Greetings from 2nd grade!! I just wanted to thank those for taking time to have a conference with me. I enjoyed my time with you. Well, spring break is here! Enjoy the time off. Have a blessed Easter as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection!! Please take note of the following:

Spring break has begun. We will not return to school until Tuesday, April 6th.

Be sure to turn in your March Book-It calendars when you return from Easter break. I will need them all in by Friday, April 9th.

Your child will not have math homework over the break, but we WILL have a spelling unit and memory work for the week April 6th-9th. The lists are attached.

Remember our 2nd grade class is serving the Lord by presenting a chapel service on Wednesday, April 7th at 12:45 p.m. We have been practicing hard and we are looking forward to sharing God’s Word with you. (In case you were wondering…..we have not had math homework the past few days due to chapel practice. We will continue our regular math schedule on April 7th.)

Remember summer classes in reading and math are available here at Zion. These classes could give your child the boost they need or simply a review of material to keep concepts fresh in their minds over the summer. The program is 5 weeks long and 3 days a week (T, W, TH). If you are interested please let me know or you can contact Mrs. Grein.

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

Religion: This week in religion we talked about Easter. We discussed the amazing story of Jesus’ resurrection and what that means for us. The Sunday after Jesus’ death on the cross, His friends went to the tomb. The women were bringing spices to place on Jesus’ body. But when they got tot eh tomb, Jesus was not there. He had risen! Jesus is alive! Because Jesus lives, we know death cannot have final power over us. Because Jesus lives, we will have our own resurrection day on the Last Day. Because Jesus lives, we will live eternally with Him in heaven. Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the power of the devil all to secure our future with Him. What an amazing love He has for us!!

Math: In math this week, we tested over our multiplication 5’s facts. We also took a written test. Now we are shifting gears a bit and working on our 2’s multiplication facts. This is confusing a few kids. I thought the transition would be easier, but we will definitely need a lot of practice. Two’s multiplication facts are just like addition doubles facts and the kids had those down pretty good. Be sure to do a little practice over break! We have also been doing more work with some story problems.

Reading: In reading we started a new, non-fiction story entitled, “An Octopus is Amazing.” We worked on the following vocabulary words: clever, also, prey, ate, den, intelligence, eight, draw, seven, between, and beak. We tested over comprehension and worked on the concept of fact vs. opinion. Be sure to do some reading over break.

Science/SS: In science this week we talked about how matter can change (by cutting, slicing, breaking, tearing, and shaping). We also discussed how solids, liquids and gases can all be parts of mixtures. Some mixtures can be separated again and some cannot. In social studies we worked on a chart/graph skill. We practiced reading a calendar. I thought this would be simple for the kids, but again they must read the questions carefully. Many of them got mixed up, so it is a good thing we reviewed. We also read the lesson “Recognizing Americans.” We read of four different individuals and how they may have affected our lives or shared their culture.

Language Arts: In language arts, we practiced identifying adjectives that tell how many and adjectives that compare. In addition we talked about the articles “a” and “an.” We identified the correct way to use them.

Spelling/Phonics: In spelling this week we studied contractions. In phonics we covered more vowel pairs. We talked about words with ie, oe, oa, and oo. We will have spelling and memory work the week we return after spring break (April 6th-9th).

Have a blessed Easter as you celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and His power over sin, death, and the devil. God loved us so much He made the ultimate sacrifice. Now, one day we can live in heaven with Him.

In Our Risen Savior,
Miss Rempfer


Spelling Words: car, start, arm, far, yard, part, barn, hard, party, farm, are, warm, cut, fast
Challenge Words: large, carpet

Extra List: outstanding, understand, whatever, hanging, teacher, windows, thanked, packing, forest, remind, beard, bunk, angry, living
Challenge Words: delightful, pasture
Extra Challenge Words: chocolate, miracles, developmental, multiplication, spaghetti, circumstances, righteousness, anxiety, salvation, continually

Memory Work: Second half of the Old Testament books of the Bible
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

Greetings from 2nd grade! I pray you all enjoyed Tuesday off. I hope you all enjoy the long weekend as well. I am looking forward to meeting with all of you for conferences. Please take note of the following:

If you haven’t yet, please sign and return your child’s report card envelope.

We are now in the fourth quarter. If your child does not remember to put his/her name on the paper they will have to write their name 100 times. My expectations for this quarter are high. By now the kids should be able to read and follow directions. I will not be giving many reminders. It is my job to prepare them for 3rd grade when they will need to be able to read and follow directions, and work more independently.

Don’t forget to mark April 7th on your calendars. Our class will be presenting our chapel message at 12:45 p.m. Be sure to keep their script and song in your child’s folder. We will spend a lot of time practicing next week. We are excited to share God’s Word with you.

Don’t forget to return your summer school form if you would like your child to participate in a reading or math class. It is a good review and refresher so that your child does not forget the information they have learned over the school year. Classes are 3 days a week for 5 weeks.

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

Religion: This week we talked about Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus was mocked. When the people heard that Jesus claimed to be a king they teased him by giving him a crown of thorns, a robe, and a scepter. They even placed a sign over his head on the cross reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. The Roman soldiers ridiculed and laughed at Jesus. Yes, they mocked him as King, but we praise Him as King. He did not have to suffer the way He did. He had the power to come down off that cross at any time. So, why didn’t He come down off the cross? Well, from childhood Jesus’ role on earth was recognized, but many people didn’t understand because they were looking for an earthly king. But, Jesus once said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus came to earth to fulfill God’s will. He never did anything wrong. He was holy. He was falsely accused, mocked, and tortured. He suffered through all this and died because He had to complete everything for our salvation. Jesus died on the day we now call Good Friday. It is not good because of everything He went through, but it is good because through his death we are saved. What an awesome sacrifice!!

Math: In math this week we continued to practice representing and writing mixed numbers. We also worked on creating and reading a bar graph with a scale of two. This did get a little confusing for some. Finally, we identified right (90 degree) angles. If you have extra time at home please review counting money and telling time. These are life long skills that we need to be confident in doing day to day.

Reading: In reading this week we reviewed the following high frequency words: cold, guess, later, leave, and often. We reviewed possessives and the vowel sound in cow. Remember to read at home as well. The best way to improve your child’s reading is to practice. Be sure if your child is reading aloud to you that you stop periodically and ask them questions to make sure they understand what they have read.

Science/SS: In science we continued to talk about matter, focusing on liquids and gases. We learned that liquids do not have their own shape. Rather, they take the shape of their container and gases fill the space. We learned that the measure of a liquid is its volume. Volume can be measured in milliliters and ounces. We did not get into social studies this week. After spring break you will be receiving a study guide for our next test.

Language Arts: In language arts this week we worked on alphabetical order. This proved to be quite difficult for some kids. It made me realize we need more practice. In addition we worked on identifying synonyms. Finally, we started a new unit on adjective and adverbs.

Spelling and Phonics: We will resume with our regular spelling unit next week. It is attached. In phonics we had a test over contractions, endings, and suffixes. We started a new unit on vowel pairs. We started off by talking about “ay” and “ai.” Generally, “ai” is used in the middle of a word and “ay” is most commonly used at the end of a word. We also worked with “ee” and “ea.”

Think about this Bible verse as Good Friday approaches. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In HIM,
Miss Rempfer

Spelling Words: I’ll, we’ve, don’t you’re, isn’t didn’t, you’ll, I’ve, hasn’t, we’ll, can’t, it, us
Challenge Words: they’re, wouldn’t

Extra List: coal, army, sore, somewhere, hours, warmer, wagon, alone, base, cross, drum, fears, bathing, early
Challenge Words: railroads, taught
Extra Challenge Words: camouflage, determination, dictionary, Jerusalem, Minnesota, subtraction, carbohydrate, delicious, unbelievable, Epiphany

Memory: First half of the Old Testament Books of the Bible:

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
I Samuel
II Samuel
I Kings
II Kings
I Chronicles
II Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs

Greetings from 2nd grade!! We had such a fun week!! Thank you to all those who participated in some of the dress up days. It was great to see your school spirit. Zion Lutheran School has been such a great place to grow over the past 100+ years. I am so thankful to be able to teach here!! Your children are truly a blessing to me and to this school! Please take note of the following reminders!
· Today was the end of 3rd quarter. Report cards will go out on Wednesday, March 17th.
· If you have not turned in your form to schedule a teacher’s conference please bring it in on Monday. Conferences will begin after school on Thursday the 18th. There is no school on Friday the 19th due to conferences. The teachers will meet Monday after school to try and coordinate conference times.
· The teachers will be attending the Nurturing the Faith conference on Tuesday the 16th. There will be no school that day!
· Today is the last day to fill out the on-line survey. We would really appreciate your feedback. It only takes about ten minutes of your time!
· Our 2nd grade class will be doing chapel on Wednesday, April 7th at 12:45 p.m. In your child’s folder they have a copy of our chapel service. Their lines are highlighted. Please read over this with them. They should feel comfortable and confident with their lines. They do not have to memorize their lines unless I indicated that on the paper. We will be practicing the week before our break. Please keep the paper in your child’s folder so that it is handy when we need to practice.
· There will be no spelling words or memory work next week! With two days off it will be hard to get it all in!
· On Thursday the teachers beat the 8th grade in the volleyball match. It was so much fun! Thank you to all the kids for cheering on their favorite team. A special thank you to Rod Clark for doing the introductions and the music!! It was fantastic!

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

Religion: In religion this week we talked about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus went to the garden to pray and he took Peter, James, and John with him because He wanted His friends near Him. Jesus was overwhelmed with sadness. Jesus knew He needed help to be strong, so He prayed to His heavenly Father. Jesus prayed three times and said, “Your will be done.” It was not easy for Jesus to save us. He knew it would be painful, lonely, and that He would die. But Jesus trusted the will of the heavenly Father. Jesus wanted to do whatever was best to save us from sin and death. We also talked about Jesus’ trials. We discussed how unfairly Jesus was treated. Jesus was arrested and treated like a criminal. He was accused of blasphemy, saying He was the Son of God. Pilate let the people decide whether to free Barabas, a criminal, or crucify Jesus. Jesus was not treated fairly, but He endured it all because He loves us. He took all the punishment in our place, for our sins and the sins of the whole world. It was unfair to Jesus, but it was a miracle of love for us!

Math: This week in math we began adding three digit numbers, including money amounts. The kids didn’t seem to have a problem with it. Just remind them to use the $ symbol and the decimal point. We tested over subtraction by 9’s and began multiplication by 5’s. The kids were very excited to start multiplication. Finally, we started learning how to represent/write mixed numbers….for example 2 ¼.

Reading: In reading this week we reviewed the –s and –es endings. In addition, we talked about irregular verbs. From time to time the kids will see the verb but say the past tense wrong. We started a new story entitled “What Happened to Patrick’s Dinosaurs?” After reading the story we differentiated between what was real and what was fantasy.

Science/SS: In science this week we began talking about matter. Matter can come in three different forms: solid, liquid, or gas. All matter has mass and takes up space. We focused on solids this week. We practiced listing the properties of specific solids (properties include size, shape, color, texture). We also learned that all solids have shape, while liquids and gases take the shape of the space or container they are in. In social studies we continued to talk about culture. We compared the culture of a boy that was Jewish American and a girl that was Mexican American. Our culture can be part of what makes us unique.

Language Arts: In language arts this week we continue to talk about contractions and possessive pronouns. This was a bit tricky (they’re or their, you’re or your, it’s or its). We practiced reading it splitting the contraction into the two smaller words. If that made sense then we would use that contraction, if not then we would use the other form of the word. We will need some more practice on this. The kids are really required to slow down and check, sometimes our problem in simply slowing down.

Spelling/Phonics: In spelling this week we worked on compound words. Next week there will be NO spelling or memory work. In phonics, we continued to change the “y” to the “i” and add –es. We also tested over the unit.

Remember to pray “Your will be done Lord.” He has a plan for you and knows what is best for you!! He always hears your prayers!!

In Him,

Miss Rempfer

Greetings from 2nd grade!! I can’t believe it is already March. Spring is right around the corner. We will have Easter break in a few weeks, but we have so much to do before that. Please take note of the following announcements.

We have an early release next Friday, March 12th at 11:30. That is the end of 3rd quarter.

Parent/teacher conferences are coming up. Please be looking for the sign-up sheet to schedule your conference for March 18th or 19th.
You have one more week to go online and fill out our school survey. We would love your feedback. The website and password were attached to last week’s newsletter. If you need it again please stop in the office.

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.

I just wanted to let you know that I will be keeping your child’s president brochure for a while longer. Mrs. Whitmore has asked if they can be displayed in “Night at the Museum,” which takes place in late April. I will send them home as soon as I can.

Our 2nd grade class will be doing chapel on Wednesday, April 7th at 12:45 p.m. In your child’s folder they have a copy of our chapel service. Their lines are highlighted. Please read over this with them. They should feel comfortable and confident with their lines. They do not have to memorize their lines unless I indicated that on the paper. We will be practicing the week before our break. Please keep the paper in your child’s folder so that it is handy when we need to practice.

Lutheran School’s Week is March 8th-12th (next week). This should be a fun week. Here is a schedule for the week:
Monday: Slippers and Necktie Day!
Tuesday: Class Choice Day! We chose to have a mix and match day in our classroom. Your child does not have to match at all….different socks, different shoes, colors that don’t match, etc. It should be interesting!
Wednesday: Grandparents or Special Guest Day!! Dress-up Day!
Thursday: Favorite Sports Team Day!
Friday: Hawaiian Day!
Here’s what we have been up to this week:

Religion: In religion this week we started a new unit entitled, “Jesus Saves Us.” We will study the events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. We talked about Jesus’ friend Lazarus. Jesus showed His power over death by bringing Lazarus back to new life. Jesus promises that all believers who die in Christ will have their own resurrection day on the Last Day. Jesus will take us to new life in heaven. We also talked about the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a means of grace. This means it is a way God uses to give His loving grace to our hearts and lives. Baptism and the Bible are means of grace as well.

Math: In math this week we tested over subtraction by 8’s and moved onto subtraction by 9’s. Next week we will have 6 minutes to do 100 subtraction problems. We are working on telling time to the minute and counting money (quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies). These are two very important concepts. Please work on these at home too!! Finally, we identified parallel lines.

Reading: In reading this week we started a new story entitled, “The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash.” We checked comprehension and we used the story to identify base words. We reviewed the following high frequency words: class, farm, finally, sound, egg, and hurry. We briefly discussed when to use is/are and was/were.

Science/SS: In science this week we took our planet quiz. In addition, the kids worked in groups to complete an open book science test and then we went over it as a class. I was a little disappointed because I felt everyone should have received 100% since we went over it together. I had to stress the importance of listening and following along. In social studies we talked about how our country is so diverse. We also discussed why it is so diverse and why people chose to move to the United States. We defined the terms diversity and immigrants.

Language Arts: In language arts we talked about pronoun-verb agreement, which came pretty easy for the kids. They could hear what sounded correct and what did not. We also talked about possessive pronouns and more contractions. Hopefully our penpals are working on their letters for us. The kids are excited to see what they have to say.

As we celebrate Lutheran School’s week, I thank the Lord for Zion Lutheran School where we can share the good news of our Savior, Jesus Christ. What a blessing!!

In Christ,

Miss Rempfer

Spelling Words: bathtub, bedtime, myself, someone, maybe, into, upon, anyone, without, cannot, stop, flag
Challenge Words: playground, nobody

Extra List: bush, dance, herself, swings, tail, remove, smaller, tiny, unhappy, knew, airplane, dating, finds, oven
Challenge Words: hardware, potatoes
Extra Challenge (optional): American, Massachusetts, adjectives, scholastic, courteous, illustrations, resurrection, superior, explorations, vegetable

Memory: Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live.” John 14:19
4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48