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!