Year 2 Celebration Newsletter

Dear Grade 2 Families,

As we approach the end of the year, it’s time to reflect on the incredible growth and achievements of our Grade 2 students. This term has been a fantastic journey filled with learning, laughter, and exploration. Here's a snapshot of what we've been up to in Literacy this term.

Literacy Adventures in Reading

Our young readers and writers have dived deep into the world of literature, honing their skills in:

Predicting: Making thoughtful guesses about what might happen next in a story.
Determining Importance: Identifying key ideas and details in texts.
Literal and Inferential Questions: Answering questions that rely on facts in the text and those that require reading between the lines.
Text Structures and Features: Exploring how texts are organised and understanding elements such as headings, captions, and diagrams.

Author Studies

This term, we focused on three remarkable authors: Phil Cummings, Margaret Wild, and Narelle Oliver. Through an in-depth analysis of their works, students discovered:

Similarities and differences between the authors’ writing styles, illustrations, and storytelling techniques.
Common themes, such as resilience, friendship, and the beauty of nature, that connect their books.
How authors use words and visuals to create emotion and engage readers.

Each student showed incredible enthusiasm in comparing the books, sharing their insights, and applying their learning to their own writing.

Writing

This term in writing, our Year 2 students have been immersed in the world of narrative storytelling. They have explored how to structure a story, use engaging and descriptive language, and bring their creative ideas to life. Each student crafted their own unique narrative, featuring an interesting character, an exciting problem, a vivid setting, and a thoughtful solution. These beautifully published pieces are a testament to their hard work and imagination and will be proudly showcased in their portfolios for you to enjoy.

Mathematical Discoveries

This term, our budding mathematicians have expanded their knowledge and skills in:

Place Value: Understanding the value of digits within numbers and using this knowledge to solve problems.
Fractions: Exploring halves, quarters, and beyond, and discovering how fractions are part of our everyday lives.
Data and Graphing: Collecting, organising, and interpreting data to create graphs.

ICT Integration

We also embraced technology to enhance our learning! Using ICT tools, students:

Collated data by conducting surveys and tallying results.
Created bar graphs, pictographs, and pie charts to represent their findings visually.
Interpreted their graphs to answer real-world questions, developing critical thinking and analytical skills.

Our hands-on activities and use of technology allowed students to see the practical applications of math and build confidence in their abilities.

Inquiry

In Inquiry this term, our Year 2 students became little scientists as they explored the fascinating world of mixing materials. Through hands-on experiments, they investigated what happens when different ingredients are combined, observing changes like fizzing, bubbling, or new textures forming. These experiments sparked curiosity and encouraged students to think critically about the science behind everyday materials, making learning both exciting and engaging!

Wellbeing

This Semester, our Year 2 students continued to participate in the Wellbeing Resilience Project session, which focused on building emotional strength and fostering positive relationships. Through activities like creating a "Kindness Tree," where students wrote thoughtful and uplifting messages about their classmates, they learned the power of kindness and gratitude. In the "When I Grow Up" lessons, students reflected on their dreams and aspirations, sparking meaningful conversations about their goals and the steps to achieve them. These lessons have helped students develop empathy, resilience, and a deeper sense of community, equipping them with valuable tools for their future.

Colour Fun Run

The Colour Fun Run was a highlight of the term, filling the day with excitement, laughter, and a splash of vibrant colors! Our Year 2 students showed incredible energy and enthusiasm as they ran, jogged, and danced their way through the colorful obstacle course. With every burst of color, their smiles grew brighter, and the cheers from friends, family, and teachers created an atmosphere of pure joy. This fun-filled event not only celebrated fitness and teamwork but also brought our school community closer together, leaving everyone with unforgettable memories (and plenty

of colorful clothes)!

Excursion

This term, our Year 2 students had an unforgettable excursion to Sovereign Hill, where history came to life! The children experienced the excitement of gold panning, with many discovering their own flecks of gold in the creek. They ventured underground in the Red Hill Mine, gaining insight into the challenging lives of gold miners in the 1850s. An engaging education session on ‘Then and Now’ helped students compare life during the gold rush era to today, sparking curiosity and meaningful discussions. This hands-on experience brought their history lessons to life and created memories they’ll treasure forever.

We are incredibly proud of all the hard work and enthusiasm our Grade 2 students have shown this term. Their progress across various subjects and their commitment to their personal growth have been truly impressive. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. We wish them all the best as they continue their learning in Year 3!

PERFORMING ARTS

This term Grade 1 and 2 students explored the concept of inclusion, exclusion and empathy through media when creating their own short Clay-Mation stop-motion films. Students enjoyed working collaboratively to plan and develop their short films and extended their digital technology skills when using the iPads to take their photos and edit their stories. In the second half of the term, Grade 1 and 2 students enjoyed rehearsing for the Kismet Christmas Carols and built their on-stage confidence when they shared their performance with the Kismet Community.

VISUAL ARTS

This term, students had the opportunity to learn about the rich culture and traditions of the Aboriginal people of Australia. They discovered that stories about the land, animals, ancestors, and the Dreamtime are shared through spoken stories and shown in artwork.

Lessons focused on identifying subject matter in an artwork, recognising visual elements such lines and symbols and applying new learning to their own artwork. Students explored a number of experiences - creating an artistic map of Australia using Indigenous designed papers and dot painting technique, a painting of their ‘Special Place’ and an oil pastel drawing of their ‘spirit animals’. Students also created unique Poppy flowers using paper collage and fineliner pens for our commemorative school display.

JAPANESE

This term in Japanese, the Grade 1 and 2 students developed their Japanese vocabulary through two topics: self-introductions and days of the week. Students were supported to revise previously learned vocabulary for their self-introductions and to build on this to include their name, age, birthday and likes. Students used flashcards to help with their recall of the days of the week. They participated in games and songs to support their learning. Students developed their reading and writing skills through tracing and copying activities of the focus vocabulary (days of the week and self-introductions). Students learned about the importance of culture and language, and made connections to our First Nation’s peoples by learning vocabulary in Woiwurrung and Japanese. Students participated in rotational activities to support their engagement and learning of term 4 vocabulary, as well as revising previously learned vocabulary.

In Grade 1-2 PE classes, students further developed their foundational movement skills through engaging and interactive activities. They took part in more organized games and sports, learning basic rules and teamwork. Students also explored concepts like spatial awareness and improved their social skills through cooperative play. Students begun to take some control of their learning by designing their own mini golf course to be played by themselves and their classmates.