Second

Bible Verse to Memorize: Based on Psalms 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need.” We’ve been talking about shepherds and how Jesus is our shepherd.

Show and Tell: Students will share their family trees that they wrote a couple of weeks ago. They’ll also share their farm person if time permits.

*Fall is sure in the air. Our Halloween party will be Oct. 30^th. Students can dress up, bring in carved pumpkins for the carving contest, and we’ll have a party at 2:00.

*We’re still collecting candy for LifeWorks, a nonprofit agency that helps families with drug and alcohol addiction. This is our class of the month project.

*Please remember our Christmas project: Operation Christmas Child. Shoeboxes will be due in mid November.

*Anyone that wants to help in the classroom once a week, please send me a note or email so we can set up a schedule to begin in a week or two. So far I have heard from a couple of people that are interested in working on Fridays.

*Thank you for all your hard work with our students. Progress reports are coming out this week and the class is working together well. If you have any questions about the progress report, please email me or call.

*The auction is coming quickly. Thank you to the parents that are putting together the class art project. It has been fun to watch the children create bugs and flowers for a mural piece.

*In a couple of weeks we’ll have our first Social Studies test. To prepare for it, I’m suggesting to second graders that they take their books home this week and reread Unit 3. It is optional to do it this week, and then next week we’ll have some review questions and a study guide.

Bible Verse to Memorize: Based on Psalms 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” This is a song that they can memorize.

The Bible is God’s words to us and using it is how we draw closer to Him, even in second grade. Memorizing bible verses stay with us all our lives, especially when we need them. That’s why I try to have students memorize verses. Being a lifelong learner also means taking God’s word with us wherever we go because it’s in our hearts.

Jeanne Moser has sent each family the dates for First Reconciliation and First Communion classes coming up. Please keep it in your files.

D.O.L.: Second grade learned statement and question sentences last week and this week we are learning exclamatory command sentences.

*Thank you for helping your child fill out the family tree. This week we’re continuing to learn about farm life.

*This Thursday Sandy Reid from Talk about Trees is coming to our class to teach us about trees and leaves.

*Friday our school gets out at noon so teachers can learn more about our reading series with Holy Redeemer.

Bible Verse to Memorize: Based on Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart.”

This week students will see and practice how we are the church and are given the Holy Spirit to be brave and loving. Our class will revisit our Christmas project and at home think of ways to earn money for the shoebox gifts.

D.O.L.: Students will practice putting ending marks for statements and questions.

*Sight Words (High Frequency): water, animals, world, friend, eyes, full, early, warm, woman, and move

Show and Tell: All the book reports look great! We’ll take a couple of weeks to share the reports during Show and Tell time. Students are learning how to be an effective speaker and an active listener during this time. A rubric of what I am looking for in both is attached today.

We also started Mad Minutes last week and everyone seems to be doing fine in their facts at this point.

*This Friday is Health Day where students will have their vision tested. If your child wears glasses, please send them that day.

*As part of homework, your child will probably need your help filling in his/her family tree. If there are relatives that you don’t know, have your child leave the line blank. We’ll share these for show and tell in a couple of weeks.

*Halloween is creeping in on us. Our school is collecting items for Halloween baskets to give to Project LifeWorks. It is a nonprofit center that helps families and children affected by drugs and alcohol. At school we’ll have the pumpkin carving contest, costumes, and parties. Our party is at 2:00 on the 30^th.

Bible Verse to Memorize: Based on Matthew 28:20, “Jesus said, ‘I am with you always.’”

So far everyone has said the first week’s bible verse with a song. Your child would love to sing it to you. It’s based on Deuteronomy 6:5. This week we‘re learning that Jesus’ name means God saves. Next, we’ll talk about why Jesus gave us the church and what it is.

The challenge words are for all the class to write, but if they get it wrong it doesn’t count against their score. For those that get it right, I’ll praise them for their hard work.

D.O.L.: Students will learn what a predicate is. Some people call it the verb phrase of a sentence. It’s the telling part.

Show and Tell: Students will share a picture or item from their baptism. Next week we’ll share something about fall. We can use more leaves, so if your child has any in their yard, please send them in.

*Tomorrow “Kids on the Block” is coming to our school. They will talk with puppets to our class about cultural diversity. Next week students will create a family tree with your help.

*The book report of your child’s favorite book is due next Monday. More paper and the instruction sheet are attached in the homework packet again.

*As we begin to think about putting together a shoebox of small gifts for our class Christmas project, I thought you might want to look at the website. It is www.samaritan’spurse.org. The link is “Operation Christmas Child”. Thank you for helping your child learn about service to others.

*We have a new addition to our classroom! Declan LeDrew joined our class today. He comes to us from the Waldorf School and loves to learn about nature. He’ll fit right in. Please join me in welcoming him and his mom, Justyn, to our class. You should be receiving soon an update to our class roster.

*Second grade is a step up academically from first grade. I talked to students today about pushing themselves to do their best, asking questions often and working hard to learn.

*This Friday Ingrid Griffee will lead our class in getting ready for our auction class project. Thank you, Ingrid, for heading this up.

Bible Verse to Memorize: Matthew 3:17b, “Behold, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” One goal this year is to lead people to knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This week we’re starting to study who Jesus is.

Spelling tests are on Fridays, but this week we don’t have school on Friday so it will be on Thursday.

Show and Tell: Tuesday #1-13 can share something they find on a walk such as seeds or plants. Next week students will share a picture or object from their baptism. Wednesday #14-26 will share.

*Wednesday night is Back to School Night beginning at 6:30. I look forward to seeing you.

*The first book report on student’s favorite books is due on Monday Oct. 5^th.

*Tomorrow is Picture Day and it’s free dress. If you don’t want to buy any, please send us a note so we’ll know.

*On Friday the teachers have an in-service at Holy Trinity. Your child gets a day off.

*If you would like to help out in the classroom on a weekly basis, please check it below. I will put together a list and contact you soon. If you would like to be a photographer for our class, please check off at the bottom of this form. The other help we can use is a book club orderer. It entails organizing and coordinating book orders, sending it in and sending the filled order back to class. It’s a great way to get share hours, especially if you need hours you can do at home.

*”Book It” begins next month. It is a reading incentive sponsored by Pizza Hut where if students read five times per week for twenty minutes each time and return the monthly calendar, they get a free personal pizza.

*Our class’ Christmas project is led by Samaritan’s Purse. It is called “Operation Christmas Child”. Each student that wants to participate collects small toys or personal items that fit into a shoebox. Students bring the box to school in November and it is sent to a child around the world. I’ll share more at Back to School Night.

Helpers: If you would like to help out please write what you want to do below: Thank you!

Here is the first homework packet. I send them home every Monday for extra practice of what we’re doing in class. The idea of sending it home at the beginning of the week is so you and your family can plan your week. Being a parent also, I know activities during the week can make homework hard to accomplish. Your child should be spending about a half an hour per night on homework. The first part should be twenty minutes of reading and the other ten a page of homework or spelling practice. I give them the whole week because I want them to do a little every night and not the whole thing in one night. The first item is our bible verse to memorize. Since one of our goals is to draw your child closer to God, this will help them focus on the Bible and help you to see what we’re working on in class. This week it is a song, which should make it easier. We’ll say this one together, but usually your child can say the memory verse any morning or at DEAR time. I believe if we memorize scripture it stays in our heart and when we need it, the verse is there to help us.

Bible Verse to Memorize: Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.”

Spelling Words: This week we are working on the short vowel patterns in consonant vowel consonant words. Here are some examples:

A list of assignments is on the homework assignment sheet attached today. There is also a calendar for September that leaves a blank on each day for you to initial that your child has read that day. At the end of the month please sign your name on the bottom of the calendar and send it back in the green folder. It is part of your child’s reading grade.

Show and Tell: Every week we have a theme to share. Sharing is Tuesdays and Wednesdays. #1-13 are on Tuesday and #14-26 are Wednesdays.

D.O.L. (Daily Oral Language): This week we’ll review what a sentence is and students will have to pick out a complete sentence, and write one.

*I believe communication between the parents, teachers, and students are crucial to accomplish the goals for second grade outlined in last week’s letter. With this in mind, you can reach me by email at darlenes@sjfschool.org, or call me at school 503-246-3234 ext. 24, or put a note in your child’s green folder.

*Our motto this year is “Expect Excellence”. This means that I will be encouraging your child to always do his/her best. I expect second graders to work hard in class and at home by reading so they will enjoy it and become more efficient at it.

*Every day we have a snack time in the morning. Please send a snack with your child that is healthy and easy to eat. During these really hot days your child can bring a water bottle and keep it above her/his backpack. Birthdays are celebrated the last fifteen minutes of the day. Healthy snacks are preferred.

*There also is a field trip on Friday, Sept. 18th. Please turn in your permission slip, and if you can drive we’d love to have you come. In order to go, you need to have the “Call to Protect” training first.

*A couple of items for you to know are that I will be assessing reading, writing and math skills this week. Part of homework includes your help this week. Your child was asked to find out why they were named the name they have. They are also asked to write down the name of a gift God has given them, and bring in a baby picture.

*Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organization that provides help to children in need. This year our Christmas project will be to make a shoebox of little things such as school supplies, small toys or personal hygiene items that we’ll ship to another country in November. I will talk more about it at Back to School Night. I will send a flyer next week in the homework packet about it.

*Spelling assessments are taken throughout the week. On Tuesday I ask them to spell a list of words. On Wednesday students will circle the pattern spelled correctly. Thursday our class will do a fill in activity and on Friday children write the words in the pattern correctly. Studying the pattern is important to improve reading and writing.

*Part of homework this week is to reread their favorite book and plan out a poster they will share with the class in about four weeks. Your child will have three weeks to complete the poster at home so this week is a planning week for them.

*It’ll be a great year and I’m excited to get started. I look forward to being your partner in helping your child come to know Jesus closer and grow in their social and academic learning.

Sept 8, 2009

Dear Parents:

Welcome to Second Grade! I hope you’re like me, ready to be back to SJF with friends and ready to continue the journey with your child in learning. I want to share with you the goals and direction I will pursue with your child this year. The most important goal I have for your child is to draw him or her closer to Jesus and lead them to a relationship with Him. This is an important year with Reconciliation and First Communion. Our faith permeates all areas of the curriculum.

Your child is probably reading some, but may not understand well what he/she has read. This will be a big year for becoming more fluent, having a broader base of vocabulary words, and for building a toolbox of strategies to be independent readers by the end of the year. Since reading is a process, it takes time and practice like riding a bike. It is good to read signs, magazines, and pictures for practice. Writing is another example of a skill that continues to build, so this year will be a year of much practice. My goal for your child is that he/she will understand basic operations, create complicated patterns, and solve problems in a variety of ways especially in math.

Homework is a regular event in second grade. The Archdiocese sets a limit of thirty minutes for second grade per night. Twenty minutes of that time is spent on reading. At the beginning of each month you’ll receive a calendar that you are to sign to verify your child read twenty minutes five times per week. Please return the calendar the last Monday of the month. The other ten minutes of homework should be spent on spelling, writing, or math activities. Every Monday your child will receive a homework packet that has a bible verse to memorize, a letter of parent information, a spelling list of words we’re learning and some practice work to do.

The homework will come home in the green folder your child received today. This folder is important because it is our way of communicating with you (and vice versa). Every morning your child needs to bring it in and return it to Ms. Benner’s inbox. It will come home every day for you to look through, even if there is nothing new inside. The homework packet will stay in the green folder until the following Monday, even if it is complete. Since it is your child’s responsibility, if he/she forgets it we’ll review why it’s important. This is a good time to begin to build some study skills and responsibility on your child’s part.

Our library day to check out books is Monday. Please remind your child to bring them back the following Monday. Every day students are able to bring in a healthy snack as well. Hot lunch starts next week, so please pack your child a lunch.

We’ve prayed hard for the new second graders and our school, and feel excited to enter with you in a partnership of working with your child to grow, mature, and be happy. We’ve so much to be thankful for. If you ever want or need to talk to me, please call or send a note and I will plan a time that works. My number at school is 5032463234 ext. 24. My email is darlenes@sjfschool.org. This will be a great year!

God Bless,

Mrs. Sheridan and Ms. Benner

Mrs. Sheridan's Current Events

Darlene Sheridan:

DECLARATION FROM PRINCIPAL LUCY MENEGHELLO