Welcome 2015!

I hope you have all had a joyful and restful Christmas break!  I sure did.   I spent lots of time catching up with friends, sipping coffee at J.P.’s.  I also spend some time in upstate New York with my fiancé, Luke,  visiting his family and now my family!  

I have had time to reflect on all the blessing I have-great family, supportive friends, and a fiancé!  I am also blessed by each child who walks in our classroom.  We work hard learning and discovery God’s kingdom and our place in it!  What a joy it is to be able to teach these TRUTHS to your child daily!  

Below is an outline of what your child will be learning in the weeks to come.

Bible:

For the next several weeks we will learn about the many miracles of Jesus.  These miracles brought people to the Lord, and news of the miracles spread throughout the land.  When Jesus performed a miracle, it involved more than the healing of an illness or a physical limitation-it also touched the recipient’s heart.  Throughout this unit your child will learn that Jesus’ miracles showed his authority from God, His power over nature, and it showed Jesus’ love for His people.

See the side bar for our new Bible Memory!

Social Studies:

We have been busy learning about local communities.  This week we will be looking at our local community:  Ways that Holland is unique and special.  A pink piece of paper is going home on Monday. This is your child’s homework.  Please have him/her interview two adults.  The question your child will ask an adult is: “What is special about our community of Holland?”  This is due Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Math:

We will begin our unit in geometry and measurement.  In this unit, your child will use centimeter rulers to measure line segments and draw shapes.  You can help your child link geometry concepts learned in school with the real world.  Encourage your child to find examples of different shapes (triangles, quadrilaterals including rectangles and squares, pentagons, and hexagons) in your home or neighborhood.  

Math homework is due on Friday.

Reading:

We are excited to begin the annual second grade reading incentive: Idita-READ.  We’ll be learning about the Iditarod dog sled race as we read during the next three months.   Your child will bring their first recording sheet home on Monday.  Students may return record sheets as soon as they are completed to move their ‘dog’ along our Iditarod map.  Those who complete the Idita-Read race will be honored at a small second grade celebration in months to come.  It is important to be handing in each recording sheet!  Your child has completed the dog sled race once 11 sheets have been turned in.  If your child returns one recording sheet each Monday, they will complete the race on time!

In class, during Reading Workshop time, our mini lessons will focus on character development. Your child will learn and record how the characters in the books they read can change from beginning, middle, and end.  We will record these changes with post-it notes.  Your child will continue to have ‘book talks’ with their reading partners daily!  This is a special time when your child can respond to the book he/she has read.

Writing:

We will continue learning and writing poetry.  This week your child will learn how to write poems that have comparisons in them.  Later in the week, we will look at the structure of poems and work at putting more structure in the poems we write.

In closing, as we begin this new year, continue to pray with and for your child in the work he/she does.  

Blessings,

Stacia Vogelzang