Christ be our light...through C.L.O.V.E.R.

Greetings from Second Grade!  Let’s be partners and work together to foster your child’s spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional growth this school year.  I look forward to getting to know you and your child. 

            I would like to inform you of the learning expectations for your child in second grade.  Please feel free to ask any questions throughout the year.

Religion:  The second grade Religion curriculum is very special.  We use the book: We Believe by Sadlier.   We focus on the seven sacraments, parts of the Mass, Reconciliation, and the Holy Eucharist.  We will also use supplemental booklets to enrich our learning.  

Handwriting: We will continue with manuscript handwriting this year.  Our focus will be on neatness, size, and shape.  In January, we will begin cursive.  The focus will be on correctly learning the form and shape of each letter.  Then we will practice putting the letters together correctly to write words. 

Language Arts:  We have an exciting reading series, McGraw-Hill: Wonders, that uses authentic literature.  The class will be using a Literature Anthology and a Reading/Writing Workshop book as well as various trade books throughout the year to cover the standards.  Worksheets, quizzes, and activities will be used to assess student learning and mastery.

            We will also be doing phonics this year using the Saxon Phonics program.  We will do daily activity sheets in class that incorporate letter sounds, sight words, along with reading and writing skills. 

            Spelling lists will correlate with the phonics program.  There will be a pretest the end of each week.  If your child receives a 100% on the pretest, he/she will be given a list of advanced words to study for next week’s test.  This is a way of enriching and challenging your child.  If your child does not receive a 100% on the pretest, he/she will be retested over the original list.  The final test score will then be recorded. 

             The English program incorporates the state standards, a strong writing program, and daily oral work to teach the curriculum.   We will incorporate essay writing and creative writing weekly. 

 Math: The math standards cover a wide range of skills.  We will be using the Everyday Math series by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  The children will learn concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts, place value, geometry, measurement, patterns, time, money, and problem solving.  We will also practice our addition/subtraction math facts daily in class.  On most nights there will be a page of math facts and some nights there may be another sheet based on the standards taught in class that day.

 Science:  Our Science program includes the Physical Sciences and the Earth Sciences.  The units will include interesting activities and experiments.  A general study guide will be sent home several days before each test. 

 Social Studies:  The focus of second grade Social Studies is “About My Community”.  The class will learn about belonging to different groups, working together in a community, being a good citizen, famous Americans, and different cultures.  I will send home study guides before each test. We will also do various research projects this year.

To stay posted of your child’s progress in subject areas throughout the year, please access your child’s grades through our computer grades program.  You should get specific information about accessing this program at the beginning of the school year.  I will also keep you posted via notes, phone class, emails, and conferences.

Please feel free to contact me during the year if you have any questions or concerns.  I’m looking forward to a wonderful year!

God Bless,

Mrs. Tracy Prahl