Second Grade Newsletter 4.21.23

 

Dear Parents,

As you may have seen in a communication that Archway Chandler sent on Wednesday, April 19th, we are working together with the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) on a research project regarding a universal screening for social challenges designed to be implemented in public schools. Every student in 2nd and 4th grade at Archway Chandler will be screened by their teachers in two weeks, unless their parent or guardian chooses to opt out of the screening.

Please read this letter from Christopher Smith, Vice President and Director of Research at SARRC, for more information about the screening, and read the answers to frequently asked questions which are available here.

Please note that your child’s identifying information will not be shared with SARRC. If additional evaluations are suggested after the screening, we will contact you for permission to share your contact information. If you wish to opt out of the screening, please complete the form here.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Important Dates:

April 26 – Math 2-D and 3-D Shapes Assessment

April 27 - Science Simple Machines Assessment

May 1 – History optional My Family’s Story project due

May 5 - No School

May 8 – “Lincoln” poem due for recitation

May 17 - Fine Arts Night

News:

Scholars brought home a "My Family's Story" project this past Thursday along with an information letter. This project is optional. If you have your scholar complete the project, it will need to be turned in on Monday, May 1st. This project coincides with our history unit on immigration and citizenship. 

Conversation Starters:

• Why is Abraham Lincoln someone who we remember? 
• Name one reason immigrants came to the United States. 
• Was Wilbur successful at making a web? Why not?
• What is friction?
• How many ways can you divide a rectangle into equal fourths? (Draw as many ways as you can!)
• What is the difference between “to”, “two”, and “too”?

Studies:
Grammar: Scholars will complete narration, copy work, and dictation exercises by using passages from the book A Child’s Geography of the World. We will also review interjections, synonyms and antonyms, conjunctions, and reinforce quotations. Scholars will also review the four types of sentences.

Math: Scholars will review and practice concepts from our 2-D and 3-D shapes unit before taking an assessment on Wednesday. We will then explore heuristics problem solving, and then end the week with a review and assessment of addition facts on Friday.

History: In history, we will continue learning about immigration and citizenship by recognizing the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of freedom, exploring Ellis Island to understand the process immigrants took to come to America, and learning about the different jobs immigrants had once in America.

Literature: Scholars will continue reading Charlotte’s Web, chapters 11-14. We will practice summarizing by composing a newspaper article, identify character talents, and learn about personification. Please sign up to volunteer for Reading Groups!

Science: Scholars will finish our unit on simple machines with an assessment on Thursday, April 27^th. Please help them prepare by using the green study guide at home. We will then begin our unit on magnetism with scholars identifying what magnets are and which objects magnets are attracted to. Our classroom caterpillars are undergoing tremendous changes within their chrysalides. The scholars are waiting expectantly for what will come next!

Enjoy a marvelous weekend,

The 2^nd Grade Team

Second Grade Newsletter 4.14.23

 Dates:

April 18: Civil War Assessment

April 27: Simple Machines Assessment

May 5: No school

May 8: “Lincoln” recitation due

May 17: Fine Arts Night

Conversation Starters: 

How have our classroom caterpillars changed? What do you expect to happen next?

What does Wilbur think about the way Charlotte gets her food?

How many sides does a pentagon have? How many vertices does it have?

Give a synonym for “cold”. What is an antonym?

What is the difference between “guessed” and “guest”?

What was Clara Barton’s nickname?

Reminders:

Friday Folders – Expect your child’s Friday Folder to come home most Fridays. Check through your student's Friday Folder papers. Sign and return the papers that are stamped (usually assessments), keep the other papers at home, sign the inside of the folder, and send it back to school with your child the next school day.

Reading Logs – Students receive a homework completion grade for their Reading Logs. Each day must be signed by a parent or adult. We prefer that the student fill out the rest of the log. These are due weekly. If your child doesn’t turn in their Reading Log when it’s due, make sure they turn it in the next school day in order to receive half credit. Diligence with Reading Logs is an important skill that is also expected in 3^rd grade.

Next Week's Academics:

Math: 

Students will continue to learn about shapes. Students will learn names and attributes of 2-D and 3-D shapes. Students will also practice partitioning 2-D rectangles into equal squares.

Grammar/Writing: 

Scholars will complete narration and copy work exercises by using excerpts from a poem called, “The Duel.” They will continue to learn to recognize and use synonyms and antonyms. Scholars will receive their next poem, “Lincoln,” on Monday. Recitations will be due on May 8^th.

Literature:

We will continue Charlotte’s Web with chapters 6-10. Scholars will practice identifying main events and character descriptions. We will also discuss the idiom, “back to the drawing board.”

Spalding: 

We will have a normal week of Spalding words. Scholars will now have 5 words in cursive and 5 words in manuscript on Monday through Wednesday.

History:

Students brought home their Study Guide as well as a Lee/Grant Venn diagram. Please review these with them so they are prepared for their Civil War assessment on Tuesday, April 18^th. We will review in class on Monday as well. Later in the week, we will begin our unit on immigration. On Thursday, scholars will bring home a “My Family’s Story” packet along with a letter regarding this project. Please read the information and if you have any questions, please contact your scholar’s teacher.

Science:

Our caterpillars grew quickly and are now moving into position to form chrysalides. The students are very excited about their development! This week we will learn about pulleys. Scholars will complete their simple machines study guides for home study use.

We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend.

Warm Regards,

The Second Grade Team

Second Grade Newsletter 4.6.23

 

Greetings parents and guardians,

 

Dates:

April 12: Data Analysis Test

April 18: Civil War Assessment

May 5: No school

May 17: Concert

 

Conversation Starters: 

What happens when Wilbur escapes?

Tell me about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.  Why were they important to the Civil War?

What is a fulcrum?

Fill in the blanks: I like to ride my bike ___________ the _______________. Which word is the preposition?

 

Next Week's Academics:

Math: 

Students will review types of graphs and will take a test covering data analysis on Wednesday. Our next unit will cover geometry and students will start by recalling different shapes and reviewing 2-D shapes.

Grammar/Writing: 

Scholars will listen to excerpts from “The Story of the Greeks” during Writing With Ease lessons and will complete class summaries and copy work. In grammar, we will learn about synonyms and review prepositions.

Literature:

We will read chapters 4 and 5 this coming week. We will discuss figurative language, such as the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover," and students will learn to recognize the main points of the chapters.  We will also discover a new friend for Wilbur. (Charlotte!) If your child does not have their Charlotte’s Web book at school yet, please send it with them Monday.

Spalding: 

Scholars will write 4 words in cursive each day of new word dictation. Currently, we are working on correctly connecting our cursive letters.

History:

We will continue to discuss the two generals, Lee and Grant. We will also learn about Clara Barton, an important female figure of the Civil War. Students will bring home their Study Guide on Thursday; please review with them so they are prepared for their assessment on Tuesday, April 18^th.

Science:

Next week, we will continue our study of levers, and then learn about wheels and axles and gears.

 

We hope you have a marvelous long weekend!

 

Warm Regards,

The Second Grade Team

Second Grade Newsletter 3.31.23

 Hello Parents and Guardians,

 Important Dates: 

April 3: Entire “Harriet Tubman” poem due for recitation

April 7: No school

May 5: No school

May 17: Concert

News:

• Please make sure your scholar brings in their copy of Charlotte’s Web, if they have not done so already. We begin reading this book on April 3.
• The Spalding assessment will be on Thursday, April 6^th next week.
• Please encourage your scholar to finish the year strong (only 8 weeks to go!) by arriving at school on time, following classroom procedures and uniform dress code, being consistent with homework completion, and staying focused and ready to learn.
• Your student must bring a water bottle daily. They are getting hot and thirsty at PE and Recess.

Conversation Starters:

• Name three simple machines. How do they make work faster or easier?
• What was an exaggeration from one of the Tall Tales we read? 
• What did the southern states call themselves after they separated from the Union? Who was their president?
• Which word is the preposition? book, around, table
• Which word is the adjective? small, dog, house
• What should you read first on a graph before interpreting the data? (The title, the labels, and the key)

Studies:
Grammar: Scholars will continue learning about prepositions and will review nouns, verbs, adjectives, and conjunctions. The entire “Harriet Tubman” poem is due for recitation on Monday, April 3.

Math: Scholars will practice using line plots. Then students will review how to read, interpret, and represent data using picture graphs, bar graphs, and line plots.

History: As we continue our studies of The Civil War, students will learn about the Emancipation Proclamation, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee.

Literature: We will begin reading Charlotte's Web! Please send in the book if you have not done so already. Please consider volunteering to lead a Reading Group.

Science: We have live butterfly caterpillars in our classrooms! They are tiny now, but we are excited to watch them grow and change. Students will learn about Screws and Levers next week. What simple machines can you find around the house?

Have a fabulous weekend!  

2nd Grade Team

Second Grade Newsletter 3.24.23

 

Welcome to the 4^th quarter of 2^nd Grade!

Dates

March 29: Stanzas 1-4 of “Harriet Tubman” due

April 3: Entire “Harriet Tubman” poem due for recitation

April 7: No school

May 5: No school

May 17: Concert

 

Charlotte’s Web

We will begin reading Charlotte’s Web on Monday, April 3. Please send in your student’s copy of the book. We need Reading Group volunteers! Please sign up using your classroom's link.

 

Reading Logs

Please ensure that your student has completed every part of their Reading Log (including their name at the top!) and that a parent or adult who listened to them read has signed for each day. Students should write the name of the book, not the name of the series, if their book is from a series.

 

Conversation Starters

If we need to get to school at 8am and it takes us 20 minutes to drive there, when do we need to leave the house by? If I pick you up at school at 3:20pm and it takes us 20 minutes to drive home, what time will we arrive at home?

Let’s make a bar or picture graph to display all various toys you have in your room!

Which tall tale did you most enjoy: Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, or Paul Bunyan? Why?

What is the preposition in the following sentence: Fred hopped over the rope.

What did it mean to be a free state? What does abolish mean?

Does it take less force to push something that is heavy or something that is light? What are the two types of force?

 

Academics

Literature:

We will continue reading and enjoying tall tales such as Pecos Bill and Casey Jones. Students are recognizing exaggeration and how tall tales were often set during America’s westward expansion period.

History:

We will continue our study of the Civil War. We will learn about Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and the Underground Railroad. Students will discover Lincoln's words and how his pursuit of knowledge and truth helped him lead our country during its darkest time.

Grammar:

Students will practice narration, copy work, and dictation using passages from The Magic of Oz . Students will continue learning about prepositions and objects of the preposition.

Science:

Students will learn about the six simple machines, beginning with the inclined plane and wedge. They will learn how these simple machines make work easier.

Math:

We will wrap up our unit on time by taking a test on Tuesday. Next up is a short unit on data analysis. We will start by learning how to read and complete a semi-finished picture and bar graph.  

Warm Regards,

The Second Grade Team

Second Grade Newsletter 3.10.23

 

Literature next quarter will begin with Tall Tales, but your scholar will need to bring in their copy of Charlotte's Web by April 3.

Dates: 

March 13-17: Spring Break

Conversation Starters:

How did Daniel Hale Williams show courage? How did Florence Nightingale show citizenship?

What happened to the hard-boiled egg that was soaked in soda? What can we learn from this?

Why were the bison important to the Plains Indians?

What is your favorite cursive letter to write?

How many adverbs are in this sentence? The cheerful puppy barked happily outside. (“happily” and “outside”)

Restate 4+4+4+4+4+4=? as a multiplication equation. What is the answer to both equations?

 

Academics:

Math: Quarter 4 will start with a week and a half long unit covering time. Students will learn how to read an analog clock to the nearest minute and will distinguish between AM and PM. Ask your student to practice reading analog clocks around the house!

Literature: Next quarter, we will continue enjoying the pioneer times and westward expansion by reading some famous American Tall Tales. Students will learn that this is a genre of fictional stories written about real-life folk heroes that features the use of exaggeration and humor! We will read tall tales about John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, and Paul Bunyan this week.

Grammar: Scholars will review adverbs and learn about prepositions and their objects. Scholars will receive their next poem: "Harriet Tubman".

Science: Next quarter, students will learn about the six simple machines: the lever, ramp (inclined plane), wedge, pulley, screw, and wheel and axle. Students will learn about each type and the work they do.

Spalding: Scholars now know how to write all lowercase and uppercase letters in cursive. We will continue to practice connecting letters by writing one spelling word a day in cursive this week. Please have your child practice the daily cursive word's spelling and cursive formation on their homework. They will demonstrate their command of cursive by writing three words in cursive on the first test of the quarter, gradually building to two words a day the week after, then three, etc. until the entire week's spelling list is written in cursive!

History: Moving forward in time, after Westward Expansion in the US, life in the North and South grew differently. Students will learn about the practice of slavery and the differences between the North and South that would eventually lead to a civil war.

As always, please feel free to contact your child's teacher with questions, concerns, or joys! We hope you enjoy a wonderful Spring Break.

Second Grade Newsletter 3.3.23

Hello Parents and Guardians! 

The students had a wonderful time at the Pioneer Living History Museum! Favorite moments included panning for gold and the western show. The students also enjoyed making butter (and tasting it!) earlier this week.

Important Dates:

• Land of the Counterpane Recitations: Monday, March 6 
• Athletic Field Day: Thursday, March 9
• Half Day: Friday, March 10
• Spring Break: March 13-17 

Conversation Starters:

• What is a threshing machine used for? 
• Describe how pioneers panned for gold. 
• In our science experiment, what two liquids are we using to soak chicken bones? What do you think the result will be?
• Tell me everything you know about reading a clock.
• Name the adverb in this sentence: "The students listened carefully."

 

Academics:

 

Grammar: Scholars will recite “The Land of the Counterpane” this week. We will continue learning about adverbs and their usage.

  

Math: Students will be reviewing the year’s worth of material on Monday and Tuesday. They will take a cumulative test on Wednesday. Our next unit (which will occur mostly after spring break) will be about reading a clock and telling time. There will not be any math homework next week, but your scholar is welcome to practice games on mathplayground.com or practice their math fact memorization/Rocket Math next week. We also encourage that extra math practice over Spring Break!

 

History: In history, scholars will make a tipi and learn what bison are and why they were important to the Plains Native Americans. Scholars will read a couple of Native American short stories and discuss the morals of the stories. We will play a review game to share their knowledge of the Oregon Trail. 

Literature: Students will discuss food in Little House in the Big Woods and review the steps for making cheese. We will also read biographical information about Daniel Hale Williams and Florence Nightingale.

 

Science: In science, we will study the impact of chemicals in our body. We will demonstrate this with hard-boiled eggs (acting as bones/teeth) soaked in various liquids. Students will then continue to observe the bone experiment before learning about white blood cells and their role in our immune system.

 

Spalding: There will not be new spelling words this week, but scholars will have cursive practice homework. 

 

Have a fabulous weekend!