Grade 2

Dates to Remember:

Week 3: Parent/Teacher Starting Right Conversations 

Week 7: (Monday 13th March) Labour Day Public Holiday  

Welcome to our Grade Two families.

We hope you all had a great break. We have enjoyed launching the year with our ‘Starting Right Program’. This involves activities to help the students settle in to the routines of school, build friendships and further develop their sense of self and social skills.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO HAVE AT SCHOOL 

• A big smile!
• A sun smart hat (to be worn from September to April)
• A drink bottle containing water for use in class
• Library bag and Art Smock
• Large zip bag/satchel to store take home readers and spelling (provided) 
• Diary (these are checked regularly)
• Snack and lunch (nude food please – healthy with no packaging)
• Brain food- a piece of fruit or small container with fruit or vegetables to eat in the morning
• Labels on EVERYTHING!

Term Overview:

Reading 

In Reading for Term 1, Grade 2 students will be focussing on reading with accuracy and the comprehension of fiction and non-fiction texts. The students will be reading a variety of text types and responding to them by completing entries in their Reader’s Notebooks. They will concentrate on increasing reading stamina and choosing ‘good fit’ books, as well as learning strategies to improve their fluency and expression. Students will explore concepts such as text-text connections and differences, investigating nonfiction text features such as headings, subheadings, photographs, captions and maps, as well as retelling facts that have been read.   

Writing 

In Writing for Term 1, the Grade 2 students will spend the first few weeks setting up expectations for a functioning writing community. They will learn how to use the Writer’s Notebook to collect ideas and elaborate on them through narratives, drawing, brainstorming and wondering. Later in the term, students will use writing to reflect on real world experiences, including garden walks and nature observation.  

In SMART Spelling, students will develop independent procedures for completing spelling practice both at home and at school. They will learn about a range of different spelling rules and sounds and explore using these in their writing.  

Maths 

In Maths this Term, students will learn about a range of mathematical concepts within the three strands of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. At the start of this term we will have a particular focus on place value, skip counting and number sequences. Students will continue to use Essential Assessment to assist us in targeting learning specifically to the needs of our students. Students will work on individual learning goals set by these platforms, to help practise and strengthen their understanding of the concepts covered during whole class lessons. 

Inquiry 

In Inquiry this semester, students will be investigating the ways in which they experience and express emotions, as well as their sense of belonging and interconnectedness within their shared communities. The development of students’ speaking and listening, and teamwork skills will be fostered through active investigations throughout the semester. 

Positive Education 

At BHPS, we teach Positive Education using the P.E.R.M.A. model and Character Strengths to help students learn the competencies and skills they need to build resilience and effectively manage their emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. 

During Term 1 In Positive Education, the Grade 2 students will be focussing on a character strength each week which will be outlined on our wellbeing blog: https://wellbeingforprimaryschoolstudents.edublogs.org/ 

There will also be a weekly explicit teaching and learning session related to the character strength as outlined below: 

Week 3, Love of Learning, Goal Setting 

Week 4, Kindness, Respectful Relationships 

Week 5, Friendship, Zones of Regulation 

Week 6, Persistence, Zones of Regulation 

Week 7, Teamwork, Respecting others physical space 

Week 8, Self-Control, Diversity & Inclusion 

Week 9, Self-Belief, Personal Strengths 

Week 10, Gratitude, Gratitude