Welcome to Sandhopper Class!
Sandhopper Class Weekly News
Friday 7th February 2025
Sandhopper have been enjoying Maths this week!
We used base 10 to help us understand what to do when we have to exchange ones when adding two 2 digit numbers that cross the tens.
Then, we started our new multiplication and division unit of work looking at equal groups and what the ‘x’ symbol means.
Friday 31st January 2025
This week we investigated why penguins huddle together in Antarctica by testing the temperature of hot water in cups huddled together compared to one by itself. It was fascinating to see how quickly the temperature dropped in the cup on its own and helped us to understand how important it is for penguins to stay close!
Friday 24th January 2025
Sandhopper have been exploring collage in their Art lessons. They have worked in the style of collage artist, Megan Coyle and had a fabric hunt around the classroom to see if they could identify cotton, wool and synthetic fabrics after learning about their properties.
Friday 17th January 2025
In gymnastics, we discussed body tension and tips for holding a balance with greater control. We then used the gymnastics shapes we learnt last week to modify them into trickier balances.
Friday 10th January 2025
Welcome back and what a start to 2025 it has been in Sandhopper Class!
The weather this week has made it feel like we really have been in Antarctica learning about penguins! The class have learnt how to draw emperor penguins, worked together to make secure igloos out of marshmallows and cotton wool and used their team work skills to pass the egg!
Friday 13th December 2024
Sandhopper have had a very enjoyable and festive week!
They performed not one, but two, spectacular nativity performances full of catchy songs, great costumes and clear spoken word. The narrators, stars, stable animals, camels and 3 kings were all amazing!
The next day, we enjoyed Christmas jumper day and a delicious Christmas dinner lunch! Pigs in blankets, Yorkshire pudding or sprinkle shortbreads were their favourite part of the meal.
Friday 6th December 2024
This week, Sandhopper have been challenging themselves in Maths to add and subtract crossing the tens. They used base 10 or place value counters to exchange tens and ones at the bank so they could complete the calculations.
Friday 29th November 2024
This week in History, Sandhopper looked important milestones in Florence Nightingale’s life and then in groups had a go at ordering the events on a timeline.
Friday 22nd November 2024
Sandhopper enjoyed every minute of their Florence Nightingale day! The costumes were fantastic and they learnt lots of facts about her life and the Victorian era. Some great acting was shown as wounded soldiers entered Scutari Hospital and nurses were ready to help make them feel better and bandage up all those with injuries!
Friday 15th November 2024
Sandhopper are enjoying learning all about living things and their habitats in Science. They know the 7 characteristics of living things and this week, searched the school garden to identify and classify things into living, once alive and never been alive.
Friday 8th November 2024
In English this week, Sandhopper have enjoyed learning about The Gunpowder Plot. They did some drama to act out the events leading up to the 5th November and created a wanted poster of Guy Fawkes! Next week, they will work on useful skills and prepare to write a newspaper report to share the breaking news!
Friday 25th October 2024
Sandhopper loved their walk to Library Gardens at the start of the week! They paid close attention to their surroundings as they tried to find natural objects that matched the different colour swatches they each had.
Friday 18th October 2024
Sandhopper really enjoyed their time at the book fair this week exploring a range of different stories with their friends!
Friday 11th October 2024
Sandhopper are enjoying gymnastics! They found different ways to travel around a course of benches and mats, using entry and exit points to keep safe. Next time, they will use ways of travelling, key shapes and taught jumps to create routines.
Friday 4th October 2024
Sandhopper Class have been enjoying English this week. They searched for clues on the playground to see where a sneaky seagull had travelled with Mr Hautler’s keys and then started planning out ideas on a story map to write their own version of The Queen’s Handbag.
We can’t wait to read and share the finished stories next week!
Friday 27th September 2024
Sandhopper Class have been enjoying their Science lessons. They have built bridges to test the strength of different materials and investigated a range of objects and materials to see which can be stretched, twisted, bent or squashed.
Friday 20th September 2024
We have had fun in PE this week trying to keep control of a ball whilst rolling through goals and hitting targets. It was great to see the class challenging themselves by reaching for a smaller size ball as the lesson went on!
Friday 13th September 2024
Welcome to Sandhopper Class and what an enjoyable start to Year 2 it has been! We have enjoyed lots of exciting activities in the classroom to get to know our new peers and show our team work skills.
We were lucky to have sunshine on our beach trip, where we had great fun earning lots of points during a scavenger hunt and then creating pictures in the sand!
Friday 12th July 2024
Yet another fabulous week in Sandhopper class! On Tuesday we had the opportunity to do some fencing! The children were very excited to wear the protective head gear and loved learning about this fascinating sport. On Wednesday we did some Karate! The instructors showed us how to do some simple kicks and blocks. On Friday we created some wonderful rainforest art!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 5th July 2024
On Monday we had a simply brilliant opening ceremony to The Olympics. There was a beautiful display of flags, the 'torch' was passed between class representatives and finally a shower of confetti. On Tuesday the children enjoyed watching a performance called 'The selfish Giant'. On Wednesday, the children discovered their new classes for next year and completed some exciting activities.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs de Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 28th June 2024
In English, we completed our amazing non-chronological reports about rainforests. We considered carefully the different layers of a rainforest and wrote about 3 animals that live there. In History, we discovered the story behind Hadleigh castle and drew pictures of how it may have once looked. In Maths, we created pictograms to record data.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 14th June 2024
On Monday we enjoyed our visit to the Year 6 enterprise; we were so impressed with the quality of products and games. On Thursday we had a brilliant time at Hyde Hall; we made nests, petal bookmarks and insect clay models. We discovered plenty of facts about plants and even made plant pots using newspaper. Above all we had so much fun. The children will be writing a recount about our Hyde Hall trip over the next few days.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 7th June 2024
This week in History we considered why Leigh on Sea is historically so important. We compared photos from over a hundred years ago to the present day discussing similarities and differences. In PE we talked about invasion games and practised skills such as running, skipping, throwing and jumping in preparation for creating a new game.
Have a fantastic weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 17th May 2024
Wow! What an action packed week! On Monday the children had the opportunity to go to the Book Fair. In English, we wrote descriptions of our 'Wild Thing' characters and practised how to use apostrophes. In Science, we discovered how plants adapt to suit their environment. We were incredibly proud of the children on sports day and how they worked as a team.
Have a lovely half term and we look forward to seeing you on our return,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 17th May 2024
In Art this week we used a range of tools to create our 'Wild Thing Creatures' out of clay. These wonderful sculptures were based on the book 'Where the Wild Things are' by Maurice Sendak. In English we wrote instructions on 'How to plant a seed'; the children remembered to use a title, sub headings, time conjunctions and imperative verbs. In Maths we discovered how to find fractions of amounts.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 10th May 2024
In English we created stories about a magical bean and remembered to use adjectives and punctuation. In Geography we compared local schools to schools in Kampong Ayer. In Maths we explored a new topic about fractions. The children have been learning to identify equal amounts, halves and quarters.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 3rd May 2024
In English we started to plan a new story about some magical beans; the children used expanded noun phrases to describe their settings. They then designed a 'new character' and used adjectives to describe it. In Science we planned an investigation to grow beans under different conditions. In Art the children combined drawings of different animals to create their very own 'Wild Thing' creature.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 26th April 2024
This week in Science we observed and recorded similarities and differences between seeds and bulbs. We made observational drawings of both and labelled the different parts. We were lucky enough to have our second session of Dragon Ball this week; the children worked beautifully as a team. In English we planned and started to write an alternative story to Little Red Riding Hood.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 19th April 2024
Welcome back to a new term! During our 'Learning to Learn' day we discovered interesting facts about different countries. In English, we read two versions of Little Red Riding Hood; the original book and the story from The Wolf's perspective. We thought carefully about questions we could ask each character and focused our attention on how adjectives can be used to describe a setting. In PE, we discovered that Usain Bolt was able to run 100m in 9.59 seconds and explored ways to develop our speed when running.
Have a fantastic weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce.
Friday 22nd March 2024
In English, we completed a diary entry, writing about the key events of The Great Fire of London. On Thursday we made paper houses and shadow puppets; we had great fun recreating a human chain to put a 'fire' out in the playground. In DT we completed our designs for our vehicles; we will be making these next week.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 15th March 2024
In English, we identified features of a diary; we then used past tense to write about 'The Great Fire of London'. In DT, we combined axels, wheels and a chassis to understand how the base of a vehicle is constructed. In PE we had a visit from the Southend Diving club; we practised some of the skills required to be able to dive. On Friday we enjoyed supporting 'Red Nose Day' and took part in lots of fun activities.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 8th March 2024
In Maths this week we have been learning to identify coins and notes; we then practised using money to make different amounts. We thought carefully how many different ways we can make 50p. We set up a 'Mrs du Pille's Toy Shop' and the children had great fun practising using money. We had a wonderful day on Friday for World Book Day and the children looked fantastic!
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 1st March 2024
In History we have been learning about The Great Fire of London; we identified and sequenced key events leading up to the fire. In English we dressed up as King Charles II, Samuel Pepys, Thomas Farriner and villagers to role play the events of The Great Fire of London in 1666. In DT, we made observational drawings of vehicles from different angles and labelled the wheels, axels, axel holder and chassis.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 9th February 2024
This week in English we explored how to write and perform a poem. We wrote a word bank of adjectives to describe penguins then created some amazing acrostic poems. In Science, we were so lucky to have a visit from Mrs Law and discovered why blubber keeps penguins warm in the harsh conditions of Antarctica. In Maths, we continued to practise adding and subtracting two-digit numbers reliably by using key number facts. It has been wonderful to see you during parent consultations and share the progress that your child has made.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 2nd February 2024
In PE, we continued to develop balancing skills when using a range of equipment; we also explored how to counter balance with a partner. In Geography, we made comparisons between Antarctica and The Sahara desert and discovered that Antarctica is approximately 62 time larger than the UK! In Art we identified different types of textiles and prepared some ideas of how to create a landscape of Antarctica.
Have a super weekend and we very much look forward to seeing you next for parent consultations,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce.
Friday 26th January 2024
In Science, we explored different habitats and compared the Arctic to Antarctic. We discovered how penguins stay warm in Antarctica by following their instinct to form a group 'huddle'. In Geography, we discovered why Robert Scott is so famous, his determination to find The South Pole and the final outcome for the expedition. In English, we continued to write our non chronological reports about penguins and discovered some more amazing facts.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 19th January 2024
In English, we identified key features of a non chronological report, we then researched and discovered amazing facts about penguins. In Art, we created monoprint landscapes of Antarctica; using pastels we then drew some fantastic 'Southern lights' pictures. In Geography, we made comparisons between Antarctica and The Sahara Desert?
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 12th January 2024
Happy New Year to you all! In Geography, we researched and wrote interesting facts about Antarctica. In English, we read the book 'Where is home Little Pip?'; created an alternative plan and wrote our own story. In PE, we started a new unit about gymnastics; the children discovered how to hold different shapes such as; a star, tuck and pike shape. Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs du Pille and Mrs Pearce.
Friday 15th December 2023
WOW! What a fabulous, action packed week! We are incredibly proud of the children in Year 2 for putting on a wonderful 'Big, Little Nativity'. Special thanks to Mrs Brown for her dedication to make this Nativity so special. We also enjoyed making several Christmas decorations and had a super festive lunch. In English, we wrote instructions of 'how to catch a reindeer', after discovering that several reindeers have escaped from Santa and ended up in our playground!
We would like to thank you for all your support. Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.
Mrs Steed, Mrs duPille and Mrs Pearce.
Friday 8th December 2023
Lights, cameras, action!... this week the children have been working so hard to get ready for 'The Big, Little Nativity' next week. We are looking forward to seeing you there. In DT we completed our Christmas trees and the children were able to sew a button on independently. In English we identified imperative verbs in text and started to write instructions.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs duPille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 1st December 2023
In DT, we designed a Christmas tree decoration; the children attached felt, ribbon, sequins and buttons using four methods of joining. In English we identified features of a letter and wrote a reply to 'Florence Nightingale' offering support to improve the conditions of hospitals.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs Du Pille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 24th November 2023
On Thursday, we had an amazing Florence Nightingale Day! During the morning, we travelled back to 1854 to met 'Florence Nightingale'; we discovered how she made vast improvements to hospitals with the help of 38 nurses. The children practised how to apply bandages to wounded soldiers, looked at artefacts, created a timeline and even discovered that Florence had a pet owl. In the afternoon we created portraits of Florence Nightingale, made collage rats and paper lanterns.
We hope you have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs DuPille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 17th November 2023
This week in English our set of crayons left the building! They were fed up of being over used or not enough. We identified features of a letter and the children wrote to the crayons asking them to return to our class. In History we have now completed our research on famous women. The children wrote about Rosa Parks, Margaret Thatcher and Marie Curie to name just a few.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs DuPille and Mrs Pearce.
Friday 10th November 2023
In English we wrote a newspaper report about the Gunpowder Plot; the children remembered to use key features such as, a headline, introduction and caption. In RE we discovered why Diwali is a significant festival in Hinduism; we recalled key facts about the story of 'Rama and Sita'. In PE, we have started a new unit about dance; we explored different ways to move and how to use rhythm to stay in time to the music.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs DuPille and Mrs Pearce
Friday 3rd November 2023
In History, we travelled back to the year of 1605 to discover the key events of 'The Gunpowder Plot'. In English, the children created a Guy Fawkes wanted poster and used role play to understand why the Gunpowder Plot failed. In DT, we explored different ways that fabric can be joined together.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed, Mrs DuPille and Mrs Pearce.
Friday 20th October 2023
This week we continued our outdoor learning with Mrs Brown; we walked to the Library Gardens looking for signs of Autumn. We noticed the colour of leaves have changed and matched natural objects to paint charts. As part of Black History month we discovered how a courageous young woman called Rosa Parks changed the civil rights for many people.
We hope you have a wonderful half term,
Mrs Steed, Mrs Pearce and Mrs du Pille
Friday 13th October 2023
In Art, we discovered there are three primary colours; we used red and yellow to mix different shades of orange. We looked at the work of Claude Monet and created a still life painting using the shades we had mixed. In English, we completed our beach themed poems and discovered that some poems rhyme. On Tuesday we had the opportunity to visit The Travelling Bookfair; the children enjoyed looking at a range of texts and made a note of books they particularly liked. It was lovely to have the opportunity to meet with you this week during parent consultations.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed and The Sandhopper Team
Friday 6th October 2023
In English, we explored a range of seaside poems; the children identified nouns and adjectives and used their senses to create word banks. In Science, we investigated which materials are waterproof and considered how we could make a paper umbrella water resistant. In RE we identified the key areas within a mosque.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed and The Sandhopper Team
Friday 29th September 2023
On Monday the children enjoyed a walk down to Old Leigh looking for human and physical geographical features. In Art, we made still life drawings of shells and used carbon paper to create mono-prints. In English, we solved clues to help Mr Hautler find his missing keys; we then wrote an alternative story to 'The Queen's Handbag'.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed and The Sandhopper Team.
Friday 22nd September 2023
In PE this week we have been learning how to dribble and control a ball using the different parts of our foot. In Art, we created a still life drawing of flowers using a 'backwards-forwards' technique. In Science, we have explored what materials are used to make specific objects and the reasons why. In English, we have identified nouns and adjectives in the story 'The Queen's Handbag' and started to consider writing an alternative story.
Have a fantastic weekend,
Mrs Steed and the Sandhopper Team
Friday 15th September 2023
On Monday, we had outdoor learning with Mrs Brown; the children were asked to find a range of objects to develop their orienteering skills. In Geography we have compared human and physical geographic features and identified the four countries that form The United Kingdom. In Art, we explored 'line' and discussed the work of Vincent Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. The children made a drawing of their hands using continuous line, cross-hatching, dots and dashes.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Steed and The Sandhopper Team
Friday 8th September 2023
What a fantastic start! Early this week we held two 'Learning to Learn' days; the children discussed class agreements and worked in teams on a variety of tasks such as, designing and creating marble runs and Picasso style portraits. In Maths we have been learning how to recognise and count numbers up to 100 accurately. In Science we have discovered what materials are and discussed that some are man-made and others occur naturally.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs Steed