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Aileen Bost is the Second Grade teacher at BSS as well as the adviser for the BSS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society and Pep Squad Coach.
She has been teaching for thirty-one years, twenty-six of them in Catholic education. Before joining the BSS family she taught at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and before that at The Green Vale School in Glen Cove, New York.
Mrs. Bost graduated from Duke University in 1990 where she was awarded the Winifred B. Holton Prize in Education. In 2004 she was a Lewis Award, Excellence in Teaching finalist.
Aileen emphasizes the strengths of her students by designing lessons that will incorporate their varied learning styles. She views Catholic education as the best of all educational worlds. She believes that children learn best in a faith-filled environment where they feel the love of God and witness His presence in all aspects of their school lives.
Mrs. Bost and her husband have three children: Michael, Jeremy and Jasmine and all of them are BSS graduates! In her free time, Mrs. Bost enjoys reading, playing word games, walking and practicing yoga.
Second grade is an exciting year at BSS!
It is a big year for sacraments in the Catholic Church. Our Catholic students will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. All second graders spend the year learning about all seven sacraments and the parts of the Mass. Other units include a study of Mary, the Blessed Mother, the Holy Rosary, the Seasons of the Church and several different Saints. Second graders lead a Thanksgiving prayer service and have a special part in the May Crowning held at the end of the school year.
Fostering a love of Reading is the main goal of the second grade literacy program. Our program has four parts; Reading, Spelling, Grammar and Writing. We read one story per week from a basal reader. Each week we focus on certain vocabulary words and a particular reading skill. We have a test each week that includes multiple choice, short answer and written response questions. We have D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time every day in second grade to encourage reading for fun.
Our Spelling list aligns with the story of the week. The main list has a common phonetic element plus there are additional words that are related to the content of the story. We utilize online sites and weekly homework assignments to help the students learn the words. We have a Spelling test every week.
In Grammar and Writing we cover parts of speech, punctuation and sentence structure throughout the school year. Each lesson has an online component that helps the students apply what they are learning to real sentences. Second graders complete several types of writing over the course of the year including personal narratives, creative writing and non-fiction writing.
For Math we use the Saxon Math program. Students work to master addition and subtraction facts 0-18, multiplication facts 0-5 and they are introduced to simple division. Lessons cover addition and subtraction with and without regrouping, time, money, temperature, fractions, decimals, measurement and problem solving. The lessons are hands-on and incorporate the use of manipulatives including color tiles, geometric shapes, flash cards, wrap-ups, money, clocks, base ten blocks, thermometers and more!
We are so lucky to have an Elementary Science Lab at BSS! It’s stocked with all the materials we need to implement the LabLearner Science curriculum. We visit the lab once a week in small groups. The units of study for second grade are Weight and Balance, The Earth’s Surface, The Water Cycle and Its Phases, Health and Hygiene and Investigating Sound.
Our Social Studies units coincide with the calendar. We learn about major holidays plus we have units that focus on Hispanic Americans, Christmas Around the World, Black History and Women’s History. We use a combination of books and websites to learn the content and complete assignments and projects for each topic.
One of the best parts of second grade is Dino Day! Students study dinosaurs and fossils as part of our fourth Reading unit. Then they choose a dinosaur and use books and websites to learn more about it. They create an informational poster or a Google Slideshow to showcase what they have learned and they complete a special Art project. On Dino Day we share our projects with each other and other students. We invite parents to join us for special snacks and activities to celebrate the end of the unit.
We use our Chromebooks and our SMARTBoard everyday to enhance our lessons and make learning more fun!
We enjoy planning, designing, and creating new and fun ways to express ourselves, including...
We enjoy planning, designing, and creating new and fun ways to express ourselves, including...
STREAM Self Portraits
STREAM Self Portraits
Frida Kahlo Exploration
Frida Kahlo Exploration
Objective/Expected Outcomes: Students will learn about Frida Kahlo’s life and art. They will draw a self-portrait. They will construct a working paint brush and will test it three times, improving it with each trial.
Description: As part of our lessons for Hispanic Heritage Month, second graders will learn about the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. We will read the book Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos by Monica Brown. We will look at several of Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits* and watch videos on how to draw our own self-portraits. We will also design our own paint brushes using a clothespin, a straw, a popsicle stick, a pom-pom, tape and yarn.
NOTE: This lesson was designed for the children to work in small groups. Due to COVID 19, they worked individually instead.
Materials Needed:
Book - Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos by Monica Brown
Internet Access to YouTube for videos
Internet Access to view self-portraits of Frida Kahlo
Small Mirrors
Paintbrush materials - clothespins, plastic straws, popsicle sticks, scissors, tape, pom poms, yarn, paints, water cups, water, scrap paper, pencils
Worksheets - Self-portrait frame, Paintbrush recording sheet
Assessment:
Students must produce a full page self-portrait to paint. They must also record three trials of their paintbrush construction which includes a rating and notes for each trial. They will receive a Social Studies grade based on these two documents and their effort throughout the project.
How will this lesson incorporate STEM/STREAM?
Science: Color Mixing
Technology: SmartBoard and ChromeBooks - videos on self-portraits and reading of Animalitos book; Examples of her self-portraits
Religion: Prayers for the sick - Frida encountered illness and injury in her young life
Engineering: - Constructing the paintbrush, testing it three times, adding improvements each time
Arts: Drawing and painting self-portrait; Appreciating the art of Frida Kahlo
Math: Spatial Recognition
Standards (https://dioceseofraleigh.org/catholic-schools/standards-and-instruction)
STRAND B History
1. Understand how various sources provide information about the past. (2.H.1)
1.2 Identify contributions of historical figures (community, state, nation and world) through various genres. (2.H.1.2) Describe contributions of individuals listed in 3.2 and 3.3.
1.3 Compare various interpretations of the same time period using evidence such as photographs and interviews, and internet resources. (2.H.1.3)
STRAND F Culture
1. Understand how various cultures influence communities. (2.C.1)
1.1 Explain how artistic expressions of diverse cultures contribute to the community (stories, art, music, food, etc.). (2.C.1.1)
1.2 Recognize the key historical figures and events that are associated with various cultural traditions. (2.C.1.2) 1.3 Exemplify respect and appropriate social skills needed for working with diverse groups. (2.C.1.3)
Achievement Standard: Integration of Ideas and Analysis RI.2.7
Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text. Students describe how visuals such as photos, illustrations, charts, diagrams, graphs, etc. enrich the content of the text, clarify the text, organize, and/or supply additional information for readers.
Diocese of Raleigh Academic Standards Covered
Diocese of Raleigh Academic Standards Covered
Sources of Information
Recognize that information is communicated in a variety of formats including: print, non- print, electronic, and conversations.
STRAND B History
1. Understand how various sources provide information about the past. (2.H.1)
1.2 Identify contributions of historical figures (community, state, nation and world) through various genres. (2.H.1.2) Describe contributions of individuals listed in 3.2 and 3.3.
1.3 Compare various interpretations of the same time period using evidence such as photographs and interviews, and internet resources. (2.H.1.3)
STRAND F Culture
1. Understand how various cultures influence communities. (2.C.1)
1.1 Explain how artistic expressions of diverse cultures contribute to the community (stories, art, music, food, etc.). (2.C.1.1)
1.2 Recognize the key historical figures and events that are associated with various cultural traditions. (2.C.1.2)
1.3 Exemplify respect and appropriate social skills needed for working with diverse groups. (2.C.1.3)
Achievement Standard: Integration of Ideas and Analysis
RI.2.7: Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text. Students describe how visuals such as photos, illustrations, charts, diagrams, graphs, etc. enrich the content of the text, clarify the text, organize, and/or supply additional information for readers.
Technology Standards
2.TT.1 Use technology tools and skills to reinforce classroom concepts and activities.
2.TT.1.1 Use a variety of technology tools to gather data and information. (NETS.S.6.b) Search for information using a variety of teacher-directed resources. Organize data for projects using appropriate technology tools.
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