Second Grade Update – Week of 11/4

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday! 

First, please remember that if your child is preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion, the Rite of Enrollment is this Sunday at the 9am Mass at SPN, followed by a parent/child meeting in O’Brien Hall.

Now for our normal weekly update! 

This week, our fantastic volunteers, Mrs. Valenzuela, Mr. James, and Mrs. Balster  treated students to a magical Halloween party complete with trivia, a pumpkin craft, guess the # of candy corns, and spider glasses! Kids also enjoyed a wonderful snack provided by Mrs. Perez and Mrs. Lee Jimenez! Thank you all for your creativity and generosity! 

Please ask your child what they are reading for AR in class. Students are working up through their AR range (their “just right” books). They are completing thoughtful reading logs and demonstrating success with comprehension quizzes. Please congratulate them on their good choices and practice! As we approach trimester two, I will be challenging them to add more to their reading logs, both to practice good writing skills and demonstrate that they understand details within the text. They are ready! 🙂

Next week on Monday and Tuesday, we will do our second round of STAR assessments in reading and math. Please make sure your child gets to bed on time and has a good breakfast.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will continue SUPER. Students focus on informational text skills, including understanding and using text features such as titles, different fonts, and the table of contents. Students will also identify how photographs and illustrations support their comprehension.
  • 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 forming comparative and superlative adjectives with -er and -est. They will also add -er and -est to words ending in “y”. We will also practice decoding words with different spellings for /er/ (ex. her, curl, collar). Students should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will finalize their edits and complete the final copy of their personal narratives. They will also add an illustration to match the details of their story.
• Math – Students will review measurement, discussing and practicing how to measure with accuracy and with precision.
• Religion – We will start our chapter about the Holy Spirit, our guide and supporter as we navigate God’s world and make good choices in accordance with Jesus’s teachings.
• Science – This week, students explore the difficulty of measuring the length of a river. Figuring out which river is the shortest river is difficult to do if you can’t decide where a river starts or ends. After a review of our Work of Water unit, students will learn about two rivers that are each possibly the shortest rivers in the United States. Then, they map those rivers out and attempt to determine which river is the shortest.
• Social Studies – The class will start discussing our Earth as a group of continents and oceans. We will review vocabulary previously introduced and practice using it in conversation.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Annual Fund!– The Annual Fund is still going on!  We are at $38,000 as a school and 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.
• Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Sunday, Nov. 3 – Rite of Enrollment, 9am Mass and Meeting at SPN – All First Communion Candidates
  • 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 Monday (or Sunday for the Rite of Enrollment)! 🙂

All the best,
Catherine