September 2022
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Dear Second Grade Parents,

Welcome to Second Grade!  Second grade is a year of significant growth for your child in all aspects.  Children become more independent and are eager to absorb knowledge.  In second grade there will be many opportunities for your child to explore, create, and solve problems constructively.  I am looking forward to a wonderful and rewarding year filled with many educational experiences.  Here is a list of some classroom procedures and objectives that should clarify any concerns you may have:

Homeroom  Period    

Morning meeting is based on the Responsive Classroom model.  During this time we review the calendar, daily schedule, days of school using money, even and odd numbers, daily temperature, and perhaps incorporate a mini lesson.  We usually also read a story together as well as share. We enjoy a math problem of the day, a word of the day, a poem of the day, and an idiom of the week. 

Language Arts (Objectives)

READING WORKSHOP/GRAMMAR WORKSHOP

  Reading Skills – connecting to reading, main idea, cause and effect, inference, choosing an appropriate “just right” book, sequencing, following directions, categorizing, dictionary skills (alphabetical order, guide words and entry words), exploring genres, thinking about our reading

English Grammar Skills – Common and proper nouns, singular and plural nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, subjects and predicates, write complete sentences, write a complete paragraph, four types of sentences (statement, question, command & exclamation), write a friendly letter, appropriate use of capitals, spelling, punctuation marks, editing,  etc…

Read At Home

Part of the Reading Workshop program fosters reading at home as well as in school.  We will work together throughout the school year to encourage reading and connect skills from school to home.  The goal is to have children think of themselves as “readers” and to enjoy and connect with reading.  We work throughout the year to increase reading stamina and to apply strategies as we become more active readers.  Books may be selected from school or home to read and should be at a just right or instructional level.  Although the “alphabet letters” are appropriate reading levels, please try to discourage children from feeling too focused on “their letter.”

Snack Time

We will have a snack break each morning starting somewhere between 9:45am and 10:45am depending on the day and working around specials. 

Please label water bottles and use a reusable bottle and containers whenever possible.  If it is helpful for your child, you may send snack in a separate bag/container from lunch. 

Fundations

Fundations is a phonetic based, multi-sensory approach to encoding and decoding words.   Students learn rules and strategies as they study words and apply them to their spelling and reading.  The Unit words sent home are examples of the skills we are working on each week at school.  They are not necessarily the exact words that will be assessed.  It is the skill and rule that is assessed. 

Writer’s Workshop

The emphasis of the Writer’s Workshop program is on creative content and production of writing.  Similar to Readers Workshop, the goal is for students to think of themselves as “writers.” We incorporate mini lessons and teaching points throughout the lessons.  Most Writer’s Workshop pieces will remain unedited by the teacher. Final, “published,” pieces are completed through a process but are not necessarily rewritten. The students have ownership of their writing and are instructed on group and individual teaching points and monitored and assessed in authentic ways.  

Library 

Library book selection will be on Friday.  Your child may select two books a week. One book should be a “just right” book and the other may be a book of choice. Usually a new book may not be checked out until the prior book is returned. 

Penmanship

Cursive writing is taught in Third Grade.  We instruct penmanship through the Fundations program.  We focus on producing neat, legible printing and proper pencil grip.  

Math (Objectives)

Master basic addition and subtraction facts, addition to the hundreds place with regrouping (carrying), subtraction to the hundreds place with regrouping (borrowing), telling time to the minute, money from the penny to the dollar, basic geometric shapes, word problems (one step and two step), explaining process and thinking, responding to work, multiplication facts (in the form of skip counting, arrays, and concept), simple fractions, graphs, tables, ETC…

Science (Topics) Changes, life cycle of the butterfly, and energy works

Social Studies (Topics) 

Families, Neighborhoods, Communities, Country and State exploration, Government, Map Skills

We also learn about holidays and other cultures throughout the year.

Health (Instructed every other week by Mr. Phelan.)

Technology (Objectives)

Turn on/off, open/close a program, basic keyboarding (right hand and left hand keys), internet use and safety.

This year we will use free keyboarding sites to practice typing. 

Homework

Read, practice math, and practice Fundations in a way that works for your family. Occasionally, I will send home a math paper that corresponds with what we are working on in class for connection and reinforcement.  

Assessments (tests)

Please sign and return all tests. If a test is lost or misplaced please send in a short note indicating that you have seen it.

Scholastic Books

Periodically, flyers are sent home for Scholastic's Lucky Books and shopping is always open on-line. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books, please follow the instructions that will be sent home for online ordering.  The website is:  www.scholastic.com and use the code H8WKD.   If you're not interested in ordering, please kindly recycle the flyers.  Scholastic lists Reading Workshop levels for most of the books offered.  

Scholastic bookwizard is a great tool for finding the level of a reading book. 

Specials Schedule

The specials schedule was sent home in an email.  Please have your child wear sneakers for Physical Education class. Please practice shoe tying skills! (I will provide strategies given to me from a district Occupational Therapist and we have a center in school to practice shoe tying as well.)  

Check your child’s “keep home” and “bring back” pocket of his/her folder each night and encourage a sense of responsibility for your second grader.

General classroom info:

RESPECT is our only classroom rule.  Together we brainstormed the meaning of respect and daily we create a respectful and kind classroom community. 

Focus:  Collectively, we have ways for the class to remain respectful and focused such as a “high-five” (Eyes on the speaker, Quiet mouths, Listening ears, Quiet/still bodies, Sitting or Standing tall and straight.) We do not have a “reward” system although our whole class celebrates weekly with “fun Friday.”

Tools:  phonics “whisper” phone, wiggle cushion, flexible seating, reading highlighting stick, privacy shields,  dry erase overlay, color overlays for reading, slant boards, enrichment centers 

Birthdays:  To celebrate birthdays, we create a special birthday book where each child completes a page.  The birthday child gets to pick a game for the class to participate in playing and we sing happy birthday in English and Mandarin during snack. Summer birthdays will be celebrated either at the “1/2 birthday” point or in June.  

It is my personal philosophy to educate and nurture a whole child.  In 2C, we celebrate each child’s uniqueness and work together to find ways to meet each child’s needs.  I value the trust that you place in me while caring for and teaching your child each day.  I look forward to working with you and your child this year and am certain that second grade will be a positive journey.  

I will try to answer all e-mails within twenty-four hours during school days.  I do not always check email from home. There are many times when I do not have the opportunity or access to email throughout the school day.  Please call the main office or send a handwritten note if you need my attention promptly.  If, throughout the course of the day, there is a change in your child’s dismissal routine, please also contact the main office and aftercare, if needed. And, if you have anything that will help enhance or enrich our topics during the year, and would like to share with our class, please contact me. 

With gratitude, 

Ms. Sarah Conklin

 E-mail: sconklin@veronaschools.org