Welcome to seals
We are a Year 2 class and our teacher is Mrs Danielle Devine-Jozwin
Autumn 1 2024 Class News
Seals class have had a fantastic first half term.
As scientists, we have been learning about animals including humans. Our unit began when a space craft landed on the school grounds! Some aliens had written us a letter asking us to find out about animals, including humans. So far, we have learnt about the functions of different body parts. our senses and animal classification.
Summer 2 2024 Class News
We had a fantastic time on our school trip, starting off with a walk to Orcombe Point. During our walk we spotted some human and physical features of a seaside town. We also had a fantastic time playing on the beach and made some brilliant sculptures.
In DT we have been practicing joining techniques in preparation for our hand puppets. We have used glue, pins and staples to join materials together. We are looking forward to designing and making our pirate hand puppets.
As mathematicians, we have been exploring the 2, 5 and 10 times table. We have been counting using the tables and have made connections with other known facts. We now know that multiplying by two is the same and doubling and have spotted patterns between the 5 and 10 times table.
Summer 1 2024 Class News
Seals class have had a fantastic start to the summer term! As usual, we have been incredibly busy doing lots of exciting learning.
In art, we have been print making. We enjoyed experimenting different types of printing using rolling, finger printing and applying paint with a brush. We then moved onto making our own stamps which we enjoyed using.
As scientists, we have been exploring the suitability of different materials. One of our investigations involved us testing which materials are waterproof. In order to make our investigation fair we measured 4mm of water using a syringe.
Spring 2 2024 Class News
Seals have had a fantastic start to the spring term, we can't quite believe that we are at this point of the year already!
In physical education we are completing our dance unit. We have learned that dance is a series of movements and shapes. We have worked with our PE partner to make standing shapes, floor shapes and moving shapes. We have loved listening to different styles of music to move to.
In religious education we have been learning about the Easter story. We have been discussing Palm Sunday and why Jesus was welcomed like a King or celebrity. We then re-enacted the events of Palm Sunday.
Spring 1 2024 Class News
Seals class have had a fantastic start to the spring term and 2024!
In PE we have started our new gymnastics unit around balance and travel. We have been practicing carrying the mats and benches safely and have used the apparatus to hold point and patch balances. Miss Devine has been impressed with our knowledge around how to hold a balance with minimal wobble.
In music, we have enjoyed learning a chant about football. We have been practicing pronouncing the lyrics clearly and have used percussion instruments to find the beat.
We are really looking forward to our school trip to Wellington Monument which links to our history and DT learning.
Autumn 2 2023 Class News
Seals class have been learning about measure in maths. We have been practicing measuring in centimetres, metres, grams, kilograms and degrees Celsius. We enjoyed using balancing scales to compare the weight of different objects and even used some weighing scales to measure our own weight. We also had some cups of cold and warm water and used thermometers to measure the temperature of the water.
We will be moving on to measuring capacity next week, which will involve us measuring different amounts of liquid.
Autumn 1 2023 Class News
What a busy first half term Seals have had.
As mathematicians, we have learnt about the properties and language of 2D and 3D shapes and have constructed 3D shape models. We have also started learning to tell the time and have learnt about the minute and hour hands as well as o'clock, half past, quarter past and minutes past the hour.
2022/23 Class News
Summer 2 2023 Class News
Seals have had an incredibly busy summer term and we can't believe how much we have managed to learn!
This half term, we have enjoyed many hands-on activities to provide the children with memorable and real-life experiences. We have had a visit from Wellington Netball Club as well as SASP (Somerset Activity & Sports Partnership) to deliver some cricket sessions.
As geographers, we have been learning about Fieldwork Skills. We have learnt about ways to observe the weather by making wind vanes and rain gauges. We also linked our learning to our school trip to Fyne Court where we completed a fieldwork enquiry linked to pond dipping. We were amazed by how many living things we found in the pond such as water snails, water boatmen, leeches and newts.
As artists we have been experimenting with mono printing. We have been using carbon paper to create different prints and adding pastel to change the colour of our prints.
In computing, we have been using Scratch Jr. We have been designing, creating and running our own programmes. We have learned how to run a programme, de-bug to make any changes as well as change designs and backgrounds.
We cannot believe how quickly this academic year has gone by. The children have been an absolute pleasure to teach and we wish them the best of luck in their new classes. We hope you all have a brilliant summer break.
Summer 1 2023 Class News
What a busy 6 weeks we have had! This half term we have done so much to enable the children to have hands on, memorable experiences which, in turn, will help their learning and knowledge to stick. Here is a little bit of what we have been up to:
As scientists, we have been learning about what plants need in order to grow healthily. We have observed and compared a range of seeds and bulbs and grown some plants in the classroom. We have also set up several investigations to find out what conditions plants need.
As historians, we have been studying how communication has changed within living memory. We started off the topic exploring different methods of communication such as Morse Code, mud painting outside, typing notes on the laptops and tribal dancing. We have also been fortunate enough to have a visit from Mrs Lock who talked to us about how televisions and telephones have developed.
As designers, we have been busy planning, making and evaluating our fruit kebabs. We began the unit tasting a range of different fruits and explored different preparation skills such as cutting, grating and peeling. We were all very impressed with the final results!
The children also made us incredibly proud when they completed their Year 2 SATs. They showed great resilience and gave their best effort! We look forward to spending the final term with the children.
Spring 2 2023 Class News
Seals have had a brilliant 6 weeks this half term!
As scientists, we took part in British Science Week where we explored the theme 'Connections'. We looked at how animals within the same habitat are connected. We discussed how they all work together and rely on one another for the habitat to function. As a school, we took part in a biscuit dunking investigation where we investigated the best biscuit for dunking. We were also lucky enough to go on a trip to New Rendy Solar Farm, where we learnt about renewable energy
As geographers, we have studied The Gambia. We have learnt lots of new vocabulary such as; continent, ocean, locality, and human/physical features. The children have really enjoyed learning about where The Gambia is in relation to the UK and what life is like there. We then finished our unit by comparing The Gambia to our home locality.
As artists, we have been learning about portraiture. This unit was all about capturing facial expressions and drawing faces portraying different emotions. We then linked this to our geography learning, by designing and making an African mask.
As part of World Book Day, we all came dressed as a book character. We wrote character descriptions of our characters and enjoyed a book swap with Rabbits Class. We were very impressed with the children’s outfits.
Finally, as part of our PE provision, we have continued with gymnastics. This term we have been focusing on flight. We used a range of hand apparatus to support us with these movements.
Spring 1 2023 Class News
The children in Seals class have worked incredibly hard this term.
As writers, we have been learning how to write a set of instructions linked to the model text 'How to restyle an elf'. The children have learned about the layout of instructions, rhetorical questions, imperative verbs and adverbs. The children produced some fantastic instructions of their choice.
As mathematicians, we enjoyed not only our regular maths lessons but also the 'Mastering Number' sessions - the mastery maths. The children have explored the composition of numbers, including doubles. They are getting super speedy at solving equations, including missing number problems. In our main maths lessons, we have been learning about money. The children learned to recognise the value of different coins and notes, adding amounts, making amounts and finding change. We then moved on to begin our multiplication and division unit.
As historians, we have studied famous nurses from the past (Florence Nightingale, Mary Sealcole and Edith Cavell). The children have really enjoyed learning about the significance of each nurse today. We introduced the children to the terms pioneer, national and international. We thoroughly enjoyed the museum workshop about two of the famous nurses - Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. The children got a chance to become Victorian medics and examine a range of artefacts. Hearing Florence's voice was a highlight of the session!
In PE, the children have been taking part in some gym lessons. This term we have focused on balance and travel. The children did brilliantly at performing different balances linking to the 5 shapes in gymnastics. They did so well that they were able to use the large apparatus to perform some of these balances. The children were also lucky enough to have a visit from Tiverton Football Club. They participated in a session where they learnt basic skills required for football.
We enjoyed our visitors during the enrichment week. A Doctor from Musgrove hospital talked to us about the importance of keeping healthy and cleaning our hands. But the most amazing visitors were the alpacas!
Autumn 2 2022 Class News
We have had such a busy half term in Seals Class with so many amazing learning opportunities.
As scientists, we have been exploring 'materials and their uses'. We have investigated which materials are waterproof, the suitability of wood for a garden fence and which materials let light through. For each of these investigations. the children have had hands-on experiences to support their understanding.
As writers, the children have been busy writing their 'rags to riches' tales based on the story: 'The Elves and The Shoemaker'. We have been focusing on description using adjectives, similes, alliteration and adverbs. The children wrote some brilliant innovated stories. To end the term, we have been writing some Christmas themed poems.
As geographers, we have been learning about 'Our School Grounds'. We have been focusing on geography related skills and fieldwork. During this unit, we have used locational and directional language on a trail around the local park and our school. We then extended this learning by introducing compass points and identifying what we could see around our school.
We have been very impressed with the children's engagement this half term and look forward to beginning some new learning in the spring term!
Autumn 1 2022 Class News
What an amazing start to the academic year. Seals class have settled brilliantly into Year 2 and are showing fantastic learning behaviours.
As scientists, Year 2 have been learning about 'animals including humans'. They learnt about animal offspring and had some chick eggs delivered to support their understanding of lifecycles. They were lucky enough to watch them in the incubator and see the chicks after they had hatched.
In writing, the children learned the story 'Little Charlie' with a focus on setting description. They produced some fantastic innovated stories where their character walked to a range of different settings. We then moved on to to look at recounts. To support our writing, we went on a walk around Wellington. We visited the playpark, Wellington Park and the Basins. We then wrote about our walk when we returned to school.
Finally, in design and technology, our focus has been 'wheels and axles'. The children started off exploring different wheeled objects and identified where the wheels, axles and chassis were. We linked our learning to history (The Great Fire of London) , where the children made a fire engine with wheels and axles.
2021/22 Class News
Summer 2 2022 Class News
Summer 1 2022 Class News
What a busy 5 weeks we have had! This half term, Seals class have enjoyed many hands-on activities to provide them with memorable and real-life experiences. We kicked off the term with a science week focusing on the sustainability of our planet. Throughout the week we had many visitors such as a yoga instructor, the RSPCA, Somerset Waste Partnership and Nissan.
As historians, we have studied events beyond and within living memory. We have compared the lives of the significant historical figures: Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong. The children have learnt how to place events on a timeline and about reliable historical sources. We were lucky enough to interview a member of staff who was alive when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon!
As scientists, we have been learning about everyday materials. We have been naming different types of materials and considering how their properties make them suitable for different uses. During this unit we have explored materials within our school environment and tested which materials are waterproof.
As designers, we have begun our textiles project where we are learning how to join fabric in different ways. Our final product that we are working towards is making a hand puppet for imaginary play. We have investigated a range of puppets so far and have explored different joining techniques.
The children also made us incredibly proud when they completed their Year 2 SATs. They showed great resilience and gave their best effort! We look forward to spending the final term with the children.
Spring 2 2022 Class News
Seals class have had a fun and busy spring half term.
As mathematicians, we built on our understanding of division and applied it to fractions. We have been learning to recognise and find a half, quarter, third, two quarters and three quarters. We amazed our teachers with our understanding around the equivalence of a half and two quarters. We have now begun learning about 2D and 3D shapes and enjoyed going on a shape hunt around the school!
As geographers we have been learning about 'Our surrounding environment'. During this unit we looked at the structure of an address, the process of sending a letter, different routes on a map and physical and human features within our surrounding environment. We impressed our teachers with our understanding of the words 'street', 'town', 'county' and 'country'.
Our art unit has linked well to our autumn term unit. We have continued to experiment with mark making and spirals with a different media and have been experimenting with pastels. We looked at the artist Wassily Kandinsky and his famous concentric circles.
Finally, in RE we have been learning about the Easter Story. Our key question was 'Why was Jesus treated like a King or celebrity?'. We began the unit by looking at how the Queen is welcomed at important events and compared it to Jesus' welcome into Jerusalem. We enjoyed re-enacting Palm Sunday with our own palm leaves.
Spring 1 2022 Class News
Seals have had a fantastic half term and have been working incredibly hard in all lessons.
As historians, they have thoroughly enjoyed learning about Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. We have had the opportunity to explore his main achievements and why he is important to society today. We decided that his most impressive achievement was that he led the British Army to fight Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and won. We have loved finding out about how many different places in Wellington are named after him but we were most surprised to find out that even the Wellington boot is named after him!
Our Design and Technology unit has also linked to our history learning as we have been exploring and designing our own free-standing structures similar to the Wellington Monument. We had great fun experimenting with different joining techniques and chose some to incorporate into our designs.
Our science learning has been very hands on this term. As scientists we have enjoyed learning all about plants and what they need to stay healthy. We have planted a variety of seeds and bulbs and enjoyed watching them grow.
As mathematicians, we have been working hard to understand multiplication and division. We have used a range of strategies and practical equipment to help us understand these concepts. We are now also confident to use the inverse to help us answer a range of questions.
Lastly, in PE we have been working on static and dynamic balance. This term we have been focusing on the 'cognitive' cog which involves us explaining what we can do well, how well someone else is performing and begin to identify areas for improvement.
We can't wait for another fun term of learning!
Autumn 2 2021 Class News
Seals have had such a busy but exciting term and have really enjoyed all of our learning. In writing, we have been looking at a finding tale called 'The Magic Porridge Pot'. We loved creating our own innovated stories and came up with some very imaginative ideas of different cookers and what they could make, such as, 'The magic Barbeque'.
In maths we have been learning about addition and subtraction. We amazed Miss Devine with our understanding of the column method to help us answer some tricky calculations!
As scientists, we have been building on our knowledge of 'Living things and their habitats'. Many of our science lessons have involved us going outside to explore different microhabitats and what it is like there. We really enjoyed observing the most popular habitat for woodlice.
In geography, our topic has been 'Our School'. As part of this, we have been using maps and compasses to investigate places in and around our school. We used this knowledge to create some aerial view maps of the school and Wellington and then moved on to look at different map symbols. We loved looking at some examples of maps of our surrounding area and we managed to spot Wellington on the maps!
In art, we have been experimenting with charcoal. Our learning has been around an artist called 'Caroline Denovaud'. She uses her whole body to create her art work so we had a go at this to create some spirals.
We have also been working incredibly hard on our Christmas performance. We loved being able to perform on the stage; we hope you enjoy it!
Autumn 1 2021 Class News
We have had a fantastic and very exciting start to the year. We have been incredibly busy starting all of our core learning as well our wider curriculum topics.
In English we have been learning how to write a 'Defeat the Monster' story, using The Three Little Pigs as our modelled text. For our WOW experience we built houses for the 3 little pigs using a range of materials such as straws, Lego and cubes. We have been learning how to use adjectives, adverbs, list of 3 and similes to describe our characters and are now beginning to write some fantastic innovated stories!
We have also been busy in maths, learning about place value up to 100. We have used a range of practical resources to support our learning such as dienes, bead strings and place value counters. We have been learning how to recognise and make numbers to 100, partition, compare and order numbers.
As scientists, we have been learning about animals including humans. We particularly enjoyed the lesson when we had a mum and baby visit us to help us investigate whether offspring grow into adults. We then had to put pictures of Miss Devine into a life cycle. We have also had a very special delivery - chick eggs! We will be observing the chicks in school and watching them grow.
We have also enjoyed starting our history topic - Toys and how they have changed through time. We brought in our favourite toys and discussed similarities and difference between them. We will then be looking at older toys and how they are different to now.
As designers, we will be creating our own moving pictures using sliders and levers. We have made some prototypes and are now looking forward to making the final product.
