You have NOT missed out if you still want to order books from the Scholastic Book Order.  You can go to this link: https://orders.scholastic.com/LKCL8   In the future, LKCL8 is our classroom code for orders.  I don't send out the catalogs every month.  But you can still go online and order.  The books are sent to our classroom and I distribute them there.  The books through Scholastic are at a great price!

 

 

APRIL News for EVERYONE  

 

 

Sharing Theme:  Vacations

 

Spelling:  Spelling lists come home every Monday in their green folders.  We test every Friday. 

Science:  We are learning about gravity, force, and friction.

 

Michigan:  We are learning about transportation in Michigan.

 

Writing:  We have been working on using "and" appropriately in our writing.

 

Spanish:    Thank you, Sra. Melina, for a wonderful year of Spanish.  We've enjoyed it so much!

 

....for SECOND GRADE 2....2...2...2...2...2...2...2...2...2

 

 

Theology:  We are preparing for First Communion while Mr. Welter takes the third graders for their own thelogy lessons.  We will learn more about the parts of the Mass.  First is the Gathering Part, followed by the Liturgy of the Word.  That is the part where we listen.  We have been discussing good listening tips.  Encourage your child to practice these at Sunday's Mass.  After each chapter, I will send home a little booklet so you can see the highlights of what we are learning.  Each one has a little prayer on the back that could be read at your family table at dinner time.

 

Handwriting:  We are reviewing and fine-tuning our print.  I look for letters to be the same size and for them to use the lines.  When we finish the manuscript book, we will start some cursive.  We only have a few more printing lessons.

 

Math:   We will review how to subtract three digit numbers with and without trading daily.  It is soooo important.  Every Monday we take a Math Madness sheet.  These are timed and help us memorize our math facts.  This is another very important skill that they need for third grade.   Our new chapter is on geometry and mving onto fractions.  I am very grateful to Mrs. Youngs and Mr. Welter for taking the 3rd graders to recess every morning so the second graders and I can have 30 minutes of solid focused math together. 

Reading:  Wehave read Charlotte's Web.  Everyone knows the story and the movie.  But this is a great story to hear.  EB White uses the best descriptive language.  I will read most of it to them, but I have a class set so they will be doing some reading along and partner reading, too.  We will discuss character and theme and plot, as well.  We will continue to work on a weekly phonics skill, or two.  We have been working pretty hard on suffixes and prefixes.

 

Booklogs:      Add Charlotte's Web  to the booklog.  Keep working!  Also, second graders should be reading chapter books at their level, please nothing too difficult.  We aren't able to discuss those types of books because they aren't getting the meaning.  The illustration in the booklog is important.  It should show a character doing something and be neatly colored.  It doesn't have to be an illustration out of the book.   How you can help your child be a better reader:  Talk to them about what they are reading.  I like to do this casually:  on the way home, making dinner.  Ask them questions.  Ask what their favorite part is or what they think will happen next or to compare it to a tv show or other book.  You can keep it short and sweet, but do it often!  Some kids are having trouble telling me about their books when I check their booklogs.  They should be around 35 booklogs by now.

Language Arts:  We have been focusing on adjectives and adverbs and pronouns.  We are also reviewing sentences.

 

Homework:  Remember that spelling and booklog are both ongoing homework.   Every Wednesday, I assign homework to the second graders.  This is to help review skills and help us cover more material within the school year.  It is also important that they build a good habit for being responsible for completing and returning homework.

 

Looking Ahead:  On APRIL 29, the second graders will walk down to Pennock Hospital for a tour.  This is a second grade experience district-wide.  Also, in preparation for First Holy Communion we will be baking bread as a group in the church basement on April 30.  I will need 3 parents for this.  You will help us make the bread, then clean up, wait for it to bake, and bring it over to school...very meaningful, but not super glamorous!  Please let me know if you can help.  Our last field trip this year will be to the Old Schoolhouse.  More on this later (if you can't wait, ask a third grade parent!) but I will need drivers only to drop us off and pick up.  This is probably their favorite trip of the year.

 

 

 

....for THIRD GRADE 3...3...3...3...3...3...3...3...3...3...3

 

 

Math:     We practice our addition/subtraction facts daily.  Memorization is key.  On days that your 3rd grader does not have homework, have them work on memorizing these facts.  There are some internet sites with games that can make it fun like aplusmath.com or mulitiplication.com. We have worked on our multiplication and division facts, as well.    Our new chapter will have us working on fractions.  I am very grateful to Mrs. Shinavier and Mrs. Myers for taking the 2nd graders for recess every morning so the third grade and I have some quiet time to focus just on math and third grade work habits.  

Handwriting:   I will start requiring a few pieces of work in cursive.  Also, I will start writing things in cursive for them so they can get just as use to reading it, as well as writing it!  If you try that at home, make your cursive "school-like!"  (Adults tend to create their own style:)

 

Reading:   We will be reading Charlotte's Web.  This is a great story to hear because of EB White's descriptive writing.  We have lots of activities with this story.  The third grade will read some of the chapters alone and with a partner (when I can bear to put my own copy down!).  We will use this book to talk about character, plot, and theme.  Other skills this month include vowel/consonant patterns, suffixes, prefixes, and theme.  A book report will be assigned shortly.  This will include a traditionally written report.  I will teach them how to do this at school so they can write theirs at home.

 

Language Arts:  We have covered prepositions.  You may have seen their preposition books about going for a walk.  We read them to the kindergarteners.  All parts of speech are essential to good writing. 

 

Theology:  We are studying the Apostle's Creed.  We are learning what the words mean and trying to memorize it!

 

Looking Ahead:  The third graders attend Agricultural Awareness Day at the Expo Center.  This is a really fun day on May 17.  They will need a lunch.  More info to follow.  Of course, we will visit the Old Schoolhouse again on MAY 10.   This year they get to use the feather pens!!!!!  I will need drivers for there and back.  Feel free to fill in the second grade parents!