Second Grade Update – Week of 10/2

Dear Second Grade Families,

Happy Friday!

This week, we were welcomed into the Alameda Free Library! Students learned where to find specific types of books and were given a behind-the-scenes look at what happens after books go through those slots! Ms. Andie treated students to a book look, some word search activities, and a read-aloud! Once back at school, students brainstormed what they learned or were most grateful for about the trip, and we will be writing gratitude letters to Ms. Andie next week! Thank you to Mrs. Lobo and Mrs. Fowler for joining us – you were wonderful chaperones! 🙂

On Wednesday, students had the opportunity to do a gallery walk of their Family Tree project! We reminded ourselves what a gallery was and how we act in a gallery (hands to ourselves, slow walking, observing, appreciating, being curious, etc.) I was VERY impressed by their thoughtfulness with each other, their acknowledgments, and their ability to follow the behaviors and processes I modeled. Students noted similarities and differences between our family histories and demonstrated appreciation for learning about each other as well as the quality work of others. Attached are a few pictures of our gallery walk for your enjoyment. 🙂

One other highlight was our marble jar celebration! The class earns marbles for making wise choices that help to create a great community (participating in learning discussions, raising quiet hands, setting a good example for others on the yard when we line up, showing kindness, being reverent at Mass, etc.). Since they filled up the jar (YAY!) they earned an extra recess AND a homemade treat from Mrs. Serles! 🙂 Go Second Grade!

Parent/Student/Teacher ConferencesNext week, I look forward to meeting with you and your child at our scheduled conference! A reminder slip is in your child’s Friday Folder. Please bring your child with you to the conference and please arrive on time.
Today your child went home with their progress report envelope (inside their manilla Friday folder). It included the following:

• Progress Report – a snapshot of how they are doing in second grade (skills/behaviors/etc.)
• STAR Reports – reading and math reports; note that the reading report provides their current AR reading range (the ZPD or “just right” range)
• Reading Practice Report – details the AR books they have chosen, completed reading logs for, and taken a quizzes on between 9/1 and 9/22; the report shows their quiz score (“% Correct”), the AR level (“Difficulty Level”), and whether the book was fiction or nonfiction (“F/NF”); the goal is 80-100% to demonstrate strong comprehension and a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts
• Xtra Math Report – details the student’s progress in mastering math facts; students are working on addition facts at this time, and I will look for them to master these facts and move on to subtraction by the end of T1

Below is our second grade update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

• Reading – 
  • In reading groups, students will complete our SUPER magazine and identify several things they learned and enjoyed about the articles they 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 will decode and encode ‘le words and practice identifying nouns and verbs. We will continue working with contractions as well. Students should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
• Writing – Using their brainstorming page, students will draft a letter to Ms. Andie to express their gratitude for our field trip. We will learn the different parts of a letter (date, greeting, body, closing, signature), edit for accurate punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, and then address an envelope. We will mail these to Ms. Andie! 🙂
• Math – Students practice identifying and modeling the difference between two numbers. Consistent math facts practice is very important to develop fluency – knowing the answer within 3 seconds.
• Religion – We will begin our chapter about the Holy Trinity – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As always, we focus on how to model our own behavior after Jesus’s teachings and example. 
• Science – This week, we will explore types of changes to the Earth’s surface (both slow and fast) and connect the specific idea of erosion to our river exploration. 
• Social Studies – The class will make observations about the differences and similarities between different types of communities – urban, suburban, and rural.

Other Updates for this Week:

• First Communion Update – A letter from Mrs. Diane Bustos, (sacramental preparation coordinator from the parish) is coming home next week in your child’s homework folder. Included will be the forms you need to fill out if your child will be receiving the sacrament of First Holy Communion next spring. Please submit all forms to the parish office by October 27th. Please also add all of the dates to your calendars.
• Enrichment Newsletter! – Click to see some of the great things happening in our enrichment classes! 🙂
• Covid Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
• Dates to Remember:
  • Friday, Sep. 29 – Progress reports come home – I look forward to discussing your child’s progress at our conference! Your child needs to attend as well. 🙂
  • Oct 3-6 – Noon Dismissal, Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
  • Tuesday, Oct 4 – Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Prayer Service Blessing of the Animals, 8:00 a.m.
  • Monday, Oct 9 – NO SCHOOL: Indigenous Peoples Day
  • Tuesday, Oct. 17 – Free dress October B-days
  • Thursday, Oct. 26 – Art Docent!
  • Tuesday, Oct. 31 – Noon Dismissal – Halloween

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday! 

All the best,
Catherine