March 27, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Don't Touch Me.  This informational text is about how plants have many ways of defending themselves from hungry animals.  Some of their defenses can hurt you, sting you, or make you itch if you get too close, so we must be careful about touching plants we don't recognize.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with /au,/ /aw,/ /o,/ and /al,/ that all make the same sound as short "o" as in sauce, jaw, olive, and talk, identifying and forming irregular action verbs such as say/said, eat/ate, run/ran, hide/hid, sit/sat, tell/told, give/gave, take/took, see/saw, and go/went, decoding words with the prefix "dis," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We wrapped up chapter 10 by adding three-digit numbers using the standard algorithm and using different addition strategies.  We took the chapter test and will begin chapter 11 over subtracting within 1,000 using models and strategies next week.

SCIENCE:  We took the unit test over Earth's surface and started a new unit over changes to Earth's surface.  So far we have described what happens during weathering by water and ice, weathering by plants, and erosion by wind.   All are slow processes.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  Thank you for sending your child's First Eucharist book to school.  We discussed chapter 5 in class this week.  Please complete chapter 6 and return the book to school on Monday, March 31.  

GUIDANCE:  On March 28 we will discuss lesson 8 in our guidance book.  Lesson 8 is called "Promises."  In this lesson students will learn that marriage vows are a sign of love.  We will discuss how families work at solving problems.  We will also show how making promises relates to the sacraments.

RECONCILIATION:  This week, students in grades 2-8 had the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation here at school.  Students who are not Catholic were able to receive a blessing from Father Patrick or Father John.

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced writing the lowercase cursive y, x, v, and z.  We have now learned how to make all of the lowercase cursive letters and will begin practicing the uppercase cursive letters next week!

FIELD TRIP:  Our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade field trip to the Art Center and JJ Gaffers in Des Moines will take place next Thursday, April 3.  We will leave school around 8:30 and will return by 3:00.  Students need to bring a sack lunch and a drink (no pop) in a small cooler.  Students may also bring a fully charged electronic device for the bus ride (their responsibility.)  Please sign and return the green permission slip to school so your child may attend if you have not already done so.  Thank you!

March 20, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Jack and the Beanstalk and Jackie and the Beanstalk.  Both are fairy tales.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with /ou/ and /ow/ as in cloud and cow, identifying when to use irregular verbs has/have/had and do/does/did, decoding words with /oi/ and /oy/ as in coin and joy, decoding words with the prefix "mis," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students used an open number line to add three-digit numbers, and added three-digit numbers using models, place value, and partial sums.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  Thank you for sending your child's First Eucharist book to school.  We discussed chapter 4 in class this week.  Please complete chapter 5 and return the book to school on Monday, March 24.  

GUIDANCE:  On March 21 we will discuss lesson 7 called "Signs of Love."  In this lesson we will explain that love is shown by using signs of love, such as with kind words, fair actions, etc.  We will discuss ways we can be peacemakers.  Students will practice steps for reconciliation and forgiveness.

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced writing the lowercase cursive q, n, m, and y.  

LENTEN ACTIVITIES:  Each week throughout the Lenten season students will be getting together with their "Advent Angel" to complete  a Lenten activity together.  These activities are planned help students become closer to Jesus during this time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

February 27, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed The Growth of a Sunflower and Experiment with What a Plant Needs to Grow.  The Growth of a Sunflower is a photo essay while Experiment with What a Plant Needs to Grow is an informational text.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with /oo,/ /ou,/ /o,/ /ew,/ /ue,/ and /u_e/ as in food, group, to, stew, blue, and tune, identifying adjectives that tell how many, identifying adjectives that end in "er" and "est," listing words in alphabetical order and using a dictionary to understand word meaning, decoding words with inflected endings "s" and "es" (as in jumps and branches,) using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students skip counted by 5's, 10's, and 100's using a number line, compared numbers using the greater than, less than, and equal to symbols, and compared and wrote a three-digit number that is greater than or less than another three-digit number.  Next week we will be taking the chapter 9 test and will begin a new chapter over adding within 1,000 using models and strategies.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  Thank you for sending your child's First Eucharist book to school.  We discussed chapter two in class this week.  Please complete chapter 3 with your child and return the book to school on Monday, March 3.

GUIDANCE:  On February 28 we will be discussing lesson 6, "Caring for Life."  In this lesson students will identify things that God has created.  We will discuss the Golden Rule as a way to care for others.

SPELLING:  We will not have a spelling pre and post test next week due to the short school week.

TAKE HOME FOLDERS:  I will not be sending take home folders next week due to spring break.  I will also not be posting a second grade newsletter on my blog.  Any important notes from the office, etc. will be sent home in your child's backpack next week.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES:  Parent/teacher conferences will take place on Monday, March 3  from 3:40-7:00, Tuesday, March 4 from 3:40-7:00, Wednesday, March 5 from 3:40-5:00, and Thursday, March 6 from 8:00-11:00.  Please sign up for a conference time by clicking on the JMC link that was emailed to you if you have not already done so.   I look forward to visiting with you about your child's progress!

February 20, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed the poetry of Margarita Engle called Drum Dream Girl.  Students also watched and discussed a video about Roberto Clemente.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with /oo/ as in "book" and "broom," identifying adjectives that tell how things look, feel, taste, smell, or sound, identifying and using adjectives that are articles (a, an, and the,) identifying and decoding compound words, using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  This week students read and wrote three-digit numbers in expanded form (as in 100+20+3,) standard form (as in 123,) and word form (as in one hundred twenty-three,) named a number in different ways to show the same value, and used place value patterns to mentally count by 1's and 10's from a given number.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  Thank you for sending your child's First Eucharist book to school.  We discussed chapter 1 in class this week.  Please complete chapter 2 and return the book to school on Monday, February 24.

SCIENCE:  Students presented their habitat projects to the class.  Everyone did such a great job! We all learned so much about a variety of habitats.  The at-home projects will be on display in the hallway for you to look at during parent/teacher conferences.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES:  Parent/teacher conferences are quickly approaching.  Conferences will take place on Monday, March 3, Tuesday, March 4, Wednesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 6.  An email was send out from the school to schedule a conference time.  If you did not receive the email or have questions about signing up, please contact Mrs. Coen in the school office.  I look forward to visiting with you about your child's progress!

February 13, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed How to Make a Timeline and The Stories He Tells:  The Story of Joseph Bruchac.  How to Make a Timeline is a procedural text while The Stories He Tells:  The Story of Joseph Bruchac is a biography.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with /er,/ /ir,/ and /ur/ as in "serve," "shirt," and "turn," using commas in a series of nouns or verbs, putting sentences in chronological order, decoding words with /air,/ /are,/ and /ear/ as in "pair," "share," and "bear," decoding words with the prefix "pre," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We counted by hundreds to 1,000, used place-value blocks and drawings to model and write three-digit numbers, and told the value of a digit by where it was placed in a number.

GUIDANCE:  On February 14 we will discuss lesson 5, "New Life."  In this lesson students will discuss how families grow with the addition of a new child.  They will also identify ways in which parents lovingly care for a baby and discuss what parents teach to their children.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  For those who have children making their First Eucharist in May, you should have received a First Eucharist book at the parent meeting on Sunday, February 9.  Please complete chapter one with your child and send the book to school on Tuesday, February 18.  We will be discussing chapter one in class next week.  Just a reminder that all work in the book is to be done at home...I am just reinforcing the key objectives in each lesson here at school.

HABITAT AT-HOME PROJECT:  Just a reminder that your child's habitat at-home project is due Tuesday, February 18.  Students will be giving their presentations about the habitat they chose to the rest of the class next week.

BOOK ORDERS:  Book orders are due tomorrow, February 14.  If you are interested in ordering, our classroom code to order online is LJWD4.

February 6, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Get to Know Biographies and I Am Helen Keller.  Get to Know Biographies is an opinion essay while I Am Helen Keller is a biography.  We  worked on skills such as decoding words with /or/ and /ore/ as in "for" and "store," using commas in dates, places, and parts of a letter, identifying shades of meaning among closely related words (as in tumble/slide/slip,)  using story vocabulary in context, decoding words with the suffixes "ful" and "less," and learning ten new high- frequency words.

MATH:  This week we have been saying the time in different ways such as "quarter past," "half past," and "quarter to," and stating if the time is happening in the A.M. or P.M.  We are wrapping up our chapter over time and money and will begin chapter 9 over numbers to 1,000 next week.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  There is a parent meeting after the 9:00 A.M. Mass on Sunday, February 9 at Holy Spirit Church for those who are Catholic and will be making their First Eucharist in May.

HABITAT AT-HOME PROJECT:  A note was sent in last week's take home folder about an at-home science assignment for your child.  Please have your child choose one of the four habitat projects listed on the note to complete.  The due date for this assignment will be Tuesday, February 18.  Please call the school or email if you have any questions concerning this at-home assignment.

BOOK ORDERS:  I have enclosed book orders in the take home folder.  There is also a wide selection of books available to choose from online as well.  If you are interested in ordering, please order online at scholastic.com/bookclubs.  Our classroom code for ordering online is LJWD4.  Book orders are due Friday, February 14.

GUIDANCE: On February 7 we will discuss lesson 4 in our guidance book.  Lesson 4 is called "I Can Be Brave."  In this lesson students will identify how they have grown and changed.  They will also develop a strategy for making good choices. 

CHAPTER BOOKS:  In second grade chapter books become a part of a child's reading time for many students.  I look forward to reading to the students each day.  I read various picture books to the class but also enjoy reading chapter book to them as well.  I have already read Ramona the Pest and Henry and the Clubhouse by Beverly Cleary, The Magic Tree House:  Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne, Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy by Barbara Parks, and The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.  Right now I am reading No Flying in the House by Betty Brock.  It was a favorite chapter book of mine when I was in elementary school! I am glad to see that students are showing an interest in reading and listening to chapter books.

January 30, 2025

 LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed a collection of poems called Whatever the Weather.  We also watched and discussed a video called Rain Cloud in a Jar.   We worked on skills such as decoding words with /ar/ as in "star," using forms of the verb "be" (is, am, are, was, were,) decoding words with inflected endings -ed and -ing, using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  We have been telling and writing time to the hour, half hour, and nearest 5 minutes.

FIRST EUCHARIST:  There is a parent meeting at 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday, February 5 at St. Malachy School for those who are Catholic and will be making their First Eucharist in May.

SCIENCE:  Students learned about ecologists.  They are scientists that study how plants, animals, and people interact in an environment.  They conduct research on how changes to habitats impacts the plants and animals who live there.

HANDWRITING:  This week students reviewed the lowercase cursive i, t, u, w, e, and l.  They also practiced writing the lowercase cursive b, h, and f.

GRANDPARENT/SPECIAL GUEST DAY:  Tomorrow, January 31 is "Grandparent or Special Guest Day/Dress Up Day" at St. Malachy School.  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 for Mass at 1:30.