WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2

Spectacular Spellers
Congratulations to Andrew (our classroom winner) and Sara (runner-up) for being the last ones standing in our classroom spelling bee! Andrew and Sara will represent our class in the 5th Grade Spelling Bee on Tuesday, February 3rd. We wish them the best of luck!

Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) Program
Students learned how to make good decisions for themselves in session 3 of the program. The students have a decision making activity that should be completed with families by Thursday, February 5th.


Subject Update:

Science and Social Studies (Homeroom)

• Science - We explored time and space relationships by modeling how the Earth revolves around the sun and the moon revolves around the Earth. We also showed how the Earth and moon both spin, or rotate. Ask your child about the conclusions of our investigation. Next, we will read how the Earth's movements cause day and night.
• Social Studies - The students have begun working on American Patriot/British Loyalist picture books. This project will allow students to better understand the different points of view on various issues of the American Revolution. Students have received information about the project, as well as the grader that will be used to evaluate the final product.

Language Arts Block

• Spelling - Lesson 20 focuses on the ending -ary.
• English - The students will learn how to use literary techniques in their writing. The techniques, such as alliteration and onomatopoeia, make writing more interesting.
• Reading - We will be introducing the February reading project - a poetry journal. We will begin this project by reading various poems at school and at home. In the classroom, we will compare and contrast poetry to other forms of writing. We will also link this instruction to our work in English by identifying the different literary techniques used in the poems. The figurative language used in poetry will provide opportunities to monitor our comprehension as we explore this genre.

Math Classroom

• Math - The students should review fraction concepts to prepare for the Chapter 12 Test on Tuesday, February 3rd! I have encouraged students to practice putting fractions in simplest form (or lowest terms) since that tends to be an area where students make mistakes.

Mark Your Calendar:

Jan. 31 - Mrs. Strong's Winter Party

Feb. 3 - 5th Grade Spelling Bee

Feb. 4 - Naper Settlement Field Trip (Sack Lunch!)

Feb. 5 - Too Good For Drugs Program (Session 4)

Feb. 5 - All School Assembly
.

WEEK OF JANUARY 26

Winter Party - Rescheduled!!!
A new invitation went home with students - our classroom winter party has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 31st from 1-3:00!

Chaperones Needed for Naper Settlement
I need a few more parent volunteers for our trip to Naper Settlement on Wednesday, February 4th. If you are interested, please send an email or note to let me know.

Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) Program
Students learned about communication skills during session 2 of the program. Students should complete the communication skills "charades" activity with their families to practice sending and receiving non-verbal messages.


Subject Update:

Science and Social Studies (Homeroom)

• Science - The students will learn about "Earth, Moon, and Beyond" in Chapter 13. The first lesson will help us understand how Earth's orbit affects the seasons.
• Social Studies - We will read about the taxes that Britain imposed on the colonies and how the colonists protested against them.

Language Arts Block

• Spelling - Lesson 19 will focus on VAC words. A VAC word has a single vowel before a single consonant in an accented final syllable. (We will skip Writing Lesson 18.)
  English - Students will learn about proper adjectives. Then we will review Unit 4 in order to prepare for the Adjectives Test on Wednesday, January 28!
• Reading - We will continue to work on the "clarifying" strategy. The students should now understand that good readers will reread, look at pictures (or other additions to the text), or even read on to help them understand the text. *Don't forget: Students should now be working on the scrapbook page projects. Book projects are due on or before Friday, January 30!

Math Classroom

• Math - Students will continue to learn about fractions as we work with mixed numbers and improper fractions, compare and order fractions, and relate fractions to decimals.

Mark Your Calendar:

Jan. 28 - Classroom Spelling Bee

Jan. 29 - Too Good For Drugs Program (Session 3)

Jan. 31 - Mrs. Strong's Winter Party (rescheduled from Jan. 24)

Feb. 4 - Naper Settlement Field Trip

.

WEEK OF JANUARY 19

Iowa Testing - DONE!
Your child deserves a pat on the back for a job well done. It was a long week of testing, and the students worked hard. Thank you to PTO for providing some healthy treats on Friday in celebration of the completion of Iowa tests.

Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) Program
Students received a letter from Deputy K to let parents know more about the program. Students are asked to discuss the information and develop a family goal by Thursday, January 22nd.


Subject Update:

Science and Social Studies (Homeroom)

• Science - The students will continue to learn about the forces that shape shorelines. The Chapter 12 Test is scheduled for Friday, January 23rd!
• Social Studies - Chapter 8 "The Road to War" will tell about events leading up to the American Revolution. Lesson 1 will show how British taxes imposed on colonists led to greater cooperation among colonies.
  

Language Arts Block

• Spelling - Lesson 17 will review words from lessons 10-16.
• English - Students will learn how to use adjectives to compare people, places, or things. We will review many spelling rules to add -er or -est to short adjectives when making comparisons. We will use the words more or most before long adjectives when comparing. Students will also learn how to use forms of good and bad to compare.
• Reading - We will begin working with another reading strategy - clarifying. The students will learn that the skill of clarifying involves monitoring their reading for understanding. Good readers will reread and look at pictures (or other additions to the text) to help them understand what has been read before moving ahead. *Don't forget: Students should be reading approximately 20 minutes each night in order to finish their realistic fiction book and have time to complete the scrapbook page project. Your child's goal should be to have their book read by Friday, January 23!

Math Classroom

• Math - We have begun Chapter 12 on fraction concepts. We are learning how to read, write, and represent fractions as part of a whole or part of a group. Students will learn how to find equivalent fractions and reduce fractions to simplest form.

Mark Your Calendar:

Jan. 19 - No School (M. L. King Day)

Jan. 20 - Inauguration Day - Wear Red, White, and Blue!

Jan. 20 - 2nd Trimester Midpoint - Check Student Progress!

Jan. 21 - Classroom PRACTICE Spelling Bee

Jan. 22 - Too Good For Drugs Program (Session 2)

Jan. 24 - Mrs. Strong's Winter Party

.

WEEK OF JANUARY 12

Iowa Testing Week
Your child will be taking the Iowa tests on basic skills this week. Please make sure your child is well rested and has a nutritious breakfast. Also, be sure to send a healthy snack/drink to school each day.

Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) Program
All 5th grade students participate in this drug, alcohol, and tobacco awareness program sponsored by the DuPage County Sheriff's Office. Over the next 10 weeks, your student will participate in weekly sessions designed to give them skills to deal with pressures experienced during adolescence.


Subject Update:

Science and Social Studies (Homeroom)

• Science - The students will complete a simple investigation to discover the effects of waves on a beach. Then we will read to learn about different features along the shore, ways humans deal with erosion along the shore, and mysteries of the deep ocean.
• Social Studies - The students will learn about the French and Indian War. The Chapter 7 Test is scheduled for Friday, January 16th!

Language Arts Block

• Spelling - There will be no spelling lesson due to Iowa testing.
• English - The students will begin their study of adjectives. Students will be reviewing their knowledge of nouns as we identify adjectives in sentences because adjectives describe people, places, or things. An adjective answers the questions "what kind" or "how many."
• Reading - Due to Iowa testing during our Language Arts block, students will have more time to focus on the reading of their chosen realistic fiction novels. Remember that students should be reading approximately 20 minutes each night in order to finish the book and have time to complete the scrapbook page project. Your child's goal should be to have their book read by Friday, January 23!

Math Classroom

• Math - We will review about multiples, factors, divisibility rules, and prime and composite numbers on Monday to prepare for a Chapter 11 (Lessons 1-4 only) Quiz on Tuesday! Much of our math time the rest of the week will be taken up with Iowa testing. Our next chapter will cover fractions.

Mark Your Calendar:

Jan. 12 - 16 - IOWA Testing

Jan. 15 - Too Good For Drugs Program (Session 1)

Jan. 19 - No School (M. L. King Day)

.

WEEK OF JANUARY 5

Happy New Year - Welcome Back!
It is exciting to be back at school at the beginning of a new year. I hope that everyone is well-rested and ready to take on the challenges of 2009! We will be making New Year's resolutions and posting them in the classroom as reminders of the goals we want to accomplish this year.


Subject Update:

Science and Social Studies (Homeroom)

• Science - The students will review about waves and currents before reading on about tides. Ask your child to tell you why rip currents can be dangerous to swimmers.
• Social Studies - We will review how New Spain extended into Florida, New Mexico, and other areas of the Southwest. Then we will learn about the French exploring the Mississippi.

Language Arts Block

• Spelling - Lesson 16 focuses on the letter combinations -ch and -rh where the h is silent.
• English - The students will practice writing their own introductory paragraphs for several expository essay prompts.
• Reading - We will continue to work on the skill of self-questioning as we read about a girl who survives an avalanche. We will also introduce the monthly book project for January. The "Scrapbook Page Book Project" directions, grader, and parent letter will go home early in the week.

Math Classroom

• Math - I have revised my plans from my last subject update. We will be covering the first 4 lessons of Chapter 11 about multiples, factors, and prime and composite numbers in order to prepare us for some work with fractions. There will be a quiz covering these lessons on Tuesday, January 13th.

Mark Your Calendar:

Jan. 5 - School Resumes!

Jan. 12 - 16 - IOWA Testing

Jan. 15 - Too Good For Drugs Program (Session 1)

Jan. 19 - No School (M. L. King Day)

.