NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 24TH

Hi! HAPPY FALL, EVERYONE!!! It's been a busy, busy, busy week here in second grade this week! Today was such a great day! Mrs. Corsino's class did an AMAZING job during chapel. What a great message---we can all make a difference in our world with the Lord's help! After that, Johnny Appleseed Day went off without a hitch! The children really enjoyed all of the APPLE ACTIVITIES! Thanks so much to those of you who sent in items and to those of you who were able to come in and help! We wouldn't be able to have these special days without you!

Lots of learning happened this week, too! Here are just a few highlights:
*Bible - We learned about how Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea. I dressed up like Moses and we all acted out the story. It was fun! Ask your child to tell you about it!
*Reading - We read all about Johnny Appleseed during reading group, and we continued to discuss the strategies that good readers use.
*Writing - We finished up our reports about the Arctic Ocean. We also journaled about Johnny Appleseed Day, and we wrote some Dolphin Poetry, too!
*Science - We started learning about plants, observed leaves and drew what we saw, watched the seeds we planted last week sprout, and began an experiment where we put some carnations into colored water. Ask your child to tell you what happened!
*Math - This week, we focused on place value. Most of the children are able to read numbers to the millions place! WOWWWEEEEE! We reviewed telling time and counting change, as well, and we learned about fractions, too!
*Spelling/Phonics - We reviewed the difference between short and long vowels; we talked about soft c, hard c, soft g, and hard g; and we practiced our phonics charts.
*Handwriting - This week, we focused on practicing our printing.
*Language Arts - We learned about homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings).

Here are some announcements and reminders:
*For the next few weeks, we are going to continue studying plant life and start studying animals during Science. We are in need of a BUNCH of magazines with different kinds of plants and animals in them. If you have any National Geographic or any other magazines with plants or animals that you no longer want, could you send them in for us? We'll be cutting them up, so make sure you don't want them back. Thanks!
*Hispanic Heritage Day is coming up on Wednesday, September 29th from 10:00-1:00.
Mrs. Hernandez is asking Mrs. Corsino's students to each bring in a bag of plantain chips (You can find them at Publix) and Mrs. Ludwig's class to bring in sugary cookies. Thanks so much!
*This year's ANNUAL AUCTION will be held on NOVEMBER 4TH! Mrs. Corsino's class is responsible for a "Movie" basket, and Mrs. Ludwig's class is responsible for a "Gators" basket. Please send in items if you can! For Mrs. Corsino's class, some ideas include movie tickets, movie candy, popcorn, the popcorn containers you can buy at Target, a DVD of a great movie, movie stickers, etc. So far, we have one movie and a bunch of movie candy! For Mrs. Ludwig, anything that goes along with the Florida Gators will do!

During my personal devotion time this week I've been reading in the Book of Matthew. Chapter 5 verses 43-46 really had an impact on me. It says, "You have heard that it was said 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" It is easy to love our friends and our family members who love us, but Jesus calls us to love those who are hard to love. Love is what it's all about!

Have a SUPER-DUPER weekend!
In Christ's Name,
Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Ludwig

PS Mrs. Corsino's STAR STUDENT next week will be GAEL.
Mrs. Ludwig's will be GEMMA.

SECRET WORD: FLOWERS

NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 17, 2010

Dear Parents,

Hi! We've had another WONDERFUL WEEK here in second grade! We finished our reading unit with a story called The Library. It was a funny fictional piece which rhymed! The children were able to make lots of connections with it, which made it fun! We continued our study of Sea Life in Science by beginning to research the Arctic Ocean. We'll finish these up next week! Today we had a blast celebrating Abby's birthday, meeting Jordan's guinea pig Doodles, and having our very own Passover celebration (that's what we're learning about it Bible)!

Here are some other things we learned:
*Writing - We started writing a report about what we learned about the Arctic Ocean.
*Math - We continued to focus on counting coins this week! Specifically, we talked about how to make an amount using the fewest possible coins. We tasted apples and graphed our favorites, and we reviewed lots of other math skills, too!
*Science - For most of this semester, we will be learning about plants, animals, and habitats for Science. This week we learned about plant and animal life in the Arctic Ocean. In the Science Lab, the children learned why freshwater creatures can't survive in salt water and vice versa.
*Social Studies - We continued our study of Johnny Appleseed!
*Language Arts - We reviewed nouns, verbs, and pronouns.
*Bible - We learned all about the Passover meal and why it's celebrated, and Mrs. Corsino's class continued practicing for our class chapel. Today we had our own Passover Meal! Cool!
*We also practiced our spelling words and learned how to make a lower case b in cursive!

Here are some announcements and reminders:
*If your child is in Mrs. Corsino's class, remember to send in a handheld mirror!!!
*Johnny Appleseed Day is right around the corner!!! It will take place on Friday, September 24th. Each child should come to school that day dressed like Johnny Appleseed! After chapel, we will do some fun apple activities. Thanks so much to all of you who have volunteered to help out on that day! The activities will be pretty self-explanatory, so we'll let you know your job right after chapel that morning!
*Mrs. Corsino's class will also have their special class chapel that morning at 8:15. The children will be singing 2 songs and putting on a short play for all to see! Soooo...Mrs. Corsino's class should come dressed in jeans and white T-shirts. They may bring other Johnny Appleseed attire (i.e. flannel shirts, rope belts, pans, etc.) to put on after chapel. WOW! What a fun day it's going to be!
*Hispanic Heritage Day is coming up on Wednesday, September 29th from 10:00-1:00. Mrs. Hernandez sent home a note about this in the Friday folder. At the bottom of this newsletter, you'll see a list of things that the second graders are being asked to bring in that day!
*Next week is spiritual emphasis week. To help make a difference, we are being asked to send in the following items for the food pantry: peanut butter, jelly, ramen noodles, and loose change. Anything you can send in would be appreciated!
*We are already looking forward to this year's ANNUAL AUCTION! Mrs. Corsino's class is responsible for a "Movie" basket, and Mrs. Ludwig's class is responsible for a "Gators" basket. Please send in items if you can! For Mrs. Corsino's class, some ideas include movie tickets, movie candy, popcorn, the popcorn containers you can buy at Target, a DVD of a great movie, movie stickers, etc. For Mrs. Ludwig, anything that go along with the Florida Gators will do!

The other day at home I was reading Psalm 37:3-6, which says, "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun." God loves us more than we can comprehend, and He smiles when we trust Him and delight in Him. Doesn't that make you smile, too?

Have a SUPER-DUPER weekend!

In Christ's Name,
Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Ludwig

PS Mrs. Corsino's STAR STUDENT next week will be RILEY.
Mrs. Ludwig's will be SHANE.

SECRET WORD: BELUGA WHALES

***MRS. HERNANDEZ IS ASKING IF SECOND GRADE PARENTS CAN SEND IN THE FOLLOWING FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE DAY:
MRS. CORSINO'S CLASS - PLANTAIN CHIPS (THEY SELL THESE AT PUBLIX)
MRS. LUDWIG'S CLASS - COOKIES WITH POWDERED SUGAR ON THEM
THANK YOU!!!

Second Grade Soccer Players

NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 10TH

Dear Parents,

Hi! HAPPY FRIDAY! It was a short but busy week here in second grade! We continued our Reading Unit called "Let's Read!" with a fun story called Come Back, Jack! It was about a girl who thought reading was BORING until her little brother showed her what an adventure reading can be! Ask your child to tell you all about it!

Today was a special day! In chapel, we honored the people who serve our country in remembrance of September 11th. Then, after chapel, Lt. Glover visited the second grade. He talked to us about his life as a lieutenant and answered questions that the children had. We played a fun game on the Smartboard about American holidays and sang some American songs, too! To show our thanks, we are asking the second graders to bring in a bag of hard candy next week so that we can send it over to the men and women serving in Iraq. Any donations to help with shipping will be appreciated!

Here are some other things we learned:
*Writing - We wrote some descriptive pieces persuading fictional creatures to try our apples!
*Math - We focused on counting coins this week! We talked about liquid measurement, too!
*Science - We started learning about plants...and apples...for Science!
*Social Studies - We focused on our study of Johnny Appleseed!
*Language Arts - We reviewed the difference between subject pronouns and object pronouns. We learned about verbs, too!
*Bible - We finished learning about Moses' life, and Mrs. Corsino's class continued practicing for our class chapel.
*We also practiced our spelling words and started learning cursive! This week we learned how to make a lower case e!

Here are some announcements and reminders:
*Please make sure your child is in dress code each day. Thank you!!!
*If your child is in Mrs. Corsino's class, don't forget to send in a handheld mirror!!!
*We will be celebrating Johnny Appleseed Day on Friday, September 24th. Each child should come to school that day dressed like Johnny Appleseed! After chapel, we will do some fun apple activities. We would LOVE to have some parent help for this fun day, so please write a note in your child's agenda if you'll be able to come!
*Mrs. Corsino's class will also have their special class chapel that morning at 8:15. The children will be singing 2 songs and putting on a short play for all to see! Soooo...Mrs. Corsino's class should come dressed in jeans and white T-shirts. They may bring other Johnny Appleseed attire (i.e. flannel shirts, rope belts, pans, etc.) to put on after chapel. WOW! What a fun day it's going to be!
*This year's ANNUAL AUCTION will be here soon! Mrs. Corsino's class is responsible for a "Movie" basket, and Mrs. Ludwig's class is responsible for a "Gators" basket. Please send in items if you can! For Mrs. Corsino's class, some ideas include movie tickets, movie candy, popcorn, the popcorn containers you can buy at Target, a DVD of a great movie, movie stickers, etc. For Mrs. Ludwig, anything that go along with the Florida Gators will do!

Last week, my Bible study discussed the miracle of the widow and the oil found in 2 Kings 4:1-7. To paraphrase, the widow was deeply in debt because her husband died. Her debtors came to her house and told her that if she didn't pay her debt in 3 days, they would return and take her sons as slaves. She called out to a prophet of God that she knew, and he came to her home. He asked her what she had and she told him that she just had a little bit of oil. He told her to go borrow jars from all of her neighbors and to pour the oil that she had into the jars. She did what he told her to do, and the oil that she had was multiplied by the Lord to the point where all the jars were filled. Then, he told her to sell the oil to pay her debt. The thing that struck me about this story was the widow's faith. What the prophet told her to do seemed silly, but she did it anyway. The other thing that struck me was that the Lord provided for her at the moment she needed Him desperately, but not a moment before. God's timing is ALWAYS perfect, and He will always meet our needs...but we have to have Faith!

Have a great weekend!

In Christ's Name,
Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Ludwig

PS Mrs. Corsino's STAR STUDENT next week will be JORDAN GAMBLE.
Mrs. Ludwig's will be BRYSON TRAMMELL

SECRET WORD: APPLE PIE

NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 3RD

Dear Parents,

Hi! HAPPY SEPTEMBER! It was so nice to see all of you last night at Open House! I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with you and to celebrate your children and the year ahead!

What a fun filled week we had here at NCS in Second Grade! Yesterday, we had a superstar named Alexandra Amor visit our class! She started her visit by playing her guitar and singing Amazing Grace. She talked to the children about how they are all STARS and can be anything they want to be! This fit in GREAT with what we've been discussing at school---how God has a Purpose for all of our lives and how we can SHINE for Him!!!

We also began our Reading Unit called "Let's Read!" Throughout this unit, we will focus on how much FUN reading is and talk about some different things that we read! Here are some other things we learned:


*Writing - We finished writing our autobiographies and wrote Apple Acrostic Poems. We wrote thank you letters to Alex, too!
*Math - We focused on telling time, and we also
*Science - We continued learning about sea life. We also learned about the Scientific Method and did a fun experiment with an egg and salt water. Ask your child to tell you about it!!!
*Social Studies - We talked some more about American Holidays and learned why we celebrate the Fourth of July and Labor Day. We began learning about Johnny
Appleseed, too! Today we did a webquest and made apple pizzas to kick off the unit!
*Language Arts - We reviewed the difference between common and proper nouns. Then, we learned what a pronoun is and discussed the difference between a subject pronoun and an object pronoun.
*Bible - We discussed part of the story of Moses life, and Mrs. Corsino's class continued practicing for our class chapel.
*We also practiced our spelling words and started learning cursive! This week we learned w!

Here are some announcements and reminders:
*THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOL NEXT MONDAY IN CELEBRATION OF LABOR DAY! HAVE FUN!
*Mrs. Neri has asked all of the teachers to make sure children are in dress code. Please check the handbook if you have any questions! Basically, each child should wear a NCS uniform shirt and UNIFORM pants or shorts each day. On Fridays, JEANS (or jean shorts) may be worn with spirit shirts or witness wear shirts. Please be sure to follow the haircut rule, too!
*If your child is in Mrs. Corsino's class, please send him to school with a handheld mirror if you haven't done so yet. We will be using these for our chapel, so we will keep them at school until then. Any size is fine, as long as it's not too big! The perfect size would be the size of the ones they sell for lockers. They can have handles, but they don't need to. THANKS! (Please don't send in anything valuable. We will be very careful...but there's a chance that mirrors can break! :o)
*We will be celebrating Johnny Appleseed Day on Friday, September 24th. (*tentative date) Each child should come to school that day dressed like Johnny Appleseed! After chapel, we will do some fun apple activities. We would LOVE to have some parent help for this fun day, so please write a note in your child's agenda if you'll be able to come!
*Mrs. Corsino's class will also have their special class chapel that morning at 8:15. The children will be singing 2 songs and putting on a short play for all to see! Soooo...Mrs. Corsino's class should come dressed in jeans and white T-shirts. They may bring other Johnny Appleseed attire (i.e. flannel shirts, rope belts, pans, etc.) to put on after chapel. WOW! What a fun day it's going to be!

During my personal devotion time at home, I've been reading in the Book of Psalms. Recently, I read Psalm 29, and verse 11 really caught my attention. It says, "The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." Sometimes, I get so caught up in all the things I have to do that I forget to look to the Lord for help. But if we just take a moment to turn to our Heavenly Father and pour out our hearts to Him, He promises to give us strength..and peace. And, as our sweet second graders can tell you from last week's lesson, God always keeps His promises!!!

In Christ's Name,
Mrs. Corsino and Mrs. Ludwig
PS Mrs. Corsino's STAR STUDENT next week will be JACK FELDMAN.
Mrs. Ludwig's will be JAIME.

SECRET WORD: APPLES

***Mrs. Swango asked me to remind everyone about Cameron's birthday party this Saturday at Planet Jump from 10-12. She asked me to ask you all to RSVP so that she'll know how many people to expect! HAVE FUN AT THE PARTY!!!