May 22, 2025

 LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Frog and Toad Together, The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Miss Nelson is Back, and Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie.  We worked on skills such as identifying statements of fact and opinion, recalling story details, story sequence, cause and effect, identifying words that are synonyms (such as small and tiny) and antonyms (such as stop and go,) following directions, categorizing, and using story vocabulary in context.

MATH:  Students measured the lengths of objects and made line plots to organize the data, and drew bar and picture graphs and used them to solve problems.

TAKE HOME FOLDERS:  Take home folders will be sent home for the last time next Thursday, May 29 and are yours to keep.

BRING EMPTY BACKPACK TO SCHOOL:  Next Thursday, May 29 students will be cleaning out their desks and bringing all school supplies home.  Please send an EMPTY backpack to school that day.

K-2 PICNIC IN THE PARK:  Next Thursday, May 29 students in grades K-2 will be walking to the park for a picnic lunch.  Your child will need to bring a sack lunch and a drink to school on this day.  Also, each class is encouraged to wear their "ocean coral" class t-shirts.  Let's hope for great weather!

FIELD DAY:  The 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will be organizing "field day" events for students to participate in on the last day of school.  Please have your child wear tennis shoes since they will be participating in outdoor games and activities.  Field day will begin at 9:00 if you are interested in coming to watch.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL:  Next Friday, May 30 is the last day of school.  School will dismiss at 12:10.  Also, an all-school grilled burger lunch will be provided by the PTO!

LAST BLOG POST:  This is the last time I will be posting on my blog for the school year.  If any important news develops next week, I will email to keep you informed.

May 15, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed The Mysterious Tadpole, Nimby, Freckle Juice, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, and The Velveteen Rabbit.  We worked on skills such as sequencing, letter writing, following directions, identifying statements of fact and opinion, alphabetical order, cause and effect, and using story vocabulary in context.  

MATH:  Students wrapped up chapter 14 by adding or subtracting to solve problems about measurements by using drawings and equations, and adding and subtracting on a number line.  Tomorrow we will take the chapter 14 test.  Next week we will begin our last chapter over graphs and data.

SCIENCE:  We described the process of digestion and discussed the importance of eating a balanced, healthful diet.  Students also classified foods into each of the five food groups.

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced making the uppercase cursive P, R, and B.

SPRING CONCERT:  The spring concert will take place next Wednesday, May 21 at 6:00 P.M. in the Creston High School auditorium.  Students are to dress up for the concert.  They will be going to the high school to practice for the concert that afternoon.  Please sign and return the permission slip in today's take home folder so your child may attend the practice.

SPELLING:  Since this week is the end-of-the-year review week in spelling, we will not have a spelling pre or post test for the remainder of the school year.  

DATES TO REMEMBER:  

• Friday, May 16:  Spirit Day ~ Students can pay $1.00 to wear a hat and/or sweatpants to school
• Wednesday, May 21:  Spring Concert at Creston High School, 6:00 P.M.
• Thursday, May 22:  All library books are due back to the library
• Friday, May 30:  Last day of school ~ three hour early dismissal

May 8, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed a collection of poems called Poems in the Attic.  We also discussed a short video called What's for Lunch Around the World.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with long /a/ and /e,/ decoding words with vowel teams /ai,/ /ay,/ /ee,/ /ea,/ and /oa,/ decoding words with the suffixes "ed," "ing," "less," "ful," "ly," and "ion," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  This week students wrapped up chapter 13 by partitioning rectangles into equal-size squares and  making equal shares that did not have the same shape.  Tomorrow we will begin chapter 14 over more addition, subtraction, and length.

SCIENCE:  We described how the heart and lungs work together to carry oxygen to all of the body parts.  We discussed how exercise helps make the heart and lungs stronger and healthier.  

RELIGION:  We discussed that the Holy Spirit gives the Church spiritual gifts.  Some of these gifts are wisdom, healing, knowledge, and faith.  God also gives each one of us special gifts and wants us to use these gifts to help others.

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced writing the uppercase cursive G, S, L, and P.

DATES TO REMEMBER:  

• Friday, May 16:  Spirit Day ~ Students can pay $1.00 to wear a hat and/or sweatpants to school
• Wednesday, May 21:  Spring Concert at Creston High School, 6:00 P.M.
• Thursday, May 22:  All library books are due back to the library
• Friday, May 30:  Last day of school ~ three hour early dismissal

May 1, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed May Day Around the World and Goal.  May Day Around the World is a narrative nonfiction selection while Goal is an informational text about soccer.  We worked on skills such as decoding word with open and closed syllables, identifying and using prepositions and prepositional phrases that tell when and where, decoding words with the suffixes "y" and "ly," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We started a new chapter over shapes and their attributes.  So far students have described plane shapes by how they look and drew polygon shapes and cubes.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  First Eucharist will take place on Saturday, May 3 at 5:00 P.M.  There will be a reception following Mass in the church basement.

SECOND GRADE MASS:  Next Wednesday, May 7, the second grade is in charge of the school Mass.  We will also have a May crowning during this Mass.  Please look in the take home folder for more information concerning this special Mass, as well as your child's part for the Mass.

SCIENCE:  We started a new unit over how people grow and change.  So far we have described the many ways people grow and change during their lives.  We compared how people are alike and different at different stages of life.

GLOW-A-THON:  The St. Malachy PTO Glow-a-Thon will take place next Thursday, May 8 during your child's P.E. class.  Students may wear sweatpants to school on this day if they choose.  Please have your child wear comfortable tennis shoes since they will be doing a lot of running.

April 24, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Hello, World! and Where on Earth Is My Bagel? Hello, World! is an informational text while Where on Earth Is My Bagel? is a realistic fiction selection.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with the prefixes "mis," "de," and "re," and the suffixes "less," "ly," and "ful," spelling words with inflected endings "ed" and "ing," identifying possessive pronouns in sentences, decoding words with the suffixes "ion," "tion," and "sion," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students wrapped up our chapter over measuring length by estimating measures and using a ruler to measure length and height to the nearest centimeter or meter.  They also told how much longer one object was than another.  Tomorrow we will take the test over this chapter.  Next week we will begin a new chapter over shapes and their attributes.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  For those of you who have a child making his/her First Holy Communion in May, there is a family retreat scheduled for Saturday, April 26 from 10:00-12:30.  Please contact the Director of Religious Education, Anna Mealey, if you have any questions about this upcoming event.

RELIGION:  We have been discussing Easter and the resurrection of Jesus.

SCIENCE:  We are wrapping up our unit over changes to Earth's surface and will soon begin a new unit over how people grow and change.

SPRING CLEANING DAY:   Tomorrow, April 25 is "Spring Cleaning Day" at St. Malachy School.  Second graders will be picking up trash and sticks around the school and playground area.  Your child may bring a pair of work gloves if he/she wishes.   Also, as part of spring cleaning day, students are encouraged to donate $1.00 to the cleaning day.  These funds will be used to purchase flowers for the school steps.

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced writing the uppercase cursive  V, W, X, and I.

April 17, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed a folktale called Abuelo and the Three Bears and discussed a video called Ducklings Jump from Nest.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with consonant + /le/ as in "apple," identifying how to form possessives with nouns that name one or more than one, decoding words with the prefix "pre," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students estimated the length of an object by relating the length of an object to a known measurement, estimated measures and used a ruler to measure length and height to the nearest inch, foot, yard, or centimeter.

SCIENCE:  We discussed changes caused by wind and water, such as erosion.  We looked at windbreaks, using sandbags, and building a dike as ways to prevent wind and water erosion.

RELIGION:  We have been discussing Holy Week and the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday).  We described what makes each day so special and how we can remember Jesus during the Easter Triduum.

SPRING CLEANING DAY:  Next Friday, April 25 is "Spring Cleaning Day" at St. Malachy School.  Second graders will be picking up trash and sticks around the school and playground area.  Your child may bring a pair of work gloves if he/she wishes.   Also, as part of spring cleaning day, students are encouraged to donate $1.00 to the cleaning day.  These funds will be used to purchase flowers for the school steps.

BOOK ORDERS:  Book orders are due tomorrow, April 18.  If you are interested in ordering, please order online by going to clubs.scholastic.com.  This is the last time I will be sending book orders this school year.  Our class code to order online is LJWD4.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:  School will not be in session on Monday, April 21 due to teacher professional development. 

April 10, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed an informational text called Sea Otter Pups and a collection of poems entitled At Home in the Wild.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with three letter consonant blends as in "splash" and "throw," identifying adverbs that tell when, where, and how, identifying contractions, decoding words with the prefix "mis," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We are wrapping up our chapter over subtracting within 1,000 and will take the chapter test tomorrow.  Next week we will begin a new chapter over measuring length.  

GUIDANCE:  On April 11 we will discuss our final lesson in the guidance book.  Lesson 10 is called "More Connections."  In this lesson we will identify the different kinds of families we belong to and what we can learn from our families.  We will also explain what having a friend means and the importance of friendship. 

SCIENCE:  We described what happens during an earthquake, volcano, landslide, hurricane, and flood.  They all bring about quick changes to Earth's surface.  We also learned about Dr. Rosaly M.C. Lopes.  She is a volcanologist.  A volcanologist is a scientist who studies volcanoes.  She studies the history of volcanoes, measures any seismic activity, and collects date which can help to predict future eruptions.

CROSS WALK:   Next Thursday, April 17 St. Malachy students will be participating in a cross walk (weather permitting) to the church.  We will reflect on the Stations of the Cross along the way and at the church.  An all-school picture will be taken of the students this day.  Students are to wear a plain white shirt to school for the picture.

BRING SACK LUNCH TO SCHOOL:  Next Thursday, April 17 students need to bring a sack lunch to school.  We will be eating lunch together as a whole school after the Seder Meal.  Milk will be provided, so students do not need to bring a drink.

BOOK ORDERS:  I am sending book orders in the take home folder today.  If you are interested in ordering, please order online by going to clubs.scholastic.com.  Book orders are due Friday, April 18.  Our class code to order online is LJWD4.