2nd Grade Mrs. Oines

Hello 2nd Grade Families,

MAP testing is complete!  The kids did a great job persisting through the math, reading and language tests.  We will review the testing scores and other work at the upcoming conferences.  Sign up for conferences here: https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/5317fd70fa2c3e95-studentparenttea

Flat Stanley– A 2^nd grader’s Flat Stanley has returned home!  Hooray!  Next step: Get the sharing form from me and choose a day to share.  If you haven’t mailed Flat Stanley, do so this week!  This is our most important school project in 2^nd Grade.

Homework– I assign homework Monday-Thursday to be completed each day.  It comes in the packet on Mondays with a cover sheet to explain each assignment.  Please check the box when the homework is completed.  If your child is unable to complete and needs more time, just write me a note on the homework cover sheet. 

Math– We worked on subtraction concepts – including fact families, writing subtraction equations to solve stories problems, vocabulary (difference) and setting up problems always using the big # first (10-4, not 4-10).  Next week, we’ll start place value concepts. Example: 235, expanded form 200+30+5, word form two hundred thirty-five, model using place value blocks.

Reading– In reading groups we are focusing on retelling the beginning, middle and end or stories aloud and written. We spend time reading good-fit books every day.

Religion– We are practicing different forms of prayer. Prayer circle in the morning is petition prayer.  Monday Messages led by 8^th graders is intercession prayer.  Adoration in the chapel every Thursday is praising & adoring God.  The Act of Contrition prayer is asking for forgiveness.  We will review and learn more about praying the rosary next week. 

Grammar – We do daily grammar so that your child will understand the uses and meaning for capitalization and punctuation in writing.  We learned to capitalize months, days of the week and to include a comma.  Ex: Today is Friday, October 11, 2019.  You can help by guiding your child to begin sentences with a capital letter and end with punctuation.

Zones of Regulation: We learned our first tool to manage our zones – mindful breathing.  We sit still, feet on the floor, breathe in, hold for moment, slowly exhale, repeat.  Next, we will practice mindful breathing to create peace inside and peace with others.  Peace is the virtue of the month.  We will also review how to pray the rosary and spend time practicing peacefulness in prayer.

Dates:

Reconciliation Class, 7pm

Kindness Mass, Wednesday, October 16th @ 9:00 – all are welcome! Dress uniform (white shirt, blue sweatshirt).

Hearing and Vision screening, October 17th

Jog-a-thon Celebration Day, FREE DRESS – We passed our goal – $82,000!!

God bless you!

Mrs. Oines

 

 

 

 

Hello 2nd Grade Families,

I hope you are enjoying a great fall weekend!  I get to hear all about your weekends every Monday when the kids write their Weekend News!  Every week, the kids are writing a little bit more.  I spent the weekend in my yard weeding and pruning to get ready for fall.  I also tried out a delicious vegetable-chicken soup recipe.  My daughters went with their grandma to see Black Beauty at the Seattle Children’s Theater.

The 2^nd graders will complete 3 days of MAP testing this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  We will focus on putting forth great effort and using persistence when it gets hard.  We will review the MAP scores and discuss your child’s strengths and areas of growth at the upcoming conferences. A signup genius will be sent to you.

Last week’s learning:

Social Studies: We’re learning about the parts of a map: compass rose, key, scale and title, using student atlases.  We made beautiful compass roses and they are posted in the classroom.  We’ll be making our own maps this week.

Where in the world is FLAT STANLEY? I hope Stanley and Flat-self are off on their adventure!

***When Flat Stanley returns to you, please email me.***   I will send you a sharing paper for your child to complete.  After that, your child will present where Stanley went to the class and they will mark where Stanley went on our class maps.  I will keep all project materials until the end of the school year.  We will display all class’ Flat Stanley projects at our Open House in June.

Math: We continued to work on math fact strategies like fact families, doubles and make a ten.  We also worked on skip counting by 5s and 10s.  We know many games to play by with someone or by ourselves.  Ms. Gudaitis, our math specialist, leads a problem solving lesson every Friday.  Students can use xtramath.org to practice math facts at school and home.  I sent a signup form home.  Let me know if you need help signing up.

Religion: We practiced praying the Act of Contrition (the I’m sorry prayer).  God’s love and forgiveness are bigger than anything we can imagine.  We talked about how each day is a new start and that we can talk to God when we make poor choices.  We spend time praying every Thursday in the chapel for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Reading: We are reading and then retelling the beginning, middle and end of stories.

Phonics: reviewing short vowels and using our phonics book for the first time.  Spelling homework begins this week.

Handwriting: We started reviewing correct letter formation.  You can help!  All letters, tall: b, d, h, k, l, t, and small: a, c, i, n, m, x, v, w, z are written top to bottom.  No letters strokes should be written bottom to top.  If you see your child writing letters bottom to top, show them the correct formation.

Zones of Regulation: We are making a zones of regulation book to help us manage our feelings.  We will start learning strategies to use when we are upset, frustrated or anxious.

Dates:

Vision and Hearing Screening: October 17^th

School Pictures: October 22nd

Greenwood Library Field Trip: October 22nd, 12:50

Thank you for all you do to help our school!  You are very appreciated!

Blessings,

Mrs. Oines

 

 

 

Hello wonderful parents!

JOG-A-THON!  Thank you so much for the donations made so far.  We will continue to collect pledges through the end of the month so it’s not too late to donate or get your corporate matching dollars in.

Where is Flat Stanley and Flat Self?  Many of the Flat Stanleys are traveling the globe and enjoying fun adventures with family and friends.  If you haven’t mailed the envelope, do so right away.  When the envelope returns to you, contact me.  I will give your child the sharing form to complete and choose a day to share with the class.

Xtramath.org: Your child will use this website or app to practice math fact fluency at school.  They are welcome to practice math facts at home too.  I sent home a flier this week for you to sign you up.  Let me know if you need any help with signing up.

Volunteers – If you volunteer, you must take the Safe Environment Training.   Next training is October 1, 6:30-9 in Egan Hall.
https://st-johnschool.org/2019/09/26/safe-environment-training-october-1-2/

First Reconciliation and Communion: If you are interested in registering for the St John Parish First Communion program this year, there is still time. Opening Prayer Service is this coming Monday, September 30^th, at 7pm in the Church! Link to the registration form:

http://stjohnsea.org/About/Sacraments/FirstReconciliationandFirstCommunion/tabid/307/Default.aspx

Homework:  Next week we will practice spelling in class, but not for homework.  Spelling lists will go home with the homework on Mondays and students will have a test on Fridays.

Zones of Regulation-  We are continuing to learn about the different zones we are in through the day.  We can often tell what zone other people are in based on their facial expressions.  Reading facial cues is an important skill for children to learn.  We are guessing a character’s zone during story time to practice reading facial cues.

Blue – Moving and thinking slowly (tired, sick, sad, lonely)

Green- Good to go! I’m calm and ready to learn. (focused, calm, happy, ready to learn)

Yellow- Caution, I’m starting to lose control. (frustrated, silly, anxious, worried, upset)

Red- STOP, I’ve lost control. (angry, terrified, elated, yelling)

Religion:

• Memorizing Act of Contrition
• Adoration on Thursday
• Morning, lunch, snack and closing prayer

Reading:

• Practicing choosing a good-fit book
• Began reading groups
• Phonics workbook practice
• Retelling the 5 W’s to retell a story – Who, What, Where, When and Why.

Math:

• Continue reviewing math fact strategies and vocabulary
  • Counting on (8 + 3 is 8, 9, 10, 11)
  • Counting back (12 – 3 is 12, 11, 10, 9)
  • Make a ten (7 + 5 is 5 + 5 = 10, 10 + 2 = 12)
  • Doubles and Near Doubles (8 + 9 is 8 + 8 = 16, 16 + 1 = 17)
  • Sum and Addend
  • Difference
• Math games: Guess my Number, Addition Bump and Connect Four
• Math Centers every Thursday

Social Studies– We are learning how to read a map. We located and labeled our continent, country, state and city by making a Me on Map book.

Read Aloud Book: Lulu and the Brontosaurus

 Dates:

MAP Testing (Measures of Academic Progress): October 8-10, 12-1pm.

2^nd Graders will take the math, reading and language skills test.  Each test is taken on the ipad and takes 30-60 minutes each.

Book orders due by October 1^st.  Thank you to Amy G. for organizing the book orders!

God bless you!

Mrs. Oines

 

 

 

Hello Parents,

The Jog-a-thon was a blast today!  We were blessed with pleasant weather and many cheering fans.   Your kids ran and ran for Saint John!  We are so thankful for your support and appreciate all the donations you collected.  God bless you!

Flat Stanley has started his travels around the globe.  If you still have the envelope, now is the time to mail Flat Stanley so his adventure can begin.  Reminders: When Flat Stanley returns to you, contact me.  I will send home a  sharing page for your child to complete.  Then your child will chose a date to present the sharing page,  pictures or things that they got back.  Finally, they will make the place that Stanley traveled on our US or world map.

STAR Reading Test – check your child’s folder for the reading test results.  You keep this copy.  The report will show you what reading level your child is currently reading.  This can help you select good-fit books.  If you need help choosing books for your child, let me know.

Library cards – Students will get their library cards on our first field trip.  Our first trip to Greenwood is this Tuesday @ 12:50 – return permission slips now. . On Greenwood library days, students can bring their own card or get it from me.  I keep a box of cards in the classroom.  Decide if you would rather I keep a card in the classroom or your child keeps in at home or in their backpack.

Adopt an orca – Our class adopted a Southern Resident orca named Eclipse.  You can read about her here: https://whalemuseum.org/collections/meet-the-whales The donations your children gave go to orca conservation and education.  In a few weeks our certificates will arrive.

Safety Lesson about Gifts and Secrets:  We had our safety lesson this week.  They learned: It is wrong for an adult or another child to ask a child to keep a gift a secret from his or her parents.  It is okay to say “no” when they feel uncomfortable or confused by how an older person is acting—even if the older person is someone they love and trust. You can speak up and tell a trusted adult when someone’s behavior makes them feel uncomfortable or uneasy.

Zones of Regulation– The Zones of Regulation is a conceptual framework used to teach students self regulation and self control. This curriculum teaches students to use strategies or tools to help them move between zones. The Zones of Regulation categorizes states of alertness and emotions into four colored zones.

We started learning about each zone this week by name emotions/feelings, sorting emotions into the four zones and starting our Zone folder of feelings.

After we learn to recognize what zone we are in, we’ll practice “tools” to manage each of our zones.  You can help by asking “what zone are you in now?”

To learn more, read this parent information powerpoint: Zones of Regulation Parent Presentation

Math facts and strategies: We’re learning games to play by ourselves and with a partner.  We started doing some practice pages from our workbook.

Grammar skills – Most days we do a short grammar lesson that includes capitals, punctuation, parts of speech and sentence combining.

Reading groups- Next week we will begin reading groups.  I meet with each group 2-3 times a week to work on a reading strategy.  The children who are not reading with me do silent reading or a reading assignment independently.

Dates:

Tuesday, September 24th – Greenwood library field trip – bring library cards.

Wednesday, September 25th – All School Mass – DRESS UNIFORM means wear the blue logo sweatshirt and white shirt.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Oines

 

Hello Parents,

It was great to meet you on Curriculum Night!  We are off to a fantastic start in 2nd Grade.  Thank you to all of you who expressed interest in helping with projects and volunteering.  Here is a review of the most important information shared that night.

• Flat Stanley and Flat Self came home today!  Mail the manila envelope to a friend or family member as soon as possible.  Choose someone who is out of state or out of the U.S.  When Flat Stanley returns home tell Mrs. Oines.  Then, your child will get a form to fill out and a date to share with the class.
• Greenwood Library– complete library card application and permission slip by September 20.
• We are PEANUT FREE classroom.
• Student Work sent home in Take Home Folder
• Homework: Monday-Thursdays with occasional projects.
• Keep up the Jog-a-thon fundraising!  We’ll be running 9/20 at 2:00.  Come join the fun!

This Week:

• Orca Conservation:  We made posters to share ways to help orcas.  Help your child choose a place to display the poster at a coffee shop, house window, grocery store, telephone pole, dance studio, bus stop etc.  We will be adopting an orca next week through the whalemuseum.org.  Students can bring in $1 next week or do a small job to earn a $1.  We can make a difference for the Puget Sound and our orcas.
• Good-fit Books: We reviewed how to choose a good-fit book and spent time reading each day.  Each child has a book box to keep school-library, Greenwood library and classroom books.
• Magnifikid weekly magazine– Your child gets a subscription to MagnifiKid from the Saint John Parish.  It comes home every Friday.  Take the MagnifiKid with you to mass to help your child follow along.  It includes:
  • All the readings and the prayers of the Sunday Mass with explanations of the difficult words and the meaning of the rituals;
  • A suggested prayer for Morning and Evening;
  • Many suggestions on how to live the entire week with the Lord;
  • Various games, a comic, and activities to help children learn about Christ

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Oines

Welcome back to school!  It’s been a busy, fun first week of 2nd Grade.  I’m looking forward to meeting you at Curriculum Night.  Be sure to come so you can hear all about 2nd grade, our projects, field trips and volunteer opportunities.

Curriculum Night – Please join us on Thursday, September 12, 7pm, in Egan Hall.

After school pick-up location change

Starting Monday, pick up your child at the morning drop off spot. We need adults to come to our line for pick up as we are still getting to know parents.  Do not have your child run to you, instead meet us along the fence so we are sure your child has been picked up.

Playpit after school

Only supervised children are allowed in the playpit after school from 3-3:15.  No teachers are supervising the playpit after school.  When the whistle blows, exit the playpit so the daycare can use the space.  Thank you!

Jog-a-thon fundraising starts now!  Thank you for supporting our school.

Specialist Schedule – Starting Monday, your child will have the following specialist schedule:

Art – Thursday, 2:10-2:50

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Oines

 

 

 

Welcome to the new school year!  My amazing teacher assistant, Mrs. Morris, and I have been busy getting the classroom set up for our new 2nd Graders.  We are very excited to welcome the students on the first day.  We will meet in our line spot along the Quigley fence each morning and will enter the building at 8:15.  Please bring a water bottle, a snack and school supplies on the first day.  School is dismissed at noon on the first day.  You will pick up your child on the playground between the portables and the alley entering the playground.

Our class is known as the Outstanding Orcas.  We begin the year learning about our local orca, the Southern Resident pods J, K and L.  You may have been reading about our orcas’ struggles in the news.  Do you know about the orca named Granny?  Do you know what our orcas eat?  Do you know where these orcas travel?  Your child will be able to wow you with orca facts and learn to appreciate our beautiful Puget Sound.

Here are a few our our local orcas…

J-35 Tahlequah 21 years old – She was in the news last summer because her calf died at birth.  She pushed her calf for 17 days.  People around the world heard this story.

J-16 Slick 47 years old

J-46 Star 10 years old

J-45 Se-Yi’-Chn 10 years old

J-51 Nova 4 years old

Welcome back to school!  I’m excited to meet you and get started on a terrific year!

Mrs. Oines