Science-Plants and Trees
We have found so much joy in watching our seeds grow. You may have noticed lots of plants dotted around our school grounds. Each class have provided ‘the right’ conditions for our seeds to grow. We are currently growing: strawberries, beans, peas, mint, chive and willow.
This week we have all been on a field walk to identify deciduous and ever green trees/plants. We used a key to help us look at the leaves and identify the name of the tree. We then thought about if the leaves were waxy and spiky. These two elements often indicate an evergreen plant.
Photo credit: 1A pupils.
Help at home: Can your child tell you what a seed needs to grow? Can they name the parts of a tree and plant?
Living and Learning – 5-a-day
In Key Stage One (KS1) we are always learning about ways to keep our bodies healthy. Sleep, exercise and diet are huge factors. This week we have focused on the health benefits of eating five fruits or vegetables each day. The NHS website has top tips for making sure you are eating the right amount to class as one portion.
Help at home: Why not help your child to make a healthy ‘food swap’. Could a packet of crisps be swapped for an apple (especially on the days that you haven’t yet eaten 5-a-day?)
Wildflower garden – a place for mindfulness
We have been able to enjoy our new wildflower garden area today. It is a space for reflection, enjoying nature and being peaceful.
Thank you to the Garforth and District Lions for donating the benches too.
Deciduous or evergreen?
This half term, KS1 have been learning all about plants and trees in Science. During the past two weeks, our focus has been on trees in particular. We know that deciduous trees loose their leaves but evergreen trees keep their leaves throughout all of the seasons.
We started off by sorting trees, based on their leaves into 2 groups.
We have also been on the field this week to find out what type of trees are growing. We found out that most of the trees are deciduous. The most common was a lime tree.
We also found one evergreen tree on the field and this was a pine tree. We know pine trees are often found in colder climates. Their waxy coating helps to protect the leaves from ice.
(Thank you parents for allowing our Science lesson to happen by sending children in with wellies this week.)
Apostrophes
For the past two weeks, Year 2 have been learning all about apostrophes and how to use them. We have been learning to make and write contractions (where we push two words together, lose a letter or two and replace with an apostrophe). We’ve also been learning to show possession using apostrophes.
See some of our fantastic work!
A visit to Scholes Library
On Tuesday, KS1 visited Scholes Library where Madeleine welcomed us with open arms. She talked about the library, how it works and how you can join. The children were given time to explore the library and to look for books to bring back to school to support our learning. Everyone had a lovely time and we’re looking forward to our next visit. Thank you to Madeleine and to all the volunteers who helped us on the day.
Help at home: Talk to your child about the library and let them show you where Scholes Library is. Perhaps you would even consider joining the library?
We Are Explorers!
Over the last two weeks in KS1, we have begun the journey on this half term’s topic ‘Explorers.’ We have learnt the names of the 7 continents and the names of the five oceans by using catchy songs to help us (links below.) We have located them on maps and globes and in atlases too.
We talked about how different countries can have very different temperatures and we thought about why this could be. The ‘Arctic/North Pole’ and ‘Antarctic/South Pole’ have very different temperatures to those countries that sit on the equator. We plotted them on a map and we noticed that the further away from the equator you go, the colder the temperature. We talked about this being because the Arctic and the Antarctic are further away from the Sun than the equator.
Help at home:
- Discuss different countries and their temperatures with your child. Perhaps you or someone you know have been on holiday to somewhere hotter than the UK. Why was that country hotter than England? Can you find different countries on a map (including Google maps)? Which country would be the colder one? Why?
- You could also sing the Seven Continents Geography Song and the Five Oceans Song with your child:
Living and learning – dental health
Our Living and Learning lessons have all been about dental health this week. We talked about why we need to brush our teeth, who can help us take care of our teeth and how we can take care of our teeth.
We used these pictures to talk about who and how we can take care of our teeth.
Help at home by making sure your child brushes their teeth regularly and properly.
Fractions
Year 2 are currently learning all about fractions. We have learnt about half, quarter and thirds.
Each lesson we begin by recapping what each fraction represents.
Half means 2 equal parts.
Quarter means 4 equal parts.
Third means 3 equal parts.
We know equal is a very important word when discussing fractions. (Equal means the same amount). A shape for example, can be divided into several parts, but the parts may not be equal. See an example below.
We know that one half equals the same as two quarters.
We don’t just divide shapes into equal parts though. This can also be done with even numbers.
Help at home: by finding objects around the house (such as fruit, sweets or toys) and encourage your child to divide them into groups of 2, 3 or 4 and discuss.
Scholes in Bloom flower bed competition winner
Larraine came in to our assembly in school on Monday this week. She announced the winner of the competition. It was chosen because of the eye-catching design featuring lovely bright coloured stripes and a love heart. The winning design will be made using flowers in the bed outside the school on Morwick Grove.
Well done to the runners up too.
