Class Blog: Weekly Learning Update (Year 2/3)

We've had another wonderful week in Year 2/3, full of rich learning experiences and exciting events. The children have continued to impress us with their enthusiasm, resilience and growing confidence across the curriculum.

Class Assembly:
A huge well done to all the children for their brilliant class assembly this week! They made us incredibly proud as they shared everything they have been learning about 'What Was Important to Ancient Egypt?' From mummification to hieroglyphics, gods and goddesses to daily life, their knowledge shone through. Most importantly, they spoke clearly, remembered their parts, and supported one another beautifully throughout the performance.

Cinema Trip:
We also enjoyed a fantastic visit to Saltash Studios to watch Dogman. The children behaved impeccably on the walk to and from the cinema and were a credit to the school. They thoroughly enjoyed the film and happily chatted afterwards about their favourite moments - a lovely treat during a busy term!

Christmas Show:
Exciting news - lines for the Christmas performance have now been handed out and rehearsals have officially begun! Thank you in advance for practising lines at home. The children are already singing enthusiastically and we can't wait to see the show come together.

Topic - Antarctica:
Our learning about Antarctica was brought to life this week with a fascinating visit from Jay Gates, who has worked on a ship supporting scientists travelling to Antarctica. The children were captivated as Jay shared photographs, stories and real-life insights.
They learned about:

• The extreme climate and what it's like living in such freezing conditions

• The remarkable wildlife, including penguins, seals and whales

• Local scientists and explorers who have contributed to Antarctic research

• The different research bases found across the continent

• And even the meanings behind the colours of icebergs - something that truly amazed them!

The children asked thoughtful questions and came away inspired, ready to continue exploring this incredible part of the world.

Continuing Classroom Learning:
Alongside all these special events, we have continued our formal learning:

• Maths: Ongoing work on addition and subtraction, using place value to help solve calculations efficiently.

• English: Continued study of Jack and the Beanstalk, by writing their own versions of the story.

• Science: Further investigations into forces and magnets, beginning to explore how different materials respond to magnetic force.

It has been a packed and memorable week - well done, Year 2/3!

What a busy and exciting week it has been in Year 2 and 3! The children have shown wonderful curiosity, enthusiasm and teamwork across all areas of the curriculum, and we are very proud of their hard work. A flurry of snow was enjoyed for a brief moment today!

English

In English, we have been learning to become questioners-asking and answering thoughtful questions about the texts we read. This helps us understand stories more deeply and builds confidence in reading comprehension.

We have also continued developing our descriptive writing skills. The children have been working hard to describe settings in detail, use accurate speech punctuation, and begin planning their own imaginative version of Jack and the Beanstalk. We can't wait to see where their giant adventures lead!

Maths

In Maths, the children have been practising working across 10s and 100s. They have been using practical strategies and place value knowledge to solve problems and explain their thinking.

Class Assembly

Rehearsals are well underway for our class assembly, ready to share with you on Monday afternoon. The children are very excited to perform and celebrate their learning with you.

RE

In Religious Education, we have been learning about Shabbat and how it is observed in the UK today. The children discussed family traditions, special meals, and the importance of rest and togetherness.

PSHE

In PSHE, our focus has been on how families may look different from one another but are all important. The children shared thoughtful ideas about what makes a family special and how we can appreciate the differences between us.

PE

Our gymnastics unit continues. This week the children have been practising linking jumps and travelling movements, working on balance, control and creativity in their floor routines.

Art

Our penguin and Antarctic scenes are looking wonderful. The children are using colour, shape and texture to bring their icy landscapes to life.

Science

In Science, we explored forces and magnetism. The children enjoyed predicting and testing which materials are magnetic and how different forces can make objects move.

Geography

In Geography, we learned about the physical features of Antarctica. The children were fascinated to discover that Antarctica-despite all its ice-is actually classified as a desert because it receives so little precipitation. We explored its mountains, ice shelves, and unique climate, linking what we learned to our Art too.

Design & Technology (Sewing)

A real highlight has been our festive stocking sewing project. The children have shown brilliant perseverance and growing confidence, supported by some wonderfully patient parents and grandparents.
If you are able to offer your help with sewing over the coming weeks, please do get in touch-your support makes such a difference.

We look forward to seeing you at our class assembly on Monday.
Next week brings even more excitement with our cinema trip and a special visit from a real Antarctic pilot!

Have a lovely weekend, and thank you for your continued support.

What a fantastic week of learning we've had in Year 2/3! The children have shown such enthusiasm and curiosity across all of our subjects - it's been lovely to see them so engaged and eager to share what they've discovered.

Maths:
In Maths, we have continued our work on addition and subtraction, building on our understanding of place value to help us add and subtract larger numbers confidently. The children have been using their knowledge of tens and ones to partition numbers and find efficient strategies for solving problems. It's been wonderful to see how they are becoming more independent in explaining how and why they chose a particular method.

English:
This week we began our new whole-school genre focus - traditional tales - with the much-loved story of Jack and the Beanstalk! The children have enjoyed retelling the story in their own words, identifying key features of a traditional tale, and practising their comprehension skills by retrieving and summarising important information. There's been lots of great discussion about characters, settings, and what lessons we can learn from Jack's adventure!

RE:
In Religious Education, we started our new topic: How do festivals and family life show what matters to Jewish people? We began by learning about Shabbat, exploring how Jewish families prepare for and celebrate this special day of rest. The children were fascinated by the traditions and rituals, and they reflected thoughtfully on what makes family time special in their own homes too.

PSHE:
Our new PSHE unit, Celebrating Difference, got off to a great start. We talked about how every family is unique, and how these differences make us all special. The children spoke beautifully about the love and care that families share, no matter what they look like or how they are made up.

Topic - 'Who lives in Antarctica?'
Thursday was a particularly exciting day as we launched our brand-new Geography and Art topic: Who lives in Antarctica? The children revisited the seven continents and discussed their relative sizes before using maps to explore the lines of latitude and locate the icy continent itself. In Art, we looked at cold colours to begin our Antarctic-inspired paintings and created our own adorable penguin families using oil pastels - they look fantastic! The children are already brimming with questions about life in such an extreme environment.

Science:
In Science, we began our new unit on Forces and Magnets. The children explored different types of pushes and pulls and thought about where we can see forces in action in our everyday lives. They are very excited to start experimenting with magnets next week!

It's been a busy and inspiring week of learning - well done, Year 2/3!

Please see the attached document for more about what we will be learning this half term in Mousehole class.

What a fantastic final week before the half term break it has been for Mousehole Class! The children have worked incredibly hard and shown such enthusiasm across all areas of their learning.

In History, the class has been busy creating double-page knowledge spreads to answer the question: "How important was Ancient Egypt?" The children explored fascinating themes including the River Nile and how it supported daily life, the afterlife and mummification, hieroglyphics, and a range of artefacts and inventions that tell us so much about this remarkable civilisation. Their work beautifully showcased both their historical understanding and creativity.

In English, the focus has been on writing non-chronological reports. The children have used their research and planning skills brilliantly to produce well-structured and informative pieces of writing. It's been wonderful to see their confidence as writers continue to grow.

On Thursday, we celebrated Black History Day. The children learnt about Rosa Parks and discussed her courage, determination, and the lasting impact she had on the civil rights movement. They also thoroughly enjoyed taking part in an African dance workshop, moving to the rhythms of traditional music and exploring another vibrant aspect of African culture.

Mousehole Class have truly been marvellous this week-their positive attitudes, teamwork, and effort have shone through in everything they've done.

Have a restful and enjoyable half term break, and I look forward to another exciting half term of learning when we return!

What a fantastic week of learning it has been in Year 2 and 3! The classroom has been full of creativity, curiosity, and teamwork as the children have built on their skills across a wide range of subjects. Here's a little peek at what we've been up to:

English

This week, our young authors have been busy editing and publishing their own stories with a historical setting.
The children have shown great attention to detail as they reread their work, corrected spellings and punctuation, and proudly started to produce their final copies. We're so impressed with their hard work and creativity!

Maths

In Maths, we have been exploring number lines and place value. The children practised using number lines to help them understand the position and size of numbers, and to see how tens and ones fit together. They've been comparing numbers, estimating where they belong on a line, and spotting patterns - a brilliant foundation for confident number work!

History

Our History lessons have taken us back to Ancient Egypt, where we've been learning about the gods and goddesses that were so important to the people of the time. The children have been using historical sources - such as pictures and artefacts - to ask and answer questions like "Why were these gods so important?" and "How do we know about them today?"
There's been lots of thoughtful discussion and some fascinating ideas shared!

PSHE

In PSHE, we have been thinking about the need for rules - in school, at home, and in the wider world. The children talked about how rules help to keep everyone safe and happy. It was lovely to see how much they care about fairness and kindness.

 Design & Technology

Our sewing project continued this week as we practised the running stitch again. The children are becoming more confident with threading needles, tying knots, and keeping their stitches neat. There was a real sense of concentration and pride as they improved their technique - well done, everyone!

 Science and More!

We've also been busy in Science, exploring and investigating the world around us through hands-on experiments and observations. Alongside this, the children have enjoyed their singing sessions, bringing lots of enthusiasm and joy to the classroom with music.

It's been a busy but brilliant week full of learning, laughter, and teamwork. We're so proud of how hard everyone is working and how much progress they're making.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to more adventures in learning next week!