Project Letters and Rubrics

Friday, October 5, 2018

Dear Parents of Dcn. Wocken’s Second Grade Students,

This week, I would like your child to go out into his/her neighborhood and search for different types of leaves that are on or near the trees in their outside environment. No pine trees. Please help them mount or glue them on a piece of corrugated paper (about one foot by one foot in size). I would like your child to name the leaves appropriately and correctly spell their names. Look at books or the internet to get the correct names and spellings if you need to. Note... if you take clear packaging tape and put it over the finished leaf project, it will preserve the leaves from drying out and becoming brittle. It will also look nicer!

The corrugated square of leaves will be due 10/23/18.

I will be looking for the following...

1. your child’s name on the front side of the cardboard

2. correct spelling and the name of the leaf, written near the leaf, as a label

3. a variety of different leaves (five or more)

After the project is completed, I would like them to write on an index card the answers to these two questions...

1. Why do the leaves change colors?

2. Why do they drop off the trees? Students should write their name at the top of this card also. Use complete sentences with correct punctuation and spelling. Neatness counts!

Thank you!

Dcn. John Wocken

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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Dear Parents,

During the past two weeks, our class read the story of Flat Stanley. It is a book written by Jeff Brown that tells the story of a little boy who is flattened by a large bulletin board when it falls upon him one evening. One of the advantages of being flat is that Stanley was able to travel in an envelope and visit his relatives and friends at the reasonable cost of postage. Well... Your second grader’s “Flat Self” is ready to travel around the United States... or the world, just like Stanley in our book. Please examine the packet I have put together and understand its contents.

The family or person you choose to send this envelope to should be notified as

to what to expect in the mail, as they are the first stop on this incredible journey.

Encourage them to write in the provided journal and to take pictures of their flat

visitor in the places that they find interesting in their community.

Please emphasize to them the importance of sending this packet onto someone

else they knowthat would be willing to participate in our Social Studies project.

We are anxious to see how many different communities or states our “Flat Selves”

can visitthroughout the United States. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of

the first postcard and hope that everyone’s packet has a safe journey.

This project will go through March of 2019. If you have questions regarding this project, please call me at 529-3202 or stop in.

Check out the Photograph page on this Website for a glimpse of the children and their Flat Selves.

Sincerely,

Dcn. John Wocken

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November 1, 2018

Dear Parents,

A brief history lesson... In the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands.In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1st- All Saints' Day,a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.

On the second of November, the church celebrates and remembers

the lives and deaths of those who we knew and loved. It is called

All Soul’s Day. During the month of November, I would like our

second graders to spend time and reflect on the lives of people from

their families whom they have loved and who had died. Traditionally,

the Mexican peoples have celebrated El Dia de losMuertos (The Day

of the Dead) by setting up memorial tables that might include photos

or special objects that tell about the person who died.

In the spirit of this Mexican tradition, I would like to remember the people from our own families, who have died. So, in our classroom, we will celebratetheir lives throughout the month of November, and into December. I created a schedule so that all the students can share one special loved one, who has died from their family, with the rest of the class. If there is no one your child remembers or knows who has died, it could be someone that you may recall. Your child can tell us about them. This is an optional activity.

Some typical objects to display and share are: photographs, special objects such as rosaries, tools, trinkets, gifts, handicrafts, blankets, games, etc... that help you remember your deceased loved one. I have a table in the front of the room that can be used as our sharing table. The table surface is approximately 1 x 2 feet.

November 2- Deacon Wocken

November 6- Addison B, November 7- Anya C., November 8- Lunden C., November 89- Orion D., November 12- Emily D., November 13- Tenley F., November 14- Weston F., November 15- Matthew H., November 16- Vaughan H., November 19- Paige J., November 20- Mathias K., November 21- Josie L., November 26- Evaleen N., November 27- Tyler P., November 28- Elizabeth S., November 29- Lydia S., November 30- Shyla V., December 3- Austin Z.

Sincerely,

Dcn. John Wocken

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Ignore this letter at this time.

Hello Parents,

Please help your child locate landforms and waterways

within North America using an atlas, map, or encyclopedia

to name the items on the attached worksheet.

You may use the internet as well.

This work is due _______________.

Thank you,

Deacon Wocken

Landforms and Waterways Research Project

Item

Name a Specific Landform/Waterway

Where is it located?

Island

Lake

Peninsula

Gulf

Cape

Bay

Isthmus

Strait

Archipelago

Chain of Lakes

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Monday, February 12, 2018

Dear Parents,

The students and I are discussing our world’s natural resources in Social Studies class. Some lessons involve the awareness and need for recycling certain materials in order to keep the environment protected. I would like to ask the students to look around the house and find at least five recyclable materials and create either a monster or an animal, and bring them to school on Monday, February 26, 2018.

Criteria

1. At least five different recyclable materials. (tin cans, cardboard,

aluminum cans, plastic bottles or jugs, newspapers or other paper

products, egg cartons, glass, etc...) Use more materials if you wish.

2. On an index sized card, display the following data... the name of

the animal, the name all materials used, and the student’s name.

3. Use correct spelling.

4. Due Date Monday, February 26, 2018

5. Handwritten by the student.

Thank you for any help you provide.

Dcn. John Wocken