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St. Philip Neri Catholic School

Second Grade Update

Dear Second Grade Families,

Good afternoon and happy Friday! 

This week, students enjoyed the Mr. Froggy’s Cleanup Club puppet show! It was so fun to hear them laugh at the antics of Mr. Froggy and his crew as they reviewed the importance of reduce/reuse/recycle! Attached are a few pictures of the scene. 🙂

Next week, we are starting How-To writing. Students will be writing steps to teach the reader how to do something. Please brainstorm with your child at home this weekend! They will need to be able to identify the steps, and a good idea is to choose something fairly simple that can be accomplished in about 5 steps. Examples include kicking a ball, brushing your teeth, washing dishes, setting the table, following a recipe, etc. They should know the key words they need for the process they are teaching.

STAR Assessments – Next week, we will complete STAR testing on Tuesday and Thursday. Please make sure your children have a good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast.

Below is our second grade update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

  • Reading – We will start our new book club! Students will switch teachers, and we will practice making predictions and understanding characters. Fluent reading (reading at an appropriate pace with accuracy and expression) is always a focus for all students.
  • Grammar/Spelling – In Superkids, students will decode and encode long e words spelled with -ey, ie, and -ine (examples: monkey, chief, machine).
  • Writing – The class will start How-To writing. Students will write in clear steps with a goal of teaching someone else how to do something they know how to do very well.
  • Math – Students will work with numbers within 1,000. In one activity, they will work in small groups to estimate and then count/group objects into 10s and 100s. They will use their place value skills to compare and add three-digit numbers.
  • Religion – As we enter the season of Lent, students will reflect on ways they can sacrifice and prepare for Easter with an art project. Students will be assessed on the Act of Contrition as well.
  • Science – Students will investigate how plants need water and sunlight to grow. In part one of this experiment, students will prepare their radish seeds and then separate them into two groups – one that will get sunlight and one that won’t! We will be caring for the seeds and making observations in class over the next two weeks.
  • Social Studies – The class will brainstorm and prepare questions for our visit from Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft (3/7). We will share some read-alouds to celebrate the start of women’s history month.

Other Updates for this Week:

  • COVID Safety– With the school policy and county guidancePlease continue to be vigilant with the daily health screening. We appreciate your continued diligence – it keeps us all safe!
  • Dates to remember:
    • Saturday, Feb. 26th – Auction (Crab Feed)
    • Tuesday, Mar. 1st – STAR Assessment
    • Wednesday, Mar. 2nd – Ash Wednesday, All School Mass
    • Thursday, Mar. 3rd – STAR Assessment
    • Friday, Mar. 4th – Noon dismissal, Sports Picture Day
    • Monday, Mar. 7th – Mayor visits 2nd Grade!
    • Thursday, Mar. 10th – Noon dismissal, NO SHARE & CARE
    • Friday, Mar. 11th – No School – Professional Development
    • Tuesday, Mar. 15th – Free Dress March Birthdays
    • Thursday, Mar. 17th – St. Patrick’s Day, green and white free dress
    • Friday, Mar. 18th – Report Card Day

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,

Catherine

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What Our Families are Saying

"The supportive teachers at SPN played a big role in preparing me for high school and helping me understand what to expect. They encouraged me to ask questions and seek help when needed, which made me more confident in my learning. Thanks to them, I entered freshman year already familiar with many concepts and effective study habits that have helped me stay on top of my work. SPN also taught me valuable life skills that I still use today, helping me succeed academically, build strong friendships, and maintain my overall well-being."
— Tibby Horvath, SPN Class of 2022
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— SPN Parent
"My children are experiencing community in other ways than just friends and playdates. Faith Families is an example of community, interacting with students from all grade levels, and learning and creating for others outside of SPN. Field trips to Kids Against Hunger or the Alameda Food Bank where they work and see firsthand how their efforts help others less fortunate, for those who are in need of support. Community is not just our SPN ‘bubble,’ and that is what SPN demonstrates and provides– opportunity to explore a bigger community."
— SPN Parent since 2016

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