Mrs. Jennifer McGuire Room 4

Ms. Ashley Nelson Room 3

Dear Second Grade Families,

It is with great excitement that we welcome you to a new school year. As it is our first year as teachers at St. Peter and Paul, we are very excited to get to know you all this year.

The first few weeks will be spent on assessment and review. Classroom rules and procedures will be stressed, so as to set guidelines for what the rest of the school year entails.

The curriculum for the second grade is as follows:

Religion, Reading, Phonics, Spelling, Handwriting, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Music, Art, Physical Education, Computers.

Below is a short summary of some of the things you can expect your child to achieve in second grade at Saints Peter & Paul:

Language

1.     Uses capital letters for beginning of sentences and names.

2.     Uses periods and question marks correctly.

3.     Can write a short story.

4.     Attempts to use correct grammar in oral and written language.

5.     Completes weekly spelling test with reasonable accuracy.

Reading (Using Superkids) Phonetic Skills

1.     Knows short and long vowels.

2.     Knows consonant blends.

3.     Know digraph

Reading Skills

1.     Must be competent at level 16 of the Rigby series.

2.     Must master phonic and comprehension on level 16 Posttest.

3.     Know how to use word attack skill and attempts to work on his own.

Math (Saxon Math)

1.     Can recognize time of hour and half hour.

2.     Can write numbers to 1,000.

3.     Counts by 2's, 5's, 10's to 200.

4.     Adds and subtracts up to three place numbers without regrouping.

5.     Identifies pictures that show halves, thirds, and fourths.

6.     Names the day and months in order.

7.     Recognizes a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and knows the value.

8.     Read & interpret Graphs. 9. Will measure and weigh objects.

Religion

1.     God's Gift to Our World.

2.     Jesus Teaches Us About God and Shares Himself with Us.

3.     Jesus Lives in the Church.

4.     The Sacrament of Reconciliation.

5.     The Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Social Studies

1.     Names the town, state, and country he or she lives.

2.     Will be aware that there are certain community jobs and services available.

3.     Lists the reasons for safety rules at home, school, and work.

4.     States some comparisons between communities of long ago and today.

5.     Recognizes that holidays are special days.

6.     Interpret and read maps, charts, and graphs.

Science

1.     Will be aware of the interactions of living things.

2.     List various sources of energy.

3.     Will be able to sort materials into solids, liquids, and gases.

4.     Will be able to recognize that there are good choices for healthy living.

5.     State some changes that have occurred over time.

Physical education, music, art and computers are specialized areas that will be taught by our specials teachers. The subject matter will coordinate with the second grade curriculum.

Supplies:

Supply lists were sent out at the beginning of the year. We would also appreciate it if every child could have a planner for their homework. We would like to help the students make a habit of writing down their homework every day so that they are prepared to use a planner when they move onto the higher grade levels.

Homework Policies:

Assigned homework will be given Monday through Thursday. Unless otherwise noted, it will always be due the next day. There will never be homework over the weekend, unless it is part of a project. Homework should always be done in pencil, be as neat as possible, and their name at the top.

Late work will be given half credit.

Tests:

Spelling test will always be administered on Fridays. If you are every curious about when a test is taking place, Ren-Web will show testing days within the teacher lesson plans.

Classroom rules

All second grade students will be using a behavior chart. Every student starts the day on a green light, which shows good behavior. If a warning is administered, the student must change their name to a yellow light on the behavior chart. A yellow light simply means, warning. If the student has to be talked to again, they must change their name to a red light, which means poor behavior.

In both classrooms, a red light requires individual reflection time as well as a note home to the parent (which requires a parent signature) about the behavior. The note looks like the following:

Name: __________________________

Issue: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Action Taken:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please discuss this matter with your student and sign below for them to return tomorrow:

Signature:

Behavior infractions beyond a red light are detention, then a discussion with the Vice Principle.

Snack and lunch time

Students receive a break at 9:25am for snack. This is a ten-minute snack, in the classroom. Students receive a half hour for lunch. Snacks and lunches should be healthy items. We do have some students with food allergies in our classrooms, and because of this we ask students to not share their food with others to avoid potentially sharing something containing an allergen.

Students may also bring a water bottle to school (especially during the hot months). Water bottles are allowed at their desk, to be taken to recess, and to specials.

Birthdays

Each classroom has 25 students. If your student wishes to bring in something for their birthdays, please make sure it is enough to share with everyone. If a student’s birthday is on the weekend, they may choose to celebrate on either the Friday before or Monday after.

Please do not send in any items containing nuts of any kind for birthday treats.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions. We are available by telephone through the main school line, by appointment, or by email.

Blessings!

Jennifer McGuire      This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ashley Nelson          This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it