Second Grade Update – Week of 10/7

Happy Friday!

This week, a highlight was starting our first book club! Reading groups have enjoyed getting to know the characters in their books, thinking about settings, and sharing the connections they’ve made. Mrs. Serles and I agreed – we’ve had some GREAT conversations with our groups! 🙂

We also wrote gratitude letters to Ms. Andie! Students reviewed the structure of a letter, brainstormed why we were grateful to Ms. Andie for our library visit last week, and wrote thoughtful, detailed letters to her! They added illustrations and even addressed their own envelopes and designed their own stamps. I will drop off the letters next week, and I know Ms. Andie will love them! Don’t worry, we made copies of the letters that will come home so that you can see how considerate your children are!

Students also participated in our first Adoration of the year. They were amazingly reverent as they knelt respectfully in Jesus’s presence. We will have the opportunity for Adoration on the first Friday of each month.

Parent/Student/Teacher ConferencesNext week, I look forward to meeting with you and your child at our scheduled conference! Here is the sign up link in case you don’t remember your day/time. Please bring your child with you to the conference and please arrive on time.
Today your child went home with their progress report envelope (inside their manilla Friday folder). It included the following:

• Progress Report – a snapshot of how they are doing in second grade (work habits/behaviors/etc.)
• STAR Reports – reading and math reports; note that the reading report provides their current AR reading range (the ZPD or “just right” range)
• Reading Practice Report – details the AR books they have chosen, completed reading logs for, and taken a quizzes on through 10/2; the report shows their quiz score (“% Correct”), the AR level (“Difficulty Level”), and whether the book was fiction or nonfiction (“F/NF”); the goals are 80-100% to demonstrate strong comprehension and a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts
• Xtra Math Report – details the student’s progress in mastering math facts; I will look for them to master addition facts and move on to subtraction by the end of T1
• Lexia Report – details what level they are currently working on as well as the expected second grade levels to complete by the end of the year.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will continue our book clubs using differentiated texts. Students will focus on identifying the main idea and supporting details, identifying character motivation, and using strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words.
  • 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 decode/encode words that end in “y”. This sound will sometimes be long i and sometimes long e. Students will also decode/encode plurals that end in /s/ or /z/ sounds. Students should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – We will take a break from writing this week and start with personal narratives next week.
• Math – Students practice using different strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems. While most students will gravitate toward one strategy, it is useful to think about multiple types of solution strategies as we start to delve into more complicated concepts. Students will also practice solving story problems with a focus on language, what question is being asked, showing your solution, and labeling your answer. I’m also encouraging all students to participate in Math Masters – 6 optional problems per week to reinforce skills.
• Religion – We will give special focus to being reverent during prayer and Mass experiences. Students reflect on how the Church helps us come to know and love God through faith and learning about Jesus as our greatest example.
• Science – This week, students investigate the effects of rocks tumbling in a river. Based on their observations, they construct an explanation for why there is sand at a beach. This reinforces the effect of erosion on land structures.
• Social Studies – The class will explore how things in our communities have changed over time – transportation, school, technology, etc. This is also a great opportunity to touch upon how inspiring change makers have been instrumental in creating a better society by working to change minds, laws, and ways of treating each other. At the end of the week, students will be assessed on our unit concepts and vocabulary.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Sunday, Oct 6 – Family Mass, 9:00 a.m., hosted by grades 7-8
  • Oct 8-11 – Noon Dismissal, Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
  • Monday, Oct 14 – NO SCHOOL: Indigenous Peoples Day
  • Tuesday, Oct 15 – Free Dress Oct B-Days!
  • Thursday, Oct 31 – Noon Dismissal; Halloween Parade 8:15 a.m.

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine