Second Grade Update

Dear Second Grade Families,

Good afternoon and happy Friday! 

What a beautiful celebration of Catholic Schools this week. It was heartwarming to hear about the traditions held dear by our second grade families, inspiring to see classmates (and even some siblings!) share their Oratorical Fest selections with the school, and exciting to celebrate all of our students as learners and wonderful people!

Thank you so much for helping your children participate in the virtual card for Mrs. Serles and me! That was so special – definitely a gift to save. We’ll pull it out when they are 8th graders! 🙂 Thank you to our room parent, Mrs. Trujillo, for organizing the effort! 🙂

This week, our class also received a gift of garbage grabbers to support the Littermittee! Thank you to the Thomas family! Our second grade crew continues to help in the school’s broader initiative to reduce trash on our yards! Go second grade!

Field Trips and Special Visitors:

I’m always on the hunt for great experiences for our students. Despite the disruption of Covid, there are a few exciting events on the horizon! I have not yet told the children, so please keep these under your hat for now! 🙂

• On Tuesday, February 22nd, Clean Water Program of Alameda County will share Mr. Froggy’s Cleanup Club, a puppet show about the importance of clean water, the impact of litter on local environments, and how we can help. This ties into our current and upcoming science units about plants, animals, and their habitats and underscores the importance of taking action as change makers in our communities!
• Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft will join our class on Monday, March 7th. She will discuss local government here in Alameda, her role as mayor, and our responsibilities as citizens. This will tie into our social studies unit about government!
• Finally, as long as conditions permit us to go safely, we will hopefully get to visit the UC Botanical Gardens in April. This is an outdoor field trip that supports our science unit about plant adaptations in different environments. We would likely take a bus, and I’m sure this would be memorable for the children! Again, we will be monitoring to make sure any outing we consider can be done safely. I will keep you posted! 🙂

Below is our second grade update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – Students will continue SUPER magazine – Lights Out! We will pay attention to key vocabulary and practice using context clues to determine the meaning of challenging words. Fluent reading (reading at an appropriate pace with accuracy and expression) is always a focus for all students.
• Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students will distinguish between ea/ē/ and ea/ě (examples: cream, bread). Students will also practice doubling consonants after short vowels (examples: riddle, fell).
• Writing – Students will work on the final copies of their narratives and incorporate revisions/edits they noticed, edits from the teacher, and any classmate feedback they found useful for their story.
• Math – We will introduce our math interactive notebook, where we will have an opportunity to practice key concepts and skills. This week, we will focus on bar/picture graphs and measuring lengths. 
• Religion – The class will start our chapter, We Celebrate Forgiveness, and learn about the sacrament of Reconciliation.
• Science – The class will investigate how a tree could travel halfway around the world! Students will learn about seed dispersal and create their own seeds.
• Social Studies – Students will create a flip book to share the purpose and importance of laws in our communities. We will begin celebrating Black History Month and continue reading about change makers in our world.

Other Updates for this Week:

• Fluent Reading – When your children read at night, please have them read out loud. It is useful for them to hear themselves read, and as they practice, their pace, expression, and observation of punctuation will improve. They should be reading texts at their level, so if you need your child to bring home a book, just let me know. Repeated readings are also helpful, so they do not need to have a new book each day.
• Math Facts – If your child is working on addition facts in Xtra Math, you may consider having them complete additional practice sessions at home each week (2-3). They should aim to master these addition facts by early March so they can move on to subtraction. 
• Valentine’s Day – Students may bring in valentines to distribute on Monday, Feb. 14th. If they choose to do this, they need to bring valentines for the entire class (30 students total, so bring 29). In case your child needs valentines, attached is a printable set featuring the Superkids. 🙂
• COVID Safety– Please continue to be vigilant with the daily health screening. We appreciate your continued diligence – it keeps us all safe!
• Dates to remember:
  • Monday, Feb. 14th – Red, white, and pink free dress AND the 100th day of school! Students may bring valentines to share with all classmates (optional).
  • Tuesday, Feb. 15th – Free dress for February birthdays
  • Friday, Feb. 18th – Noon dismissal
  • Monday, Feb. 21st – No School, President’s Day
  • Saturday, Feb. 26th – Auction (Crab Feed)

Hope you have a great weekend, and we look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,

Catherine