Welcome to Kestrels!
Our year 2 team consists of Mrs Harrison and Mrs Hollowell, our teaching assistant. In Kestrels class we work hard at being kind towards each other and taking pride in our school and our surroundings. We recognise the importance of hard work whilst having fun at the same time!
Our Daily Routine
We start the day with a maths fluency task followed by our Maths lesson and then after break, we have English. Spelling is taught 3 times a week using ELS Essential Spellings which follows on from our ELS phonics scheme that is taught in reception and Year 1. Handwriting and whole class reading lessons are taught 3 times a week. Reading fluently and reading comprehension are important skills to master, but most of all we want to instil a love of reading to our pupils, so at the end of the day we sit down and listen to a story from our reading corner, using a book that the pupils have voted for.
Key skills are important
In year 2, we build upon the letter formation that was learnt in earlier years, by learning how to join letters and understanding which letters we don’t join up. Good handwriting not only helps us to take pride in our work but can also be a useful muscle memory tool for learning spellings! Children are encouraged to take pride in their writing and presentation, not just in their English books, but across all topics, including Maths. Spellings are another key skill and children are encouraged to practise their spellings when they arrive in the morning, to ensure they are ready for the Friday test. In Kestrels class, we understand the importance of applying our spelling rules, not just in a weekly test but across all our written work.
Across the school curriculum, children are encouraged to use their reasoning skills when answering questions to explain how they came to their answer. Being able to explain how we know something is an important part of learning.
We believe in the power of a Growth mindset
At Stondon Lower School, we aim to follow the 5 R’s – Resilience, Reasoning, Responsibility, Resourceful, Reflective. In Kestrels, we recognise that making mistakes helps us to learn and that by using our resilience we can overcome challenges that come our way. If children get stuck, they use their growth mindset to try and solve the issue and do not give up. Being good friends, involves encouraging each other and helping others with challenges when we can.
Our Year Ahead
In year 2, we learn about the Great Fire of London and hope to have a visit from Shefford fire brigade in the Summer term. We also learn about royalty and we are looking forward to our visit to the British Schools Museum in Hitchin to find out what it was like going to school in Victorian times!
How we keep our bodies and mind fit and healthy
Year 2s are very active! We have 2 hours of PE a week as well as a quick movement break in the afternoon. Our PE days are Wednesdays and Thursdays. We will often be outside on the playground or field during mild weather, so we come to school in tracksuit bottoms and tops to ensure we stay warm, along with hats during the brighter summer days.
We keep our mind healthy through our weekly PSHE lessons and our mindfulness session straight after lunch every day. This could involve some mindful colouring or some reflective journaling whilst listening to some calming music, to help us slow down after a busy lunchtime!