Level 2: Connect
Dear Parents and Carers,
There is not long to go until the end of term! We are very excited about our upcoming excursion and look forward to celebrating all the wonderful learning, growth and hard work our students have demonstrated throughout the term. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and cannot wait to finish the term with some special experiences and happy memories together.
We encourage families to continue supporting 20 minutes of reading at home each day. Regular reading makes such a difference in building fluency, confidence and comprehension. Please remind your child to change their take-home books at school when needed so they always have something new and engaging to read at home. Just a reminder, that 2A and 2B students visit the library on Wednesdays and 2C go on Tuesdays.
Thank you for your continued support!
Kym Seccull, Zoe Whitaker, Jess Steel & Sean Daley
English
Core Literacy
In Core Literacy, students have been busy strengthening their spelling and phonics skills. We have been learning about when the letter patterns ‘or’ and ‘ar’ make the /er/ sound, such as in doctor and dollar. Students have also explored Rabbit and Tulip syllables, learning how to divide and decode two-syllable words by looking closely at the vowels and consonants. Alongside this new learning, students have continued revisiting and consolidating the sounds, spelling patterns and concepts covered throughout Term 3. This review is helping them build confidence and apply their growing literacy knowledge more independently in their reading and writing.
Reading & Writing
In Literacy, we have finished reading Swifty and have recently focused on the book Little Bird’s Day. Through this text, students explored sequencing events, how changes in the weather influence an animal’s actions and how illustrations can support and extend the meaning of a story. Students also practised making inferences by combining clues from the words and pictures with their prior knowledge to develop a deeper understanding of the text.
We are now beginning The Bush Birds by Bridget Farmer. This book is a hybrid text that combines poetry and informative writing. Students will explore how the author uses rhyme, illustrations and the birds’ points of view to engage readers while also sharing factual information about Australian birds.
Maths
In Mathematics, our Year 2 students have been developing their understanding of multiplication and division through hands-on activities using equal groups and arrays. Students have explored how objects can be organised into equal rows and groups to represent multiplication problems, and how a collection can be shared or divided equally. They have been practising drawing arrays, making equal groups and using repeated addition to explain their thinking. These activities are helping students build strong foundations for understanding the connection between multiplication and division.
We continue to encourage students to continue practising their 2s, 5s and 10s times tables at home to build fluency and confidence in recalling these facts by heart. Students can also practise representing each fact using drawings, equal groups, arrays, repeated addition or number sentences to strengthen their understanding of how multiplication works.
Inquiry
We have begun a mini inquiry cycle exploring Ancient Greece. Students have been eager to learn about the history of Europe, the origins of the Olympic Games and what daily life was like for the Spartans. They have enjoyed asking thoughtful questions, sharing their discoveries and developing a greater understanding of how people lived in the ancient world.
Healesville Sanctuary Excursion
Students must arrive at school by 8:15 amso the roll can be marked before we depart promptly at 8:30 am. Students must wear their full school uniform and bring a school hat. They may bring a small backpack instead of their usual school bag; however, their regular school bag is also fine. Please pack a water bottle and a nude-food lunchbox with minimal wrappers. We expect to return to school by 3:30 pm.
If you have any questions, please speak to your classroom teacher.
Wellbeing
Our Year 2 students enjoyed participating in the Find Ya Feet incursion last Monday, where they explored what it means to be a good friend and the importance of having a 'solid' friend. Through engaging activities and discussions, students learnt about the importance of kindness, empathy, respect and including others. They also considered ways to manage friendship challenges, communicate positively and make choices that help others feel safe, valued and supported. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to strengthen their social skills and reflect on how they can be a great friend to others.