St. Philip Neri Catholic School Logo

St. Philip Neri Catholic School

Second Grade Update – Week of 1/8

Dear Second Grade Families, 

Happy Friday!

This week, we jumped back into our second grade routines! Students worked hard, followed our SLEs, and had fun seeing friends again!
It was wonderful to see students collaborating for their continent projects. Working in a group can be awesome AND challenging at times. We discussed strategies for working through disagreements in fair, kind, and thoughtful ways with the goal of producing an engaging and informative poster. Posters will be finalized next week and group presentations will follow! 

A few notes about how homework will be changing:

  • The class was polled and over 90% of students thought homework was too easy, and many students shared that they finished within a day or two.
  • In the coming weeks, I will gradually expand homework practice to capture some additional math, grammar, and reading comprehension activities. This will be an opportunity to reinforce and expand on foundational skills.
  • I will continue to offer the monthly challenge packet to earn a prize, but only as requested since the majority of students do not complete it (and I do not want to waste paper!). 

Below is our second grade learning update.

Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:

  • Reading – 
    • In reading groups, students will wrap up their book clubs. We will practice summarizing important plot points in the beginning, middle, and end of stories. 
    • 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 decoding and encoding words with kn/n/ and wr/r/ words (ex. know, write). Students will also work with homophones and should practice their spelling words for homework.
  • Writing – Students will wrap up their New Years goals project with an eye for editing their writing. Their paragraph should clearly share their goal, why it is important to them, and what they will do to accomplish it. 🙂
  • Math – The class will continue practicing strategies for subtraction of 3-digit numbers when regrouping is required. We will also review concepts of measurement, practice estimating and measuring precisely, identify and relate standard units (inches, feet, yards), and use appropriate tools.
  • Religion – We will start our chapter about the Holy Spirit, the third divine person of the Holy Trinity. Students will come to know the Holy Spirit as their supporter and guide.
  • Social Studies – Students will work on their first group project! They will use their individual continent research to create a poster together. In addition to reinforcing content knowledge, the goals of the project include using collaboration as well as speaking and listening skills.
  • Science – The class will  consider the insulating and conducting properties of different materials. In our activity, students will test different materials and determine which would make the best oven mitts.

Other Updates for this Week:

  • Oratorical Fest – Please have your child practice their piece at home. They will need to have it memorized and ready to recite for the week of January 15th. They will start with:
    • Good afternoon. My name is _________ and I am in the second grade. The (poem, speech, prayer, etc.) I will be reciting is _________, written by _________.
    • When finished, say, Thank you.
  • Baby Wipes – We received a few containers of baby wipes before break, but we need all families to contribute 1-2 containers. Thank you!
  • Dates to Remember:
    • Monday, Jan. 8 – Hard copy of Oratorical selections due to Mrs. Suer (8-12 lines only; please review rules)
    • Friday, Jan. 12 – No school for students; Staff Work Day
    • Monday, Jan. 15 – No school – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
    • Tuesday, Jan. 23 – Free dress January birthdays
    • Wednesday, Jan. 24 – Noon dismissal, Teacher Professional Development
    • Thursday, Jan. 25 – Spirit Day – Class Theme TBD
    • Sunday, Jan. 28 – Catholic Schools Week kick-off with All School Mass, 9:00 am at SPN; Open House immediately following Mass, 10:00-11:30

We look forward to seeing our students on Monday!

All the best,
Catherine

Subscribe to our email notifications for teacher posts

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
"We are very satisfied with the SPN community, something that is important to our family. My children feel safe and comfortable with SPN. Our family feels connected with the SPN community from parents and families to the staff and faculty. My children and we as parents have made healthy and positive relationships with other families from school. We share time outside of school with other families which brings a level of connectedness I don't know if we would have elsewhere"
— 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

Upcoming Events

View School Events View School Calendar

Connect with SPN

Follow Us on Instagram