The Second Grade Ranch

  Hello Second Grade Families, Welcome to the beautiful month of April.  Please know that your children will be finishing up their ITBS testing this week.  I'm hoping to complete the test on Monday morning, but it's possible that the test will not be completed until Tuesday afternoon.  The test is being given in segments and I'm doing my best to not overload the kids as the test requires a lot of concentration from each second grader.  Thank you in advance for all of your support as we complete the ITBS testing. Please continue reading to discover what will be taking place this week! ELA There will be no spelling test this week due to the completion of the ITBS test, however, the students will be learning key concepts from this week's story located inside their Journey's textbook.  The class will also focus on this week's spelling skill in our classroom lessons. Essential Question:  How do some animals change as they grow? Grammar:  Contractions S...

 Hello Second Grade Families, This week your students will be taking the ITBS tests.  The tests will be given on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the mornings.  There will be no tests given after 11:15 am should there be any appointments for your children.   Our final tests will be completed on Monday, April 4th. In order to best assist your child this week, here are some tips: Please have your child eat a substantial breakfast.  A healthy breakfast boosts brain power! Do your best to have your child in bed on time.  The students will need a full night's sleep. Let's do our best to have every student to school on time.  The school day starts at 8:00 am sharp. Pack a healthy snack for your child, as they may be fatigued once our testing ends. Also note that there will be no homework , or spelling tests for this week due to testing.  The students will also not have their regular ELA lessons. Writing The students will begin learning ...

  Hello Second Grade Families, Welcome to the season of Spring!   The season that renews our spirits and blooms with the blessings of hope and new life. This week, your children will be focusing on plants in their science lessons.  There will be many "hands on" activities that will assist your child's knowledge in this topic.  Our class will be blooming with plant based knowledge by the time the week ends. Please continue reading to discover all that will be taking place both inside our classroom and right here at ACS. ELA   Essential Question:  How do plants grow and change? Grammar:  Irregular Action Verbs Spelling:  Words with aw, al, o Phonics:  Words with au, aw, al, o, a Writing:  Informative Writing Spelling List : tall  saw  dog  draw  call  fall  soft  paw  ball  yawn  log  small   all  walk    awful  w...

  Hello Second Grade Families, May the luck of the Irish be with you as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day this week!  Your children will be learning about the life of St. Patrick in our classroom.  Also, on Friday, March 18th, your children will be experiencing a Lenten retreat at the newly installed Stations of the Cross right at St. Gabriel's.  The students will also have Lenten activities that will be taking place inside our classroom on Friday.  It's going to be a wonderfully faith filled week! ELA Essential Question:  Why are some stories told over and over again? Grammar:  Irregular Action Verbs Spelling:  Prefixes re-, un- Phonics:  Prefixes and silent Consonants Writing:  Informative Writing Spelling List :  unhappy  retell  untangle  unkind  repaint  refill  unlike  remake  unpack  reread  unlock  replay   read  happy ...

  Hello Second Grade Families, Lent began last week on Ash Wednesday.  During the Lenten season we are called to pray, fast, and to do almsgiving (works of love).  Please know that in class your children are learning all about this holy season and we are taking the time to pray more.  In fact, the second graders will be leading the all school Rosary on Monday, March 7th inside St. Gabriel's Catholic Church at 2:20 p.m.  Please feel free to join us.  May you each have a very meaningful lenten experience.   ELA   Essential Question:  How is art connected to the past? Grammar:  Irregular Verbs Spelling:  Suffixes -y, -ly, -ful Phonics:  Words that end with -tion and -ture Writing:  Informative Writing Spelling List :  helpful  sadly  hopeful  thankful  slowly  wishful  kindly  useful  safely  painful  mouthful  weakly  ...

  Hello Second Grade Families, The month of March is right around the corner and we are now entering the third trimester of the school year!  Let's end this last trimester strong!  Please know that our school day begins at 8:00 am sharp, let's focus on upholding all of the ACS school uniform policies, and please know that the second graders need to read nightly and log it.  The reading logs are typically due on Friday's.  Research indicates that students who read nightly and log it tend to show the most growth in the area of reading fluency during their academic school year.  Please continue reading to discover all that will be taking place this week at ACS and within the second grade classroom. ELA   Essential Question:  How do friends help each other? Grammar:  Using Adjectives Spelling:  Homophones Phonics:  Words and Endings -er and -est Writing:  Informative Writing Spelling List :  ...