May 23, 2008

Dear Parents,
As you are well aware, school is coming to a close. However, as you are also aware, summer can fly by pretty quickly, and third grade will be here before you know it. With this in mind, a few parents have asked me what their child could work on during the summer in preparation for their upcoming third grade year. Of course, I feel that second grade has prepared them for much of what they are going to encounter when they get to third grade. However, I asked the third grade teacher with what he would most like the incoming third graders to be familiar. He emphasized the following:

Math: Make sure they know their addition and subtraction facts-inside and out, forwards and backwards!!! If your child has consistently been getting 90% or better on his/her timed tests, don’t worry, but make sure you give a refresher page every once in a while to keep them on their toes. If your child has been consistently getting lower than 90%, keep working on their facts on a regular basis. He/she would benefit greatly from the regular use of flashcards, addition and subtraction, as well as timed tests. Try to get them NOT to use their fingers. Remember the facts are just the “letters and sounds” of math- without them, you will have a hard time “reading.” Continue working on all of the concepts we have learned and practiced in second grade. Practice counting money, making change, adding and subtracting money, and story problems using money. Practice telling time to the 5 minute intervals and recognizing how much time has passed given a starting time and ending time. Practice place-values, adding and subtracting 2 and 3 digit numbers, and fractions!!

Handwriting: Third graders are expected to have neat handwriting. Since I have emphasized this a lot, I don’t think most of the students should have any problem, but just to be sure, have your child practice using their best handwriting, both manuscript and cursive, several times this summer.

Reading: My best advice in this subject refers back to one of my favorite sayings. “There are ten ways to become a better reader. Read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, and read.” Read aloud, read silently, read books, read comics, no matter what, just read! I can’t say it enough. In addition, the questions about the stories next year will be more inferential instead of the answer being right in the text. Perhaps this is a skill your child could begin to work on this summer. Also have your child practice the sight words they learned in second grade. They are listed on my web site. Below is a list of books that your child may like to read this summer if they haven’t already. Please keep your child’s reading level and interests in mind when selecting a book.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins- Atwater
Charlotte’s Web-E.B.White
How to Eat Fried Worms- Rockwell
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales- Scieszka
Walk Two Moons- Creech
Sarah Plain and Tall- MacLachlan
The Drinking Gourd- Monjo
The Hundred Penny Box- Mathis
Where the sidewalk Ends- poetry-Silverstein

Phonics: Your child will not have phonics as an actual subject next year, but they will continue to use the spelling rules they learned in second grade. Spelling will become an important part of their learning.

Most of all, go out and have some great experiences with your child! Children learn best by doing. Have fun! Enjoy life and have a great summer! Thank you for sharing your child with me. I have loved every minute of it!

All my best,
Beth Morgano

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Hello! It is with great enthusiasm that I am writing this letter as an introduction of myself as your child’s second grade teacher. For the next nine months I will be working closely with you and your child. I feel it is important to tell you a little about myself so that we can become more familiar with one another.
Let me tell you a little bit about my background. I have been married to my husband, Pete, for twenty-two years, and we have lived in De Kalb for the past eighteen years. Pete currently works as a computer engineer for CMC Electronics in Sugar Grove testing flight software. In addition to the two of us, we have a twenty-year-old son, Matt, who is off for his third year of college at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Approximately thirteen and a half years ago, I decided I would like to go back to school to earn my degree in teaching. For two years I attended Kishwaukee College full time and earned my Associate’s Degree. At that point, I transferred to Northern Illinois University, where I graduated and earned my teacher’s certificate. Since that time, I have enjoyed attending many seminars to keep my skills current. I began my career here at St. Mary as a full-time substitute for a fourth grade class and then transferred to second grade where I have been teaching for the last eight years. I continue to be excited by teaching and am enthusiastically looking forward to the coming school year with your child.
As you can tell, education plays a great role in my life. This is one reason why I am so thrilled to be a part of your child’s school experience. Second grade is a fun, exciting, and important year in your child’s cognitive, social, and spiritual education, and I look forward to being a part of it along with you and your child. Working together, I am certain we will make your child’s second grade experience a fun, enjoyable, and successful learning adventure.
We also look forward to the continued high standard curriculum expectations here at St. Mary School. We are thrilled once again to be offering a super fine arts program as well as Spanish as a foreign language. Our second graders will be offered Spanish two times a week and will be offered fine arts weekly. What a wonderful way to round out an already excellent curriculum!
I look forward to a great year!

Sincerely,
Beth Morgano

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ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM SECOND GRADE:

We are in full swing now as the new school year is under way!

In Religion, we have been learning about the sacraments of initiation and their signs. We continue with how we can give praise to God through our actions and our words.

We began this past week practicing the work station rotation and learning acceptable independent work products and behaviors. Beginning next week we will start our guided reading program, in conjunction with the work stations, where every child is met at their own independent reading level within small groups.

In math, we just began subtraction after finishing up with addition. The children are starting well with their addition math fact timed tests, however, please continue to work on them with your child. I will be happy to send blank forms home, or you can practice with flashcards as well. We will begin subtraction timed tests soon.

In Social Studies, we are studying people and places. The children love to learn about others and their place in the world. Many new map skills will be taught as well.

We continue to work through some digraphs and combinations in phonics in order to help our second graders read more efficiently. Please begin having your child read “in chunks” if he/she is not already doing so. Have them look for parts of words they know instead of sounding out each and every letter. This will make them become more efficient readers!

In Science we are learning about light and colors.

Your child has been introduced to a new subject this year, vocabulary! We have a text where it introduces ten new words a unit and then reviews them in a variety of ways. The kids get excited about finding the new words in their independent reading...I never miss the chance to make a big deal out of this at school and hope you do the same at home. It always amazes me how naturally the children implement their new learning into other areas! It is cause for a celebration here at school!

Manuscript handwriting is being reintroduced to your child. We focus on using the lines correctly and forming the letters correctly so that when we begin to introduce cursive, the transition will be easier. Please encourage your child to be neat on their homework in order to reinforce the skills we learn at school. Remember, cursive does not begin until around Christmastime.
Please email me if you read this in order to see how well received this format of communication is. Thanks!

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Sacraments:

This year is an important sacramental year for your second grader. Catholic students will make the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion during this school year. We will teach these sacraments as part of our school curriculum, but parents will be the primary teachers of your child’s sacramental formation. Books will be passed out at the informational meetings the parish holds for this purpose. At school I will review the information the parents have taught at home.

Preparation for First Reconciliation will begin in the fall and First Communion preparation will begin in spring. This will be handled through the parish office. Mailings from the parish will be sent to all parents of those receiving the sacraments. The Director of Faith Formation, Denise Maudling, will provide us with a schedule of events and dates near the beginning of the school year. The schedule of events will be posted below as soon as it becomes available. If there are any dates below that differ from any individual dates on mailings directed to your home, please defer to the most recent mailing. Any questions/concerns about the sacraments can be directed to her at the parish office, 815-758-5432.

Non-Catholics will go through the same review at school, but won’t receive the sacrament.

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Religion

Religion: In our daily religion classes, we use the Blest Are We second grade series. The main focuses of the second grade curriculum are the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. Additionally, the second graders learn about the importance of Mass, learning the structure and responses of the Mass itself, in order to formulate understanding and participation.

We also participate in all school Masses on the first Friday of every month. It is also a great honor to be able to plan and participate in our own individual class Mass in the chapel. The students love the opportunity to deliver God’s message through the readings, songs, and petitions. Parents are free to join us in this beautiful and joyous celebration.

Additionally, we participate in the monthly Adoration and Benediction celebrations and in praying the rosary throughout the year.

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Schedule for 2007-2008

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Curriculum

Reading

I am a great proponent of reading. I feel that in order for your child to become a fluent and successful reader, they must read. Therefore, in addition to our reading curriculum, I have set up extra programs first to ensure that your child reads and ultimately that reading becomes a lifelong, enjoyable past-time for him/her.
1. Silent Reading- time set aside in class to read something pleasurable to them at a level that is appropriate to their needs.
2. In-Class and School Library-In Class Library: Your child has the option of checking out a book from our classroom. Your child may take all the time he/she needs or wants to read this book. However, they will only be allowed to check out one book at a time. They may not check another book out until the first is returned. School Library: The children will visit the school library once a week and can check out books to read. They have been informed that these books are to be treated with care so that others may enjoy them for years to come.
3. Guided Reading and Literacy Work Stations- Weekly I will be incorporating Guided Reading and literacy workstations into our reading curriculum. Guided Reading is the method where your child reads in a group at their own individual reading level. This individualized and differentiated method of teaching will target your child’s reading needs and develop the strategies they will need to be life long readers. While I am working with small groups, the remaining students will be rotating to other literacy stations where they can practice the skills they have learned in phonics, spelling, writing, and reading. This year, we are going to extend the reading groups across the K-2 grade levels to further meet the needs of our students.
4. “Monthly Book Log” At home reading- Your child will soon receive an at-home book log. I ask that your child read at least ten books during any given month (more forms will be sent home each month). Your child should be reading every night! I ask that these forms be filled out and brought back to school at the end of the month. Please send them back even if your child hasn’t read the requested number of books. For each book your child reads, we will put up a paper book indicating the number of books they have read that month.
5. Book Orders- This month, I am beginning to send home book orders. While this is not mandatory, it is an inexpensive way to build an at-home library. I will send home a new book order on or near the first of the month. If you want to place an order, all you have to do is fill out the order form, including the child’s name and payment (checks made out to Scholastic), and return it to me in a sealed envelope by the 15th of the month. By having this set date, it will save me time from writing a specific date on all of the order forms, and hopefully save you a little confusion as to when it should be returned.

Math

In second grade, we use the Houghton Mifflin math series for our daily math lessons. Children will be reviewing simple addition, working on place value, practicing simple multiplication, exploring geometry, continuing time and money, utilizing measurement, and developing double and three digit addition and subtraction skills. We will also have math stations that will help us develop and practice and skills we are working on. Grouping for each unit is based on a pre-assessment of the information to be covered within that unit.

Timed addition and subtraction tests are also given throughout the week. The purpose of these tests is to master 30 facts within one minute in order to develop speed and accuracy, thereby gaining automaticity of the facts.

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Classroom Rules

I strive to maintain a well-ordered classroom and rules help maintain that order. At the beginning of the year, the second graders and I brainstormed a list of rules that a classroom should have. As I listed these on the board, we turned them into positive statements or goals instead of negative rules. When we were finished, we decided that all of the specific rules we came up with could fall under two main goals, which remain the two main rules of our classroom.

#1: Respect others and our self.
#2: Be safe.

We will continue to strive to maintain these rules throughout the year.

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Welcome to Our Classroom Community!

Welcome to Our Classroom Community!

We are: Mrs. Morgano and 29 students, 15 boys and 14 girls!

Our School: St. Mary School!

Our Parish: St. Mary Parish!

Our room: Room 222!

Be sure to stop in and say hello!

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Communication

I believe open communication is one of the keys to your child’s success in the classroom. I strongly encourage you to keep an open line of communication with me as I will with you. If you ever have any questions or concerns, I will be more than happy to address them with you. If it is a non-emergency (not requiring an immediate response), please feel free to call and leave a message during school hours, write a quick note, or ask a question in the assignment notebook and I will promptly get back to you. Feel free to also call me at school after school hours to reach me directly if the need is pressing. I will also accept phone calls at home in the evening as a remaining “emergency” option. If your child is excessively worried or upset, please feel free to call me in order to calm their fears/questions. Worried, tired, and upset is no way to start off the next school day and I would rather have them rest assured that everything is okay than to start the day off this way.

I will also keep in close contact with you indirectly through the assignment notebook. The assignment notebook will be a daily “go-between” letting you know what homework the child has as well as any tests that may be coming up. Please use the area where you initial to write any short notes you would like me to know. I may also write a quick note to you in the notebook if there should happen to be a reminder of which I need to let you know.

Additionally, once the school year gets up and running smoothly, I will also add to the announcements in this web site to let you know what we are doing in the classroom.
I will also email you upon occasion and love to get emails from you. I check my email every evening from home, shortly after I get home for the evening. Therefore, please do not email in the morning with information for that day as I will not check it until evening and it will be too late. Please give Marcia Feltes your email address if you would like to receive these emails.
In light of wanting to keep the lines of communications open, and for me to learn more about your child, I will be sending home a Student Information sheet shortly after school begins. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to fill out the form so that I can learn more about your child from the people that know him/her the best—you. In addition, please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions/concerns you may have. You are always welcome to make an appointment to see me or call me at school or home.

I think this about covers any pertinent information. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call.

Beth Morgano
w. 815-756-7905
h. 815-756-9231

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Homework Policy

Homework: Your child will be bringing home an assignment notebook and a “take home folder” every evening whether or not he/she has any homework. The assignment notebooks are to be signed or initialed nightly by a parent or caregiver. I’m sure this will not pose a problem for anyone. Incidentally, if there are any short notes that you want me to see, this is a good place to put them as I will check to make sure that a parent has signed or initialed the notebook every morning. (However, I would appreciate any special transportation issues to be on a separate piece of paper as I hang these by the door to ensure that your child goes to the correct after-school placement.)
Your child will soon be having regular homework in math and occasional homework in other subjects. All homework is to be completed by the following day. Any child who has incomplete homework will be required to refrain from recess the following day in order to complete his/her work. As this cuts into your child’s much needed down time, please be respectful and do your best to have them complete their homework promptly.
Additionally, your child should be reading and practicing math facts every evening. This helps them become better readers and mathematicians!

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Birthdays

Birthdays are an important event in your child’s life. In order to celebrate your child’s birthday, feel free to bring in a treat. Please make sure the treat is in individual serving sizes in order to facilitate the delivery of the item to their classmates. Please do not bring whole cakes. Juice is optional, but again, please purchase individual serving sizes.

We have 29 children and 1 teacher in our class.

Most children enjoy passing out their treat to some of the other teachers, principal, and secretary. This is optional.

Individual birthday party invitations are encouraged to be sent from home to the invitee’s home address. Addresses can not be provided by the school. However, invitations may be passed out in school if the following guidelines are followed.
1. If your child is inviting ALL students, boys and girls, in his/her class to the party.
2. If ALL girls are invited if your child is a girl.
3. If ALL boys are invited if your child is a boy.

If any one child or children is/are excluded, feelings will be hurt and therefore, I will not allow the child to deliver the invitations at school. Please respect my wishes in order to protect the feelings of the children. No one enjoys being excluded out rightly.

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Wish List

Throughout the year, we often need something a “little extra” in the classroom. Keep your eyes posted here to see if you will be able to help out with our needs. I’ll check off the item, or remove it, when we have enough! Thanks so much in advance! Your kindness is greatly appreciated!

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