Pumpkin Class Blog

Date:

29 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

The History of Communication: Telephone Talk

The Year 2 children have been finding out about the history of telephones. They enjoyed a very interesting and informative talk from Mrs. Griffiths. She told them all about her time when she worked at the telephone exchange in Grimsby. She explained how older phones worked and showed them pictures of the switchboard. She explained what an operator or telephonist did when they answered and connected calls.

‘Mrs. Griffiths had a very interesting job. The switchboard looked complicated with so many wires.’
‘I’ve realised that phones have changed so much. It took ages to make a call in 1960s.’
‘We don’t have to call an operator now. But  I would like to use a phone with a dial.’
‘We all learnt how to speak like an operator. They had a funny way of saying numbers. Fife was five!’

Date:

29 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Loving Laceby Library!

Pumpkin Class had a wonderful time at the library. They loved exploring the shelves and finding new books to read. The class enjoyed sharing books with each other and some children were especially fascinated by all the cool facts in the non-fiction section! Many thanks to Mrs. Wink for leading this special visit.

Date:

24 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

We Care for Animals: The Blue Cross Charity

Year 2 welcomed Mr Ives from Grimsby‘s Blue Cross Animal Hospital into their classroom for a fascinating talk about animals and pets.

‘We found out the Blue Cross began in 1897 and they helped injured horses in WWI.’

‘Mr Ives told us how the Blue Cross helps sick pets and some animals need operations.’

‘We saw X-rays of animals that had eaten things that made them ill, like an old sock.’

‘Mr Ives told us about different kinds of food and things that can be poisonous to our pets, like chocolate and antifreeze.’

‘We talked about dangerous animals that might bite us and how we should stay away from aggressive animals.’

‘He brought a toy dog called Cocoa and taught us how to give a dog CPR if it wasn’t breathing.’

Date:

20 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

The Great Toast Tumble: British Science Week in Year 2

In celebration of British Science Week, our Year 2 scientists turned the classroom into a laboratory to investigate a classic mystery: Does toast always land butter-side down? The children had a fantastic time conducting hands-on experiments, carefully dropping slices of toast and recording their results to see if the "butter-side-down" theory held up. This exciting investigation sparked plenty of curiosity, leading the children to wonder if variables like the size and shape of the bread, or even removing the crusts, might change how it lands. It was a brilliant way to explore the scientific method while having plenty of messy fun!

"I think the butter side was a bit heavier and that was why it kept landing butter side down."
"It was interesting to try it without butter and just draw an X on one side of the toast. We got a mixture of results"
"I wondered if how you drop the toast might change what happens? I tried dropping toast from above my head outside."

Date:

20 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Sunny Maths in Year 2

The Pumpkins enjoyed their hands-on maths outside in the sunshine.  They had a great time exploring the world of measurement using a mix of non-standard units, centimetres and metres. They challenged themselves to draw chalk lines of various lengths and hunt for objects around the playground. They worked hard to identify items that were less than, more than or equal to exactly one meter in length.

Date:

20 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Comic Relief

Year 2 had a brilliant time celebrating Red Nose Day. They learnt all about how the charity helps people in need and loved showing off their bright red clothes. They finished the day with plenty of smiles and laughter during some fun outdoor activities.

Date:

9 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Chinese New Year Dancing

The Year 2 and Year 3 children worked together to create beautiful dances for Chinese New Year. They shared their ideas and moved in time to the traditional Chinese music.

‘I loved dancing with a new friend.’
‘We copied each other’s actions.’
‘I showed my partner how some of the animals in the Chinese New Year story move and we put those into our dance.’
‘I found the music relaxing. It helped me concentrate and be calm.’

Date:

5 March

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Our World Book Day Fun!

Year 2 had a fantastic World Book Day! Everyone looked amazing dressed up as their favourite book characters. We spent a lovely day sharing stories and reading in the sunshine with our friends in Year 6. We especially loved listening to Mrs. Brady read 'Claude in the City'—she even surprised us all by dressing up as Claude the dog!

After the story, we became illustrators and artists. We discovered that the illustrator, Alex T. Smith only used five colours in his drawings. We practiced his special techniques, like cross-hatching, shading, and using bold patterns, such as spots and stripes. We created our own brilliant pictures of Claude and exciting cityscapes.  We had a wonderful day of reading and creativity!

Date:

26 February

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Well-being Wednesday

The Year 2 children enjoyed a relaxing and therapeutic art session whilst listening to calm music. They used their curriculum knowledge of the Arctic and  Antarctica and applied their colour mixing skills to create cold landscapes and paintings of polar animals.

Date:

25 February

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

World Thinking Day 2026

Two of our lovely pupils talked to the class about World Thinking Day. They helped us think about the importance of friendship and how special it is to be part of a group such as Beavers.

Date:

13 February

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Children’s Mental Health Week

This year, the theme for Children’s Mental Health Week has been “This is My Place,” which has focused on the importance of belonging and helping children to feel safe, valued and supported in their everyday environments.

The Year 2 children created maps to show their favourite places, groups and activities personal to them, where they feel they belong.

Date:

13 February

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Safer Internet Day

The Year 2 children have listened to stories and learnt songs to remind them how important it is to stay safe online. They participated in a BBC Live Lesson and learnt about AI and trusted sources of information. They created posters to promote online safety.

Date:

2 February

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Wonderful Home Learning

We love to see what the Pumpkins have been doing at home. This week we have seen amazing Maths skills and times tables, healthy eating, spelling and creative crafts! Well done everyone!

Date:

26 January

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Year 2 Geography: Animals Around the World

The children have been learning a fantastic song about the continents of the world and have developed their own actions.

They have been learning about hot and cold places in relation to the Earth’s equator.

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‘We had to look at a world map to find out where the different animals live.’

‘It’s very hot if you live near the equator.’

‘We had to think about what kind of clothes a zoologist would wear if he went to visit animals in different climates.’

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Date:

22 January

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

History of Communication: William Caxton

The children in Year 2 learnt about the printing press and how it changed people’s lives. They realised that before the printing press people had to write books by hand.

‘The printing press was invented by a man called Gutenberg in 1436. Another man called William Caxton thought it was so good that he brought it to Britain in 1476.’

‘Before we had the printing press, people had to write with a feather called a quill. They had to dip it in some ink.’

‘Writing with a quill takes ages. We all tried it.’

‘The printing press was good because more books could be printed easily, so more people wanted to learn to read them.’

‘The first book to be printed was The Holy Bible. Christian people could read it for themselves.’

Date:

9 January

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Computing: Logging On and Word Processing

Pumpkin Class learnt how to log on to their laptops today using a new magic QR badge. They then explored their keyboards; typing words, alphabets and numbers.

‘I could type ‘The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.’ That sentence used all the letters and I found them all.’

‘I typed my favourite jokes for my partner to read.’

‘I found out how to make the words on the screen bigger.’

‘I love working on a laptop and I can’t wait for next week!’

Date:

9 January

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

A Chilly Hook Day in Year 2! 🐧🐻‍❄️❄️

The children enjoyed dressing up as penguins, polar bears and arctic explorers. They had lots of fun learning about penguins.

‘We enjoyed watching the penguins at London Zoo.’
‘I liked doing the funny penguin dance.’
‘I think we have learnt so many things about penguins. The smallest penguin is called a Little Penguin and it is as tall as a ruler and the largest penguins is called an Emperor Penguin and they are as tall as Year 2 children!’
‘The stories and books have been so interesting to read.’
‘All the class have been learning penguin poems. I think they sound really good.’
‘I’ve just loved drawing and making penguins. We also made 2D stick puppets and 3D cardboard penguins.’

Date:

18 December

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Christmas Party Fun!

Pumpkin Class really enjoyed their class Christmas party. Lots of dancing, Christmas singing, great games and yummy food. There was even a surprise visit from a very special person!

Date:

12 December

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

A Spectacular Nativity Performance!

Pumpkin class truly dazzled their audience with their vibrant performance of “Camel-Ama-Ding-Dong.” The children demonstrated exceptional acting, singing and dancing skills-bringing the story of the first Christmas to life with great enthusiasm and confidence. They showed wonderful speaking and oracy skills and some fantastic musical instrument playing. Well done everyone!

Date:

11 December

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

🎄A Caring Christmas Jumper Day 🎄

Well done to Pumpkin Class for wearing their beautiful Christmas clothes and helping to raise money for the Save the Children Charity.

Date:

3 December

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Festive Entertainment🎄

Well done to The Pumpkin Choir for their wonderful performance of Christmas songs at our Christmas Fayre! It was lovely to see parents, family and friends joining in too!

Date:

3 December

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Festive Fancy Dress🎄🤶

Well done to the Year 2 children. You all look very Christmassy! Good luck for the competition!

Date:

2 December

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Enterprise: Designing and Making Calendars to sell at the Christmas Fair.

The children decided a handmade calendar would be a perfect and useful gift to sell this Christmas. With encouragement from Mrs. Brady 🐸 they thought a frog theme would be good! They quickly got designing and making. It was great to see them developing their painting, cutting and sticking skills and carefully assembling each unique calendar. Now, with their special frog calendars complete, they are eagerly waiting to see their creations hop off their stall at this year’s Christmas Fair! Selling at only £1 each!

Date:

27 November

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Year 2 Home Learning 🐉

Pumpkin Class are so proud of their lovely Egg Box Dragons! Fantastic work everyone, well done.

Date:

17 November

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Children in Need

Pumpkin Class dressed in their own clothes or Pudsey Bear items for Children in Need day. They learnt all  about this worthwhile charity and the different ways the money donated helps children across the country. They also enjoyed some Pudsey art and created an eye-catching poster together.

Date:

13 November

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Anti-Bullying Week 2025

This year’s theme was "Power for Good"and Pumpkin Class focused on the powerful messages about kindness, respect, and the positive impact their actions can have on others.

‘We put on odd socks to celebrate that we are all different.’
‘We watched a BBC live lesson and they told us to speak up, to tell a trusted adult if something is worrying us.’
‘I made a poster about my powers for good. We need to be kind and help each other.’
‘Our top Five C is caring and that’s what we need to do!’

Date:

13 November

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Remembrance: Lest We Forget

The Year 2 children paid their respects on Armistice Day by joining in with the two minutes silence. They have been thinking about the affects of war on soldiers, families and animals.

‘We wear poppies to remember the soldiers who died or who got badly hurt.’

‘Together we made a big poppy wreath because poppies grew in the fields after WWI ended.’
‘Mrs. Brady found a soldier in her family who died in WWI. It was so sad for his family when he didn’t come home.’
‘We are reading a story called Where the Poppies Now Grow and it’s about two boys who grow up to be soldiers and end up being soldiers.’
‘Lots of animals died in wars, animals like horses. People wear purple poppies to remember them.’

Date:

10 November

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

A Cracking Science Investigation! 🥚

The Year 2 children wanted to help Humpty Dumpty protect his shell from cracking. They tested different materials wrapped around real eggs. It was ‘eggcellent’ fun!

‘I predicted rubber would be good for him because if he falls then he will bounce like a ball.’

‘It was egg-citing to drop the eggs and see if they cracked.’

‘We tested hard, soft, rough, smooth, thin and thick materials.’

‘We found out that a thick and soft fabric would protect Humpty’s fragile shell.’

Date:

7 November

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

The Egg Box Dragons Keep On Coming!

Fantastic home learning from more Year 2 pupils. We love to see your creative crafting skills. Well done everyone!

Date:

24 Ocotober

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Reading Collaboration

In Key Stage 1 we love to get together to read and share our favourite stories.

‘It’s fun to read with people from another class.’
‘I showed my new friend my favourite stories.’
‘The older children could read the trickier words.’
‘I love to talk about the pictures and chat with people.’

Date:

15 Ocotober

Posted by:

Mrs Smith

🍁 Autumn Craft Event 🍁

Pupils had a wonderful Autumn craft event making and crafting lots of autumn themed activities! From Leaf puppets to 3D owls… lots of crafting fun! A wonderful evening! ☺️

Date:

10 October

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

More Amazing Home Learning!

Some more wonderful dragons have appeared in Pumpkin Class this week. Well done everyone, they are great!

Date:

3 October

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Harvest Time

Pumpkin Class enjoyed taking part in our special Harvest assembly. We would like to thank everyone who kindly donated gifts of food to support Harbour Place in Grimsby and our Community Pantry in the school entrance.

‘Harvest time is a sharing time.’
‘Christian people thank God for all the food that the farmers have grown.’
‘I brought some tins of food. I hope someone who is hungry will like them.’
‘Our class learnt a poem called Happy Harvest. We showed the whole school. It was good when everyone joined in and said ‘What did the farmer bring today?’ It was good fun.’
‘I enjoyed singing Harvest Samba!’

Date:

2 October

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Wonderful Home Learning! 🐉

Well done to the children in Year 2 for making their fantastic egg box dragons. We are looking forward to seeing more dragons arrive in our classroom soon!

Date:

25 September

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Macmillan Coffee Afternoon

Well done to all the children in Pumpkin Class for their lovely Macmillan Coffee Event. They enjoyed singing songs for their family and friends, eating cakes and most importantly raising money for this important charity.

‘We iced and decorated cakes.’
‘I loved singing the Pumpkin Song and doing the Fruit Smoothie song and dance.’
‘My mum enjoyed the cakes too.’
‘We have made money to help poorly people.’
‘Macmillan nurses help people who are really poorly. Our money will help them get medicine and things like special beds.’

Date:

21 September

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Year 2 Artists Hook Day

Pumpkin class had an exciting day with many children dressing up as brilliant artists! Inside they became masters of charcoal and white chalk, learning to control the pressure of their tools to create a variety of marks and explore light and dark tones. They enjoyed experimenting with blending techniques using their fingers, cotton wool and cotton buds to achieve different effects before carefully cutting out their drawings to create fantastic collages. Outside they made rubbings of interesting surfaces, like tree trunks, bricks and even tyres, to create a wonderful collection of texture.

Date:

21 September

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Our Special Reading Breakfast

What a wonderful morning Pumpkin Class had at their reading breakfast. It was lovely to see so many grown-ups joining their children for this special event. Children and adults alike enjoyed sharing stories, reading together and tucking into the delicious bread buns, fresh fruit and juice.

Pupils
‘I loved reading with my mum and dad.’
‘It was good fun and I liked the food!’
‘We should do this every week. I love reading with my grandad.’

Mrs. Wink (Chair of Governors)
‘I want to congratulate all the children for an excellent event. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. The children were so well behaved and loved reading to their grown ups.’

Parents
‘It’s lovely to be able to join my child in school- she’s been excited about it!’
‘The event was fantastic. Great range of books.’
‘A wonderful event to help inspire a love of reading.’

Date:

19 September

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Jeans for Genes Day 2025: Fundraising for the Genetic Condition Community

The Year 2 children had fun wearing their jeans to school in support of the Jeans for Genes charity.

‘We found out that genes are in our bodies and make us who we are.’
‘Some children are born with genes that have gone a bit wrong and this might make them poorly.’
‘If we wear our jeans we can raise money for people who need medicines, special things like wheelchairs and for doctors to find out more about genes.’
‘We watched a story about a girl who got help from the charity. She had poorly eyes and couldn’t see very well. The charity paid for her doctors.’
‘I liked doing the Jeans for Genes dance.!’

Date:

8 September

Posted by:

Mrs Brady

Fun with Numbers

The Year 2 children had a great time exploring numbers in a hands-on way! They loved counting a variety of familiar objects, which helped them understand the concept of quantity. The children were also very creative, molding playdough into different numerals and stacking cubes to build larger numbers. This allowed them to physically construct and visualize what numbers represent. A fun challenge was when they had to estimate and then count how many frog toys live in their classroom, turning Maths into a fun treasure hunt.