LIS Primary Two Blog

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Primary Two!

I’m so excited to have your child in class this year. The upcoming school year will be filled with learning opportunities, new challenges, and meaningful moments of growth – academically, socially, and emotionally.

Establishing routines at home can support your child’s transition into Year 2 and contribute to optimal learning. Below are some key routines and expectations that will help ease the transition into P2 for both you and your child.

Progress & Communication
We’ll stay connected throughout the year via:
• Weekly class SeeSaw updates & photos
• Student Reports (January & June)
• Parent-teacher meetings (January & June)
• Student handbook messages
• Occasional phone calls (if needed)
Open communication is key to your child’s success. Please feel free to email me anytime with questions or concerns: hayley@lis.edu.hk

Assessments
Student learning is assessed in a variety of ways:
• Classroom observation
• Daily classwork
• Oral and written tests
• Project-based presentations
• NFER assessments (Autumn and Spring terms)

Student Handbook
Your child will bring home a Student Handbook each day. This is a vital communication tool between home and school. Please check daily for notes or messages, sign if needed & return every day in your child’s folder. You are welcome to write messages for me as well.

Daily Reading Practice
Children are encouraged to read for at least 20 minutes daily and keep track of their progress in their R.E.D. (Read Every Day) Reading Folder
• Home reading books will be provided
• Follow suggestions in the R.E.D. Folder
• Library or personal books are also welcome
• Return the reading folder and book to school every day

Weekly Homework
Homework folders will be sent home every Friday, containing:
• A Literacy activity
• A Numeracy activity
• Weekly spelling words and handwriting practice

Please return the completed work by the following Friday. Topic or Science-related tasks may also be included occasionally.

Homework should be a calm, positive experience. I recommend:
• Breaking down tasks into shorter, manageable periods
• Encouraging your child to attempt work independently after it’s been explained
• Communicating with the teacher if more time is needed or your child is showing significant difficulty or unable to complete the work

Spelling Book
Spelling words are included in the weekly homework, with Spelling Tests every Friday.
We will also be reviewing:
• Consonant and vowel sounds
• Sound blends and patterns

Snack & Lunch
• Please pack a nutritious snack and lunch for your child every day.
• They will have 10 minute snack break in the morning and 15 minutes for their lunch at 12:15pm. Additional time is permitted as needed.
• Kindly avoid nuts to ensure the safety of all children.
If your child has any food allergies or intolerances, please notify me directly.

Birthday Treats
Birthday celebrations are welcome, but optional.
If you choose to send a treat:
• Please ensure they are nut-free and individually wrapped for easy sharing

Water Bottles 
• Bring a spill-proof water bottle daily (no glass, please)
• Label all bottles, clothing, lunch boxes, etc.

Clothing & Footwear                                                                                                             • Wear appropriate footwear every day and please keep a raincoat and umbrella in your child’s bag
• A hat is required to play outside daily and for P.E. lessons
• Label all personal belongings

P.E. Days
Wednesdays & Fridays
Please ensure your child comes in P.E. uniform and suitable shoes.

Library
Library day is Wednesday.
Students may check out one book per week.
Please return it the following Wednesday to borrow a new one.

Illness or Absences
Please keep us informed of any:
• Illness or injury
• Absences
• Family situations that may affect your child’s wellbeing

I am incredibly proud of our students’ hard work and dedication throughout the first term. Each student has shown unique growth in their academic skills and personal development and we love to see their success celebrated at home as well as in the classroom. 

For Numeracy, students have been working hard on their place value skills. We have been mastering rounding as well as greater than and less than symbols. Throughout the first term we focused on learning a variety of addition and subtraction strategies, too.

In Literacy, we have been exploring a variety of fiction stories with wild settings, non-fiction animal texts and also some poetry by the poet Edward Lear. Alongside reading, we have been practicing grammar skills, especially using descriptive words to make our writing more vivid. It has been exciting to witness their growth as writers. Students are encouraged to continue recording their daily reading responses as a way to grow as readers and responsible learners. 

Science was full of observations, discussions and collecting data using the scientific method. We explored Healthy Animals and Materials and started an exciting new unit on Living Things and Their Habitats this month. While exploring outside we have been observing the differences between things that are living, dead, and have never been alive. In the coming weeks, we will be creating our own ‘Bug Hotels’ for our tiny friends.

Students have really enjoyed sharing their knowledge of the continents, oceans and map skills in our Geography Topic. We have labeled maps, used compasses and mastered using the cardinal directions thanks to silly mnemonic devices.  

We are excited to cheer on our students at Sports Day and look forward to seeing the school community come together once again. We also look forward to Green Week, Book Week and STEM Week in the remaining half of the school year. 

 

 

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Primary Two! I am pleased to have your child in our class. Primary Two is an exciting year for children on the road to literacy and independent learning. It will be a year of challenge and change for your child. They will be exposed to many opportunities to grow, especially in the areas of literacy, numeracy, problem-solving, and socialization.

Your child has benefited from the routines you have established at home for adequate rest and good nutrition.  Routines are also important for optimum learning in the classroom.  The following information about classroom routines should make the initial transition into Primary two easier for both you and your child.

Here is what to expect next year:

Progress

During the year I will be keeping in touch regarding your child’s progress through report cards, parent-teacher meetings, e-mails, the student hand-book and Seesaw.  Feel free to e-mail me at any time at hayley@lis.edu.hk.

I believe children receive the best education when home and school work as a team.

Assessments

Assessment for all subjects will be done in various ways. These include classroom observation, class work, tests (oral and written), and project-based presentations.

Daily Reading Homework

Children are encouraged to read 20 minutes every day. Home reading books will be sent home daily. Please follow the suggestions on the inside of the Reading folder to make this a pleasant experience for your child. Your child may read from public library or personal books as well. Please return the reading book everyday in the folder provided.

Hand-Book/E-mail notices

Your child will be bringing home their handbook daily. Please take the time to check the book for messages and important school notices. Ensure that your child returns their hand-book to school each morning. This is an important communication tool between home and school. We also use Seesaw and E-mail in addition to student handbooks.

Spelling book

Spelling words will be sent home as part of the weekly homework. Spelling tests are conducted every Friday. We will also be reviewing all consonant and vowel sounds as well as blends over the course of the year.

Snacks

We ask that you please do your best to send in nutritious snacks for your child. Please do not send in snacks which may contain nuts. If your child has a food allergy, please let your class teacher know.

Birthday Treats

Children may bring a birthday treat for their classmates on their special day.  This is optional. It would be helpful if treats could be individually wrapped for ease of distribution. Again, please do not send in anything which may contain nuts.

Water Bottles, Clothing, Shoes

Children are encouraged to bring spill-proof water bottles to school. They must be taken home daily to be cleaned and filled. No glass water bottles please.

All students should wear appropriate footwear to school as well as wearing a hat every day, especially on P.E. days (Wednesday and Friday). We will inform you via email ahead of time if we are planning a beach day.

*Please label all clothing, lunchboxes, water bottles, backpacks, etc.

Illness

Please keep us informed of any illness, accident or home situation that might affect your child.

Physical Education

P.E. will be on Wednesdays and Fridays. Please ensure your child wears the appropriate uniform.

Library

Children are allowed to take home a library book of their choice every Wednesday. Please ensure that they return their library book the following Wednesday in order to get a new book.

Mandarin – Chinese language classes will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday  with Ms. Choi and Ms. Jeannie.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

Kind Regards,

Ms. Peluchette

 

 

 

 

Below is our A-Z of P2.  If you have any other questions that are not answered below please contact us on the above email.

A-Absence

If your child is sick and cannot attend school, please inform the office (2980 3676). If a child is sick during the school day, we will call to arrange for someone to collect your child. Please ensure that you don’t send your child with medicine, as the school takes no responsibility for the administering of the medicine. Also, please remember, absences are recorded on your child’s school report.

B-Birthdays

Birthdays are low-key affairs in school.  Parents can arrange for individual cupcakes to be brought in. DO NOT send in cakes that need to be sliced.

B-Breakfast

Please give your child the best start by giving them breakfast before they set off for school in the morning.

B-Bus

If your child gets the school bus and requires a change of bus stop or is being collected at school for whatever reason, the school office must be informed before 12 noon so that the bus lists can be updated

C-Contact

Your child’s class teacher’s e-mail is attached, in case you have any questions during the summer. You can also call our school office.  If you need to speak to a teacher during class time, a message will be sent to your teacher and she will return your call as soon as possible. 

D-Drinks

Please do not send in fizzy drinks etc.  We advise that a child brings in a clearly marked water bottle.

E-Expectations

Children will be expected to follow the L.I.S school rules and behave in an acceptable manner towards both students and teaching staff.

F- Folders

Each student will receive an A2 zip folder for keeping all school reading books and folders. These need to be brought to school every day. Should the folder be damaged or lost you will need to replace it as soon as possible. Please ensure the student handbook is in the folder at all times.

F-Footwear

Please send your child to school with appropriate shoes. Children are not permitted to wear flip-flops or other open-style shoes at school.

F-First Aid

Parents will be informed of any serious accident as soon as possible.  The class teacher will deal with cuts and grazes.

G-Good work

Children are rewarded for their hard work during Friday’s whole school assembly.  A child is handed out a certificate if they have excelled in any area during the week.

H-Homework

Please try to encourage your child to complete the work independently, however, if they are struggling please take this opportunity to support them so they can then complete the homework by themselves.

H-Hats

We live by the rule: No hat, no play!  Please ensure that there is a hat in your child’s bag every day as they will not be permitted to play without one.

H-Handbook

Each child will be given a yellow L.I.S handbook.  This is used as another method of communication with your teacher.  If you have a message for your child’s teacher please keep it open to that page so that it can be easily seen.

I-Information

Class news is sent home weekly to the email address you provided.  Other notes regarding special events etc will also be emailed to you directly. Please ensure you check your email so that they are not missed. 

J-Jewelry

Children are only allowed to wear stud earrings.  No other jewelry is allowed.

L-Lunch

Lunchtime is 45 minutes long.  We encourage children to finish eating by 12.25 pm. Packed lunches are stored in school bags, which hang on hooks outside the classroom. There is no refrigeration or heating available, please be aware of this, when making your child’s lunch. You may want to add an ice pack to your child’s lunch box to stop food from spoiling during hot days!

M-Marks

Children are continually assessed throughout the year.  These assessments can be discussed with the class teacher during Parent-Teacher consultation days.  Please do not ask where your child is in the class as we look at each child’s progress independently.

Q-Questions

If you have any questions regarding administrative issues please contact our school office on 2980 3676. If you have any questions regarding your child’s progress please contact your class teacher. Your class teacher may be contacted via the school website.  

R-Rain

Children should always bring a hat and lightweight raincoat to school.  On rainy days a change of socks is also recommended!  For Black and Red rainstorms please consult the yellow handbook for details.

R- Reading

Students will read their home readers on a daily basis. Time will be allocated in class for them to change their readers if they have finished reading them at home.

S-Snacks

Snacks should be light and healthy preferably healthy biscuits and fruit. Please note, chips or chocolate are not acceptable.

T -Travel sickness

The journey to school can be difficult especially for a child who gets travel sick. Please help your child by giving them breakfast early in the morning and not leaving so late for the bus that you have to run! If you are worried about the possibility of sickness please inform the bus mother and help us by packing a change of clothing in a plastic bag in your child’s schoolbag.

U-Uniform

Full uniform must be worn. P.E uniform must be worn on P.E days (Wednesdays and Fridays) along with the appropriate footwear.   If there is a problem regarding uniforms please write and inform the class teacher in the handbook.  Hair should be tied back (girls) and no jewelry should be worn.

V- Valuables

Kindly note that no valuables e.g.: expensive toys, games (of any kind) or money are permitted at school.

W – Website

Please refer to this school website and Facebook page. Notices and newsletters will also be posted on the website.

W-Wildlife

Our school is set in a rural area.  Please be aware that your child may come across lots of bugs, lizards, and other interesting wildlife!  Our policy is that we care for our local environment and we share it with the local wildlife.  The golden rule is to look, but don’t touch.  By sticking to this we won’t hurt the animals and hopefully, they won’t hurt us!

Z-zzzzzz

Please remember that your child will probably be very tired in the first few weeks.  A good night’s sleep before they start school really helps them to get through the school day    

Thanks!

The P2 Team

 

P2 Timetable_LIS

We use Seesaw to share pictures of school activities and post class announcements (in addition to emails and student handbooks). There is also a direct messaging function on the app for teacher to parent communications. On the odd occasion, we may also post some engaging learning activities on there for children to complete.

At the start of the year, you will be given a QR code and a set up guide to help you get going.

Please follow this link for more information on Seesaw.

https://web.seesaw.me/

 

Kind regards,

The P2 Team

Dear Parents,

Each week your child will bring homework activities to share with you.  These homework activities have been specifically designed for parents and children to share together rather than being a solitary task.

If homework is to really help your child and fully advance their learning, then it needs to fulfill two purposes:

• The activity should involve your child in explaining something they have learned at school.

• The activity should be one which draws upon the situation and resources of the home. This means that school-learning is transferred to real-life contexts.

When parents and children share an activity in which the child has to explain aspects of maths, English or any other subject learned at school, the child thereby strengthens this learning.  These gains are further enhanced if these concepts or skills are transferred to real-life contexts rather than remaining as classroom activities.

Homework is the one time in the week when your child can share with you some of his/her learning.  Please participate in their homework by following this simple advice:

• Do pick a good time to do the homework – when not in a rush and not when their favourite TV programme is on.

• Allow your child to take the lead, only assisting if they are unsure or need some explaining to be done or reading to be shared.

• Praise is a very effective stimulus to hard work and good learning rather than criticism.

• Homework is sent home every Friday and expected to be returned the following Friday or per the date indicated on the homework page.

• Please ensure to return library books every Wednesday.

Many thanks,

The P2 Team