September 25, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed What's the Matter and Many Kinds of Matter.  Both are informational texts.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with long o, u, and e, using story vocabulary in context, identifying nouns, decoding words with the suffixes -er and -est, identifying synonyms (words that mean about the same, such as "big" and "large,") and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students made arrays with equal rows or equal columns to solve addition problems, and modeled problems using equations, drawings, and arrays.  Next week we will be taking the chapter 2 test.

ROSARY:  October is the month of the Rosary.  The Rosary is a summary of Christian faith in language and prayers inspired by the Bible.  The Rosary calls to mind the most important events in the lives of Jesus and Mary.  These events are called mysteries and are divided into four groups:  The Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, the Glorious Mysteries, and the Luminous Mysteries.  St. Malachy students will be praying the Rosary during the month of October in religion class.  Second graders will pray one decade of the Rosary each day.  If your child has a Rosary from home that he/she would like to bring to school for this, he/she may do so.

HOMECOMING: Tomorrow, September 26 is Creston's homecoming.  It is also a Spirit Day.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear sweatpants or a hat to school if they wish.  They can also show their support for the Creston Panthers by wearing red and/or black.  School will dismiss at 12:10.  Lunch will be provided.  The homecoming parade will begin at 1:30.

FIELD TRIP:  Students in grades K-2 will be taking a field trip to Thompson's Fall Festival on Thursday, October 9.  Please look for a note in today's take home folder for more information.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:  School will not be in session on Monday, October 6 due to teacher professional development.

September 18, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed a realistic fiction selection called Picture Day Perfection.  We worked on skills such as identifying words with long vowels "a" and "i," using story vocabulary in context, identifying statements, questions, commands, and exclamations, identifying sounds for /c/  and /g/ as in "cent,"  "car," "goat," and "giant," decoding word with "ed" and "ing" endings, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students decided if a group of objects was even or odd, used different ways to tell if a group of objects showed an even or odd number, and found the total number of objects in  a set of rows and columns.

RELIGION:  This week we focused on ways we can praise and thanks to God.  We explored celebrations in which we give thanks and recognized prayers of praise and thanks.

SCIENCE:  Students learned what a mechanical engineer does.  They used books, paper, and pencils to build a "bridge" design.  They also worked in groups to create the tallest possible freestanding tower using index cards and tape. They analyzed and compared multiple design solutions.  Students realized that engineers plan and build many possible solutions, test each one to see how well it works, and find ways to improve it.  

BOOK ORDERS:  Book orders are due tomorrow, September 19 if you are interested in ordering.  To order online,  our class code is LJWD4.

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, September 19 is a Spirit Day.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear a hat or sweatpants to school if they wish.  The money raised helps those in  need in our local community.

Field Trip

September 11, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Being a Good Citizen and The Great Puppy Invasion.  Being a Good Citizen is an informational text while The Great Puppy Invasion is a fantasy.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with short "o," "u," and "e," identifying adjectives in sentences, using story vocabulary in context, identifying complete sentences, putting words in sentences in the correct order (subject first--predicate last), identifying the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern in words, identifying run-on sentences, and learning ten new high-frequency words. 

MATH:  Students have been using addition and subtraction to solve word problems, and adding and subtracting using mental math strategies.  We took the chapter 1 test today and will begin chapter 2 over working with equal groups tomorrow.

RELIGION:  We have been discussing the sacrament of Baptism and the symbols used in Baptism (holy water, holy oil, Baptismal candle, and white clothing). 

BOOK ORDERS:  I am enclosing book orders in today's take home folder.  Book orders are due next Friday, September 19 if you are interested in ordering.  If you don't see a book you're looking for in the flyer, there are many books for students at all reading levels online at clubs.scholastic.com.   You are not limited to ordering only the books in the flyer being sent home.  To order online, our class code is LJWD4.  

CHROMEBOOKS:  The second graders will be using their Chromebooks with two math programs called "Xtra Math" and "EnVision Math."  Both programs will be used to help increase overall understanding of grade level math concepts and cover essential concepts including number sense, operations, place value, and problem solving. Students will also be using their Chromebooks with Code.  Code is a program that provides opportunities for students to learn computer science.  Students will also have the opportunity to practice keyboarding skills with a program we are using called "Typetastic," and will practice various language arts, science, and social studies skills with "Seesaw."  Throughout the school year students will be using their Chromebooks for many other different learning opportunities as well.

FIELD TRIP:  The K-4 field trip to Green Valley State Park on Monday, September 15 is quickly approaching.  Just a reminder to have your child bring a sack lunch and a drink that day.  Let's hope for great weather!

PTO MEETNG:  There will be a PTO meeting next Wednesday, September 17 at 6:00 P.M. 

September 4, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed We Are Super Citizens and Clark the Shark.  We Are Super Citizens is a personal narrative while Clark the Shark is a fantasy.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with short "a" and "i," using story vocabulary in context, identifying the subject and predicate in a sentence, blending and decoding words with a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern, identifying action verbs in a sentence, identifying the setting of a story, recognizing antonyms (words that have opposite meanings,) and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:   Our first chapter is over fluently adding and subtracting within 20.  This week students used number patterns on an addition table to complete addition equations, counted on and back on a number line to subtract, and used addition to help with subtraction facts.

SPELLING:  Your child brought home a list of words for week 1 on Tuesday.  We have been working on our spelling words at school, but any help from home with studying the words would be greatly appreciated! We will take the spelling post test over our week 1 words tomorrow, September 5.  The post test will be sent home each Friday so you can see how your child scored.

SCIENCE:  Our first unit is called "engineering design process."  So far students discussed how things we use and see in our everyday lives, such as ramps, phones, and even a stapler can be used to solve a problem.  They explored how an engineer defines a problem and solves it by using steps in a design process.  The steps are:  Define a problem, plan and build, test and improve, redesign, and communicate.

SOCIAL CONTRACT:   In last week's newsletter I mentioned that the second grade would be creating a social contract, an agreement of behavior for the class to follow.  Below is the social contract the second graders created:

• help others
• be respectful/polite
• include others
• be kind
• share/take turns
• listen to others
• be responsible
• follow the Golden Rule (treat others the way you want to be treated)

The second graders signed the above social contract to state that they would honor it.  They understand that there are consequences for not following the social contract they helped to create.

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, September 5 is a Spirit Day.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear a hat or  sweatpants to school if they wish.  The money raised helps those in  need in our local community.  Students can also wear their Cyclone or Hawkeye shirt to support their favorite Iowa team for the upcoming Cy-Hawk game!!

First Day of School

 

Super Second Graders