Year 2

2022 will be a year to remember for the Year 2 cohort as being their first year of primary school on campus. Early in the year, the boys celebrated all things ‘2’ on the unusual date 22/2/22. They were intrigued to find out more about palindromic numbers and spent the morning investigating palindromic patterns when adding a number to its reverse. Term 1 also saw the boys use the Design Process to build a boat that would transport a cargo of cookies (marbles). Whilst some vessels were initially unstable, most boys were able to improve and develop their designs after testing. This task also reinforced that a Yeti approach to learning means that we learn through our mistakes and from others.

An excursion to Como House and Gardens began the Term 2 inquiry ‘Looking Back.’ We enjoyed playing old-time games on the lawns and learning about the Armytage family who lived in Como House in the last century. We even had to wash the clothes and use a manual wringer before hanging them out to dry. Life was not easy for the servants of the house. To learn more about life in the past, the Year 2 boys interviewed their grandparents. We are lucky to live in an age of technology that made speaking to family overseas so easy. When the students shared their interviews with the class, they realised that many things are valuable because of the memories attached to them and also that every generation likes to have fun in some way! Numbers increased by 10 in Year 2 during Term 3 as the boys were lucky to incubate eggs. These all hatched within days and everyone was delighted to have 10 fluffy chickens join the Year 2 classroom. Being able to observe the first eight to ten days of life of the chicks demonstrated how living things grow and change. This was reinforced during an excursion to the Zoo, where some boys even saw an elephant have its foot scrubbed clean by a keeper.

In Term 4, the students worked scientifically to investigate what happens to materials when they are combined. They conducted a range of experiments including combining combinations of water, oil, and detergent and changing variables when dissolving sugar and salt in water. They also took part in a fabulous incursion that introduced them to materials called polymers and highlighted the difference between a physical change and a chemical reaction.

I applaud the boys for the enthusiasm, optimism, and curiosity they have shown all year. They are true inquirers and have been a joy to teach.

Mrs Eunice Goessler

Year 2 Teacher

‘I applaud the boys for the enthusiasm, optimism, and curiosity they have shown all year.’

Celebrating ‘Twosday’

A fascinating date captured the Year 2 boys’ imaginations early in Term 1. The Tuesday was known by Year 2 as ‘Twosday’ because the date was 22/2/22. The whole day was spent celebrating all things related to ‘2’. We learnt about palindromic numbers in Maths by adding numbers together and looking for patterns using a 100 chart. How lucky we were to have a date to celebrate.

Designing a Boat

In Term 1, the Year 2 students investigated floating and sinking in our Water unit. The task was that the King Island Cookie Company needed boats to transport cookies to Melbourne as the factory’s largest boat had sunk. We had a limited budget and could only construct the boats from foil, masking tape, straws, and popsicle sticks. We tested our boat designs by floating them in a tub of water, then adding marbles to see if they were stable. Some boats sunk immediately and needed to be improved. However, with some small changes, many boys designed boats that floated with over 65 marbles as cargo.

Como House

In Term 2, we went on our first excursion to Como House. The huge ballroom with a giant crystal chandelier was astonishing. We enjoyed acting like a servant and washing the clothes. The Armytage family were very wealthy and had lots of rooms in their house. It was a mansion.

Box of Love

In Term 3, a group of Year 9 students asked the Year 2 boys to be involved in their Box of Love project. Their aim was to spread kind messages to the local community. During the project, we enjoyed drawing and writing letters to help sad people. We wrote kind messages and drew happy pictures on coloured circles which were delivered by the Year 9 boys to a local café. We even received a thank you message from one grateful customer.

Hatching Chicks

Seeing the chicks’ life cycle in Integrated Studies was so exciting! We watched the eggs hatch in an incubator and then when they were a day or two old, we moved them into a brooding box. We saw how quickly the chicks developed, especially their wings. We loved holding the fluffy chicks!