Second Grade Update – Week of 2/3

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

This week we celebrated Catholic Schools! What a treat to see many of you at Mass and Open House on Sunday! Throughout the week, it was lovely to visit other classrooms, appreciate the dedication and love of our parents, focus on excellence and hard work with the Oratorical Fest, and celebrate our amazing students, faculty and staff! A BIG thank you to Ms. Richards and Mrs. Chisholm for taking care of our second graders while all the teachers and staff enjoyed a lovely brunch from the PTG on Friday! Finally, Mrs. Serles, Mrs. Sturlini and I thank you all for helping your children put together the videos of student thoughts about their teachers! They are precious! 🙂

Next week, we celebrate our 100th day of school as well as the start of Black History month. Throughout the month, the class will highlight changemakers who have worked toward greater equality, justice, and respect in our society as well as individuals who have made positive impacts in all aspects of life – science, music, art, literature, etc. We will tie these lessons into our focus virtues – self-control (January) and perseverance (February). Below is our second grade learning update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading –
  • In reading groups, students will start their new book clubs. They will identify the main characters and setting. We will also discuss genres. As always, there is a focus on reading fluency and speaking and listening skills as we work together in a small group.
  • At night, I am encouraging all students to bring home their AR books. Students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice with words with double consonants after a short vowel ff, ll, ss, and dd (ex. paddle, cliff, bluff). They will also learn to use the suffixes -ful and -less to create adjectives. Everyone should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will start a descriptive narrative project where they will get to invent characters and write a problem/solution story. This week, we will review character traits and students will start developing their main character with as many details as possible (likes, dislikes, what they look like, where they live, etc.).
• Math – The class will work together to create graphs. 🙂 We have been discussing questions that someone might ask to gather information as well as how to display that information in the form of a graph (labels, increments, etc.) to ensure the information presented is clear.
• Religion – We will finish our chapter introducing the sacraments, with a focus on Reconciliation and the Eucharist. As many students are preparing to receive their First Reconciliation, we are memorizing the Act of Contrition prayer. This should be practiced at home and students will be tested at the end of the month. 
• Science – Students learn about the solid and liquid states of matter and then discover why plastic was invented. In the activity, Candy Melt, students will conduct an investigation to determine which types of candy melt in hot water. Using their observations, they will decide which candy is the best choice to bring to a hot summer camp! 🙂
• Social Studies – Students will continue our unit on discovering our past. This week, we will discuss the Civil War and connect to important change makers of that time. As mentioned, conversations will be age appropriate, but we will also address that injustice is also part of our nation’s history and that changemakers were needed then AND now to ensure we always uphold justice, equality, and liberty.

Other Updates for this Week:

• St. Valentine’s Day – If they would like to, students may bring in valentines to exchange, but please do not put specific names on individual cards (it takes too long to pass them out). They should bring in their valentines on Friday, February 14th.
• AR Reading – Just a reminder – I am encouraging all students to use their AR book for their homework reading time (15 minutes each afternoon/evening).
• Dates to Remember:
  • Saturday, Feb. 1 – SPN Crab Feed (Athletic Fundraiser)
  • Friday, Feb. 14 – St. Valentine’s Day, Noon Dismissal
  • Monday, Feb. 17 – No School, Presidents’ Day
  • Tuesday, Feb. 18 – Free Dress February B-Days
  • Friday, Feb. 28 – End of Trimester 2

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 1/27

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

This week, groups presented their continent projects! There is always a lot to learn when presenting. How do we move and share space? How loud do we need our voices to be? How do we start and end the presentation? So many things to think about! We used the opportunity to learn from each other and develop awareness about presenting skills in a safe space. After each presentation, groups had their picture taken! (attached) 🙂

Thank you again to our art docents who continue to bring beautiful projects to the second grade classroom and tap into students’ creativity!Next week, we celebrate Catholic schools! There are many events throughout the week celebrating our students, our faith, our community and families, and excellence! On Sunday, the 26th, please join us for Mass at 9am and Open House to follow! I look forward to seeing you and sharing our classroom. You are also invited to visit other classrooms as well. 🙂 Please note that students should always be with a parent while at Open House.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will start our new book clubs. We will dive into more challenging fiction texts, talk about genre, and identify the main characters and setting of stories.
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice with words ending in -tion/shǝn/ and -ture/chėr/ (ex. association, adventure). They will also distinguish between ea/ē/ and ea/ě/ (ex. read vs. bread). They should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will write a thoughtful letter of gratitude, practicing the five parts of a letter, editing their work, and writing neatly.
• Math – As part of measurement, the class will develop ways of conceptualizing proportions and using fractions. Students will continue practicing strategies for subtraction of 3-digit numbers when regrouping is required.
• Religion – We will finish our chapter introducing the sacraments and focus on the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. We will also start Family Life, and I will send  information about this curriculum home next week.
• Social Studies – Students will start our unit on discovering our past. We will touch upon our history as a nation, including Native Americans who first lived on the land, explorers who came, and pioneers who created new communities. Conversations will be age appropriate, but we will also address that injustice is also part of our nation’s history and that changemakers were needed then AND now to ensure we always uphold justice, equality, and liberty.
• Science – Students will review the scientific process as a way to explore a question. Then we get to visit the middle school science fair to see this process brought to life!

Other Updates for this Week:

• St. Valentine’s Day – If they would like to, students may bring in valentines to exchange, but please do not put specific names on individual cards (it takes too long to pass them out). They should bring in their valentines on Friday, February 14th.
• Baby Wipes – Thank you to everyone who donated wipes for our class!!!
• AR Reading – Many students are reading more challenging books these days. I am encouraging all students to use their AR book for their homework reading time (15 minutes each afternoon/evening). This means they can bring their AR book back and forth to school. As soon as students finish reading at home, they should put their book right back in their backpack each evening.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Sunday, Jan. 26 – Catholic Schools Week kick-off with All School Mass, 9:00 am at SPN; Open House immediately following Mass, 10:00-11:30
  • Friday, Jan. 31 – Noon dismissal; No Share and Care; Teacher Appreciation Day
  • Saturday, Feb. 1 – SPN Crab Feed (Athletic Fundraiser)
  • Friday, Feb. 14 – St. Valentine’s Day, Noon Dismissal
  • Monday, Feb. 17 – No School, Presidents’ Day
  • Tuesday, Feb. 18 – Free Dress February B-Days
  • Friday, Feb. 28 – End of Trimester 2

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 1/20

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

This week, students were amazing collaborators! They finished their group continent posters and practiced presenting! It is quite something for second graders to work on a group project and then present together as well! Together, each group considered how to introduce themselves, who would share first, the logistics of making space for each other as they each presented, and how they would wrap up. We talked about using speaker voices, never turning your back to your audience, etc. 🙂 I was very proud of their effort and appreciated their enthusiasm. I look forward to sharing some pictures of their presentations next week! 

We were also blessed to have Mrs. Valenzuela share about a historic hero! From his clothing choices to his music, Michael Jackson is truly an icon. Not only has his popularity stood the test of time, but so has his hard work, positivity, and charity to those in need. He was definitely a hit with our second graders! 

Next week, students will recite their Oratorical Fest selections! Please help them to be prepared. No notes will be allowed, and students should use speaker voices, good eye contact, and a good pace (not too slow and not too fast). Thank you for your support! They will start with:

• Good afternoon. My name is _________ and I am in the second grade. The (poem, speech, prayer, etc.) I will be reciting is _________, written by _________.
• When finished, say, Thank you.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading –
  • In reading groups, students will finish SUPER magazine. We will focus on identifying text features and key vocabulary to support our comprehension. As always, there is a focus on speaking and listening skills as we work together in a small group.
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice with decoding and encoding words with -īld, -īnd, -ōld, -ōst (ex. child, find, told, host). Students will also review compound words. They should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will focus on proper punctuation and capitalization in all written work. The goal is fewer reminders and more self-editing! 🙂
• Math – The class will continue with measurement by practicing measuring in inches. They will also identify real-life objects and decide whether it would make sense to measure with inches, feet, or yards. Students will continue practicing strategies for subtraction of 3-digit numbers when regrouping is required.
• Religion – We will continue our chapter about the sacraments with a focus on the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist. A prayer we will start learning is the Act of Contrition, and this will be part of homework in February. We will also begin Family Life – information will come home in your child’s homework folder next week.
• Social Studies – Students will present continent posters with their groups. In addition to reinforcing content knowledge, the goals of the project include using collaboration as well as speaking and listening skills. We will also continue reading about and discussing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s accomplishments and why he is an inspirational change maker.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Baby Wipes – We still need a refill of baby wipes – 1-2 packs from all families. We use them after each recess, so they go quickly! If you’ve already contributed – thank you!
• AR Reading – Many students are reading more challenging books these days. I am encouraging all students to use their AR book for their homework reading time (15 minutes each afternoon/evening). This means they can bring their AR book back and forth to school. As soon as students finish reading at home, they should put their book right back in their backpack each evening.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Monday, Jan. 20 – No school – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Tuesday, Jan. 21 – Free dress January birthdays
  • Wednesday, Jan. 22 – Spirit Day – Pajama Day AND NOON dismissal, Teacher Professional Development
  • Sunday, Jan. 26 – Catholic Schools Week kick-off with All School Mass, 9:00 am at SPN; Open House immediately following Mass, 10:00-11:30
  • Friday, Jan. 31 – Noon dismissal; No Share and Care; Teacher Appreciation Day

We look forward to seeing our students on Tuesday!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 1/13

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

This week, we jumped back into our second grade routines! Students worked hard, followed our SLEs, and had fun seeing friends again!

As a school community, we are introducing virtues (habits that promote good, can be developed over time, and that bring us closer to God and others) and will focus on one virtue each month. In January, we focus on self-control.

• Meaning: The joyful mastery over one’s passions and desires
• Opposing Trait: Being excessive in words or actions; acting impulsively

As a class, we will learn about how self-control affects decisions and those in our lives as well as strategies for developing stronger self-control in different areas.

In social studies, it was wonderful to see students starting to collaborate for their continent projects. Working in a group can be awesome AND challenging at times. We discussed strategies for working through disagreements in fair, kind, and thoughtful ways with the goal of producing an engaging and informative poster. Posters will be finalized next week and group presentations will follow! 

A few notes about how homework will be changing:

• In the coming weeks, I will gradually expand homework practice to capture some additional math, grammar, and reading comprehension activities. This will be an opportunity to reinforce and expand on foundational skills.
• I will continue to offer the monthly challenge packet to earn a prize, but only as requested since the majority of students do not complete it (and I do not want to waste paper!). 

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading –
  • In reading groups, students will continue SUPER magazine. We will practice summarizing the main idea of an article, determining the author’s purpose, and using text features to support our comprehension. 
  • Many students need practice with fluency. Please encourage your child to read aloud at night. It would be very helpful if you read with them to ensure they observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words exactly as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions). 
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice decoding and encoding letter-sound correspondences igh/ī/, aught/ôt/, and ought/ôt/ (ex. night, caught, brought). They should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz.
• Writing – Students will reflect on the goal they wrote for 2025. They will choose a word that embodies a characteristic they would like to demonstrate during the year – perhaps one that will help them meet their goal! Then they will write about this word – why they chose the word, who in their life lives the word, and how they will be this word.
• Math – The class will continue practicing strategies for subtraction of 3-digit numbers when regrouping is required. We will also review concepts of measurement, practice estimating and measuring precisely, identify and relate standard units (inches, feet, yards), and use appropriate tools.
• Religion – We continue our chapter about the church with a focus on the Communion of Saints. We will continue reflecting on the virtue of self-control and how we can develop it in our lives.
• Social Studies – Students will finish their first group project! They will use their individual continent research to create a poster together. In addition to reinforcing content knowledge, the goals of the project include using collaboration as well as speaking and listening skills.
• Science – The class will  consider the insulating and conducting properties of different materials. In our activity, students will test different materials and determine which would make the best oven mitts.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Oratorical Fest – Please have your child practice their piece at home. They will need to have it memorized and ready to recite for the week of January 20th. They will start with:
  • Good afternoon. My name is _________ and I am in the second grade. The (poem, speech, prayer, etc.) I will be reciting is _________, written by _________.
  • When finished, say, Thank you.
• Baby Wipes – We are running low on baby wipes – these are used twice a day after recesses. If each family could please donate 1-2 containers, I would be very grateful. Thank you!
• Dates to Remember:
  • Friday, Jan. 10 – Hard copy of Oratorical selections due to Mrs. Suer (8-12 lines; please review rules)
  • Thursday, Jan. 16 – Jeans Day Fundraiser ($5)
  • Friday, Jan. 17 – No school for students; Staff Work Day
  • Monday, Jan. 20 – No school – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Tuesday, Jan. 21 – Free dress January birthdays
  • Wednesday, Jan. 22 – Spirit Day – Pajama Day AND NOON dismissal, Teacher Professional Development
  • Sunday, Jan. 26 – Catholic Schools Week kick-off with All School Mass, 9:00 am at SPN; Open House immediately following Mass, 10:00-11:30
  • Friday, Jan. 31 – Noon dismissal; No Share and Care; Teacher Appreciation Day

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 1/6

Dear Second Grade Families, 

I hope you’ve all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas break so far! THANK YOU so much for your Christmas gifts! I truly loved the family pictures, homemade cards, lovely notes, tasty treats, generous gift cards, and creative and thoughtful presents! Wishing you all a very happy new year as we start 2025!

Sunday Reminder: The Rite of Illumination – If your child is preparing to receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion, please attend this Sunday’s 9am Mass for the Rite of Illumination and a family meeting in O’Brien Hall. You should have also received an email from Ms. Morales with additional information. 

On Monday, we will jump back into normal second grade routines. 🙂 It will be wonderful to see our students and hear about the time they spent with family and friends.

This week’s homework will include two non-routine items that are due on Friday:

• Oratorical Fest – hard copy of their Oratorical Fest selection. Please follow requirements sent home before break and attached here for convenience. (Students do not need to have selections memorized until the week of Jan. 20th.)
  
• Continent Project – three pictures to support their section(s) of the group continent project (if you don’t have a printer, you can always send them to me via email). Your child’s section(s) will be decided on Monday, and sent home with their normal homework page.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will start our new SUPER magazine. We will focus on connecting articles with a general magazine theme and identifying the main idea within an informational paragraph. Students will resume practicing good listening skills and manners in our small groups. 
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students decoding and encoding words with kn/n/ and wr/r/ words (ex. know, write). Students will also work with prefixes un- and re- and should practice their spelling words for homework.
• Writing – To ring in the new year, students will write about a goal they’d like to work on during 2025. They will focus on expressing their goal clearly and using supporting sentences to describe why the goal is important as well as one strategy for meeting their goal. As always, students need to use their editing skills and neatest handwriting.
• Math – The class will practice strategies for adding and subtracting 3-digit numbers when regrouping is required. We will also review concepts of measurement, practice estimating and measuring precisely, identify and relate standard units (inches, feet, yards), and use appropriate tools.
• Religion – We will start our chapter about the Church as a community of disciples.
• Social Studies/Science – Students will start their first group project! They will use their individual continent research to create a poster together. In addition to reinforcing content knowledge, the goals of the project include using collaboration as well as speaking and listening skills. The first step will be for groups to decide which part each student wants to be in charge of (i.e. people, animals and plants, land and climate).

Dates to Remember:

• Dec. 20 – Jan. 3 – Christmas Break
• Monday, Jan. 6 – Students return to school
• Friday, Jan. 10 – Hard copy of Oratorical selections due to Mrs. Suer (8-12 lines only; please review rules)
• Friday, Jan. 17 – No school for students; Staff Work Day
• Monday, Jan. 20 – No school – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Tuesday, Jan. 21 – Free dress January birthdays
• Wednesday, Jan. 22 – Noon dismissal, Teacher Professional Development
• Sunday, Jan. 26 – Catholic Schools Week kick-off with All School Mass, 9:00 am at SPN; Open House immediately following Mass, 10:00-11:30
• Friday, Jan. 31 – Noon dismissal; No Share and Care; Teacher Appreciation Day

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday, January 6th!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 12/16

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Thank you to our Art Docents and volunteers for another great lesson. Students explored word art and chose words or phrases to design. 🙂

We have a fun week ahead, including building gingerbread houses (out of graham crackers) on Thursday. Each child needs to bring a can of white frosting (preferably not whipped because it doesn’t stick as well). If you want to send in the frosting early in the week so that there is no chance of forgetting, please do. We can label it with your child’s name.

Next week, we will also enjoy our annual Christmas concert on Thursday (children should arrive in the classroom between 6:40-6:50pm).

Also next week, students will be treated to a fun Christmas party on Friday! Thank you to Mrs. Balster and Mr. Weesner for organizing and volunteering in the classroom and to Mr. James, Mrs. Lee, and Mrs. Rodriguez for supplying treats for the students!

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In addition to reading groups, this week we will enjoy some Christmas read-alouds and compare and contrast them using a Venn diagram.
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice distinguishing between homophones.
• Math – The class will identify the characteristics of 2-D shapes and make connections about sides, vertices, and angles. They will identify parallel lines and lines of symmetry. We will also reinforce strategies for 2-digit addition and subtraction (number line, regrouping, base ten pieces).
• Religion – We continue our celebration of Advent with prayer services for the week of joy. 
• Writing – Students will wrap up their informational continent paragraphs by finishing their final drafts and creating an illustrated title page.
• Social Studies – Students will complete their map skills practice by using a compass rose, map key, and knowledge of landforms to interpret and answer questions about several types of maps. 
• Science – The class will connect to our unit focus about the types of materials we use and why with a mini-lesson and gingerbread house building activity! All students need to bring in their own can of white frosting by Tuesday morning (again, no whipped kinds because they are not strong enough).

Other Updates for this Week:

• Oratorical Fest – Information about this annual SPN tradition will be sent home Monday. Please make sure your child turns in a printed copy of their 8-12 line selection by Friday, Jan. 10th. (They do not need to have it memorized until the week of Jan. 20th.) Please avoid the following overused Shel Silverstein selections:
  • Snowball 
  • The Homework Machine 
  • Hug O War 
• Dates to Remember:
  • Thursday, Dec. 19 – Christmas Concert, 7:00pm, Student Attendance Required; arrive in classroom between 6:40-6:50
  • Friday, Dec. 20 – Noon Dismissal / No Share and Care after Dismissal
  • Dec. 21-Jan. 3 – Christmas Break

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 12/9

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!    

Thank you to families who have donated to Adopt-a-Family! These donations make the Christmas season brighter and more hopeful for those in need. It is so wonderful that our children understand the importance of demonstrating generosity and thoughtfulness. If you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, there is still time!

This week, we started weekly Advent prayer services both in our classroom (on Monday) and at morning assembly (on Wednesday) to celebrate the four weeks of Advent. We reflected about the spirit of Advent and brainstormed different ways to prepare our hearts for our Lord. Students put together a class Advent wreath and wrote individual commitments. Attached is a picture of our new bulletin board. 🙂

Students also finished planning their informational continent paragraphs. After finishing their individual research, they gathered in groups of students who had the same continent to share their information. Then they started drafting! Next week, we will revise and edit to ensure all of those facts were turned into well-written paragraphs with clear topic sentences, lots of details in the body, and solid closing sentences.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will continue our new book clubs! Students will identify the key events of the plot and make predictions about the story’s resolution. As always, students will practice following along and participating in discussions! 🙂
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice associating c with /s/ and g with /j/ (face, cage, fence, giraffe) and using punctuation in dialogue. Students should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will finish drafting their informational piece about a continent. They will revise and edit and then have a conference with me before rewriting in their neatest handwriting.
• Math – The class will combine their knowledge of 2 and 3-digit addition and subtraction with writing skills to create a story problem. They will focus on providing necessary information and a clear question so that others would be able to interpret and solve it.
• Religion – We celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception with an all-school Mass. We will also continue our Advent prayer services and prepare for Jesus, our model of kindness, compassion, and service to others.
• Social Studies – Students will complete our unit, Exploring our World, with an assessment.
• Science – The class will connect to our unit focus about material properties and why certain materials are used for specific purposes by thinking about why we wear clothes! They will imagine being marooned on a deserted island with limited supplies and create a hat that will best protect them from the harsh sun!

Other Updates for this Week:

• Christmas Concert Optional Request: Your children are singing “Angels We Have Heard on High” for this year’s Christmas concert. Ms. Lydia was hoping that students could resemble angels. 🙂 An idea could be to simply wear light color clothes on top (whites/creams, etc.), or even add a halo or wings. Halos could even just be a round of tinsel, to make it easy.  We understand we are getting close to the concert, so if your child already has an outfit planned, that is totally fine.
• Spirit of Giving
  • Adopt-A-Family – Please reinforce the spirit of giving with your child. Here are the Adopt-a-Family Amazon links – items will be shipped directly. – items will be shipped directly.
• Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Dec. 2-6 – Book Fair
  • Monday, Dec. 9 – All School Mass – Feast of the Immaculate Conception
  • Tuesday, Dec. 10 – Free Dress Dec. B-Days
  • Thursday, Dec. 19 – Christmas Concert, 7:00pm, Student Attendance Required
  • Friday, Dec. 20 – Noon Dismissal / No Share and Care after Dismissal
  • Dec. 21-Jan. 3 – Christmas Break

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 12/2

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday and happy Thanksgiving break!

Thank you to our wonderful chaperones who accompanied us on our field trip to see “A Christmas Carol” at the Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose today! Mrs. Jeffers, Mrs. Downes, Mrs. Perez, Mrs. Cooke, and Mr. Weesner, I am so grateful to you for spending your day with us! Students were treated to an amazing performance with actors between the ages of 9-15, some of whom could surely make it to Broadway! When we returned, students reflected about their favorite moments of the day and from  the show! Themes of generosity, appreciation for all we’ve been given, the call to serve others, and to live with a joyful heart were perfect to bring us into Thanksgiving Break, and the Christmas season. 🙂

The week we return from break will start our season of Advent, a time of preparing for our Lord. It is a time to reflect on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth. It is a time for faith communities and families to remember the true meaning of Jesus’ birth through prayer, reflections, special music, and good deeds.

Please reinforce the spirit of giving with your child. We are looking to support families through the Adopt-A-Family drive and our second grade drive for the Alameda Food Bank. Here are the Adopt-a-Family Amazon links – items will be shipped directly.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will start their new book club! The focus will be on identifying the main character(s), setting, genre, and the beginning story events.
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice associating oo, ew, and ue with /ōō/ (moon, new, blue). Students should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will continue their informational piece about a continent. We remember that our goal is to teach and inform. Students will use the notes from their research planning page to write well-structured paragraphs with topic sentences.
• Math – The class will continue practicing 2 and 3-digit addition and subtraction using the number line. We will also be learning a few other strategies. The goal is for children to learn each strategy and then narrow in on the one that works best for them.
• Religion – We will start our chapter about the Church. 
• Social Studies – Students will review different types of landforms and natural resources. The class will reinforce map skills as well.
• Science – The class will start our unit about material properties with an anchor phenomenon. We will explore a special type factory called a foundry, a place where people melt solid metal into a liquid that can be poured into new shapes. Since foundries can be dangerous places to work, students will determine how the people that work in foundries stay safe. During the introduction, students generate observations and questions about the phenomenon and create an initial conceptual model to explain the phenomenon.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Mass Responses – A “cheat sheet” will be sent home in your child’s homework folder so that they can continue learning how to actively participate during the Mass. Some of these responses are sung, and children can become very familiar with them during Saturday and Sunday Masses. This is especially important for all students who are preparing for their First Reconciliation and First Communion in the Spring.
• Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Dec. 2-6 – Book Fair
  • Tuesday, Dec. 10 – Free Dress Dec. B-Days
  • Thursday, Dec. 19 – Christmas Concert, 7:00pm, Student Attendance Required
  • Friday, Dec. 20 – Noon Dismissal / No Share and Care after Dismissal
  • Dec. 21-Jan. 3 – Christmas Break

Wishing you a blessed and safe break with family and friends! We look forward to seeing our students after Thanksgiving! 

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 11/18

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

Thank you so much for rallying around the Annual Fund! In the end, we had 74% participation as a class. As a teacher and fellow parent, I truly appreciate how you supported our school!

This week, amidst our learning, a highlight was how much our second graders enjoyed the middle school play! Students laughed and enjoyed seeing “The Great American Talent Show”. It is always nice to come together as a school community and celebrate the hard work of others. It’s all the sweeter when the event allows us to laugh and have fun with each other, too!

Another highlight was watching students’ enthusiastically read each others’ personal narratives and give written feedback. This took the form of thoughtful comments and compliments. While I had only asked them to read and comment on three narratives, many wanted to do more! Awesome! This process is very valuable from both sides – learning to give positive feedback to help another person get stronger and stronger and learning to receive it as well. I look forward to more of these opportunities during second grade!

Next week, a highlight will be our field trip to see “A Christmas Carol” at the Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose. It will be a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the world of theater as well as to connect with the themes of generosity, gratitude, compassion, and family.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will finish SUPER Magazine. We will reflect on articles we have read and identify and write about what we enjoyed and learned. Next up, Book Club!
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students practice decoding and encoding ou/ou/ (ex, pound), ow/ou/ (ex, crown) and ow/ō/ words (ex, grow). Students should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will begin an informational piece focused on a continent. This week, we will practice reading an informational text for information, deciding what important information we might want to share with others, and take notes in an organizational planning page.
• Math – Students will learn how to solve 2-digit addition and subtraction problems using a number line. The class will continue practicing skip-counting by 5s and 10s within 3-digit numbers.
• Religion – We will wrap up our chapter about the Holy Spirit and connect to the ways we are supported as we try to be good disciples. 
• Social Studies/Science – This week, we will make connections between landforms and the continents we are researching for our new informational writing projects.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Report Cards – These will be sent home next Friday. Please know that your child is aiming for “3”s by the end of the year because a “3” means they are meeting that second grade standard.
• Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  
  • Friday, Nov. 15 – Report Cards Distributed
  • Tuesday, Nov. 19 – Free Dress for Nov. B-Days
  • Wednesday, Nov. 20 – Noon Dismissal / Teacher Development Day
  • Thursday, Nov. 21 – National Catholic School Principal Appreciation Day
  • Nov. 25-29 – No School – Thanksgiving Break!

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

Second Grade Update – Week of 11/11

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday! 

This week, a highlight was writing conferences and personal narrative publishing. Students and I met one on one to discuss their narratives and make final revisions. They then did a WONDERFUL job rewriting their final copies (with a careful eye to include edits and revisions) and are now working on illustrations! 

Next week, we will reflect about all our many blessings and identify things and people we are grateful for in our lives. Students will bring this reflection to life with an art project. 🙂 

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will continue SUPER Magazine. We will identify and use text features to make comparisons and draw conclusions. We will continue practicing the skill of identifying the main idea and details within an article.
  • At night, students should read aloud to practice fluent reading skills. Please encourage your child to observe punctuation, read at a good pace, and read the words as they appear in the text (no deletions or substitutions).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students will practice decoding and encoding ay/ā/ (stray, away) and /ô/ (draw, stalk, haul, tall) words and observing typographical cues to read with pauses and expression.
• Writing – Students will review how to provide positive, constructive feedback. Then they will have an opportunity to read each others’ personal narratives and provide written constructive feedback in the form of questions, compliments, and comments for at least three of their classmates.
• Math – In math, we will practice measuring with precision and accuracy in nonstandard units and inches. 
• Religion – We will continue our chapter about the Holy Spirit, our helper and guide as we make decisions in our daily lives.
• Social Studies/Science – This week, science and social studies collide as we learn about different types of landforms and make connections to the continents we are researching for our writing projects.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Annual Fund!– The Annual Fund is still going on!  We still need your help! Our goal is 100% participation – a donation (any amount, large or small) from each family. If our class reaches that goal, students will receive FREE DRESS, PIZZA and ICE CREAM! We need each family to donate some amount (large or small) to reach our goal.
• Report Cards – These will be sent home next Friday. Please know that your child is aiming for “3”s by the end of the year because a “3” means they are meeting that second grade standard.
• Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Friday, Nov. 8 – End of First Trimester
  • Monday, Nov. 11 – No School – Veterans Day Observed
  • Friday, Nov. 15 – Report Cards Distributed
  • Friday, Nov. 15 – Minions and Friends Spirit Day
  • Tuesday, Nov. 19 – Free Dress for Nov. B-Days
  • Wednesday, Nov. 20 – Noon Dismissal / Teacher Development Day
  • Thursday, Nov. 21 – National Catholic School Principal Appreciation Day
  • Nov. 25-29 – No School – Thanksgiving Break!

We look forward to seeing our students on Tuesday!

All the best,
Catherine