Welcome to Larch 2!
2025 - 2026
Mrs Stockton/Mrs Brelsford - Class Teachers
Miss Dow, Mrs Calloway, Mrs Faultless - Teaching Assistants
Spring 1
Alive and Kicking
In Larch Class, we have been learning all about animal habitats. We completed an activity where we matched different animals to the habitats they live in. We learnt that animals are specifically suited to their individual habitats. Some animals can manage hot or cold temperatures, some use camouflage to blend into their surroundings, and others have special body structures that help them survive where they live. We really enjoyed learning how animals are perfectly designed for their homes!
This week, Year 2 went on an exciting habitat hunt around our school! We explored the wooded area, the playground and the kitchen garden to see what microhabitats we could find. After our walk, we returned to the classroom to talk about what we had discovered.
We learned that different microhabitats have their own temperatures and amounts of light, which help living things survive. While we were outside, we were lucky enough to hear our little local celebrity, Peter the Robin, singing to us! The children shared some fantastic ideas:
‘We saw slugs under the wood because they were hiding from the birds,’ Felicity.
‘We saw lots of worms under logs so that they don’t get dry skin,’ Leah.
‘The birds like to be up high so that they can look for prey and stay safe from predators,’ Harley
Well done, Year 2 Larch, for your brilliant observations and thoughtful discussions!
This half term we have started our maths learning by exploring arrays. We began by using concrete resources, such as counters, to build our own arrays. We then moved on to drawing arrays and linking them to multiplication and division. The children have shown great enthusiasm and understanding as they developed their learning step by step.
Well done, Larch Class – what a fantastic start to our maths learning!
This week in art, Larch 2 began learning about the artist Piet Mondrian, who was an abstract artist. We looked closely at some of his artwork and talked about what we liked, how the paintings made us feel, and what they reminded us of. We noticed that Piet Mondrian often used straight lines and primary colours (red, yellow and blue) in his paintings. The children shared lots of great ideas and opinions during our discussions.
After exploring his work, the children had a go at recreating Mondrian-style artwork using a range of different media. They worked carefully and creatively, and the finished pieces look fantastic! Well done, Larch 2!
The start of our Spring term has brought with it some snowy weather! We have enjoyed making lots of memorable experiences, exploring and playing in the snow together. While having fun, we have also made sure to keep ourselves well wrapped up so that we stay cosy and warm.
This week in dance, Year 2 have been focusing on the story The Elves and the Shoemaker. The children explored how different characters might move and used their bodies to show these ideas. We thought carefully about the frail, old shoemaker and how his movements might be slow and gentle. We also became the tiny elves, creeping quietly around the shop at night and trying to avoid the cat! The children also worked on using facial expressions to show feelings. We practised the shoemaker’s shocked face when he discovered the shoes had been made overnight. Everyone showed great imagination and enthusiasm, and it was wonderful to see the story come to life through dance.
This week in Year 2 we started reading our new book, The Wolf Story by Toby Forward. In this book, we hear the story from the wolf’s point of view. We learned that, according to the wolf, everything that happened was just a big misunderstanding!
To help us immerse ourselves in the story, we listened carefully as the book was read aloud. We then took part in a fun role-play activity where we became reporters interviewing the wolf. We asked the wolf questions such as:
· How did you get into Granny’s house?
· Why did you put on Granny’s frock?
· Why did you lock Granny in the cupboard?
· What were you doing at Granny’s house?
· Does your tail hurt where the woodcutter hit it with his axe?
We had lots of fun asking questions and using our knowledge of the story to answer in character as the wolf. This helped us to understand the story from a different point of view and develop our speaking and listening skills.
This half term in dance, we are learning how to portray emotion through movement. We have explored strong starting and finishing positions, facial expressions, and how using different levels can help create variation and interest in our dances. The children have shown great creativity and confidence as they express themselves through movement – well done, Larch Class!
This half term we have a science focus and an exciting challenge! Miss Haynes has written to us to say that if we can learn all about the basic needs animals need to survive, she will send us a wildlife creature to take care of. How exciting!
To get us started, she sent us a book by Chris Packham. We have loved finding out about him, learning how much he cares for animals and the environment, and thinking about how we can look after wildlife too.
In writing, we are also very excited to begin exploring fairy tales this half term – especially ones with a twist!
