Happy New Year!

Year 2 have settled well into the new term and are ready and eager for their new learning.

We have begun our new topic where we are learning all about Pirates.

This week we have explored what it was like to be a pirate and take part in many adventures. We decided to make our own pirate crew so we all completed a job application where we outlined our special skills and experiences for the job.

Captain Smith will be looking at all of the applications and expects to be employing a quartermaster, helmsman and mate very soon!

Arrrrrrrr!

On Friday Year 2 performed their class assembly exploring Christmas around the world.

The children learned their lines, learned new songs and used their acting skills to put on a fantastic show. Their voices were loud and clear and they sang beautifully – well done!

We visited China, Australia and Poland to see how they celebrate Christmas. We found out that in Poland they believe the star (Gwiazjda) is very important at Christmas and when they see it on Christmas eve, they can begin their feast!

In China they believe Jesus is the light of the world so lights play a very special part in their celebrations. Many Christians in China make paper lanterns to decorate their trees.

In Australia Christmas falls right in the middle of their summer holidays so it is very hot! Many Australian Christians head to the beach for a barbeque and games on the sand!

Photos to follow!

On Wednesday, Year 2 visited the Think Tank in Birmingham. We went to explore the Planetarium as part of our space topic. When we were there, we sat in a dark room and looked up at the night sky.  We saw twinkling stars and exciting planets. We were told interesting stories about some of the constellations and patterns in the stars. We also went up in a rocket and visited the moon and some other very interesting planets. We had a fantastic time and learned lots about space.

This week has been book week.

Year 2 have been learning how to write information texts.  We have discussed how they are different from stories and that their purpose is to tell people information about things they want to find out about.

We have been learning lots of information about China and writing our new facts into a report.

Did you know?

. China has the biggest population in the world.

. The Great Wall of China is over 13,000 miles long.

. Table Tennis is the national sport of China.

. More people own bikes than cars in China.

. Red eggs are a symbol of birth and are given out at birthdays to bring good luck.

. Noodles represent a long life.

Come and read our reports to find out more!

Year 2 have been thinking about the Diwali festival this week in R.E.

We have been learning about the story of Rama and Sita.

We found out that Sita was kidnapped by the evil demon king, Ravana. Fortunately, Sita left a trail of jewellery so that Rama could find her. Rama had the help of a monkey king called Hanuman who gathered lots of other animals to help rescue Sita. There was a big fight and Ravana was killed. On their way back to their home, people put lights out to guide them back safely. This is why Diwali is the festival of light. During Diwali we think about how light beats darkness and good beats evil.