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St. Philip Neri Catholic School

Second Grade Update – Week of 3/13

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

This week, students were treated to the Middle School play, “The Enchanted Bookshop”. It was a joy to see their smiles as they watched and hear about their favorite characters afterwards!

Next week, we will start the third trimester and report cards are going home at the end of the week. Please keep encouraging your child to give their best effort each day! There is still a lot of learning to do! 🙂

Below is our second grade learning update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

  • Reading – 
    • In reading groups, students will continue SUPER magazine. Students will practice associating cause and effect, using context clues to define unfamiliar vocabulary, and recalling important details. As always, there is a focus on reading fluency and speaking and listening skills as we work together in a small group.
    • 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 continue decoding and encoding /ē/ words with -ey, ie, and -ine (ex., monkey, chief, machine). We will also work with conjunctions and adding the -ed and -ing endings. They should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
  • Writing – Students will finalize their descriptive narratives and draw a detailed illustration to match.
  • Math – The class will continue to focus on geometry with 2-D and 3-D shapes. Key vocabulary includes faces, vertices, edges, polygons, angles, sides, parallel, and symmetrical. Students will practice identifying shape attributes.
  • Religion – Students continue to learn about the Mass with a focus on what happens as we gather for the Introductory Rites (the entrance, sign of the cross, greeting, penitential act, gloria, and collect). In Family Life, we will complete our unit review, focusing again on God’s love for us and our families and the importance of following rules that keep us healthy, holy, and safe.
  • Social Studies –We will discuss how good citizens help to solve problems within their community. Key ideas include: identifying the problem, working with others to brainstorm solutions and listen to others’ ideas, deciding or voting on a solution (that might not always be yours), and patiently persevering with each other to create positive changes over time.  We are also celebrating Women’s History Month with read-alouds and discussions.
  • Science – This week, students will investigate the mystery of the koa tree, a type of tree that grows in only two places—islands halfway across the world from one another. In our activity, students develop three different physical models of seed structures. They observe how structure affects the seed’s function in dispersing away from the tree. Then, they use these observations to evaluate whether koa seeds are likely dispersed by wind, water, or animals.

Other Updates for this Week:

  • AR Reading – Just a reminder – I am encouraging all students to use their AR book for their homework reading time (15 minutes each afternoon/evening).
  • Dates to Remember:
    • Tuesday, Mar. 14 – Free dress for March B-days
    • Tuesday, Mar. 14 – First Reconciliation, 6:30pm
    • Friday, Mar. 17 – Green free dress for St. Patrick’s Day; Noon Dismissal; Report cards come home
    • Friday, Mar. 31 – Noon Dismissal

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

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What Our Families are Saying

"The supportive teachers at SPN played a big role in preparing me for high school and helping me understand what to expect. They encouraged me to ask questions and seek help when needed, which made me more confident in my learning. Thanks to them, I entered freshman year already familiar with many concepts and effective study habits that have helped me stay on top of my work. SPN also taught me valuable life skills that I still use today, helping me succeed academically, build strong friendships, and maintain my overall well-being."
— Tibby Horvath, SPN Class of 2022
"We are very satisfied with the SPN community, something that is important to our family. My children feel safe and comfortable with SPN. Our family feels connected with the SPN community from parents and families to the staff and faculty. My children and we as parents have made healthy and positive relationships with other families from school. We share time outside of school with other families which brings a level of connectedness I don't know if we would have elsewhere"
— SPN Parent
"My children are experiencing community in other ways than just friends and playdates. Faith Families is an example of community, interacting with students from all grade levels, and learning and creating for others outside of SPN. Field trips to Kids Against Hunger or the Alameda Food Bank where they work and see firsthand how their efforts help others less fortunate, for those who are in need of support. Community is not just our SPN ‘bubble,’ and that is what SPN demonstrates and provides– opportunity to explore a bigger community."
— SPN Parent since 2016

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