Second Grade Newsletter 3.25.22

 Second Grade Newsletter 3.25.22

 

Welcome to the 4^th quarter of 2^nd Grade!

 

Dates: 

March 26: Medieval Faire

April 1: Stanzas 1-5 of “The Land of Story-books” due

April 4: “The Land of Story-books” recitations begin

April 15: No school

 

Charlotte’s Web

We will begin reading Charlotte’s Web on Monday, April 4. Please send in your student’s copy of the book. We need Reading Group volunteers! Please sign up using your classroom's link.

 

Reading Logs

Please ensure that your student has completed every part of their Reading Log (including their name at the top!) and that a parent or adult who listened to them read has signed for each day. Students should write the name of the book, not the name of the series, if their book is from a series.

 

Conversation Starters:

Would you rather have a dollar or 22 nickels?

Which tall tale did you most enjoy-Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, or Paul Bunyan?

What is the preposition in the following sentence: Fred hopped over the rope.

What was Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous book about?

Does it take more or less force to push something that is heavy versus light?

 

Studies:

 

Literature:

We will continue reading and enjoying tall tales such as Pecos Bill and Casey Jones. Students are recognizing exaggeration and how tall tales were often set during America’s westward expansion.

History:

We will continue our study of the Civil War. We will learn about Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and the Underground Railroad. Students will discover Lincoln's words and how his pursuit of knowledge and truth helped him lead our country during its darkest time.

Grammar:

Students will practice narration, copy work, and dictation using passages from The Magic of Oz . Students will continue learning about prepositions, and discover objects of the preposition.

Science:

Students will learn about the six simple machines, beginning with the inclined plane and wedge. They will learn how these simple machines make work easier.

Math:

Students will begin a short unit on fractions. Please continue to help your child practice their math facts for Rocket Math.

 

Warm Regards,

The Second Grade Team 

Second Grade Newsletter 3.11.22

News:     

    Our scholars have learned so much this quarter! We have participated in science experiments about the human body, completed our reading of Little House in the Big Woods, learned about how America became a great Nation, and expanded our knowledge of real-life applications to math - money! Please continue to allow your scholar to count and handle money at home. If possible, allow your child to pay for a small item with cash at the grocery store! Does he/she know how much change he/she will receive? 

Next Quarter will begin with Tall Tales, but your scholar will need Charlotte's Web by the third week after spring break. Thank you!

The Medieval Faire is quickly approaching. It will be held on Saturday March 26th. Be sure to sign up for a slot for our classroom's booth or donate items if you are able to. Thank you!

Volunteer & Donation Link: https://signup.com/group/755835760012

Group Page: 2019 Medieval Faire | SignUp.com About SignUp.com. At SignUp.com, we believe that when people get together, great things happen. That’s why parents and teachers, business and community leaders, and friends and coworkers trust our coordination resources and applications to save time and achieve remarkable outcomes. signup.com

Dates: 

March 14-18: Spring Break

Friday, March 25th: Math Assessment-Money

Saturday, Match 26th: Medieval Faire

Monday, April 4th: "The Land of Storybooks" Recitations

Conversation Starters:

What food did you make during Literature this week?

What happened in the final chapter of Little House in the Big Woods?

Who was your favorite character? Why?

What science experiment did you do this week? (Hint: Eggs and chicken bones)

Why do you need calcium to keep your body healthy?

How do you make change for $1.50 when paying with a $5 bill?

Why were the bison important to the Plains Indians?

Academics:

Math: Scholars will have an assessment on Money on Friday, March 25th. They will be assessed on identifying, counting, writing in word form, adding, subtracting, and making change. Please practice with real money at home!

Literature: Next quarter, we will continue enjoying the pioneer times and westward expansion by reading some famous American Tall Tales. Students will learn that this is a genre of fictional stories written about real-life folk heroes that features the use of exaggeration and humor! We will read tall tales about John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, and Paul Bunyan this week.

Grammar: Our next poem will be our last Robert Louis Stevenson poem before moving onto historical poetry. Students will study and memorize, "The Land of Storybooks." This will be recited in full the week of April 4th. We will learn our next part of speech the preposition while also continuing to review the adverb, adjective, interjection, pronoun, verb, and noun. Writing will continue with the exercises of narration, copy work, and dictation based on passages from Hans Christian Anderson's The Real Princess. 

Science: Next quarter, students will learn about the six simple machines-the lever, ramp, wedge, pulley, inclined plane, and screw. Students will learn about each type and the work they do. They will be asked to find simple machines in their every day life as a project this quarter.

Spalding: Scholars now know how to write all lowercase and uppercase letters in cursive. We will continue to practice connecting letters by writing one spelling word a day in cursive this week. Please have your child practice the daily cursive word's spelling and cursive formation on their homework. They will demonstrate their command of cursive by writing three words in cursive on the first test of the quarter, gradually building to two words a day the week after, then three, etc. until the entire week's spelling list is written in cursive!

History: Moving forward in time, after Westward Expansion in the US, life in the North and South grew differently. Students will learn about the practice of slavery and the differences between the North and South that would eventually lead to a civil war.

As always, please contact your teacher with questions, concerns, or joys!

Warm Regards,

The Second Grade Team 

2nd Grade Newsletter 3.4.22

 Hello Parents and Guardians! The students had a wonderful time at the Pioneer Living History Museum! Favorite moments included panning for gold, learning history in the Pioneer Schoolhouse, seeing chickens and goats, and of course, the Hay Maze.

Important Dates: 

• Land of the Counterpane Recitations: Monday, March 7^th 
• Athletic Field Day: Thursday, March 10th
• Half Day: Friday, March 11th
• Spring Break: March 14^th – 18^th  
• Medieval Faire: March 26^th 

Conversation Starters:

• Name 3 ways to make $0.25 
• What is a threshing machine used for? 
• Describe how pioneers panned for gold. 
• What important nutrient helps our bones stay strong? 

Studies:
Grammar: Scholars will recite the Land of the Counterpane this week. We will use selections from Little House in the Big Woods to reinforce copywork and dictation. Students will also further their understanding of parts of speech by identifying adverbs, nouns, and verbs in sentences.  

Math: We will continue our learning on money by learning how to make change for $1, $5, and $10. In addition, we will practice adding and subtracting money within $10. 

History: In history, scholars will continue to study the Westward Expansion by learning how important bison were to Native Americans as well as read a Native American story.

Literature: Students will discuss food in the Little House in the Big Woods by writing the steps on how to make butter. We will take an assessment on Little House in the Big Woods before we dive into the story of Florence Nightingale.

Science: In science, we will continue to study the impact of chemicals in our body. We will demonstrate this with hard-boiled eggs (acting as bones/teeth) soaked in various liquids. Students will then continue to observe their bone experiment before learning about white blood cells and their role in our immune system.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Second Grade Newsletter 2.25.22

 Field Trip

Our field trip to the Pioneer Living History Museum is Friday, March 4th! Please login into Parent Payment Portal to submit a permission slip for your child to attend. Here are some important details for the field trip:

We will be leaving school at 8:30am, spending most of the school day at the museum, and arriving back at school around 2:30pm. 

Items to label with name in black marker: 

• Lunch will be eaten on the museum grounds, and we ask that you pack an easy-to-eat lunch for your child (lunches will be in a cooler).  Please, put your child’s lunch in a brown paper bag with his/her name written on it in black marker. 

• Large disposable water bottles are ideal, as it is a long day. His or her water bottle for the day should also be disposable with his/her name written on the top. 

• We would like each child to bring a snack that is wheat-free, orange-free, and nut-free (such as popcorn, carrot sticks, fruit, potato or rice-based snacks) with his/her name written on it as well.

• Please make sure all food/drink items are disposable, as we do not want the students to lose any of their belongings at the museum.

 

Please do not send money with your child. Children will not be able to buy their lunches or snacks. 

 You may send a hat and sunglasses with your child since it is an outdoor museum, and please apply sunscreen before dropping your child off at school. The students are still expected to wear their uniform, as they are representing our school. 

The students and teachers will ride buses to the museum, while we ask parent chaperones to drive themselves.  Carpooling is encouraged!  We ask that you do not drive your own child to the museum with you, because the bus ride there is part of the experience! 

If you are willing to bring a cooler and ice, please let your teacher know!

Please contact us if you have any questions! 

 

Athletic Field Day

Athletic Field Day will be Thursday, March 10th! Please make sure your child comes to school well rested, wearing proper athletic clothing (no pop culture, please), and with plenty of water. You may apply sunscreen as well as send a hat and/or sunglasses. This will be a fun morning of sportsmanship with academics in the afternoon.

 

Important Dates

March 1: Science Test-Human Body

March 3: Westward Expansion history test

March 4: Field Trip to The Living Pioneer History Museum 

March 7: "The Land of Counterpane" Recitations

Stanzas 1-3 due Thursday 3/3, entire poem recited week of 3/7

March 10: Athletic Field Day

March 11: Half Day

March 12 – 20 Spring Break

 

Conversation Prompts:

What do the words “quit”, “quite”, and “quiet” mean?

What does a topic sentence do in a paragraph?

What is 100 ÷ 10? When we divide, are we trying to find the whole or a part?

Name an example of a food from each of the food groups: Fruit, vegetable, grain, dairy, and protein.

Why did Laura and Mary like helping Ma make cheese? What did Pa collect from the hollow tree in the woods?

What were some things that were important for people to carry with them on the Oregon Trail?

 

Academics

History

Students will learn about Sequoyah, who invented the Cherokee tribe’s written language. Then, they will learn about settlers on the prairies, and cowboy life on ranches. Our Westward Expansion unit will conclude with a test on Thursday. Students have a study guide to use for preparation.

Science

Monday will be a review day in preparation for our Human Body unit test on Tuesday. Students have a study guide for this assessment. On Thursday, we will perform an interesting experiment to observe how acids affect bones.

Literature

We will learn about harvest time in the Big Woods, and about a wonderful machine that helped the Ingalls with their harvest work. We will finish the book on Friday.

Grammar

Students are working to complete their Oregon Trail paragraphs, and will begin learning about adverbs and their usage through excerpts from Moominland Midwinter. 

Math

We will begin our unit on money. Students will practice counting and writing money amounts, become familiar with decimal notation, and convert between denominations. 

Spalding

Students will learn and practice a mix of spelling words, cursive phonograms, and cursive uppercase letters next week. Wednesday will be the review day, and the phonogram quiz and spelling test will be Thursday (due to the field trip on Friday). For the cursive practice homework, please have your child write each phonogram or letter in cursive three times.

 

Thank you for all your support!

Second Grade Newsletter 2.18.22

 Field Trip

Dear Second Grade Families,

Our field trip to the Pioneer Living History Museum is Friday, March 4th! Please login into Configio/Parent Portal to submit a permission slip for your child to attend. Here are some important details for the field trip:

We will be leaving school at 8:30am, spending most of the school day at the museum, and arriving back at school around 2:30pm. 

Items to label with name in black marker: 

• Lunch will be eaten on the museum grounds, and we ask that you pack an easy-to-eat lunch for your child (lunches will be in a cooler).  Please, put your child’s lunch in a brown paper bag with his/her name written on it in black marker. 

• Large disposable water bottles are ideal, as it is a long day. His or her water bottle for the day should also be disposable with his/her name written on the top. 

• We would like each child to bring a snack that is wheat-free, orange-free, and nut-free (such as popcorn, carrot sticks, fruit, potato or rice-based snacks) with his/her name written on it as well.

• Please make sure all food/drink items are disposable, as we do not want the students to lose any of their belongings at the museum.

Please do not send money with your child. Children will not be able to buy their lunches or snacks. 

You may send a hat and sunglasses with your child since it is an outdoor museum, and please apply sunscreen before dropping your child off at school. The students are still expected to wear their uniform, as they are representing our school. 

The students and teachers will ride buses to the museum, while we ask parent chaperones to drive themselves.  Carpooling is encouraged!  We ask that you do not drive your own child to the museum with you, because the bus ride there is part of the experience! 

We are very excited for our field trip and we know it will be a wonderful experience for everyone.

If you are willing to bring a cooler and ice, please let your teacher know!

Please contact us if you have any questions! 

Athletic Field Day

Athletic Field Day will be Thursday, March 9th! Please make sure your child comes to school well rested, wearing proper athletic clothing (no pop culture, please), and with plenty of water. You may apply sunscreen as well as send a hat and/or sunglasses. This will be a fun day of sportsmanship with academics in the afternoon.

Important Dates:

February 21: No School, President's Day

February 25: Multiplication & Division Assessment

March 1: Science Test-Human Body

March 4: Field Trip to The Living Pioneer History Museum 

March 7: "The Land of Counterpane" Recitations

 Stanza 1-2 due Friday 2/25, Stanza 1-3 due Thursday 3/3, entire poem recited week of 3/7

March 9: Athletic Field Day

March 11: Half Day

March 12 – 20 Spring Break

Conversation Prompts:

What is 17 divided by 4? What is left over?

What is important to include in a letter? What must you write on the envelope?

What is the name of the trail settlers traveled on to the Pacific Coast? Why did people move west?

How does the digestive system work?

What is the weather like in the Big Woods now? (It is warmer, it is now springtime.) What do the Ingalls do now that the weather is warmer? (They go to the general store and buy goods.)

Academics

History

The students are loving the Unit on Westward Expansion! So far, they have learned that the Erie Canal helped carry people West, and we read about the invention of the steamboat. They got to re-enact the Pony Express for our Great Hearts celebration, which was a lovely way to incorporate movement with history. We will continue our Westward Expansion unit as we discuss the Goldrush, daily life in a covered wagon, the Oregon Trail, the building of a transcontinental railroad, and the Trail of Tears.

Science
Students reviewed the digestive system and are working on identifying the parts of the system and their role in digestion. We discussed ways we can stay healthy and the five food groups. Next week, we will examine some food labels and learn about making healthy choices. We will also learn about the importance of exercise before reviewing for the unit test. A study guide on white paper was sent home Thursday for students to prepare for the test on February 29th. 

Literature
Next week, students will read about summertime in the Big Woods. The Ingalls welcome many visitors now that the weather is nice. Pa finds a tree loaded with honey and retells how he was able to collect it.  Ma sets about making cheese and the girls help her. 

Grammar

The students will begin work on an informative paragraph about the Oregon Trail. They will learn that good writing undergoes the process of brainstorming, rough draft, edits and revisions, and a final draft. 

Math

This week, students worked on multiplication facts of 4s and 5s. Next week, they will continue work with multiplication of 4s and 5s, and they will also study multiplication and division of 10s.  If you find your scholar is struggling, here are a few helpful suggestions: 

• Use items from around the house to create groups and demonstrate multiplication problems.  
• Similarly, use items to create equal groups when dividing. Remind students that division is sharing equally.  
• Remember to PECS (Picture, Equation, Complete Sentence) on Word Problems. Often, beginning with a picture is best practice. 
• Create and study multiplication flash cards.   

Spalding​​​​​​​
Scholars will continue to practice new spelling words and cursive letter formation by learning to connect letters through writing the phonograms. Please continue to dictate the spelling words and have your child rewrite any missed words. For the cursive practice, please have your child write each phonogram in cursive three times.

Thank you for all your support. Best-Your Second Grade Team

Second Grade Newsletter 2.11.22

Hello Parents and Guardians! 

Important Dates: 

· Great Hearts Day: February 14th, 2022 

· No School (President’s Day): February 21st, 2022 

· Field Trip to the Pioneer Museum: Friday, March 4th, 2022 

 

Conversation Starters: 

Name two ways Americans moved west (by carriage, walking, flatboats, keel boats) 

Skip count by 4 up to 48 (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48) 

What happens to our food after it reaches the stomach? (Food moves into the small intestine where it passes through villi walls into the bloodstream) 

In Little House in the Big Woods, what is sugar snow? (Melted snow that helps tree produce for sap) 

 

Academics: 

Grammar: Scholars will receive their next poem for recitations, "The Land of Counterpane" by Robert Louis Stevenson. We will use excerpts from "The Plant that Ate Dirty Socks" for our writing exercises. Students will also practice addressing envelopes and writing letters on a postcard.

Math: In math, students will learn to relate division by 4 to multiplication by 4 as well as count and multiply by 5. 

 History: We will continue our unit on the Westward Expansion with learning about the invention of the steamboat, identifying important land features American used on their journey west, and explaining what the California Gold Rush was. 

Literature: Our reading of Little House in the Big Woods continues with emphasis on citing textual evidence and reviewing alphabetical order with vocabulary from the text. Please consider signing up to volunteer for reading groups at the links on the sidebar

Science: In Science, we will finish our unit on the digestive system and begin our unit on healthy eating with learning the different food groups and how to make a healthy plate. 

Spalding: Next week, we will begin writing the alphabet in cursive. For homework, scholars will practice cursive letters along with spelling words for the week. Please have your child write each cursive letter three times.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Warm Regards, 

The 2nd Grade Team

Second Grade Newsletter 2.4.22

 

Hello parents and guardians!

 

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 returned 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.

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 (see this link). If you have one that you would like to lend for our Pony Express reenactment, please email your homeroom teacher. Thank you!

Important Dates:

Monday, Feb. 7: The Preamble recitation due

Tuesday, Feb. 8: Math subtraction assessment and History War of 1812 assessment

Thursday, Feb. 10: Galileo testing (Make sure your student gets plenty of sleep and a full breakfast so they’ll feel their best. Please arrive at school on time -- or early!)

Friday, Feb. 11: Half Day

Monday, Feb. 21: No School; President’s Day

 

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!

 

Conversation Prompts:

What did Dolley Madison save from the fire in Washington DC?

What does your epiglottis do?

What punctuation do we use after the Greeting and the Closing in a letter?

Why was a sugar snow helpful for Grandpa?

What is the difference between steal and steel?

How can we rearrange 42 + ______ = 68 to make it easier to solve?

 

Academics:

Math

Monday will be a review day, leading to the subtraction assessment on Tuesday. Then, we will move on to counting and multiplying by 4.

Literature

We will continue learning about sugar snow and how Grandpa made maple syrup. Then, we will focus on the main characters in the book and the dance at Grandpa’s.

Grammar

Preamble recitations are due Monday, 2/7. Narration and Dictation Exercises will continue with excerpts from Little Women. Students will continue to practice letter writing with another letter activity.

History

Monday, students will learn about the ending of the War of 1812, as well as review for the assessment on Tuesday. Then we will begin our unit on Westward Expansion.

Science

We will continue our study of the digestive system, identifying major organs and their functions.

Spalding

Next week we will begin learning Spalding cursive handwriting. Please note that Spalding cursive may be different from any cursive your student has already been trying. It will be important for them to make a habit of Spalding cursive strokes instead. Please be aware that homework and other assignments should not be written using cursive until we instruct the students to do so. We will have a regular week of Spalding spelling words, as well.

Hoping you enjoy a wonderful weekend. Your Second Grade Team