Dear Families,

          This will be a very busy month for your second graders.

          In Reading and Social Studies we are continuing to read about immigration and each person’s heritage. Thank you so much for completing the paper on “Our Heritage”. Each person’s paper was shared. We will also be creating a tally chart and a graph to show which countries of origin are represented in our class. The children were very proud to share their information.

          We have also been reading and learning more about the Statue of Liberty. Each friend brought home a small book he or she created to learn more about this meaningful American landmark.

In connection with our study of immigration each friend also brought home information about Ellis Island and its importance in America’s history.

          We are continuing to read books about immigration. Our most recent title will be Grandfather’s Journey  by Allen Say, the story of his Grandfather who immigrated from Japan, and who all his life had great affection for both Japan and America.

          We will also be reading fiction books by Arnold Lobel and his characters Frog and Toad. We will be doing an author study on Arnold Lobel.

          In Language Arts we are continuing to learn about contractions and compound words. We will also be learning how to make our writing more interesting using powerful verbs and colorful adjectives.   

          In Process Writing we wrote letters to Santa. The special part of the letters was that we needed to ask Santa for something for someone in our family rather than something for ourselves. They are on display on our hall bulletin board together with stockings created by the class.

          In reading we are also continuing to study fiction compared to nonfiction pieces, and how to identify the difference. We are also learning about the parts of a story. The children are learning to identify the setting, characters, and plot.

          In Science we are beginning to learn about our bones, our skeletons, and muscles. We are also learning about the importance of healthy eating and exercise.

          During the holiday vacation the children will be asked to read a short book that they will be bringing home with them, and to write a book report on  a form which will be sent along with the book.

          Many thanks for all your support this year, and many good wishes for a safe and happy Holiday season.