Second Grade Update

Dear Second Grade Families, 

As usual, I hope this message finds you all safe and well. 🙂 

Alameda Food Bank Drive – FINAL WEEK – Please donate! 
As we continue our drive to support the Alameda Food Bank, our final round of second graders created a video to drum up support for our drive. It was again included in the SLC Wednesday video! If you didn’t have a chance to see it, they are again adorable AND persuasive! Here is the link (our second graders come on at minute 3:00). 🙂

PLEASE donate what you can to our drive. Money is preferred (cash or check to SPN), but food is welcome, too! I would like 100% participation from our second grade class because we need to lead the school by example. 🙂 Please send donations in with your child this week.

Below is our weekly update:

Focus Areas for Our Learning:

• Reading – We will start our new book clubs this week and switch teachers. Students will discuss genre, setting, and identify main characters and answer questions by citing text evidence. Students will also practice reading fluently (accuracy, pace, and expression).
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students will practice adding -ed to form the past tense of regular verbs. They will also identify irregular verbs that change form completely when using the past tense.
• Writing – Students will continue practicing letters of the alphabet in cursive. As they complete Become a Writing Superstar this week, students should focus on providing 2-3 reasons for their opinion.
• Math –Students continue to practice 2 and 3-digit subtraction with regrouping. Students will review 3-D shapes and story problems with time.
• Religion – Students continue to learn about the different parts of the Mass with a focus on the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist. Students will also recite the Glory Be prayer by memory.
• Science – The class will continue our unit on plant adaptations by making observations about our light experiment. Students will also have the opportunity to grow their own “grass head” over spring break. Materials will be sent home to accompany their science exploration on Wednesday. If they would like, students may take pictures of their grass heads and share them on Seesaw (I will post to the blog so that all students can see!). This is a low-key activity and does not require a lot of effort. 🙂
• Social Studies – We will continue our U.S. government unit by discussing the importance of diversity, the responsibility of voting, and how individuals have worked over time to change our nation’s laws to protect the rights of all people.

Other Updates for this Week:

• AR Quizzes – Please remind your child to complete at least one AR quiz in Renaissance each week. I am seeing a lot of fall off on this, and it is important for students to keep up good independent reading habits by reading regularly within their AR range (sent home with report card and given to your child in class). Please reach out to me if you or your child is confused about this expectation.
• Reading Groups – This week, we will switch teachers and start book clubs (which will continue after Easter as well). All students should turn in their SUPER magazines and packets on Monday, 3/29.
• Stations of the Cross – We continue Stations of the Cross on our schedule. Students will watch two stations of the cross on Monday and Tuesday and complete a reflection on Wednesday. The Stations are posted on Clever (under Religion), and each station is only 1-2 minutes. These reflections remind us not only of Jesus’ sacrifice, but also of the needs in our world today and how our faith calls us to serve others.
• Dates to remember:
  • April 1st: Holy Thursday and Cesar Chavez Day, No School
  • April 2nd: Good Friday, No School
  • April 5th-9th: Easter Break
  • April 12th: Return to School

Key Documents/Links (master file attached – please print):

• Schedule – 
  • Wednesday – To remember the story of the Jewish exodus out of Egypt, we will watch the Kindergarten class present the Seder meal during our morning Zoom. Students are invited (but not required) to prepare their own Seder plate: 
    • grape
    • juice
    • parsley
    • apples
    • matzoh
    • horseradish
  • Thursday/Friday – No school
• Weekly Assignment Matrix
• Become a Writing Superstar worksheet – Students will submit their work after break since we will not be at school on Thursday/Friday.
• Grass Head worksheet – Students will use this sheet to make predictions and record their grass head observations.

We look forward to seeing all of our students on Monday and wish you a blessed Easter Break!

All the best,
Catherine