Greetings from 2nd grade!! Well, it is hard to believe, but March is right around the corner. We finished up our ITBS testing on Monday. We are hoping to jump back into our regular routine. Hoping is the key word. Take note of the following:

We will have a short planet/solar system quiz on Monday, March 1st. The study guide was attached last week. We will also have a test over this unit, but it will be done with the book during class. Your child does not have to study for it at home.

Please remember to turn in February Book-It calendars on Monday, March 1st. Your March Book-It calendar is attached. March will be the last month for Book-It. Keep it up!!

Just a reminder that grades 1-5 will be walking to Brighton High School to see Beauty and the Beast on Wednesday, March 3rd. We will leave after lunch.

Zion Lutheran school is participating in a survey among LCMS schools across the nation. We would like your opinion and input. We can take your feedback and ideas so that we can improve Zion Lutheran School. Attached to your newsletter is a website and pin number. Please take the time to go online and complete the survey. We appreciate it!

The scholastic book fair will be taking place Friday, March 5th after school to Friday, March 12th after school. We will be going as a class on Wednesday, March 10th if you want to send money with your child that day.

Lutheran Schools Week is March 8th-12th. Wednesday, March 10th is Grandparents Day!! Grandparents may join us in our classroom after chapel and then stay to eat lunch with us. After lunch they may leave.

Our 2nd grade class will be doing chapel on Wednesday, April 7th at 12:45 p.m. I know this is a ways off, but I just thought I would let you know now in case you need to make special arrangements to be there. We would love to see you there and share God’s word with you!!

Here’s what we have been up to this week:

Religion: This week we finished up our unit on Jesus’ miracles. We talked about Jesus healing the centurion’s servant. The centurion had confidence that Jesus could heal his servant. The centurion even knew that Jesus did not have to touch the servant, but that He could simply say the word. Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s great faith. Finally, we read the story of Jesus healing Jairus’ daughter. Actually, the little girl had died. Even though she had died, Jesus continued on to her house. There was a crowd of people there mourning. Jesus said, “What is all the commotion? The little girl is just asleep.” Some of the people laughed at him. But He went into the little girl’s room, held her hand, and commanded her to get up. The little girl sat up, got out of bed, and walked around the room. Jesus had done it again!! What an amazing Savior we have!! We did talk briefly about death. Our body may die, but God sends His angels to take our soul to heaven. And on the Last Day, Jesus will come again to reunite our body and would and take us to live forever with Him in heaven. So Jesus tells us that death is like a gate. You go through a gate to get somewhere else. We pass through death on our way to life in heaven. Jesus calls Himself the gate! In John 10, Jesus says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved.”

Math: In math this week, we identified geometric solids and practiced drawing line segments in centimeters. In addition, we continued reviewing multiplication by 1’s, 10’s and 100’s. This week we also learned a new term, perimeter. The class learned how to calculate the perimeter of a square or rectangle. They seemed to catch on pretty fast. Next week we will be testing over our 8’s subtraction facts and moving on to 9’s.

Reading: In reading this week we continued to check comprehension over the last story that we did. We also talked about prefixes and suffixes and how to sound out a word with a prefix/suffix. I told the kids to locate the base word first. We went over the following high frequency words: second, laugh, white, light, and nearly.

Science and SS: In science this week, we answered the following questions: “Why does the moon seem to change?” and “What causes the seasons?” We discussed the phases of the moon. It takes the moon about 29 days (1 month) to orbit the earth. It takes the earth 365 day to orbit the sun. When the earth is tilted toward the sun it is summer and there are warmer temperatures and more hours of daylight. When earth is tilted away from the sun there are cooler temperatures and fewer hours of daylight. Our new unit is social studies is entitled “A World of Many People.” Our first lesson is about world cultures. We discussed the vocabulary words culture and language. We talked about different cultures in Ghana, Spain, and Japan. The kids really seemed interested in learning about other cultures.

Language Arts: This week we got back on track and began talking about pronouns. We talked about the following pronouns: it, he, she, they, I , me, we, and us. We differentiated between those that were singular and those that were plural. We also discussed why we use pronouns to take the place of nouns sometimes.

Spelling/Phonics: In spelling this week we talked about the final “y” sound in puppy. The “y” usually makes the long “e” sound when it is at the end of a two syllable word. In phonics we continued talking about the –ed and –ing endings, which continue to be a struggle for some kids. We just keep reviewing the rule!! We also talked about the suffixes –ful, -less, -ness.

God’s blessings on your week!! Remember to have faith in the Lord and be confident that He is always with you!!

In Him,
Miss Rempfer

Spelling Words: town, house, out, down, cow, now, found, how, mouse, brown, could, should, name, cat
Challenge Words: couch, crowded
Extra List: waiting, washed, seventh, poles, pound, rich, spending, wise, wolf, suit, cleaned, wheels, visits, shore
Challenge Words: package, newspapers

Memory: He was delivered over to death for our sins. Romans 4:25

Multiplication by 3’s: 3, 6, 9,12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36

Greetings from 2nd grade!! It has been an intense week! I commend the kids for their hard work on the ITBS testing! We are just about done. I really enjoyed listening to their president presentations. I appreciate all the time and effort that was put into their projects. This will be a short newsletter since most of the week we focused on our testing. Please be sure to go over the following reminders.

If you have not signed and returned your child’s midterm please have it in by Monday the 22nd. They were sent home last Wednesday.

Hang in there, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills are just about done in 2nd grade. We will be taking our final two tests on Monday, February 22nd. Again, be sure your child gets plenty of rest and a good breakfast. Thanks! Last week was pretty hard on them, but I am proud of their efforts.

The 2nd grade classes will be singing in chapel on February 24th. It is a Lenten service, so it will start at 10:00 a.m.

We will have a short planet/solar system quiz on Monday, March 1st. The study guide is attached. We will also have a test over this unit, but it will be done with the book during class. Your child does not have to study for it at home.

Next week we will resume with our spelling unit and memory work. They are attached as usual!

Here’s what we have been up to this week:

Religion: We continued to talk about Jesus’ miracles. This week we read the story of how He healed a paralyzed man and Peter’s mother-in-law. Truly amazing!

Math: This week we simply tested over our subtraction by 7’s and began studying our subtraction by 8’s. We also took our written test and talked briefly about area.

Reading: We read a new story entitled, “Too Many Tamales.” We discussed some vocabulary words and tested comprehension.

Science/SS: We did not get to science this week due to testing. In social studies we had the opportunity to listen to president presentations. Again, thank you so much for your hard work and effort on these projects.

Language Arts: We did not get to language arts due to testing.

Spelling and Phonics: Next week we will start up spelling again. Our spelling unit next week will contain words with the final sound in “puppy.” We will resume memory work as well. In phonics this week we talked about the –ed and –ing endings. There is one rule that seemed a little tough for many of the kids. If the base word has a short vowel and ends with one consonant then the consonant is doubled before adding the ending. This can be tricky. We will keep practicing!!

God’s blessings on your week!!

In Christ,
Miss Rempfer

Spelling Words: puppy, baby, lucky, happy, very, lady, funny, silly, many, only, cookie, me, bee
Challenge Words: furry, noisy

Extra List: bowl, belongs, shooting, thanks, invite, lies, omit, seal, pile, starting, whom, temper, wishes, namely
Challenge Words: kitchen, giant

Memory: God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Greetings from 2nd grade!! We are continuing to stay very busy. Hang in there!! Thank you to all those who volunteered to chaperone for the field trip. I am sorry we were not able to use all of you. I appreciate your willingness to help. Please take note of the following reminders.
Today was midterm of the 3rd quarter. Midterm reports will go home on Wednesday, February 17th.
We have no school on Monday, February 15th in honor of President’s Day.
Your child’s president brochures are due on Tuesday, February 16th. Points will be deducted if the project is late.
Iowa Tests of Basic Skills begin Tuesday, February 16th. These tests are pretty intense so please be sure that your child has breakfast and gets plenty of sleep.
There will be no spelling unit or memory next week. I am trying to limit the amount of homework your child will have to help you ensure that they get to bed early for the ITBS tests.
Remember to send in any spare change for the quarter raiders. All the change that is collected will be given to the relief effort in Haiti.
The 2nd grade classes will be singing in chapel on February 24th. It is a Lenten service, so it will start at 10:00 a.m.

Here’s what we have been up to this week:

Religion: In religion, we continued to talk about Jesus’ miracles. Jesus had the power to calm the storm. The disciples were very afraid, but Jesus simply used His words and the waves died down. The disciples were blessed to have Jesus with them during this emergency. The truth is that we don’t need God only in emergencies. We need God all the time—when we have big problems, when we have small problems, and also when we have no problems at all. Just like the disciples, we can be thankful that Jesus is near—all the time!! We also talked about how Jesus healed the blind man Bartimaeus. When we have faith in God in our hearts, it affects our lives in what we say and do. We can see this in Bartimaeus. He had faith and was certain that Jesus could help him. Bartimaeus called Jesus the Son of David. He believed that Jesus was the promised Savior sent from God to save us. Bartimaeus followed Jesus to learn more about God’s love, and he praised God for showing love and mercy.

Math: In math this week we learned how to find half of both even and odd numbers. This proved to be a challenge for many of the students, especially in dealing with the remainders for the odd numbers. In addition, we practiced estimating a sum by rounding both addends. Finally, we practiced measuring in feet and inches.

Reading: We started the week out by discussing syllables. The kids can either clap it out or put their hand under their jaw. These are just two tricks to help them find how many syllables are in a word. Breaking a word down into syllables can help your child sound words out. We also talked about verbs that end with –ed and discussed how they are pronounced. Finally, we reviewed how to summarize a story by identifying the main characters, setting, problem, main events, and ending. The kids really do a good job with this.

Science/SS: In science this week, we reviewed key information about the solar system. We also practiced saying the names of the planets in order, beginning with Mercury, which is closest to the sun. We learned some new information as well. We discussed what causes day and night. The earth rotates once every 24 hours. When it is daytime here, we are facing the sun and the other side of the world is experiencing nighttime because they are not facing the sun. In social studies, we reviewed some key terms for the test. In addition, we played a Jeopardy review game. The kids really enjoyed studying for their test. The class took the test today. Remember president brochures are due Tuesday, February 16th.

Language Arts: This week, we simply finished up our letters to our penpals. Our penpals in Iowa should receive our letters next week! We are looking forward to hearing from them. After Iowa Tests we will be starting a new unit.

Spelling: In spelling this week, we worked with more long “i” spellings, for example, i, y, and igh. Again, there will be no spelling or memory next week due to ITBS testing. In phonics, we reviewed the plural endings –s and –es. Because this was a review it came very easy for the kids.

God’s blessings on your week! This Valentine’s Day remember that God love you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die and rise for you!! What an amazing love!

In Him,
Miss Rempfer

Greetings from 2nd grade!! This time of year seems to get very busy. We have field trips, projects, tests, early releases, days off, and Iowa Tests of Basic Skills are fast approaching. Please read over this and mark these days on your calendar.

This weekend Zion is hosting the boys basketball tournament. During halftime of the championship game on Saturday, February 6th, there will be a jump roping show. It is very impressive, so if you can make it we would love to see you there. The championship game begins at 5:00 so the performance will be at about 5:30.

Yearbook order forms are due by Monday, February 8th.

Wednesday, February 10th we will be having our skating party. We will leave right after lunch. Don’t forget to pick your child up at the skating rink, unless you have made other arrangements.
Thursday, February 11th is our fieldtrip to Denver’s Museum of Nature and Science. Don’t forget to send your child with a sack lunch. Driving arrangements were made and sent home earlier this week.

Friday, February 12th we will be having our Unit 1 social studies test the study guide is attached. We have done a lot of reviewing in class as well.

Friday, February 12th we will be taking just 30 to 45 minutes to pass out valentines and have a small treat. If your child brings valentines please be sure they have one for each child.
We have an early release at 11:30 on Friday, February 12th. We have no school on Monday, February 15th in honor of Presidents Day.

Your child’s president brochures are due on Tuesday, February 16th. Your child will have points deducted if it is late. If your child is done early they may bring it in and I will keep it is a safe place!

Iowa Tests of Basic Skills begin on Tuesday, February 16th. This is a very intense week. Please be sure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats breakfast each morning.
This year the National Junior Honor Society is doing quarter raiders again. They are asking that you bring in all your spare change (dollar bills are accepted as well). All the money that is collected will go toward the relief effort in Haiti!

Here’s what we have been up to this week!

Religion: This week we started talking about Jesus’ miracles. His very first miracle was at a wedding in Cana where He changed water into wine. With the kids, I compared it to kool-aid. Once you add the powder the water then changes into a sweet, tasty drink. But, when Jesus changed the water into wine He didn’t use a powder, He simply used His power. We also talked about a time when Jesus was teaching a great number of people. The people were getting hungry and a boy offered Jesus his lunch consisting of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Jesus took what the boy offered and used it to feed all the people, over 5,000 people!!! On top of that, the disciples even gathered 12 baskets of leftovers. Jesus cares for all people and will take care of you. What Jesus did in these two stories was a miracle—something out of the ordinary that is hard to explain. They were miracles that can only be explained by the fact that Jesus is God.

Math: This week in math we started so many new things. The class really enjoyed learning to multiply by 10. We even got a little ahead of ourselves and tried some other multiplication problems as well. The class continues to work on counting money, but now we have added in the quarters. It didn’t seem too hard for them because we have been counting by 25 for awhile. Many of the kids do need to slow down especially when they transition between coins. They need to remember to switch from counting by 25 to 10, and then 10 to 5, etc. Another new lesson this week was rounding. We still need a little work on that one. We tested over our 6’s facts and continued on to 7’s. Remember, subtraction may take a little more practice for some kids.

Reading: In reading this week, we started a new story entitled, “Now One Foot Now The Other.” We tested our comprehension and went over the following high frequency words: picture, warm, carried, mean, year, word. We are still doing reading groups which is a wonderful opportunity for the kids to read aloud and gain confidence.

Science/SS: In science this week, we started our chapter on the solar system. We discussed the sun, stars, planets, orbits, and constellations. I gave the kids a mnemonic device to help remember the order of the planets. In social studies, we reviewed how to read a map key and we also talked about community and state governments. The Social studies test will be Friday, February 12th. The study guide is attached.

Language Arts: This week in language arts we focused on our letters to our pen pals in Iowa. We started with a rough draft and will soon finish up our final copies. I will send the letters all together. At the end of the school year we will get our pen pals home addresses so that your child can continue writing over the summer.

Spelling/Phonics: In spelling this week we talked about homophones, which can be a little confusing. In phonics, we spent more time on contractions. Again, when the kids don’t slow down they tend to put the apostrophe in the wrong spot.

God’s blessings on the week ahead! Remember God can work miracles, big or small, in all of our lives!

In Him,

Miss Rempfer

Spelling Words: sky, find, night, high, fly, try, light, dry, right, kind, eye, buy, why, cry
Challenge Words: flight, behind

Extra List: shoes, almost, defend, sisters, larger, heads, grades, tires, Tuesday, swell, teams, unlike, myself, rabbits
Challenge Words: cough, include
Memory: The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23