Author: Melissa Morrier-Turk

Dear 2A Families,

Congratulations on completing the first week of learning-at-home!  I hope you all have a great weekend that is restful and free of anything related to Google Classroom!

A couple of things…

Turning-In Assignments:

I am really proud of all of the students (and all of you) for working so hard this week!  Watch this video if you haven’t already for a little tutorial on how to submit assignments every day.  This is the easiest way for me to see assignments and return them with a grade and comments back to the students.  Thank you for taking the time to submit assignments through Google Classroom.

Attendance:

It is very important that students log-in every day and complete the attendance questions.  Mr. Ramseyer and Mrs. Framel are loading this into our Google Classroom daily.  It will now only show up in “Steam.”  This is how we know students are “at school” and it is important that they are participating.

April Packets:

As the Governor continues to update us with protocols, Ms. Borseth and I felt it necessary to mail home a packet to each of the students.  We put together worksheets and assignments that will be used beginning March 30^th-April 24^th.  The science unit, “Exploring Sound and Light” will be used beginning Monday, March 23^rd or Tuesday, March 24^th.  At this time, I will upload a photo of the information that students will need for the lesson.  The packet should arrive to your home by Monday, 3/23/2020.  If you do not receive the packet, please use the attachments provided in Google Classroom to complete assignments.  You may need to print these out or scribe them (write them out) on a piece of paper.  Similar to the March Work Packet, we are asking that students do not work ahead.  Directions will be provided on each Daily Checklist.

Morning Message Video:

Next week, I will be uploading a “Morning Message” each day for each Daily Checklist.  I will explain which assignments to complete and say hello.  Next week is also Spirit Week!  I would love to see photos so please send them my way!

I miss you all terribly.  I hope you are staying healthy and well.  You are all in my prayers and you are a wonderful group of students and parents!

Take good care.

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Hello 2A Families,

I have posted an introductory video into Google Classroom.  It is nice to see a couple of students are already active and chatting with each other.  Just a reminder that the attendance and daily checklist will post tomorrow at 8:00 am.  Students will need to log-in each day to submit attendance and complete the assignments.  It is important not to work ahead, and don’t fall behind, either!  The school is open, so if you were unable to come in on Friday to pick up materials, please visit the school on Monday to pick up these materials.  My “office hours” will be 8:30 – 9:00 am and 3:00 – 3:30 pm.  These are times that I have committed to checking email and responding.  I will be in the school building on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and working from home on Mondays and Wednesdays.  I wear the “parent” hat, too! 😊

As this is a new experience for all of us, here are a few tips to set the students up for success during this time.

-Create a set of clear expectations for each day.  We call it a “Community Promise” in class.  Maybe make your own “School-at-home Promise” together.

-Set and keep normal routines.  Meal time, playtime, family time, and bedtime are important.  Try to keep regular schedules for going to bed and waking up.

-Attempt school work in the morning.  Kids are at their best before lunch.

-Create breaks within the work period.  I have tried to give guidelines for about how long each assignment should take.  If it takes longer, reach out for help and take a little stretch/snack break.  Ms. B is also posting P.E. activities in our Google Classroom twice a week.

-Limit screen time and set timers.

-If you are sick, rest as you would on a regular school day.

-Ask questions!  I am here to help and if I don’t know, I will discover someone who does know and get back to you. 😊

This is a great time for exploration, creating art projects, singing, dancing, doing puzzles, and enjoying time as a family.  I was “spring cleaning” and found the poem below.  Enjoy!

Dream Big

Build a fort

Dig for treasures

Climb a tree (carefully and safely) 😊

Splash in puddles

Play hide and seek

Go Fishing

Explore and Discover

Be a Super-Hero

Reach for the Stars

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Dear 2A Families,

I hope you are all having a wonderful week!  The students worked very hard this week.  The students are energetic and excited about learning.  We are singing songs/chants, drawing pictures, and sharing our thinking with a partner to develop our learning and understandings!

Next week, students will learn the phonograms oi-oil and oy-boy.  It is a short week, so at home, help your child learn this trick: If the sound is heard at the beginning or in the middle of the word, use /oi/.  If the sound is heard at the end of the word, use /oy/.  In reading, Students will be reading good-fit books and working on writing stories and informational pieces.  I will also be completing reading assessments next week.  In writing, we will write our 3 wishes-for ourselves, our families, and the world.  For the next few weeks, students will work in a “March Work Packet” on language concepts:  contractions, synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms.  We will also study rhyming words and alphabetizing.  In science, we will complete a project to wrap up our understanding of simple machines and how they are used in our school.  In math, we will continue to work on subtracting with regrouping/borrowing.  We will learn a song to go with our procedure now that we know the concept.  In religion, we will follow the story for the week using the Rice Bowl and continue our preparation for First Communion.  We will also learn about St. Patrick and prepare to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

First Communion Reminders

Monday, 3/23-Parent Meeting-7:00 – 8:00 pm in the gym with Fr. Olson

Saturday, 3/28-First Communion Retreat for parents and students-9 am – 12 pm

Friday, 5/15-First Communion Rehearsal-6:30 – 8 pm.

Saturday, 5/16-First Communion-10:00 am

We are looking forward to continuing this journey toward this special sacrament!

Important Dates

Thursday, 3/12-No School-Distance Learning Training Day

Friday, 3/13-No School-Teacher Inservice Day

Monday, 3/23-Biography Poster Due, presentations begin

Stations of the Cross are held each Friday during Lent at 2:15 pm in the gym.  You are welcome to join us!  Please remember to have your student wear full uniform (with vest or cardigan sweater).  Thank you.

In the event of a limited closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak, please check email for information on how to complete assignments.  Next week, I will demonstrate for the students how to access our Google Classroom.  I will post assignments and videos using Google Classroom if needed.  We continue to keep those impacted in our prayers.  Stay healthy and have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Dear 2A Families,

Happy Leap Day!  I won’t be able to write this date for another four years, so I thought I should write to all of you today. 😊  We watched an interesting video from Mystery Doug Science this week.  In the video, we learned that it takes the Earth 365 days plus about 6 hours to orbit the sun.  So, every four years, we get an extra day.  We skip counted by 4s until we reached 24 and discovered the multiplication fact 4 x 6 = 24.  It is always so great to see deep thinking in action.

Next week, we will take a test on two-digit addition with regrouping (carrying) on Monday.  We will begin two digit subtraction and learn to regroup (borrow).  In math daily 3 activities, students have been practicing addition and subtraction facts and skip counting.  In science, we will continue our study of simple machines.  We have learned about an inclined plane, wedge, and screw.  Next week, we will learn about levers, wheel and axle, and pulley.  We have some great experiments planned, too!  In writing, we will write letters to family and friends and learn how to mail them.  In religion, we will continue our journey through Lent.  I sent home a letter explaining a meditation program called Sacred Story Youth.  We will be meditating using the Examen (St. Ignatius) as we think of memories in our lives.  The meditations will be about 5-10 minutes, once a week, for the season of Lent.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  In addition, we are reflecting on Lenten Promises so that we can grow closer to Jesus through acts of service.  We are also learning about First Communion as we prepare for this special sacrament.  In spelling, we will learn the phonograms ir-girl, or-corn, and ur-burn.  In reading classes, we are working on improving our reading fluency and comprehension.  Students are reading multiple texts and passages each week and complete activities to help with comprehension strategies.  We are also beginning a research project unit.  Students are working in class to learn about a favorite animal.  They are writing reports in reading class.  In small groups, we will learn about inventors and historical famous figures.   This connects us to our Biography Report Project and Presentation that is a homework assignment.

Biography Report and Presentation Project

Your child received a packet explaining the Famous Person Biography Project.  This weekend, please make sure to read the cover letter and use the list of famous people to select three top choices.  On the yellow slip attached to the packet, please write the names of the top three choices (in order of preference).  I will try to give everyone their first or second choice.  On Monday, March 2^nd, I will circle the famous person that has been selected for your child to complete their report.  Monday evening’s homework is to go through the directions for the report and begin gathering websites and books.  We have included the directions for accessing the Proquest database through the school library.  I have several biography books that I will check out to students for this project.  We will also visit the library on Thursday and students will be able to select a book on their famous person.  To better help your child throughout this process, please leave their biography packet on the bring back side of the take-home folder so that I can check progress and assist throughout the project.  Thank you for your support as we partner in this learning experience!

Reminders

-Stations of the Cross each Friday during Lent-Full uniform (including sweater vest or cardigan). No free dress for First Friday.  We will collect food for our neighbors in need for St. Vincent de Paul (Cereal).

-No School-Friday, 3/13.  The teachers will be at an in-service workshop.

-Save the Date for the School Auction-Saturday, April 4^th at the Everett Yacht Club!  I hope to see you there.

-The end of Trimester 2 is upon us in a couple of weeks.  I will be creating report cards to update you on your child’s progress as a second grader.  If you have any questions as we approach the end of the trimester, please reach out and we can chat.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Dear 2A Families,

Happy Valentine’s Day!  We had a wonderful celebration yesterday and the students were so sweet.  They loved decorating a treat, passing out valentines and making STEM marshmallow/toothpick structures for a “Love Monster.”  I was very touched by the personal letters that each student received.  Thank you for showering your kiddos with love.  They are wonderful humans to work with and I credit much of that to the hard and wonderful work you do as parents.  I am so thankful to work with them each day.

In our learning this week, we looked at an informational text, Three American Heroes in reading.  In small groups, we learned about the text feature: caption.  We also discussed the importance of choice reading and how to stay engaged with comprehension as we read books of our choice.  In the next few weeks, students will be pairing up in literature groups to select a genre or choice book interest for a little book club study.  Next week in spelling, we will focus on the phonogram /ea/-eat.  In writing, we will learn to add details to our own stories to make them more interesting.  We will continue learning about Presidents next week and compare George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  In science, we will take our assessment on Forces and Work on Tuesday, 2/18.  Then, we will begin our study of Examining Simple Machines.  In religion, we will learn about Creation and the Sacraments as we begin Session One of our First Communion preparation. During Lent, we will have a special opportunity to meditate using the method of St. Ignatius to be mindful of our actions.  In math, we will continue computation and application of adding two-digit and three-digit numbers.  Here is a video we watched in class that may be beneficial to watch with your child:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayFAh4VNMFA

Reminders/Announcements

-Presidents Day, Monday, 2/17.  Enjoy the holiday!

-Thursday, 2/20 is a BE IRISH day.  Students may wear the green Be IRISH t-shirt/sweatshirt or full uniform.

-Friday, 2/21 is the 100^th day of school.  We will be participating in a few writing and math activities to commemorate this milestone in our year.

-Tuesday, 2/25 is Peace day.  Students are encouraged to wear their blue peace day t-shirt/sweatshirt or full uniform.

-Ash Wednesday, 2/26.  We will attend Mass to begin the season of Lent.

As cold and flu season continue, we are washing hands frequently to keep germs at bay.  If your child is not 100%, we encourage you to keep them home to rest and be at their best for learning.  Please also keep in mind that a good night sleep and healthy eating (breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner) are a vital part of your child’s readiness for school.  If your child will be missing school for any reason, please remember to let Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Lupian in the office know.  I am praying for happiness and good health for all of us!

Volunteer Request

I have a tedious project that can help you earn several volunteer hours.  Let me know if you would like to help!  The project is sharpening boxes and boxes of pencils. 

Auction Project

Please see the information below from our room parents and sign-up to support our auction basket project:

We are putting together a basket for our school spring auction event. Every class has a different theme, and 2A is making a “If You Give a Mouse a Cookies” (a book by Laura Numeroff) basket!  Please click on the signup link below for donation items. Every $20 spent counts as one service hour.

https://signup.com/go/qxRcvwb

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Dear 2A Families,

We had a great week!  The students are working hard and enjoying activities together.  In writing, students wrote to the prompt, “If I lived in a snowglobe…”  We read a story about a snowglobe family and enjoyed brainstorming what it would be like to live in a snowglobe ourselves!  The weather helped us as it started snowing while we were writing.  In reading, we worked on retelling a story in sequence using details from the Beginning, Middle, and End.  The students are also building their stamina in reading to self.  Our phonogram focus in spelling this week was letter combinations -ing (sing) and -ang (sang).  Next week, we focus on -ong (song), -eng (length), and -ung (sung).  We will practice these in class and at home.  In math, we are working on adding one-digit to two digit numbers.  We learned how to regroup or “make a trade” to carry a group of 10s.  Next week, students will practice with this concept as we add two digits to two other digits.  We are working on applying the skill with computation practice and problem-solving.  In science, we used toy cars to discover that creating friction helps to slow or stop moving objects.  We also made our own toy car!  In religion, we learned about Jesus’ life and the story of Creation.

Valentine’s Day Celebration

We will play a few games and have time to pass out valentines on Thursday, February 13^th.  Students are invited to pass out valentines to their classmates.  Please make sure to include a valentine for each student.  Your child should write his/her own name to indicate who the valentine is “from.”  If you like to write individual names, I am including a class list with more details.  I will provide the items needed for the party.

Matthew                                   Louisa

Benjamin                                   Brandon

Andrew                                     Giovanni

Amran                                      Finn

Diego                                       Micaela

Silvana                                      Nicole

Carlos                                       Emmanuel

Jessica

Valentine Letter-Special Project

As we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, I am hoping you can help me with a special project.  I would like each student to receive a special letter from their parent, godparent, grandparent, or just a special family/friend.  You may wish to handwrite your special note in a card or type out an email.  Anything will do, but old-fashioned snail mail is pretty unique for these kids to receive.  We teach the students how to write letters in 2^nd grade and how to address an envelope.  This special project is an opportunity for them to receive a letter all about how special they are!  Please send letters addressed in this way:

Student Name (ex: Susie Smith)

c/o SMM 2A-Mrs. Martin

8615 7^th Ave. SE

Everett, WA 98208

Make sure to include a return address so that the student can write back!  Thank you for supporting this special letter project!

Auction Project

Please see the information below from our room parents and sign-up to support our auction basket project:

We are putting together a basket for our school spring auction event. Every class has a different theme, and 2A is making a “If You Give a Mouse a Cookies” (a book by Laura Numeroff) basket!  Please click on the signup link below for donation items. Every $20 spent counts as one service hour.

https://signup.com/go/qxRcvwb

Reminders

Homework is due each Friday.  Please fill out the reading log and initial in the space provided.

-No School, Friday, 2/14-Teacher Accreditation In-Service.  Homework for this week is due Thursday, 2/13.

-No School, Monday, 2/17-Presidents Day Holiday

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Dear 2A Families,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  The students in 2A were involved in many exciting learning activities last week.  We applied our understanding of data and graphing in a cereal graphing project.  We will continue to apply knowledge of data concepts this week as we create a line graph using data from the Superbowl.  In reading, we learned about winter sports and practiced reading fluently as one voice.  Most students participated in a Winter-Sports Choral Reading poem.  It was great practice and we learned a lot!  In writing, we reflected on our dreams to make the world more peaceful.  We also had a wonderful discussion with our Scholastic News issue.  It was a great moment to talk about the dignity of each human person and how we can include others.  Mrs. Framel followed up with a lesson on kindness.  In science, we learned about work and took an assessment on Forces and Work.  We will continue learning about Wheels and Axles next week.  There is a special science homework page the students need to complete on Monday evening.  In religion, we reflected on First Reconciliation and how we can continue to be the best-version-of-ourselves each day through gratitude and prayer.

Guild Faire Reminder

Monday, 2/3 is the Guild Faire.  The 7^th grade creates projects based on Medieval times.  If you are interested, please send in $1.00-$5.00 for your student to purchase a small treat or item.  Thank you for supporting this project.

Valentine Letter-Special Project

As we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, I am hoping you can help me with a special project.  I would like each student to receive a special letter from their parent, godparent, grandparent, or just a special family/friend.  You may wish to handwrite your special note in a card or type out an email.  Anything will do, but old-fashioned snail mail is pretty unique for these kids to receive.  We teach the students how to write letters in 2^nd grade and how to address an envelope.  This special project is an opportunity for them to receive a letter all about how special they are!  Please send letters addressed in this way:

Student Name (ex: Susie Smith)

c/o SMM 2A-Mrs. Martin

8615 7^th Ave. SE

Everett, WA 98208

Make sure to include a return address so that the student can write back!  Thank you for supporting this special letter project!

Auction Project

Please see the information below from our room parents and sign-up to support our auction basket project:

We are putting together a basket for our school spring auction event. Every class has a different theme, and 2A is making a “If You Give a Mouse a Cookies” (a book by Laura Numeroff) basket!  Please click on the signup link below for donation items. Every $20 spent counts as one service hour.

https://signup.com/go/qxRcvwb

Thank you for your encouragement and support.

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Dear 2A Families,

It has been a busy week as we prepare for First Reconciliation and Catholic Schools Week!  We have been writing about how we learn, lead, serve, and succeed at St. Mary Magdalen School.  This is our school-wide writing prompt for Catholic Schools Week.  The students wrote reflective pieces and we will hang them in the hallway for the Open House on Sunday.  In reading, we worked in small groups with non-fiction texts to write supporting details and the main idea.  In math, we continued to read bar graphs and learned about line graphs.  We will practice with coordinate grid on Friday.  Next week, we will talk about probability.

First Reconciliation Reminders

Friday, January 24^th-First Reconciliation rehearsal, 6:30 – 7:30 PM.  Please bring your child to the rehearsal and stay for the rehearsal.

Saturday, January 25^th-First Reconciliation-10:00 AM.  Students should wear nice clothes (dress up like for church) and plan to stay for the whole service.  You may want to bring a quiet prayer book for them to look through once they have completed their confession.  They are bringing home an examination of conscience and the steps for reconciliation.  In class we discussed that students can review this each night before they go to bed.  Reflecting on the “Garden of My Heart” artwork is a helpful tool too.

*I have a small gift to provide the students so make sure they see me before leaving.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  All students who are baptized Catholic need to attend the rehearsal and the reconciliation service.

Catholic Schools Week

We are excited to celebrate our Catholic school!  Students will be reflecting on why they love SMM!  I love Catholic Schools Week because it celebrates our faith-filled community and the many wonderful students and families we have here.  Catholic schools across the nation celebrate during this same week.  We are part of a special community that serves God and one another!  There are many exciting events for the week outlined below:

Sunday (1/26)-Open House 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM.  Bring a friend or family member to tour our school.  Students who attend Mass and the Open House in their uniform will receive a free dress pass for Monday (1/27).

Monday (1/27)-Community Day, Celebrating Our Volunteers:  Teachers will be passing out a little treat during drop off and pick up for all parents.  Volunteers are invited to a Coffee Social in the John Paul II extension portable.

Tuesday (1/28)-Student Day:  Peace Day!  Wear your peace shirt or full uniform.  No homework for 2^nd grade students.  We will have a little treat and fun activities throughout the day.

Thursday (1/30)-Celebrating Vocations:  We will celebrate our leaders in vocation ministries by creating “thank you” cards.

Friday (1/31)-Celebrating Faculty, Staff, and our Distinguished Graduate:  First Grade will lead us in a prayer service at 2:00 PM in the gym honoring Distinguished Graduate, Jane Mason.

It is sure to be an exciting week with many wonderful things to celebrate.  Thank you for supporting our school and allowing us to be a part of your child’s education.  We are truly blessed to have you all as members of our amazing community!

I look forward to seeing many of you over the weekend.  We have much to celebrate!

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin

2^nd Grade Teacher

Dear 2A Families,

I hope you all enjoyed the snow days and you are staying safe and warm.  It was really wonderful to see most of the students at school today!  The spelling test has been postponed until next Friday (1/24) due to the snow days.  The same list of words will be used next week so hang on to the blue or green sheet that was sent home last Friday.  I will be teaching the students about the phonograms /oa/-boat and /ee/-feet in reading classes next week.  The white practice sheet will be sent home next Thursday (1/23).

Next week, we will work on writing a dream of hope and peace for the world as we learn about the work of Martin Luther King Jr.  Please join us for the assembly to remember and honor his message for our lives.  It will be in the parish hall at 11:15 am on Friday, 1/17 (tomorrow).  A reminder that tomorrow is a Noon dismissal.  Pack a snack!  Your child may want a lunch as well if they plan to go to extension after school.

We are also still learning about graphing in math.  The students have learned about tally marks, pictographs, and bar graphs.  We will work with bar graphs, line graphs, and coordinate grid next week.  I have a fun game that helps to teach coordinate grid that is similar to the board game “Battleship.”  If the math homework in the packet is tricky, it is okay for you to watch a YouTube video with your child on teaching the coordinate grid.  You may want to preview the video before showing it to your child.

We are working on preparing for First Reconciliation.  We are a little behind and will be skipping ahead to a particular session to ensure that your child is prepared for their First Reconciliation next Saturday.  If you have time, please use the link below and watch the videos for Session 4 over the weekend.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view all of the videos.

https://dynamiccatholic.com/blessed/program-view/first-reconciliation/session-4

Thank you for understanding and for your support.

Have a wonderful evening!

Blessings,

Mrs. Nicole Martin