ST.MARY’S C.E. (VA)
PRIMARYSCHOO L
NORTHCHURCH
BERKHAMSTED
HERTS
HP4 3QZ
Headteacher: Miss V Hunt
Tel: 01442 389040 Fax: 01442 390589
email: admin@stmarys916.herts.sch.uk
Welcome back! I hope you all had a lovely Easter break. Thank you all for all your messages of support when I
was away for the last few weeks of last term, it really meant a lot to me. I know the children were well looked
after and their learning continued, and I am so happy to be back.
Our whole school theme for this half term is ‘Into The Wild’. It is a short half term however it will still be very
busy! Our learning has already started with a visit from ‘Nite Owls’, which I’m sure the children have told you all
about! We will be learning about Animals and their Habitats in both Science and Geography, which will link
brilliantly with our class trip to College Lake at the end of the term. For a more detailed overview of what we will
be learning in each subject, please see overleaf.
STAFFING
Mrs Archbold will continue to teach the children on a Wednesday afternoon, the rest of the time the children
will be taught by myself.
PE KITS
The children will need both indoor and outdoor PE kits in school at all times, including trainers and plimsolls.
HOMEWORK
Reading
Children will continue to bring home 2 ‘choice books’ every week, one of which is appropriate for their reading
ability, and the other which they have chosen from our Reading corner. Please share these with your child and
sign the Reading Record card. Children who read at home four times a week are rewarded with a certificate.
Reading books are changed on a Friday, please ensure children have both books in school with them every
day.
Spellings
Spellings will continue to be sent home according to your child’s ability. They will be given out along with
Homework on a Friday and tested the following Friday. Children will be praised for their achievements, and
practise at home will make a big difference. Asking your child to put their spellings into a sentence will also
ensure that they fully understand what the words mean, and will help them to remember their spellings when
writing in class.
If your child is currently using ‘Write Words’, this will continue instead of weekly spellings.
Love one another John13V.34
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Literacy and Numeracy
One piece of Numeracy and one piece of Literacy homework, or a topic based activity, will continue to be sent
home every Friday as normal. These pieces of work will consolidate what we have been learning in school that
week. Homework books will be handed in, checked and acknowledged every Thursday.
CLASS NOTICES
Our trip to College Lake is on Tuesday 19th May, please see the letter for more details.
This half term the children will also be completing their SATs tests. For those of you who would like further
information or would like to ask questions about what the SATs are and what they will entail, the information
meeting is on Wednesday 22nd April at 3pm. If you cannot attend this meeting then please feel free to
organise another time to meet with me via your child’s link book.
A REMINDER THAT YOU CAN COME AND SEE US ANY TIME…
If there is something worrying you about your child’s education then I am keen to help. Please do come and
see me if you have any questions or worries, or alternatively please write in your child’s link book.
Many thanks
Miss A Waterhouse
Love one another John13V.34
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An overview of learning for this half term in Year 2
Understanding English,
Communication and languages
Mathematical Understanding
Religious Education
(Speaking & Listening, Reading, Writing, MfL)
- writing character descriptions, using
adjectives, adverbs and paragraphs
- understanding the features of, and writing
our own, information texts
- responding to and discussing a story
- writing in role as a character
- planning, writing and publishing our own
stories.
Grammatical skills, handwriting, phonics,
spellings and reading will be taught daily
within whole class sessions
Scientific and Technological
Understanding
(Taught by Mrs Archbold)
- problem solving activities
- understanding numbers and the number
system, including place value, sequences and
rounding.
- knowing and describing the properties of
numbers, i.e. odd/even, multiples.
- knowing the multiplication and division facts
for the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, and solving
related questions in the context of money and
measures.
- understanding and describing 2D and 3D
shapes, including symmetry and right angles.
-
Puzzling and interesting
questions we may not know
the answer to
-
That Christians believe in
God, who cannot be seen, but
cares for all people.
-
To connect ideas about God
with stories from the Bible.
That images and symbols can
help us to think about God.
Historical, Geographical and Social
Understanding
(Science, Design & Technology)
Animals and their Habitats
Naming and describing a range of
different animals, including their
features
Understanding the life cycle of
different animals
Identifying and comparing
different habitats, and how
animals are suited to particular
habitats.
RE is taught by Mrs S Archbold, this
half term the children will be learning
about:
ICT
(PSHE, History, Geography)
Geography:
Identifying and comparing different
habitats around the World.
PSHE: Relationships
-
Exploring how our actions can affect
other people, including looking at
bullying
Identify and respect similarities and
differences between people
Understanding the Arts
-
Understanding physical Development,
health and wellbeing.
- ‘Starting Research’
- Understanding how to use the Internet
safely and responsibly.
- Exploring how to use the Internet to
research a particular topic
- Use software to mind map ideas, and
store and organise information.
(Art and Design, Music, Drama, Dance)
(Physical Education, Personal and Economic
Wellbeing)
Games will take place every Thursday
afternoon. This half term the unit will focus
on dribbling, hitting and kicking. We will
explore working with a partner in invasion
games, using equipment and
understanding how to improve.
Dance will be taught every Tuesday
morning, focussing on Country Dancing.
We will explore working with a partner to
perform basic country dancing steps and
sequences, and working on keeping in time
to the music.
Art and Design
- using Art materials to make our own animals
and 3D habitats.
Music
-
-
To know that sounds can be used
descriptively, including to describe an
environment.
To learn about sounds make by
different sources
To know how sounds can be
changed and combined.
Love one another John13V.34
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