Announcements

Dear Parents,
Our Christmas Pageant was most wonderful!  The children sang their hearts out 
and it was a beautiful performance.  It was nice to see the parents and 
family members, too! 

The children shared their story pyramids book reports orally to the class.  
They did a fantastic job sharing, writing and illustrating them.   They’re 
hanging in the hall for all to see!  Besides reviewing unit 2 and practicing 
our skills and concepts in language arts and math its been about catching up 
and finishing any on going work so we have a fresh start to the New Year!

 
Our unit on “Christmas Traditions Around the World” has been lots of fun.   
We worked on a variety of different activities that brought us too many 
countries where we learned about their holiday traditions.  The children made 
a passport and we traveled to these countries.  They made a Christmas/holiday 
folder. We put together a Christmas Around the World book.  We read several 
Christmas/holiday read alouds throughout the past two weeks.  On Monday  
we'll be finishing the Holiday Traditions Around the World unit and 
completing the Advent Storybook.     

Mrs. Margolis came to visit and she read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” 
and "The Legend of the Candy Cane" to the children.  Thank you Mrs. Margolis!

 
Religion:  We did a lot of practice for Reconcilation this week.  Both 
classes met in the chapel to role play their part in their Reconcilation 
celebration.  On Friday we went over to the lower church and practiced our 
readings and visited the Reconcilation Room.  Thank you Mrs. Barbadoes for 
practicing with us.  We met in the school hall for our last Advent lighting.  
We continue to write our good deeds and added to our good deed tree,too.   
Our Reconciliation celebration is just around the corner. to discuss 
Reconciliation and use the sheets you received from the Reconcilation meeting 
for practicing. 
***Please take some time over Christmas break to review Reconciliation with 
your child and use the sheets you received from the Reconcilation meeting as 
a guide to practice with your child.  We continue to discuss what are good 
and bad behaviors and choices as we use the Ten Commandments as our guide.  
 
Reading and Language Arts: (Reading Groups/Literacy Centers):  Each day we 
took the Unit 2 testing. This week we had reading centers.  The children in 
mixed ability groups reread a different story each day from unit 2, looked up 
the stories vocabulary and then wrote a sentence for each word in their red 
notebook.  
We worked in our Literacy Centers as well.  For the center "Snap and Spell" 
the children had to make words using letters tiles and then list in their red 
notebook.  They had reader's theater for the story 'The Hall of Holiday".  We 
had a file folder activity to create and write super sentences.    
    
Grammar:   We continue to work on super sentences this week.  The children 
continued to work on an activity with a buddy which they took six simple 
sentences and turned them into detailed super sentences.
These sentences will help the children to add more detail to their 
sentences.  The sentences contain Who?, Did What? Where? and When?  Soon they 
will be writing these types of sentences for spelling homework.  We reviewed 
possessives nouns whole class and then the children wrote examples of 
singular and plural nouns in their red notebook.

 
Math:  This week the children took the chapter 2 diagnostic test.  We've been 
reviewing double digit addition and subtraction and money.  For Friday's 
guided math and centers it was many bingo games.  We had money, telling time, 
and subtraction bingo.  They played a Holiday Dice Game.  When you rolled a 
certain number you would add pictures to create a Christmas tree.  "The 
Little Spender" was buying items and then counting change.  Arithmattack game 
focused on math facts.  Mrs. Ryder took several groups to assess and practice 
subtraction facts.  Ms. Barry and I monitored the children and went over the 
needed directions to some of the games.
  
Writing:  The children are writing a great deal!  We finished our writing 
assignment called "If I Could Grant One Wish For Christmas It Would Be..." We 
hung them out in the hall for all to see.  They did a wonderful job! This 
writing goes along with our monthly virtue "generosity" and being great 
caregivers.   Also our descriptive spider paragraphs are just about 
completed.  We're in the conferencing and final copy stage.    

During Writer's Workshop on Wednesdays the children had the opportunity to 
catch up on all their writing assignment/s.

The children continue to work diligently.  We are always working on being 
good listeners, showing knidness to one another, working cooperatively and 
team effort!  As you can see from our daily work which comes home, our 
lessons are many and varied and the curriculum is tight.  The children are 
working hard and putting their best foot forward as second graders.  Each and 
everyone is making great progress.

Just a few reminders:
1.  On Monday, December 21st we'll be having our Holiday Luncheon and making 
a Christmas craft.  I would like to thank everyone in advance for all your 
hard work, help and making this great event possible. The children and I look 
forward to celebrating on Monday. 
2.  On Saturday, January 9th the children will be receiving Reconcilation in 
the lower church at 10:00 sharp.  Please arrive at 9:30.  When the children 
arrive we'll be putting them in order in which they arrive (first come, first 
serve).  
3.  Please remember to let your child write their own spelling sentences.    
You can guide them however, allow them to spell to the best of their 
ability.  Also, DO NOT correct their journal writing.  Thanks for your 
support!
Next week we'll wrap things up before the Christmas break.  On Monday we'll 
have our luncheon and craft making, finish any and all work in our folder and 
clean our desks.  Tuesday we'll meet everyone at church for our prayer 
service, have a read aloud, listen to some Christmas music and head home for 
the holidays.  If you're traveling please be safe!     
 
 
I want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year filled much 
happiness, love and good health.

Once again, many thanks for ALL your continued support.  If you need to 
meet with me for any reason or have any questions or concerns please don't 
hesitate to get in touch with me either by e-mail, phone or a note.

God Bless
Miss Ablondi