Dogs against Drugs and Fairytales!

This week has been packed with excitement and learning in our class! We ended the week with a very special visit from Dogs Against Drugs. A friendly dog named Bravo came to see us and shared some important messages about making safe and healthy choices. The children were thrilled to meet Bravo and asked lots of questions about how dogs help us stay safe.

After our visit, we got creative during our play time. The children wrote little notes for our stuffed toys, sharing kind messages about how they’ve been looking after their friends. They even designed a beautiful castle for Dizzy our Dragon—a project that has really brought our fairytale world to life in the classroom. Dizzy now has a proper home where he can join us on our adventures!

We also spent time listening to more fairytale stories, which filled our imaginations with magical worlds and brave characters. The stories inspired our writing and drawing activities, and we even talked about what makes a good hero and a magical setting. It was wonderful to see how excited everyone was to share their own ideas about these enchanting tales.

In numeracy, we had fun exploring numbers by adding on ten. The children were very enthusiastic about seeing how numbers grow when we add ten more, and they enjoyed using their creative thinking to solve little challenges during our activity.

To wrap up our week, we have had insightful show and tell sessions. A few children brought something special to share. Their presentations were full of enthusiasm and helped us all learn from one another.

Outdoor Learning – Numeracy

We have been learning how to collect information/data using tally charts and how to display our data in bar graphs and pictograms.

P2 suggested our next survey be to gather data about the colour of cars coming down the Sound Brae. P2 really enjoyed this experience:

Pupil Voice:

“Silver was the most popular car, I have 34 tallies”

”Blue cars were the least, I only saw 4”

”I forgot to use a diagonal line for 5 so I have taken one off the end and put it diagonally… I have 9 red cars in total”.

P2 shared their data with each other, discussing the most frequent, least, any differences and some were counting in 5s to total their information. We added our data to bar graphs, using multiples of 2 as our number topic with Ms Mitchell is counting on 2s we were applying our skills from her maths into data handling.

We’re a moving on to chance and uncertainty as our next numeracy topic with Mrs Sjoberg.

Here is what we have been up to in week 2 of the term:

Fact Families Fun

In maths, we’ve been learning about fact families. They’re groups of numbers that all work together to make different sums and differences. For example, 2 + 3 = 5, 3 + 2 = 5, 5 – 2 = 3, and 5 – 3 = 2. By the end of the week we were getting the hang of it and doing a great job with our sums.

Archery Adventures

We also had our first-ever archery lesson this week. The kids said they had a “great time.” It took a while to load our arrows and learn the basic technique. However, practice makes perfect and in our next session this process should be a bit easier.

Fairy Tales & A Dragon (Yes, Really!)

We’re diving into fairy tales this term, and this week, we read Jack and the Beanstalk. We spent the week reading the book and focusing our writing on the story. During free time some of us have been helping to paint a beanstalk to our wall so we can “climb” into fairyland. Talking of fairyland, our class got two visits from Dizzy the Dragon! He left footsteps on the floor, a trail of glitter and two letters! Dizzy has tasked us to read as many fairytales as possible throughout the term, along with turning our classroom in to a fairyland! The process has begun.  🐉

Kindness Officers On the Job

Our new role this term is being Kindness Officers. We’re coming up with ways to spread kindness in our class, like helping friends who need it, cheering people up, and giving out compliments. This ties nicely into our school values of respect and inclusion for the term.

—Primary 2

Winter tree silhouettes

We were busy making Winter tree silhouette pictures in art last term. We painted large sheets of paper in various shades of blue.

Then we cut these into strips to so we had little rectangles. We arranged the paper using our blue strips with most white nearest the moon, going out in order to our darkest blue strips furthest away.

We then make winter tree silhouettes, being careful to include some of the ground as well.

We have displayed them around the classroom door.

And so begins Term 3!

Back to School: Crafting, Creating, and Counting in the Cold!

The first week back after the holidays is always an adventure, but this one came with a frosty twist! With icy playgrounds keeping us indoors, we traded snow boots for glue sticks and got straight to work on some exciting indoor activities that kept our hands busy and our imaginations soaring.

Up Helly Aa Fever!

Excitement is building for Up Helly Aa as the children gear up for the big events later this month! This week, some students got messy with paint, using their hands to create fiery designs for a special display outside the classroom. The buzz around torches, Vikings, and celebrations is contagious – everyone is looking forward to the festivities!

Building the Perfect Home

Meanwhile, another group of budding architects turned their attention to making houses. With the precision of master builders and the creativity of true artists, they assembled and decorated their own homes made from loose parts.

Counting in Cozy Corners

Math enthusiasts spent part of the week brushing up on number bonds. There’s nothing like revisiting these foundational skills to start the term strong. From colorful counting cubes to engaging group games, the children found fun ways to master their sums.

Budding architects……

Building Nocturnal Homes: A STEM Adventure in P2

Last week, Primary 2 embarked on an exciting STEM challenge to design and create nocturnal animal dens! With teamwork, creativity, and a whole lot of imagination, the children used their engineering skills to build cozy homes for their chosen animals—complete with some unexpected luxuries like TVs and hot tubs!

Designing with Care

The challenge began with some big questions: What makes a good home for a nocturnal animal? and How can we build it using the materials we have? Working in small groups, the children chose their animals—badger, fox, owl, or hedgehog—and got to work sketching their designs.

  • “A hedgehog’s house needs lots of leaves to stay warm”
  • “Our fox needs a secret tunnel to hide”

The children carefully thought about the needs of their animals, considering shelter, safety, and comfort, all while showing off their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Creating with Junk

With their designs ready, it was time to build! Armed with junk materials like cardboard boxes, bottles, paper, and string, the groups brought their designs to life. The classroom buzzed with excitement as everyone worked together, using their meta-skills:

  • Cate the Collaborator helped them share ideas and work as a team.
  • Focusing Fergus kept everyone on track, even when things got tricky.
  • Critical Thinking Chris inspired them to problem-solve when parts of their designs didn’t go as planned.

The results were nothing short of spectacular!

  • The owl’s home had a cosy corner for resting and reflective tape so it could fly in and out of its home.
  • The badger’s den featured a television!
  • The fox’s den had a clever tunnel entrance and a hot tub.
  • The hedgehog’s house was packed with leaves and even had an extra space for the baby.

Sharing Our Creations

Once the homes were complete, each group presented their work to the class, explaining how their design met the needs of their nocturnal animal. The presentations showcased not only their creativity but also their growing confidence in speaking to an audience.

The children loved hearing about each other’s designs, and the variety of ideas sparked even more creativity!

The Aftermath

By the end of the session, the classroom was a total mess—but they children enjoyed themselves and ended the lesson with a smile on their faces.

What We Learned

This STEM challenge gave the children a chance to:

  • Apply their understanding of nocturnal animals and their habitats.
  • Use design thinking to solve real-world problems.
  • Develop collaboration, focus, and critical thinking skills through teamwork.

Next Steps

Inspired by the success of this project, the children are already asking what we can build next! Maybe a rocket for exploring the stars or a bridge for animals to cross safely?

Outdoor Learning – The pull of the tide!

Primary 2 had an exciting, hands-on learning experience at Sound Beach, where we explored the fascinating world of tides and the moon’s role in creating them. The visit combined science, fun, and a little bit of magic as the children measured tides, investigated rock pools, and enjoyed the wonders of the seaside.

Morning Mysteries: Investigating High Tide

We began our adventure in the morning, just as the tide was nearing its highest point. Armed with sticks and big imaginations, the children worked in groups to place their markers at the edge of the water. They were amazed to learn that the moon’s gravitational pull helps control the movement of the ocean!

“I wonder where the sticks will be when we come back”
” Do you think someone will steal them?”

After placing our markers, we had time to explore nearby rock pools, where we discovered tiny crabs, slippery seaweed, and even a few shiny shells that looked like treasures.

Afternoon Exploration: Low Tide Discoveries

When we returned to Sound Beach in the afternoon, the scene had completely changed! The water had pulled far back, exposing sandy stretches and more rock pools to explore. The children were thrilled to see how far their sticks were from the water now—it was a powerful visual of the tide’s movement.

“Wow!! Look how far away the water is”

“Look, our stick is still in the sand”

 

We measured the distance between the morning high tide and the afternoon low tide using footsteps, sparking lots of curiosity about how far the water travels and how the moon manages this incredible feat.

A Playful Finish

After all our hard work measuring and observing, it was time for some well-earned fun! The children jumped into rock pools, created sand angels, and even unearthed a few “hidden treasures” like shells and smooth pebbles.

What We Learned

Back in the classroom, we talked about how the moon’s gravity pulls on the Earth’s water, creating high and low tides.

JRSO

Junior Road Safety Officers in Action: Promoting “Be Bright and Be Seen”

This term, our Primary 2 class has taken on the exciting role of Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs), exploring ways to stay safe on and near roads. The children have been enthusiastic participants in various engaging activities designed to teach them how to keep themselves and others safe. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to!

Creative Posters: Spreading the Message

Our budding artists turned into safety advocates during a poster-making session to promote the importance of being visible while near roads. Using bright highlighters, glitter, and bold designs, the children illustrated key messages, ensuring they would catch the eye of anyone passing by.

Here’s what some of the pupils had to say about their creations:

  • “Be bright and be seen!”
  • “You need to wear something bright so the cars can see you in the dark”

The finished posters are now proudly displayed around the classroom and will be shown at the school assembly next week.

Learning from the Lollipop Man

Our local lollipop man, Tony, visited the class to share his wisdom about staying safe on the roads. The children listened intently as he explained how he helps people cross roads safely and why it’s important to stop, look, and listen before crossing.

A Crossing Demonstration

The highlight of the afternoon was a practical demonstration where Tony showed the children exactly how to cross safely, emphasizing the importance of waiting for cars to stop before stepping onto the road.

After the demonstration, the pupils practiced crossing under supervision, confidently repeating key lessons:

  • “It’s safe to cross at a zebra crossing”
  • “You should not run on the road.”

Why JRSO Activities Matter

These activities are part of our wider road safety focus, helping our young learners develop lifelong skills and awareness about staying safe in different environments. By combining creative tasks, hands-on experiences, and expert advice, the children are not only learning but actively advocating for road safety within their community.

We’re proud of our Junior Road Safety Officers for their hard work and enthusiasm in promoting these important messages. Keep an eye out for their dazzling posters around school, and remember:
Be bright, be seen, and stay safe!

Metacognition skills: communicating, collaborating, leading, creativity, focusing

Block Play

Look at our fantastic block play models from the year so far. The pupils block play has been progressing all term.  Pupils are now really motivated to build at height, to make patterns with loose parts and to create stories around their buildings.

So many meta-skills are observed in block play in P2A, communicating, focusing, collaborating, initiative, critical thinking to name a few.  Pupils are beginning to link their play to the meta-skills themselves here are some pupil quote from today:

‘We made a castle, with a pool and a rainbow bridge for diving in. Me and my friends were being focusing Fergus a – we couldn’t figure out how to balance the bridge then we moved some blocks and it worked!’

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