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.  

January 23, 2025

  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.

GUIDANCE:  On January 24 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 26-31.  Many wonderful activities have been planned for this special week.  Please note the following:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26:  Today is the opening of Catholic Schools Week with a Eucharist Celebration at 9:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Church.  

 MONDAY, JANUARY 27:  This day is “Spirit 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.

 TUESDAY, JANUARY 28:  This day is “Polar Paradise Day.”  Students may come to school dressed in winter-looking attire such as a snowman shirt, a sweater with snowflakes on it, etc.  Students will also be getting together with their Advent Angels in the afternoon to “build a snowman!”

 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29:  This day is “Disney Day.”  Students are encouraged to dress in something that has to do with Disney, such as wearing Mickey Mouse ears, a Disney t-shirt, or dress as a Disney character.   Students will also be writing thank you cards to retired priests and nuns as a part of vocation appreciation.   

 THURSDAY, JANUARY 30:  This day is “Decades Day.”  Students may come to school dressed as someone would have dressed in a certain decade such as the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, etc. Students will also take a field trip to the Family Fun Center in Creston.  Students in grades K-3 will bowl from 8:45-11:00.  The cost for this field trip is $6.00. 

 FRIDAY, JANUARY 31:  This day is “Grandparent or Special Guest Day/Dress Up 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 by 1:00 and go to Holy Spirit Church by 1:25 since Mass begins at 1:30.   If students need to ride the bus or trolley home after the Mass, there will be a trolley and bus waiting at the church to take students where they need to go.

January 16, 2025

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.

MATH:  This week we found the total values of collections of half-dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, ordered coins in a collection by value and then found the total value, and solved problems with dollar bills and coins that modeled 100 cents.

HANDWRITING:  This week students practiced writing the lowercase cursive i, t, and u.

GUIDANCE:  On January 17 we will discuss lesson 2 in guidance class.  Lesson 2 is called "Rules and Choices."  In this lesson we will explain how good rules keep people safe.  We will also identify reasons for good rules.  Enclosed in today's take home folder is a "Parent Connection" resource book for you to have at home.  This goes along with and supports our guidance program.  It is yours to keep and does not need to be returned to school.

ALL SCHOOL AUCTION BASKET:  The St. Malachy School Gala and Auction will be held on Saturday, March 1.  This year the entire school will be responsible for one basket to be auctioned off.  Miss Surma, the fifth grade teacher, is in charge collecting money and purchasing items for this basket.  She is asking for a donation of $1.00 from every student in the school by Friday, January 31.

FIELD TRIP:  Since we have been learning about money in math class, second graders will be taking a field trip to Iowa State Savings Bank to learn more about financial literacy.  Please look in today's take home folder for the permission slip to fill out so your child may attend.

January 9, 2025

LANGUAGE ARTS:  This week we read an informational text called Who Are Government's Leaders and watched/discussed a video called Thomas Edison and the Light Bulb.  We worked on skills such as identifying homophones (words that sound the same, but they're not spelled the same and do not mean the same such as "sea" and "see,") decoding words with the suffixes "ful" and "less," writing abbreviations for months, days, places, and titles for people correctly, identifying nouns that name people, using story vocabulary in context, and learning ten new high-frequency words.

GUIDANCE:  Tomorrow, January 10, second graders will begin lesson one in guidance class.  Guidance goes along with our religion series and focuses on family, friendships, and God's love.  There are ten lessons in the guidance book.  We will discuss a new lesson each Friday.

MATH:  This week we wrapped up chapter 7 by finding unknown numbers in equations that relate four or more whole numbers.  Tomorrow we will begin chapter 8 over working with time and money.

HANDWRITING:  Second graders are beginning cursive handwriting! Before learning how to write our lowercase cursive letters, students have been learning the strokes used in cursive handwriting (undercurve, downcurve, overcurve, slant, and checkstroke.)  We have also discussed keys to legibility such as the shape, size, spacing, and slant of our cursive letters.

SPIRIT DAY:  Tomorrow, January 10 is a Spirit Day at St. Malachy.  Students can pay $1.00 to wear sweat pants or a hat to school if they wish.  The money raised will help those in need in our local community.