Second Grade Newsletter 1.28.22

 Hello parents and guardians!

Dress Code Reminder: Just a reminder that per the Family Handbooks, "Boys and girls are permitted to wear one watch. This may not be a smart watch. Bracelets, rings, and necklaces are not permitted unless for religious reasons." Thank you for your help with ensuring that special accessory items are left at home and students are in dress code. The purpose for the dress code is to help students focus on their academic pursuits; certain smart watches have become distractions for students and those around them. Thank you!

Great Hearts Day:

Great Hearts Day is just around the corner! On February 14th, we will be celebrating each other’s virtues. Our 2nd Grade Great Hearts Celebration will be from 12:00pm – 1:10pm. Please do not send store bought cards or candy. All store- bought cards and candy will be sent home with your child that day. It would really dampen our spirits to have to disappoint a child in this way. We have other fun and thoughtful ways to celebrate the day. Rather than focusing on goodies and merchandise, each student will focus on their minds, bodies, and hearts. 

The students will write a friendly letter and deliver their Great- Hearted cards via a reenactment of the Pony Express. Students will learn to work together as we learn to Square Dance after reading about the dance at Grandpa's in the book, Little House in the Big Woods. We will also celebrate Arizona's birthday with a fun craft. We are still looking for a few more stick horses (such as this item: https://www.amazon.com/PonyLand-Brown-Horse-Stick-Sound/dp/B07BBTJKZR/ref=sr_1_4?crid=Z9WE5IWKGZ6M&keywords=horse+stick&qid=1643399967&s=toys-and-games&sprefix=horse+stick%2Ctoys-and-games%2C186&sr=1-4). If you have one that you would like to send in for our Pony Express reenactment, please email your homeroom teacher. Thank you!

 

Important Dates:

Feb. 4: Half Day; Teacher In-Service

Feb. 7: The Preamble Recitation

Feb. 11: Half Day

Feb 21: No School; President’s Day

 

Conversation Prompts:

What do cells group together to form? (Cells group together to form tissue.)

What was Christmas in the Big Woods like? (The Ingalls had their relatives over, they made snow pictures, heard a story, Pa played the fiddle, they opened presents, Laura received a rag doll, they ate pancakes.)

What is one cause of the War of 1812? (The impressment of American sailors  was one of the causes of the War of 1812. Another was the British aid of Native Americans groups such as leader, Tecumseh. Lastly, the War Hawks convinced many Americans to go to war.)

Academics:

Math

Students will work on Mental Math with subtraction up to 1,000 this coming week. They will use strategies such as separating the numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones, and rounding to 100, then subtracting ones.  We will also revisit subtraction with renaming. Please note that all students have moved on to subtraction in Rocket Math and should be practicing their math facts daily.

Literature

This week students will read about Laura’s life and what she may and may not do on Sundays. Pa helps her understand by telling her a funny story about Grandpa and his sled. The weather warms but then cools and Laura learns about sugar snow. To celebrate the abundance of maple syrup Grandpa hosts a dance!

Grammar

We will continue to work on memorization of the Preamble, with recitations being due Monday, 2/7. Narration and Dictation Exercises will continue with excerpts from Nurse Mathilda. Students will also learn how to write a thank you letter and address an envelope.

History

This week we discussed the causes of the War of 1812. Next week, we will discuss key individuals, such as James and Dolley Madison. We will also learn about the National Anthem and an important military vessel, "Old Ironsides."

Science

Next week, we will learn about the digestive system. Students will see via an experiment that our teeth break down food along with saliva before our tongue pushes the food down. We will discover what happens when the food arrives in our stomach and the role of the liver and pancreas.

 

Second Grade Newsletter 1.21.22

Hello Parents and Guardians! 

Important Dates: 

· Picture Day: January 25th, 2022 

· Math Test: January 28th, 2022 

· Half Day: February 4th, 2022 

 

Conversation Starters: 

What document is known as the “Law of the Land”? (The Constitution) 

What part of a cell controls everything the cell does? (The Nucleus) 

Solve the equation mentally… 488+3= (491) 

In the book “Little House in the Big Woods”, what was the voice Pa heard in the Big Woods when he was a little boy? (An owl) 

What does a direct quotation show? (When someone is speaking) 

 

Studies: 

Grammar: Scholars will learn how to identify indirect quotations and explain how they differ from direct quotations. For poetry recitation, scholars will memorize and recite The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. Recitations will begin February 7th, 2022. 

Math: Scholars will continue to review paper and mental strategies for adding numbers to 1000. They will then be assessed on these skills on Friday, January 28th. 

History: We will begin our new History unit on the War of 1812. Scholar will learn which nations participated in the war as well as the causes of the war. In addition, scholars will understand the jobs of the three branches of government. 

Literature: We will continue to read Little House in the Big Woods focusing on main idea and details. Scholars will then write a paragraph of their own narrating a main idea with supporting details. Please consider volunteering for reading groups at the following link: 

Science: We will continue to focus on anatomy by exploring different parts of the body, such as organs and tissue. Furthermore, we will examine what happens when we eat food and how the body uses food. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Second Grade Newsletter 1.7.22

 

Second Grade Newsletter 1.7.22

 

Hello Parents!

 

News: 

Second Grade is moving from agendas/planners to a reading log for daily reading practice in preparation for third grade. Each day your child should read aloud for 20 minutes and retell. Then, your child will correctly write the title of the book on the reading log paper. Parents will sign daily the reading log paper (it is a light blue paper and was sent home in your child's yellow folder). The students will turn the reading log in on Friday and receive another for the next week. In order for your child to receive credit for their reading homework, the title, minutes read, and signature are required. Students will continue to write their daily assignments in their agendas/planners. Please reach out to your homeroom teacher with specific questions. We are excited for our second graders to grow in their independence and responsibility!

Important Dates: 

Monday, January 10th: Grammar Quiz

Friday, January 14: Unit 1-5 Cumulative Math Assessment

Monday, January 17th: No School-Civil Rights Day

Conversation Prompts: 

How does 3x10 help you solve 3x9?

Tell me an adjective to describe apple, insect, and book.

When do we use a comma?

Why was life difficult after winning the Revolutionary War?

Tell me a fun fact you learned about an insect during the presentations this week.

Academics: 

Math 

Students will learn how to divide by 2 and 3. They will also learn about remainders and odd and even numbers before we review all concepts such as addition and subtraction with renaming, measurement, multiplication, and division. Students will demonstrate their knowledge on the cumulative assessment Friday. We will then take home our 2A books and begin the 2B textbook and workbook on Tuesday, 1/18, thank you to those families that have already sent them in! All students will also begin subtraction math facts for Rocket Math if they haven't yet. Please look for a new answer packet to come home this week in your child's yellow folder.

 

 

Grammar 

We have been reviewing comma usage, contractions, and adjectives. Students will have a grammar quiz on Monday. We will then learn about direct quotations and write based on passages from The Five Children and It. Students received the poem, "The Hayloft" by Robert Louis Stevenson on Wednesday. The poem in full will be recited the week of Tuesday, 1/18.

 

History 

This week, we have started the foundation for our unit about Making the Constitution.  We discussed what happened when the colonists came home from the war and Shay's Rebellion. Next, we will learn how the colonists united together to form laws which were fair and wrote the constitution we still use today.

Science 

This week students will learn about the scientific method. We will first learn about cells and students will learn that this is the smallest unit of life. They will also discover how a microscope helps us see things and read about its inventor Anton Van Leewenhoek.  

*Parents please note that this week we will read Cells are Us by Dr. Fran Balkwill and there is a brief note on reproduction. The book will teach us this in order to introduce the idea that two cells join to make more cells. We will not be fielding any questions on the topic of reproduction, instead we will inform them that the topic will be covered in fifth grade and leave it to your discretion. 

Literature 

Students will begin their read of the classic, Little House in the Big Woods, on Monday. Thanks to those families that have already sent it in! They meet Pa, Ma, Mary and Laura. They will read about the family’s preparation for winter and how the family survives in the Big Woods. *Reading Groups will begin again,  a sign up will be sent out shortly.