November 12, 2026

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 13:  End of the first trimester of school 
• Friday, November 20:  Spirit Day
• Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27:  Thanksgiving vacation
• Wednesday, December 2:  St. Malachy Christmas Concert, 6:00 P.M. at Creston High School
• Friday, December 4:  Spirit Day

November 5, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Be a Hero! Work it Out! and Pepita and the Bully.  Be a Hero! Work it Out! is an infographic.  Infographics give information quickly and in a visual way using pictures, symbols, and words or phrases that stand out.  Pepita and the Bully is a realistic fiction selection.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with consonant digraphs /ph,/ /ch,/ /tch,/ /th,/ /sh,/ and /wh,/ identifying compound subjects and predicates in sentences, identifying coordinating conjunctions (words such as "and" & "or") to form compound subjects, decoding words with the prefixes "re" and "un" as in reread and unfold, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  This week students added using place-value strategies and used drawings, equations, and models to solve one and two-step problems.  Next week we will take the chapter 4 assessment and will start chapter 5 over subtracting within 100 using strategies.

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.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  Students learned about the seven continents and four major oceans on the Earth.

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

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, November 6 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.

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

 

October 22, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Working With Others and Gingerbread for Liberty.  Working With Others is an informational text while Gingerbread for Liberty is a biography about a baker who lived during the Revolutionary War.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with double final consonants, identifying action verbs in the present and past tense, decoding words with inflected endings "ed" and "ing," and learning ten new high-frequency words.

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

HALLOWEEN PARADE:  Next Wednesday, October 28 is the St. Malachy Halloween parade!  Students may bring a Halloween costume to change into before the Halloween parade.  The Halloween parade will take place in the school gym at 1:15.  We hope to see you there if you are able to come!

NO SCHOOL:  School will not be in session next Thursday, October 29 (parent/teacher conferences) and Friday, October 30.

SPELLING:  We will not be taking a spelling pre/post test next week due to the short school week.

TAKE HOME FOLDERS/BLOG:  I will not be sending take home folders home next week due to the short school week.  I will also not be posting a blog next Thursday, October 29 since I will be visiting with you at conferences.

CONFERENCES:  Parent/teacher conferences will take place on Monday, October 26, Tuesday, October 27, Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:  

• Friday, November 6:  Spirit Day
• Monday, November 9:  School picture retake day
• Friday, November 13:  End of the first trimester of school

Field Trip to Green Valley

 

October 15, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Meet Me Halfway and Big Red Lollipop.  Meet Me Halfway is an informational text while Big Red Lollipop is a realistic fiction selection.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with final consonant blends, decoding words with the prefixes "un" and "re" as in unable and rewrite, using context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar words, capitalizing names for special people, animals, places, and things, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

SECOND GRADE MASS:  The second grade class is in charge of the school Mass next Wednesday, October 21.  Please look for a note in today's take home folder to see what special part your child will have in our Mass.  Mass begins at 9:15 in the school gym.  We hope to see you there if you are able to come!

MATH:  Students used models to add two-digit numbers and added using place value and partial sums.

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, October 16 will be a Spirit Day at St. Malachy.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear sweatpants or a hat to school if they wish.  The money raised helps those in need in our local community.

FIELD TRIP:  Due to weather, our field trip to Thompson's Fall Festival has been postponed to Tuesday, October 20.  Please have your child bring a sack lunch and a drink that day.  This would also be a great day to wear our class t-shirt! Let's hope for great autumn weather!

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES:   Parent/teacher conferences are quickly approaching.  Conferences will take place on Monday, October 26, Tuesday, October 27, Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29.  An email was sent out from the school to schedule a conference time.  If you did not receive the email or have questions about signing up, please contact the school office.  I look forward to visiting with you about your child's progress! 

October 8, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed a drama called The Puddle Puzzle.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with l, r, and s consonant blends as in play, drum, and swim, using story vocabulary in context, forming and using plural nouns with "es" as in "glasses," identifying and writing irregular plural nouns (as in "child" to "children,") identifying and using collective nouns (as in herd, flock, or team,) and learning ten new high-frequency words.

LIBRARY:   Second graders will have library next Tuesday, October 13 since we will be on our field trip during our regularly scheduled library time on the 15th.  Please have your child return his/her library book to school next Tuesday, October 13 so he/she can check out a new library book on that day.

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 are praying the Rosary during the month of October in religion class.  Second graders 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.

FIRE SAFETY:  October 4-10 is Fire Prevention Week.  Students have been learning about fire safety in social studies and have been creating a fire safety pamphlet with many tips on how to stay safe in the event of a fire.  We would like to thank the Creston firefighters for coming to St. Malachy School on Tuesday to visit with the students about the importance of fire safety.

GREEN VALLEY FIELD TRIP:  The postponed K-4 field trip to Green Valley State Park has been rescheduled for  Monday, October 12! We will leave the school at 9:45 and will return around 2:00.  Please have your child bring a sack lunch and a drink.  Let's hope for great weather!

PUMPKIN PATCH FIELD TRIP:  Students in grades PK-2 will be taking a field trip to Thompson's Fall Festival on Thursday, October 15.  We will leave school at 11:00 and will return by 2:45.  Please have your child bring a sack lunch and a drink.  This is also a great day to have your child wear his/her class t-shirt! 

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:  

Friday, October 16:  Spirit Day

Wednesday, October 21:  Second Grade Mass

Monday, October 26-Thursday, October 29:  Parent/teacher conferences

Thursday, October 29:  No school

Friday, October 30:  No school