1. Religion & Sacramental Preparation Second grade is a very special year for your child. We will work to prepare for First Penance and First Holy Communion. Volunteers will be needed in April to help make First Communion Banners for each child—Catholic and non- Catholic. More information will be going home regarding banners as that time nears. Spelling Students will take a spelling assessment on Friday, August 29 th. During the Week of September 2 th, they will learn the routine and expectations of a spelling lesson, class work, homework, and test in our classroom. Beginning the week of September 8 th, your child will be assigned a spelling list. Social Studies Communities Native Americans/Colonial Life Geography Canada Mexico Science Experiments/Measurement Matter Magnets Light Each nine week period will be broken into two halves. The first half will be focused on a Social Studies topic while the second will examine a Science component. Reading Groups Students will be assigned to a reading group based on oral fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and spelling skills. Groups allow for small group instruction and best use of our class resources. Students will take assessments on Friday. Assessments may include written comprehension tests, literature story maps, or Accelerated Reader comprehension tests. Writing Most days students will have a writing assignment as a center. This year your child will write letters, poems, and short stories. He or she will compose more complex sentences with correct punctuation and capitalization.

2. Friday Folders Your child’s work will be sent home in their folder on Friday afternoon. Please review this with your child. Homework/Behavior Chart Each Monday your child will receive a new homework/behavior chart for the week. Every effort will be made to note all homework for the week. A copy of the homework page will be posted on our class website. www.SchoolRack.com/SMCook Using an 'Olympics' theme, students will mark whether they ended the day on Gold (G), Silver (S), or Bronze (B), with Gold signifying that they have worked hard, followed the classroom rules, and given their best effort on that particular day. If a student comes home with an 'S' or 'B,' please ask them what they could have done better to reach their goal. I will remain in close communication throughout the year and, when necessary, will include notes in the child’s homework/behavior charts to relay details on your child’s day. Weekly Updates & Class Website Please sign up for our weekly email at http://www.schoolrack.com/scook. Each week, I will update my page with weekly events, spelling lists, and test dates. Afternoon Snack Students may eat a snack during afternoon recess. This is a great time to share a birthday or Star of the Week snack. Please no peanut products for shared snack. Classroom Events We will need your help this year with several classroom events. With the help of our homeroom parent, we will need volunteers and donations to run Canada Day, Mexico Day, just to name a few. In addition, we will need help with our Christmas and End-of-the Year parties. Contact Info: cooksclass@holycrossweb.com cooksclass@holycrossweb.com (540) 286-1600, ext. 121 Star of the Week Each week, one child will complete a ‘Star of the Week’ poster at home and bring it in to share with the class. The ‘Star of the Week’ will also get to bring home Elvis, our stuffed class mascot. Elvis will be accompanied with his notebook in which the child can draw or print pictures and share any adventures Elvis had that week. Each individual will have an opportunity to be showcased throughout the year. ‘Stars” are welcome and encouraged to bring in a show-and-tell item and a snack to share at the end of their week. Math We are very excited about our new Singapore math program. It is always fun and sometimes challenging to try something new. Our program consists of many resources for teachers, students, and parents.