Second Grade Spanish Newsletter
News & Notes August 29th, 2025
Hola Families!
We hope you have had a great week and are looking forward to our three day weekend! As a minder, we do not have school on Monday. We will see your students Tuesday morning :)
Thank you all for attending Curriculum Night this week. It was wonderful seeing your faces and discussing what we'll be learning and doing this year in 2nd Grade! In case you could not join us, or for extra reference, this week's email has our Curriculum Night presentation and FAQs attached.
We have also launched our Second Grade Spanish website! On our site you can find resources to support your students in their Spanish and English learning, our daily schedule. Check it out! We will update it regularly.
Please read below for important reminders, school announcements, and what we did in class this week.
Ms.Liang and Sra. Tarazona
Curriculum Night
Please find the presentation slides and FAQs from our families here!
Spanish
This week we continued working with CREST, focusing on respect and empathy. To explore these values in our language, we read the book “Esta bien ser diferente.” Through this story, we discussed different children with special abilities and reflected on how we can show respect and empathy toward those around us, both inside and outside of school.
We learned that it is always important to look at things from another person’s perspective in order to understand their feelings, and we discovered how a simple gesture, like asking “Are you okay?”, can make a big difference.
We also talked about sustainability and shared examples of how we can practice it: recycling, picking up trash at the beach and in parks, saving energy, and much more.
In Reading, students practiced developing their independent reading skills in two different ways. First, they read independently for 20 minutes, selecting a book of their choice from the options available on their tables. After reading, they worked on a comprehension activity where they answered guiding questions such as: What was the title of your book? Who were the characters in the story? What was your favorite part and why? These questions encouraged them to think more deeply about what they read, while also helping them make personal connections to the story. Once students completed their worksheets, we gathered together on the carpet to share our books and responses as a class. This sharing time gave everyone the opportunity to hear about different stories, discover new books they might want to read, and practice speaking and listening skills in a respectful way.
The second way students engaged with reading was through the Kids A-Z application. Each student was assigned a specific book within the app that was tailored to their reading level. They had the chance to both read and listen to the book, which supports comprehension and vocabulary development. Afterward, they completed an online comprehension quiz, allowing them to check their understanding and giving me valuable insight into their progress.
By combining independent book choice with structured digital reading, students are building confidence as readers, expanding their vocabulary, and developing the skills needed to talk about and reflect on what they read. These practices are not only helping them grow academically but also encouraging them to see reading as an enjoyable and meaningful activity.
In Writing, the students worked on a very special activity: creating a piece of writing about themselves. The goal was for each child to express who they are and share a little bit about their lives with their classmates. In their writings, they included details such as their name, favorite color, favorite animal, favorite food, their age, and a short description of what they did over the weekend with their families.
This writing activity was closely connected to what we have been practicing every day during our morning conversations, where students have the opportunity to talk about their likes, experiences, and recent activities. Thanks to this consistent practice, the students felt more confident when it came time to write, since they already had ideas and vocabulary in mind that they could use in their work.
After spending 20 minutes writing independently, we gathered on the carpet to share as a group. During this time, several students volunteered to read their pieces out loud. This not only helped them build confidence in themselves but also encouraged attentive listening and respect for their classmates’ work. It was a very enriching experience, as the children truly enjoyed getting to know one another better through their writing and felt motivated to keep improving as writers.
Next week, we will continue working with CREST, our program dedicated to fostering important values such as sustainability and trust. During our activities, students will explore how to care for the environment, make responsible decisions, and develop confidence in themselves and others. This focus will help them understand the impact of their actions and apply these values both inside and outside the classroom.
English
This week, we are excited to kick off our Reading program– Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA). This scientific research-based program consists of two types of instruction: The Skills Strand uses a phonics-based approach to teach the mechanics of reading and spelling; and the Knowledge Strand builds general knowledge, vocabulary, and other language skills.
For this week’s Skills Strand, we reviewed the sound/spellings of: /a/ > ‘a’, /i/ > ‘i’, /p/ > ‘p’, /b/ > ‘b’, /t/ > ‘t’, and /d/ > ‘d’, /e/ > ‘e’, /u/ > ‘u’, /o/ > ‘o’, /k/ > ‘c’, and /g/ > ‘g.’ For skills application, we practiced reading “Kate Visits Doba” and " The Campsite" aloud, along with purpose and understanding; students also answered written multiple-choice questions about key details in the texts.
For this week’s Knowledge Strand, students started to dive into the genre of Fairy Tales. As we studied “The Fisherman and His Wife” and "The Emperor's New Clothes", students reviewed what they knew about fairy tales. For example, fairy tales often feature a royal character, or one with magic power, and often have a happy ending. Students also made predictions about a character in this fairy tale, and learned how to use the word “displeases” and "curious". Our writing task asked students to change one element of “The Fisherman and His Wife” and describe how it changes the original text.
Next week, students will practice reading aloud along with letter sound and word spelling; for Knowledge strand, students will study another fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast.”
Math
This week we finished the first section of Unit 1, which focused on addition and subtraction from 0
to 50. Students practiced solving these equations using a variety of strategies, including counting
blocks, vertical alignment, and games. We also practiced fact fluency through a series of number
talks and math centers. We encourage you to practice this skill with your student at home. Next
week we will begin the next section of the unit - data and graphing!
GLOBE Reminders
- Familiarize yourself with this year's Family Handbook
- August 28: Spirit Day at Chop’t Toco Hills, 10:30am to 8pm
- August 31: Last chance to order a yearbook at the reduced price
Class Reminder
- Every Thursday and Friday, we’ll send home your child’s yellow folder. Inside, you’ll find instructions for accessing resources at home, along with usernames and passwords for each application. Please review them regularly and return the folder on Monday.
- Students should bring a water bottle and healthy snack each day.
- Please label your student’s water bottle, snack, and lunch with their name. Pack snack and lunch separately.
- Please bring appropriate clothes for change (in a ziploc bag and labeled) in their backpack.
- Toys, smart watches, or cards are not allowed to bring to school.