Dear Parents,

Our day begins with our Morning Meeting where each child is greeted. When children greet one another, they learn courtesy, how to respond politely when someone speaks to them and how to care for their classmates. Hearing their name makes students feel proud and important. Second graders are given opportunities to share at this time. They feel that their ideas are valued and that their classmates are interested in them. We learn how to ask good questions and make respectful comments.

Our Language Arts program encompasses many areas-guided reading, shared reading of big books, charts and poems. Teacher read aloud independent reading, spelling, phonics and the writing process, including appropriate capitalization and ending punctuation.

Our Cast-A-Spell spelling program focuses on helping students gain strategies utilized by good spellers through the use of three kinds of learners- visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), and kinesthetic (touching). Children use dry erase boards, and markers and through directed and sequential lessons, learn how to spell.

The school district has adopted a new math program entitled Everyday Mathematics. This program focuses on helping students acquire mathematics. This program focuses on helping students acquire mathematical concepts and skills, but at the same time, nurtures higher order critical thinking skills related to everyday situations. This program raises expectations with respect to the amount and range of mathematics and focuses on all the major mathematical content domains- number sense, algebra, measurement, geometry, data analysis, and probability. This program is taught in a repeated, cyclical pattern, beginning with concrete experiences. It integrates new learning with previous knowledge and experiences. It integrates new learning with previous knowledge and experiences.

Second graders have four weekly specials: art, gym, library, and music. Students have a morning and afternoon recess.

I hope this information provides you with a better understanding of your child’s day!

Mrs. Fiorillo