March 5, 2026

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 added three-digit numbers using place value and partial sums, and recorded three-digit addition using the standard algorithm with possible regrouping of ones, tens, or both.

GUIDANCE:  On March 6 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.

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.

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, March 6 is 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 will help those in need in our local community.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES:  Parent/teacher conferences will take place on Monday, March 9  from 3:40-7:00, Tuesday, March 10 from 3:40-7:00, Wednesday, March 11 from 3:40-5:00, and Thursday, March 12 from 8:00-11:00.  I look forward to visiting with you about your child's progress next week!

February 26, 2026

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:  We took the chapter 9 test over numbers to 1,000 and started a new chapter over adding within 1,000 using models and strategies.  So far students have added 10 and 100 mentally using place value strategies, used an open number line to add three-digit numbers, and added three-digit numbers using models.

SCIENCE:  Second graders are continuing to gather key facts about their chosen habitat, use Google Docs to type and print the facts, and create an informative visual display (a poster, book, or bookmark.)  They are making some great progress! I can't wait to listen to their presentations!

GUIDANCE:  On February 27 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 m, y, x, and v.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES:  Parent/teacher conferences will take place on Monday, March 9  from 3:40-7:00, Tuesday, March 10 from 3:40-7:00, Wednesday, March 11 from 3:40-5:00, and Thursday, March 12 from 8:00-11:00.  Please sign up for a conference time on the JMC website if you have not already done so.  I look forward to visiting with you about your child's progress!

February 19, 2026

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:  Students used place value patterns to mentally count by 1's and 10's from a given number, skip-counted by 5's, 10's, and 100's using a number line, compared numbers using place value, and compared and wrote a three-digit number that is greater or less than another three-digit number.

GUIDANCE:  On February 20 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.

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.

FIRST RECONCILIATION:  For those who have a child making his/her First Reconciliation this month, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation will take place at Holy Spirit Church next Wednesday, February 25 at 5:30 P.M. followed by dinner and cake.

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced writing the lowercase cursive c, q, n, and m.  Everyone is doing such a GREAT job with their cursive letters!

February 12, 2026

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

GUIDANCE:  On February 13 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.

SCIENCE:  We have been learning about various habitats.  To go along with this, students will participate in a "habitat investigation project" in the classroom.  They will gather key facts about their chosen habitat, use Google Docs to type and print the facts, and create an informative visual display such as a poster, book, or bookmark.  After the projects have been completed, each student will present his/her habitat project to the class.  I am looking forward to seeing their creativity shine with this hands-on activity!

HANDWRITING:  This week we practiced writing the lowercase cursive a, d, g, and o.

VALENTINE'S DAY:  We will be having our valentine exchange at school tomorrow, February 13.  

BOOK ORDERS:  Book orders are due tomorrow, February 13.  If you are interested in ordering, please visit clubs.scholastic.com.  Our classroom code to order online is LJWD4.

February 5, 2026

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 are wrapping up our chapter over money and time.  This week students wrote the time in different ways using words such as "quarter past," "half past," and "quarter to," and used reasoning to state if the event is happening in the A.M. or P.M.  Next week we will begin chapter 9 over numbers to 1,000.

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 clubs.scholastic.com.  Our classroom code for ordering online is LJWD4.  Book orders are due Friday, February 13.

GUIDANCE: On February 6 we will discuss lesson 4 in our guidance book.  Lesson 4 is called "I Can Choose."  In this lesson students will identify how they have grown and changed.  They will also develop a strategy for making good choices. 

VALENTINE'S DAY:  We will have our valentine exchange next Friday, February 13.  Students are welcome to bring valentines to school anytime next week to place in valentine bags decorated by each student.

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, Aliens for Breakfast by Jonathan Etra and Stephanie Spinner, 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 29, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Cloudette and Get Ready for Weather.  Cloudette is a fantasy while Get Ready for Weather is an informational text.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with the prefixes "un," "dis," and "re," identifying correct subject-verb agreement in sentences, spelling words with the hard and soft sound of /c/ as in "cage" and "cent" and /g/ as in "goat" and "giant," using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

MATH:  Students solved problems with dollar bills, found different ways to make the same total value of coins, and wrote time to the nearest five minutes.

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

FIRST EUCHARIST:  There is a parent meeting at 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday, February 4 at St. Malachy School for those who are Catholic and will be making the Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation and First Eucharist this year.  If you have any questions, please contact the director of religious education, Anna Mealey.

GRANDPARENT/SPECIAL GUEST DAY:  Tomorrow, January 30 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.  

ENROLLMENT FOR 2026-2027:  Enrollment is happening a little differently this year.  To secure your child's spot for K-8th grade for the 2026-2027 school year, you have until January 31 to do so.  We do have a waiting list for some grades, so by enrolling now, your spot will be guaranteed.  Please call the school or visit the school website at www.crestonstmalachy.org for more information.

January 22, 2026

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read and discussed Weather Through the Seasons and Wild Weather.  Weather Through the Seasons is an informational text while Wild Weather is a narrative nonfiction selection.  We worked on skills such as decoding words with the suffixes "y," "ly," "er," and "est," identifying subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, it, you, they) and object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them, you, it) in sentences, identifying and using reflexive pronouns (myself and ourselves) in sentences, identifying and explaining the meanings of homophones in sentences, spelling words with inflected endings "s" and "es,"  using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

GUIDANCE:  On January 23 we will discuss lesson 3 in guidance class.  Lesson 3 is called "Who Are You?"  In this lesson we will recognize the special gifts of people with special needs and celebrate the unique talents that each one of us has been given.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK:  Catholic Schools Week is January 25-30.  Many wonderful activities have been planned for this special week.  Please note the following:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25:  Today is the opening of Catholic Schools Week with a Eucharist Celebration at 9:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Church.  

 MONDAY, JANUARY 26:  This day is “Out of This World Day.”  Students may come to school dressed like something from outer space. They could dress as an astronaut, planet, alien, star, etc. Students will also be writing letters to students in Catholic schools around the United States as a pen pal activity in hopes of hearing back from them.  Second graders will be writing to a second grade class in New Jersey.   

 TUESDAY, JANUARY 27: This day is “Winter Olympics Day.”  Students may come to school dressed as someone would for the winter Olympics.  They could wear red, white, and blue for team USA! Students will also be getting together with their Advent Angels in the afternoon for “religion station rotations.”  Students will rotate from classroom to classroom to participate in various religious activities.

 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28:  This day is “Wild West Day.”  Students may come to school dressed in western gear such as cowboy boots, cowboy hats, cowboy shirts, etc.  Students will also be writing letters to the Iowa National Guard members that are stationed overseas.   

 THURSDAY, JANUARY 29:  This day is “St. Malachy Day."  Students can show their spirit for St. Malachy by wearing the St. Malachy colors of blue and/or gold.  If your child has a St. Malachy sweat shirt or T-shirt, today would be the perfect day to wear it!  STUDENTS ARE TO BRING A SACK LUNCH TO SCHOOL.  They will be eating with their Advent Angels.  Milk will be provided, so you do not need to send a drink.  Please note that refrigeration will not be provided, so plan accordingly.  An all-school talent show will take place in the school gym in the afternoon.  We hope to see you there if you can come! 

 FRIDAY, JANUARY 30:  This day is “Grandparent or Special Guest Day/Dress to Impress Day.”  Students are encouraged to wear their “Sunday best” to school since it is such a special day.  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 by 1:25 since Mass begins at 1:30.  Students will be dismissed from Holy Spirit Church.  If students need to ride the bus home after the Mass, there will be a bus waiting at the church to take students where they need to go.

ENROLLMENT FOR 2026-2027:  Enrollment is happening a little differently this year.  To secure your child's spot for the 2026-2027 school year, you have from January 25-31 to do so.  We do have a waiting list for some grades, so by enrolling now, your spot will be guaranteed.  Please call the school or visit the school website at www.crestonstmalachy.org for more information.