Welcome to Giraffe Class!

The children of Year 2 will be taught by both Mrs Watson (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) and Mrs Ward (Thursday) with teaching assistant support provided by Mrs. Kelvey.

Regular updates on class activities can be found via the Class Dojo where you can also get in touch with staff and share activities from home too. 

Why Giraffe Class

All of our classes are named after endangered animals. Sadly, the Kordofan and Nubian giraffes are critically endangered and the Masai and Reticulated giraffes are endangered, while several other species are vulnerable or threatened. This rapid decline is largely due to habitat loss, drought and poaching. 

Giraffe fun facts:

• Same Neck Bones as Humans: Despite being up to 2 metres long, a giraffe's neck has the same number of vertebrae (seven) as a human's. Each bone is just massively elongated. 
• Giant, Sunburnt Tongues: A giraffe's tongue can grow up to 53cm long. It is dark purple or black to protect it from sunburn while reaching for leaves in the hot sun.
• Unique as a Fingerprint: Just like human fingerprints, no two giraffes have the exact same spot pattern. These spots also help regulate body temperature by acting as thermal windows.
• Dangerous Drinking: Because their necks are too short to reach the ground, giraffes have to awkwardly splay their front legs or kneel to drink water. This makes them highly vulnerable to predators. 
• Hardly Any Sleep: Unlike most mammals, giraffes sleep very little. They catch up on rest through brief, 1 to 2-minute "nananaps" that total only about 20 to 30 minutes a day.

Year 2 Recommended Reads

• Meerkat Mail
• Supertato
• The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark
• Call Me Lion
• Yours Sincerley Giraffe
• Blob Fish
• The Great Dog Bottom Swap
• Scaredy Squirrel
• The Boy Who Grew Dragons
• Silence Seeker
• Traction Man
• Zog

Mrs Watson's Recommended Reads 

I love looking after the environment so my recommended books both have a conservation/looking after our planet theme: