Year 2 Information letter 2016

Dear parents and carers, welcome to 2016.

We have had a smooth start to the year and the children have settled in well. We look forward to meeting you throughout the year.

The following information letter is to inform you about our programs this year.

Numeracy:

We start each day with 30 minutes of counting, number fact games and activities. This is followed by an hour of learning the fortnightly maths topic.

Children are grouped according to their learning needs and each group has its own specific learning Intention. The children are asked to discuss their learning intentions each lesson to ensure they understand what they are learning and then reflect on their success at the end of each lesson.

Literacy

Learning To Read.

Children will learn to read according to their own pace. When children are learning to walk and talk we accept different levels of progress- it is the same with learning to read and write.

You can help your child to read unfamiliar words by-

  • Looking at the illustration and see if there are any clues there.
  • Go back to the beginning of the sentence and re-read what you read.
  • Checking if the word looks right,sounds rightand makes sense.
  • Read on and collect other clues.

If your child is having trouble reading a book try any of the following-

  • Read the story to them. (and they can try it afterwards if they want to)
  • Read aloud and together.
  • Take turns at reading a page or paragraph each.
  • Choose a different book to read.

Learning to write.

In the classrooms the teacher will model the writing for the students to show them the skill they are learning. Before writing begins the students have a chance to talk about the topic and expand their ideas. Learning new vocabulary will assist the students with both their reading and writing.

Writing At Home

Encourage your child to write by giving them relevant and meaningful purposes for writing. This could include things such as writing the shopping list, sending a card or letter to Grandma, sending e-mails or text messages, and keeping a diary of a holiday. Provide writing materials and a quiet place to write.

Include children in conversations that will help to build their vocabulary.

Talk to your child about the writing they have done with ‘tell me’ questions eg. Tell me about this work? Tell me what you liked about this writing?

Home work in year one and two is our take home reader.

The books sent home are designed to be relatively easy for your child to read.

Your role as a parent is to encourage your child to enjoy reading, to practice and praise. Enjoy the story together.

It is expected that children will read most nights however families get busy and we understand that on some nights you just can’t fit in the reader.

As your child gets better at reading, the books will become longer. We still need to know your child is reading so return the book each day and in the comment section just write the chapter or page the child is up to.

Camp.

Year 2 sleep over will be heldon Friday September the 9th. The children will be provided with supper and breakfast and a range of super fun activities. We sleep in the year 3 and 4 classrooms. The boys sleep in one area and girls sleep in another. The approximate cost is $8 per students.

In Grade 2, your child will need:

  • A re-usable water bottle.

Water is vital to keep our brains active and is very important when we do brain gym.

  • A fabric library bag in order to borrow books from the library (no bag, no borrowing).
  • Brain food - Children are also encouraged to have a small container of dried fruit/plain popcorn or sliced vegetables to help keep brains active.
  • A family size box of tissues. (Home Brand is fine) so that we have an adequate supply of tissues for the year.
  • Headphones – very handy for reading and maths online.

Independence

Year 2 is the last year your child is in the infant department. Your child will be working towards developing greater independence in preparation for next year. Please help your child by allowing them to pack and unpack their own belongings, take care of their own things, tidy their own space (including their rooms), tie their shoelaces and make their own snacks e.g a sandwich.

Parent Helpers

We would love parent helpers. Any parent who is able to spare some of their valuable time to help in our room, could they please contact their classroom teacher to arrange a suitable time.

Mrs Newstead, Ms Tyza, Ms Davies, Mrs Scolyer and Ms Oz.