NEWSLETTER - MARCH 25TH



What a GREAT week we had here in second grade!  I was out on Monday because Gavin was sick AGAIN (...what a year of sickness it's been), but the children started off the week with lots of learning courtesy of Mrs. Greenleaf!  The highlight of the week for me has been Bible and writing.   We began learning the story of the first Easter, and the children are writing essays recounting what happened.  We'll be finishing these up after SPRING BREAK!!!

Here are some other things we learned:
*Bible - We started talking about and writing about the true meaning of Easter.  In the middle of this lesson, we talked about how sometimes the Holy Spirit will promt us to do things, and I showed the children a clip called The Hairbrush Story by Beth Moore.  There's a link at the top of this blog if you'd like to watch it!!!  It's a wonderful testimony!!!
*Reading - The children did LOTS AND LOTS of silent reading this week, practicing all of the strategies we've learned this year!
*Math - We learned how to find items on a grid; we learned what area is; we reviewed perimeter; and we spent a lot of time practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
*Science - We talked about the difference between physical and chemical changes, and we discussed how heat and cold can change matter.
*Language Arts - We reviewed the parts of a sentence and discussed the difference between a subject and a predicate.

Here are a few announcements and reminders:
*NO HOMEWORK OVER SPRING BREAK EXCEPT READING!!! (...unless your child hasn't finished the moon homework...) 
*No spelling tests for 2 weeks after Spring Break---instead, we will be doing SAT Spelling Review!!!
*The Moon Homework is Due THE MONDAY AFTER SPRING BREAK!!!
*3/28th – 4/1st – SPRING BREAK!!!
*4/18th – 21st – SAT TESTING
*Thursday, April 21st - EASTER PARTY!  Please send in A DOZEN PLASTIC EGGS FILLED WITH SOMETING YOUR CHILD LIKES---CANDY OR SMALL TOYS---BUT NO CHOCOLATE, PLEASE!  BE SURE TO PUT YOUR CHILD'S NAME ON EACH EGG AS HE/SHE WILL BE FINDING THE EGGS THAT YOU SEND IN!  WE WILL HAVE THE EGG HUNT THAT AFTERNOON AT 1:30.  WE WOULD LOOOOOOVE TO HAVE SOME PARENTS COME AT 1:00 TO HIDE THE EGGS FOR US!  THANKS A BUNCH!
* Friday, 4/22nd – NO SCHOOL!!! (GOOD FRIDAY! HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!!!)
*Friday, 5/6th – Mother’s Day celebration in our classroom after chapel
*5/19th – Spring Concert – Northside Baptist Church
*5/26th – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! Half day for elementary!

This week, I was in charge of teacher devotions, and our topic was all about JOY!!!  In our lives, we sometimes experience dark or bumpy places, but we can still experience joy in the midst of it all.  Psalm 94:19 says, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."  In easy times or hard times, in happy times or sad times, in ALL times, when our focus is on Jesus, our hearts will be filled with an unexplainable joy.

Have a joy-filled weekend and a FUUUUUUNNN Spring Break!!!

In Christ's Name,
Jen Corsino

After Spring Break, our STAR AUTHOR will be JOSHUA!!!!!

SECRET WORD: JOY

Newsletter - March 18th



Hi, everyone!!!  We finally made it to FRIDAY!!!  It wasn't easy with this time change, either!  Hahaha!  Despite the difficult time we all had waking up, we had a GREAT week in Second Grade!  Yesterday was so much fun!  The children wore green to school, we tried to catch a leprechaun who did some mischief in our classroom, and we did an informational webquest to find out about who St. Patrick was.  The children finished writing their fictional pieces about leprechauns, too, which turned out AMAZING!  I am SO PROUD of all of the descriptive words they used when writing these stories!

Today was fun, too!  We began the day with a BEAUTIFUL chapel outside!  Then, we came in and talked about how SPRING is coming up this weekend!  We talked about how Easter is a spring holiday; we made flowers out of pretzel sticks, M and M's, and mini marshmallows; we created some flower paintings; and we wrote spring poetry, too!

Here are some other things we learned this week:
*We began doing SAT review.
*Bible - We talked about how we can serve God through our giving, and we learned a new song called Make A Joyful Noise to the Lord.  The link is at the top of this page.
*Math - We learned about perimeter this week!  We also did LOTS of practice with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  (We spent some time listening to a fun CD with multiplication songs on it!!!)
*Reading - We finished our chapter book Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball, and the children did lots of silent reading focusing on the strategy ASKING QUESTIONS.  We also acted out some stories from our unit about courage.  See the link called "We Love Reading!" at the top of this page to view some short video clips of our budding actors and actresses!  We also made ANOTHER blog where the children will have the chance to respond to a question that will go along with what we're reading this week.  You may sign your child up for a Google account at home if you'd like him/her to be able to respond from home, or they can respond here at school when they have time using my account.  This week's responses are also on the "We Love Reading!" link.  Check it out!!!
*Writing - We finished up our make-believe stories about leprechauns!!!
*Science - We learned about the 3 states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.  We did some fun activities to help us remember the difference between these 3 states, and we talked about the properties of a variety of objects, too!  The children took their Science test, too!
*Social Studies - We learned about St. Patrick and the history of St. Patrick's Day!
*Language Arts - We reviewed common and proper nouns, subject and object pronouns, action verbs, and possessive nouns and pronouns.  We practiced finding nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in books, too!

Here are a few announcements and reminders:
*Please be sure to check the "Lost and Found" shelves near the gym door for items that may belong to your sweetie!  Over Spring Break, the unclaimed items will be sent to Northside's Thrift store as some of them have been there for quite a while!  Just wanted to give you a "heads up!!!"
*The Moon Homework is Due whenever it's finished!!!
*3/28th – 4/1st – SPRING BREAK!!!
*4/18th – 21st – SAT TESTING
* Friday, 4/22nd – NO SCHOOL!!! (GOOD FRIDAY! HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!!!)
*Friday, 5/6th – Mother’s Day celebration in our classroom after chapel
*5/19th – Spring Concert – Northside Baptist Church
*5/26th – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! Half day for elementary!

During my Bible Study in the Book of Revelation, we were discussing how AWESOME God is.  Our teacher made the comment that if we even had an INKLING of the wonderful things that God has for us in eternity, we would be so excited about it we wouldn't be able to focus on the things we have to do here on Earth from day to day.  But when we get caught up in the mundane, day-to-day routine of our lives, it's nice to remember that we have something wonderful waiting for us one day!!!
 
Have THE BEST weekend!
 
In Christ's Name
Jen Corsino
 
PS  Next week's Star Author will be VIVIAN!!!  (She was sick the first time...so we're going to give her another chance!)
 
SECRET WORD: PERIMETER

Newsletter - March 11th



HI!  Happy Friday!  It's been yet another wonderful week of fun and learning here in second grade!  We began the week with a visit from a missionary named Mr. Jim!  He talked to us about what it means to be a missionary, reminded us of Jesus' love for us, and taught us a fun song to help us remember!  We also decorated our room for March by making some FUN green and white shamrock posters with green and white paper and LOTS of glitter!  St. Patty's Day will be here before you know it!  Here are some more things we did:

* Reading - We finished up our Reading unit about courage by reading a Chinese folktale called The Empty Pot.  We focused on the skills "making inferences" and "sequencing" while we read, and we also practiced predicting, making connections, monitoring and clarifying, and asking questions!  We also did lots of silent reading and discussed how authors have purposes in mind when they write.  We began to read a fun chapter book called Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball!
*Writing - We practiced journaling, and we also began writing make believe stories about St. Patrick's Day!  We're working on putting LOTS of descriptive words into these pieces!
*Math - We did LOTS of review, practicing skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, and place value.  We touched on division a little bit, too!
* Bible - We talked about what it means to really forgive someone and why forgiveness is so important.  We also acted out the parable about the Prodigal Son!
* Language Arts - We reviewed the following skills: capitalization, conjuctions, interjections, commas, apostrophes, and colons.
* Science - We continued to talk about the solar system, and we made up our own constellations using white chocolate chips on black paper plates.  YUM!!!
*Social Studies - We discussed what life was like for the American Cowboys!  Today, we pretended to be cowboys and made a snack for our horses!

At my Bible study at church last weekend, we spent some time talking about how important it is to share the Gospel with the people in our lives.  Sometimes I forget the urgency of this---and then I'm reminded that people who die without Jesus end up in hell.  What a frightening reality!  If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, I would LOVE to have the privilege of sharing with you!  Feel free to call me or stop by the classroom ANY TIME!

Have a great weekend!

In Christ's Name,
Jen Corsino

*Due to technical difficulties, I was unable to post pictures this week...sorry!  Also, for some odd reason, this site isn't letting me change the Bible verse over in the right margin, so here's next weeks: "For God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).
*Beginning next week in chapel, we will be collecting quarters to send to families in the Dominican Republic.  23 cents feeds a meal to a family of 6!!!  So, please empty your pockets and send in your quarters (or dollars)!  :o)

Next week's STAR AUTHOR is DOMINIC!!!

SECRET WORD: SHAMROCK

Newsletter - March 4th



Hi!  It was a MARVELOUS first week of MARCH here at NCS in Second Grade!  I was out on Monday with a HORRIBLE stomach virus, but Mrs. Clees kicked off our Dr. Seuss Week with Hat Day!  She had the children create silly fish and write silly poetry just like Dr. Seuss!  We enjoyed the rest of the week, too!  On Tuesday we read Fox in Socks and showed off our crazy socks; on Wednesday we read The Cat in the Hat and wore red and white; on Thursday we read I'm Not Going to Get Up Today and wore our jammies to school; and today we dressed like our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, read Green Eggs and Ham, and made green eggs and ham, too!  We also watched Horton Hears a Who.  The children read lots and lots of  Dr. Seuss books silently and in pairs, too, in celebration of this wonderful week!

Here are some other things we learned:
*Writing - We reviewed how to write a 5 pararaph essay and wrote reports about planets in this format.
*Math - We did a lot of practice with Roman Numerals and multiplication, and we reviewed symmetry, too!
*Reading - We talked about different types of fiction and about poetry, and we practiced drawing conclusions.  We did a lot of rhyming this week, too!
*Language Arts - We learned how to combine 2 sentences using the conjunction "and."
*Bible - We learned about the time when Jesus fed 5 thousand people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
*Science - We continued learning about the Solar System and discussing the weather, too!

Here are a few announcements/reminders:
*The Moon Homework is Due whenever it's finished!!!  (I had a helper stuff Friday folders for me not too long ago, and a few people did not receive a moon homework sheet. Please let me know if you need one! The due date was supposed to be Monday the 28th, but just have your child turn it in whenever it's completed---it will take 16 nights to complete. Just be sure to send it in when it's finished because it will count as a Science grade!)
*March 7-11 - Spring Book Fair!  (Our class shops early in the morning on Friday the 11th!)
*March 17th -  St. Patrick's Day!  Your child may wear green to school that day!
*3/28th – 4/1st – SPRING BREAK!!!
*4/18th – 21st – SAT TESTING
* Friday, 4/22nd – NO SCHOOL!!! (GOOD FRIDAY! HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!!!)
*Friday, 5/6th – Mother’s Day celebration in our classroom after chapel
*5/19th – Spring Concert – Northside Baptist Church
*5/26th – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!! Half day for elementary!

During my personal devotion time, I've been reading in the Book of Psalms.  I really love Psalm 86 verse 5, which says, "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you."  Even though God is Perfect and He never ever sins, He has decided to love those of us who love him and to forgive us, too.  What an AWESOME God He is!!!

Have a FANTASTIC weekend!

In Christ's Name,
Jen Corsino

PS Next week's Star Author will be VIVIAN

SECRET WORD: GREEN EGGS AND HAM