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Welcome to 2nd Grade with Mrs. Macdonald!

I am a Florida native and received my BA in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from the University of South Florida. After graduation, I pursued my Masters of Education through the University of Notre Dame’s ACE Service through Teaching Program and have been an educator for the last fourteen years. Additionally, I earned my English as a New Language endorsement through the University of Notre Dame in 2012. I taught at a Catholic school in Kansas City, Kansas for two years, and I then moved to Chicago in 2010 where I spent eight years teaching second grade at a Catholic school in Pilsen. I am excited to be back for my ninth year of teaching in this beautiful school community. I am also looking forward to my fourth year of coaching the Cross Country teams.

In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, baking, gardening, attending Broadway musicals, traveling, and spending quality time with my family and friends. I could not imagine teaching anywhere else but a Catholic school, where I can share my faith with my students and watch them grow in their own relationships with God. I am especially looking forward to preparing my students for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion.

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Tuesday, 10/6/26, Notes

Today at Mass we heard the story of Jesus visiting with Martha and Mary at their home in Bethany. Jesus told Mary that she chose the most important thing. Let's always remember to be like Mary and spend time in the presence of Jesus.

Homework:

1. Reading - Read 20 minutes (or more) - Keep building stamina!

2. Phonics

Practice new trick words: again, animal, please
Practice adding suffixes to base words, e.g., stall --> stalled, sing --> singer, fast --> fastest, etc.

3. Math

3.4 Homework page --> More work on regrouping
Continue practicing addition facts within 20 to build fluency --> The more these are automatic, the easier the more complicated processes become.

Additional Reminders:

Library books = due Friday
Please label ALL SJCS outerwear so your child can keep track of his/her clothing items. Thank you!

Monday, 10/5/26, Notes

Welcome back to another full week! What a gorgeous weekend we had. How blessed are we?!

Homework:

1. Reading - Keep building reading stamina

2. Phonics -

Practice new trick words: please, again, animal
- see the practice sheet we did for how we mapped these words

3. Math - 3.3 HW page - Adding a one-digit number to a two-digit number

Counting on is a valid option when adding a one-digit number to a two-digit number, so if students are comfortable, they can do that for tonight's homework.
We also started the traditional algorithm with regrouping, which is what you'll see on the homework page.
Please keep reviewing one-digit addition (within 20) - This fact fluency will be instrumental as we progress through the more complicated processes and strategies.
Please also keep practicing mental math of adding 10 and 100 to any number.

Additional Reminders:

Gym = Tuesday (Gym pants and shorts should be the official SJCS pants/shorts, and they should be of appropriate length.)
All School Buddy Mass = Tuesday
Library books = due Friday
Please label ALL SJCS outerwear so your child can keep track of his/her clothing items. Thank you!

Week at a Glance 10/4/26-10/9/26

Week at a Glance

Week of October 5-9, 2026

Please check your child’s Friday folder for returned Math and Phonics assessments, 5 a day Math practice papers, the next informational packet for phonics, and more. Please return the empty folder on Monday.

Math: We will continue to explore different ways to add two-digit numbers. We will use the standard algorithm with regrouping, but we will also learn how to use open number lines and a hundreds chart. Students will hopefully start to notice which strategies work best for them in order to add more effectively. If you are looking for extra ways to practice at home, it doesn’t hurt to practice one-digit addition problems, as the better they learn those, the more it can help speed up the longer processes.

Phonics (FUNdations): We will be in the business of adding suffixes to base words. This provides excellent practice for reviewing spelling patterns we have already learned (closed syllables, bonus letters, glued sounds, and closed syllable exceptions) while we add endings to change the meanings of words. The new trick words we will encounter are: again, animal, and please.

Reading and Writing (Wit & Wisdom): We will work to add adjectives to our informational paragraphs. We will also read another story in our unit on changes called A Color of His Own, and we will see how animals change too. We will practice referring back to the text to answer questions about the story in order to provide evidence.

Science/Social Studies: As we learn more about the general topic of geography, we will practice reading maps. Important things to pay attention to are the map key, symbols, compass rose, and title. We will also look at different types of maps like grid maps.

Religion: We have been noticing the priest’s vestment colors when we attend Mass weekly as a school, but we will dedicate our time this week to learning more about the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. Why do we see a lot of green? When does the liturgical year start? Why does Jesus call himself the “Bread of Life?” We are hoping to find out- stay tuned! 🙂

Tests and Quizzes: None

Additional Reminders:

Please bring your children to Mass over the weekend.
Gym = Monday and Tuesday (Gym pants and shorts should be the official SJCS pants/shorts, and they should be of appropriate length.)
All School Buddy Mass = Tuesday
Library Books = due Friday
Please send your child to school with a water bottle and a healthy snack each day.
As the weather gets cooler, please remember that students should have appropriate outerwear. If your child wants to wear a sweater in class, please make sure it is a SJCS sweater/fleece or a plain (no logos) black sweater, and please write your child's name on the tag.

Thursday, 10/1/26, Notes

Happy month of October!

Happy feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux ("The Little Flower")!

Homework:

1. Reading - Read 20 minutes (or keep building stamina)

2. Phonics - We are reviewing a couple of days with suffixes -ed and -ing. The next packet is in the Friday folders, and we will officially start Unit 4 on Monday. In the meantime, I am LOVING when students point out words we have practiced when they use them in their own writing and when they find them in books!

3. Math - 3.2 HW page - regrouping ones for tens

*The lessons will continue with regrouping tens for hundreds, etc. This helps build the foundational knowledge of why we have that extra "one" in the tens column (really a ten) when we regroup. ;)

Additional Reminders:

Library books = due Friday
Good luck in the SJCS Golf Tournament to all who are participating! Looks like the weather should clear up!
Please label all SJCS sweaters/fleeces/jackets, as many items look alike. :)

Wednesday, 9/30/26, Notes

Happy Wednesday! Hope you stay dry!

Homework:

1. Reading - Continue building reading stamina

2. Phonics - None - We will start a review of suffixes tomorrow and officially start Unit 4 next week.

3. Math - *different than normal HW page* --> Addition using expanded form/place value (it says "homework" near the top)

Please see the pages we did in class for examples if there is any confusion. :)

Additional Reminders:

Friday = Library --> Please send back books.
Friday = Art --> Please send an art smock if you have not yet done so.

Monday, 9/28/26, Notes

Welcome back for a full week!

Homework:

1. Reading --> Keep building reading stamina - Work up to 20 minutes (or more)

2. Phonics

Practice words with closed syllable exceptions: ild, ind, old, olt, ost
Practice trick words: does, goes, pretty
Assessment = Wednesday

3. Math --> Chapter 2 Assessment = Tuesday

No written Math homework is due
Please see the review sheet that went home in your cihld's Friday folder for ways to practice at home and for the types of problems s/he will see tomorrow on the assessment.

Additional Reminders:

Gym = Monday and Tuesday (Gym pants and shorts should be the official SJCS pants/shorts, and they should be of appropriate length.)
All School Mass = Tuesday
Library Books = due Friday
As the weather gets cooler, please remember that students should have appropriate outerwear. If your child wants to wear a sweater in class, please make sure it is a SJCS sweater/fleece or a plain (no logos) black sweater.

Week at a Glance 9/28/26-10/1/26

Week at a Glance

Week of September 28, 2026 - October 2, 2026

***Please review the information in your child’s Friday folders. They are bringing home a Math review sheet for Tuesday’s test, a graded phonics assessment, an informational paragraph about changes in Fall (completed with a lot of guidance), and their 5-a-day math papers.

Math: We are continuing to review for our chapter 2 assessment, which will be next week on Tuesday. The class is doing very well with skip counting, adding equal groups, basic multiplication, and identifying even and odd numbers. The terms “rows” and “columns” tend to be the main part that can confuse some of the students. Any extra practice with arrays, rows, and columns at home would be helpful too! 🙂 Please see your children’s Friday folders for the review sheet with types of questions to expect. After our assessment, we will move into the third chapter of our book, which focuses on adding multi-digit numbers. We will be using our book, but we will also try to introduce and practice multiple ways to add, including the use of number lines, hundreds charts, mental math with place value, and the standard algorithm. The goal is for each student to find the strategies that work for him/her.

Phonics (FUNdations): We are continuing our unit on closed syllable exceptions. These words include the patterns -ind, -ild, -old, -olt, and -ost. Please practice the trick words at home with your child too: done, goes, and pretty. This is only a one-week unit, so we will take the assessment on Wednesday. Then we will move on to reviewing suffixes (more specifically suffixes -ed and -ing) before officially starting our fourth unit the following week.

Reading and Writing (Wit & Wisdom): As we dive deeper into our fictional text A Little Yellow Leaf, we will look at retelling a story using the characters, setting, problem, and resolution. We will also notice how the main character changes from the beginning to the end of the story. As we continue to practice grammar concepts, we will review examples of nouns and verbs, but we will also work on identifying and using adjectives.

Science/Social Studies: As we continue our unit on communities, we will compare and contrast three different types of communities: rural, suburban, and urban. We will identify the features, advantages, and disadvantages of each type of community.

Religion: We have discussed God (our father) and Jesus (the son), so now we will turn our attention to the third part of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit. We will define the words: temple, Messiah, Holy Spirit, and faith. We will also review stories from the bible that include the feast of Pentecost and Simeon and Anna in the temple.

Tests and Quizzes:

Tuesday = Chapter 2 Math Assessment
Wednesday = Unit 3 Phonics Assessment

Additional Reminders:

No School Friday, 9/25 → Teacher in-service day
Please bring your children to Mass over the weekend.
Gym = Monday and Tuesday (Gym pants and shorts should be the official SJCS pants/shorts, and they should be of appropriate length.)
All School Mass = Tuesday
Library Books = due Friday
Please send your child to school with a water bottle and a healthy snack each day.
As the weather gets cooler, please remember that students should have appropriate outerwear. If your child wants to wear a sweater in class, please make sure it is a SJCS sweater/fleece or a plain (no logos) black sweater.

Wednesday, 9/23/26, Notes

Reminder: No School Friday

Homework:

1. Reading --> Read 20 minutes (keep building stamina)

2. Phonics -->

Practice words with closed syllable exceptions: ind (find), ild (wild), old (cold), olt (bolt), ost (post)
Practice new trick words: does, goes, pretty

3. Math --> 2.7 HW pages --> Sums of Even and Odd Numbers --> We noticed some interesting patterns

Even +/- Even = Even number
Even +/- Odd = Odd number
Odd +/- Odd = Even number

Tuesday, 9/22/26, Notes

Happy Tuesday!

Important Reminder: Library books = due Wednesday (due to no class on Friday)

Homework:

1. Reading --> Read 20 minutes (keep building stamina)

2. Phonics --> No homework - We took our Unit 2 Assessment today, and tomorrow we start Unit 3 (closed syllable exceptions)

3. Math --> 2.6 HW pages --> Even and Odd Numbers

If your child needs extra support with this concept (it can be tricky for some), consider using blocks or beads or crackers (any kind of manipulative) --> If you can divide up the total into two equal groups with none left over, then the number is even. If there is one left over, then it is odd. ;)
Reminder - When deciding if numbers are even or odd, we can focus on the ones place. (The tens, hundreds, etc. don't matter because 10 = 2 groups of 5, 100 = 2 groups of 50, 1000 = 2 groups of 500, etc.)

Additional Reminders:

No School Friday - Teacher in-service day
Thanks to all who sent in notes for Mrs. Laidley's birthday! So sweet! :)
Send back library books on Wednesday (please and thank you!)

Make it a great day!

Monday, 9/21/26, Notes

Welcome back for a *short* week (no school for students Friday due to teacher PD day).

Homework:

1. Read 20 minutes - Keep building reading stamina

2. Phonics - Assessment = Tuesday

bonus letters: ff, ll, ss
glued sounds: all, am, an, ang, ank, ong, onk, ing, ink, ung, unk
trick words: shall, both, full, pull, talk, walk

3. Math - 2.5 homework page --> Arrays

rows = horizontal lines (side to side)
columns = vertical lines (up and down)

Additional Reminders:

No All School Mass = Tuesday
Tuesday = Mrs. Laidley's birthday! :)
Please send back library books on Wednesday.
Friday = no school for students

Week at a Glance 9/21/26-9/25/26

Week at a Glance

Week of September 21-25, 2026

Math: We will continue working with equal groups to write repeated addition sentences (and/or multiplication sentences) to solve problems with arrays. We will define rows (horizontal) and columns (vertical). We will find even and odd numbers as we identify number patterns. We will also review sums of doubles. Our next assessment will be the week of 9/28.

Phonics (FUNdations): We will finish up our unit on glued sounds and bonus letters. Please keep reviewing our trick words: full, pull, shall, both, talk, and walk. After our assessment, we will turn our attention to closed syllable exceptions (those words that look like they should have short vowels, but actually have long vowel sounds → ild, ind, old, olt, ost). New trick words will be: done, goes, and pretty.

Reading and Writing (Wit & Wisdom): We will complete any finishing touches from our paragraphs on the impact of changes in fall, and then we will move on to a fictional text about fall - The Little Yellow Leaf. We will use this book to review story elements, including problem and solution. We will use context clues to help define unknown words.

Science/Social Studies: We will switch to our first unit in Social Studies this week, having finished our Science unit on animal biodiversity. This Geography unit starts with a set of lessons on the topic of what is and what makes up a community. We will identify important places in a community, describe what people do in a community, record observations about the local community, and design a fictional community.

Religion: We will switch back to our Religion books this week as we learn about God as our loving father. We will review the Our Father prayer, and we will discuss our relationship with God. We will also describe the qualities of a good parent.

Tests and Quizzes:

Phonics Unit 2 Assessment = Tuesday, 9/22

Additional Reminders:

Please bring your children to Mass over the weekend.
No all school Mass on Tuesday → We will attend adoration instead.
Library books = due Wednesday (due to no school Friday)
No school Friday, 9/25 - Teacher in-service day

Thursday, 9/17/26, Notes

Important Reminder: Spirit Run = Friday

2nd Graders should wear their gray spirit run shirt, athletic shorts (of appropriate length) or pants, and sneakers/athletic shoes.
Keep hoping and praying for good weather!

Homework:

1. Reading: Keep building reading stamina

read to self
read to parent
parent reads to child
audiobooks
Lots of options! It's fun to mix it up and to talk about what they are reading. :)

2. Phonics:

Practice words with bonus letters
Practice trick words: both, talk, walk, shall, full, pull
Practice spelling patterns with "glued"/"welded" sounds: am, an, all, ang, ank, ing, ink, ong, onk, ung, unk

3. Math

2.4 Homework pages
Keep practicing skip counting patterns, as this will help form a solid foundation for multiplication skills later in their school careers.

Additional Reminders:

Please keep all toys at home. Thank you for your help and cooperation.
Please send a healthy snack and water bottle with your child each day.

Wednesday, 9/16/26, Notes

Important Reminder: Spirit Run = Friday

2nd Graders should wear their gray spirit run shirt, athletic shorts (of appropriate length) or pants, and sneakers/athletic shoes.
Keep hoping and praying for good weather!

Homework:

1. Reading: Keep building reading stamina

read to self
read to parent
parent reads to child
audiobooks
Lots of options! It's fun to mix it up and to talk about what they are reading. :)

2. Phonics:

Practice words with bonus letters
Practice trick words: both, talk, walk, shall, full, pull
Practice new spelling patterns ("glued"/"welded" sounds): am, an, all, ang, ank, ing, ink, ong, onk, ung, unk

3. Math

2.2 Homework pages - Add equal groups (multiplication sentences are ok too - we introduced/practiced those in class as well)
Keep practicing skip counting patterns, as this will help form a solid foundation for multiplication skills later in their school careers.

Additional Reminders:

Please keep all toys at home. Thank you for your help and cooperation.
Please send a healthy snack and water bottle with your child each day.

Toys Stay Home Reminder :)

Just a quick reminder to keep all toys at home. This includes wax, playdough, nee-doh, dumplings, etc.

I cannot assume responsibility for these items if they get lost or traded.

Thank you for understanding and for your help with this. It can help us avoid many future possibilities of conflict. :D

Father Conrad reminded us about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and connected that to Jesus' sacrifice of the Mass when he offers his body and blood in the Eucharist. He placed a cross on the altar to help us remember that we also sacrifice a part of our lives during the Mass. What a beautiful reminder on this rainy Tuesday!