WELCOME TO YEAR 2 CONDORS
Condors are large, graceful and strong birds. They have great hunting skills and travel long distances so they can feed themselves and their families. They have brilliant looking skills and listening skills which we will be using within our own Condors class.
THIS TERMS THEME
#ExploreMore
This term our focus will be all about the sea. We will be exploring why boats float and the different materials used to make them. We will be sharing our discoveries at the White Rock Science Museum on Wednesday 7th July 2021.
P.E AND DANCE DAYS
PE days are Tuesday and Wednesday.
Please ensure that your child has the correct PE kit in school all week. We will ensure that they are sent home at the end of each half term.
HOME LEARNING DAYS
Home Learning will be set on a Friday and due in on a Wednesday.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday 19th April 2021 - First day of the Summer Term
Monday 3rd May 2021 - Bank Holiday
Monday 17th May 2021 - Parent's Evening
Thursday 19th May 2021 - Parent's Evening
Friday 28th May 2021 - Last day of Summer 1
Monday 7th June 2021 - First day of Summer 2
Wednesday 7th July 2021 - Science Fair
Wednesday 14th July 2021 - Pupils Reports
Wednesday 21st July 2021 - Sports Day
Friday 23rd July 2021 - Last day of Summer Term
MEET THE TEAM
If there are any issues or concerns, please feel free to come in and see your teacher (Mrs Brownen) or alternatively please contact a team leader (Mr Wingrove or Mr O'Sullivan).
mbrownen@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk
swingrove@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk
losullivan@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk
Friday 16th July 2021
Welcome to White Rock’s Virtual
Science ‘Explore More’ Museum.
Condors have enjoyed learning about the properties of materials this term and working towards the goal of making their own boat.
First we investigated and sorted different types of materials. We were able to describe them using scientific words including opaque, smooth, absorbent and transparent. We also sorted them according to their different properties.
We then moved on to looking at the materials things around us are made of. We identified that we had things made of paper, metal, glass and wood as well as many other different materials in our classroom. The children also thought about why glass is used in windows and identified that it is because it is waterproof and transparent.
Then we carried out an investigation to discover which materials are waterproof. We added water to materials to see if they absorbed water. The children found that plastic, cling-film and metal were waterproof.
Next the children predicted and tested different items to see if they floated or they sunk. They took it in turns to put items in a bowl of water and then recorded their findings.
Our next investigation was to conduct an investigation using simple equipment. The children had three different balls which were made of different materials and dropped them to see which ball bounced the highest. The children decided to drop them from the same height at the same time to make the investigation fair.
The children had great fun using all their knowledge to design and build a sailing boat. We are looking forward to testing if they are sea worthy!
Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoyed it!
Wednesday 30th June 2021 - Science
The children learned all about what makes an item solid. They found out an item is solid because all the molecules inside it are close together so it holds its shape.
We had a sponge ball, a tennis ball and a golf ball and the children made a prediction about which would bounce the highest.
After that, we took the balls outside and discussed what would make a fair test. The children said we would need to drop them from the same height and with the same force.We then conducted our investigation and recorded our results.
A great investigation Year 2
Monday 14th June 2021 - Poetry
This week KS1 had a virtual visit from the poet Joseph Coelho.
First, we enjoyed an assembly where he shared some of his poems and he told about how he had been inspired by nature and the outdoors when he was growing up.
Year 2 then had a workshop where we explored his poems together. Joseph then supported us to have a go at making our own poem inspired by his 'If the World were...' poem.
Joseph explained how we can use our emotions, use pace and be inspired by the world around us. We learned a poem can be about anything.
Year 2 were definitely inspired by the visit.
Monday 14th June 2021 - ICT
In ICT, the Condors have been practising their logging on and off skills. They have also been exploring the 2go program, which focuses on directional skills, on Purple Mash. So far, they have changed the background and the line colours. We are looking forward to seeing what else we can do.
Friday 11th June 2021 - Observational Art
During Art, the Condors looked at picture of a simple boat and then worked carefully using their observational skills to reproduce it accurately. Once they had done this they then drew a picture of a cruise ship, looking carefully at all the features.
Great work Condors!
Wednesday 26th May 2021 - Geography
IN Geography, the Condors enjoyed learning how to use an atlas. They learned how to use the index to find a country and then they found some of the countries Ellen MacArthur had stopped at or gone past on her sailing trip round the World.
The children then explored the atlas looking for countries they had visited or countries they would like to visit.
Great work Condors!
Wednesday 19th May 2021 - R.E.
In RE, the children looked at familiar symbols. They were able to identify a range of symbols including first aid, a café and a parking symbol. They were excited to identify well known brand logos and to share what they were famous for.
We then looked at symbols relating to the Christian faith. The children used i-Pads to investigate what each symbol meant.
Some of the things they learned were the dove represents peace, the candle represents the light of God and the Trinity symbol represents the unity of the father, son and Holy Spirit.
Great investigating Condors!
Thursday 13th May 2021 - Maths
In Maths, the children were exploring partitioning numbers. They used counters and a part/part/whole model to split the whole number into two parts. They then found out how many different way they could partition different numbers.
What a great maths investigation Condors!
Tuesday 4th May 2021 - Dance
In Dance, we warmed up by moving around the room like sea creatures. We had claws snapping, graceful flying fish and bobbing jellyfish.
In pairs, the children created their own dances moves for a sea creature. They then combined their moves with another pair before performing their routine to the class.
Thursday 29th April 2021 - Science
To start our new Science journey focusing on materials, the children got to investigate the features of different materials. Some of the materials they were familiar with, for example glass, metal, cardboard and fabric but we also learned about Perspex, natural chalk and brick. They thought of vocabulary to describe the materials. They also sorted them according to their properties, for example bendy or not bendy.
What an exciting start to our journey!
Friday 23rd April 2021 - Maths
Year 2 are exploring fractions in their Maths journey. They have found half and quarter of shapes. Today we used counters to find half and quarter of a number.
The children were able to see that to find half the counters needed to be split into two equal groups and to find a quarter of an amount the counters needed to be split into four equal groups.
Great Maths Condors!
We have been celebrating 'Covid Heroes' as part of our Writing journey. We have been lucky enough to be able to remotely meet real Covid heroes and ask them questions about how their job has changed. Lots of our children also have keyworkers in their family and were able to tell us about their jobs. Telling us how people in their family hadhad helped others. Here is a selection of their thank you letters.
Thank you to all the Covid heroes.
From the Condors
Recently, we were lucky enough to video call with two Covid Heroes. We spoke to a residential care worker who told us all about the changes to his job since lockdown started and a care worker who visits vulnerable people in their homes. We then wrote thank you messages to different Covid Heroes to explain why we think they are so fantastic!
It has been fantastic to be back together in school. The children have enjoyed catching up with their friends and enjoyed being able to run about together during playtime. They have also enjoyed being back in the classroom, learning about 2D shapes, contraction words like can’t and phonics. Today in writing the children became ‘Kung Fu Punctuation’ warriors, using actions to help them remember their punctuation.
Look at some of the fantastic work that the Condors have been up to. We have been writing adverts highlighting some of the amazing things to do in Torbay. We have explored texture in art and found out the names of animals in Spanish. Plus lots more!
Great work Condors!
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After waiting two days, the Condors were able to see the results of their experiment.
The eggshell in water had not changed and the water was still clear. The eggshell in sugary drink had become stained and the enamel had began to dissolve leaving the sugary drink cloudy.
This enabled the children to see the impact of sugar on teeth.
What a great experiment. Well done Condors!
To discover the impact sugar has on our teeth, the Condors posed their own scientific question, 'What effect does sugar have on my teeth?'. They then designed an experiment to answer it. They decided that some egg shell, which is made of enamel like our teeth, should be put in water and some in a sugary drink to see what happens.
We are looking forward to Monday and finding out the results.
Watch this space!
Condors enjoyed an energetic PE session this week.
We stood in a circle practising our catching, first throwing clockwise and then anti-clockwise before being able to throw to anyone in our circle.
We also honed our spatial awareness by playing a game of 'Fox and Hounds'.
A fantastic session Condors!
As part of their home learning, inspired by the book 'Rocketmole', Year 2 have designed space rockets. There have been some very imaginative designs.
Some of the children opted to make their rockets and they look fantastic.
Great work Condors.
We had great excitement today, as Armstrong the Mole sent us postcards from his travels.
He visited, amongst other places, New York, Paris, Antarctica and Australia. We tracked his trip, seeing if the countries he had visited had a tropical, temperate or polar climate. We also looked at pictures of the fantastic places he had been. What a lucky mole!
Condors enjoyed leaning about traditions of the Sikh faith. We matched pictures of items associated with the Sikh faith with their descriptions. We then compared Sikh traditions to our own. We discovered both faiths have special places of worship, books, symbols and meals.
Great work Condors!
This week the children were addition and subtraction detectives. They had word problems and had to work out if they needed to add or subtract to solve it. Once they had decided which operation they needed they used their number lines to work out the answer and then recorded their calculation.
Great work Condors!
Wednesday 14th October 2020 - Dance
Condors enjoyed dance today. They warmed up with the traffic light game. When Mrs Tyson said green it meant the children walked, amber meant walking on the spot and red meant the children all stopped. The children also played other games including the flight game which had them practicing their spatial awareness and moving at different speeds.
What a great session. Well done Condors.
We have had a great week focusing on addition. We have discussed what the '+' symbol means and represented addition calculations using Maths equipment. We have learned when adding two numbers together you can swap them over in your calculation and still get the same answer.
Fantastic work Condors!
Friday 25th September 2020 – Writing
As part of our Writing we have learned about verbs. The Condors went outside and all thought about an activity they do. They then acted it out for the class to guess. Some of the verbs the children acted out were skipping, reading, dancing, jumping, running and jogging. The class then wrote about their verb.
What a fun start to our writing.
Well done Condors.
As part of our Science journey, the children used observation to answer the question 'Why is it important to wash your hands for 20 seconds?'.
First the children rubbed 'Glitter Bug' lotion onto their hands which highlights any unclean areas under UV light.
They then dipped their hands into cold water and looked at their hands under the UV light. The children were able to see any parts of their hands that were not clean. They were surprised how many areas were highlighted.
The next step was to wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap. When we checked their hands under the light this time there were virtually no highlighted areas.
What a fun and educational Science session.
Great work Condors!
Maths Learning From Our First Week Back - 11.09.20
We have had a great first week learning about number values in numbers from 0-50. We have been remembering how to count forwards and backwards and also learning how to represent numbers using Maths equipment. We have learnt two new words to describe numbers - tens and ones. We can now use this language to identify how big a number is. We even made our own human number line putting numbers in order up to 50.
