January 22, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Weather Through the Seasons and Wild Weather.  Weather Through the Seasons is an informational text while Wild Weather is a narrative nonfiction selection.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with the suffixes "y," "ly," "er," and "est," identifying subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, it, you, they) and object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them, you, it) in sentences, identifying and using reflexive pronouns (myself and ourselves) in sentences, identifying and explaining the meanings of homophones in sentences, spelling words with inflected endings "s" and "es,"  using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

GUIDANCE:  On January 23 we will discuss lesson 3 in guidance class.  Lesson 3 is called "Who Are You?"  In this lesson we will recognize the special gifts of people with special needs and celebrate the unique talents that each one of us has been given.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK:  Catholic Schools Week is January 25-30.  Many wonderful activities have been planned for this special week.  Please note the following:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25:  Today is the opening of Catholic Schools Week with a Eucharist Celebration at 9:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Church.  

 MONDAY, JANUARY 26:  This day is “Out of This World Day.”  Students may come to school dressed like something from outer space. They could dress as an astronaut, planet, alien, star, etc. Students will also be writing letters to students in Catholic schools around the United States as a pen pal activity in hopes of hearing back from them.  Second graders will be writing to a second grade class in New Jersey.   

 TUESDAY, JANUARY 27: This day is “Winter Olympics Day.”  Students may come to school dressed as someone would for the winter Olympics.  They could wear red, white, and blue for team USA! Students will also be getting together with their Advent Angels in the afternoon for “religion station rotations.”  Students will rotate from classroom to classroom to participate in various religious activities.

 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28:  This day is “Wild West Day.”  Students may come to school dressed in western gear such as cowboy boots, cowboy hats, cowboy shirts, etc.  Students will also be writing letters to the Iowa National Guard members that are stationed overseas.   

 THURSDAY, JANUARY 29:  This day is “St. Malachy Day."  Students can show their spirit for St. Malachy by wearing the St. Malachy colors of blue and/or gold.  If your child has a St. Malachy sweat shirt or T-shirt, today would be the perfect day to wear it!  STUDENTS ARE TO BRING A SACK LUNCH TO SCHOOL.  They will be eating with their Advent Angels.  Milk will be provided, so you do not need to send a drink.  Please note that refrigeration will not be provided, so plan accordingly.  An all-school talent show will take place in the school gym in the afternoon.  We hope to see you there if you can come! 

 FRIDAY, JANUARY 30:  This day is “Grandparent or Special Guest Day/Dress to Impress Day.”  Students are encouraged to wear their “Sunday best” to school since it is such a special day.  Please have your child’s grandparent or special guest pick your child up at the school at 1:00 and go to Holy Spirit Church by 1:25 since Mass begins at 1:30.  Students will be dismissed from Holy Spirit Church.  If students need to ride the bus home after the Mass, there will be a bus waiting at the church to take students where they need to go.

ENROLLMENT FOR 2026-2027:  Enrollment is happening a little differently this year.  To secure your child's spot for the 2026-2027 school year, you have from January 25-31 to do so.  We do have a waiting list for some grades, so by enrolling now, your spot will be guaranteed.  Please call the school or visit the school website at www.crestonstmalachy.org for more information.


January 15, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read an informational text called Who Are Government's Leaders and watched/discussed a video called Thomas Edison and the Light Bulb.  We worked on skills such as identifying homophones (words that sound the same, but they're not spelled the same and do not mean the same such as "sea" and "see,") decoding words with the suffixes "ful" and "less," writing abbreviations for months, days, places, and titles for people correctly, identifying nouns that name people, using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  This week we took the chapter 7 test and started chapter 8 over money and time.  So far students have found the total values of collections of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, and solved problems with coins.

GUIDANCE:  On January 16 we will discuss lesson 2 in guidance class.  Lesson 2 is called "Rules and Choices."  In this lesson we will explain how good rules keep people safe.  We will also identify reasons for good rules. 

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced writing the lowercase cursive w, e, l, and b.

SCIENCE:  We have been discussing various water habitats such as a pond, river delta, and tide pool. Students compared the diversity of life in each one and discussed how plants and animals meet their needs in the water habitat in which they live.

TALENT SHOW:  There will be an all-school talent show on Thursday, January 29 during Catholic Schools Week.  If your child has a talent he/she would like to share, please encourage him/her to participate! Students can show their act to the talent show committee members through next week.  This way we know ahead of time what talent your child will be performing so the talent show program can be put together.  We're hoping to get a record number of participants this year!



January 8, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Wilma Rudolph:  Against All Odds and Great Leaders.  Wilma Rudolph:  Against All Odds is a biography while Great Leaders is an opinion article.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with long /i/ (i, ie, igh, y, i_e) as in iron, pie, right, fly, and bike, capitalizing the first letter in the names of the days of the week, months of the year, and holidays, decoding words with the prefix "dis," identifying statements of fact and opinion, using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students used drawing and equations to make sense of the words in problems, modeled and solved two-step problems using equations, used different ways to solve two-step problems, and found unknown numbers in equations that relate four or more whole numbers.

GUIDANCE:  Tomorrow, January 9, second graders will begin lesson one in guidance class.  Guidance goes along with our religion series and focuses on family, friendships, and God's love.  There are ten lessons in the guidance book.  We will discuss a new lesson each Friday.  Enclosed in today's take home folder is a "Parent Connection" resource book for you to have at home.  This goes along with and supports our guidance program.  It is yours to keep and does not need to be returned to school.

HANDWRITING:  Second graders are beginning cursive handwriting! Before learning how to write our lowercase cursive letters, students have been learning the strokes used in cursive handwriting (undercurve, downcurve, overcurve, slant, and checkstroke.)  We have also discussed keys to legibility such as the shape, size, spacing, and slant of our cursive letters.

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, January 9 is a Spirit Day at St. Malachy.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear sweat pants or a hat to school if they wish.  The money raised will help those in need in our local community.


December 11, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed What's Good to Read and Going Places.  What's Good to Read is an opinion article while Going Places is a fantasy.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with long /o/ as in so, boat, grow, toe, and note, using quotation marks correctly in sentences, decoding words with the suffixes "y," "ly," and "ful," putting words in alphabetical order,  using story vocabulary in context, using a glossary and dictionary to determine meanings of words and phrases, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We subtracted a one or two-digit number from a two-digit number using the standard algorithm, and used models and equations to solve word problems.

BRING SACK LUNCH TO SCHOOL:  Next Friday, December 19, students will need to bring a sack lunch  to school.  (Milk will be provided.)  Students will be eating lunch with their Advent Angels that day.  After lunch, students will sing Christmas carols with their Advent Angels as well.

SPELLING:  We will be having a "Review Week" in spelling next week.  All 16 spelling words will be words students have had in previous weeks.

TAKE HOME FOLDERS/BLOG:  Take home folders will not be sent home next Thursday, December 18 due to the upcoming Christmas vacation, and there will not be a second grade newsletter posted on my blog.  Any important notes from the office will be sent home in your child's backpack.

CHRISTMAS FUN:  St. Malachy students are welcome to join in on some Christmas-themed fun next week if they wish:

  • Monday, December 15:  "Dress as a Christmas Character Day!" Dress as a character from a Christmas movie or TV show
  • Tuesday, December 16:  "Christmas Plaid Day!" Wear plaid
  • Wednesday, December 17:  "Sunday Christmas Best Day!" Dress up for Mass
  • Thursday, December 18:  "Shining Festive and Bright Day!"  Dress in festive and bright Christmas clothing and accessories
  • Friday, December 19:  "Christmas Vacation Day!"  Wear an ugly Christmas sweater, Christmas pajamas, etc. to spread Christmas cheer
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:  School will not be in session on Friday, January 2 due to teacher professional development.  School will resume on Monday, January 5.

December 4, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed the fairy tale If the Shoe Fits:  Two Cinderella Stories.  We also discussed a video called Those Clever Crows from the New York Times.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with the long /e/ vowel sound as in meet, seat, key, receive, believe, these, and happy, using story vocabulary in context, identifying action verbs in sentences, recognizing and forming compound sentences, describing plot elements in a story, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We took the chapter 5 test over subtracting within 100 using strategies and started chapter 6 over fluently subtracting within 100.  So far students have used place value and models to subtract one and two-digit numbers, subtracted two-digit numbers using partial differences, and broke apart two-digit numbers to make it easier to subtract.

RELIGION:  We have been discussing Advent.  Students learned that the word "Advent" means "coming."  Students discussed various ways they can prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus during this Advent season.

ADVENT ANGELS:  Your child has been paired up with an older student during the Advent season.  This "buddy" is known as their "Advent Angel."  Beginning next week, Advent Angels will get together once each week throughout December for 30 minutes to complete an activity that will help students prepare for the coming of Jesus.  

 Traditionally the Angels will eat a sack lunch together on the last day before the Christmas break (December 19).  Also, the Angels usually exchange a small gift with each other.  I wanted to bring this to your attention so that you might help your child purchase a small gift (usually candy).  Please keep the gift under $5.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

COLLECTING ITEMS FOR CARE FACILITIES:  St. Malachy School is collecting items for male and female residents in local care facilities.  We are looking for shower gel or body wash, store bought cookies, and soft candies for the residents this year.  If you are interested in donating, please send the item(s) to school by Friday, December 12.  

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, December 5 is a Spirit Day at St. Malachy.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear sweat pants or a hat to school.  The money raised will help those in need in our local community.

November 20, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed A Crow, a Lion, and a Mouse! Oh My! and Hollywood Chicken.  A Crow, a Lion, and a Mouse! Oh My! is a drama, while Hollywood Chicken is a fantasy.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with long /a/ as in rain, stay, make, and acorn, identifying and forming verbs in the present, past, and future tense, identifying adjectives in sentences, identifying a simile (compares two different things using the word "like" or "as," such as "she's as busy as a bee,") an idiom (a phrase that means something different from its everyday meaning, such as "it's raining cats and dogs,") and a hyperbole (a statement that is so crazy it can't be true, such as "her smile was a mile wide,") using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We made numbers that are easier to subtract and then used mental math to find the difference, solved one and two-step problems using addition or subtraction, and chose various strategies we've learned so far to subtract two-digit numbers.

SCIENCE  We are wrapping up our unit over matter and will soon begin a new unit over environments for living things.  

SHORT WEEK NEXT WEEK:  Due to Thanksgiving and the short school week next week, we will not be taking a spelling pre and post test.  Also, take home folders will not be sent home and there will not be a second grade newsletter posted on my blog.

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM FUNDRAISER:  St. Malachy middle school students are raising money for an outdoor classroom! This space will be a natural immersive learning experience that will benefit all St. Malachy students for years to come.  All funds raised will be used to purchase sustainable outdoor classroom equipment, garden beds, water and sand tables and more.  To help raise money for this outdoor classroom, St. Malachy School is having a "sweatpants fundraiser."  Students can pay $20.00 to wear sweatpants to school throughout the month of December except on Mass days.  If you are interested in having your child participate in this fundraiser, please send money to school by Tuesday, December 2.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:  Please note the following:

  • Friday, November 21:  Spirit Day
  • Wednesday, November 26-Friday, November 28:  Thanksgiving vacation
  • Wednesday, December 3:  St. Malachy Christmas Concert, 6:00 P.M. at Creston High School


November 13, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Recipe for a Fairy Tale and How to Read a Story.  Both are procedural texts.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with consonants /k/ and /ck,/ adding -s  and -es to present-tense verbs, decoding words with silent letters /kn,/ /mb,/ /gn,/ and /wr,/ as in knot, comb, gnat, and write, decoding words with suffixes "ful" and "less" as in colorful and hopeless, decoding homographs (words with multiple meanings,) discussing chronological order to put steps in the correct order, using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We took the chapter 4 test over fluently adding within 100 and started a new chapter over subtracting within 100 using strategies.  So far students have used a hundred chart and an open number line to subtract tens and ones.

RELIGION:  We discussed how the Holy Spirit helps us to do better and recognized that God loves us and rejoices when we are truly sorry for our sins.

SCIENCE:  We discussed how matter can change.  Some of those changes are reversible, such as freezing and melting, while others are irreversible, such as cooking or burning.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:  Please note the following:

  • Friday, November 14:  End of the first trimester of school 
  • Friday, November 21:  Spirit Day
  • Wednesday, November 26-Friday, November 28:  Thanksgiving vacation
  • Wednesday, December 3:  St. Malachy Christmas Concert, 6:00 P.M. at Creston High School
  • Friday, December 5:  Spirit Day