Another wonderful week has flown by in Mousehole Class, and the children have continued to impress us with their enthusiasm, creativity and hard work across the curriculum!

English

In English, we have been exploring verbs and the suffixes -er and -or, thinking about how these can change words and their meanings. The children have also planned, written and performed their own Kennings poems. We were so impressed with their imaginative ideas and confident performances, which brought lots of fun and creativity to our classroom.

Maths

This week in maths:

• Year 2 have been learning about mass, volume and capacity, using practical activities to compare and measure different amounts.
• Year 3 have continued their work on fractions, learning about the whole, as well as ordering and comparing fractions. They have shown great perseverance when tackling some challenging concepts.

PE

The children enjoyed another exciting session with Cricket Chris, developing their cricket skills further by learning how to bowl the ball accurately. There was some fantastic concentration, teamwork and determination on display.

Computing

In computing, we have been exploring desktop publishing, learning how to organise text and images effectively to create attractive and informative documents.

History

We had an exciting hook lesson to launch our new history enquiry question:

"How have children's lives changed?"

The children became history detectives, sorting different children's objects into the time periods they thought they belonged to: Tudor, Victorian or Modern Day. They enjoyed discussing their ideas and making predictions before finding out the answers.

To deepen our understanding, we then worked collaboratively to create large-scale artistic representations of a Tudor child and a Victorian child. The children absolutely loved this activity, and the finished pieces are now proudly displayed in our classroom for everyone to enjoy.

Art

In art, we began our new unit on sculpture. We started by exploring what sculpture is and how sculptors create three-dimensional artwork. Using the boxes kindly brought in from home, the children experimented with cutting them into different shapes and discovering ways to join them together without using glue or tape. They showed fantastic problem-solving skills and creativity as they investigated different construction techniques.

These are just some of the highlights from another busy and successful week in Mousehole Class. The children continue to amaze us with their curiosity, resilience and willingness to embrace new challenges. We look forward to sharing more of their learning with you next week!

It has been another full and exciting week of learning in Year 2 and 3!

English

In English, we have been learning a new text through oracy, using lots of discussion and performance to help us really understand it. The children have also been practising their VIPERS reading skills (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Sequencing) to deepen their comprehension.

We have also been exploring the features of instructional writing, identifying what makes a clear and effective set of instructions. The children were fantastic at spotting headings, numbered steps and time connectives.

Maths

In maths, both year groups have been working hard on key skills:

• Year 2 have been learning how to subtract across 10 and have also been solving mixed addition and subtraction problems.

• Year 3 have been focusing on the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, as well as related division facts.

Please continue practising times tables at home with Year 3 - it really makes a difference! (Year 2-x2, x5 and x10).

Geography

We have started an exciting new topic: "Why are rainforests important to us?" The children began by asking thoughtful questions and sharing their existing knowledge.

We have been learning about where tropical rainforest biomes are located around the world and have started to look more closely at the Amazon Rainforest. The children were fascinated to discover just how important rainforests are for our planet.

PSHE

In PSHE, we began our new unit, Healthy Me. The children set themselves a personal challenge to improve their fitness, showing great maturity and enthusiasm.

PE

In PE, we have started our new unit on striking and fielding. This week focused on developing accuracy when throwing, catching and stopping a rolling ball. There was some fantastic teamwork and determination on display.

French

In French, we have continued learning vocabulary linked to "My Family", building confidence in speaking and understanding simple phrases.

Science

In Science, we began our topic on light, thinking about different light sources and how light helps us to see.

Looking Ahead - World Book Day

Next Thursday, we will be celebrating World Book Day. Children are invited to dress up as their favourite book character, and a fun-filled day of reading activities has been planned across the school to celebrate our love of books!

We can't wait to see the wonderful costumes and share our favourite stories together.

What a fantastic half term it has been!

The children have worked incredibly hard over the past weeks, showing determination, enthusiasm and such positive attitudes towards their learning. We are so proud of everything they have achieved - not only academically, but also in the way they have supported one another, challenged themselves and lived out our school values each and every day.

We truly couldn't have asked for a better way to end the half term than with our wonderful trip to Cotehele. The children represented our school brilliantly. They planted saplings with care and determination, demonstrating excellent teamwork and responsibility. It was a joy to see them embracing the experience so positively and showing off their very best Brunel values throughout the day.

They were a credit to the school.

Now it is time for a well-earned rest. We hope you all enjoy a relaxing and refreshing half term break, and we look forward to welcoming the children back, ready for another exciting term of learning.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

See you after half term! 

Last week was another busy and productive one in Year 2/3, with the children working hard across the curriculum and continuing to develop their skills and understanding.

English:
In English, the children focused on simple sentence construction, learning how to write clear and complete sentences. We revisited the importance of capital letters, finger spaces and full stops, and began to think carefully about punctuation to make our writing easier to read and understand. The children showed great effort in applying these skills to their independent work.

Maths:
In Maths, we worked on solving addition and subtraction problems, encouraging the children to choose appropriate strategies and explain their thinking. They practised using number bonds, place value knowledge and written methods to help them solve calculations accurately.

History:
Our History learning focused on the Wright brothers, exploring who they were and why they are significant. The children learned about their determination, early experiments and how their work helped lead to the first successful powered flight. This linked well to our wider topic on the history of flight.

RE:
In Religious Education, we learned about the first disciples, discussing who they were and why Jesus chose them. The children reflected thoughtfully on ideas of friendship, trust and following a role model.

Other Learning:
Alongside these focus areas, the children continued to engage enthusiastically in all areas of the curriculum. They showed positive attitudes, curiosity and a willingness to challenge themselves in lessons throughout the week.

Well done, Year 2/3, for another week of hard work and fantastic learning!