Second Grade Update

Dear Second Grade Families,

I hope you are enjoying a break in the rain and a lovely weekend! We have an eventful week ahead, so I ask that you please read carefully.

Below is our weekly update:

Focus Areas for Our Learning:

• Reading – We will start our new SUPER magazine and focus on developing skills to support reading informational text.
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students review adding -ing and -ed endings and practice decoding and encoding words with r-controlled vowels.
• Writing – Students practice writing complete, second grade sentences with description/reasons in their 100 Things About Me journal. 1-2 word answers are not the goal. There is no separate writing assignment this week.
• Math – Students will review key concepts. Please do not assist with math assignments this week. Thank you!
• Religion – Students will practice praying the rosary and incorporate thoughtful reflections and intentions. 
• Social Studies/Science – As we approach Thanksgiving, we will focus our week on gratitude.
  • For our families and communities – our cultures and traditions, our ancestors and living relatives, and those around us who help us have safe, healthy, and happy lives
  • For the natural world around us and all that God has created 
  • Students will get to share what they are most grateful for in an activity that we will share on the blog. 

Updates for This Week:

• STAR Tests – Monday (Reading) and Tuesday (Math). Please make sure your child has a solid night’s sleep and a good breakfast. Students will login to Zoom with me at 9:30am, and the class will start the test together. Students may log off once they are finished. During the test, I recommend that students turn their volume all the way down so that they will not be disturbed if another student needs to unmute to ask a question.
• REMINDER – Assignments/Materials to bring to SPN by Tuesday, the 17th – The following assignments and materials need to be turned in at SPN. There will be designated boxes inside the front door of the school, near the office. Please find a moment on Monday the 16th or Tuesday the 17th to come to the school and turn in the items listed below. The office is open from 8am-3:30pm. If you need to come after that time, please let me know. ALL WORK SHOULD INCLUDE YOUR CHILD’S NAME.
  • Landform Scene project (salt dough model AND final paragraph glued onto construction paper)
  • My Timeline (glued onto construction paper)
  • Personal Narrative writing (cover and final copy, stapled or paper clipped together)
  • Book Club materials: books (either Breakout at the Bug Lab, Betsy Who Cried Wolf, or Second Grade Rules Amber Brown), worksheet packet, and book talk journal
  • SUPER magazine (What’s New)
• Superkids – Please make sure your student is following along with the example video. Why? – I know it can feel slow to some students, but in a world where brains are moving at the speed of light these days, it is a useful opportunity to practice slowing down, listening and reading with intention, following directions and checking work. Slowing down helps your child process and absorb the concepts/rules being taught. Thank you for your support.
• Last Week of the Book Fair: This year we are having a virtual Scholastic Book Fair. The dates are: Nov. 7 – Nov. 20. Online Store: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/spn_alameda
• Daily Checklist – I will no longer create this in Seesaw. I notice that not all students are using it and believe that the matrix can also serve as a tool to help them stay accountable and on track. Please make sure they have a copy so that they can check off their assignments as they complete them. After Thanksgiving, I will provide students a copy at the start of each week.
• Dates to remember:
  • November 16/17: Bring requested assignments/materials to SPN (reach out to me if you can only come after 3:30).
  • November 18th: Time Travel Spirit Day – Students may dress or decorate their work space from another time period. They can also use virtual backgrounds that go along with this theme during our morning meeting. 
  • November 19: Second grade returns to school. Please review the emails I sent on Oct. 28th and Nov. 11th so that your child is prepared.
  • November 20th: Noon dismissal day (distance learning day – students are not on campus)
  • November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break

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

• Schedule – Key items: 
  • Reading groups switch teachers this week
  • STAR assessments on Monday and Tuesday
  • Return to school on Thursday with reading groups in the afternoon
  • Distance learning day on Friday
• Weekly Assignment Matrix – Please review with your children. I will continue reviewing it with them daily as well. Again, since we will not use the daily checklist going forward, please make sure your child has a copy of the matrix handy so that they can check off their assignments.
• Gratitude Prompts – Please have your child pick three (NOT ALL) and fill them out with their nicest handwriting and good spelling. Then, they can put them in their purple folder and bring them to school in their bin on Thursday. We will use these for an activity that day.
• Long I worksheet – This sheet is for the Reading Interactive Notebook assignment on Wednesday. 
• Revised Covid-19 Student Screening Sheet – (separate attachment) There were some revisions to this sheet. Please use this version for your weekly printouts.

As we start back to school this week, I ask for your patience and prayers. Please know that I will iterate in any area that is not working smoothly. This is a new road for all of us, and Mrs. Serles and I look forward to continuing to support your wonderful children! 🙂

All the best,
Catherine