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