Second Grade Update – Week of 1/22

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

This week, groups presented their continent projects! There is always a lot to learn when presenting. How do we move and share space? How loud do we need our voices to be? How do we start and end the presentation? So many things to think about! We used the opportunity to learn from each other and develop awareness about presenting skills in a safe space. After each presentation, groups had their picture taken! 🙂

Next week, students will enjoy an activity with their Faith Family. This is a wonderful opportunity for second graders to come together in a group with students from each grade (including an 8th grade leader) and make connections!

Below is our second grade learning update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will start our new SUPER magazine. We will revisit the importance of paying attention to and using informational text structures (table of contents, titles, headers, bold and colors, pictures and captions, etc.) to better understand what we read. 
  • 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 to practice with letter-sound correspondences igh/ī/, aught/ôt/, and ought/ôt/ (ex. night, caught, brought) as well as letter-sound correspondences ph/f/ and gh/f/ (ex. graph, laugh). They should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Students will start a descriptive narrative project where they will get to invent characters and write a problem/solution story. This week, we will review character traits and students will start developing their main character with as many details as possible (likes, dislikes, what they look like, where they live, etc.).
• Math – As part of measurement, the class will develop ways of conceptualizing proportions and using fractions. Students will continue practicing strategies for subtraction of 3-digit numbers when regrouping is required.
• Religion – We will begin our chapter about the Church. The church is not only the building, but more importantly, the congregation who gather together and celebrate faith. 
• Social Studies – Students will start our unit on discovering our past. We will touch upon our history as a nation, including Native Americans who first lived on the land, explorers who came, and pioneers who created new communities. Conversations will be age appropriate, but we will also address that injustice is also part of our nation’s history and that changemakers were needed then AND now to ensure we always uphold justice, equality, and liberty.
• Science – Students learn about the solid and liquid states of matter and then discover why plastic was invented. In the activity, Candy Melt, students will conduct an investigation to determine which types of candy melt in hot water. Using their observations, they will decide which candy is the best choice to bring to a hot summer camp! 🙂

Other Updates for this Week:

• Upcoming Field Trip – I have 4 volunteers and could use 1 more. 🙂 On Friday, February 23rd, we will attend the musical, “Seussical” at the San Jose Children’s Theater! Students will get to experience musical theater performed by a youth cast! Themes of the show include friendship, loyalty, and community.
• Valentine’s Day – If they would like to, students may bring in valentines to exchange, but please do not put specific names on individual cards (it takes too long to pass them out). They should bring in their valentines on Tuesday, February 13th as per the newsletter, the school will be celebrating Valentine’s Day early since Ash Wednesday is on the 14th.
• Baby Wipes – We’ve had about 1/3 of the class contribute – thank you! We still need a refill of baby wipes – 1-2 packs from all families. We use them after each recess, so they go quickly! 
• AR Reading – Many students are reading more challenging books these days. I am encouraging all students to use their AR book for their homework reading time (15 minutes each afternoon/evening). This means they can bring their AR book back and forth to school. As soon as students finish reading at home, they should put their book right back in their backpack each evening.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Tuesday, Jan. 23 – Free dress January birthdays
  • Wednesday, Jan. 24 – Noon dismissal, Teacher Professional Development
  • Thursday, Jan. 25 – Spirit Day – Class Theme: Pajama Stuffy Day
  • Sunday, Jan. 28 – Catholic Schools Week kick-off with All School Mass, 9:00 am at SPN; Open House immediately following Mass, 10:00-11:30
  • Friday, Feb. 2 – Noon dismissal, Teacher Appreciation Day, NO Share and Care
  • Friday, Feb. 9 – Special Chinese New Year lesson with Mrs. Cheng and Mrs. Wang
  • Tuesday, Feb. 13 – Burning of the Palms, morning assembly
  • Tuesday, Feb. 13 – St. Valentine’s Day celebrated (red, white, and pink free dress; students may bring valentines – 25 students in the class)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 14 – All School Mass for Ash Wednesday, 9:30am
  • Friday, Feb. 16 – Noon dismissal
  • Monday, Feb. 19 – No School, Presidents’ Day
  • Tuesday, Feb. 20 – Free dress, February birthdays
  • Friday, Feb. 23 – Field Trip to see “Seussical” at CMT San Jose!
  • Saturday, Feb. 24 – Gala Auction

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine