Welcome to Second Grade! I want to take this opportunity to welcome you and your son or daughter to Second Grade. We have an exciting year ahead of us. I am looking forward to meeting each and every one of you. l truly want us to be partners in your child’s education. I am certain we share high expectations for your student’s success and with your help, encouragement, and cooperation, I am certain that your student will have a successful year.

Here is a brief overview of what the students will be learning and doing as the year progresses on.

RELIGION

Second grade’s religious instruction focuses on four main standards. First, students will be able know and understand the fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Second, they will know, practice, and participate in the centrality of the Eucharist; know the importance of the Sacraments in the life of Catholics. Third, they will discern and live a moral life based on a relationship with Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Lastly, they will be present as a witness to the faith and society, and develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is anchored in an active prayer life.

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS

Building upon the concepts learned in First Grade, second graders are exposed to a rich and varied curriculum that is aligned with the common core standards. Students will be exposed to multiple genres of literature. Along with Journeys, Scholastic News, and Accelerated Reader, students will be able practice and utilize various strategies in order to become a more fluent reader and build better reading comprehension skills. Students will be able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of spelling, grammar, punctuation and mechanics in written and spoken word. In addition, students will be exposed to the three types of writing and will be able to produce a written product (i.e. Narrative, Informative/Explanatory, Opinion).

MATH

In math we focus adding and subtracting within 100- using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction. We also explore time, money, measurement, and geometry.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Our social studies curriculum explores an in depth look at history by comparing life long ago with life today. Students are able to create and understand what a timeline is and how it is to be used. We learn how our ancestors came to the United States from other countries. Second graders will learn how maps and globes are similar and different and how they each serve a purpose. They will be able to identify key vocabulary terms necessary to understand absolute and relative locations of the places, people, and environments. In addition, the students will be given an introduction into the governmental institutions and practices in the United States and other countries. Additionally, they will learn about important figures who have made a difference in our world.

SCIENCE

Using Project Lead the Way Curriculum along with Next Generation Science Standards, students will explore four different units: Properties of Matter, Form and Function, The Changing Earth, and Grids and Games. Students will plan and conduct experiments where they will observe and analyze data so they can construct models to test out their hypotheses.

2nd Grade students report on the biographies they’ve read.

Neil Armstrong –  Clara Barton

Amelia Earhart –  Thomas Edison

Benjamin Franklin –  Ambraham Lincoln

Jackie Robinson –  Dr. Seuss

Mother Teresa  – Harriet Tubman

George Washington –  Laura Ingalls Wilder