Week of January 31 - February 4

Announcements for this Week:

Catholic Schools Week: A + for America!

We began Catholic Schools Week with by celebrating in our parish on Sunday, January 30. Students who attended the 9:00 AM Mass at St. Jerome Church in their uniforms and checked in with me will have Non-Uniform Dress on Student Appreciation Day, Tuesday, February 1. 

On Monday, January 31, we celebrate Catholic Schools in our Nation. Students may wear red, white, and blue accessories with their regular school uniforms.

Open House

Our School Open House will take place during Catholic Schools Week on Wednesday, February 2 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Please come see what we have been working on this year, check out the 3rd Grade classroom for next year, and bring your friends and families too!

Feast of St. Blaise

There will be a Special School Mass on Thursday, February 3 at 8:00 AM in honor of the Feast of St. Blaise. We will celebrate this special day with the blessing of throats. This will take the place of our usual Mass this week.

Mardi Gras Dance

Join the St. Jerome community in fun and fellowship at the Mardi Gras Dance on Saturday, February 5 at 6:00 PM in the Parish Hall! I look forward to seeing you there!

Reconciliation Retreats

For those students who have been baptized Catholic and are preparing to receive the Sacraments, our Penance and Reconciliation retreats will take place on Sunday, January 30 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM (Last Names A - L) and Sunday, February 6 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM (Last Names M - Z). At least one parent should accompany each student to the retreat, but please try to arrange child care for siblings. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation will take place on Saturday, February 12 at 9:30 AM. More information will be forthcoming from Mrs. Toth and Mrs. Heppell. Keep practicing your prayers!

Our Star of the Week is: Miles Thomas

Curriculum Update:

Reading: Sports Today and Long Ago, Comprehension Skill: Classifying

Math: Two-Digit Addition with Regrouping
Religion: Chapter 13: Becoming a Better Person (absolution, contrition)
English: Introduction to Adjectives, Words that Describe
Social Studies: People and Nations Trade (barter, trade, specialize) 

Science: How do Plants and Animals Depend on Each Other

Looking Ahead:

Black History Month Mass

There will be a Special School Mass on Thursday, February 10 at 11:15 AM in honor of Black History Month. At this Mass, we will recognize and celebrate African American leaders in the Church. This will take the place of our usual Mass next week.

Valentine's Day

This special day of celebrating love and friendship will be on Monday, February 14. Students may bring in cards or treats to distribute to their classmates, but please be sure to bring enough for all 27 students in the class.

Homework for This Week:

Monday - A+ for America in our Nation

Practice Book pp. 3 -4

Math p. 46

Social Studies Worksheet p. 31

Spelling Words in ABC Order

Tuesday - A+ for America in our Students

Practice Book p. 10

Math p. 47

Social Studies Worksheet p. 32 (RULERS WILL BE NEEDED)

Spelling Word Sentences

Wednesday - A+ for America in our Community
No Homework

Come to Open House (6 - 8 PM)

Thursday - A+ for America in our Vocations, Special Mass at 8 AM

Practice Book p. 16

Science Worksheet p. 36A

Spelling Words Three Times

Study for Spelling Test

Friday - A+ for America in our Faculty, Staff, and Volunteers

Spelling Test
(No Word Knowledge Components This Week)
Vocabulary and Comprehension Quiz

Spelling Words

bravely

friendly

lightly

slowly

softly

weekly

ago

head

still

better

idea

cheer

clear

Dictation Sentence

"I have a better idea," she said, shaking her head slowly.

Week of January 24 - 28

Announcements for this Week:

Career Day

Our Second Grade Career Day will be on Monday, January 24 from 9:00 AM - 10: 30 AM and 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. We are looking forward to hearing from our presenters! 

Career Report

The Career Report is DUE on Monday, January 24. This assignment required students to research the career of a family member or family friend, write a three-paragraph essay about the career they researched, and create a visual aid to accompany their reports. Students may dress in a costume that represents their desired career or the career they researched on Monday, January 24. Please email me with questions at whitesjs@gmail.com.

General Parent Meeting

The Parent Meeting will take place in the Parish Hall on Tuesday, January 25 at 6:00 PM. Please check in with me when you arrive. We will discuss ITBS results, Catholic Schools Week, and other important information about the upcoming school year at the meeting.

Our Star of the Week is: Dominic Elrington

Curriculum Update:

Reading: Unit 3 Test, Review Comprehension Strategies 

                (Summarize, Character, Context Clues, and Cause and Effect)
Math: Cumulative Review, Two-Digit Addition
Religion: Chapter 13: Becoming a Better Person (absolution, contrition)
English: Review of Verbs, Verb Agreement, and Verb Tense
Social Studies: From Field to Market 

                         (human resource, capital resource, scarcity) 
Science: How People Can Cause Food Webs to Change

Looking Ahead:

Catholic Schools Week: A + for America!

We will begin Catholic Schools Week with by celebrating in our parish on Sunday, January 30. Students should attend the 9:00 AM Mass at St. Jerome Church in their uniforms to serve as greeters and sing in the choir. As an extra incentive, students who check in with me at Mass in their uniforms will have Non-Uniform Dress on Student Appreciation Day, Tuesday, February 1.

Open House

Our School Open House will take place during Catholic Schools Week on Wednesday, February 2 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Please come and bring your friends and families!

Feast of St. Blaise

There will be a Special School Mass on Thursday, February 3 at 8:00 AM in honor of the Feast of St. Blaise. We will celebrate this special day with the blessing of throats. This will take the place of our usual Mass next week.

Mardi Gras Dance

Join the St. Jerome community in fun and fellowship at the Mardi Gras Dance on Saturday, February 5 at 6:00 PM in the Parish Hall!

Reconciliation Retreats

For those students who have been baptized Catholic and are preparing to receive the Sacraments, our Penance and Reconciliation retreats will take place on Sunday, January 30 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM (Last Names A - L) and Sunday, February 6 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM (Last Names M - Z). At least one parent should accompany each student to the retreat, but please try to arrange child care for siblings. The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation will take place on Saturday, February 12 at 9:30 AM. More information will be forthcoming from Mrs. Toth and Mrs. Heppell. Keep practicing your prayers!

Homework for This Week:

Monday - Career Day, Report Due!
Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Math Cumulative Review (pp. 151 - 152)
Spelling Review Worksheet

Tuesday - Reading Unit 3 Test, Parent Meeting 6 PM

Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Math p. 43

Social Studies Worksheet

Wednesday - Reading Unit 3 Test
Practice Book p. 245
Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Math p. 44

Thursday - Reading Unit 3 Test
Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Math p. 45

Science Worksheet

Friday - Mass and Assembly

No Spelling Words or Dictation Sentence This Week!

Week of January 17 - 21

A Special Thank You to Second Grade

Dear Second Grade Families,

      I want to thank you all so much for making my birthday so special this year! All of the attention, care, and lovely gifts that you showered on me this week made me feel so loved and appreciated, and I am truly grateful and most appreciative.
      I would like to thank the students in particular for the gifts of my favorite flowers. I received enough to have a bouquet in each room of my home, and the resulting aroma is so sweet and beautiful. Several of the buds blossomed over the weekend, and each day I was surprised and delighted to see new lilies opening their petals to the light.
      I am also particularly indebted to all of your families for contributing to the fantastic scrapbook I received on Friday. I have been showing it off proudly to my friends and family all weekend. I feel so blessed to work with such beautiful, intelligent, and caring students. I get emotional every time I peruse the pages. This will be my favorite keepsake in the years to come.
      I am so thankful to the families who contributed to my week of birthday treats, including my favorite snacks, candies, hobbies, scents, and a fantastic lunch on Thursday! I spent a little bit of time each day indulging in some of my favorite things, and I so appreciate the effort you made to make me feel special. I also want to thank those of you who spent time picking out something personal for me. I received some beautiful gifts from my students on Friday (including a sweet pink polka-dotted package with some of my favorite soaps and lotions, but no name!). Each of these special gifts will resonate with me as I look back fondly on my first class of students at St. Jerome.
      Thank you, thank you, thank you for your love, support, and dedication,
                                                                                                           Ms. White
     

Announcements for this Week:

Progress Reports
Progress Reports for the Second Trimester will be sent home on Tuesday, January 18.

January Book Order

The Scholastic Book Order for January is DUE on Friday, January 21.

Our Star of the Week is: Morgan Bart

Curriculum Update:

Reading: Liking Our Differences, Comprehension Strategy: Summarize
Math: Review Graphing and Data Analysis, Test Friday
Religion: Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession, penance, pardon)
English: Review of Verbs, Verb Agreement, and Verb Tense, Test Thursday
Social Studies: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Working Together for Change 
Science: Food Webs in Grassland and Ocean Environments (food webs)

Looking Ahead:

Career Day

Our Second Grade Career Day will be on Monday, January 24 from 9:00 AM - 10: 30 AM and 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Please think about being a presenter! I am seeking parents and family members who would be willing to spend 15 - 2o minutes talking about their careers with the second graders. The presentations would take place in our classroom on Monday, January 24 from 9:00 AM - 10: 30 AM and 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Please return the slip attached to the Career Report information sheet if you are interested in being a presenter. 

Career Report

The Career Report is DUE on Monday, January 24. This assignment will require students to research the career of a family member or family friend. The goals of this assignment will be for students to 1) develop their ideas about work and how people provide goods or services to earn an income, 2) enrich their understanding of how people work together to achieve goals, and 3) inspire them to think about how people use their God-given skills and talents to serve Him and others. Students should work on this assignment at home although steps of the writing process will be supported at school. The assignment will also include a visual component, such as a photograph, drawing, painting, or collage. Students will be presenting their reports to the class during the week of January 24 - 28. Students may dress in a costume that represents their desired career or the career they researched on Monday, January 24. Please email me with questions at whitesjs@gmail.com.

General Parent Meeting

The Parent Meeting will take place in the Parish Hall on Tuesday, January 25 at 6:00 PM. We will discuss ITBS results and Catholic Schools Week at the meeting.

Catholic Schools Week: A + for America!

We will begin Catholic Schools Week with by celebrating Catholic school in our parish on Sunday, January 30. Students should attend the 9:00 AM Mass at St. Jerome Church in their uniforms to serve as greeters and sing in the choir. As an extra incentive, students who check in with me at Mass in their uniforms will have Non-Uniform Dress on Tuesday, February 1.

Also, St. Jerome School is putting together a slide show to celebrate and pray for veterans as part of our Catholic Schools Week celebration. If you or a member of your family has served in the armed forces, please send in a photo to contribute to our presentation. Students will provide voiceover narration for the photos, and we will all pray together for our servicemen and women, past and present. Please send in your photos by Friday, January 21.

Homework for This Week:

Monday
No School

Tuesday

Practice Book p. 231 - 232

Math p. 42

Spelling Scramble

Work on Career Report

Wednesday
Practice Book p. 238
Math Review Sheet
Spelling Sentences
Work on Career Report
Study for English Test

Thursday -  English Test
Practice Book p. 244
Science Worksheet
Work on Career Report
Study for Spelling and Math Tests

Friday
Spelling and Word Knowledge Test
-includes Spelling and Dictation, Sentences, Syllabication,
  Synonyms/Antonyms, and ABC Order
Vocabulary and Comprehension Quiz

Math Test

Spelling Words

book
hood
shook
stood
took
wood

beautiful
become
even
great
together

bigger
littlest

Dictation Sentence

Even though my brother is bigger than me, we still read books together.

Special Addition to Career Report

Good Afternoon, Parents and Families!

I have some exciting news about our upcoming Career Day!

On Monday, January 24, students will be permitted to dress up in a costume appropriate for the career they would like or the career that they researched. They must be able to explain their costumes and why they are dressed up. Weapons are not appropriate for school, and other props should be cleared with me prior to Career Day.

I hope that this extra incentive helps motivate students (and families) to get excited about Career Day!

Have a great day,
Ms. White

Week of January 10 - 14

Announcements for this Week:

Breakfast and Snacks

This week Mrs. Heppell and I noticed quite a few students complaining of stomach aches, and upon investigation, we discovered that several students were not getting enough to eat in the morning. Please take the time to make sure your child eats a nutritious breakfast before school and brings a snack to eat at recess time. We have a long school day, and lunch is not until 12:30 pm.  A lot of our most important work occurs in the mornings, and students should be alert and mentally prepared each day. They cannot focus on learning if they are hungry or not feeling well. 

Career Report

This week students will be bringing home information about a report due Monday, January 24. This assignment will require students to research the career of a family member or family friend. The goals of this assignment will be for students to 1) develop their ideas about work and how people provide goods or services to earn an income, 2) enrich their understanding of how people work together to achieve goals, and 3) inspire them to think about how people use their God-given skills and talents to serve Him and others. The information sent home this week will include the parameters of the assignment as well as some helpful questions and suggestions to help students get started. Students should work on this assignment at home although steps of the writing process will be supported at school. The assignment will also include a visual component, such as a photograph, drawing, painting, or collage. Students will be presenting their reports to the class during the week of January 24 - 28.

In conjunction with this assignment, I would also like to plan a Career Day for our class. In this, I will need your help. I am seeking parents and family members who would be willing to spend 15 - 2o minutes talking about their careers with the second graders. The presentations would take place in our classroom on Monday, January 24 from 9:00 AM - 10: 30 AM and 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Please return the slip attached to the Career Report information sheet if you are interested in being a presenter. 

Baptism of our Lord Mass

There will be a special school mass on Thursday, January 13 at 11:15 AM in honor of the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord. Please make sure that students wear their regular uniforms on this day (not P.E. uniforms). This Special Mass will take the place of our usual Friday Mass for this week. 

Our Star of the Week is: Chloe Jackson

Curriculum Update:

Reading: Solving Puzzles, Comprehension Strategy: Character
Math: Circle Graphs, Line Plots, and Venn Diagrams
Religion: Chapter 11, The Holy Spirit Helps Us (Holy Spirit, conscience)
English: Verb Tense, Prefixes (re- and un-)
Social Studies: Goods and Services, Saving Money (goods, services, 
                         factory, price, bank, savings account) 
Science: Food Chains (predator, prey, food chain)

Looking Ahead:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
There will be no school on Monday, January 17 in observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are several events taking place around Los Angeles that day to remember and celebrate Dr. King. I highly recommend the Kingdom Day Parade which begins at 11:00 AM at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Western Ave. and ends with a festival at Leimert Park. I also suggest a stop by the California African American Museum in Exposition Park for Cake for King! At 1:00 PM, they will be serving cake and cupcakes and showing historical films about Dr. King's leadership in the Civil Rights Movement and live readings of Dr. King's speeches.

Progress Reports
Progress Reports for the Second Trimester will be sent home on Tuesday, January 18.

January Book Order

The Scholastic Book Order for January is DUE on Friday, January 21.

Career Day

Our Second Grade Career Day will be on Monday, January 24 from 9:00 AM - 10: 30 AM and 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Please think about being a presenter!

General Parent Meeting

The Parent Meeting will take place in the Parish Hall on Tuesday, January 25 at 6:00 PM. We will discuss ITBS results and Catholic Schools Week at the meeting.

Catholic Schools Week: A + for America!

We will begin Catholic Schools Week with by celebrating Catholic school in our parish on Sunday, January 30. Students should attend the 9:00 AM Mass at St. Jerome Church in their uniforms to serve as greeters and sing in the choir. As an extra incentive, students who check in with me at Mass in their uniforms will have Non-Uniform Dress on Tuesday, February 1.

Also, St. Jerome School is putting together a slide show to celebrate and pray for veterans as part of our Catholic Schools Week celebration. If you or a member of your family has served in the armed forces, please send in a photo to contribute to our presentation. Students will provide voiceover narration for the photos, and we will all pray together for our servicemen and women, past and present. Please send in your photos by Friday, January 21.

Homework for This Week:

Monday
Practice Book p. 215

Math p. 38 

English Worksheet

Write your Spelling Words three times each

Tuesday
Practice Book p. 216
Math Book p. 39
Social Studies Worksheet
Spelling Words in ABC Order

Wednesday
Practice Book p. 223
Math p. 40
Science Worksheet
Spelling Clues

Thursday 
Practice Book p. 228
Math p. 41
English Worksheet
Study for Spelling Test

Friday
Spelling and Word Knowledge Test
-includes Spelling and Dictation, Sentences, Meanings, Rhymes, and Scrambles
Vocabulary and Comprehension Quiz

Math Quiz

Spelling Words

corn

door

horse

more

pour

store

bring

brought

next

picture

read

hurries

cried

Dictation Sentence

Will you bring home more corn the next time you go to the store?

Week of January 3 - 7

Welcome back to school! I hope everyone enjoyed a fun and festive holiday break! I spent the holidays here at home cooking, cleaning, and spending time with my family and friends. I was also able to enjoy some (much-needed) rest and a couple of really great books! Now, I'm ready to be back at school, getting down to business!

Our students are now well into their second grade school year, and it's time to raise the bar a bit and really start preparing for third grade and upper elementary school. Some of the standards and expectations for student work are going to be more strictly enforced now that we are almost midway through the year. Students will be expected to consistently write in complete sentences on their homework and classwork. They will be expected to show their work on math quizzes and tests. Spelling tests will be adapted to assess word knowledge as well as spelling ability. Students will be asked to alphabetize, identify synonyms or antonyms, or use spelling words in sentences on the spelling tests. This week's test will include alphabetizing, sentences, and identifying the two words that make up the spelling words that are contractions (i.e. didn't = did not).

Also, in response to some parent concerns, I am going to experiment with assigning an extra sheet of homework each night which would address topics we are studying in Science, Social Studies, and English. It is my hope that this extra bit of practice will help students review and clarify concepts taught in class as well as keep parents more frequently updated on the Science, Social Studies, and English content we are studying prior to tests. I am open to feedback, so please let me know what you think!

Announcements for this Week:

Make-up Math Quiz

Before the holiday break, the students took a math quiz that proved to be a bit challenging. The content of the quiz included pictographs, bar graphs, and survey data. Students were asked to interpret the data on the graphs by answering questions, comparing values, and identifying the range, median, and mode of the data. Because several students struggled with this quiz, I am planning to spend this week reviewing pictographs, bar graphs, and survey data and how to interpret the information presented in these graphs. On Wednesday, I will send home a new copy of the quiz for homework. Students will not be allowed to use a Homework Pass on this assignment. The old quiz score and new quiz score will be averaged together when the scores are posted on Gradelink.

Our Star of the Week is: Nicholas Kemp

Curriculum Update:

Reading: Being a Good Friend, Comprehension Strategy: Cause and Effect
Math: Review of Graphing (range, median, mode)
Religion: Review of Reconciliation
English: Review of Verbs, Subject-Verb Agreement, and Verb Tense
Social Studies: Work (producers, consumers, income) 
Science: How Plants and Animals Live Together (producer, consumer)

Looking Ahead:

January Book Order

The Scholastic Book Order for January will be sent home this week. It is also available online using the Parent Order Form. Book Orders will be DUE on Friday, January 21.

Baptism of our Lord Mass

There will be a special school mass on Thursday, January 13 at 11:15 AM in honor of the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord. This will take the place of our usual school Mass next week.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
There will be no school on Monday, January 17 in observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are several events taking place around Los Angeles that day to remember and celebrate Dr. King. I highly recommend the Kingdom Day Parade which begins at 11:00 AM at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Western Ave. and ends with a festival at Leimert Park. I also suggest a stop by the California African American Museum in Exposition Park for Cake for King! At 1:00 PM, they will be serving cake and cupcakes and showing historical films about Dr. King's leadership in the Civil Rights Movement and live readings of Dr. King's speeches.

Progress Reports
Progress Reports for the Second Trimester will be sent home on Tuesday, January 18.

Homework for This Week:

Monday
No School

Tuesday
Practice Book pp. 199 - 200
Math Book p. 140
Social Studies Worksheet
Spelling Words in ABC Order

Wednesday
Practice Book p. 206
Math Make-Up Quiz (CANNOT USE HOMEWORK PASS)
English Worksheet
Spelling Sentences

Thursday 
Practice Book p. 212
Math p. 37
Science Worksheet
Study for Spelling Test

Friday
Spelling and Word Knowledge Test
-includes Spelling and Dictation, Alphabetizing, Sentences, and Contractions
Vocabulary and Comprehension Quiz

Spelling Words

I'll
I'm
can't
didn't
he's
she's

best
sometimes
across
either
toward

spoon
through

Dictation Sentence

I'm so sorry I didn't get through to you sooner!