CLASSROOM NEWS

For Your Information:

Field Trip Thanks
Thank you to Mrs. Calabria for joining us on our field trip to the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art. The students enjoyed learning more about rocks and minerals, and were fascinated by the hand-carved art of cut and polished stone. Also, many students found some neat souvenirs at the gift shop.

Reminder about Conferences
2nd trimester conferences will be held the week of March 10th. These conferences are only scheduled if a parent or teacher makes a request for one. If you would like to arrange a meeting with any of your child's teachers, please contact the teacher(s) directly. I will be contacting parents from my homeroom and math class in the next week if I feel there is a need for a conference.

Family Book Club Night
You don't want to miss out on this wonderful opportunity to read and discuss a book with your child and others. Registration information went home Thursday about the date, time, and book choices.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - Lesson 24: Forming plurals with -es
• English/Writing - The students will be working on writing responses to a variety of reading passages. The work we did earlier in the year with expository writing should help students understand how to form a topic sentence to answer the response question, find facts in the text to use in support of their answer, and then elaborate or explain further about those facts.
• Reading - We will be completing more reading activities in ISAT format. We will do some more functional reading (newspapers, recipes, advertisements, directions, etc.) as well.
• Science - The students will conduct the streak, vinegar, magnet, specific gravity, and cleavage tests for the 13 minerals. These test results will help us identify the names of the minerals.
• Social Studies - We will be traveling to our own region of the United States - the Midwest! The students will complete a map to become familiar with the land and water areas of the region.
• Accelerated Math - The students will be working on problem solving in ISAT format. We will practice writing short and long responses.

Mark Your Calendar:

2/29: End of 3rd Trimester

3/3: No School (Casmir Pulaski Day)

3/10 - 3/13: Parent-Teacher Conferences Week

3/10 - 3/18: ISAT Testing

CLASSROOM NEWS

For Your Information:

Field Trip Reminder!!
We are going to the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art on Wednesday, February 27th. Since we are leaving for the museum during our regularly scheduled lunch time, we will be eating lunch in the classroom. Please make sure your student has a sack lunch on that day!

2nd Trimester Conference Requests
2nd Trimester Conferences will be held the week of March 10th. These conferences are only scheduled if a teacher or parent makes a request for one. If you would like to arrange a meeting with any of your child's teachers for a 2nd trimester conference, please contact the teacher(s) directly to schedule a date and time. I will be contacting parents from my homeroom and math class in the next 2 weeks if I feel there is the need for a conference.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - Lesson 23: Words spelled with -tch and -ch
• English/Writing - The students will learn about two more literary techniques: alliteration and hyperbole. There is a quiz covering all of the language skills (yellow section of the poetry folder) on Friday, February 29!
• Reading - We will be doing various activities to begin preparing for the ISAT tests in March. It is helpful for students to practice responding to their reading in the same format that is expected on the tests.
• Science - The students are learning all about minerals. We are testing 13 different minerals for such things as color, texture, luster, and hardness.
• Social Studies - The Chapter 7 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, February 26!! Then we will complete the last page of our Southeast scrapbook section.
• Accelerated Math - The students have learned how to add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers. Ask your child about the short-cut strategy I showed them - just another way we can add or subtract fractions. Next we will learn how to multiply and divide fractions and mixed numbers.

Mark Your Calendar:

2/27: Lizzadro Museum Field Trip (SACK LUNCH!!)

2/28: Spring Pictures

2/29: Backwards Shirt Day!

2/29: End of 2nd Trimester

3/3: No School (Casmir Pulaski Day)

CLASSROOM NEWS

For Your Information:

Thank You Valentine's Day Helpers
Thanks to all of the parents who helped to create a fun-filled Valentine's Day Party for our classroom. Mrs. Calabria, Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Burr, and Mrs. Foernssler planned some neat games, and Mrs. Garza and Mrs. Foernssler provided tasty treats and drinks. Mrs. Mateja and Miss Luszcak joined the festivities as well.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - Lesson 22: Words ending in -dge or -ge
• English/Writing - The students will be learning about different literary techniques such as simile, imagery, and onomatopoeia.
• Reading - We will be finishing the book, "Sarah, Plain and Tall." The students will be completing a "concertina" booklet in class which will include a book summary, information about the main characters, connection to the text, and a prediction about what would happen if the story were to continue.
• Science - We are starting our next hands-on science kit about Earth Science. Each student has received a booklet entitled, "Crystal and the Geologist," which will serve as the text for this unit of study.
• Social Studies - The students have learned a lot of information about the early Southeast. We have had some wonderful discussions about slavery, the Civil War, segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement. Next, we will learn how the cities of the Southeast have grown and changed over time.
• Accelerated Math - The students have been adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with common denominators. They have also learned how to add and subtract fractions when the denominators are not the same. Next week, we will take it one step further to add and subtract mixed numbers with unlike denominators.

Mark Your Calendar:

2/18: No School (President's Day)

2/22: Six Flags Six Hour Reading Club sheets due!

2/22: Clash Day!

2/27: Lizzadro Museum Field Trip

2/28: Spring Pictures

2/29: End of 2nd Trimester

CLASSROOM NEWS

For Your Information:

IOWA Testing Week
Please remember that IOWA testing will be held next week. Please make sure students get plenty of sleep and nutritious meals so that they can put forth their best efforts.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - Lesson 21: 1+1+1 words and silent -e words with endings *There will be no spelling pretest or final test over the words in order to alleviate some of the work during IOWA testing week. The students will simply practice the spellings of the words through the homework assignments given.
• English/Writing - The students will perform their chosen poems on Tuesday, February 12! Please use the Poetry Performance Grader (back side of the pink hand-out given to students) to provide feedback to your child when he/she practices at home. It is also helpful for students to practice in front of a mirror.
• Reading - We are reading "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and learning quite a bit about life in the 1800's. Ask your child to tell you a few differences between life long ago and life today.
• Science - The class will review all of the simple machines and the important ideas from the different activities completed. The Machines and Motion Unit Test is scheduled on Wednesday, February 13!
• Social Studies - We will continue to read about the explorers and settlements of the Southeast.
• Accelerated Math - The students will learn about adding and subtracting fractions in Chapter 10. *Kevin's group had the highest score for the problem solving contest - nice teamwork! We will discuss those results in more detail on Monday.

Mark Your Calendar:

2/11 - 2/15: IOWA Testing

2/14: Wear Red for Valentine's Day Week

2/14: Valentine's Day Party

CLASSROOM NEWS

For Your Information:

Snow Day
I hope everyone enjoyed the very snowy Friday off from school! It was nice to stay safe at home and have fun in the winter wonderland outdoors!

Request From the Office
Please remember to send information, permission forms, lunch ticket orders, etc. to school in an envelope clearly labeled with the student's name, teacher's name, and brief description of contents. Thank you in advance for your help!


Subject Update:

• Spelling - No lesson this week!
• English/Writing - The students have received directions for a "poetry performance" on Tuesday, February 12! Once students have chosen their poems, it may be helpful for them to perform for a parent and receive feedback. Please refer to the Poetry Grader on the backside of the directions given to students.
• Reading - We will be reading "Sarah, Plain and Tall" by Patricia MacLachlan. This historical fiction novel will help us practice summarizing and making connections. It will also help us develop book discussion skills for Book Clubs we do later in the year.
• Science - The students will learn about wheels, gears, and fixed pulleys.
• Social Studies - We will be reading about the early explorers and settlements of the Southeast. We will also work on some of the "travel stops" in our scrapbooks.
• Accelerated Math - The students reviewed prime and composite numbers, GCF, LCM, relating fractions and decimals, equivalent fractions, lowest terms, comparing and ordering fractions, and working with improper fractions and mixed numbers. The Chapter 9 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, February 6!

Mark Your Calendar:

2/5: No School (Teacher Institute Day)

2/6: Character Counts Assembly

2/7: Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

2/8: Prairieview School Spirit Wear Day!

2/8: District Spelling Bee (1:15 p.m.)

2/11 - 2/15: IOWA Testing