to come in and see the teacher or contact
drestorick@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk or alternatively a team leader:
sjarrett@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk
adowdeswell@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk
Upcoming Events
6.06.18 - Sports Day
28.06.18 - Whole School Science Celebration
10.07.18 - Parents evening
11.07.18 - Parents evening
25.07.18 - Last day of Term
Academic Year 2017-2018
Today we took our Maths learning outside and meausred how long it would take us to do some activities as a class. We did some starjumps, burpees, running and even got into height order (which took a lot longer than expected!). We then put these measurements in order using the greater than and less than symbols. Have a look at our fun morning below!
Today we spent the day in our new classes for September. We created our own Maths games to play at the end of the day and wrote a letter to the new teachers about what we are looking forward to for next year. Have a look at our exciting day below!
Monday 25th June - Soundscapes
Today Cormorants and Condors teamed up to go outside and create a soundscape. We learnt that this is when you map out sounds using pictures and put them on a graph based on their duration and pitch. We explored the playground and closed our eyes for a minute to listen to all the sounds we could hear. Later on this week we will be trying to recreate the sounds using our bodies and resources inside the classroom.Have a look at what we got up to below!
Thursday 21st June 2018 - Symmetry investigation
Today Cormorants have been looking at the different shapes they can make from a square cut into 4 triangles. We discovered that a square may have 4 lines of symmetry but a rectangle only has 2! We were also able to make a triangle but found out that it only had one line of symmetry. Have a look at our investigation below!
Wednesday 13th June - Will it float or sink?
Today we have been investigating which materials would be good to use to make a space boat to send to the new planet GJ1214b. This planet is made mostly of water in its solid, liquid and gas form so we were looking for materials that would float. Have a look at our careful measuring below.
We were very lucky today to be visisted by a mobile planetarium! We went inside the dome where we explored through space and learned about the first person to go into space! It was amazing to see the stars and learn all about the constellations. Have a look at us going into the dome below!
Wednesday 6th June 2018 - Sports Day
We have had a fantastic days today competing in our house teams! We have been practicing hard with Mr. Leaman and were excited to show off to our what we've been up to! We competed in sprints, javelin, hurdles and long jump as well as cheering our teams on during the Year 6 relay. We would like to say a big Thank You to South Devon College for their help in setting this up and all the parents for coming to watch us. Have a look below at our amazing day!
Thursday 17th May 2017- Outdoor Learning Day
To celebrate Outdoor Learning Day Cormorants spent the afternoon outside designing and creating a habitat for one of our woodland creatures. The class were really creative and chose appropriate materials to protect their wildlife. Have a look at what we got up to below!
Fraction of a number - Thursday 11th May 2018
Today in Cormorants we looked at finding different fractions of a number. We started by discussing how many equal parts we needed and used the language 'denominator' and 'numerator'. We then used cubes to find these fractions. Have a look below at our amazing Maths.
Keeping our bodies healthy - Friday 4th May 2018
In keeping with our theme this term of Be Curious... we have linked this with our science learning. We became NASA recruits for the morning and designed a new exercise program for them to test the effect that exercise has on our bodies. This involved the children leading their own experiment and experiencing trial and error. The whole class worked really well as a team.
Keeping our minds healthy - Thursday 3rd May 2018
This week Cormorants have been learning all about how to keep our minds healthy - we tried yoga and meditation. We even made some glitter jars to help calm us down if we feel like our brains are getting a bit too busy!
Making Healthy Wraps - Tuesday 17th April 2019
This term Cormorants will be learning all about healthy eating and the different food groups. We've got off to a great start! We decided to make healthy wraps based on what we have learnt about the food groups. We knew the wrap would be a great form of carbohydrates to give us lots of energy and the ham would be a great source of protein.
Space research - Thursday 26th April
This week we have been continuing to explore all things space! The children have learnt all about astronauts and how they do everyday things such as brushing their teeth and washing their hair. On Thursday, we used our new topic books to explore further. Have a look below!
Fractions - Friday 16th March
This week Cormorants have started to learn about fractions. We have been looking at half and quarters of shapes, objects and numbers. We have learnt that a half is when the two parts are equal and that a quarter is when there are four equal parts. The children were allowed to eat two quarters of their cake, which they found out was equivalent to one half!
World Book Day (Take 2!) -Thursday 8th March
After the snow last week Cormorants were really excited to take part in World Book Day. We shared books and discussed our favourite authors. We also took part in a book trail all around the school where we had to work as a team to find the answers to the clues. Have a look at what we got up to below!
A visit from The Junkman - Wednesday 21st February 2018
Today we were lucky enough to be visited by a musician with a difference... he played great rhythms on pieces of junk! We took part in a workshop with him and played along with some of his own unique instruments.
Year 2 go to Eden Project- Tuesday 20th February 2018
This week Cormorants went to the Eden Project in Cornwall. We explored the Mediterranean and rainforest biomes looking at the different environments. We spent time with our guide Nick looking at the materials used to build houses in Brazil and also met the rulrul bird! Have a look at what we got up to below.
Sharing stories with Year One - Friday 2nd February
This week Cormorants have been preparing stories for Year One, last week we asked them what they would like to read about and we used our writing sessions this week to make them into books! Have a look at our pictures below of Cormorants sharing their stories with Buntings.
This week we were very lucky to have Riverford Farms visit to teach us all about the benefits of eating healthily. They challenged the class to make a rainbow with different fruits and vegetables using a variety of cutting tools. Have a look at what we got up to below!
Animal visitors! - Friday 12th January 2018
We had a pet tortoise come and visit us today. We were able to look at their movement and feel fur and shell! We had a great time seeing the animal and listing adjectives that we can now use in our writing on Monday.
Waterproof Materials Experiment - Thursday 4th January 2018
Today Cormorants looked at different materials and their properties. We wanted to investigate which of the materials would be waterproof. We used a pipette to drop a small amount of water on each material and recorded our findings. We then explored how to make our paper waterproof. We did this by adding wax crayon onto a piece of water and then adding water. We observed that it stayed dry! Check out our experiment below.
Straw and Order - Y2 Christmas Performance - Tuesday 12th December 2017
Year 2 would like to take this opportunity to thank all the parent and carers for their help and costume designs for our production of 'Straw and Order'. Year 2 were incredible in their singing and acting abilities. Have a look below at our incredible show.
Year 2 Visit Dartmoor - Thursday 30th November 2017
This week Cormorants visited Bonehill Rocks on Dartmoor. We braved the weather and the children had an amazing time ‘weaselling’. We learnt that this is scrambling over, under and through rocks. Have a look at our pictures below.
3D Shape Investigation! - Tuesday 28th November 2017
Today Cormorants have been investigating the properties of 3D shapes, mainly looking at cubes and cuboids. We found these shapes have the same properties, however, they looked different! We discovered that this is due to their different faces. A cube has 6 squares faces whereas a cuboid has 2 square faces and 4 oblong ones. We then made our own 3D shapes below.
Hot Seating People from the Christmas Story! Wednesday 22nd November 2017
Today we have been hot seating the people named in the Bible! The children pretended to be Mary, Joseph, The Wise Men and even the donkey! We discussed how they might have felt during this time and found out loads of new information about each person! Have a look below at our acting in action!
Ice Cube Experiment - Wednesday 15th November 2017
This week Year 2 have been investigating different materials and their properties. We decided to explore which material would keep an ice cube cool. We did this by wrapping an ice cube in different materials and observed to see which ice cube was the largest. We then discussed whether or not this was a fair test. Have a look below at our exciting experiment.
Cormorants' Trip to Primley Woods - Thursday 9th November
Today Cormorants went to Primley woods to explore the woodlands! We identified trees and leaves and discussed why lots of leaves were on the floor. We then got to design our own woodland animals linking our knowledge of natural materials. Have a look below at how we got up to!
Reach Outdoors Goodrington Beach trip - Thursday 2nd November 2017
We had a fantastic morning learning about the different types of animals and plants that live in the rock pools at our local beach. We were amazing creature finders and used our 'key mat' to name the animals we found. We also designed and made our very own animals houses using sand and shells! The children really enjoyed the session and are excited for our next trip!
Evil Pumpkin Making - Wednesday 1st November 2017
To follow on from our Halloween Theme, Cormoratns have been creating their own evil pumpkins! We discussed the story of 'Pumpkin Pete' the pumpkin that likes to snack on children! We created our own evil pumpkin before writing about what he would be like if he were alive!
Wednesday 18th October 2017 - Fire Brigade Talk
We were lucky enough to have a visit from a local hero today... a fire officer! We learnt lots about staying safe in our homes and how to react in an emergency. Mrs Foulkes even had a chance to try the uniform that the officers have to wear - "It's very hot in here!"
Tuesday 17th October 2017 - Dance
In Dance in Year 2, we have been creating a dance around going into space. We created rockets in groups that took off and landed on our own planet. When arriving on the planet, we turned into aliens and then had to use our bodies to hide.
Part, Part, Whole - Monday 16th October 2017
This week in Cormorants we have been using the 'Part, part, whole' method to help us add and subtract two-digit numbers. We have learnt that when we add we always start with the 'parts' to find the 'whole'. However, when we subtract, we start with the whole and only one of the parts! Have a look at our fab investigating skills below.
Fact or Opinion - Wednesday 11th October 2017
Today we found out lots of facts about dinosaurs. We then came across a sentence that said 'Dinosaurs are scary.' This led to a great discussion on whether a sentence is a fact or an opinion. We then had the challenge of writing our own dinosaurs facts and opinions.
Eat Cake for MacMillian - Friday 6th October 2017
This term we have been learning about what it means to be a hero. We chose MacMillian as our 'hero' charity as they provide lots of support for people around the country. Year 2 have been busy making cakes, bunting and creating games all in aid of our MacMillian heros! Have a look below at our delicious cakes! A huge thank you to all the parents and carers who came to support our cause!
Phonics - 29th September 2017
This week we have taken our Phonics learning outside. We went on a 'ure' word hunt and drew our 'ear' sounds on the pavement with chalk. Look at our pictures below to see what we got up to.
Time - Friday 22nd September 2017
This week in Maths we have been learning all about time. We used our team working skills to investigate different intervals and we learnt that there are 52 weeks in a year!
Blubber Gloves! – Thursday 14th September 2017.
In Science we have been looking at how penguins have adapted to their habitat. We made our own ‘blubber gloves’ and put our hands in ice water to see if we could feel the cold. Have a look at our exciting learning below.
Lean in 15 - The Body Coach Fitness Week - Wb Monday 11th September 2017
This week Year 2 will be participating in The Body Coaches 'Fitness Week'. We will be completing a HIIT (High intensity, interval training) throughout the week. We will be discussing why it is important to keep our bodies and mind healthy so we can become our own ultimate heroes. Have a look below at our squats, high knees and burpees!
Representing a number - Thursday 7th September 2017
This week Cormorants have been looking at representing numbers using different resources. We have been focusing on two-digit numbers and using mathematical numbers to explain this. Have a look at our exciting learning below.
