Curriculum Statement - Second Grade
Parameters
- Students attend school from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Admission is based on the previous teacher's recommendation, achievement testing, and previous school records.
- SJES offers childcare services for both before and after school hours.
Central Theme: Early America – The Settlements
For its Central Theme, each grade studies a particular period of history from a full cultural perspective. The goal is to get to know the ordinary life of the times as well as the key historical events. Central Theme integrates history, literature, geography, art, English composition, science and religion. Each theme has its own central projects, re-enactments, role playing, research topics, field trips, written reports and oral presentations.
Second grade students study the voyage of the Mayflower, settlement of Plymouth, and establishment of early relationships between the Pilgrims and the Native American peoples. Students begin the Central Theme study with events that precipitated the Pilgrims journey to America and complete the study with a reenactment of the Thanksgiving Feast. The second graders also study Native Americans. This unit ends with the celebration of a Pow Wow.
Second graders are taught reading using the Balanced Literacy approach. The students are provided with multiple opportunities to interact with fiction and nonfiction text. Discussions and questions that follow reading activities are designed to develop comprehension. Differentiated instruction is emphasized.
Specialized Reading Instruction
Learning differences vary in type and severity and often impact a student's acquisition of reading skills. Each child is screened individually to determine the most appropriate reading placement. The school offers two distinct programs for students whose reading progress indicates that they would benefit from additional reading instruction. Placement in a specialized reading program is based upon testing, teacher evaluation, and parent permission.
MTA – Multi-Sensory Teaching Approach is a highly specialized reading and spelling program for students who have experienced difficulty learning to read using conventional methods. A very structured and detailed phonetic approach helps to develop skills. Students take each step sequentially and do not move on until the current step is thoroughly mastered. For most students this is a three-year program. Classes are typically limited to five students. Additional reading instruction is provided by the classroom teacher. All MTA teachers have been specially trained in the MTA instructional program.
Language
Students are encouraged to use inventive spelling to write original stories and poems as well as specific compositions assigned by the teacher. Both phonetic spelling and common non-phonetic sight words are taught with the help of activity pages, word banks, games, teacher directed lessons, and through the writing process. The handwriting program teaches proper pencil grip, body positioning, correct numeral and manuscript and cursive letter formation, as well as placement on the page. The students regularly practice handwriting by using the D'Nealian method.
Mathematics
Students are taught a variety of specific problem solving strategies and are provided with adequate practice. Students develop fluency and competency in computation skills through multiple opportunities for practice in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Smart boards, internet websites, games and flash cards are some of the many tools used to learn and practice math.
Science
The second grade science curriculum offers a balanced foundation from concepts based on three major blocks of study: Life Science, Physical Science and Earth Science.
Spiritual Formation and Growth/Life Skills
Second grade students attend Chapel twice a week. A thirty minute Spiritual Formation class is taught once a week with an emphasis on Spiritual values and how to live a Christian life through familiar Bible stories is encouraged. Second grade students also participate with other students in grades kindergarten through four as a family group in the "Educating the Heart" curriculum. Each morning begins with a devotional time.
Physical Education
Second graders participate in a P.E. class. Students meet in the gym and participate in activities that develop and strengthen motor and manipulative skills along with large and small muscles. The benefits of good nutrition and practice of sound health habits are encouraged. Instruction in manners and good sportsmanship is an important component of the physical education program.
Spanish
The overall objectives of the second grade Spanish classes are to continue the development of listening and speaking skills which enable the students to communicate their needs in greater detail. Students will also begin to associate the spoken word with the written work, and gradually they will begin to read familiar material in Spanish with comprehension. Students attend Spanish classes taught by a Spanish language specialist twice a week
Music
A music specialist teaches music to second graders twice a week. The class provides for multiple experiences, which enable students to express themselves musically. Second grade students participate in several programs related to Central Theme during the year under the direction of the music specialist and classroom teacher.
Library
Second grade students have a regularly scheduled library period. During the scheduled library time the students listen to a story, and select a book for personal reading. Library skills are reinforced.
Art
Second graders are scheduled for formal art instruction with the art specialist in painting, print making, design, ceramics and other media for fifty minutes each week in the Art Studio. Students have numerous opportunities to experiment with a variety of media, including paints, chalk, crayons, clay and others.
Parent Communication
Parent Orientation is held to introduce the room, teacher and curriculum to the parents. Parent conferences are scheduled throughout the year.
Each Monday a packet will be sent home with school communications.
Curriculum Statement - Second Grade
Parameters
- Students attend school from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Admission is based on the previous teacher's recommendation, achievement testing, and previous school records.
- SJES offers childcare services for both before and after school hours.
Central Theme: Early America – The Settlements
For its Central Theme, each grade studies a particular period of history from a full cultural perspective. The goal is to get to know the ordinary life of the times as well as the key historical events. Central Theme integrates history, literature, geography, art, English composition, science and religion. Each theme has its own central projects, re-enactments, role playing, research topics, field trips, written reports and oral presentations.
Second grade students study the voyage of the Mayflower, settlement of Plymouth, and establishment of early relationships between the Pilgrims and the Native American peoples. Students begin the Central Theme study with events that precipitated the Pilgrims journey to America and complete the study with a reenactment of the Thanksgiving Feast. The second graders also study Native Americans. This unit ends with the celebration of a Pow Wow.
Second graders are taught reading using the Balanced Literacy approach. The students are provided with multiple opportunities to interact with fiction and nonfiction text. Discussions and questions that follow reading activities are designed to develop comprehension. Differentiated instruction is emphasized.
Specialized Reading Instruction
Learning differences vary in type and severity and often impact a student's acquisition of reading skills. Each child is screened individually to determine the most appropriate reading placement. The school offers two distinct programs for students whose reading progress indicates that they would benefit from additional reading instruction. Placement in a specialized reading program is based upon testing, teacher evaluation, and parent permission.
MTA – Multi-Sensory Teaching Approach is a highly specialized reading and spelling program for students who have experienced difficulty learning to read using conventional methods. A very structured and detailed phonetic approach helps to develop skills. Students take each step sequentially and do not move on until the current step is thoroughly mastered. For most students this is a three-year program. Classes are typically limited to five students. Additional reading instruction is provided by the classroom teacher. All MTA teachers have been specially trained in the MTA instructional program.
Language
Students are encouraged to use inventive spelling to write original stories and poems as well as specific compositions assigned by the teacher. Both phonetic spelling and common non-phonetic sight words are taught with the help of activity pages, word banks, games, teacher directed lessons, and through the writing process. The handwriting program teaches proper pencil grip, body positioning, correct numeral and manuscript and cursive letter formation, as well as placement on the page. The students regularly practice handwriting by using the D'Nealian method.
Mathematics
Students are taught a variety of specific problem solving strategies and are provided with adequate practice. Students develop fluency and competency in computation skills through multiple opportunities for practice in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Smart boards, internet websites, games and flash cards are some of the many tools used to learn and practice math.
Science
The second grade science curriculum offers a balanced foundation from concepts based on three major blocks of study: Life Science, Physical Science and Earth Science.
Spiritual Formation and Growth/Life Skills
Second grade students attend Chapel twice a week. A thirty minute Spiritual Formation class is taught once a week with an emphasis on Spiritual values and how to live a Christian life through familiar Bible stories is encouraged. Second grade students also participate with other students in grades kindergarten through four as a family group in the "Educating the Heart" curriculum. Each morning begins with a devotional time.
Physical Education
Second graders participate in a P.E. class. Students meet in the gym and participate in activities that develop and strengthen motor and manipulative skills along with large and small muscles. The benefits of good nutrition and practice of sound health habits are encouraged. Instruction in manners and good sportsmanship is an important component of the physical education program.
Spanish
The overall objectives of the second grade Spanish classes are to continue the development of listening and speaking skills which enable the students to communicate their needs in greater detail. Students will also begin to associate the spoken word with the written work, and gradually they will begin to read familiar material in Spanish with comprehension. Students attend Spanish classes taught by a Spanish language specialist twice a week
Music
A music specialist teaches music to second graders twice a week. The class provides for multiple experiences, which enable students to express themselves musically. Second grade students participate in several programs related to Central Theme during the year under the direction of the music specialist and classroom teacher.
Library
Second grade students have a regularly scheduled library period. During the scheduled library time the students listen to a story, and select a book for personal reading. Library skills are reinforced.
Art
Second graders are scheduled for formal art instruction with the art specialist in painting, print making, design, ceramics and other media for fifty minutes each week in the Art Studio. Students have numerous opportunities to experiment with a variety of media, including paints, chalk, crayons, clay and others.
Parent Communication
Parent Orientation is held to introduce the room, teacher and curriculum to the parents. Parent conferences are scheduled throughout the year.
Each Monday a packet will be sent home with school communications.