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!’

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! 🎉