Thankful Hearts!

Welcome back second grade families,
May this message find you well and rested after a blessed Thanksgiving break!  Can you believe that we have now arrived at the last few days of November?  The Christmas season will soon be upon us, so let's take these last few days of November to give thanks for the beautiful season of fall and all the gifts it brings!  Please continue reading this newsletter to discover what will be taking place both inside the second grade and right here at ACS!

Here are two animal friends that your children met and experienced at ACS prior to our Thanksgiving break!  Aren't they adorable?

Meet a cute little hedgehog that the Phoenix Zoo brought in for all of the children to meet.  She was just precious and was quite a hit with the kids.  Below, you will find "El Pavo."  El Pavo means turkey in Spanish.  This cute little feathered friend is Mrs. Motola's pet turkey!  We had no idea that a turkey could be so sweet.  El Pavo had a great personality and he was enjoyed by all!  Thank you Mrs. Motola.

Items Needed:  The children are going to be working on a "Project Based Learning" activity beginning at the end of this week and each child will need to bring an empty shoe box.  The kids will be designing an "animal habitat" for their very favorite small stuffed animal.  Any small Beanie Baby, Beanie Boo, or small stuffed animal that your child currently owns may be used.   Any extra items that your child may want to bring in to assist them in designing their shoe box habitat may be utilized.  Examples:  landform photos, landscape photos, rocks, stickers, etc. 
Please view the picture below to help assist your child.

Also, we will be collecting empty cereal boxes during the month of December.  Your child will be using their cereal box to create a "suitcase" that will be utilized during our Christmas Around the World party that takes place right before we leave for our Christmas vacation.  

Lastly, many of your children do not have "earbuds" or "headphones" for when they utilize the laptop computers.  Please send your child to school with a simple set of earbuds or headphones for when they have their computer lab time.  This will assist your child's ability to stay focused during their computer time:)

Spelling ~ Vowel Digraphs (vowel teams)
Grammar ~ Expanding/Rearranging Compound Sentences
Writing ~ Opinion Writing
Target Skill ~ Text and Graphic Features, Fact and Opinion, Questions

Math ~ The students will focus on basic facts and their relationships.  The students will continue to work on their basic addition and subtraction skills.

Science ~   This week, the students will continue their lessons on animal traits, habitats, and life cycles.  The students will begin a Project Based Learning activity on Thursday!  The students will begin building their animal habitats using an empty shoe box!  Please have your child bring in an empty shoe box and a small sized stuffed animal that they currently own.

Religion ~ The students will continue to  learn and practice "The Examination of Conscience" to prepare them for the sacrament of Reconciliation.  

The students will begin their advent lessons which includes experiencing a daily "Jesse Tree" activity.  The Jesse Tree allows children to better understand biblical stories and the lineage of Christ.

The students will pray during a variety of times throughout our school day.

The students will attend their monthly "Community Prayer Service" on Tuesday, November 28th inside the "Upper Hall."

The students will attend Mass on Friday, December 1st at 8:15 inside St. Gabriel's Church.

The Tech Corner

Don't forget that your child has access to the following websites to enrich their learning at home:

• Spelling City(spellingcity.com) ~ This site will help your child in preparing for their weekly Spelling tests.
• IXL ~ This site will assist your child in their math skills.
• Your child's username and passwords to these sites are located inside their agendas.

Phoenix Public Library

Tumble Books (Portland, Oregon website)

Upcoming Dates
Lifetouch Class Pictures  Nov 30 2017 at 08:00 AM  
Early Dismissal @ noon  Dec 01 2017 at 12:00 PM  
Feast Day of St. Nicholas  Dec 06 2017   
Carefree Christmas Parade  Dec 09 2017 at 05:00 PM

Homework

Second Grade Homework for the Week of Nov. 27th

Due Date for Homework:  Friday, Dec. 1st

Monday

Please read for 15 to 20 minutes and write down the title of your book utilizing the weekly “Reading Log.”

Complete the reading comprehension skill review page.  Bring an empty shoe box to school tomorrow!  All shoe boxes will be utilized on Thursday to begin building an animal habitat for your favorite small stuffed animal.

Tuesday

Please read for 15 to 20 minutes and write down the title of your book utilizing the weekly “Reading Log.”

Complete the math skill page.

Wednesday

Please read for 15 to 20 minutes and write down the title of your book utilizing the weekly “Reading Log.”

Complete the  compound sentences skill page.

Thursday

Please read for 15 to 20 minutes and write down the title of your book utilizing the weekly “Reading Log.”

Complete the spelling practice page.

Don’t forget to have one of your parents sign your reading log and your agenda this evening!

Study for your Spelling Test which will take place on Friday.

Please note that the “High Frequency Words” will not be on our weekly Spelling test.  However, they are words that the students need to become familiar with, as they will assist them in their reading fluency and writing skills.