Ruby Class
Year 2: 2024 - 2025
Ruby Class
Teacher: Mrs Foster
Please check back every week as I will post lots of photographs of some of the things that we get up to over the year.
Here is a termly overview of what our learning will focus on this term.
Spring 2 Termly Overview
Friday 4th March
The children had a great day yesterday with Becky from the Groundworks team. The children have learned about the importance of looking after the environment so that they can 'love where they live'. At Elmore Park, the children learned about some of the animals who live there and looked at some of their habitats. They had lots of fun exploring the area and finding materials so that they could build a den / habitat for foxes, badgers, owls, hedgehogs and squirrels. On their walk back to school, the children worked together to complete a litter pick and learned about the important of putting litter in bins to help protect the animals in the local area.
During the afternoon, the children learned about 'reuse, reduce, recycle' and why it was important to look after the local area. They sorted materials into those which could be recycled or not recycled. The children then chose their favourite message that they had learned during the day. They then created a poster to share this message with the people of the local area. Becky has taken the children's posters so they can be part of a competition. The winner's posters will be turned into real posters and displayed around the local area.
Friday 28th March
Over the last 2 weeks, the children have had lots of fun in our DT sessions. They have been learning all about healthy snacks and they have designed their own fruit smoothies and kebabs. This week, the children have loved making and trying their designed snack.
In English, we have been reading a book called Tadpole's Promise which is a lovely story about a tadpole and a caterpillar. The children have been learning about writing in their past tense and I have been impressed with their understanding. We have ended the week, by creating expanded noun phrases to describe the frog and the caterpillar. They children were so creative writing their character descriptions of the frog.
In PE, the children have continued to enjoy their yoga and dodgeball sessions too.
Remember it is our trip to Elmore Park on Thursday. If you haven't filled in the form to give permission, please you the link below:
Friday 14th March
Welcome back to our new school term. Our PE days have stayed the same so the children will need to bring their PE kits to school on a Monday and Friday. Please can the children bring black/navy jogging bottoms or leggings as they will be going home in their PE kits.
In English, the children have been reading the poem The Owl and the Pussy Cat. They are enjoying the poem and have used drama to decide of a cat and an owl can really be friends. This week, they have been looking at instructions so that they can plan and write their own instructions based on the poem next week.
In maths, the children have continued with multiplication and division. They are becoming more confident counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. Please encourage the children to use Numbots at home to develop their number fluency.
In geography, the children have started to learn about the continent of Africa and we will be focusing on the country of Kenya. They children really impressed me with what they have remembered about the continents and oceans of the world. In DT the children have been learning about fruit and vegetables and how these are important for a healthy meal. They had lots of fun trying different fruits, vegetables and smoothies this week before they begin to plan a healthy snack.
In RE, we have started to learn about the Easter story and the events of Holy Week. This week, the children have created some fantastic pictures for one of the events to show how people would have felt at the time.
Spring 1 Termly Overview
Friday 14th February
On Monday the children were amazing as we hosted this year's Infantasia. Over the last couple of weeks, they have been learning songs in class and with Laura (our music teacher). Then on Monday, 3 other schools joined us in the hall and shared the songs that the children had learned.
On Wednesday, in art, the children had lots of fun painting the digeridoos that they had the week before. They will be coming home with them next week and I know they can't wait to share them with you.
On Thursday, the team from Bikeability came into school for our Learn to Ride sessions. Even though it was cold, the children all said that they had an amazing time. 8 of the children can now ride a bike who couldn't before yesterday - they are so proud of themselves. The children who could already ride their bike are now brilliant at weaving in and out of cones and parking!
Friday 7th February
This week we have started to read The Minpins by Roald Dahl for our English text. The children have been learning about how to describe characters to make them sound frightening using expanded noun phrases. We have ended the week with the children writing character descriptions of the scare in the forest. They have thought of lots of great adjectives to describe and gave their 'monster' some fantastic names in the style of Roald Dahl.
In maths, the children have started a new topic on multiplication and division. This week, we have focused on recognising equal and unequal groups and using repeated addition to find the totals. Over the next few weeks, we will be focusing on learning the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times table too so that the children are confident counting in those multiples - please encourage them to practice at home.
In art, the children loved using the clay to begin making their digeridoos. They used a range of techniques to shape the clay and tools to created aboriginal designs. They just need to dry and I know the children are looking forward to painting them next week.
This week has been Children's Mental Health week and everyone wore something inside out on Monday. Then for PSHE, we have introduced the children to Zones of Regulation to develop their understanding their feelings. Then we thought of strategies that we can use to manage those feelings while in class - the children had some fantastic ideas.
Today has been NSPCC Number Day. It was great to see the children come dressed as a number. Then in maths, we had lots of activities linked to money and multiplication which were part of the Number Day challenges.
Next week, the children are taking part in Learn to Ride. They will all have a session on the school yard with instructors to begin to learn to ride a bike or develop their skills if they can already ride.
Friday 31st January
This week in English the children have been finding out all about bears. They have used the information they found to write some fantastic reports about bears and I have really enjoyed reading them.
In maths, the children have finished our money topic. I have been impressed with their resilience when they were solving two-step problems today.
In art, the children have been learning about aboriginal art. They have been exploring the symbols and colours that are used. This week, the children were designing an aboriginal patter that will use to decorate the digeridoos they will be making later in the term.
The children have been really enjoying their history lessons this term. They have been learning about explorers and our focus has been Neil Armstrong. This week they have been learning about his life using historical sources. This links to our PE on a Friday where the children have been creating their own space dances.
Friday 24th January
In English, we have been discovering strange things in our classroom. First there were strange objects under the rug, then a suitcase full of items and finally a large bear appeared. The children have had lots of fun thinking about who has left them here and who they belong too. After reading the story The Bear under the Stairs, the children have planned and have written their own versions this week. I have enjoyed reading about the strange things hidden away in places and how brave the children's characters were to go and find them.
In maths, we have continued with the topic of money. The children have been counting in pounds and pence and we have started to compare and calculate amounts. Please can you encourage the children to look at coins and notes and maybe help to you find the total of your shopping bill. The children are enjoying using Numbots and this is something they can use at home. Let know and I can send home a copy of their usernames and passwords if you need them.
We have started our new history topic which is all about explorers. The children have been introduced to Neil Armstrong and Christopher Columbus. This week, they had fun finding out why explorers go to strange places and predicting what they think the explorers found.
Our computing topic this term is coding. Last week the children were writing code to make aircraft take off and used collision detection events to make the collide. This week, they have been writing code to turn a frog into a princess when they collide.
Friday 10th January
It has been lovely to see all of the children back this week and to find out what they got up to over the holidays.
This week, we have focused on welcoming the new year and thinking about dreams and goals for 2025. The children have thought about what they achieved last year and how it made them feel. They have set themselves challenges and thought about steps they needed to do to achieve them. They have taught themselves to dance the macarana, count in 2s to 10 in French and count to 5 in Mandarin Chinese. We have finished our work on dreams and goals by designing a dream garden.
Autumn 2 Termly Overview
Friday 20th December
Autumn term is now finished and the children have taken part in lots of activities. Here are some pictures from our nativity, Christmas party, pantomime and reindeer run.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Friday 6th December
This week we have been practising our nativity and I am looking forward to you all coming and seeing it on Friday 13th at 1:30pm.
We have started a new book in English this week and the children have been learning about why water is important to us. We had a river in our class this week and the children have written some amazing poems to describe the sound and the movement of the water.
In math, I have been so impressed with the children's knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes. They have been able to identify lots of the shapes and count their sides and vertices.
In RE this week, after discussing how religious and non-religious traditions are different, the children thought about what advent means to Christians. They have all made an advent wreath which they will bring home to share with you soon. In science, the children have been investigating how materials can be changed. They had lots of materials on their tables and had to find out which ones could be twisted, stretched, bent and squashed. For geography, the children have been outside to find human and physical features of the school grounds. I am looking forward to seeing the maps they make next week using their observations from their time outside.
Friday 29th November
It has been a very exciting day in Ruby Class today as we have had some very special visitors.
First we met an artist called Elizabeth who is an artist who works with Sunderland Culture. The children showed what amazing artists they are by. They each chose an animal and looked at it very closely to look for shapes and colours. Then the children drew their chosen animal and thought about the colours they could use to make them rainbow animals. For a final task, they added pencil and colours to paper and used water to create a painted background then the children add a new drawing of an animal to their background. Their artwork is amazing!
Next we had a visit from Tyne and Wear Fire Service. We met Courtney, Simon and Vanessa who came to show us how the fire service had changed since the Great Fire of London and the Great Fire of Gateshead. Vanessa was dressed in her fire fighter clothes and explained how it all keeps her safe. Courtney showed us how the fire service had changed. After this we got to go and explore the fire truck and even use the fire hose!
Friday 22nd November
We have had an exciting week in Ruby Class this week. On Monday, we went to the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens for a materials workshop which is linked to our science topic this term.
We met the workshop leader who was called Josh. We investigated lots of different types of materials before sorting them into groups based on their properties. Then we went for a walk in the community garden and Mowbray Park to find out what materials some of the things in the park is made from. We discussed why some materials were more suitable than others. After lunch, we explored the different areas of the museum to see what materials we could find. Before we came back to school, we went looking for dinosaurs in the Winter Gardens.
Everyone had a great time!
Friday 15th November
The children have had a great week. They have taken part anti-bullying week, worn odd socks, been kind to their friends and had a sponsored silence for Children in Need. Thank you to Archie's family for the delicious cakes which we all enjoyed this afternoon.
In English, we have been learning about endangered and extinct animals and thinking about what we can do to help protect them. In maths, we have continued with addition and subtraction. The children have been using their knowledge of number bonds to 10 to add and subtract across 10.
This week in science, we have made paper and wooden boats that we are going to use in an investigation next week. Next week, we will investigate to see which material is more suitable to make a boat. In geography, we have been learning about the countries of the UK and their capital cities. On Wednesday, the children had lots of fun with Mrs Lawrence and Mrs Rose with their extra OPAL time and den building.
It is our visit on Monday to Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. We will be spending sometime in Mowbray part looking for everyday materials which is our science topic. Please check back next week as i will add some photographs so you can see what the children got up to.
Friday 8th November
We had had a great start to the new term and the children loved taking their learning outside for Outdoor Learning day on Thursday.
In English, our new theme is Conservation and we are going to be reading books about endangered animals. This week, we have discovered mysterious footprints around school. One set of footprints belong to a mystery creature and the children have been on the look out for it.
In maths, we will continue with addition and subtraction. This week, we have been using our knowledge of number bonds to 10 to help us add bigger numbers.
We have started our new topic in geography by learning about the continents of the world and next week we will learn about some of the animals which live there. The children really enjoyed our first gymnastic lesson and had lots of fun trying out different shapes.
Autumn 1 Termly Overview
Friday 18th October
This week in Ruby class we have been historians and artists.
In English, the children have worked hard on their descriptions of the Big Bad Wolf. They have used some amazing vocabulary and remembered full stops and capital letters. We have finished reading Cinderella - an art deco fairytale. This week, the children have been learning to make inferences about the characters and support their answers with events which have happened in the story.
In maths, the children have moved onto addition and subtraction. They started the week by reviewing bonds to 10 before using the rekenreks to make bonds to 20. Then they have been using the facts that they found to create fact families before making numbers ten times bigger to find related facts.
This month is Black History Month and the children have been learning about John Kent who became the first black British police officer. The children found out about his life in the early 1800s and then compared a police officer from the past to a police office today. In art, the children have finished their unit of tints and tones and learned about Wassily Kandinsky. Yesterday the children created their own artwork inspired by what they had learned. Their artwork is amazing and I am so proud of what they have achieved.
Friday 11th October
It has been another busy week in Ruby Class. This week, the children have been sharing their fabulous posters about the Great Fire of London that they made at home. Mrs Hill came along to look at them and we were both so impressed. On Thursday, we met Natalie Denny who share her Keisha Jones books with us and encouraged us to Take 10 with a book for world mental health day.
In English, we have been reading a new book called Wolves by Emily Gravett. We have been learning about the difference between fact and fiction and finding out all about wolves so that we can write a leaflet to help Little Red Riding Hood. Since September, we have been trying really hard to develop our handwriting and this week I have seen some beautiful handwriting in the children's books - they are doing amazingly.
In maths, we have finished our Place value topic and the children have made so much progress with their knowledge of the number 1 - 100. Next we are going to use what we have learned through addition and subtraction.
The children are really enjoying using Numbots in school. It is an online game which will help the children to develop their number fluency and they receive certificates when they have completed the levels. The children can use it at home and it would be great if you could encourage them to log in for 15 minutes each week. I will send the login details home with the children on Monday.
Numbots - click on Numbots and it will take you to the site to log in.
This week we have developed ball skills in PE by learning how to travel with the ball while we are bouncing it. Everyone enjoyed the pirate game at the end where we got to apply our skills. In science, we have learned about the 5 food groups and the food which belongs to them. We used this knowledge to plan our healthy meals. In history, we have moved on to learning about the Great Fire of Gateshead and Newcastle. Did you know the explosion could be heard in Hetton! Please ask the children to tell you what they have learned.
Friday 27th September
We have had lots of fun on Ruby this class this week. On Tuesday, we were visited by a historian who came to help us learn all about the Great Fire of London. John gave us a map of London from 1666 to explore and find the significant landmarks. Then we dressed up as the fire marshals and created a line to get water from the River Thames to the fire so that we could put it out. Next, john told us about Samuel Pepys who wrote a diary in code during the fire. We had to crack the code to find out which belongings he saved. Finally we used quill pens and ink to create a list of the belongings that we would save.
Also this week, we have planned a sequel to Goldilocks and the Three Bears where Bear gets into trouble when he gets lost in the city. In maths, we have been working hard at partitioning numbers in tens and ones and doing this in different ways. We ended the week by adding 10s to number lines - the children did a great job.
There has been lots of art this week. In computing, we have been learning about impressionism and pointilism and using 2Create a Picture on Purple Mash to create pictures in these styles. Then over the last 2 weeks, we have been learning about primary and secondary colours and learning to mix them. Yesterday, we were learning about tints and tones by adding white and black to colours.
In PE, we have continued to develop our ball skills by rolling, throwing and catching balls. We have also been learning to throw at a target. We have finished PE with games of dodgeball which have been lots of fun.
Friday 20th September
It has been a great start to the year for all of the children in Ruby Class. On Friday, we visited the library for the first time and all of the children were able to choose a book to take home and share with their family. The books will need to be returned in 2 weeks so that the children can swap them for a new book.
Our theme for English this half term is A Twist in the Tale. The children have been enjoying reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the poem The Spider and the Fly. Last week, the children wrote a great retell of the story that they know and we will be moving onto reading a different version of the story. The children are enjoying the classic poem The Spider and the Fly. They have researched spiders and flies and have been learning to make inferences about why the spider and the fly act the way that they do.
We have started our maths topic around place value and the children are showing that they have a good understanding of numbers to 100. They have been using a range of resources to partition the numbers into tens and ones and writing them as numerals and words.
The children are enjoying their PE lessons. They have been developing their ball skills and we had lots of fun throwing ball at a target before playing dodgeball this week. The children have started to learn about The Great Fire of London. We have used Now Press Play to learn about the events and created timelines to show what we remember. In science, the children have been learning about the lifecycles of animals including humans. They have been learning about the stages of human development.
Please check back here next week for more updates.