Base 2 news

We have had a very busy but lovely week in Base 2. Despite the chillier weather we have spent lots of time outside and the children have been working really hard.

In literacy we have started reading a new book, Roald Dahl's 'The Minpins'. Early in the week we made lots of predictions about the story using just what we could see on the front cover. We then started reading and looked in detail at the powerful description of the forest, this was the inspiration for our own setting description of a forest. In our writing we have been concentrating on using correct punctuation and using adjectives and expanded noun phrases to make the descriptions powerful and add detail. Next week we will read on a little further and find out exactly who these mysterious Minpins are!

In maths we have been focussing on measuring length. We have done lots of practical work outside measuring and comparing the length of objects and then starting to measure using both non-standard and standard units (cm and m). By the end of the week the children were confidently measuring in cm and the year 2 children even had a go at estimating the length of classroom objects.

Our afternoons have been especially busy this week. On Monday we learnt about a Kenyan lady, Wangari Maathai, who won the Nobel peace prize in Kenya for planting trees. We talked about the physical and human geographical features of a Maasii village in Kenya and discovered that the weather, landscape, houses and schools were quite different to those here in Wrenbury. We also had a very exciting delivery in the form of a pack of hedgerow trees (our 'baby trees') that we are going to plant in recognition of the good work Wangari Maathai did. We are really looking forward to taking good care of our trees and making sure they have everything they need to grow.

It was open afternoon on Wednesday. Thank you to those parents who popped in to see us and joined in with our science activities. We spent time sorting and identifying bulbs which we then planted in the garden area, making sure the roots went in first. Hopefully in Spring our raised bed will look glorious! We also started looking at food chains and decided to help the birds out by making pine cone feeders as the ground is getting harder from the frost. This was great fun and just a little bit messy. Do pop and see them hanging in the wooded area just outside the Base 2 door if you get the chance!

Have a super weekend, I will see you all on Monday.

Miss Pitchford