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