Before the summer holidays begin, the Owls have enjoyed another fantastic week filled with creativity, teamwork and exciting learning across the curriculum. It has been wonderful to see the children reflecting on how much they have grown throughout the year while continuing to challenge themselves in every lesson. We are incredibly proud of the resilience, enthusiasm and kindness they have shown, and they should all feel very proud of everything they have achieved.

In Art, the children continued their work on Painting and Mixed Media by revisiting the artwork of Romare Bearden. They recapped what a collage is and discussed how Bearden's artwork is so distinctive, paying close attention to the shapes, colours and textures within his pieces. Using the painted seaside backgrounds they created last week, the children carefully planned and composed their own collages, selecting different materials to fill the spaces and create interesting effects before gluing everything into place. Their finished artwork looked fantastic! Owls, can you tell a grown-up what a collage is? What different materials, shapes or textures did you use in your own artwork?

In Computing, we continued developing our understanding of animation by creating our own stop-motion animations in pairs. The children worked together brilliantly, taking it in turns to move objects slightly between each frame before learning how to save their completed animations. Owls, can you explain how a stop-motion animation is made? Can you tell an adult how you saved your work on the website?

In PSHE, we continued our topic of Growing Up by reflecting on how much we have changed since the beginning of Year 2. We also looked ahead to Year 3 by discussing the exciting changes to come, setting personal goals for next year and writing thoughtful notes to our new teachers. Owls, what was the biggest change you noticed since starting Year 2? What goal have you set yourself for Year 3?

In Maths, we revisited our learning about money through a fun sandwich shop activity. The children designed their own sandwiches or toasties by choosing different breads, fillings, snacks and drinks before calculating the total cost of their shopping. They then challenged themselves to work out the cheapest and most expensive combinations possible, applying their addition and reasoning skills brilliantly. The children also completed a Reasoning assessment, demonstrating just how much progress they have made this year. Owls, can you show a grown-up how you worked out the total cost of your shopping? Can you remember which sandwich combination was the cheapest or the most expensive?

In English, we celebrated the end of our work on Room on the Broom by editing and improving our fantastic Big Writes before enjoying the animated version of the story together. It was wonderful for the children to compare the animation with the original book and reflect on the imaginative adaptations they had created themselves. We have been so impressed by the creativity, vocabulary and writing skills they have developed throughout this unit. Owls, can you tell a grown-up one way you improved your Big Write? Did you notice any differences between the book and the animation?

In Phonics, we continued revising our Common Exception Words, paying particular attention to some of the trickier spellings, including beautiful, because, sugar, path and improve. The children practised reading, spelling and discussing the parts of each word that can be difficult to remember. Owls, can you teach a grown-up one of our tricky Common Exception Words? Which part of the word do you have to remember carefully?

In Science, we continued exploring Materials by investigating how different materials can change when they are squashed, bent, twisted or stretched. The children then became engineers, designing, making and testing their own boats to discover which materials were most suitable for floating and staying strong. They enjoyed making predictions before evaluating how successful their designs were. Owls, which materials did you test for your boat? Which one worked best, and why?

As we reach the end of a wonderful year in the Owls classroom, we continue to be amazed by how much every child has grown — not only in their learning, but also in their confidence, independence, resilience and kindness. From creating beautiful artwork and exciting animations to solving mathematical problems, writing imaginative stories and carrying out scientific investigations, each and every child has worked incredibly hard and should be so proud of everything they have achieved.

This is our final blog of the school year, and we would both like to say what an absolute pleasure it has been to teach and get to know every one of the Owls this term. It has been a joy to watch their personalities shine, celebrate their successes and see them grow into such confident, caring and enthusiastic learners. We know they are more than ready for the exciting adventures that await them in Year 3, and we cannot wait to hear about all the wonderful things they will achieve.

Have a fantastic summer filled with fun, laughter and special memories. Make time to play, explore, read a good book, enjoy adventures with your family and, most importantly, have a well-earned rest. Thank you to all of our wonderful parents and carers for your continued support throughout the year — it has been greatly appreciated.

Have a wonderful summer holiday, Owls. Keep being curious, keep believing in yourselves and always remember that you are capable of amazing things. We will miss you all and wish you every happiness and success as you spread your wings into Year 3.

With our very best wishes,

Mrs A and Mrs T-D 😊