Second Grade Update

Dear Second Grade Families,

I hope you are enjoying the weekend! Reminder, there is no school on Monday.

Focus Areas for Our Learning:

• Reading – We will wrap up our SUPER Magazine this week and shift from informational text skills to literature skills with our Book Clubs. As always, we will be practicing fluent reading with a focus on decoding, speed, accuracy, and expression.
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids we will be enhancing our knowledge of parts of speech (nouns and verbs), contractions, and spelling patterns ‘le and ‘ng.
• Writing – Students are focused on sharing details and telling a true story using transition words like next, then, and finally. They will complete and publish (on Seesaw) their personal narratives.
• Math – We continue learning strategies to add 2-digit numbers with a focus on the number line and place value.
• Religion – Students will learn about Jesus as our Savior and think about what it means to sacrifice.
• Social Studies – We will build on our knowledge of communities and citizenship over the next month as we explore how our communities have changed over time and the ways citizens can create positive changes.
• Science – This week, we use what we have learned about erosion and discover how it relates to landforms. 

Updates for This Week:

• Birthdays! – 
  • This week, we have two birthdays: Caroline (10/13) and Joaquin (10/16). With each birthday, we will start our day with a blessing and a bit of fun, and end with a special wrap-up padlet where classmates are invited to share birthday wishes, greetings, photos of special times, songs, etc. Students can be as creative as they want – this will be our virtual class card! 🙂
• Picture Days – School picture days are Tuesday, October 13th and Thursday, October 15th from 3-6p.m. Please see the details below:
  • Please be advised that an adult caregiver will need to be present with your student/s – no drop offs.
  • Pictures will take place in O’Brien Hall. There will be two cameras and two separate entrances. Only one student per camera will be allowed in the hall at a time.
  • Masks and social distancing are required as you wait. 
  • Your family has been assigned a day+time+entrance door for pictures. Please see the schedule here. If you are not able to make your time slot, contact the office. 
  • You may view the Kurt Burton Photography flyerhere for information on ordering photos.
• Materials Pick Up – When your child comes for their picture, there will also be a packet of materials for them to pick up. It will be in the Hall with their name.
• AR Quizzes – Students should aim for at least one quiz a week. They need to do these in Renaissance Learning (not Epic). Please have your child come to office hours if they are confused. Thank you!
• Personal Narrative Writing Assignment – 
  • The goal of this assignment is for students to be able to share a real story from their own life using details. We are also practicing revising and editing skills with this assignment. This week, they will revise and edit their drafts. Parents may assist as needed, and it is best to assist by asking questions rather than going word-for-word with them. For example, when they are revising, you could ask them a clarifying question about what they’ve written if a detail is unclear. When they are editing, you might ask if they have checked that they have capitals at the beginning of each sentence rather than going through their writing with them and having them correct each capitalization issue. It’s definitely okay if their narrative is not perfect. Writing is a process, and they will continue to improve over time. 🙂
• Dates to remember:
  • October 12: No school (Indigenous People Day)
    October 13 and 15: Picture Days
    October 21: Noon dismissal – Teacher work day 1:00-3:00 
    October 30: Noon dismissal – Halloween Wave Parade (more details to come)

Key Documents/Links (master file also attached for printing):

• Schedule – Despite the holiday on Monday, we are back to a more routine schedule this week. 🙂
• Weekly Assignment Matrix – As usual, it is important to review this with your child. All assignments should be completed by Friday end-of-day. If something comes up, please reach out to let me know.
• Place Value worksheet – Students will use this on Wednesday for their Math Interactive Notebook.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

All the best,
Catherine