Welcome to our class page!
DECEMBER
Another exciting month has gone by (so quickly) in Junior Infants 2. This month we focused on the number 3, learning its rhyme and practiced its formation. We learned to partition sets of 5, down to 2. This is the beginnings of subtraction for the little ones. The class did some counting with Ms. Mulderrig while doing further number formation practice with Marcos.
In Aistear, we focussed on the theme of Winter/ Christmas. We unfortunately missed some sessions due to Christmas Concert preparations and rehearsals. We look forward to our new theme in January to be revealed soon. Here are some photos nonetheless.
The children finished the writing genre of report writing. They learned about the Robin and completed a report on it based on its features, habitat and life. The children continued with reading groups and Jolly Phonics/ Heggerty. We practiced letter formation of the letters s as far as o in Jolly Phonics. We learned about alliteration in Heggerty.
This month in the school, we all did the theme of Ag Siopadóireacht. The children also engaged with the seasonal theme of An Nollaig. They learned important vocabulary like ‘Daidí Na Nollag’ and ‘Nollaig Shona Dhuit/ Dhaoibh’.
In Art, the children made angel Christmas decorations and large Christmas tree bauble decorations. They also did some cutting and sticking practice to make textured Christmas trees.
In PE, the class continued with Irish Dancing which they are now finished. They enjoyed learning their 123s and 7s, as well as a dance sequence, a céilí and games like Musical Statues. Due to poor weather and the hall being in use for Christmas Concert rehearsals, the class learned about water safety and hygiene in the classroom. They enjoyed this and seem to have a good grasp of both. In SESE we learned about Christmas around the world, read the story ‘The Nutcracker’ and learnt about electricity.
Finally, well what can we say…a busy and enjoyable time preparing for our Concert was had by all this month. We hope you too enjoyed it. I am so proud of all the hard work the children put in. They really gave it their all. Here are some photos of our concert preparations, as well some other Christmas fun we had on the lead up to the holidays, including a visit from the round chubby man himself and of course our cheeky elves Elsie and Elliott. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good break from school!!!
NOVEMBER
We had a busy November in our class. We completed various Art projects. The class made sheep following learning the rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep. They then created owls given this was our animal of focus in Literacy. We then started Christmas themed Artwork with their Winter Wondeland trees and began other Christmas bits like tree decorations (all still works in progress).
In English it was a big month for the children as they began Jolly Phonics and Reading Groups. Our sounds of the month were s a t i p n ck e h r m. Our reader of the month was ‘Look Out Teddy!’ which we will continue in December. The children also wrote reports on the owl. We also read some lovely stories and used the prediction strategy.
In Maths, the children continued sorting and making patterns. We did lots of practice writing the numerals 1 and 2. The children focused on time as well, sequencing their days and nursery rhymes/ stories. They learned the days of the week and familiarised with seasons too.
In Aistear, the children engaged with the topic of the school. They designed school furniture and school themed items in the Junk Art stations and also designed playgrounds. In the Small World area, they played with the town items and built schools. At the construction station, they built people and school buildings using lego and blocks. They played ‘school’ at the Role Play area. We are looking forward to the Christmas theme for December.
In Science we learnt about the sense of touch and did a feely bag experiment and exploration. We then learnt about the materials- plastic, glass, wood and metal. The class did a fun material hunt. We learnt all about the properties of these materials e.g. soft, hard, smooth, rough. We continued to learn about the owl also (see reports above).
In PE, we continued the strand of Games, focussing on long and short and short passes with a ball and much more. We started using rackets which was a success. The class also began Irish Dancing with an external teacher. They are having a blast learning the ‘1, 2, 3’s’.
Finally, in SPHE the class began ‘Teditation’ as a new wellbeing initiative. The class enjoyed short guided meditations with their teddies. .
Overall, another exciting and successful month in Junior Infants 2. We are all ready for a very busy December ahead, with Christmas Concert preparations and lots more learning to be done!!
OCTOBER
Another busy month complete in Junior Infants. The children are pros now at school routines and procedures so well done to them.
In Literacy, the children completed reports on the Hedgehog and the Bat. They learned about their characteristics, habitat and what these animals do.
In Art, the children made hedgehogs and made hedgehog hibernation huts in Aistear to carry the hedgehogs home in. They also made the Three Little Pigs houses as we were engaging with this story in English and Drama. For Halloween, the children made pumpkin masks.
The children had their first Friendship Week and Maths Week in primary school. We did some lovely friendship themed activities like making Rainbow Fish based on that story. We also did some fun Maths Week activities like a garden 2D shape hunt, a classroom number hunt, drawing numbers with chalk, making a Maths Week poster and playing lots of Maths games.
In Ready Set Go Maths this month, the children continued their work on sorting, patterns and number with Ms. Mulderrig, Marcos and I. They also engaged with the topic of length- long, short, longest, shortest, longer than, shorter than focus.
In SESE, they learned about Autumn and hibernation. The children also learned about Halloween around the world and the history of Halloween. This linked with Aistear too, where the children had lots of fun playing Farmers Market shop, making leaf rubbings, cutting and sticking with leaves and Autumn templates and lots more.
That’s the end of our October highlights. We all need a rest after all the go so we will be ready for a positive and successful second half of term!!!
SEPTEMBER
A big well done to Junior Infants 2 and to you parents for making it past month one! What a wonderful month we had. The children are getting to know one another and really and truly have settled in so well to the school. Have a look through our galleries to see some of the many things we got up to in September.
We started Aistear this month and did the theme of the Doctor. We had a Role Play station, a Junk Art/ Creative Station, a Small World station and a Construction station. Sensory stations were done on Fridays. It was so much fun for the children as you can see from the photos. They learned words such as thermometer, receptionist, stethoscope, injection, syringe, bandage and so on (click photo to enlarge).
Here is some of the Art we did this month! We read the story Elmer and Hansel and Gretel which inspired the Art activities.
The children practiced their fine motor skills too this month as they continue to learn to write their names and hold a pencil correctly. They used playdough, did some threading, played with lego and links, did some cutting and much more.
In Maths we started Ready Set Go Maths with Marcos, Ms. Mulderrig and I. The children worked with two teachers per day each day on 3D/2D shapes, number work or sorting items by colour/size shape. The children also learned about patterns.
In PE we focused on the strand of Games. We used beanbags and practiced throwing and catching beanbags, throwing beanbags to targets and to a partner. They learnt various ways to carry beanbags and learnt to carry them together between their elbows and other parts of their bodies. We practiced rolling soft balls to. More photos to come in October to find out what we are learning in SPHE and SESE!!
