November Update
Oh, it's cold outside...
Well, what a very busy month we have had! The boys and girls were delighted to welcome our student Miss MacRae to our class to support us with our learning. I say it often, but the boys and girls in Primary 2 Alpha are truly such a credit to their lovely parents at home. They welcomed Miss MacRae with open arms and I know that we are all going to miss her as she moves on to pastures new. Well done boys and girls for showing Miss MacRae what kind, thoughtful and wonderful children we have here at Maidenhill.
We have been extremely busy this last few weeks learning a variety of strategies to support us with our reading in particular! The children have been working hard to use the clues in the text (the pictures and words) to help to compare and contrast characters from different stories, to make sensible predictions and to sequence stories effectively! We are definitely growing in confidence in being able to share our thoughts about the stories and texts that we read and to support our ideas with evidence from the book too. Well done 2 Alpha! Miss MacRae planned a super story writing input too, helping the children to build their stories in detail by exploring the characters, setting and events using adjectives to help us to create a picture for the reader. I know that both she and I were so impressed by the children's writing, keep up the good work!
In maths we have been exploring a variety of units of measure and everybody's favourite - money! The children were full of questions about where money comes from and how bank cards work too, sorry Mums and Dads... We are excellent at being able to identify, sort and order different coins and notes and will be moving on to calculating change from £1 soon too. We have continued to build our knowledge of numbers to 100 and beyond with sequencing, identifying patterns and counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. Of course, we have also been working on our addition and subtraction strategies, problem solving together. Well done boys and girls!
Our wider context for learning this block was Our Planet and the Solar System. The children have loved learning about the importance of the water cycle for life on Earth and our place in the solar system. I was so proud of the children's efforts for our home learning project too. The children were able to present their research to their classmates with such creativity and confidence, it was truly such a joy to see! Of course, how can we talk about our last bundle of learning without mentioning the biggest excitement of them all - the boys and girls first ever school trip to the Science Centre! The children had an absolutely wonderful time, travelling on the bus, exploring the floors of the Science Centre and visiting the 3D I-MAX. Safe to say that the children had the most wonderful time. A very big thanks to all of our kind parent helpers. Without you, these trips would not be possible and we are so very grateful for you support.
Just a little note, as the weather is plummeting, to remind all the boys and girls to please bring hats, gloves and scarves for the weather. It's soooooo cold and slippy outside in the playground, I hate to think of anyone being too cold. I wear two jackets when I am outside on playground duty, although the happy smiles on my P2 Alpha's faces most definitley keep my heart warm.
What's coming next
As we enter into December our rehearsals for the Nativity play are now in full swing! The children were all asked to select their preferences of groups to help to prepare for the show and were absolutely delighted to discover that all had been allocated to their first choices which was fantastic to see. Our band, props and scenery, dancers and actors all come back along to class in the afternoons with great big smiles on their faces and so I am certain that our nativity this year will be a huge success. I think that Mr Edge has popped a few of the songs up on Google Classroom to help practise at home, please feel free to practise when you can (and ask the boys and girls to show you our silly vocal warms ups!). Tickets should be available for purchase via Parent Pay, although if there are any problems, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the school office.
After a little pause, DLL will be back up and running again in the mornings to continue to help to support our literacy, and particularly reading, skills. With all the excitement of festivities around the corner, we will still be working away on Literacy and Maths to keep that super progress that we are making going and to help give a little structure to our days. I believe that Mr Edge has started up Muddy Mondays! This sounds like a lot of fun. I cannot wait to hear what the children have been up to in the secret garden.
Muddy mondays
Each Monday we set aside time to take our learning outdoors. Come rain or shine, each week we take part in a variety of different activities to enhance our learning and explore the natural world.
Our first week, back in November, started with us exploring the Secret Garden to find evidence of Autumn - fallen leaves, bare trees, pine cones on the ground etc. We then got into groups to create our own drama scenes, using different aspects of the Autumn season. Some groups representing celebrations on bonfire night, pumpkins being carved, and firewood being prepared.
This week winter had definitely arrived! All wrapped up, we headed out to the Secret Garden. We developed our technology skills, using screwdrivers and saws, and used different things we found to create winter artwork/ sculptures. We had birds nests, snow covered bridges, and plenty of snowmen!
Additionally, the children developed their ability to risk assess. We talked about the different risks we might encounter with the snow/ ice and how we might use the space safely. It was fantastic to see them, throughout the afternoon, working out how to explore the space and engage in their activities safely. With the few 'snow days' we get in Glasgow, the children took full advantage to also engage in some outdoor play, using the hillside for some sledging - never have they appreciated waterproof trousers more!
Thank you for supplying your children with their 'Muddy Mondays' clothing. It allows them to fully engage in the space, regardless of the weather, while keeping their uniforms clean!
“If children grow up not knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it, and if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it, and if they don’t protect it, who will?” - David Attenborough