Oakley College

Welcome

WELCOME TO YEAR 2

Please come and visit us here from time to time to see what we are learning in class and what we have been doing!!  Also, you will be able to find out about how you can support your child in their learning at home.

What You Need to Know About Year 2

Communication

We feel that it is very important to keep in close communication with parents or carers.  Your child will be provided with a message book at the start of the year.  Please ensure that your child has it in their small folder every day.  If your teacher wants to communicate with you, they will write in the message book.  If you would like to communicate with us, please use the message book and advise your child to show this to the child.  In Year 2, we do not check the message book every day because we feel that children are now old enough to take responsibility for passing on these messages to us.

Miss Ali, Miss Nicola and Miss Natalia will be available for short chats at the end of every day, however, if you would like a more formal meeting, or to discuss anything at length, please telephone the office to make an appointment.

Homework

During the first term, children will receive a new reading book each week.  Please read this book with you child at home daily or when you have the opportunity.  If you would like guidance on how to read effectively with your child, please click here.  They will also have weekly spellings which will be tested in class.  We use the “read, cover, write, check” method.   Please encourage your child to practise these spellings daily.

In addition to reading and spellings, after Christmas, children will receive a small amount of English and Maths homework based on what they are learning in class.  This should not take longer than 15 minutes for each piece of homework.  This will also help you to follow your child´s learning and identify any difficulties they are having.  If you would like to support them at home, this will highlight areas of need, or perhaps opportunities to further extend their learning.

Behaviour

In Year 2, we will continue to reinforce acceptable behaviour in the classroom and on the playground.  We encourage good behaviour by giving lots of praise and rewards to children who demonstrate this.  On Friday afternoons, the children have a special time, called GOLDEN TIME, when children can choose from a range of fun activities.  At the start of the week, all children have a full session.  If a child is misbehaving, they will receive a warning.  If they continue to misbehave, they will receive a final warning before losing 5 minutes of their Golden Time.

We also have a star chart, where children can collect stars throughout the week for good work or good behaviour.  At the end of the week, the two children with the most stars become the “Superstars” for the following week, which involves lots of exciting privileges!

Speaking English

During Year 2, we are preparing children for Key Stage 2 where speaking Spanish during class time is forbidden (except in Spanish classes or course).  We do this through a special reward chart, where children move up the chart when they are heard speaking English incidentally or use particularly good English.  When they reach the end of the chart, they receive a special prize.

What your child needs to bring to school

Please refer t0 the Parent Handbook to find out what your child needs to bring to school.  It is very important that they have everything on the list in school every day.  Please check periodically with your child that they still have what they need, especially pencils and glue which children seem to use or lose very quickly.