November 21, 2024

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.

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.  Tomorrow we will begin a new unit over environments for living things.  

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:  Please note the following:

• Friday, November 22:  End of the first trimester of school and Spirit Day ~ Students can pay         $1.00 to wear sweatpants or a hat to school.  This is also "Double Minutes Day" for the PTO Read-a-Thon
• Tuesday, November 26:  PTO Read-a-Thon Pajama Day
• Wednesday, November 27-Friday, November 29:  Thanksgiving vacation
• Wednesday, December 4:  St. Malachy Christmas Concert, 6:00 P.M. at Creston High School
• Friday, December 6:  Spirit Day

November 14, 2024

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.

FIELD TRIP:  The K-2 field trip to the Opera House in Corning will be next Wednesday, November 20.  We will leave the school at 11:00 and will return around 2:30.  Please note the following:

• Students need to bring a sack lunch and a drink.
• Please return the green permission slip along with $12.00 for the field trip if you have not already done so.
• Even though it is a Mass day, K-2 students may wear their class t-shirts and jeans to school that day due to our field trip.

FAMILY FAITH NIGHT:  There will be a "Family Faith Night" on Wednesday, November 20 at St. Malachy School from 5:30-7:30.  We will have dinner, dodgeball, prayer, games, and crafts! The theme is Advent.  Everyone is welcome! What a great way to prepare for the season of Advent with this fun faith-filled evening!

November 7, 2024

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:  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.

FIRST RECONCILIATION:  We discussed chapter six in the First Reconciliation book last week.  Since that was the last chapter, the book is yours to keep at home.  

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, November 8 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.