November 30, 2023

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, broke apart two-digit numbers to make it easier to subtract, subtracted using place value and partial differences, and subtracted using the standard algorithm.

ADVENT ANGELS:  Your child has been paired up with an older student during the Advent season.  This "buddy" is known as their "Advent Angel."  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.  

SCHOOL MASS NEXT FRIDAY:  School Mass will take place next Friday, December 8 instead of Wednesday, December 6 since December 8 is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Please have your child dress up for Mass next Friday, December 8.  There will not be a regular school Mass on Wednesday, December 6, so your child will not need to dress up on that day.

FIRST RECONCILIATION:  First Reconciliation will take place on Sunday, December 3.  It will begin at 1:00 P.M. at Holy Spirit Church with a potluck followed by Reconciliation.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT:  St. Malachy School will be having their Christmas concert on Wednesday, December 6 at 6:00 P.M. at the Creston High School auditorium.  Please look for a permission slip in your child's take home folder to be filled out and returned to school so that your child may attend the Christmas concert practice that day.  

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, December 1 is a Spirit Day.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear sweat pants to school if they wish.  The money raised will help those in need in our local community.

November 16, 2023

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.

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.

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.

SCIENCE  We took the unit test over matter and started a new unit over environments for living things.  So far we have discussed what a plant needs to grow and stay healthy and what the effects are when a plant does not get the things it needs. 

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:  Please note the following:

• Friday, November 17:  End of the first trimester of school
• Wednesday, November 22-Monday, November 27:  Thanksgiving vacation
• Friday, December 1:  Spirit Day
• Sunday, December 3:  First Reconciliation at 1:00 at Holy Spirit Church
• Wednesday, December 6:  St. Malachy Christmas Concert, 6:00 P.M.

November 9, 2023

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 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, added up to subtract using an open number line, and broke apart 1-digt numbers to make it easier to subtract mentally.

RELIGION:  Since November 1 was All Saints Day, we have been learning about the lives of various saints.  We discussed how saints showed their love for God and others.  They are an example of Christian service, which God calls all people to do.

BOOK FAIR:  A big THANK YOU to all who donated books to our second grade classroom from the book fair.  We will enjoy having these books in our classroom library! Your generosity is very much appreciated!

DRESS CODE:  The dress code states that beginning November 1, shorts should not be worn to school.

VETERAN'S DAY:  St. Malachy will be having a Veteran's Day celebration honoring all who have served on Friday, November 10.   It will begin at 1:00 P.M. in the school gym if you would like to join us.

FIRST RECONCILIATION:  We discussed chapter six in the First Reconciliation book.  Since this is the last chapter, the book is yours to keep at home.  If all work in the book has been completed, it does not need to be returned to school.  First Reconciliation will take place on Sunday, December 3 at Holy Spirit Church with a potluck at 1:00 P.M. followed by the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, November 10 is a Spirit Day at St. Malachy.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear sweat pants, a hat, or sunglasses to school.  They money raised will help those in need in our local community.