Second Grade
Welcome! My name is Kathleen Downing, and I am happy to be the second grade teacher at St. Ignatius. I received my Bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in 2002 and completed my Masters of Education program at Concordia in 2006. This is my fifth year here as a teacher. I also attended St. Ignatius as a student from Kindergarten to eighth grade. This is a wonderful community and I feel blessed to be back here.
Below you will find some of my expectations for second graders and my plans for the school year.
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Second grade independence: Second graders are expected to be role models to the younger students in the school. Part of this requires that they be more independent throughout the day. All second graders should be able to walk into the classroom and get their day started on their own. Please help encourage this!
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Starting our day: We start our morning with prayer and the pledge, followed by some songs. Then we move into The Number Corner, a math calendar program. The Number Corner is designed to work on skills such as money, time, place value, and patterning all year long.
Math: It is very important for all students to practice their math facts this year. Later in the year we move into double and triple digit addition and subtraction. These skills are easier to learn if basic math facts are practiced. I will be assessing speed and accuracy a few times a month. In order to see improvement, skills need to be practiced at home. Next month practicing math facts will be expected of every student each week. This will need to be logged on the homework cover sheet. Please make sure you either purchase a set of flash cards or make your own at home. “Math War” is another fun way to practice math facts. This game can be found at Learning Palace for a few dollars. We will also continue to develop time, money, and measurement skills.
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Religion: Second grade is exciting for students because some of them will be working towards receiving two sacraments, Reconciliation and their First Eucharist. We will also be studying the actions, miracles, and parables of Jesus. We have new religion text books this year and we also receive the weekly magazine, “Good News,” in which we hear and discuss the gospel for the upcoming Sunday. Father Tom will also be visiting our class a few times a month.
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Science: This year we will study nutrition, weather, fossils, light, and matter. There will be projects sent home to work on for some of these units.
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Social Studies: We will be focusing heavily on map skills this year in Social Studies. Other units include, government, protecting the Earth, and our working world. This year we have a current events portion in our social studies curriculum. Students will receive “Weekly Reader” magazines every week. Some of these may be sent home as part of our weekly homework.
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Computer: There are many programs we will be using in the computer lab this year. One, Kidspiration, will be used to supplement other subjects like science and social studies. Graph Club will be used mostly in math to improve graphing skills. Students will also learn how to use PowerPoint. In January, students will begin using Read, Write, and Type, an introductory keyboarding program that combines basic keyboarding skills with phonics. We will also be learning to use a SMART board that is now in our classroom!
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Reading: It is very important that students read every night to improve their skills. Reading is part of the homework every week. I am asking that you sign your child’s reading log every week, verifying that they are reading at least five nights a week. Students will also be reading in small novel groups during the week. This year I have added a listening center to our room. Students will be visiting this center every week to work on fluency and expression.
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Spelling: Spelling is new to second grade students. Every Monday we will have a pre-test of 10 words and 5 challenge words. This pretest is merely to gauge what each student already knows. Then, throughout the week, we will be practicing how to spell these words. Students should be practicing at home as well; the list will go home on Monday. We will have the spelling posttest on the last school day of the week.
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Grammar: This year we will be using Daily Oral Language to practice basic grammar skills. We will also study nouns, verbs, contractions, pronouns, and adjectives.
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Writing: We have journals that we write in several times a week. We will also be studying the different forms of writing. Students will be expected to edit their own work more frequently.
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Phonics: Phonics will be going hand in hand with spelling and reading. Every week we will work on a different phonics skill that is used in our weekly reading story and in our spelling list.
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P.E.: Students have P.E. four times a week with Mr. Baglien: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
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Music: Second grade has music class three times a week with Mr. Mackenzie: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Homework
Second graders receive their homework weekly. On Mondays they will receive a packet of work they are expected to complete during the week. They are also expected to read five days a week for at least 10 minutes, which is to be recorded in the reading log on top of the packet. As stated earlier in the math section, students will also be expected to practice their math facts at least 3 days a week for at least 5 minutes. Homework is always due on the next Monday. This will give every student plenty of time to complete this work. Homework is not busy work. It is meant to enhance basic skills through practice! This will also keep you up to date on which skills we are working on.
If students return their work completed on time, they receive a sticker for the homework chart. We have discussed as a class that they are in control of whether or not they receive this reward. If homework is incomplete, students will stay in from recess that day in order to complete it. It is entirely up to the student to complete their homework on time. Please encourage students to be responsible for themselves.
Birthdays
On your child’s birthday (or half birthday) your child may wear free dress. Additionally, treats may be brought in to share with the class. We have some special things to do on birthdays. We all write a letter to the birthday boy or girl, which is compiled into a book as a keepsake. Then, at the end of the day we gather in a circle to sing “Happy Birthday” and to share compliments about this person. Then we have treats if they have been brought in. Another note on birthdays: please do not have your child bring invitations to be passed out at school unless the entire class will be receiving one.
Absences
The pace of second grade is much faster than last year. We have a lot to cover and it is very important that students are present as much as possible. It is difficult to move through our curriculum with students missing school so often. Advanced notice of absences is appreciated. Because lesson plans change daily and it is not possible to anticipate the speed at which we will move through things, work will not be provided ahead of time for vacations or long absences.
Volunteer Opportunities
Please let me know when and if you are available to help in or out of the classroom. I will then be able to contact you about different volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
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If you would ever like to meet with me about your child after or before school, please call ahead to schedule an appointment. My afternoons are especially busy, so I would appreciate being able to plan ahead for meetings. My phone number is 503-774-5533 ext. 247.
I look forward to working with you this year!
Kathleen Downing
