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