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Mrs. Marisa Macdonald » Home

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SJCS Pledge
 

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, 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 fifth year of teaching in this beautiful school community.

In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, singing, 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.

 

Posts

Week at a Glance 8/23/21-8/27/21

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] .

Birthday Note

Students can celebrate their birthdays again this year with a dress down day. Summer birthdays can dress down on their half birthdays so that they get a chance to participate.
 
Please note that students should not bring in any treats or gifts on their birthdays. (This is a school-wide policy.)

Happy First Day!

I hope your children enjoyed their first day of school.
 
Here are just a couple of quick reminders for the day:
  • Please send your child with a refillable water bottle, as the water fountains can only be used for bottles again this year.
  • Please send your child with a lunch on Friday. (Snack time will start next week.)
  • Please make sure your child has an extra clean mask each day.
  • There is no homework for your child to complete today or tomorrow.

Final Day Notes

Ask your child about their Field Day experience! We are so thankful to the SJSPA for providing us with this opportunity to celebrate the end of our incredible school year together!
 
Please send your child with a bag or backpack tomorrow (Friday) to take home any final materials.
*Friday = 10am dismissal - Please plan accordingly*

Field Day Reminders for Thursday

Thursday, June 3rd, is Field Day. Please help your child prepare accordingly by wearing/bringing the following items to school:
  • Green clothing (e.g., green t-shirt and athletic shorts)
  • Gym shoes/sneakers
  • Hat/sunglasses *optional*
  • Sunscreen (apply before coming to school)
  • Water bottle
  • Extra mask

*A hot dog lunch will be provided (so you do not need to pack a lunch).*

 

Friday, June 4th, is the last day of school. Please send your child with a backpack or reusable grocery bag, as we will most likely send home belongings on this day. Students do not need to bring a snack or a lunch, as it is a 10:00am dismissal.

Tuesday, 6/1/21, Reminders

Happy last week! I personally can't believe that time is here!
 
Here are just a few reminders for the week:
 
1. Please help your child empty his/her backpack each night so there is room for more items the following day.
 
2. No Mass Thursday - We will LiveStream the 8th grade Mass and awards (9:30) on Wednesday, along with our end of the year Mass on Friday (8:30)
 
3. Field Day = Thursday - Please wear green
 
4. Please return the May Reading Log - no new Reading Log will be given; however, we encourage students to continue their daily reading habits this week and into the summer.

Reminders for Next Week

Please take a minute to review these reminders for next week. I hope you enjoy the holiday weekend!
  • 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-shirtsPlease 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!

Thursday, 5/27/21, Homework

1. Read 20 minutes; complete a row on the Reading Log
 
2. Social Studies Test = Friday
 
3. Spelling Test = Friday
 
Additional Reminders: 
  • Tomorrow (Friday) = Hat Day --> Students may wear a hat of their choice in the classroom
  • Field Day is next Thursday, June 3rd - 2nd Graders should wear athletic shorts and GREEN t-shirtsPlease see the email from Mrs. Lombardo for further information about lunch, activities, etc.

Wednesday, 5/26/21, Homework

1. Read 20 minutes; complete a row on the Reading Log
 
2. Social Studies Test = Friday (This is a change because we need to finish our i-Ready diagnostic test Thursday.)
 
4. Spelling Test = Friday
 
Additional Reminders: 
  • We will attend Mass as a class on Thursday, 5/27. All are welcome to join us in the church or via LiveStream (no signup is necessary). Thank you for praying with us!
  • 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.

Tuesday, 5/25/21, Homework

1. Read 20 minutes; complete a row on the Reading Log
 
2. GoMath! 10.6 homework pages
 
3. Social Studies Test = Thursday
 
4. Spelling Test = Friday
 
Additional Reminder: We will attend Mass as a class on Thursday, 5/27. All are welcome to join us in the church or via LiveStream (no signup is necessary).

Monday, 5/24/21, Homework

1. Read 20 minutes; complete Reading Log
 
2. GoMath! 10.5 Homework pages - Make Bar Graphs
*Students should be able to complete all problems (they brought home their rulers earlier this month).
 
3. Practice Spelling Words (see list below)
 
**Tuesday, 5/24** = Pajama Day:
Our countdown to the end of school continues. Please follow all dress down guidelines outlined in the school handbook, which include:
  1. No slippers
  2. No spaghetti straps
  3. No very short shorts
 
*Tests and Reminders*
  • Social Studies Chapter 4 Test = Thursday
  • Spelling Test = Friday
  • i-Ready Math diagnostic = Wednesday (no preparation needed)
  • Mass = Thursday - All families are welcome to join us at 8:30 in the church or on the Livestream (no registration is needed)
Spelling List - words ending in -le
  1. ankle
  2. title
  3. apple
  4. cable
  5. purple
  6. able
  7. bugle
  8. bundle
  9. bubble
  10. giggle
  11. sparkle
  12. tickle
  13. people
  14. little

Week at a Glance 5/24/21-5/28/21

Week at a Glance

Week of May 24-28, 2021

Math: We will finish up Chapter 10 next week as we work on creating bar graphs. In lieu of a test, students will collect data and display the data in the following types of charts: tally chart, pictograph (picture graph), and bar graph. They will also answer questions about the data.

Science: This week we will explore how to send messages to other people using just light. Students will watch videos and participate in a short experiment with flashlights.

Language Arts: During Writing Workshop next week we will assemble our poetry portfolios and select a poem to share with the class. Additionally, we will work on forming our Sunform cursive letters. (We’re almost finished with the whole alphabet!)

Reading: This week we will turn our attention to Poetry. We have been working on writing a variety of poems during Writing Workshop, but this week we will pay special attention to how poetry can help us visualize what is happening with strong word choice and excellent descriptions. Spelling words will have -le endings. The new list will go home on Monday.

Social Studies: This week we will review our chapter on Economics (Chapter 4). Students will take a test on Thursday. Students may use their notebooks for this assignment. If you want to review at home, students will be bringing home a study guide to help address specific topics. The test will mostly be multiple choice, and it will have a couple of short answer written responses. 

Religion: We will learn about the Beatitudes as ways to live a happy life. We will also discuss making choices that follow what the Beatitudes teach us.


Tests and Quizzes:

  • Spelling test = Friday, 5/28
  • Social Studies Chapter 4 test = Thursday, 5/27

Additional Reminders:

  • Please try to attend mass with your child over the weekend, either in-person or virtually. 
  • Please make sure your child brings his/her water bottle and snack daily.
  • The students will take the i-Ready Math diagnostic on Wednesday morning. There is nothing to prepare for this assessment, but they should get a good night’s sleep heading into Wednesday.
  • Second Grade will attend Mass in person on Thursday. Please join us via LiveStream or join us in person. Thank you for praying with us. Note: Online registration for daily morning masses is no longer needed.
  • Please help make sure your child reads and completes his/her Reading Log daily. We appreciate your assistance with this.
  • Monday, 5/31 = no school - Memorial Day

Thursday, 5/20/21, Homework

Here is Thursday's homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes; complete a row of the May Reading Log
 
2. GoMath! 10.4 homework pages - skip #3 on the back
 
3. Practice Spelling words
 
Tests and Reminders:
  • Spelling Test = Friday
  • Reading Test = Friday (on the iPads)
 
  • We have started a countdown to the end of school. Today the students wrote about 10 things they like about 2nd grade. Friday (tomorrow) is bring a stuffed animal to school day. Please note: The stuffed animals should be able to sit on their desks (they should not be gigantic).

Wednesday, 5/19/21, Homework

1. Read 20 minutes; complete a row of the May Reading Log
 
2. GoMath! 10.3 homework pages - skip #4 on the back (measure in centimeters)
 
3. Practice Spelling words
 
Tests and Reminders:
  • As we near the end of the year, please help make sure your child does the following daily:
    • eats a good breakfast
    • goes to bed at a reasonable time
    • brings a water bottle and snack
  • Spelling Test = Friday
  • Reading Test = Friday (on the iPads)