Second Grade
There are two second-grade classes at St. Louise with an average of 14-16 students in each class. Each student finds the attention they need and deserve at this pivotal point in their learning careers. The second-grade team sets up a classroom which is organized, structured and conducive to learning. At the end of this year, second-grade students are ready for challenges awaiting them in the third grade. They are able to do this by building a community within their classroom, with their grade level peers, and with the greater St. Louise community.
In the fall and spring, students take MAP Growth assessments, which are used to drive instruction throughout the year. The second-grade classes have learning support staff assist in both reading and math subjects.
Curriculum
Religion
Text: Sadlier, We Believe: Catholic Identity Parish Edition
Focus: Jesus’ omnipresence, the gift of the Eucharist, participating in Reconciliation, practicing daily prayer, living in love and respect, celebrating the Mass.
Text: Sadlier, We Believe: Catholic Identity Parish Edition
Focus: Jesus’ omnipresence, the gift of the Eucharist, participating in Reconciliation, practicing daily prayer, living in love and respect, celebrating the Mass.
Reading
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys, and trade books
Focus: Phonics/decoding skills and decoding longer words, developing fluency skills. Comprehension strategies such as: predicting/inferring, questioning, monitoring/clarifying, summarizing and evaluating. Comprehension skills such as: comparing and contrasting, story structure, distinguishing between realism/fantasy and solving problems.
Math
Text: Big Ideas 2022 Edition
Focus: Addition and subtraction, regrouping, patterning, graphing, strategies, classifying, logical thinking, problem solving, geometry.
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys, and trade books
Focus: Phonics/decoding skills and decoding longer words, developing fluency skills. Comprehension strategies such as: predicting/inferring, questioning, monitoring/clarifying, summarizing and evaluating. Comprehension skills such as: comparing and contrasting, story structure, distinguishing between realism/fantasy and solving problems.
Math
Text: Big Ideas 2022 Edition
Focus: Addition and subtraction, regrouping, patterning, graphing, strategies, classifying, logical thinking, problem solving, geometry.
Science
Text: Mystery Science, Animal Adventures, Plant Adventures, Work of Water, Material Magic
Focus: Animal Biodiversity, Plant Adaptations, Erosion & Earth’s Surface, Properties & Phases of Matter.
Text: Mystery Science, Animal Adventures, Plant Adventures, Work of Water, Material Magic
Focus: Animal Biodiversity, Plant Adaptations, Erosion & Earth’s Surface, Properties & Phases of Matter.
Text: Picture Perfect STEM K-2
Focus: “Science Mysteries”, “Our Blue Planet”, “Crayons”, “Pillbots”, “Flight of the Pollinators”
Focus: “Science Mysteries”, “Our Blue Planet”, “Crayons”, “Pillbots”, “Flight of the Pollinators”
Language Arts
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys
Focus: Grammar, punctuation and capitalization, writing process, reference skills.
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys
Focus: Grammar, punctuation and capitalization, writing process, reference skills.
Social Studies
Text: McGraw Hill, Impact Social Studies
Focus: Geography (Map skills, landforms, Washington State), Native Americans, Christmas Around the World, Democracy and Government, Culture, Personal Heritage, Communities
Text: McGraw Hill, Impact Social Studies
Focus: Geography (Map skills, landforms, Washington State), Native Americans, Christmas Around the World, Democracy and Government, Culture, Personal Heritage, Communities
Spelling
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys
Focus: Spelling as used in everyday writing.
Text: Houghton Mifflin, Journeys
Focus: Spelling as used in everyday writing.
Handwriting
Text: Universal Publishing, Writing Our Catholic Faith & Zaner-Blosser, Handwriting 2-M
Focus: Formation of letters, spacing, stroke, size and proportion, daily practice in manuscript.
Text: Universal Publishing, Writing Our Catholic Faith & Zaner-Blosser, Handwriting 2-M
Focus: Formation of letters, spacing, stroke, size and proportion, daily practice in manuscript.
Additional Subjects:
Physical Education, Technology, Music, Library, Art, and Talking About Touching: A Personal Safety Curriculum
Physical Education, Technology, Music, Library, Art, and Talking About Touching: A Personal Safety Curriculum
Service Projects
The students receive a visit from the Max Mobile; a bus that houses animals that are up for adoption. The Max Mobile provides an informative tour and collects the much-needed donations.
In addition to their grade level service projects, the 2rd grade classes work together with the entire school on school-wide annual service projects.
- Our November Thanksgiving Food Drive teaches the importance of stewardship and giving to others. The entire student body creates about two dozen “baskets” that include non-perishable food items and gift cards to create a great Thanksgiving meal and help stock the family pantry. Together with the help of the Parish and St. Vincent de Paul, the baskets are distributed to families in need right here in the St. Louise Community.
- Throughout the year, students support New Bethlehem Programs – a part of Catholic Community Services. New Bethlehem Programs offer day center and shelter services for families that are experiencing homelessness. During Advent students and families support the program by collecting much needed supplies for them.
- During Lent, students learn the importance of fasting and almsgiving. This 40-day season of giving begins on Ash Wednesday with a school-wide “Rice and Beans Lunch,” when all the students and staff give up their usual lunch for rice and beans. The money they would have spent on an ample meal is donated to New Bethlehem Programs.
Classroom Enrichment, Special Programs and Events:
The students participate in First Reconciliation, and prepare for their First Communion, including taking First Communion classes on the weekends with the parish. The second graders receive their First Communion with their class and parish community around Mother’s Day each year.
Each year the second graders have opportunities to take field trips to enrich their learning. Past field trips have been to the zoo, aquarium, and Storybook Theater.
Each second grader has a fifth-grade buddy whom he/she sits with at each school Mass. Throughout the school year the buddies meet regularly and do special projects. At Halloween the buddies make haunted houses together, and at Christmas time they make gingerbread houses.
