Second Grade Update – Week of 9/9

Dear Second Grade Families,

Happy Friday! There are so many great things happening in second grade – let me share a few. 🙂

This week, students enjoyed a read-aloud about “The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes”! It’s a humorous tale with a lesson about the value of taking risks, trying your best, and continuing on when things go differently than planned.

In science, students reflected on what qualities make a good scientist and why – observing, asking questions, experimenting, reflecting, AND trying again. Wonderful!

Fostering growth mindsets in second grade is something that we aim to weave throughout each day – curiosity, learning from mistakes, and persisting when things feel challenging are important components to ultimate success in anything!

Also this week, students brainstormed about adjectives that can describe a family. We reflected on how families can have similarities and differences with other families and that each family is unique! Examples of the adjectives were fun-loving, adventurous, funny, kind, generous, holy, responsible, affectionate, loyal, hardworking, athletic, artistic, etc. 🙂

Finally, students enjoyed a trip to the maker space!!! Ms. Kristen led us in a button-making activity focused on our school theme – Unity in Faith and Love. Students were so respectful and responsible that Ms. Kristen said she was excited to welcome us back again soon!

Next week, a highlight will be a special visitor on Wednesday! Ms. Andie Cultrera, the librarian from the Alameda Free Library, will join us for a read-aloud and then treat students to a special craft. 🙂

Below is our second grade update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will start our first SUPER magazine and practice skills for reading and understanding informational texts. In groups, we will also practice listening skills, following along with focus, and participating respectfully.
  • Students have also received their “just-right” reading level range and will choose AR books from our library based on that range. Below is our process for AR in the classroom:
    • Choose a book in your AR range
    • Read the book thoughtfully and thoroughly
    • Complete a reading log about the book
    • Complete the comprehension quiz
  • 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 decoding and encoding sh and ch words as well as words ending in -tch. For spelling homework, students are working on sight words this week. Please ensure they are practicing these words so they feel prepared for the quiz on Thursday.
• Writing – The class will review the structure of a well-written paragraph. Then we will discuss narrative writing and students will choose a memorable event from their lives to write about. Their goal will be to create a top\ic sentence with a clear statement about what the event was and where and when it happened. Then they will add at least three supporting details about their event. Students will also show what they know about editing and revising and then create an illustration.
• Math – Students will demonstrate their fluency with math facts through 20 using the number rack. We will also practice counting by 5s and 10s from various starting points (example: 13, 18, 23, 28, 33, etc.) and comparing numbers using <, >, and =.
• Religion – We will continue learning about the Bible, including the Book of Psalms and the Gospels. We remember that listening is a way of learning and showing respect.
• Science – We will start our first unit and explore how water can create changes to the Earth’s surface over time. Our anchor phenomenon for this unit is a pair of rivers that flow together but look very, very different from one another. Students explore what causes rivers to have such different colors. During this introduction, students will generate observations and questions about the phenomenon and come up with ideas to explain the phenomenon. During the unit, students will gather clues during each lesson to help them improve their explanations. This is the work of a scientist!
• Social Studies – Students will complete their family pride projects and share their work with classmates. We will practice how to present clearly, using a speaker voice and complete sentences.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Family Picture – If you weren’t able to send in a family photo this week, please email one to me this weekend so that I can print it at school. Children will need this picture to finish our project. Thank you!
• Author Visit – Walking Field Trip to Alameda Free Library
  • Date/Time: Wednesday, 9/18, 9:15-11:30am
  • Chaperones: 2 chaperones needed to walk with us! If you have completed Virtus and fingerprinting and would like to walk with us, please reach out. 
  • About the Author: Robert Liu-Trujillo is a local author from Oakland! He’ll read his latest book, Fresh Juice, tell us about his journey to becoming an author, and answer questions from our students.
• Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Tuesday, Sep 10 – Picture Day (students need to wear white uniform shirt/blouse and bring a sweater or sweatshirt)
  • Friday, Sep 13 – No School: Professional Development Day
  • Saturday, Sep 14 – Fun Fair Dinner, 6pm, O’Brien Hall
  • Tuesday, Sep 17 – Free dress for Sept. B-Days
  • Saturday, Sep 21 – FUN FAIR!
  • Wednesday, Sep 25 – Noon Dismissal: Teacher Development

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday! 

All the best,
Catherine