Week at a Glance

Week of August 30,2021-September 3, 2021 

Math: We will start to dig into Math content as we begin Unit 2 next week. The beginning of this unit focuses on place value. Students will exchange tens for hundreds and compare 3-digit numbers. Additionally, students will engage in daily discussions with their peers to help develop number sense. Students will also engage in daily addition fact fluency practice. *Students will most likely have a Math paper to complete a couple of nights in the coming week.*

Science: We will switch between Science and Social Studies units, so there is no Science next week.

Language Arts: We will use beginning capitalization and end marks in sentences. We will also spend some time reviewing suffixes -ed and -ing and discuss how they affect the meaning of words in our writing. During Writing time, we will spend some time briefly reviewing the three main writing genres - Narrative, Informational, and Opinion.

Reading: Students will work to decode and encode words with vowel teams and Magic E words. We will have our first Spelling test on Friday as we finish up our “Goodbye Summer” unit. In addition, they will discuss short fiction and nonfiction texts from their Superkids readers. Students will use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Social Studies: As we start Chapter 1 of our My World text, we will discuss changes in history between long ago and today. We will also identify how families and communities work together.

Religion: During Session 1 of our Finding God books, students will describe how Jesus is God’s gift to us. We will reflect on our blessings, and we will discuss the story of Creation.

Tests and Quizzes:

• Spelling test = Friday (list to go home on Monday)

Additional Reminders:

• Your child should have brought home an envelope with his/her Clever badge this weekend. Please keep this in a safe place for if/when your child needs to log on to any of his/her accounts from home to complete assignments.
• Please try to take your child to Mass over the weekend. 
• Please continue to send your child with a healthy nut-free snack, a water bottle, a lunch, and an extra mask each day.
• If you ordered books from Scholastic, thank you! I sent that order through, and I will send them home as soon as the books arrive at school.
• Gym class = Monday and Tuesday - Students should wear their Gym uniforms on these two days.
• Mass (in person!) = Tuesday, August 31st - All are welcome to join our school and parish community at 8:30 am in the church or via the Livestream. We went to the church this past week to practice reciting some of the prayers, along with how to stand, sit, and kneel appropriately, and I think they will do a lovely job!
• Students will start their i-Ready diagnostics for Reading and Math this week. Please help make sure your child comes to school well-rested and that s/he has a good breakfast to help him/her focus. The students do not need to prepare for these tests. They are not for a grade, but they should always try their best. (There is nothing to be nervous about!)
• Monday, September 6th = Labor Day = No School

• Food Pantry collection = tomorrow (during drop off)
  • Thank you for your generosity!
  • Please see the post from earlier in the week with a list of items that are needed.
• Picture Day = tomorrow
  • Students should be in their regular Saint Joseph uniforms

Week at a Glance

Week of August 23-27, 2021

Math: As we begin our new Math series (Reveal Math), we will focus our attention on our Math stories. We are all doers and thinkers of Math. We will discuss numbers in different ways, and we will explore a variety of tools to solve problems. Please note that the first chapter will not have homework pages to complete.

Science: We will be alternating between Social Studies and Science units this year, so this first week we will have an introduction to Science. “Who are scientists?” and “What do they do?” will be questions that drive our thinking this week.  

Language Arts: Our Superkids curriculum is grounded in the Science of Reading with a heavy focus on phonics and decoding texts. This first week we will start our Goodbye Summer unit, where our spelling patterns will look at CVC and CVCe ("super e") words. Students will use these patterns as they work with long and short vowels. During the Writing Workshop we will review parts of a sentence, types of sentences (declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory), and use adjectives to add details to sentences.

Reading: During Reading time, we will read a variety of short fiction and nonfiction texts. We will also listen to books themed around summer activities, which correlates with the theme from our Superkids readers.

Social Studies: Social Studies will start the following week.

Religion: Second grade is a very special year as we prepare for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. This first full week we will spend discussing our relationship with God, how we pray, types of prayer, and how we can grow in our love through God.

Tests and Quizzes: None

Additional Reminders:

• Picture Day = Friday, August 27th → Forms will go home this upcoming week, so please be on the lookout for those.
• Please complete this Google Form/Information Sheet about your child if you have not already done so.
• Scholastic Book Orders went home this weekend in your child’s Friday folder. This is totally optional, but if you would like to order, please follow the directions on the flyer by visiting this website (https://clubs.scholastic.com/home) and entering our class code (VY7QC) to connect with our class. Please note that orders are due next Thursday, August 26th. Thank you for helping our class earn extra books for our library!
• Please go through your child’s Friday folder each weekend and return the empty folder to school the following Monday.
• Snack time will start this upcoming week. Please send your child with a healthy *nut-free* snack.
  • Classroom snack time must have nut-free snacks.
  • Students’ lunches may contain nuts, as there will be a designated nut-free area of the Koenig Center for those students who need it.
  • If you are looking for snack ideas, please check out this document.
• Please send your child with an extra mask, as sometimes the masks get sweaty or dirty throughout the day. Thank you!
• Please try to take your child to Mass over the weekend. St. Joe’s offers many options for Mass:
  • 5pm Saturday (This week the Saturday 5pm Mass is Mass in the Park - please register online ahead of time if you plan to attend.)
  • 7:15am (drive in), 9:00am, 10:45am (in person and drive in), and 5pm Sunday
• As stated in the Parent Student Handbook “All second grade students will have their speech sound skills screened by the speech/language pathologist.  Parents will be contacted if a student does not pass the screening.”  This year the screening will take place the week of August 23rd.  Students will be screened in an outside location, close to the school building, so that they may remove their masks during the screening assessment.  The assessment typically takes no more than a few minutes. Please contact Carol Belasco, our school speech/language pathologist, if you have any questions or concerns [email protected] .

• No school Monday --> Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
• Please try to attend Mass with your children this weekend. St. Joe's has many in-person and virtual options. If you are traveling and are looking for a Mass to attend, check out masstimes.org to search Masses by zip code.
• There is no official homework over the weekend, however, we encourage your children to read each day. *Please note Reading Logs should be returned next Tuesday, June 1st.*
• There are no tests next week.
• Field Day is next Thursday, June 3rd - 2nd Graders should wear athletic shorts and GREEN t-shirts. Please see the email from Mrs. Lombardo for further information about lunch, activities, etc.
• Please make sure your child brings his/her water bottle daily, along with a snack and lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Your child should empty his/her backpack each night so that there is space for more materials/books/etc. the following day. I plan to send items home as we finish up with them. Thank you for your help with this!