We were excited last week when we saw all the big equipment up. We worked hard, loving all the different stations.
Gymnastics
We spent the first two weeks in gymnastics on the mats. We revised and developed our shapes, balances, jumps and rolls.
Lego Marble Runs – STEM
P2A were using their communication and critical thinking meta-skills to plan and build marble runs with a partner. They evolved quickly and included: mazes, dead ends, slides, flumes, tunnels, bridges.
We have been focusing on communicating as a group. Learning to use eye contact, turn take and share ideas. Our weekly STEM challenges are great for practising these skills.
Pupil Voice: ‘Look this is a false end so then you have to go back and through the tunnel to get to the end.’
‘We were using our communication Cate meta-skill by sharing our ideas with each other and he used eye contact when speaking to me!’
Outdoor Learning – Positional Language
Primary 2 we’re using their knowledge of positional language words (on, under, next to, to the left) in the wildlife area. We took turns suggesting positional language and had to show it with our bodies.
We were using our focusing meta-skills to focus our attention to show positional language using the natural resources.
Pupil voice ‘Look I am on a tree!’ ‘I am on the right of the wall.’ ‘I am under the branch.’
‘look I am on the puddle but only for like a second and then I am in it!’
Our next steps are to use our positional language knowledge to instruct others where to go by writing directions.
Reading Detectives
We were using our ‘Collaborating Cora’ meta-skill today, working as a group to take turns within a group to complete a task.
We used our reading books and became detectives today we were looking for:
– Common words, words which include diagraphs and words including the letter ‘t’.
Pupil Voice:
‘I found ‘are’ on page 4 if you look next to the word Dad you will see it.’
‘My group found lots of ‘oa’ diagraph words ‘toad, load goat!’
A peerie glimpse at our Term 2 Curriculum!
Week 2: A Splash, a Stomp, and a Scurry Through the Unknow
This week in our P2 adventure series (a.k.a. our second week back at school), we discovered that children’s enthusiasm knows no bounds when it comes to exploring the great outdoors, splashing in swimming pools, and learning about creatures that prowl around in the dead of night. Let’s dive right in—or should I say, make a big cannonball splash—into what we got up to!
Botanic Garden Wonders: Nature’s Playground …
This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming visitors from the botanic gardens to our school, transforming our grounds into a miniature wilderness for the morning. Armed with knowledge, props, and a palpable passion for the outdoors, our guests captured the children’s attention from the get-go. The whole morning was dedicated to exploring nature right on our doorstep, with our little adventurers behaving wonderfully—an impressive feat given their eagerness to sprint off at the first hint of adventure.
Pool Performances: Future Olympians (Sort Of)…… Our swimming session was next. If excitement could be bottled, we’d have enough energy to light up Lerwick for a year. The splashes, the laughs, and the moments of sheer water-based exhilaration were plentiful. I’m happy to report that no staff member was accidentally soaked this time (a small but meaningful victory). We’ve got a class of enthusiastic swimmers who might just think they’re half-dolphin.
Into the Night: A Lesson on Nocturnal Animals
Back on dry land (and only slightly less wild), we delved into the mysterious world of nocturnal animals. Bats, owls, and foxes captured our attention, along with animals further afield such as racoons and lions.
Safety First: The Serious (but Fun) Bit
We’ve also been gearing up to focus on one of our school values: safety. The children were informed about our new, prestigious roles as Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSO). Think of it as donning superhero capes, but with a mission to make roads safer instead of fighting crime (although, in their minds, I’m sure the two are one and the same).
Next week, we’ll dive deeper into road safety, and I imagine our trusty new JRSOs will keep us all in check with all the seriousness of their tiny, enthusiastic hearts.
In Summary: Great Learning and Even Greater Playing
Week 2 was packed with energy, questions, and more discoveries than I can count. As the days grow darker, we’re embracing the adventure and gearing up for even more. Bring on the next week—and maybe a raincoat or two!
Welcome back!
After our October break, we kicked off the new term with an amazing Halloween party alongside the next-door P2 class. It was a fantastic way to celebrate, get moving, and try a few new things together.
🎶 Musical Monster Bumps & Statues 🎶
First, we put on our dancing shoes (and a few funny costumes) to play Musical Monster Bumps and Statues! The music played, and everyone showed off their best dance moves until it suddenly stopped—then we had to freeze like statues. Some of us had serious concentration faces, and a few funny faces snuck in too! There was plenty of laughter as everyone gave their best poses.
🧠 Finding Sweets in the “Brain”
One of the biggest challenges of the day was searching for treats inside a pumpkin “brain” (filled with slimy spaghetti!). Each of us had to reach in, feel around, and find a hidden sweet. It felt strange and squishy, but everyone gave it a try. And yes—there were plenty of “ewws!” and giggles, but by the end, each of us found a little treat to enjoy.
🌲 2D and 3D Shape Hunt with Our Buddies! 🌲
After all the indoor fun, we got outside to work with our P6 buddies on a shape hunt around the wildlife area. Together, we searched for as many 2D and 3D shapes as we could find. We spotted circles in trees, rectangles on the wall, and even discovered a few spheres and cuboids hiding in plain sight. It was a perfect way to bring our learning about shapes to life and connect with our buddies at the same time.
Our class had a fantastic return to school, and we’re excited for more learning and new adventures this term. Until next time, we’ll be keeping our eyes open for even more shapes and challenges around us!
Warm wishes from P2! 🎉
Exploring Lerwick with Primary 2: Smugglers, Maps, and Community Helpers!
Exploring Lerwick with Primary 2: Smugglers, Maps, and Community Helpers!
This term, our classroom turned into a mini Lerwick, with smugglers, lodberries, and local heroes filling our days! Teaching Primary 2 always brings surprises, but our focus on Lerwick in Shetland had us all on quite the adventure. Here’s a peek into what we’ve been up to.
Smugglers in Shetland: A Class of Curious Pirates
We delved into the exciting lives of Shetland’s smugglers, and let me tell you—there’s nothing like the thrill of teaching kids about sneaky criminals from long ago! The children were absolutely hooked on the tales of smugglers dodging the law and sneaking goods into Shetland.
And then we discovered lodberries—those quirky houses right on the water. The children were fascinated to learn these buildings had trap doors and hidden tunnels for smuggling. We created smuggler maps and discussed the items they may have taken into Shetland.
Mapping Lerwick: Geography Meets Artistic License
After our smuggler tales, we got practical with Google Maps to find Lerwick’s landmarks. Watching the kids explore a real town on a map was priceless—they were thrilled to find the harbour and Fort Charlotte, though some were more excited to point out random boats (“Look, a fishing boat!”) than the historical sites. This lead us down another rabbit hole which revolved around boats, particularly those we see in Lerwick. The children wanted to know where they went, what they did out and see and what kind of fish they caught. They were delighted when we found an online shipping map which told us exactly what we wanted to know.
Museum Day: Real-Life Artefacts (and Snacks)
No topic is complete without a museum visit, so off we went to the Shetland Museum. Once we were inside, they were fascinated by the old boats and fishing gear. There were plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” as they saw real artefacts from the past. Funnily enough, they were highly amused when they were told about past toilet practices! We went on the trip with P2A. It was a great experience and fun to get out of school for the morning – in both the teachers and children’s opinions!
People Who Help Us: Real-Life Superheroes
Of course, learning about Lerwick wouldn’t be complete without talking about the people who make the community tick. We chatted about the roles of fishermen, marine biologists, those in customer service, coastguards, and firefighters —and after learning about how they help help Shetland, the kids were ready to sign up for all the above.
Wrapping Up: Smugglers, Maps, and Local Legends
By the end of the topic, the children were practically experts on Lerwick. They could explain what a lodberry is, describe how maps help us, and talk about how important community helpers are. Most of all, they learned that even a small town like Lerwick is full of history, stories, and people who keep everything running smoothly.
I think we’ve all come away from this topic a little more curious about the world around us—and perhaps a little more interested in the secret lives of smugglers!
Small Apparatus
In PE we have been working with the games equipment, developing our individual skills.
