WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 27

Student Progress Check
Friday, October 1 marks the 1st trimester midpoint. Please be sure to check your child's progress via ParentConnect. Parents will only receive progress reports if a student is working below grade level expectations or if a parent has requested a report.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - Review Lesson 5 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words. A final test will be given Friday.
• English - We will be finishing up the unit by correcting run-on sentences. Students will take the Unit 1 Test on Thursday, September 30. Students may want to review using the extra practice sections on p. 55 - 62 in the English textbook.
• Reading - This week our core reading group will be learning about generalizations in texts and recognizing the difference between fact and opinion. Our skill-based reading groups will also focus on the skills of generalizing and fact vs. opinion. We will read aloud "Intown Animals" to begin identifying generalizations together, and then enjoy another story entitled "Grizzly Bear Family Book" to continue working on the skill.
• Science - We will review the tools and inquiry skills used by scientists, as well as the scientific method, to prepare for the "Getting Ready for Science" Chapter Test scheduled for Tuesday, September 28. Students should review their notes, class assignments, and text to prepare for this first science test! The "Review and Test Preparation" at the end of the chapter would be very helpful for students to try at home!! Then we will begin Chapter 5 about energy and ecosystems.
• Social Studies - We will hear about England's first attempt to start a colony in the Americas. Unfortunately, this colony at Roanoke Island did not turn out to be a success. We will also read about the Battle of the Spanish Armada.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We have been learning how to solve algebraic equations involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Students should be preparing for a Chapter 2 Test on Tuesday, September 28. Then we will move into Chapter 3 about decimals.

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept. 30 - Picture Day!

Oct. 1 - Check Student Progress

Oct. 11 - No School (Columbus Day)

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20

Did You Know?
Our science text can be accessed online at thinkcentral.com. Check out the Prairieview page of the district website for instructions on how to access, as well as a quick link to the site!

Reminder from the Gym
The PE study guide for the soccer test went home Friday. Have you seen it yet? If not, please ask your child about it. The PE soccer test will be Wednesday. Please help your child review for this test.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - Lesson 4 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words. A final test will be given Thursday (since there is no school on Friday).
• English - We will be identifying simple predicates, learning about "you" as the implied subject in imperative sentences, and learning how to use conjunctions correctly.
• Reading - This week our core reading group will continue word work with prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Our skill-based reading groups will continue to read tall tales to identify the parts of a narrative and distinguish between details that are exaggerated and details that are realistic. Students will also continue to use visualization to better understand the characters, setting, and events in these stories.
• Science - We will review the inquiry skills used by scientists before learning about the scientific method in Lesson 3.
• Social Studies - On Monday we will review for the Chapter 4 Test scheduled for Tuesday, September 21! Students have been encouraged to review their notes, assignments, and text to prepare well for this first test! Then we will learn how certain European countries struggled to found colonies in the New World.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will review about algebraic expressions, and then learn how to solve algebraic equations. Ask your child about the difference between an expression and an equation.

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept. 24 - No School (Teacher Institute Day)

Sept. 30 - Picture Day!

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 13

Magazine Drive Kick-Off
Please look for a packet of information in your child's backpack on Monday regarding our Magazine Drive. This is a huge fundraiser for our district and we appreciate your support!

Student Progress
Parents should monitor student progress using ParentConnect. It is suggested that you and your child review grades weekly to note any achievements or areas of weakness that may need attention. If you do not see graded work in the "Keep at Home" part of your child's binder, you should find it in the subject area folders. Many graded papers are kept in subject area folders until the end of a unit so they may be used as study tools for tests.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - Lesson 3 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words. A final test will be given Friday.
• English - We will be identifying the subjects and predicates in sentences. The subject tells who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate tells what is or what happens.
• Reading - This week our core reading group will focus on the skill of affixes and roots. An affix is a small word part that can be added to the beginning, middle, or end of a root word. Students will learn the meaning of various affixes and how to put them together with a root word. They will then apply this skill to find the definition of both familiar and unfamiliar words in context.
  Our skill-based reading groups will begin on Monday. Students will find out Monday morning who their skill-based reading teacher is. During skill-based reading we will be using Tall Tales to practice visualization and to look at story structure.
• Science - Lesson 2 introduces the different inquiry skills scientists use. The students will also learn the difference between an experiment and a simple investigation.
• Social Studies - The students will continue to learn about the Spanish conquests in the New World. Later in the week, we will hear about life in New Spain as the Spanish begin to settle these new lands. The Chapter 4 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, September 21!
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will learn to find, describe, and extend patterns in a sequence of numbers. Then we will review for the Chapter 1 Test scheduled for Wednesday, September 15. Chapter 2 will then introduce us to the world of algebra!

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept. 13 - Magazine Drive Kick-Off

Sept. 24 - No School (Teacher Institute Day)

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 7

5th Grade Curriculum Night
Don't forget that 5th Grade Curriculum Night is Tuesday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. It will begin with a brief presentation by Principal Schultz in the multi-purpose room. Parents will then have the opportunity to visit the classrooms and sign up for homeroom conferences that evening. I look forward to seeing you all there!


Subject Update:

• Spelling - A pretest will be given on Tuesday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday.
• English - We will begin Unit 1 by distinguishing the difference between complete sentences and fragments. Then we will identify the four types of sentences - declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory.
• Reading - This week in reading we will be focusing on context clues. The students will learn how to identify words within the context of a story.
• Science - We will continue to learn about the tools used by scientists. Students will complete an investigation in order to experience some of the tools hands-on.
• Social Studies - The students have learned about Columbus discovering the "New World." Next, the students will learn about the events leading up to Spain establishing a colony in North America.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will learn about the order of operations and different math properties. Students will also learn how to evaluate problems before solving them in order to choose an appropriate method of computation (mental math, paper and pencil, or a calculator).

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept. 6 - No School (Labor Day)

Sept. 7 - 5th Grade Curriculum Night (6:30 p.m.)