Dear Second Grade Families,
Happy Friday and happy Thanksgiving break!
Thank you so much for rallying around the Annual Fund! As a teacher and fellow parent, I truly appreciate how you supported our school! Students will have free dress and a treat on Wednesday, November 29th. 🙂
Another highlight was watching students’ enthusiastically read each others’ personal narratives and give written feedback. This took the form of questions, comments, and compliments. While I had only asked them to read and comment on three narratives, many wanted to do more! Awesome! This process is very valuable from both sides – learning to give positive feedback to help another person get stronger and stronger and learning to receive it as well. I look forward to more of these opportunities during second grade!
The cherry on top of our week was our trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science. Students explored the outdoor lab like scientists, constructed hats and flying creations like engineers, and enjoyed a 3-D film highlighting the wonders of the natural world right outside our front doors. If you want to see a smile on your child’s face, play the song “Free Falling” and ask them what happened in the movie. 🙂 Thank you to our chaperones: Mrs. Garcia, Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. Calderon, Mrs. Cheng, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Lazaro, and Mrs. Bustos! Without you, this trip would not have been possible!
The week we return from break will start our season of Advent, a time of preparing for our Lord. It is a time to reflect on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth. It is a time for faith communities and families to remember the true meaning of Jesus’ birth through prayer, reflections, special music, and good deeds.
Below is our second grade learning update.
Focus Areas for Our Learning Next Week:
- Reading –
- In reading groups, students will continue SUPER Magazine. We will identify and use text features to make comparisons and draw conclusions. We will continue practicing the skill of identifying the main idea and details within an article.
- 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 practice decoding and encoding ou/ou/ (ex, pound), ow/ou/ (ex, crown) and ow/ō/ words (ex, grow). Students should practice their spelling words for homework so they are prepared for the quiz on Friday.
- Writing – Students will begin an informational piece focused on a continent. This week, we will practice reading an informational text for information, deciding what important information we might want to share with others, and take notes in an organizational planning page.
- Math – The class will continue practicing 2 and 3-digit addition and subtraction using the number line. We will also be learning a few other strategies. The goal is for children to learn each strategy and then narrow in on the one that works best for them.
- Religion – We will continue our chapter about Jesus, the Son of God and our Savior. We focus on the concept of mercy as a great kindness toward others.
- Social Studies/Science – This week, science and social studies collide as we learn about different types of landforms and make connections to the continents we are researching for our writing projects.
Other Updates for this Week:
- Second grade Alameda Food Bank donations – Please reinforce the importance of giving and taking care of others who are not as fortunate. I’ll bring any donations your children bring in over to the food bank each Friday through Christmas break.
- Christmas Concert Practice! – Mr. Q would be very grateful if students could practice second grade’s song for the Christmas Concert a few times over break.
- Covid Daily Screening – Please continue to do the daily screening. Your diligence is important and appreciated.
- Dates to Remember:
- Friday, Nov. 10 – No school: Veterans Day Observed
- Nov. 13-17 – Book Fair – please come!
- Tuesday, Nov. 14 – Free Dress Nov. Birthdays
- Wednesday, Nov. 15 – Noon Dismissal / Professional Development Day
- Thursday, Nov. 16 – Catholic School Principal Appreciation Day
- Friday, Nov. 17 – Field Trip – Lawrence Hall of Science
- Friday, Nov. 17 – Report Card Day
- Nov. 20 – Nov. 24 – Thanksgiving Break
- Wednesday, Nov. 29 – 2nd grade free dress and treat for Annual Fund participation
- Thursday, Nov. 30 – Spirit Day: Pajama Day
We look forward to seeing our students after Thanksgiving Break! Hope you have a wonderful and blessed holiday!
All the best,
Catherine
