Welcome to Second Grade 

2024-2025

Below you will find some useful information about our second grade classroom.  

Contact the Teacher

Ms. Ennis uses email. She can be reached at dennis@yonkerspublicschools.org. Please remember, during the school day, Ms. Ennis is focused on working with students, so responses to emails will not be instant. Ms. Ennis will respond to emails daily. Always feel free to reach out with any questions and/or concerns.

Our Prep Schedule

Monday - Physical Education (wear sneakers) 

Tuesday - Music

Wednesday - Activities

Thursday - Art

Friday - Activities

Folders

Your child will receive two folders, an orange one and a red one.  The orange folder will be filled with work your child has completed.  You can empty the orange folder each evening and keep the contents at home.  The red folder will contain homework and notes from the school.  Any notes or forms you send to school should be placed in the red folder.

Homework

Each Monday your child will receive a spiral review page for both ELA and Math.  There are items on each page to be completed Monday - Thursday.  Please know these pages aren't made to cause stress.  If an item/items is too difficult, then just write help.  I will arrange a time for help.  In addition, the homework assignment may be changed to better suit your child's academic needs.  As the year progresses, you will notice your child's skills are improving. Sometimes, I will add additional tasks as your child is introduced to new skills.  Parents and guardians can always encourage children to use the apps on Clever. The math program, I-Ready, has an app that students can use daily. It is set at each child's math level.  Our reading program, Benchmark, will also have online tasks for students to use. The district has also provided a reading app, Renaissance (Lalilo), for the students to use.  The app can be used by students whenever they have time. The app is set to each child's reading level.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures 

ARRIVAL:  Students will arrive at school between 8:20 and 8:35 am (no earlier).  They will go directly to the Courtyard on the Glen Hill side of the building. There will be an area labeled for each teacher.  Your child should wait in the area labeled "Ms. Ennis".  Bus children will be directed up to their designated area by school personnel.  

DISMISSAL for PICK-UP STUDENTS:  The second grade students will be dismissed from the door nearest the playground and Courtyard on the Glen Hill side of the building.  It is requested that all parents wait patiently as the students will be dismissed one at a time for safety.

 DISMISSAL for BUS STUDENTS:  Bus students will be taken to their bus by an aide that has been assigned to that bus.  If your child is NOT riding a bus, then please place a note in your child's red Homework and Notes Folder.  If you forget to send a note, then please call the office to note the change.  The teachers are often busy working with students and can't always get to the phone/computer to check last-minute emails.  This request is for a safe dismissal for ALL students.  Thank you for your assistance.

LUNCH and SNACK

 LUNCH will be at 11:30 am each day.

SNACK:  We will NOT have a large group snack.  However, each child is more than welcome to bring a daily snack and drink in his/her backpack.  Time to enjoy this snack will be provided each day.  Having the students bring in their own snacks will be safer in regard to both germs and allergies.

WATER:  Your child is more than welcome to bring in a water bottle to keep on his/her desk.  This will keep your child hydrated and ready to learn.

☀READING PROGRAM☀

This year the district will be using the reading program, Benchmark. This program has an App located in your child's Clever Portal. The program is broken up into ten units, which last approximately 3 to 4 weeks each. These units are based on the social studies and science topics studied. Each unit will be broken down into specific reading skills, which are:
»Vocabulay
»Sight Word Recognition (High Frequency Words)
»Phonics
»Spelling
»Fluency
»Comprehension
Each week the students will be provided with practice using the above skills. They will work in small groups called centers.

✎MATH✎

This year we will study the skills presented in our math program, I-Ready. Practice will be provided in the Apps located in your child's Clever Portal.

SCIENCE

  Many science themes are incorporated in our Benchmark Reading Program.  In addition, the students will join in hands-on activities via our district Science Program.

Social Studies

Our social studies themes are incorporated into our Benchmark Reading Lessons.  In addition, students will complete activities provided by PNW Boces.

CLEVER BADGES

I will send home a Clever Badge for each child to keep at home.  They will know how to use this badge to log-in to the Clever Program.  They can use their I-Ready App whenever they want as it is individualized and the tasks increase with difficulty as the child's skills develop.  Also, soon the district will have a new Renaissance (Lalilo) App set-up for each child to engage in reading practice.  I will keep you posted as to when the app will be available.

JUNE UPDATES

Reminder:  School will be closed June 20, 2022

Please send your child to school with a water bottle each day.

MATH:  We will  be working with fractions this month.  In addition, a lot of time will be spent reviewing all the various concepts we studied this school year.  Please have your child continue to memorize addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts.  Encourage your child to use the I-Ready App on the Clever Portal.  Daily practice will expand math knowledge.  This app is available for use all summer.  Remember, to have your child use their math skills in real world situations.  For example, encourage them to count change after making a purchase.  Also, encourage them to tell time.

READING:  Your child will be encouraged to read daily.  We will be reading text and answering higher level comprehension questions. In addition, the children will be discussing their answers with peers and showing text evidence to support their answers.  At home, please use the SMARTY ANTS APP each week.  It is on the Clever Portal.  Children enjoy this app and daily use has been proven to expand and develop reading skills.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We will be reading many stories about economics.  Your child will be learning about prices and how they are related to supply and demand.  The children will use their knowledge to discuss current event topics such as increasing food prices. 

WRITING:  The children will continue to practice writing paragraphs.  They will be proof-reading their writing for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.  In addition, they will be encouraged to add details to their written pieces.

REVIEW:  Please encourage your child to read daily this summer.  Discuss the stories read.  Encourage your child to engage in writing tasks.  He/she can become an author and write stories.  He/she can keep a diary or journal and write about summer events.  Letters to family members are always a fun writing task.  Children also love writing shopping lists.

MAY UPDATES

Reminder: School will be closed May 2, 2022

MATH:  Please make sure your child continues to work on memorizing his/her addition and subtraction facts.  This  memorization will make learning and using new skills much easier.  This month we will be taking part in a geometry unit. Geometry is the study of shapes. Ask your child about all the new vocabulary words he/she has been introduced to such a polygon, quadrilateral, pentagon and hexagon.  In addition, your child will be introduced to fractions, whichare equal parts of a whole. Your child will be able to name and create fractions on shapes and number lines. 

SCIENCE:  We will be reading about how our Earth has changed and what causes this change such as weather and natural disasters. The children will learn about how weather changes the Earth, by reading and studying about tornados and wind storms. They will also learn about river erosion.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  The children will be reading, "The Earth's Surface". They will be learning about the seven continents and five oceans that make up the Earth. The children will explore the globe and locate the continents and oceans.

WRITING:  We will be continuing to read informational text.  After doing so, we will independently write informational paragraphs.  We will be proof-reading our work for proper punctuation, grammar, and spelling. In addition, after reading poetry and discussing it, we will begin creating our own acrostic poems. An acrostic poem is a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word.

WHAT CAN I DO AT HOME?

1. Practice counting change.

2. Skip count by twos, fives, threes, tens

3. Use flash cards to study addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts

4.  Read books 

5. Use the Clever Portal Apps.

6. Practice  double and triple digit addition and subtraction

7. Create a journal or diary and write in it everyday

8.  Write your own stories and book that have a beginning, middle and end

9.  Look at maps and practice locating places

10. Locate shapes around you. For example, what shape is a stop sign?

APRIL UPDATES

Reminder:  Spring Break is April 11 - 15, 2022

MATH:  It is very important for your child to have his/her addition and subtraction facts memorized.  Please take time to practice fact memorization daily.  Your child can use the SumDog App on Clever.  Also, flashcards work well for memorization.  You can usually find flashcards at the Dollar Store.  Also, your child should be able to recognize the coins and note values.  He/she should be able to find the value of a group of coins.  

READING:  Our new Benchmark Unit will be "Investigating the Past".  Children will be reading informational text.  In addition, they will be writing paragraphs that provide information.  As your children read and write about the past, they will learn how it shapes the future.  Our Benchmark Unit 7 books will be loaded onto the Benchmark App.  Encourage your child to read these books.  The app also has some phonics review games.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  As mentioned above, we will be reading about the past.  We will read about immigration to America.  Some topics studied will be the Mayflower, the Statue of Liberty, and Westward Expansion.  The children will be using the globe and maps as they study these topics.

SCIENCE:The children will read informational text about space.  They will be exploring space and researching answers to questions they have about this topic.

WHAT CAN WE DO AT HOME?  Please be sure to review addition and subtraction facts.  If your child has these facts memorized, then move onto multiplication.  Continue to practice counting change and telling time.  Most important, read at least ten minutes daily.  Your child will enjoy time using the Smarty Ants App on the Clever Portal. It provides a fun way to review reading skills.

FEBRUARY/MARCH UPDATES

Benchmark Reading:  This month we will begin Unit 5:  Solving Problems Through Technology.  Your child will be reading about inventions and inventors.  They will make observastions as to how inventions have changed our lives. 

Writing:  The children will continue to write their opinions about various topics.  They will share their opinions as well as reasons to support it.   As children have the opportunity to share their opinions,  they will see that we can have different opinions, yet still be friends.  Having different opinions allows for more interesting conversations.  

Phonics:  The children will be working with  digraphs such as ou , ow, oi and oy.  

I-Ready Math:  It is very important for children to have their addition and subtraction facts memorized.  If your child is struggling, then try using flashcards and the SumDog App.  We will continue to add and subtract two-digit numbers and memorized facts will make mastering this skill less stressful.  The children will also be finding the value of a group of coins.  It would be most helpful if you helped your child with coin recognition at home. Please use the I-Ready App at home. It provides great practice in a fun way.

Social Studies:  We have begun learning about the Civil Rights Movement.  Ask your child to share information about some famous Americans we are learning about, such as Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson.  They are learning new vocabulary as we read about and discuss this most important movement, such as protest, peaceful, equal, rights, citizens, segregation , and activism.

Science:  This month we will be reading about many inventors  and answering the question, "Where do ideas from inventions come from?"  The children will analyze the role inventions such as technology play in our society.

Valentine's Day:  We will be celebrating Valentine's Day in class.  A list of class names will be sent home.  Your child can use this  list to create cards.

The One Hundreth Day of School:  This month we will celebrate the one hundreth day of school.  Each morning we keep a count as to how many days we have been in second grade.  As we do this, we learn many vocabulary words and skills, which strengthen our number knowledge.  Ask your children about the following:  digits, odd/even, place value, standard form, expanded form, unit form, word form, tally marks, and base ten model.  You will be impressed!

IMPORTANT

School will be back to our traditional in class learning on January 10, 2022.

The School Five Staff looks forward to welcoming students back to the classroom.

Please read ALL emails sent from Ms. Ennis

We will be using the Readworks.org App located on the Clever Portal.

Readworks.org App has reading activities. Our class code is MWW7GZ and our password is 1234.

Please email Ms. Ennis if your child does NOT have access to a device and/or internet.  Also, if your email address has changed please email Ms. Ennis your new email, so that you can be informed of class information.  Thank you!

January Updates

BENCHMARK READING:  We will begin Unit 4:  Many Characters, Many Points of View.  The children will read some familiar stories, such as "Rapunzel", "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" and "Stone Soup".  The children will study different characters and their views of story events.  Ms. Ennis will guide the students' thinking by asking questions, such as :  Why do some characters disagree with each other?  How do characters show their different points of view? (argue or describe the same things differently).

PHONICS:  We will continue to study "Bossy R" words.  We will discuss how the letter "R" takes over the vowel sound , when it is placed behind a vowel.  We will  read ar, or, ir, ur, and oar words.. Some examples are :  Shirt, burnt, oars, born, store, card, shark, and sports.  

WRITING:  We will be writing opinion paragraphs.  An opinion is a person's belief or feelings about a topic.  

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We will continue to explore stories and tales from around the world.  We will be studying the word "map".  We will look at different maps.  We will even make a map of our classroom.

I-READY MATH:  We will continue to use our math vocabulary daily.  Some words used include odd, even, digit, standard form, model form, expanded form, unit form, and place value.  In addition, word problems will continue to be completed daily and different strategies for solving them will be used.  At home, encourage your child to study his/her addition and subtraction facts daily.  Also, using the I-Ready App willl help to improve math performance.  Finally, begin showing your child the different coins: Penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and half-dollar.  Discuss the different coins values.  Have your child practice skip counting by 5's, 10's, and 25's.

December Updates

Benchmark Reading:  This month we will begin Unit Three:  Plants and Animals in Their Habitats.  Your children will be reading many nonfiction books about animals.  They'll be learning to locate facts in each book they read, as well as share these facts with peers.  They will be challenged to begin writing an informative report about an anmimal.  We can't wait to share all our new knowlege with you!

I-Ready Math:  The children will be learning some new vocabulary words such as data, bar graph, tally chart, and pictograph/picture graph.  They will be collecting data and learning to display it on various types of graphs.   The children will use the graphs to compare and contrast different groups.  The children will continue to practice completing word problems, which is quite challenging.  At home, encourage your child to use the  I-Ready App, as it provides a fun way to review and learn math skills.

Science:  As you may have guessed, we will be learning about animal habitats.  The children will explore the artic, grasslands, desert, and forest habitats.  They will learn about the different types of weather in each habitat and how this weather affects each animal's lifestyle.  

Social Studies:  We will be reading about and discussing how different cultures celebrate different holidays.  We will compare and contrast the holidays.  The children will be asked if they would like to talk about their favorite family holiday. 

What can we do at home?  At home, continue to log onto the Clever portal.  The Benchmark Reading App is always updated with new assignments and games based on our current unit.  The I-Ready App provides a fun way to review and learn new math skills.  This app is based on each child's individual skill level.  The Smarty Ants App is LOVED by the children.  Using this app helps to improve phonics and reading skills.  As always, reach out should you have difficulty logging onto Clever.  Encorage your child to read daily.  Read books, signs, cereal boxes, recipes, anything that you have with print.  This will show your child that reading is everywhere and an important skill to learn.  Please help your child to memorize addition and subtraction facts thru 20.  Flashcards work great for memorization.  

November 2021 Update

Benchmark Reading Program:  This month we will begin Unit 2  of the Benchmark Reading Program.  Our theme will be, "Characters Facing Challenges".    As we read stories, we will discuss the problems the characters faced and how these problems were solved.  We'll also discuss lessons the characters learned as they solved problems.  The children will relate these discussions to their own lives.  In fact, they'll be writing personal narratives about problems they have experienced.  When time permits, please encourage your child to use the Benchmark App.  There are stories assigned for your child to read.  In addition, there are games, which review phonics skills studied.

I-Ready Math Program:  We will continue to review addition and subtraction strategies.  It is most important for your child to begin memorizing addition and subtraction facts.  In addition, the children will be introduced to the concept of collecting and displaying data.  They will be using tally charts, bar graphs, and pictographs.  A great way for your child to strengthen math skills is to provide him/her with time to use the I-Ready App daily.  This app has lessons and fun games provided at your child's individual level.  As your child's skills progress, the lessons and games will progress and increase with difficulty.

Smarty Ants App:  The children are using the Smarty Ants App at school and they love it.  This is a research driven app that differentiates instruction and accelerates students on the path to foundational literacy.    Basically, this app provides engaging games at your child's literacy level.  As your child develops and strengthens skills, new skills will be introduced.  It would be most beneficial if your child used this app at least three times a week if not more.

What can we do at home?  At home, continue to log onto the Clever portal.  The Benchmark Reading App is always updated with new assignments and games based on our current unit.  The I-Ready App provides a fun way to review and learn new math skills.  This app is based on each child's individual skill level.  The Smarty Ants App is LOVED by the children.  Using this app helps to improve phonics and reading skills.  As always, reach out should you have difficulty logging onto Clever.  Encorage your child to read daily.  Read books, signs, cereal boxes, recipes, anything that you have with print.  This will show your child that reading is everywhere and an important skill to learn.  Please help your child to memorize addition and subtraction facts thru 20.  Flashcards work great for memorization.  

October 2021 Update

Spirit Week October 25 - 29, 2021

Monday, October 25th - Pajama Day

Tuesday, October 26th - Old Age Day - Dress as if you were 100 years old.

Wednesday, October 27th - Dress to Impress - It's Picture Day at School 5

Thursday, October 28th - Color Wars - Grade 2 will wear orange.

Friday, October 29th - Halloween Celebration- Plans will be announced soon.

BENCHMARK:  We have begun Unit 1, "Government at Work".  Your child can access the stories we read in class by logging onto the Clever Portal and clicking on the Benchmark App.  The stories will be loaded under your child's assignment tab.  He/she can listen to the stories be read or independently read them.  In addition, phonics games are loaded onto your child's assignment tab.  These games review phonics and spelling tasks studied.  

I-READY:  Your child can click on the I-READY App and he/she will be able to play games and complete tasks that are at his/her level.  As your child's skills progress, the games and tasks will increase skill levels.  This app provides a fun way to review math skills.

WHAT CAN WE DO AT HOME?

     1.  Read daily

     2.  Review both addition and subtraction facts thru 20.  Flashcards work great for this review.  Your child can make "electronic" flashcards using the Quizlet App.

     3.  Ask your child about different addition strategies studied in class:  Make Ten, Use a Numberl Line, Use Doubles Facts.

     4.  Ask your child, "Why do we need a government?"  This is a question we will address in class as we read and learn about the government. 

Folders

Your child will receive two folders, a blue one and a red one.  The blue folder will be filled with work your child has completed.  You can empty the blue folder each evening and keep the contents at home.  The red folder will contain homework and notes from the school.  Any notes or forms you send to school should be placed in the red folder.

Homework

Each Monday your child will receive a spiral review page for both ELA and Math.  There are items on each page to be completed Monday - Thursday.  Please know these pages aren't made to cause stress.  If an item/items is too difficult then just write help.  I will arrange a time for help.  In addition, the homework assignment may be changed to better suit your child's academic needs.  As the year progresses, you will notice your child's skills improve. Sometimes, I will add additional tasks as your child is introduced to new skills.  As your child progresses with our new math program, I-Ready, some computer based activities will be provided.  Our reading program, Benchmark, will also have online tasks for students to use.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures 

ARRIVAL:  Students will arrive to school between 8:20 and 8:35 am (no earlier).  They will go directly to the Courtyard on the Glen Hill side of the building. There will be an area labeled for each teacher.  Your child should wait at the area labeled "Ms. Ennis".  Bus children will be directed up to their designated area by school personnel.  

DISMISSAL for PICK-UP STUDENTS:  The second grade students will be dismissed from the door nearest the playground and Courtyard on the Glen Hill side of the building.  It is requested that all parents and guardians follow the CDC social distance protocols. 

 DISMISSAL for BUS STUDENTS:  Bus students will be taken to their bus by an aide that has been assigned to that bus.  If your child is NOT riding a bus then please place a note in your child's red Homework and Notes Folder.  If you forget to send a note, then please call the office to note the change.  The teachers are often busy working with students and can't always get to phone/computer to check last minute emails.  This request is for a safe dismissal for ALL students.  Thank you for your assistance.

LUNCH and SNACK

 LUNCH will be at 11:30 am each day

SNACK:  We will NOT have a large group snack.  However, each child is more than welcome to bring a daily snack and drink in his/her backpack.  Time to enjoy this snack will be provided each day.  Having the students bring in their own snacks will be safer in regard to both germs and allergies.

WATER:  Your child is more than welcome to bring in a water bottle to keep on his/her desk.  This will keep your child hydrated and ready to learn.

☀READING PROGRAM☀

This year the district will be using a new reading program, Benchmark. This program has an App located in your child's Clever Portal. The program is broken up into ten units, which last approximately 3 to 4 weeks each. These units are based on the social studies and science topics studied. Each unit will be broken down into specific reading skills, which are:
»Vocabulay
»Sight Word Recognition (High Frequency Words)
»Phonics
»Spelling
»Fluency
»Comprehension
Each week the students will be provided with practice using the above skills. On this webpage, I'll let you know about the activities loaded onto the apps on Clever. It is my goal to make these activities engaging and educational.

✎MATH✎

This year we will study the skills presented in our new math program, I-Ready. Practice will be provided in the Apps located in your child's Clever Portal.

SCIENCE

  Many science themes are incorporated in our Benchmark Reading Program.  In addition, the students will join in hands-on activities via our Mystery Science Program.

SOCIAL STUDIES

 Many of our social studies themes are also incorporated in our Benchmark Reading Program.  In addition, the students will complete activities located in the PNW Boces Program.