Classroom Gallery 

Year Two Newsletter

Year Two have had a wonderful and very busy term of learning. It has been great to see the students working so hard in the classroom and showing enthusiasm across all areas of learning. We have packed a lot into the term and have enjoyed watching students grow in confidence, challenge themselves and celebrate their achievements along the way. With just over a week to go, Year Two are looking forward to a well-earned break over the school holidays.

Maths - Subtraction

Year 2 students have been working hard to develop their subtraction skills using a range of mental and written strategies over the past few weeks. We have been practising the jump strategy on empty number lines to support students in visualising counting back and breaking larger numbers into smaller, manageable parts. Students have also been using mental strategies such as partitioning to solve problems with increasing confidence. More recently, we have been exploring inverse operations and learning that subtraction problems can be checked by thinking about the related addition fact—for example, checking 62 − 45 by asking, “45 plus what equals 62?” It has been wonderful to see students becoming more flexible and confident in the way they approach mathematical thinking and problem solving.

Tips for Parents - using addition and subtraction to solve problems

You can help your Year 2 child at home by:

• practising quick recall of double numbers to 10. Use double domino tiles to extend thinking to doubling numbers to 20
• finding and discussing numbers in everyday life that are not meant to be used with place value, such as phone numbers, pin numbers, bus numbers and postcodes
• using number bonds, or ‘friends of 10’, to assist with simple addition and subtraction problems. For example, 4 + 6 = 10, 6 + 4 = 10, 10 - 4 = 6, 10 - 6 = 4
• How To Teach Number Bonds? | Maths – No Problem!
• using number bonds to solve addition problems by making groups of 10. For example, the problem of 26 + 8 can be solved by taking 4 from the 8 and adding it to the 26. The new problem of 30 + 4 is much easier to solve
• solving problems using their knowledge of doubles. For example, the problem 8 + 9 can been seen as double 8 (8 + 8) which is 16. Add one more to make 17

• building number bond knowledge to understand ‘friends of 20’. These number pairs are 11 and 9, 12 and 8, 13 and 7, 14 and 6, 15 and 5.

   

Please see Tallulah O’Brien’s clever work below.

Religion

In Religion we have been learning all about the sacrament of baptism. We have shared photos and memories from some of our own baptisms and learned about the special signs and symbols used in this sacrament.

We are so lucky that we will be able to witness the baptism of our very own class member, Evelyn Williams, next Friday at Mass. We are very much looking forward to this special celebration, good luck Evelyn!

English

In English, Year Two students have been reading the book Under the Southern Cross, by Frané Lessac. It has been a wonderful journey touring Australia at night through the pages, allowing us to learn about many diverse and unique places across our country. We have really enjoyed making personal connections to the text, sharing stories of the places we have visited, and discovering new locations we would love to explore.

After reading the book, Year Two students chose a place that they would like to send a brief post card from. 

Please see some of our work below.

Dear Amelia,

I hope you get this and the Aurora Australis bright colours shine brightly in the sky. It has been a spectacular experience so far. I miss you so, so much. I wish you could come, I miss you so much. From Heidi

                                                                           By Heidi Hoy

Dear Dad,

I am sending this from Sydney to you Dad and I love you Dad. I was on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Fireworks.

Love Wally

                                                                         By Wally Cameron

Dear Nina, 

Today I am writing from Mon Repos. We saw lots of little hatchlings crawling from their nests in the sand and they were so cute. They fell over. The little turtles paddled out to sea. 

From Anna

                                                                         By Anna Blomfield

Dear Alfie,

I am in the Daintree Rainforest and I’m on the river right now and I can see the saltwater crocs bright red eyes, they look like shiny red dots. There’s also lots more Australian animals around like emus and dingos. 

From Harry K.

                                                                         By Harry King