Welcome to Grade Two!
Grade 2 is an exciting year. The children have moved from the junior school to the senior school and are exposed to many new experiences. As the year progresses their social skills become more refined and they make significant progress in their work. Becoming independent and more responsible for themselves is a major focus.
The Grade 2 program has a strong focus on English and Mathematics. The English program develops the students reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. In Reading, they are exposed to a variety of texts and explicitly taught reading comprehension strategies. During our weekly Literature sessions, we focus more deeply on a chosen book or theme and the students have the opportunity to respond in a variety of creative and hands-on ways. They also have weekly visits to the school library.
In Writing, we write in many different styles. The children will learn the structure and features of a narrative, information report and persuasive text. We also learn how to write poetry which is a lot of fun. They are given the opportunity to publish their work through the year and editing is a key skill we develop in our program.
During the year, there are many opportunities for students to present information to the grade. These may be in the form of formal presentations, where children are taught the oral skills needed to present effectively to a group.
The maths curriculum challenges the children with open ended questions and class work which gives them the skills to solve problems involving one or more steps. The children are grouped for maths and they may be taught by a different teacher. They participate in weekly rotations where they will work independently and also as part of a small focus group to improve their skills. The Mathletics computer program is a key component in our Maths curriculum allowing them to work independently to consolidate their skills. The Grade 2 area is also fortunate enough to have a lot of resources available to complement our maths programs.
Students have access to both iPads and laptop computers. There is one dedicated session per week in their grades and the technology is also integrated into other areas of the curriculum throughout the week.
Independence is an important part of Grade 2. We help to foster this with our RRRR program (Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships). This is designed to enhance their social development and personal interaction skills.
The children are also fortunate enough to participate in a dance program called Footsteps in Term 2 and attend swimming lessons at the Reservoir Leisure Centre in Term 4.
Throughout the year we will have visiting groups come into the school for special activities. Once a term we are involved in a Whole School Event Day where children are in multi age groups and participate in fun activities based on a common theme. A performance is usually part of the day. We also go on a variety of excursions out of the school grounds based on our units of work. On these days we take parents with us.
In all areas, children are given the opportunity to work individually, in pairs, small groups and as a whole class. They are always encouraged to share their ideas and work. We meet as a whole cohort for fortnightly assemblies to celebrate their learning success. Grade 2 is always a great year!