Catch Up!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
         I cannot believe we are coming down to the wire.  I know the kids and I are looking forward to the summer break, but we have also come to realize this means we won't be with one another every day.  It is bittersweet.
      I have truly enjoyed my time with the class this year and have been inspired by them every day.  I know I have shared this with some of you, but not all and I wanted everyone to know how much this year has meant to me.  Your children have motivated and encouraged me to create and plan lessons that were out of my element and stretched my creativity by leaps and bounds.  This year has been an experience I will remember for years to come as I have grown as an educator, mentor, Catholic Christian and friend.  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child's life.  Please feel free to stop by second grade as often as you like as there is always a place to sit and plenty of good company or, as my mother always says, "Mi casa es su casa".
Take care and God bless.
Ms. Eileen Griffin
(Yes, I am going back to the name my parents so lovingly gave me)

PS Check out the pictures of a few of our kiddos feeding and petting the bat rays at Sea World!  They are brave indeed.  I was a bit shy about that myself;0)

Happy Easter!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
       Welcome back from what I trust was a relaxing and joyous Easter vacation!  I am happy to be back with my class and to finish out the school year strong.
     Just to give you a quick update with regards to classroom happenings, This week the class and I started our Core Knowledge Literature Unit on Charlotte's Web.  This has always been a favorite book of mine and I am happy to be sharing it with the children.  Be on the look out for some sweet swine projects coming home.  And of course, if I can incorporate food into the mix I will... pigs in a blanket anyone?
    In math, we are studying fractions this week.  Today we are going to make lovely cupcake fractions.  It should be a fun activity... if only they were edible...
     On the science front, we are taking a tiny break from nutrition to focus on Earth Day.  Yesterday the class made an earth day craft and they turned out very well.  I will try to upload photos later today or tomorrow.
      Of course, this Friday is the annual SHA Beach Clean-up.  Please feel free to come and join the second grade class as we do our part to take care of our planet!
      Don't forget, this Saturday is the SHA Barnes and Noble Book Fair.  I will be reading at 11:00 and I hope to see you there!
     Have a fantastic week!  Thank you for all you do to support your children and SHA. Take care and God bless.
Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

Where the Wild Things Are!!!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
        The class and I have been hard at work making "Text to Self"connections with the classic picture book, Where the Wild Things Are during guided reading time.  The examples of work are precious.  I hope to have pictures posted soon.  For some reason, blogger is not allowing me to post them.  Aaaahhhh... technology is wonderful.
      In other news, our field trip to the San Diego Botanical Gardens is this Friday.  We are all set for drivers and the students are ready to go.
      I shared with Mr. Saavedra some examples of student writing the other day and we made his day and blessed his heart.  The topic was "If I met Jesus after He rose from the dead, I would feel...".  Of course, I am sure many of you can imagine what was written, but all in all, the students wrote from the heart and the end results were fabulous.  Be sure to keep your eye out for The Heartbeat.  Mr Saavedra is going to publish some of the student responses.
      I hope all of you have a wonderful day.  Thank you for all you do for Sacred Heart Academy.  Take care and God bless!
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda

March Update

Dear Second Grade Parents,
        Well, St. Patrick's Day has come and gone and thankfully that sly little SHA leprechaun read my letter and did not move our desks and chairs.  The class was a bit disappointed, but they too were grateful they did not have a little mess to clean up.  The delicious cupcakes helped to ebb the disappointment too.
        The class and I have been busy wrapping up our unit on Ancient Greece.  Tomorrow is the unit test and next week we will have a literature test on the Greek myths.  Truth be told, the class and I have been enjoying all of the Greek myths and are quite reluctant to move on from them.  I may create a little bonus activity to wrap the literature end of Ancient Greece.  I will let you know by next week.
       In science, our unit on nutrition and healthy eating is well under way.  We have been discussing our individual eating habits and I am quite impressed by the healthy eating habits of our second graders.  Well done, Parents!  You have taught them well!
   In other news, do not forget next Friday is our field trip to the San Diego Botanical Gardens.  I want to thank you for your prompt response with the permission slip and fee.  It is greatly appreciated.  I will notify  parent drivers in this Friday's folder if your assistance is needed.  Unfortunately, the number of parent drivers is limited to 3 so, I will be unable to accomadate all the requests to volunteer. The good news is that I have more field trips in the works so hopefully those will fall on dates you are able to attend.  Thank you for  giving so generously of your time.  The children and I appreciate it!
   Well, that is all for now.  I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week.  Take care and God bless.
Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

March Madness!!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
        There is quite a bit going on during this month of March..., but before I begin, I would like to thank Ann Wieczorek for taking the time to make our Suesstastic treats for Dr. Suess' birthday Suessabration.  The children enjoyed their delicious jello treats... I did too! Yum!!  Thank you to Julie Pennell for her donations of glue sticks.  With all of the crafty activities we have been doing lately, working glue sticks are a hot commodity.  Now each student has their own glue sticks and the mini lessons on sharing have slowed down.  Thank you Ann and Julie for your time and generosity!
       The first order of business is this month's book report.  The class and I are taking an in-depth look at the mystery genre and practicing the skills that will be required of them in order to complete their book report. I will be sending home the guidelines this Friday and it will be due just before Easter vacation.  This report requires a little more effort in terms of length, but I am certain our second graders are up to the challenge.  They did an amazing job on their President Report and I am so very proud of how much they have grown as individuals and as students.  This is why I know they are ready for the Mystery Report.
      Let us not forget our Lenten Journey... The class and I have been discussing the meaning of sacrifice and the greatest gift God could give... His Son, Jesus Christ.  The discussions have been quite meaningful and a bit challenging in terms of the questions they are asking.  Thankfully, our very own Deacon Mark Wieczorek has agreed to assist me with answering some of the tougher questions.  He will be visiting our class later this week to continue our class discussion of rising to new life and what Heaven is like.
    I really wish I was able to record these discussions for you.  They are so simple, yet thought provoking.  I love it!!!!
     Well, those sly little leprechauns are up to their March shenanigans once again.  This week, the class and I have been practicing the reading skills of metacognition (thinking about what you are thinking while you read), and prediction through the study of leprechaun tales.  While the skills we are practicing sound complicated, the second graders have them down.  I could not believe how within just a minute or two, they came up with how the leprechauns would hide their gold.  It was fantastic!  I know they were really impressed with themselves too.  We will continue to study metacognition and prediction next week as we read two more Irish folktales from Tomie De Paola.  In the mean time, the class is making rainbows and pots of gold to tempt the SHA leprechaun from his hiding hole.  I wonder if he will make an appearance this year? Hmmmmm....
     Last, the students and I have just finished our study of Van Gogh.  Their "Starry, Starry Nights" are beautiful and their "Sunflowers" are stunning.  We have quite a bit of talent in our second grade classroom.  I could not draw half as well as our young artists.  I am so impressed!  Our next artists will be Henri Matisse and Cladue Monet (my favorite).  I cannot wait to see what the class creates with the inspiration of these two amazing artists.  I just know it will be fabulous.
     As always, thank you for your constant love and support of our second grade class.  I am truly appreciative.  Have a fantastic rest of the week.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

 

Happy February!!!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
          I just want to thank all of you for the support you give to your children.  I know many of you spent quite a bit of time assisting your "little presidents", or "first ladies" in preparation of their big speech, but let me tell you, it was worth it.  Each student did an AMAZING job and I am so very proud of how much they learned.  I was so proud of them, I had to show off.  Kindergarten came into the classroom to hear the speeches and then the second graders made appearances throughout the school to share their knowledge.  It was a great experience and I have never known a class so eager to do something different.  Thank you, parents for helping to make it happen!
          Now, on to "Read Across America Day"!  This Thursday is "Read Across America Day" and the second grade is marking the day by celebrating the birthday of Dr. Suess.  The class and I will be reading some of his "bigger" books and completing activities throughout the week to enhance reading skills (sequencing, cause and effect, fact vs opinion, etc).  To mark Thursday as a special day, our fabulous room mom, Ann Wieczorek, has graciously (I only had to twist her arm a little), volunteered to make a Suesstastic treat that will be enjoyed at recess- Yum!  Stop by if you would like to see the Suessational fun.
       I believe that is all for now.  I am getting ready to plan a field trip for March.  Stay tuned for details.  In the mean time, have a fantastic week and thank you for all you do to make SHA a wonderful place to learn. Take care and God bless!
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
YOur Second Grade Teacher

Happy New Year!!!!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
          Yes, it is New Year again, Chinese New Year that is.  Monday marked the beginning of the four day celebration to ring in the Year of the Dragon.  A big thank you must go out to Mrs. Ann Wieczorek and Mrs. Theresa Lamb for visiting the second grade classroom and providing us with delicious treats and explaining the customs related to the new year.  It was the perfect addition to our study of the Core Knowledge Unit on Ancient China.
         Our next Core Knowledge Unit of study in Social Studies is Ancient Greece.  It is a great unit and I am certain the class will enjoy their study of the ancient gods and goddesses.

Happy Friday to all!!
Ms. Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade teacher

Yikes!!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
      Yikes, it has been far too long since I last posted.  There has been so much going on in the second grade classroom, I simply lost track of time.  I think that is a good thing??????  Well, let me slow myself down a bit and fill you in on all of the fun.
         Now, where should I begin... this month's "Secret Reader" was Mr. Mark Wieczorek.  He read a wonderful story about SHA's secondary patron saint, Father Damien.  It was a beautiful lesson on selflessness and courage.  It was a perfect afternoon lesson, especially since courage is the virtue for the month of January.  Thank you Mr. Wieczorek!!!
      This month we also had our field trip to Legoland!!!!  What a terrific learning experience.  The students  built their own Lego cars and raced them with one another to see who built theirs with the proper amount of weight and aerodynamics.  The staff at Legoland do an amazing job of tying in science and Legos.  It was a fun day and I believe the students loved the rides too.
        The second grade has been working on literacy and math centers each week to build upon their basic math facts and language skills.  It was a great deal of work (thank you to Liz Ronan for helping to cut out all the snowmen and penguins!!), but I believe the time was worth it.  The students are working well together and sharpening their skills while having fun :0).  We will continue to work in centers for the remainder of the year as I have found an amazing website that provides great tools to enhance student learning.  I love the Internet... it provides me with too many opportunities to shop though ; 0).
        Phew, almost done.  This week is SHA's annual Open House.  The students and I have been busy cleaning up the classroom (mainly the inside of their desks) and gathering our best work to display and show off to our current parents and any perspective parents who are looking to send their child or children to THE BEST school in San Diego- SHA!!! Be sure to stop by with all of your family and friends any time this Sunday between the hours of 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.  The second grade classroom is filled with student work and it looks pretty darn cute.  I am so proud of the work the class has done.
           Lastly, some upcoming events for our class include next Friday's Senior Lunch.  I believe Ann has been sending out emails looking for volunteers.  Any assistance on this day would be greatly appreciated.  Next week is Catholic Schools' Week.  Be sure to check out the flyer that was sent home for each day's events.  February 14th is Valentine's Day and I LOVE Valentine's Day.  I will be sending information home for our class festivities soon.  In the mean time, please set aside an old shoe box and bring out your creative decorating skills.  The class will be having a Valentine's Day "mail box" decorating contest.  February 15th is the one hundredth day of school.  I am planning a few fun activities for this day as well.  Stay tuned for more information to come.
       Phew.... that is all... for now.  I promise not to wait so long before posting again.  As I said before, the time just ran away from me and before I knew it, the month was almost up.
         I hope to see all of  you this weekend at Open House.  Have a fabulous weekend and thank you for all you do to support the Catholic education of your children.  God bless.
Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

Happy New Year!!!!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
        Welcome to 2012!  I love the start of a new year.  It means you are able to start all over again and try to make this year better than the last and so far the class is off to a great start.  It was a busy first day, but it was fantastic to see all those smiling faces.  I truly missed my little second graders over the break.  I hope all of you had a fun, but relaxing Christmas vacation.  I know I did.  I feel rejuvenated and ready to go!
     Just to give you a heads up, today I sent home permission slips for our class field trip to Legoland.  The field trip will take place next Friday, the 13th.  It is very important the permission slips be brought back to school in a timely fashion.  Your help in this matter would be most appreciated.
     That is all for now.  I look forward to seeing all of you soon.  Thank you for all your support of SHA and the second grade class.  Take care and God bless.
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Dear Second Grade Parents,
         I don't know about your homes, but Christmas cheer has definitely arrived at the Sepulveda home.  Yesterday the house was filled with the aroma of cinnamon and spice candles burning and yummy sugar cookies baking in the oven.  Little Seve was quietly napping while I was preparing for this week's activities. It was the perfect pre-Christmas day. 
      I am reminded each year at this time, how lucky I am to be teaching in a Catholic school.  I truly have the best of both worlds as I am able to teach my students about the Nativity and Saint Nicholas, or Santa Clause.  This is truly a magical time of year and I love every minute of it. I cannot wait to get started with the class this week as we prepare for the birth of Jesus.  Thank you for allowing me to share this time with your children.
      Well, it's off to the races, so to speak.  This will be a busy week for our little ones.  This Wednesday will be SHA's Grandparents' Day Christmas performance beginning at 1:00 PM in the church.  Students must be wearing their dress uniforms for this performance.  Later that evening, the students will perform once again for the whole school community.  Festive Christmas cheer is the dress code for this performance.  I will check on the meeting time and ask our trusty "Room Mom" to send out an e-blast.  Following the performance, there will be cookies and hot cocoa in the parish hall- That is definitely where I will be!!!!  Cookies!!! Yum!!
      Wait... there is more... Thursday morning is all school mass.  Please drop your children off at the church by 7:50.  I am planning to make this day our wrap up day for our Polar Express Unit.  Wait until you see what the children will have been working on all week for this unit.  Too cute.  I must give Liz Ronan a HUGE thank you for helping me to prepare for these activities.  She has been indispensable to me.  Thank you for everything, Liz!!
       Last, but certainly not least, Friday is the second grade cookie exchange party.  I am looking forward to this event as, in case you have not guessed, I am a cookie monster.  Please send your child with "a baker's dozen" of your favorite family Christmas cookie to exchange with their classmates.  At the end of the day, each student will then go home with a variety of cookies to share.  This should be a fun day.
        Well,  that is all for now.  I wish all of you a blessed and Merry Christmas.  Enjoy your time with your family and may the peace of Christ be with all of you as we ring in the new year.  Take care and God bless.
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

Twas the Night Before Christmas!!

Dear Parents,
         The Advent spirit has arrived in Second Grade!!!  Oh what fun it is to teach during this special time of year!!!  It is a little chaotic at times, but I would not have it any other way.  The class is definitely in the spirit of preparing for Jesus' birthday.
         Thank you to Mrs. Julie Davis for spending time with the class and for reading Auntie Clause.  Mrs. Davis was this month's "Secret Reader".  The class had a delightful time and were immediately put into the Christmas spirit.  Today the class wrote a paragraph inspired by the Auntie Clause theme: It is better to give than to receive.  Be sure to look for it in this Friday's folder!
          Don't forget, this Friday is Handel's Tea Party!  It will be at 9:00 in the Sacred Heart Parish Hall.  The students should be dressed in their Christmas best.
          Be sure to stop by the classroom and see all of the Fairy Tale Projects on display.  All of the students did an excellent job.  I am very proud of their hard work.
          This week the class is studying Clement C. Moore's poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" as part of our Core Knowledge Curriculum.  I have given the class an extra credit assignment that is completely optional.  If a student memorizes and recites the first 3 stanzas of the poem, they will receive an "A" in literature, if they memorize and recite the first 6 stanzas, they will receive  two  "A's"  in literature, and lastly, if they memorize the whole poem, they will receive  three "A's".  Wow!!! What an accomplishment.  Having your child recite the poem for visiting family members during the Christmas dinner would be a great treat too!!    As I said before, this is completely optional. 
       Well, that is all for now!  Thank you for all you do for your child and Sacred Heart Academy.  Your love and support are truly appreciated.  Take care and God bless.
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

A Fabulous Trip to Whoville

Dear Second Grade Parents,
         Thank you so very much for supporting today's field trip to the Old Globe's Production of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  We had a terrific time and the children had a memorable experience that exposed them to live theater. 
   Thank you to the parents who were drivers and chaperones.  Your time and patience are greatly appreciated!
   Just a reminder, next Friday is our Handel's Tea Party.  Please check in with Ann Wieczorek if you have not done so already to make certain everything is covered in terms of treats and refreshments.  Thank you!  The Tea Party is at 9:00 in the parish hall.
   Once again, thank you for all you do and for the support you give.  You are an amazing group of parents and it is my pleasure to be a part of your child's life and Catholic education.  Take care and God Bless!

Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

Happy Monday!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
        Happy Veteran's day!  It is a little late, but better late than never.  I trust all of you enjoyed the long weekend and you were able to relax.  I know I did!
        I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for coming in to meet with me to discuss the progress of your child.  It was a pleasure for me and allows me the time to get to know you as well.  Thank you for the support you give to your child.  It makes all the difference in the world.
      I also wish to thank Mrs. Dorris for being our November "Secret Reader".  The class had a fantastic time listening to Mrs. Dorris read Thanksgiving Rules  by Laurie Friedman as they happily munched on yummy Popsicles.  Thank you to the Dorris Family for donating the book to the second grade library.  It has been a hot commodity.
      It is hard to believe Thanksgiving is hot on our heels.  I am truly looking forward to our delicious home cooked meal of turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes-yum!!! Let's not forget the fresh apple pie.  Please feel free to join in on the festivities this Thursday in the second grade classroom at 11:45.  It should be a fabulous celebration of thanks and praise to God for all of our blessings.
      In the mean time, I wish all of you a blessed and happy week.  Take care and God bless.

A Fun Day at the Zoo

Dear Second Grade Parents,
   The class had a fantastic time today at the World Famous San Diego Zoo.  Thank you to our drivers and chaperones:  Mrs. Pennell, Ms. Ronan, Mr. Ayotte, and Mrs. Murphy.  The class had fun riding the tour bus and visiting the petting zoo.  Needless to say, the class arrived back to school positively pooped.
   In case you have not been able to stop by school lately, you may not have noticed that second grade now has two new students, Presley McDeavitt and Ben Murphy!  Welcome to SHA the McDeavitt and Murphy Families.  We are excited and happy to have you join our family.
   Thank you to Mrs. Boyd and Mrs. Lutosky for visiting second grade and being the October Secret Readers.  The class enjoyed your storytelling and Bella and Chloe were very proud to share you with their classmates.
     Don't forget, this Friday is a full day due to the fact next week is Parent/Teacher Conferences. Phew...I believe that is all for now.  Please let me know should you have any questions or concerns. 

Have a fabulous evening.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

Classroom Update

Dear Second Grade Parents,
   Well, with ITBS Testing officially over, things are slowly getting back to "normal".  Today, the class and I began putting together our science project, "From Seed to Plant".  We are going to watch two types of seeds grow in clear plastic cups so that we may observe first hand the growing process.  It should be fun.  I promise to keep you updated.
   That is all for now. Be sure to send in your child's Zoo permission slip if you have not already done so.  Thank you for all you do.  Take care and God bless.
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

Happy Wednesday!

Dear Second Grade Parents,        
         Well, we are into day 3 of ITBS Testing and so far so good.  The children are plugging along and working hard.  With that being said, I am keeping our daily classwork and homework light. For example, yesterday we talked about the parts of speech and completed two Halloween Mad Libs for extra practice.  The children had a lot of fun with those.  You could hear the laughing from down the hall.  I will send one home so that you too are able to enjoy the fun... aaaaaahhhh good times!!!!
     Just a quick reminder, progress reports will go home this Friday for second grade.  Please check to make sure any make-up work still to be completed comes in to me as soon as possible.  Report cards come out next month and I would like to make sure the children have all the possible opportunities to have a strong 1st Quarter.  Thank you for your help in this matter. :)

Have a fantastic day and Thank you for all you do. God bless!
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

Second Grade Has a Blog!!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
       We now have a blog page in which to communicate!!!!  This is where I hope to keep you updated with all of the latest and greatest second grade news.  It is my goal to update the blog page each day so, be sure to check in to see what is happening in second grade.

    Please notice that I included a homework section on the side for this week only.  I still want the students to learn how to write down their daily homework assignments so next year when they transition to assignment books, it will hopefully be an easy process.
  
    There will not be a spelling test this week.  This means there will be no spelling homework as well.  The homework this week will be minimal due to ITBS Testing. 

    I am still missing deposits for our field trip to see the Grinch.  Please turn your deposit in if you have not done so already.  Thank you!

I hope all of you have a terrific week.  Take care and God Bless!

Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher

ITBS Testing!

Dear Second Grade Parents,
    I hope you all had a fantastic and restful weekend.  Here is just a quick update for the start of our week.
    This week the class will begin ITBS Testing.  Please make every effort to have your child here each day as make-up tests can be difficult.  Thank you for your help in this matter. 
   I do anticipate this week will be a bit different due to testing. For example, there will be no spelling test this Friday.  Therefore, there will NOT be any spelling homework as well!!  I will let you know as the changes for this week come up.  Thank you for all you do!
Sincerely,
Eileen Sepulveda
Your Second Grade Teacher