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Welcome to 2nd Grade with Mrs. Applegate!
 
 
My name is Samantha Applegate. I grew up in central Indiana and graduated with my degree in Elementary Education from Ball State University in 2017. My husband and I relocated to the Chicagoland area in 2019 where I spent the first three years teaching Kindergarten. This will be my seventh year teaching and my fourth year teaching at St. Joe's. 
 
When I'm not teaching, you can find me spending time at the lake and watching college football. I also enjoy concerts, reading, and spending time with my friends and family. Some of my favorites include Diet Coke, Starbucks, and trips to Target.
 

Posts

Thursday 04.09.26

Homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics:
  • practice words with ou (e.g. trout), ow (e.g., plow)
  • trick words Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
 
3. Math: 9.7 homework page - line plots
 
4. Handwriting: cursive uppercase A practice page

Wednesday 04.08.26

Homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics: ou, ow word match
  • practice words with ou (e.g. trout), ow (e.g., plow)
  • trick words Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
 
3. Math: 9.6 homework page - problem solving

Tuesday 04.07.26

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.
 
Homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics:
  • practice words with ou (e.g. trout), ow (e.g., plow)
  • trick words Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
 
3. Math: 9.5 homework page - analyze bar graphs
 
4. Handwriting: cursive letter z practice page
 
Reminders:
  • Food Pantry Collection - tomorrow, Wednesday 4/8
    • 2nd graders should bring baked beans!
  • Library books are due Friday

Week at a Glance 04.06.26-04.10.26

Reminders:
  • Please read the Godparents Day email from Mrs. Hein sent earlier this week and be sure to sign up on the Google Form.
  • Save the Dates:
    • Eucharist Prayer Service - Thursday evening, April 30th →
      • This is for the students and their parents only (no siblings or extended family, please)
    • Godparents' Day Prayer Service - Friday, May 1st (during school) →
      • This is for the students and 1 or 2 godparents only (or a substitute, if godparents are unable to attend)
    •  First Communion - Saturday morning, May 2nd →
      • All extended family are invited to attend. If your family is larger than one pew, there will be plenty of additional seating in the extra pews. :)

Tests and Quizzes: 

  • Phonics Unit 14 Assessment - week of April 13
  • Math → In place of a traditional assessment for this chapter, we will be completing a data project in class (the week of April 13)
 

Phonics

This week in Fundations, students will continue to focus on reading and spelling words with the ou and ow vowel teams. They will also learn the new trick words bought, brought, and piece. In addition, students will read and discuss an on-level decodable text to reinforce their phonics skills.

Reading/Writing

Students will identify the main topics of different sections in an informational text and explore examples of civil rights to understand the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They will make connections between historical events, cite information from both print and video sources, and categorize words related to integration and segregation. Additionally, students will compare information from two texts on the same topic to deepen their understanding

Math

We will continue our chapter on data by drawing conclusions and answering questions based on bar graphs. We will also make tables to help solve problems and begin working with line plots, learning how to create and analyze them to better understand and interpret data.

Religion

We will be focusing on Chapters 3 and 4 in our Eucharist book. Students will learn about the importance of quiet as a way to reflect and listen for God. We will hear the story of Moses and the burning bush and discuss how God’s presence makes places, like church, holy. We will also talk about how we prepare to worship God at Mass by asking for His mercy. Finally, students will learn what mercy means and why it is an important part of our faith.

Social Studies

In Social Studies, students will explore the question, "What do communities share?" They will learn how communities work together to meet their economic needs and wants, and identify something special about their own community. Students will also practice locating places on a political map and analyze community celebrations to understand how people share pride in our country.

 

Wednesday 04.01.26

Homework:
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics:
  • practice words with ou (e.g. trout), ow (e.g., plow)
  • trick words Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
3. Math: 9.3 Homework Page - Analyze Picture Graphs
 
4. Handwriting: lowercase cursive v practice page

Tuesday 03.31.26

Homework:
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics: missing letters practice page
  • practice words with ou (e.g. trout), ow (e.g., plow)
  • trick words Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
3. Math: 9.2 Homework Page - Make Picture Graphs

Monday 03.30.26

Tomorrow, Tuesday 3.31, is a Bears Dress Down (in honor of Cole Kmet visiting)
 
Please note that if your child dresses down, s/he must be in either Bears clothes or in blue and orange. Otherwise your child can wear his/her Gym uniform.
 
Homework:
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics: We started Unit 14 today. Please see your child's home folder for the information packet.
  • practice words with ou (e.g. trout), ow (e.g., plow)
  • trick words Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
3. Math: "Interesting Insects" tally chart homework page (we started our next chapter on graphing and data)
 
4. Handwriting: lowercase cursive x practice page
 

Week at a Glance 03.30.26-04.03.26

I hope everyone has a safe and fun spring break!
 
 

Phonics

We will begin Unit 14, where students will be introduced to the vowel teams ou and ow, as hear in words like trout and plow. Students will practice reading and spelling words with these new sounds through a variety of activities. We will also learn the trick words Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday to help build reading fluency and confidence.

Reading/Writing

We will start our new module this week, which focuses on Civil Rights. Students will read Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story and Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington, asking questions and making observations about the texts. They will also analyze a historical photograph, discussing how it connects to the reading. Additionally, students will explore the meaning of the word injustice by examining how a known prefix changes the meaning of a familiar word.

Math

This week in math, students will begin Chapter 9 on data analysis. They will learn how to collect and interpret survey data by organizing it into tally charts. Students will also create and analyze picture graphs and bar graphs, learning how to read and discuss the information each graph represents.

Religion

We will take a short break from our First Communion preparation to focus on learning about Holy Week and the important events that lead up to Easter. Students will read and discuss the stories of Jesus’ journey during this special time, including Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, and Good Friday. We will talk about why these days are meaningful for our faith and how they help us understand and celebrate the joy of Easter.

Social Studies

During Social Studies, students will learn what it means to be a good citizen by identifying positive behaviors and deciding whether specific actions reflect good citizenship. They will also brainstorm ways they can demonstrate good citizenship in their own community through meaningful actions and choices.

Thursday 03.19.26

All students may have a dress down tomorrow, Friday 3/20!
 
Homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics: Practice oa, oe, ow syllables, along with trick words (lose, beautiful, tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday, cousin)
  • No assessment this week!
 
3. No Math Homework

Wednesday 03.18.26

Homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics:
- Practice words with oa, oe, ow
- Practice trick words: Monday, Tuesday, cousin, lose, beautiful, tomorrow
 
3. Math: Baseball Bar Graph worksheet

Tuesday 03.17.26

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Your child's leprechaun trap will be coming home today.
 
Homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes 
 
2. Phonics:
  • Practice words with oa, oe, ow
  • Practice trick words: Monday, Tuesday, cousin, lose, beautiful, tomorrow
 
3. Math: Measuring Capacity (Students can/should use their "Mr. Gallon Man" to help with this paper.)
  • Students were given 45 minutes to complete their gallon man in class. If your child's comes home unfinished, they were off task and not able to complete it. Please complete it as homework and return it to school.
 
4. Handwriting: cursive letter y practice page (we are almost done with all lower case letters! We will move onto uppercase letters soon.)

Monday 03.16.26

Reminders:
  • Please note that Tuesday is not a dress down.
    This was a school-wide decision.
    Thank you for understanding.
  • If your child is missing any days around Spring Break, please email me and Mrs. Lentino. (Thank you to those who have already reached out!) Any missed work can be made up upon their return.
Homework:
1. Read 20 minutes 
 
2. Phonics:
  • Practice words with oa, oe, ow
  • Practice last week's trick words: Monday, Tuesday, cousin
  • Practice new trick words: lose, tomorrow, beautiful
3. Math: Matching Measurement worksheet

Monday 3/16 Stay & Chat - Cancelled

Monday's Stay & Chat Event has been cancelled due to the weather forecast. Thank you for your understanding!

Week at a Glance 03.16.26-03.20.26

Reminders:
  • If your child is missing any days around Spring Break, please email me and Mrs. Lentino. (Thank you to those who have already reached out!) Any missed work can be made up upon their return. 🙂
  • No All School Mass on Tuesday
  • All School Mass is Thursday → Feast of St. Joseph
    • Students should wear their red polo shirts with their uniforms.
    • Students are encouraged to bring a red flower to school to leave by the statue of St. Joseph.
  • If your child has not yet brought in a shoe box (or box of similar size) for the leprechaun trap project, please send one in next week. Thanks! Any additional items from the list are appreciated (e.g., paper towel tubes, popsicle sticks, stickers, etc.).
 

Phonics

During phonics, students will continue to focus on reading and writing words that contain the long "o" sound represented by the letter combinations "oa," "oe," and "ow." Additionally, students will review suffix endings to enhance their understanding of word formation. Finally, they will learn and practice trick words: lose, tomorrow, and beautiful.

Reading/Writing

We wrapped up our learning about the American West. After spring break, we will begin our next module, which will focus on the Civil Rights Movement. We will take a short break from our regular lessons to enjoy some fun St. Patrick’s Day activities. On Monday, students will work together to design and build their own leprechaun traps, using creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. This will be a fun way to celebrate the holiday while still practicing important thinking and collaboration skills.

Math

This week in math, students will explore weight, capacity, and temperature by using the appropriate measurement tools. They will also create a “Gallon Man” to help remember conversions for gallons, quarts, pints, and cups. Additionally, students will practice reading and interpreting bar graphs, pictographs, and line plots to build their understanding of data. Our next math chapter, which focuses on data, will officially begin after spring break.

Religion

As we continue learning about First Communion, our sessions will focus on gathering together and creating a quiet space in our minds and hearts for reflection. We will also learn about the story of Moses and the burning bush and how he listened to God.

Social Studies

In our next social studies lesson, students will explore the question, “How do leaders help their community?” They will participate in a class election, predict what community leaders can and cannot do, and conduct a mock demonstration. Additionally, students will identify a community problem and propose possible solutions to address it.

 

Wednesday 03.11.26

Reminders:
  • Please return your child's report card envelope to school. The report card is yours to keep!
  • Please have your child bring in a shoebox or similar sized box to build a leprechaun trap next week. Thank you! Any extra materials from the list are much appreciated too! :)
  • If your child is going to miss any days before or after spring break, please email me and Mrs. Lentino. Thank you!
Homework:
 
1. Read 20 minutes
 
2. Phonics: Practice words with oa, oe, ow (long o syllables) and trick words: Monday, Tuesday, cousin
 
3. Math: "Check for Understanding" (4 measurement word problems)
  • Assessment is Friday 3/13
4. Handwriting: cursive letter m practice