2nd Grade - Mrs. Newton

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT SECOND GRADE

2017-2018

Welcome to second grade! I look forward to teaching your child and working with you to ensure that this year is a rewarding one. I hope that this information helps you know more about your child’s day. This year your child’s teacher is Mrs. Newton and we are blessed to have Mrs.Wright as our aide in the mornings until lunch.

Mrs. Newton grew up on a farm in Linden. I received my primary education in Linden at the elementary and middle schools, and graduated from Linden High. From there,  I went two years to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton. I attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo for my Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. I received my teaching credential, special education and reading specialist credentials all at Cal Poly. I also obtained my Masters of Education with a specialization in reading at Cal Poly. My teaching career began as a special education teacher in a school district on the Central Coast where I spent 17 years: 5 years in special education, 8 years teaching third grade, 3 years at fifth, and my last year in an K-2 SED classroom working with autistic children.  I stepped away from teaching in order to come to Linden to assist on the family farm and to help care for my parents. My husband and I relocated to Stockton a little over a year ago. I am more than thrilled to be back in the classroom, doing what I love and to be part of the St. Anne’s family. In my free time, I love being outdoors, hiking, scuba diving, and when home, cooking and reading and spending time with my family.

BEHAVIOR/DISCIPLINE  - I expect all students to give their best effort and to be respectful to everyone on campus at all times. Your child will be involved in a color coded card system (similar to last years’) where they have the opportunity to be a “Purrfect Panther” in which they may earn things such as awards, notes home, free time activities, movie time, etc.  If they have to change the color of their cards, it may end up in parent contact and if severe, loss of free time activities.

HOMEWORK

Reading Log- This log will be sent home daily. Your child will be expected to spend at least 15- 20 minutes M-TH. Our goal is to create a large Bookworm in our class. So once your child has completed a book, please let me know so that we can add it to our worm at watch it grow!

Math- You should expect daily homework (M-TH), unless an assessment was completed in class

Daily Spelling- Spelling words will be sent home the first day of the week.  On the first day of the week a pretest will be given.  Any words that are missed on the pretest will need to written three times each and returned to school the next day.  The misspelled words will be circled on the spelling list sent home. A spelling activity page will also be in your child's Home Folder.  The students will have several choices to practice their words by completing the activities:  please complete 1 on Tues., 1 on Wed., and 1 on Thurs. Any student that has 100% on the pre-test will not have to do any extra spelling. Challenge words/lsts will also be given.

A mixture of assignments related to the curriculum may be sent home in Language Arts,
Social Studies, Science and Religion as needed, as well as unfinished classwork. They will be in the Bring Back to School side, so please check daily.
 

Communication-

HOME FOLDER- All homework will be in your child’s “Home Folder”.  There are two labeled sides, Keep at Home and Bring Back to School. Please ask your child to show you their folder daily
(Mon. - Thurs.) Along with homework, notes regarding class or school information could also be sent home in this folder (M-Th). Please check their FRIDAY Folders as well for notes if given to us on Fridays.

FRIDAY FOLDERS

On Fridays your child will receive an envelope with work from the prior week.  Please review the work with your child and return the empty and sign the  envelope on Monday. There is also a place for you to write comments. 

CORNERSTONE- Assessment grades as well as Daily homework assignments may be available on Cornerstone.

GRADING

All assigned work and assessments, which are used to determine the achievement grade on the report card, will be averaged to determine the final grade.  The following percentages represent the three achievement grades on the report card. All grades are posted on Cornerstone. 

Curriculum Information

LANGUAGE ARTS- We have a new reading series this year! Activities will be acessible online at
home. 

In second grade there are six themes that will be explored in our reading series.  Each theme is comprised of three main areas of instruction.

Reading will focus on phonemic awareness, comprehension skills and strategies, and information and study skills.

Word Work includes spelling and vocabulary along with high –frequency words.

Writing and Language will cover reading-writing workshop, grammar, usage and mechanics, and listening and speaking.

Scholastic Book Orders- Please order onlne at Scholastic using our class code R9MNY. Flyers will be sent home monthly. Typically books should arrive between 7-10 days after the order date.

MATH

This year our math program is Progress in Mathematics. It is an integrated Common Core curriculum which is written by a Catholic publishing company called Sadlier-Oxford. By the end of second grade your child should be able to identify any three-digit number, know that each digit in a three –digit number has a definite value, and understand the meaning of regrouping in addition and subtraction.

RELIGION

This year your child will prepare for and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We will be using Christ is Our Life, God Cares for Us text.  This text will be used for the general curriculum and to prepare the students for Reconciliation. We will also be using Good News, a weekly publication based on the Gospel reading for Sunday’s Mass.  There are some home activities.  Any home activities do not need to be sent back to school. SO PLEASE CHECK YOUR CHILD’S HOME FOLDER ON FRIDAY FOR THIS PUBLICATION.

*Prior to receiving Reconciliation your child must know the following: prayers; Our Father, Hail Mary, Sign of the Cross, Glory Be, Act of Contrition, along with the Ten Commandments, how to make an examination of conscience and the formula for receiving Reconciliation.  They will be tested orally, one – on – one. A page of the prayers has been sent home for them to start practicing! They will have to be able to recite all of the necessary requirements by themselves.  These requirements will be broken up over the months leading to Reconciliation. A signature page may be returned prior to the due date, and your child will be tested once we receive it.

*Once Sister Isabel announces the date of First Reconciliation we will let you know.  There will also be a required parent meeting and child/parent retreat prior to First Reconciliation

SOCIAL STUDIES

The subject content for this year in social studies will be: Depending on Others, Living in our Country, Knowing Your Family, and People Who Have Made a Difference.

SCIENCE

Throughout the year we will be studying the following: Objects in Motion, Forces at Work, Plant and Animal Life Cycles, Earth’s Materials, Past, and Resources, and Investigation and Experimentation.

FIELD TRIPS

This year we will take a number of field trips.  As soon as the dates are finalized, we will send home a sign-up form for them.  We do need chaperones and look forward to having you share these special days with your child and the class.

Please let me know ahead of time if you need to get your child's classwork so that I can make it available for you to pick it up or send home with a sibling.

If you need to communicate with me, you may send a note in your child’s home folder addressed to me or email me at snewton@stanneslodi.org, I generally check email before school and right after school. You can also  call the school office at 209 333 7580 and leave a message which I will return as soon as possible.

I look forward to an exciting year of learning with your child! Working together, we will have a successful year!

Thank you,

Mrs. Newton