Welcome back to Primary 2! We hope everyone had a lovely break and is ready for another exciting term of learning. This term, we will continue to build upon the knowledge and skills developed so far, introducing new learning experiences and challenges across the curriculum. We will continue to develop our independence, build positive relationships and work together to become confident and successful learners.
Literacy
This term, we will continue to develop our phonics knowledge, with Miss Lennox leading weekly phonics activities to practise new sounds and common words. We will focus on applying these skills to support reading and writing.
In reading, Miss Lennox will focus on both fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils will develop their comprehension skills by exploring different types of texts, identifying key information and discussing what they have read.
In writing, Mrs Strachan will focus on narrative writing, encouraging pupils to develop their own stories with characters, settings and events. Miss Lennox will also introduce connectives to help pupils join ideas together and make their sentences more interesting. We will continue to develop our sentence structure, using capital letters, full stops and other punctuation appropriately.
Numeracy
This term, Miss Lennox will focus on addition and subtraction, developing pupils’ confidence in calculating, using different strategies and solving number problems.
Mrs Strachan will focus on shape and money. Pupils will explore the properties of 2D shapes and 3D objects, learning to recognise and describe their features. Through money activities, pupils will develop their understanding of coins and notes, recognise their values and applying their knowledge to practical situations.
We will also take our learning outdoors whenever possible, using the outdoor environment to explore shapes and develop our mathematical thinking through practical activities.
Health and Wellbeing
In Health and Wellbeing, pupils will continue to develop their understanding of emotions, relationships and making positive choices. Through our PATHS programme, we will continue to explore feelings, actions and problem-solving strategies.
Miss Lennox will introduce learning about substance misuse, helping pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of how certain substances can affect our health and wellbeing, and the importance of keeping ourselves safe. We will also be discussing people who help us and different roles within our community, reflecting on skills needed for these jobs.
Within PE, Miss Lennox will focus on gymnastics and social dance, giving pupils opportunities to develop their balance, coordination, movement and creativity. Mrs Strachan will focus on small ball skills, helping pupils improve their throwing, catching, control and coordination through a range of fun activities and games.
Our PE days remain Monday and Thursday. Please ensure pupils bring a full PE kit to school, that all items are clearly labelled with their name and that all earrings are removed before PE. PE kits can be left on pegs during the week. Weather permitting, we will also take our PE learning outdoors.
Religious Education
This term, our RE learning will focus on the Saints and the Holy Spirit. Pupils will explore the lives and examples of saints, considering how their faith and actions can inspire us in our own lives. We will also develop our understanding of the Holy Spirit and its importance within our Catholic faith.
Pupils will continue to receive RE input during assemblies and will have opportunities to participate in school Masses and liturgical celebrations throughout the term.
Social Studies and IDL
Our interdisciplinary learning (IDL) topic this term will be “The Toy Shop”, with a focus on enterprise. Pupils will explore the purpose of a toy shop and investigate how toys are designed, made, advertised and sold.
Through this topic, pupils will develop their creativity, teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making skills. They will have opportunities to explore different roles within a toy shop and develop their understanding of money, buying and selling, and how businesses operate.
Science
Our Science focus this term will be forces, linked to our Toy Shop topic. Pupils will investigate how objects move and explore forces such as pushes and pulls. Through practical investigations and hands-on activities, they will have opportunities to ask questions, make predictions, test ideas and discuss their findings.
Mrs Strachan will also be focussing on energy sources and sustainability looking at different types of energy and understanding their importance to everyday life.
Technologies
Technology will be incorporated throughout our Toy Shop topic. Pupils will have opportunities to design and create their own toys using junk modelling and a range of recycled materials. They will explore different materials, consider how to make their designs work and evaluate their finished products.
This will encourage pupils to use their imagination, develop practical skills and solve problems as they bring their toy designs to life.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning will continue to be an important part of our learning this term. Weather permitting, PE sessions will take place outdoors to help pupils develop their movement skills and enjoy being active. In numeracy and mathematics, we will use the outdoor environment to explore shape through practical, hands-on activities.
UNCRC
As a school we are working towards our Rights Respecting Schools Silver Award. We have reflected and reviewed our Class Charter from Term 1. This term pupil will be looking at Article 38 for Remembrance Day and the right to protect children from war as well as articles 4 and 41 and 45 in celebration of World Children’s Day and Human Rights Day.
We are looking forward to another fantastic term in Primary 2, filled with exciting learning experiences, creativity and opportunities for our pupils to grow in confidence and independence!
Miss Lennox and Mrs Strachan
