Welcome to 2nd grade! 

The virtue that we will focus on this month is generosity.  Thank you for your support of our bake sale.  We raised $435.  Students selected toys that were purchased and will be donated to CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocate, who work with children in foster care.  Last week our service project was working with fourth graders to make 100 sack lunches for those in need. Lunches were delivered to Feed My Sheep last Thursday. 

We had a wonderful visit with the veterans at William R. Courtney Veterans Home, and we were asked when we would come back.  We will return to sing Christmas carols this Wednesday.  We will also sing at Cornerstone Gardens.  

Students may dress up this Friday, in Sunday best clothing.  We will celebrate Mass in the morning and our Christmas party will begin at 10:30.  Dismissal is at noon.  Thank you for your contributions and support of all projects throughout this school year!  My prayers are with our families for a joyous Christmas!

Monday Memo with homework and class news will go home every Monday in students' take home folders.  Please return their folders daily.  

Look at what we're doing this week.

December 17-21

Math

TEKS: Number and Operations—2.4.A Recall basic facts to add and subtract within 20 with automaticity.  —2.4.B Add up to four two-digit numbers and subtract two-digit numbers using mental strategies and algorithms based on knowledge of place value and properties of operations. 2.4.C Solve one-step and multi-step word problems involving addition and subtraction within 1,000 using a variety of strategies based on place value, including algorithmsMATHEMATICAL PROCESSES 2.1.C Select tools, technology, and techniques 2.1.E Create and use representations 2.1.F Analyze mathematical relationships 2.4.C Solve one-step and multi-step word problems involving addition and subtraction within 1,000 using a variety of strategies based on place value, including algorithms.

Monday:  Students will use subtraction strategies to solve story problems.  (Lesson 8.4)

Tuesday: Students will continue to practice 2 digit subtraction.

Wednesday: Field trip

Thursday: Students will take module 8 test. 


Religion:

Objectives:   Identify how we show our love for Jesus by following him through our actions.
Describe the parish as a faith community of the Catholic Church.
 Explain the meaning of sacrament.  Identify Sacraments of Initiation. Explain the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and how it unites us with the Living Christ.   Explain prayer of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.  Identify how we show our love for Jesus by following him through our actions.  State that the community of the Church prays, especially at Mass.

Monday-Wednesday:  Students will prepare for our field trip to sing Christmas carols and distribute Christmas crafts. Students will read the Nativity story from the Bible in preparation of Christmas. 

Language arts

TEKS:  2.3  Reading/Beginning Reading/Strategies. Students comprehend a variety of texts drawing on useful strategies as needed. Students are expected to:   (A) use ideas (e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words, and foreshadowing) to make  and confirm predictions; B) ask relevant questions, seek clarification, and locate facts and details about stories and other  texts and support answers with evidence from text; and  (C) establish purpose for reading selected texts and monitor comprehension, making corrections and adjustments when that understanding breaks down (e.g., identifying clues, using background. 2.17 Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to: (A) plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing (e.g., drawing, sharing ideas, listing key ideas)  (B) develop drafts by sequencing ideas through writing sentences;  (C) revise drafts by adding or deleting words, phrases, or sentences;  (D) edit drafts for grammar, punctuation, and spelling using a teacher-developed rubric; and  (E) publish and share writing with others.   2.19  (A) write brief compositions about topics of interest to the student.  2.25B use text features (e.g., table of contents, alphabetized index, headings) in age-appropriate reference works (e.g., picture dictionaries) to locate information; and  2.25 C  record basic information in simple visual formats (e.g., notes, charts, picture graphs, diagrams).

Students will compare versions of Gingerbread Man Story.  They will identify story elements, compare characters.  Students will write their own version of Gingerbread Man story.  This week's spelling words will have hard g and soft g sounds.

Science

TEKS:   2.1 Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations  following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:  2. 1(A) identify and demonstrate safe practices as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materials appropriately; (B) describe the importance of safe practices; and (C) identify and demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural resources and materials such as conserving water and reuse or recycling of paper, plastic, and metal.  2. 5  A Classify matter by physical properties, including shape, relative mass, relative temperature, texture, flexibility, and whether material is a solid or liquid.  2.5 B  Compare changes in materials caused by heating and cooling. 2.5 C  Demonstrate that things can be done to materials to change their physical properties such as cutting, folding, sanding, and melting. 2.5 D  Combine materials that when put together can do things that they cannot do by themselves such as building a tower or a bridge and justify the selection of those materials based on their physical properties.


Students will design and build a bridge for gingerbread man.

Social Studies

TEKS:  2.1 A Explain the significance of various community, state, and national celebrations such as Christmas.  2.15 A    Identify selected stories, poems, statues, paintings, and other examples of the local cultural heritage.    2.15 B  Explain the significance of selected stories, poems, statues, paintings, and other examples of the local cultural heritage.
 

Students will learn about Christmas traditions in other cultures.  

You will find classroom news and weekly homework in the Monday Memo which will be in students' take home folders.

Please find below some websites that will be helpful this year.

Website to check on your child's progress with Accelerated Reader:       hosted29.renlearn.com/229065/homeconnect/

Online support for math:  https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do

Online support for social studies and science:  https://app.studiesweekly.com/online

Online support for religion: 
https://religion.sadlierconnect.com/login.html



Please contact me with any questions or concerns.  

God bless,
Suzi