Dear Parents,
Second graders at Westside Christian School can expect to have a lot of fun and learn, too. A variety of activities are offered to help children succeed. We will do some project oriented activities, book reports, and learn to work with others.

In Bible class, we will learn about the life and times of Moses, Joshua, and various other old testament Bible characters. A strong emphasis is placed on building character and integrity in each child. We use the New International Version of the Bible, but often refer to other translations to compare the meanings of particular verses. The children memorize a weekly Bible verse and the Ten Commandments, as well as the Lord’s Prayer. Each class at WCS will also take a turn preparing a chapel program throughout the year. This always proves to be a highlight.

We use the A Beka curriculum in language arts. It has a strong phonetic base, which has proven to be successful in the improvement of spelling and reading skills. We continue to build on what they have learned in kindergarten and 1st grade. One can expect weekly spelling and phonics tests. The children will also be placed in reading groups. Usually, toward the end of second semester, the children are ready for whole group reading instruction. There may also be times throughout the school year when we will work on a book with whole group instruction. Usually, by the end of the year, children have blossomed from reading picture books to reading short chapter books.

The children will learn the difference between different types of sentences and using them in a creative writing format. We discuss what a good sentence must have and learn editing symbols that might help us when we are writing rough drafts. Other grammatical rules are also covered in language arts such as using capital letters and abbreviations correctly.

Saxon math curriculum is used to help review concepts from 1st grade and learn new 2nd grade material. One can expect nightly homework, except on Fridays. We will flourish with our addition and subtraction skills during 1st semester and begin multiplication facts in 2nd semester. We will become more astute at telling time, counting money, reading different types of graphs, learning simple geometry skills, story problems, and 2,3 and 4 digit subtraction problems involving carrying and borrowing/trading.

Science, Social Studies and Health will follow the A Beka curriculum. Additional resources are also used to instruct the children to ensure that all guidelines from the state are met.

At least two field trips will be planned during the course of the school year that will compliment curriculum being taught in the classroom.

Sincerely,

Carol Clark