Meet the 2nd grade team:

Ms. Kanda
Melody Kanda is elated to be teaching 2nd grade at WISH! Miss Kanda earned her BA degree and teaching credential from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She decided to become a teacher because she enjoys fostering a love for learning in kids. Her favorite subject to teach is math because it is fascinating to see students solve problems in different ways and gain number sense! In her free time, she enjoys reading and hiking. She thinks WISH is the best place to work because she gets to interact with the amazing students, parents, and staff!

Ms. McCoy

Erin McCoy loves teaching 2nd grade at WISH! Ms. McCoy earned her BA degree and teaching credential from Loyola Marymount University. She decided to become a teacher because she loves working with children to make a difference in their lives and to help inspire their learning. Her favorite subject to teach is Social Studies because she had always loved history, and wants to make it more interactive for kids. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, doing art, and playing with her bunnies Attila and Peaches.  She thinks WISH is the best place to work because it is a great community for all learners!

Ms. Murphy
Adrien Murphy loves teaching 2nd grade at WISH! Mrs. Murphy earned her BA degree and teaching credential from California State University Northridge. She decided to become a teacher because watching her mom teach inspired her to want to make a difference and help kids believe in themselves. Her favorite subject to teach is math because she loves creating projects that connect to student’s interests. She also adores teaching kindness and mindfulness in her classroom and social skills during her after school Kindness Club. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, camping, traveling, arts and crafts, and spending time with her family. She thinks WISH is the best place to work because of all of the supportive and loving families, students, and teachers!

Ms. Aya

Aya Bispham is so excited to be back at WISH Elementary this year co-teaching with 2nd and 3rd grade! Miss Aya earned her BA degree at the University of Washington and her MA degree and teaching credential in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. Miss Aya loves teaching at WISH because of the inclusive community that embraces diversity and celebrates all students! Her favorite subject to teach is math because she likes using manipulatives and differentiating problems with multiple strategies. In her free time she enjoys going to the beach, eating out with friends, and watching sports. She thinks WISH is the best place to work because of the invaluable partnerships with staff, families, and students!

Learn more about the 2nd grade program:
The second-grade program incorporates the constructivist learning theory into everyday instruction, engaging students in hands-on, project-based learning. Technology, art, music and P.E. are all integral components of the second-grade program that help provide students with a well-rounded education.

In language arts, second graders read various texts to enhance their fluency and use critical thinking skills in making predictions, inferences, and comparing literature to other pieces of writing and their own lives. Students study grammar, expand their vocabulary and practice writing in a variety of genres including: friendly letters, personal narratives, opinion, and informational writing.

Second graders engage in hands-on math instruction using manipulatives and other visual representations to enhance their understanding of the curriculum. Students expand their knowledge of place value, practice increasingly complicated computational skills, earn and spend money, explore geometrical properties and make decisions about how to solve problems.

In social studies, students explore maps, discover the work of important people of the past and present, differentiate the timing of events in history and their own lives, learn the basic functions of a government and examine basic concepts about the economic system.

In science, students become hands-on problem solvers and learn to collaborate with their peers to create different designs. Students research the variety of ways animals disperse seeds and pollinate plants. We also learn about the properties of matter and investigate the different forces that shape the surface of the Earth.

Second graders are active participants in their own learning and are learning to become increasingly independent in both their academic and social lives. We also teach mindfulness and social and emotional skills through the Ruler program. Students are encouraged to resolve their own conflicts and help create a comfortable classroom environment in which everyone can thrive.