NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 29TH

Wow!!! It has been an AMAZING week of fun and learning here at NCS in Second Grade!

The Young Scientists started off the week making up their own dinosaurs! Each child gave his/her dinosaur a name (i.e. polkadotasaurus, loveasaurus, spikeasaurus, etc.) and wrote a poem about his/her dinosaur. FUN!

On Tuesday, the entire class continued learning about dinosaurs. We read a wonderful expository selection titled "Dinosaur Fossils" which taught us some facts about how paleontologists uncover fossils. Here are some other things we learned this week:

• Reading - We reviewed the /ar/sound and practiced the following reading strategies: Asking Questions, Monitoring and Clarifying, Making Connections, and Summarizing. We reviewed Main Ideas and Details, too!






• Writing - Mrs. Corsino's class finished our 5 paragraph essays on LOVE!!! Mrs. Ludwig's class wrote 5 paragraph essays about how to build a snowman!






• Language Arts - We reviewed contractions, nouns, verbs, and adjectives. We also reviewed the difference between linking and helping verbs!






• Math - We did SO MANY ACTIVITIES talking about 100! We practiced skip-counting, odd/even, patterning, and making tallies, and we introduced the children to the concept of multiplication! We began learning about geometry, too, specifically about slides, flips, and turns. We had THE BEST time celebrating the 100th Day of School! We made 100 day snack mix, came up with a list of 100 animals, did 100 jumping jacks, etc. Ask your child to tell you all about the fun!






• Bible - We talked about what it means to love the Lord with all of our heart.






• Science - We continued learning about weather. Specifically, we discussed types of clouds and what to do during a dangerous storm. We had SOOOOO MUCH FUN at the Science Center learning about weather and about matter!

Here are a few announcements/reminders:

• Please send a FLASHLIGHT to school with your child by NEXT TUESDAY. We will be using them ON TUESDAY to celebrate Groundhog Day! (A few of the children already have flashlights here from when we used them earlier in the year...but not many do!)






• Your child's weather instrument project is due NEXT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH.






• Next FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, we would LOVE to make some "fossils" with the children. In order to do so, we will need: a big bag of sand, some plaster of paris, some shoe boxes, and some items like shells, bones, feathers, stones, etc. If you could send in any of these items before next Thursday, that would be WONDERFUL!!!






• Our NCS 2nd Annual Car and Bike Show will be on Saturday, February 6th from 10am – 2pm. It should be a fun day!






• Remember to re-enroll next week on-line through infodirect. You save $50 if you complete the process by Feb. 5th. Email https://mx-01/owa/redir.aspx?C=01f3b5d494454adfa5792b0305bacc0b&URL=mailto%3aRandilyn.Farrell%40nck12.com if you have any questions! :) You are going to LOVE 3rd grade here at NCS! Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Cooke and THE BEST!






• Our Valentine Party will be on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, not on Friday, February 12th like it said on the note that came home, because there is no school on FRIDAY THE 12TH as it's a teacher training day.






• Be sure to send in A DECORATED VALENTINE BOX and VALENTINES FOR YOUR CHILD TO PASS OUT on or before Thursday, February 11th. THANKS!






• There is also NO SCHOOL on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH in recognition of President's Day.

For my personal devotion time this week, I have been reading in the Book of 1 Peter. Chapter 5 verse 7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." No matter what you're going through in your life, the Lord is right there with you. If you're holding onto anxiety, pray and let the Lord have it. He will take care of it. Just trust Him!

Have a wonderful weekend!

In Christ's Name,

Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Ludwig

PS We are in DESPERATE NEED of toys for our classroom store!!!

PPS Mrs. Corsino's Star Student next week will be DYLAN!

Mrs. Ludwig's will be RYAN.

SECRET WORD: ONE HUNDRED!

NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 22ND

Hi! Happy Friday! What a wonderful winter week we've had here in second grade! We started a new unit about fossils and dinosaurs, and we read a funny story titled "The Dinosaur Who Lived in my Backyard." Here are some other things we learned:

• Reading - We focused on the strategies asking questions, making connections, and visualizing while reading our stories this week.
• Math - We continued to review time, focusing on the concept "15 minutes til" or "quarter til." We also started a math unit on geometry, and we practiced addition and subtraction with regrouping.
• Writing - We reviewed how to write a 5 paragraph essay, and we talked about adding adjectives to our writing to make it more interesting and fun to read.
• Bible - We talked about the Old Testament and the New Testament, discussing how they relate. We also talked about what made Jesus different from other people.
• Language Arts - We reviewed adjectives, sentence types (imperative, declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory), and contractions.
• Science - We continued learning about the weather!!!

Here are some important announcements and reminders:

• Next week during our regular library times, the children will have the opportunity to shop at our Annual 5th Grade Used Book Sale, so please send your child to school with money that day if he/she would like to buy a few books. Prices range from 25 cents up to a dollar. MRS. CORSINO'S CLASS will shop on TUESDAY. MRS. LUDWIG'S CLASS already shopped on FRIDAY.
• Our field trip to the Science Center will be next WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20TH. Remember to send in $4.50 to cover the cost of the trip if you haven't done so yet. Also, please be sure to PACK A LUNCH THAT DAY. Thanks! We will leave school around 9:45 that morning and be back on campus around noon. We will then eat lunch at the picnic tables (or in the classroom if it's too cold outside!!!)
• We are asking each child to go to http://www.spellingcity.com/ each weekend and take a pretest of that week's words there. You will need to type the words into the blanks. Then, click on "take test" and have your child give it a try! It's just a pretest to see which words your child already knows and which ones he/she needs to study. Please print out the results and send them in with your child's homework. This will be part of the homework grade. Thanks!

This week during my personal devotion time, I've been reading in the Book of 1 Peter. Chapter 4 verse 8 jumped out at me. It says, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." If I had to sum up the message of the whole entire Bible it would be love. God is love. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die to pay for our sins...and He wants us to show that kind of love to the people in our lives. Whether it's to your family...the people you work with...the people who are driving too slowly on the highway...the people in line at the grocery store...the people who are holding the "I'm hungry" signs...the people who drive brand new jaguars...whoever it may be, God wants us to show them love.

And by the way, I truly LOVE all of you! Have a blessed weekend!

In Christ's Name,

Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Lupia

PS Mrs. Corsino's star student next week will be KAYLEE.

Mrs. Ludwigs' will be GORDON.

SECRET WORD: LOVE

NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 15

Hi! Happy Friday! What a FANTASTIC week it's been here in second grade!!!

Our Young Scientists began the week learning all about thunder. We took a trip to the science lab and made our own thunder...ask your child to tell you about it! We talked about what thunder is, we discussed how light travels faster than sound, and we talked about ways to stay safe during storms. (The Young Scholars went to the lab with Mrs. Tomlin this week, too!)

Here are some other things we learned:

• Social Studies - We discussed who Martin Luther King Jr. was and what important things he accomplished. The children made cupcake microphones and shared what they learned!
• Science - We learned more about weather, focusing on the tools that measure weather and on tornadoes and hurricanes.
• Reading - We read a selection called "Animal Camouflage" and practiced the strategies Summarizing and Making Connections.
• Writing - We learned what a book review is and practiced writing non-fiction and fiction book reviews.
• Language Arts - We reviewed what a complete sentence is as well as proper capitalization and punctuation. We also reviewed the 4 types of sentences.
• Bible - We learned about the 12 tribes of Israel, we talked about the importance of doing what's right even when the people around you are doing the wrong thing, and we talked about being thankful to God and worshipping Him only.

Here are some important announcements/reminders:

• There is no school this coming MONDAY, JANUARY 18TH in celebration of Martin Luther King Day!
• We will be going on a field trip to the SCIENCE CENTER on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27TH. We will leave school around 9:45 and arrive back on campus around noon. PLEASE BE SURE TO PACK A LUNCH THAT DAY AS WE WON'T BE BACK TO SCHOOL IN TIME FOR HOT LUNCH!!! The cost for the trip is $4.50---Please send this in as soon as possible! Thank you!

This week during my personal devotion time, I've been reading in the book of James. The verse that jumped out at me was chapter 1 verse 19 which says, "...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry..." It got me thinking about our world. It seems like there are so many angry people around...in the stores...on the roads...people who are quick to complain or show anger toward others. But God's word tells us that we should be "slow" to do these things...and instead be "quick" to listen. I pray that the Lord helps me to always follow His Word!

Have a GREAT weekend!

In Christ's Name,

:) Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Ludwig

PS Mrs. Corsino's Star Student next week will be ABIGAIL.

Mrs. Ludwig's will be RHYS.

***MRS. CORSINO'S CLASS...PLEASE BE SURE TO RSVP TO JOHN CICHOWSKI'S DAD FOR HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY ASAP! THEY NEED A COUNT TO KNOW HOW MUCH "STUFF" TO BUY FOR THE FUN!!! THANKS!!!!!

SECRET WORD: DREAM

NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 8TH

HI, EVERYBODY!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We have had a FANTASTIC first week of January here in second grade! We kicked off the year by discussing some fun things we did over Christmas vacation while eating Happy New Year cookies! YUM! We read a fun New Year story and took some cute New Year pictures, too! Here are some highlights of other things we did this week:

• Science - We started a unit on weather. We read a fun poem called "Sunflakes" and started graphing the high and low temperatures each day. It sure has been a cold week!!! We discussed some instruments that can be used to measure weather, and we talked about different types of precipitation, too!
• Math - We started a unit on time, focusing on time to the 5 minutes and on elapsed time, too! The children practiced on our mini clocks, which was fun!
• Reading - We continued our unit on animals that use camouflage by reading a selection called "How Guinea Fowl Got Her Spots." We reviewed the elements of folktales and practiced the following reading strategies: asking questions, making connections, and making predictions. We practiced drawing conclusions, too!
• Bible - We talked about obedience and discussed the story of Joshua and Jericho.
• Writing - Mrs. Corsino's class reviewed the format for writing 5 paragraph essays, and we wrote about our goals for the coming year. (We talked about the word "resolution" and what it means. We also talked about how, as Christians, we are new creations in Christ!) Mrs. Ludwig's class wrote their very own folktales! How cute!!!
• Language Arts - We talked about subject-verb agreement and reviewed the 1-1-1 rule! We also reviewed compound words.
• We started cursive handwriting, too! What fun!!!

Here are a few other announcements:

• Mrs. Ludwig's class hat lots of fun getting to know her! It's going to be a great second semester for them!
• Next week is WHEELS WEEK during PR time! Your child may bring in anything with wheels that DOES NOT have a motor! Bikes, scooters, and roller skates will be great! Be sure to send in a helmet, too! They will have fun with these on their PE time next week!
• NO SCHOOL MONDAY, JANUARY 18TH---MATIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY!!!
• As we are studying weather, we are planning a trip to the Science Center. It is tentatively scheduled for WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27TH AT 10:00, pending approval from our field trip committee. I will let you know as soon as it gets approved. If approval is granted, the cost will be $4.50 per child. We will leave school that day around 9:40 and return around noon, so if we do go, your child will need to bring a lunch that day. We will eat around 12:15 when we get back!
• The 5th grade is collecting used books for the used book sale, so feel free to clean out your closets and send some in! The sale will take place in a few weeks...be watching the newsletter for specific dates!
• Many of the children are in need of supplies! Please send in new crayons, markers, pencils and glue sticks. Some of the children need Author's Notebooks, too!
• In addition to our regular homework, we will be adding one more assignment per week in second grade! Each child will need to practice his/her spelling words at home and turn in one of the following:

*Spelling words written 2 times each

*Spelling word pyramids (The children know what this is!) OR...

*Rainbow words (The children know what this is, too!)

THANKS SOOOOOO MUCH FOR HELPING US HELP YOUR CHILD PREPARE FOR

THIRD GRADE!!! :)

As it's a brand new year, I've been thinking a lot about 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Each January, so many people make resolutions to try to better themselves. Those of us who are part of Jesus' family, though, start each day with a clean slate. The Lord loves us, and He separates our sin from us "...as far as the east is from the west..."(Psalm 103:12).

Have a FABULOUS weekend!

In Christ's Name,

Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Ludwig

PS Mrs. Corsino's Star Student next week will be JACOB.

Mrs. Ludwig's will be EMA.

SECRET WORD: FREEZING!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

January 4, 2010

Dear Parents,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas break with your families! Today was a great day! The children and I spent the morning celebrating the New Year, eating Happy New Year cookies, and talking about the fun we had during our vacations! Once the Young Scholars left for their wonderful day, the Young Scientists and I had lots of fun doing New Year’s activities! We also began our Science Unit on weather, which the Young Scholars will start tomorrow!

I wanted to take a minute to remind you of a few little things:
1. Please be sure to return your child’s bookmark TOMORROW. Mrs. Neri wants all of the reading minutes tallied no later than the end of this week, and I need time to add them all up. THANKS!
2. Instead of the bookmark, I am going to start sending home reading calendars like I did last year because the children keep losing their bookmarks!!! J These will be due THE LAST DAY OF EACH MONTH. Please don’t forget…our class is losing the Reading Contest every month because many of these aren’t being turned in. I know that the children are reading, but I need the documentation to give to Mrs. Neri in order for their hard work to count for the contest. Thanks sooooo much! If it’s hard to keep track of the calendar, just keep it stapled in your child’s agenda and I’ll rip it out when it’s due. Just be sure to fill in the number of minutes read each night. J
3. Please be sure to have your child turn in the Moon Homework that he/she did over break. If your child forgot to do it (or if he/she didn’t do it because I forgot to give you the Friday Folder before you left on Thursday), don’t worry! I found a website that shows what the moon looked like on any date that you type in…so you can either have your child go back and draw what the moon looked like in December, or you can just look at the moon for the next 8 days, have your child draw what it looks like, and then turn it in. Please be sure to have it to me no later than next Thursday as it will count for a Science grade. The website is www.briancasey.org/artifacts/astro/moon.cgi.

Thanks so much! I am truly happy to be back here teaching your sweeties! We’re going to have a terrific time in 2010!

In Christ’s Name,
:) Mrs. Corsino