Hello Parents,
Thank you for joining us at Curriculum Night on Wednesday. It was nice to get to meet the faces behind our scholars. If you weren't able to attend, please see the documents attached to the email.
Headmaster Brady's article this week touches upon manners. One way we practice this is with our morning entry into the classroom. Students are asking to meet us at the door with a handshake (could also be an elbow bump if student preferred), eye contract & an exchange of greetings. If the student doesn't prompt the greeting first, we hold out our hand and say, "Good Morning, (student's name)." We hold the handshake until they respond with, "Good Morning, Mrs./Ms. Campbell/Tremblay/Gilletti". Most students have the words down, but are still learning proper handshakes & eye contact. We're looking for students to lock eyes with us while saying the words & extending their entire hand (not just a few fingers) that result in an actual shaking of hands (the preferred handshake among most is more of a high-five situation). These could be practice areas at home - perhaps with Grandma/Grandpa or other household visitors. But we'll continue to practice every morning & remind students of the expectations.
Classroom Reminders
-Reading bookmarks will start this week. You should see one come home in your child's reading book by Friday.
-Galileo testing will occur on Friday morning. See below for more info.
Conversation Starters from Week 3 Content
What are some landforms we have here in Phoenix? What about in Flagstaff (or any other place you've visited)?
Remind me of the 6 sounds of the 'ough' phonogram.
How do you remember the difference between the 'ei', 'ey' & 'ie' phonograms?
What are the three different states of matter?
Who have you been sitting next to at lunch?
Can you name the four Boxcar Children from youngest to oldest?
What is the difference between the 'counting on', 'make a 10' & 'using doubles' strategies for mental addition?
Week 3 Academics
Poetry: Recitations will occur next week, so your student should be getting comfortable in their memorization of our first poem The Year by Sara Coleridge.
Grammar: I declare that we are learning about declarative sentences. These are sentences that make a statement and they end with a period.
Math: Students will be adding in the ones, tens & hundreds column for two weeks. This first week will be focused on adding without renaming (which is the Singapore method's way of what you're likely familiar with as 'regrouping'. More on that next week). If this comes easily to your child, invite them to 'check' their work using a subtracting problem (ie, taking the answer and subtracting one of the addends -- they should end up with the second addend).
History: Students will be studying the continent of Asia first. Students will locate India on a map & learn about the mystery of the Indus.
Spalding: We will introduce words this week, but a shortened list of 20 words. New words will be introduced Monday & Tuesday, we'll review on Wednesday & take the quiz on Thursday. Thus, homework will look different than the phonograms we've been review this far. We ask that the students write the spelling word once after hearing it from an adult. After they write the word, they are to check their spelling & markings. If they made a mistake, they are to write it again twice more correctly. We tell students not to erase, but just to keep practicing. Their errors help us identify patterns or problem areas we can re-teach or support.
Literature: Students are continuing on reading The Boxcar Children.
Science: We will continue learn about the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
Friday's academic content is less due to our first round of Galileo testing. This is a computer-based test that covers ELA (English Language Arts) & Math content. It is their first time taking it, so there will be plenty of teacher support. It is not a high stakes test, but gives us valuable information about their academics & their testing skills so we can adapt accordingly to the needs of the class & grade level. We will begin promptly after morning announcements on Friday, so a prompt/early arrival is appreciated!
Have a wonderful weekend! Please feel free to reach out to your teacher with questions, concerns, or joys!
Warm Regards,
The 2nd Grade Team
