WEEK OF JANUARY 7

Happy Holidays!
I hope you all enjoy your time with family and friends over Winter Break. It is difficult to believe that "just around the corner" is the start of 2013! I will see you in the new year!


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 14 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday. *Students may only print up to 5 words on the tests "just in case" they are unsure of their cursive! Please continue to review cursive at home!!
• English - The students will finish up their paragraph writing, focusing on ideas and sentence fluency. Then we will begin our next grammar unit on pronouns.
• Reading - We will begin a unit on figurative language using poetry. We will focus on similes, metaphors, and imagery during the first week of the unit. 2nd Quarter Reading Project - The next reading project will not be announced until this quarter officially ends in January.
• Science - We will begin Chapter 14: Properties of Matter.  We will identify some physical properties of matter, learn about atoms and molecules, and understand the differences between the three states of matter.
• Social Studies - The students will begin Chapter 7: The Fight for a Continent.  In Lesson 1, we will learn how New Spain expanded by establishing colonies in Florida and New Mexico.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will start Chapter 5 on integers when we return. The students will learn about integers and their opposites, understand absolute value, and compare and order integers.

Mark Your Calendar:

Dec. 22 - Jan. 6 - WINTER BREAK

Jan. 8 - MAP Testing (Math)

Jan. 9 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 2)

Jan. 10 - MAP Testing (Reading)

WEEK OF DECEMBER 17

Too Good For Drugs Program Begins
Deputy Seward from the DuPage County Sheriff's Department visited our classroom on Wednesday for our first session of T.G.F.D. A letter explaining more about the program was sent home with students. Also, students received a homework assignment to create a goal with their families. This completed sheet with parent signature must be shown to Mrs. Strong on or before December 19!

5th Grade Bowling Reminders
Please remember that 5th grade students go bowling the morning of Wednesday, December 19th. Since many students choose to bring money for snacks (and often feel full by lunchtime), we ask that students bring sack lunches that day. Food can then be taken home and not wasted.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - No spelling lesson next week.
• English - The students will be doing some writing activities to work on the traits of ideas and sentence fluency.
• Reading - Students will finish the novel, Jacob’s Rescue. There is a Ch. 9-16 Vocabulary Quiz scheduled for Thursday, December 20th! 2nd Quarter Reading Project - I cannot wait to read through these projects. The covers alone were impressive! The next reading project will not be announced until this quarter officially ends in January.
• Science - We will finish and share our animal cartoons which applied our knowledge of animals, their habitats, and human interactions.
• Social Studies - The students are learning about slavery in the colonies. The Chapter 6 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19!
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The Chapter 4 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, December 18! We will review on Monday, test on Tuesday, and do some fun holiday activities on Thursday. We are not having math class on Wednesday and Friday.

Mark Your Calendar:

Dec. 19 - 5th Grade Bowling (a.m.)

Dec. 19 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 2)

Dec. 21 - Prairieview Holiday Movie at the Tivoli

Dec. 22 - Jan. 6 - WINTER BREAK

WEEK OF DECEMBER 10

Too Good For Drugs Program Begins
Our first session of the "Too Good For Drugs" program was postponed until December 12. Deputy Seward from the DuPage County Sheriff's Department will be coming to discuss various topics of drug prevention. A letter explaining more about the program will be sent home after our first session.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 13 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday. *Starting the week of December 10, students will only be able to print up to 5 words on the tests "just in case" they are unsure of their cursive! Please continue to review cursive at home!!
• English - The students will be taking the Unit 2 Nouns Test on Tuesday, December 11!
• Reading - Students will continue to read the novel, Jacob’s Rescue. There is a Ch. 1-8 Vocabulary Quiz scheduled for Wednesday, December 12th! Reminder...2nd Quarter "Biography Shape Booklet" Project is due Thursday, December 13th - Your student should be finishing his/her biography shape booklet. Be sure to use the grader as a checklist to make sure all expectations are met!
• Science - We will do some extension activities related to ecosystems and interactions among living things.
• Social Studies - The students will be learning more about daily life in the colonies. We will make some simple games/toys that colonial children would have used and learn about some home remedies and apothecary treatments for certain ailments. The students will also map out the main ideas and details from Lesson 3 using Inspiration (a computer program).
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students will apply their knowledge of solving algebraic equations to using formulas for distance, perimeter, and volume. We will also work with some special functions on scientific calculators (which I will supply) to evaluate expressions. We will end the week with some problem solving application. The Chapter 4 Test is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, December 18!

Mark Your Calendar:

Dec. 12 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 1)

Dec. 19 - 5th Grade Bowling (a.m.)

Dec. 19 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 2)

Dec. 21 - Prairieview Holiday Movie at the Tivoli

Dec. 22 - Jan. 6 - WINTER BREAK

 

WEEK OF DECEMBER 3

Too Good For Drugs Program Begins
On December 5th, our class will begin the fifth grade "Too Good For Drugs" program. Deputy Seward from the DuPage County Sheriff's Department will be coming to our classroom on Wednesdays to discuss various topics of drug prevention. A letter explaining more about the program will be sent home after our first session.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 12 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday. *Starting the week of December 10, students will only be able to print up to 5 words on the tests "just in case" they are unsure of their cursive! Please continue to review cursive at home!!
• English - Students have been learning how to identify nouns, to distinguish between common and proper nouns, and to correctly write plural nouns. Next week, we will work with singular and plural possessive nouns.
• Reading - Students will be working in small groups as they continue to read the novel, Jacob’s Rescue. We have already had some great whole group discussions about the first chapters as we read together, worked with vocabulary, and reviewed various reading skills. Reminder...2nd Quarter "Biography Shape Booklet" Project is due Thursday, December 13th - Your student should be finishing his/her biography and starting to put together the booklet. Be sure to use the grader as a checklist to make sure all expectations are met!
• Science - The students have learned how ecosystems change over time through primary and secondary succession. Next we will learn more about ecosystems changing due to human actions. The Chapter 6 Test is scheduled for Friday, December 7!
• Social Studies - What a talented, creative class this is! Our trade fair showed off some hidden skills of our classmates! Plus, the students learned a great deal about supply and demand, product value, presentation, and bartering. Now we are learning about life in the cities, the towns, and the plantations of colonial times.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students will continue working with equations and inequalities next week. We will also be solving addition and subtraction equations by applying properties of equality.

Mark Your Calendar:

Nov. 30 - Check Student Progress

Dec. 5 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 1)

Dec. 12 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 2)
 

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 19 and NOVEMBER 26

Robert Crown Field Trip
Students need a sack lunch on the day of our trip since we may not be back in time for a school-purchased lunch. Also, each student will receive a booklet from the Robert Crown Center about the program that he/she attended. The booklet is a great resource about the material covered during the program, but I encourage parents to also have a discussion with their student to field any questions he/she may have.

Junior Achievement
During session 4, Mr. Blocker taught the students about finding a job. He discussed the importance of choosing a profession that you enjoy, the ability to communicate your strengths to a potential employer, and a common set of skills that employers look for when hiring. Mr. Blocker also gave each student a CD with games and activities related to this week's concepts. We will have our final Junior Achievement session on Monday. The students will receive a certificate of completion, and the class will present Mr. Blocker with a card and gift as a token of appreciation for all of his hard work. Hopefully, students will use some of the concepts taught during Junior Achievement as they prepare for our upcoming trade fair!


Subject Update:

• Spelling - No spelling lesson next week. For the week of November 26, the Lesson 11 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday.
• English - Students will do some writing activities and begin our next grammar unit on nouns.
• Reading - The students will be starting the novel, Jacob’s Rescue. This book is historical fiction, but based on a true story of a Jewish boy named Jacob in Poland during the holocaust. 
• Science - The students are currently learning about different types of symbiosis. Next, we will learn more about predator-prey relationships and how ecosystems change over time. 
• Social Studies - To understand better about working and trading in Colonial times, we will hold a Trade Fair on Wednesday, November 28. Students have received a hand-out with guidelines to follow, and their idea for what will be made along with the bottom portion of the hand-out is due by Tuesday, November 20!
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -We have started Chapter 4 - Expressions and Equations. The first lessons cover order of operations, translating multi-step word phrases and expressions, evaluating algebraic expressions, and working with equations and inequalities.

Mark Your Calendar:

Nov. 19 - Junior Achievement (Final Session)

Nov. 20 - Robert Crown Field Trip (Need Sack Lunch!)

Nov. 21 - Nov. 25 -  Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 28 - Mrs. Strong's Classroom Trade Fair

Nov. 29 - Picture Retakes

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 12

Paper Recycling = Money For Our School

Did you know that you can help our district earn money by recycling paper here at school? You can bring in any paper (no cardboard, please) to the green and yellow bin marked "Paper Retriever" located in Lakeview's parking lot to be recycled.  The more paper we collect, the more money we can earn.  The provider of the bin uses the paper to make newsprint, which is then sold to other companies.  That is how we are paid to recycle paper. Thank you for your help - and for helping the environment at the same time!

Junior Achievement
I thought it might be nice to present Mr. Blocker with a token of appreciation on his last session of Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement representatives visit schools on a purely voluntary basis, and Mr. Blocker really goes beyond what is expected in regards to preparing lessons and materials. If you would like to contribute to a classroom gift, please send in $1 before Friday, November 16th.

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 10 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. *Students may only print up to 10 words on the tests "just in case" they are unsure of their cursive! Please continue to review cursive at home!!
• English - Students should be preparing for the Unit 5: Capitalization and Punctuation Test scheduled for Wednesday, November 14! Then we will finish the week with some creative writing activities.
• Reading -  We will review skills such as summarizing and inferring character traits before starting novel studies. 2nd Quarter Reading Project: The students should now be reading their chosen biographies. The final project is due Thursday, December 13!
• Science - Now that we have previewed some key concepts from Chapter 6, we will begin reading Lesson 1 about organisms competing and surviving in an ecosystem.
• Social Studies - The students will learn about life in Colonial times. We will learn how people worked and traded.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students will take a "homework review" of lessons 10-13, then prepare for the Chapter 3 Test scheduled for Thursday, November 15.

Mark Your Calendar:

Nov. 12 - No School (Veteran's Day)

Nov. 14 - Robert Crown Parent Night (6:30 p.m.)

Nov. 15 - Junior Achievement (Session 4)

Nov. 19 - Junior Achievement (Final Session)

Nov. 21 - Nov. 25 -  Thanksgiving Break

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 5

Hurricane Sandy "Flash" Drive
One of the attachments sent out this week with the Prairieview Weekly Reminders was information about a "flash" drive for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Please check out the flyer and consider making a donation to our efforts. Thank you in advance for your generosity and compassion toward others!

Halloween Party - Thanks Parent Helpers!
Thank you to Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Selig, Mrs. Swain, and Mrs. Rapinchuk for planning such a "spook"tacular Halloween party for our class. Also, thanks to Mrs. Bastuga, Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Topp, Mrs. Jarmakowicz, and Mrs. Barowski for sending in some delicious snacks and drinks for us to enjoy.

Junior Achievement Program
During session 3, Mr. Blocker taught the students about unit and mass production. The students had fun assembling ballpoint pens to better understand how to make a product as efficiently as possible. We look forward to his next visit on Thursday, November 15.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - No spelling lesson due to the short week!
• English - We will review all the different ways to write quotations correctly. Then we will begin to review Unit 5 in preparation of the test scheduled for Wednesday, November 14!
• Reading - We will finish up our work with drawing conclusions and analogies. 2nd Quarter Reading Project: The students now have information about the Biography Shape Booklet project. Biography books choices are due by Friday, November 9.
• Science - Ask your student about the virtual owl pellet dissection we completed this week. Did your child earn a certificate as "Bird Barfologist?" Next, we will dissect real owl pellets, examine the contents, and draw conclusions about our findings.
• Social Studies - The students will start Chapter 6 about life in the English colonies. The first lesson discusses how people worked and traded.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students will evaluate multiplication and division expressions, round quotients that seem to never end (no matter how long we extend our dividend with zeros), and solve problems that require them to interpret remainders.

Mark Your Calendar:

Nov. 5 - 6 - No School (Teacher Institute)

Nov. 12 - No School (Veteran's Day)

Nov. 14 - Robert Crown Parent Night (6:30 p.m.)

Nov. 15 - Junior Achievement (Session 4)

WEEK OF OCTOBER 29

Costume Parade/Halloween Party
Students need to bring their costumes to school on Wednesday. Please understand that costumes might need to be simplified for school purposes since students need to be able to change in a short amount of time. Also, students will be changing in classrooms designated for either girls or boys. Washrooms will not be available for costume changing. Finally, please remember that no weapons, even fake, are allowed at school.

Junior Achievement Program
During session 2, Mr. Blocker reviewed the profit model: revenue - expenses = profit. He also discussed the three types of resources (natural, capital, and human) and the concept of supply and demand. We look forward to Monday when Mr. Blocker will share about production.

2nd Quarter Late Homework Policy
Please take note of the Late Homework Policy for the 2nd Quarter:
1 day late - minus 15 %
More than 1 day late until unit test is taken - minus 25%
After unit test is taken - 0% earned
*Ungraded work - 1 point deducted from "Homework Completion" bank of points


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 9 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday. *Students may only print up to 10 words on the tests "just in case" they are unsure of their cursive! Please continue to review cursive at home!!
• English - We will learn how to write direct quotations correctly. This can be challenging since it involves many rules about capitalization and punctuation! To make it easier, we will practice a different way to write a direct quotation each day: naming the speaker at the beginning, naming the speaker at the end, and naming the speaker in the middle of the sentence.
• Reading - Students will continue to focus on the skill of drawing conclusions. The students are learning to use clues from the text along with their own knowledge or experiences to help them come to a conclusion about the text.  The students will also complete some word work with analogies. 2nd Quarter Reading Project: I will introduce the next genre and project on Monday,... details to come!
• Science - We will learn about the ecology of a barn owl and dissect owl pellets in a "virtual lab" on the computer. After we dissect owl pellets at this interactive website, we will try our hand at the real thing!
• Social Studies - The students will finish the chapter learning how some of the other 13 original colonies were established. The Chapter 5 Test is scheduled for Friday, November 2!
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students will learn how to estimate decimal quotients, learn how to "deal with the decimal" before dividing by a decimal divisor, and understand when to use zeros in division of decimals. We hope to also work with multiplication and division expressions before the end of the week.

Mark Your Calendar:

Oct. 26 - End of 1st Quarter

Oct. 29 - Junior Achievement (Session #3)

Oct. 29 - Nov. 2 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week

Nov. 5 - 6 - No School

WEEK OF OCTOBER 22

Junior Achievement Program
During our first session with Mr. Blocker, he introduced the class to many core concepts used in business today. The class learned about entrepreneurs, cost of business (expenses), profit, and supply and demand. We look forward to our next visit from Mr. Blocker on Monday, October 22!

Book Fair Thanks
Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to help make our book fair run smoothly. Also, thanks to the families who purchased gift certificates for me to add some great new titles to our classroom library!



Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 8 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday. *Starting with Lesson 8, students will only be able to print up to 10 words on the tests "just in case" they are unsure of their cursive! Please continue to review cursive at home!!
• English - We will continue to focus on capitalization and punctuation in Unit 5. Students will learn how to use commas to set off introductory words or nouns in direct address, and use interjections correctly. Later in the week, we hope to start working with direct quotations.
• Reading - We will begin to target another reading skill - drawing conclusions.  The students will also complete some word work with analogies. 1st Quarter Reading Project: I enjoyed the students' presentations of their Memory Bag projects. I will introduce the next reading project once the 2nd Quarter begins.
• Science - We will take a break from science this week and learn more about the upcoming election.
• Social Studies - The students will learn about English settlers in search of religious freedom establishing new colonies in New England.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students will divide whole numbers, divide decimals by powers of 10, divide decimals by whole numbers, and look at patterns when dividing by tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.

Mark Your Calendar:

Oct. 22 - Junior Achievement (Session 2)

Oct. 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Oct. 26 - End of 1st Quarter

WEEK OF OCTOBER 15

Junior Achievement Program
Our class will be starting Junior Achievement on Monday, October 15th. Our Junior Achievement volunteer, Mr. Blocker, will be visiting our classroom over the next several weeks to present lessons about creating and running a business. The sessions will teach students different concepts such as supply and demand, use of resources, cost of business, and profit. This program shows students real-world applications of several ideas from Social Studies.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 7 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday. *Starting with Lesson 8, students will only be able to print up to 10 words on the tests "just in case" they are unsure of their cursive! Please continue to review cursive at home!!
• English - We will continue to focus on capitalization and punctuation in Unit 5. Students will learn how to write titles correctly, use commas in variety of ways, and use interjections. 
• Reading - We will finish up our work with non-fiction texts and homophones.  Reminder...1st Quarter "Memory Bag" Project is due Tuesday, October 16th - Your student should be finishing his/her project. Be sure to use the grader as a checklist to make sure all expectations are met!
• Science - The students will finish the chapter learning about other natural cycles that affect ecosystems. The Chapter 5 Test is scheduled for Thursday, October 18th!
• Social Studies - Ask your child about the Jamestown Colony activity we did in the computer lab. Was your student worthy of being governor of Jamestown? Next, we will learn how the search for a Northwest Passage led to other European countries founding colonies in North America.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students are finishing the chapter with a review of various problem solving strategies. The Chapter 2 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, October 16th! Then we will dive into division of whole numbers and decimals in Chapter 3.

Mark Your Calendar:

Oct. 15 - Junior Achievement (Session 1)

Oct. 22 - Junior Achievement (Session 2)

Oct. 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Oct. 26 - End of 1st Quarter

WEEK OF OCTOBER 8

Parent Helper Opportunity
The fifth grade teachers would like help in organizing their classroom libraries in a different way. We would like to label each book with its lexile score so that students can make better choices for independent reading. Selecting books at appropriate lexile levels will help students increase fluency and comprehension while reading books that are of high-interest to them. Please contact me if you are interested!


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 6 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 - Students will continue to work on their pyramid poems. We will also begin Unit 5 which focuses on capitalization and punctuation.
• Reading - We will continue to focus on the organization of non-fiction text and asking good questions before, during, and after reading to help us understand the text better. Students will also do some "word work" with homonyms and homographs. Reminder...1st Quarter "Memory Bag" Project is due Tuesday, October 16th - your student should be finishing his/her realistic fiction book, and beginning to work on the project.
• Science - The students are learning how energy is passed through an ecosystem. Next week, we will look at the "Pyramid of Energy" to understand how only a small portion of energy is actually passed on to the next organism in a food chain.
• Social Studies - We are learning about Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Ask your child how the Virginia Company of London helped get the Jamestown colony started.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students will continue working on multiplication of whole numbers and decimals. We will be working specifically with exponents and the use of exponents to write numbers in scientific notation.

Mark Your Calendar:

Oct. 8 - No School (Columbus Day)

Oct. 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Oct. 26 - End of 1st Quarter

WEEK OF OCTOBER 1

Checking Grades on ParentConnect
If you haven't already done so, please check grades via ParentConnect. Checking on a regular basis is a great way to keep track of progress with your child, as well as set goals with him/her for improvement. Please remember that you may contact me at any time with questions or concerns!


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 5 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday.
• English - Students received a review packet to help them prepare for the Unit 1 Test scheduled for Tuesday, October 2. Then we will be creating pyramid poems, incorporating our work with subjects and predicates.
• Reading - We will continue to focus on the organization of non-fiction text. We will also continue to develop "thin" and "thick" questions before, during, and after reading a text. Reminder...1st Quarter "Memory Bag" Project is due Tuesday, October 16th - your student should currently be reading his/her chosen realistic fiction book.
• Science - The students will learn more about photosynthesis and how plants are the producers in a food chain. We will also discuss how energy is passed through an ecosystem.
• Social Studies - We will begin chapter 5 "The Struggle to Found Colonies." We will learn about the lost colony of Roanoke and Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class -The students are learning about the multiplication of whole numbers and decimals in Chapter 2. We are learning how to multiply by powers of 10, estimate products, and multiply multi-digit numbers.

Mark Your Calendar:

Oct. 8 - No School (Columbus Day)

Oct. 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Oct. 26 - End of 1st Quarter

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 24

Fall Pictures
Picture Day is coming - Thursday, September 27! Order forms were sent home with the students.  If you wish to order fall pictures, your student should have a completed order form with payment in hand that day. Please note that all students, whether ordering or not, will be pictured for the yearbook.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 4 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday.
• English - Students will learn about subjects in imperatives, conjunctions, and ways to fix run-on sentences. 
• Reading - We will be focusing on the organization of non-fiction text in the weeks ahead. We will also finish up the typing of our Tall Tales. Reminder...1st Quarter "Memory Bag" Project is due Tuesday, October 16th - your student should currently be reading his/her chosen realistic fiction book.
• Science - The students will begin chapter 5: Energy and Ecosystems. We will read and learn about different plant structures and how they help a plant make its own food.
• Social Studies - We will finish Lesson 3 about life in New Spain early next week. Then students will prepare for the Chapter 4 Test scheduled for Thursday, September 27. Students will receive a "How to Study" sheet that may be completed for a free point! 
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students are learning how to write equations that will help them solve word problems. The Chapter 1 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26!

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept.27 - Fall Pictures

Sept. 28 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Oct. 8 - No School (Columbus Day)

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 17

Peer Buddies Opportunity
Mrs. Zaboth, our multi-needs teacher, will be doing a presentation to our 5th grade students. This informative talk will help the children better understand the students in her classroom who have various disabilities. In 5th grade, the students have an opportunity to be Peer Buddies with these students.  This is voluntary and the students participate in this activity during recess. Most students find this very rewarding and enjoy being able to interact with these students.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 3 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday.
• English - Students are learning about subjects and predicates. The subject tells who or what a sentence is about. The predicate tells what is or what happens.
• Reading - We will complete our work with Tall Tales. We will also work with prefixes, roots, and suffixes to help us determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Science - The students were introduced to the steps of the scientific method as we performed a  "Ziploc Bag vs. Pencil" experiment. Ask your child to duplicate the experiment for you and share whether or not their hypothesis was correct. We will do more work with the scientific method next week.
• Social Studies - We are learning how the Spanish conquistadors established new colonies in North and South America. One group defeated by the Spanish on their conquest for new land was the Aztecs. The students will be creating Aztec masks to learn more about the culture of these once powerful people.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students will continue to work with adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals. They will also learn about numerical and algebraic expressions.

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept.28 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Oct. 8 - No School (Columbus Day)

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 10

Curriculum Night Tidbits
Thank you to all of the parents who were able to attend 5th Grade Curriculum Night. I really appreciated the opportunity to share a little about myself, the curriculum, and some of our classroom routines and expectations. I look forward to the rest of our year together!
*Please return the "Information Sheet" and "5th Grade Policies" slip to me as soon as possible if you haven't already done so.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 2 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday.
• English - Students will learn about the four types of sentences: declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory. They will also learn how to identify the subjects and predicates of sentences.
• Reading - We will continue our study of Tall Tales- identifying story structure, distinguishing between exaggerated and realistic details, and visualizing details. Students will also learn to use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.
• Science - The students will review what they have learned about tools of scientific inquiry and safety in the lab. Then they will learn about the scientific method.
• Social Studies - The students are imagining themselves as Christopher Columbus, writing a letter to the king and queen of Spain to persuade them to fund another voyage to the New World. I can't wait to hear how students have incorporated the information they have learned!
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will do some enrichment activities with comparing and ordering numbers before learning how to round whole numbers and decimals correctly. Then students will take an open-note "Homework Review" over lessons 1-5. We will get into different ways to estimate sums and differences later in the week.

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept. 11 - Wear Red, White, & Blue in Observance of 9-11

Sept. 11 - Magazine Drive Kick-Off

Sept.28 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 3

Our First Week Together
We are off to a fantastic start to 5th grade! We have had a chance to get to know each other, review rules and expecations, and have a little fun along the way. Hopefully your child has shared with you some of their first experiences of their final year at Prairieview. Let's continue to move forward with a positive attitude and strive to do our best!

5th Grade Curriculum Night
Don't forget that 5th Grade Curriculum Night is Wednesday, September 5th at 6:30 p.m. I look forward to the opportunity to share some important information about the 5th grade curriculum, classroom expectations and routines, and how we might work together to make this a successful school year.


Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 1 pretest will be given on Monday. The students will be assigned homework during the week to practice their words, and a final test will be given Friday.
• English - We will finish up some beginning of the year writing activities and start our first grammar unit about "The Sentence."
• Reading - We begin our year with Tall Tales. The skills specifically targeted will be identifying story structure and distinguishing between exaggerated and realistic story elements. As a review, we will use our visualization skills and define unknown words using context clues. This week we will be reading about Bess Call and Paul Bunyon.
• Science - The students are exploring some of the tools used in scientific inquiry. We have predicted the different ways those tools might be used by a scientist, and we will read next week to determine if we are correct.
• Social Studies - The students took a "scavenger hunt" to discover the wealth of information found inside their Social Studies textbooks. Next week, we will begin our study of early America in Chapter 4 as it explains how "Spain Builds an Empire."
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We have started our year looking at place value in Chapter 1. Ask your child about some of the challenging activities we did with "base 8" and using an abacus to stretch our minds further. Next week, we will work with exponents, and compare and order decimals.

Mark Your Calendar:

Sept. 3 - No School (Labor Day)

Sept. 4 - MAP Testing (Math)

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

Sept. 7 - MAP Testing (Reading)

WEEK OF JUNE 4

Final Thoughts...

• Thank you to my students for a terrific year! I hope all of you have a relaxing summer. I encourage you to read some great books, visit some new places, and spend some quality time with friends and family. I welcome news about your summer adventures, so please keep in touch this summer! I am just an email or letter away!


• Thank you to the parents of my students for a terrific year! I appreciated all of the support you gave to your students and me. It helped bring about their many achievements and successes in 5th grade. Best of luck to you and your students as you venture across the parking lot to Lakeview next year!

Important Dates:

June 4: School Picnic, and End-of-Year Assembly

June 5: Last Day of School!

WEEK OF MAY 28

End of Year Notes...

• Several of my classroom library books are still checked out to students. Please check the shelves at home or under the beds to make sure these are all returned before the end of the year!
• Mrs. Strong's class will be visiting Lakeview's library on Wednesday, May 30 to learn about a summer reading program and check out paperback books for the summer.
• 5th graders have activities and a special lunch planned for them on Thursday, May 31. This will be a nice time to be with all of the other 5th graders and celebrate the end of their time at Prairieview!
• 5th graders have bowling on the morning of Friday, June 1. Students may bring a small amount of money for snacks. Students should bring a sack lunch that day so that if students are too full from snacks, uneaten portions can be taken home and not wasted.

Subject Update:

• Spelling - There will be no spelling lesson - we are finished for the year!
• English - We will learn about adverbs. Adverbs can be used to describe verbs. They tell when, where, or how an action takes place.
• Reading - Fantasy Bag Projects are due Tuesday - must have the worksheet and bag containing 5 items!! Students will have the opportunity to share their Fantasy Bags with the class.
• Science - We will learn more about the phases of the moon.
• Social Studies - The students will finish reading about the Monroe Doctrine, Andrew Jackson as the "people's president," and the Indian Removal Act.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students are learning how to graph different types of transformations: translations, reflections, and rotations.Our last day for Math will be Wednesday, May 30.

Important Dates:

May 28:  No School (Memorial Day)

May 30:  Mrs. Strong's LV Library Visit and Prairieview Talent Show

May 31:  5th Grade End-of-Year Celebration

June 1:  5th Grade Bowling (a.m.)

June 4:  5th Grade Talent Show, School Picnic, and End-of-Year Assembly

June 5: Last Day of School!

WEEK OF MAY 21

Our Final Weeks...
It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of our 5th grade time together! Please encourage your child to "Do Your Best" on school work as we make our approach to June 5th. Also, please check out the list of important dates at the bottom of the page. We will be busy!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 33 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice the words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will begin working on another persuasive writing piece. We will also begin learning about adverbs.
• Reading - The students will finish their fantasy novels and hold their final book club meetings. They will also receive information about a book project for the fantasy novel they were assigned. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: The final Tic-Tac-Toe sheet is due May 25!
• Science - We will finish the first lesson about Earth's orbit and tilt affecting seasons and temperatures, then move on to the next lesson about how Earth and the moon compare.
• Social Studies - The Chapter 11 Test is Tuesday, May 22. Then we will begin Chapter 12: The United States Turns Fifty.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students are learning about linear equations and graphing functions.

Important Dates:

May 21:  Library Summer Reading Program Info

May 22:  5th Graders Visit Lakeview

May 28:  No School (Memorial Day)

May 30:  Prairieview Talent Show

May 31:  5th Grade End-of-Year Celebration

June 1:  5th Grade Bowling

June 4:  5th Grade Talent Show and School Picnic and End-of-Year Assembly

WEEK OF MAY 14

Teacher Appreciation - THANKS!
Thank you to students and parents for all the little notes and/or treats sent in for Teacher Appreciation. You truly made me feel special this week!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 32 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice the words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will continue working on persuasive writing. We will focus on elaboration techniques to improve our body paragraphs.
• Reading - The students will continue their fantasy novels next week. Students have Book Club calendars with their daily assignments and meeting dates. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: The final Tic-Tac-Toe sheet is due May 25!
• Science - We will begin Chapter 13: Earth, Moon, and Beyond. The first lesson will help us understand Earth's cycle of day and night, and how Earth's orbit and tilt affect seasons and temperatures.
• Social Studies - We are currently reading about Lewis and Clark's expedition to explore the United States newly acquired Louisiana Territory.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The Chapter 9 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15! Then we will jump ahead in the text to Chapter 12 about functions and coordinate geometry.

Important Dates:

May 17: 5th Grade's Sneak Preview of Lakeview's Musical

May 18: 5th Grade "Lewis and Clark" Presentation

May 18: Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

WEEK OF MAY 7

Bookworm Angels Book Drive Update 
The results are in... 5th grade donated 1,481 books, making us the grade level winners!! Although this win is a nice perk, most important is that we worked together to help others. Thank you to all who generously gave to this cause!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 31 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice the words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will be working on persuasive writing. Ask your student about some of our "Would you rather..." topics used for journal writing this past week. It helped us understand how to state our opinions and provide support and elaboration for them.
• Reading - We will continue our fantasy novels next week. Students have Book Club calendars with their daily assignments and meeting dates. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: The final Tic-Tac-Toe sheet is due May 25!
• Science - The students are learning how ocean waves and human activities shape shorelines. The Chapter 12 Test is scheduled for Thursday, May 10!
• Social Studies - We will review about Washington as our first president before learning how our new nation expanded in size under the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - Students will be learning how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with integers.

Important Dates:

May 7-11: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 17: 5th Grade's Sneak Preview of Lakeview's Musical

May 18: 5th Grade "Lewis and Clark" Presentation

May 18: Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

WEEK OF APRIL 30

MAP Testing
Our class will be taking the MAP tests for Reading on Monday and Math on Thursday. Please encourage your student to concentrate and take the time necessary to do his/her very best!

IPA Winner in Our Classroom
Each year, two students from 5th grade are chosen to attend a special Illinois Principals Association breakfast. This year, one of our own classmates was selected for this honor. Congratulations, Sarah!

Bookworm Angels Book Drive Update 
5th grade is in the lead with over 1,060 books donated! There is still time to donate - books will be collected through Friday, May 4. Please consider donating to this worthy cause. Remember, the grade level that brings in the most books earns a "deluxe popsicle" reward!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 30 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice the words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will learn how to use teach and learn, let and leave, sit and set, and can and may correctly. The Unit 3 Verbs test is scheduled for Friday, May 4!
• Reading - We will be starting fantasy novels next week. Students will be reading their assigned novels, completing book discussion worksheets that target the various reading comprehension skills covered this year, and participating in group discussions on designated days. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: The final Tic-Tac-Toe sheet is due May 25!
• Science - The students completed an investigation to discover that ocean waves are created by wind. We will read to learn more about how waves form and what causes tides and currents next week.
• Social Studies - Chapter 11 will teach us about the early years of the United States. The first lesson will focus on Washington as President.
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We are learning about integers and how to compare these positive and negative numbers. Students will be learning how to plot ordered pairs of integers on a graph using all four quadrants.

Important Dates:

April 30 - Mrs. Strong's Reading MAP Testing

May 3 - Mrs. Strong's Math MAP Testing

WEEK OF APRIL 23

Bookworm Angels Book Drive
It's time for a little spring cleaning! Clear out those new or gently used books that your child has already read or out-grown! Your child brought home a flyer about the Bookworm Angels Book Drive at Prairieview from Monday, April 23 to Friday, May 4. Please consider donating to this worthy cause. The grade level that brings in the most books earns a "deluxe popsicle" reward!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 29 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice the words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will learn more about subject and verb agreement with be and have, contractions with not, and irregular verb forms in the past tense.
  
• Reading - We will continue looking at how figurative language is used in poetry. This week we will specifically be looking at poetry that uses alliteration and hyperbole. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: The second Tic-Tac-Toe sheet is due April 25th!
  
• Science - The students will create a model of the ocean floor and learn how the ocean floor may change over time.
  
• Social Studies - The students are learning how the Federalists and Antifederalists had different viewpoints on the Constitution. The Chapter 10 Test is scheduled for Thursday, April 26!
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The Chapter 8 Test was changed to Monday, April 23! On Tuesday, we will extend our knowledge of percents by learning how to use a formula to calculate simple interest. Late in the week, we will start Chapter 9 on integers.
  

Important Dates:

April 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

WEEK OF APRIL 16

TGFD Graduation and Special Recognitions
I was happy to see so many parents attend our TGFD Graduation on Tuesday morning. Two of our students were recognized during the ceremony. Madison was one of five students chosen from 5th grade to read her TGFD "Promise Letter" to everyone, and Chris received an Honorable Mention from the Citizen's Bank essay contest. Congratulations to them and all the students who have promised to live drug free!

Spring Open House and Book Fair
Thank you to the many families who visited our classroom during the Spring Open House and Book Fair. I know the students were excited to show off their Chinese lanterns and brochures, Me Front Pages, and other works on display. I enjoyed the opportunity to chat briefly with so many of you, too!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 28 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice the words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will learn about the present, past, and future tenses of verbs.
  
• Reading - We will be looking at how figurative language is used in poetry. This week we will specifically be looking at poetry that uses similes and imagery. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: The second Tic-Tac-Toe sheet is due April 25th!
  
• Science - We will begin Chapter 12 about "Earth's Oceans." The first lesson will help us understand characteristics of ocean water and the ocean floor.
  
• Social Studies - The students are learning how our current plan for government, the U.S. Constitution, was established. The students will learn the Preamble and what each part of it means.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will continue in Chapter 8 about ratios, proportions, and percents. Students will learn how to write percents as decimals and fractions, and solve problems involving percent. The Chapter 8 Test is scheduled for Friday, April 20!
  

Important Dates:

April 13 - Check Student Progress via ParentConnect

April 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

WEEK OF APRIL 2

Naper Settlement Notes
Thank you to Mrs. Scehovic, Mrs. Salvino, Mrs. Crandell, Mrs. Young, and Mr. Huang for chaperoning our field trip. The students learned a lot about life in the 1800's, and I think most of them prefer living with today's modern conveniences! Ask them about their souvenirs and experiences at the school, blacksmith shop, and other exhibits.

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 26 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will finish up their Me Front Page writing work, and then begin a grammar unit on verbs.
  
• Reading - We will continue learning about China as we use trade books, the Internet, and other resources to gather information. Students will begin work on a China travel brochure that will display their research findings. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: Students were reminded that the first Tic-Tac-Toe sheet is due April 4th!
  
• Science - Students will learn about different types of clouds and factors that affect the water cycle.
  
• Social Studies - We will begin Chapter 10 about forming a new government in America. The first lesson will focus on the Articles of Confederation and why this was a weak form of government.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will finish the chapter by learning how to solve algebraic equations involving addition and subtraction of fractions. The Chapter 5 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, April 4th!
  

Important Dates:

March 24 - April 1 - SPRING BREAK!

April 5 - Weather Man Bill Bellis Visits PV 5th Grade

April 6 - No School

April 10 - T.G.F.D. Graduation (8:15 a.m.)

April 12 - Spring Open House

WEEK OF MARCH 19

Naper Settlement Field Trip Notes
Our field trip to Naper Settlement is Friday, March 23. Please make sure your child packs a sack lunch and dresses appropriately for the weather on that day!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 25 pretest will be on Tuesday. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will continue working on the writing and "publishing" of their Me Front Pages. The next "article" will be a major achievement story.
  
• Reading - Ni Hao! Hello from China! 5th graders will be learning about this interesting country in the weeks ahead as we use trade books, the Internet, and other resources to gather information. READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: Students were given their Reading Tic-Tac-Toe sheets with my expectations along with the new Tic-Tac-Toe board. I reviewed my expectations and noted some changes from last trimester. Please ask your student to share this information with you!
  
• Science - Lesson 2 will us help understand the water cycle and some factors that affect it.
  
• Social Studies - The students have read about France and Spain coming to the aid of the Continental Army. The Chapter 9 Test is scheduled for Thursday, March 22!
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will continue in Chapter 5 as we review how to divide fractions and learn how to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division algebraic equations involving fractions.
  

Important Dates:

March 20 - No School (Teacher Institute)

March 23 - Naper Settlement Field Trip

March 24 - April 1 - SPRING BREAK!

April 5 - Weather Man Bill Bellis Visits PV 5th Grade

April 6 - No School

April 10 - T.G.F.D. Graduation (8:15 a.m.)

WEEK OF MARCH 12

ISAT Reminders
Please remember that students have one more test on Monday morning. It is important that students get enough sleep, a nutritious breakfast, and attend school on time. Thanks for following these guidelines to ensure your child's best performance. Also, thank you to the many parents who sent in healthy snacks and drinks to help us keep up our energy. The students have really appreciated it!

Too Good For Drugs Program
Please make sure you mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 10th - our Too Good For Drugs Graduation will be at 8:15 a.m. in our gym. Parents are invited to attend!
*Students have been given information about a final assignment for T.G.F.D.- a promise letter. Letters are due by Friday, March 16th!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 24 pretest will be on Tuesday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will continue their work with expository writing. We will also start another "article" for our Me Front Page project.
  
• Reading - The students will complete the reading of their assigned historical fiction novels. It is important that the daily assigned reading and role sheets are completed on time so they are prepared for their daily discussion group meetings! READING TIC-TAC-TOE PROGRAM: I will explain/distribute the forms for 3rd Trimester next week!
  
• Science - We will learn about the uneven heating of the Earth and how this contributes to the movement of local and prevailing winds.
  
• Social Studies - The students will read about the turning point of the Revolutionary War, the contributions of African Americans and women, and the hard winter for Washington and his men at Valley Forge.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will start Chapter 5 about multiplying and dividing fractions, as well as solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division algebraic equations involving fractions.
  

Important Dates:

March 8 - No School

March 12 - Finish ISAT Testing

March 20 - No School (Teacher Institute)

March 23 - Naper Settlement Field Trip

WEEK OF MARCH 5

ISAT Reminders
Please remember that students begin ISAT testing bright and early Tuesday morning. It is important that students get enough sleep, a nutritious breakfast, and attend school on time. Thanks in advance for following these guidelines to ensure your child's best performance!

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our last sessions of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward talked about the dangers of inhalants and played a game to review all of the information learned over the many weeks of the program. Students received a fact sheet about inhalants that should be shared and discussed with a parent.
*SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, April 10th is our Too Good For Drugs Graduation at 8:15 a.m. in our gym. Parents are invited to attend!
*Students will be given information about a final assignment for T.G.F.D.- a promise letter. Please look for this information next week!

3rd Trimester Tidbits
As we move into the final trimester of our year together, I wanted to remind students and parents about the importance of setting goals and keeping the homework routine in place. Many students tend to "lose steam" as we head into spring and nicer weather. Please keep in mind that our expectations increase during 3rd trimester as we prepare our students for Lakeview!
*3rd Trimester Late Homework Procedure:
1 day late = 25% grade deduction
2 or more days late (until unit is complete) = 50% grade deduction
Turned in after unit is completed = 0% earned

Subject Update:

• Spelling - Due to the short week, there will not be a spelling lesson.
  
• English - Students will continue their work with expository writing. Ask your child about the scrambled essays they had to organize with their small group. Were they successful?
  
• Reading - The students are now reading their assigned historical fiction novels. It is important that the daily assigned reading and role sheets are completed on time so they are prepared for their daily discussion group meetings!
  
• Science - We will learn more about weather as we understand the different layers of the Earth's atmosphere.
  
• Social Studies - The contributions of a wide variety of people helped the Continental Army win important battles in the Revolutionary War. Lesson 2 will tell us about these brave Patriots.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - Students will be taking the math portion of the ISAT tests in their math classrooms. We will begin Chapter 5 the week of March 12. It will teach about multiplying and dividing fractions, as well as solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division algebraic equations involving fractions.
  

Important Dates:

March 2 - End of 2nd Trimester - Grades Posted on GradeQuick

March 5 - No School (C. Pulaski Day)

March 5 - 8 - ISAT Testing and Spring Conferences

March 9 - No School

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 27

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our 8th session of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward shared a power point presentation about marijuana. Students learned some of the myths people believe about this substance, and then learned the actual facts about it. Students received a fact sheet about marijuana that should be shared and discussed with a parent before our next session.
*We will have our final sessions of T.G.F.D. this upcoming week - please encourage your child to write a personal thank you note to Deputy Seward for his time and commitment to this valuable program!
*SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, April 10th is our Too Good For Drugs Graduation at 8:15 a.m. in our gym. Parents are invited to attend!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 23 pretest will be on Monday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will be reviewing the organization of expository writing.
  
• Reading - The students are now reading their assigned historical fiction novels. It is important that the daily assigned reading and role sheets are completed on time so they are prepared for their daily discussion group meetings! READING TIC-TAC-TOE: Only one week to go - has your student achieved Tic-Tac-Toe yet?
  
• Science - We will begin our Earth Science unit: Cycles on Earth and in Space. The first lesson of Chapter 11 takes a look at the causes of weather.
  
• Social Studies - Chapter 9 "Winning the Revolution" begins with the colonists' formal declaration of independence from Britain.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students will be reviewing a variety of skills such as mean, median, range, and mode, proportions, and ratios to prepare for the upcoming ISAT tests.
  

Important Dates:

Feb. 28 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Feb. 29 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 9)

March 1 - Too Good For Drugs (Final Session)

March 2 - End of 2nd Trimester

March 5 - No School (C. Pulaski Day)

March 5 - 9 - ISAT Testing and Spring Conferences

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 20

Valentine's Day Thank Yous
A special thanks to all of the parents who helped make our Valentine's Day Party a "sweet" time. Mrs. Wygonski, Mrs. Barashka, Mrs. Crandell, Mrs. Salvino, and Mrs. Huang planned some great games and helped to provide some of the treats. Mrs. Germann and Mrs. Principe helped by sending in more treats, paper goods, and drinks.

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our 7th session of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward shared a power point presentation about alcohol. Students learned some of the myths people believe about this substance, and then learned the actual facts about it. Students received a fact sheet about alcohol that should be shared and discussed with a parent before our next session.

Argonne Field Trip - A Scientific Success!
Thank you to Mr. McGlynn, Mrs. Schoeberle, and Mrs. Young for chaperoning our trip to Argonne. The students did a wonderful job in each of the laboratories, and the activities provided some great extensions to our work in the classroom. We received several compliments from Argonne staff about our students' behavior and knowledge of scientific ideas!

Spring Conferences
Please note that priority is being given to math parents for Spring Conferences. Math parents were already sent an email with the appropriate link to sign up. I will send the link to homeroom parents on Wednesday to sign up for any remaining time slots.

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 22 pretest will be on Tuesday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - Students will be creating an adjective ABC booklet to further our study of adjectives.
  
• Reading - The students will be assigned different historical fiction novels next week. They will also be given a schedule of their reading assignments along with their particular role for each daily discussion group meeting. In addition, we will be working to identify different genres of fiction, order of events, and character, setting, and plot in our skills workbook. READING TIC-TAC-TOE: Students have their Tic-Tac-Toe sheets for 2nd trimester. Please monitor your child's progress and encourage your child to read at home to earn Tic-Tac-Toe by March 2nd!
  
• Science - We will review about forms of energy, heat transfer, and energy resources. The Chapter 15 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22!
  
• Social Studies - The students will work on the final copies of their Cause/Effect Puzzle Project. We hope to begin Chapter 9 "Winning the Revolution" before the end of the week.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students are learning how to add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators. The Chapter 4 Test scheduled for Thursday, February 23!
  

Important Dates:

Feb. 20 - No School (President's Day)

Feb. 23 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 8)

Feb. 23 - Spring Pictures

Feb. 28 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 13

Valentine's Day Reminders
Students will be able to exchange Valentines within their own classrooms on Tuesday, February 14. Any sweet treats included with Valentines will go home with students at the end of the school day.

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our 6th session of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward shared a power point presentation about tobacco. Students learned different ways people use tobacco and how each of those uses negatively affects the human body. Students received a fact sheet about tobacco that should be shared and discussed with a parent before our next session.

Important Notes about Argonne Field Trip!
Don't forget that our class will be going to Argonne on Thursday, February 16. Students must bring a sack lunch on this day. Also, students must wear pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed-toe shoes. Thanks in advance for following these guidelines set by Argonne to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 21 pretest will be on Monday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will continue to learn about adjectives next week. Students will learn how to use forms of good and bad correctly and write proper adjectives. The Unit 4 Adjectives Test is scheduled for Friday, February 17!
  
• Reading - The students will begin a novel unit focused on the genre of historical fiction. Throughout the next several weeks, students will be reviewing important skills, such as generalizations, fact and opinion, author's viewpoint, and cause and effect. In addition, this week we will be working to identify different genres of fiction and the order of events. READING TIC-TAC-TOE: Students have their Tic-Tac-Toe sheets for 2nd trimester. Please monitor your child's progress and encourage your child to read at home to earn Tic-Tac-Toe by March 2nd!
  
• Science - We will finish the chapter by learning about energy resources. The Chapter 15 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22.
  
• Social Studies - We will review about the people, ideas, and events important to the start of the Revolutionary War. The Chapter 8 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students will learn how to convert from mixed number to improper fraction and from improper fraction to mixed number. They will also learn how to add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators.
  

Important Dates:

Feb. 14 - T.G.F.D. Session 7

Feb. 14 - Valentine's Day Parties

Feb. 16 - Argonne Field Trip

Feb. 20 - No School (President's Day)

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6

Valentine's Day Tidbits
Students will be able to exchange Valentines within their own classrooms on Tuesday, February 14. I will provide a class list for the students next week, since I ask that those who choose to bring Valentines do so for each classmate. Also, any treats included with Valentines will go home with students at the end of the school day.

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our 5th session of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward discussed how the decisions we make are influenced by friends and family, as well as our own personal values. Although students did not receive a homework assignment, I encourage families to share with each other about times when important decisions had to be made and how others influenced those decisions.

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 20 pretest will be on Monday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will begin our next grammar unit on adjectives. Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They can tell what kind or how many.
  
• Reading - We will continue identifying cause and effect relationships using a variety of instructional materials, including Katie's Trunk in our literature books. A quiz over Katie's Trunk vocabulary is scheduled for Tuesday, February 7! READING TIC-TAC-TOE: Students have their Tic-Tac-Toe sheets for 2nd trimester. Please monitor your child's progress and encourage your child to read at home to earn Tic-Tac-Toe by March 2nd!
  
• Science - Students will learn how heat is transferred through convection, conduction, and radiation.
  
• Social Studies - We will read about Paul Revere's famous ride to warn the colonists about the British, the "shot heard 'round the world" at Lexington, and the Battle of Concord, as the Revolution begins. The Chapter 8 Test will be scheduled during the week of February 13.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students will learn how to convert between decimals and fractions, write equivalent fractions, and compare and order fractions.
  

Important Dates:

Feb. 9 - T.G.F.D. Session 6

Feb. 14 - T.G.F.D. Session 7

Feb. 14 - Valentine's Day Parties

Feb. 16 - Argonne Field Trip

Feb. 20 - No School (President's Day)

WEEK OF JANUARY 30

Argonne Field Trip
Argonne field trip permission slips will be coming home on Monday. They will be due back to me by Friday. The field trip for our class will be February 16.

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our 4th session of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward discussed peer pressure and the difference between positive and negative peer pressure. Students learned and practiced many strategies for dealing with negative pressure, such as the "broken record" and "state the facts." Once again, students received a homework assignment that should be completed with their families to reinforce the ideas shared during session 4.

From the School Office...
Somehow, some parents have a copy of the unadopted calendar. Friday, February 17, was originally scheduled as a Teacher Institute-- that is not the case any longer. We will be in school that day. We do have a Teacher Institute on Tuesday, March 20. Also, Friday, May 18, (not Thursday, May 17th) is another Early Dismissal/SIP Day. The correct calendar is on the website on the left under "calendars" -- "11/12 School Year"; this is the calendar that was adopted & revised on June 14, 2011.

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 19 pretest will be on Monday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will be working on our writing skills next week.
  
• Reading - We will be identifying cause and effect relationships using a variety of instructional materials. This week, we will read Katie's Trunk in our literature books. READING TIC-TAC-TOE: Students have their Tic-Tac-Toe sheets for 2nd trimester. Please monitor your child's progress and encourage your child to read at home to earn Tic-Tac-Toe by March 2nd!
  
• Science - Students will continue to learn about different forms of energy and how energy is changed from one form to another.
  
• Social Studies - We will hear about the events in Boston that brought Britain and the colonies closer to war.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students will take a jump back in the textbook to Chapter 4. This chapter works on number theory and fractions.
  

Important Dates:

Feb. 1 - Six Flags Read to Succeed Forms Due!

Feb. 2 - T.G.F.D. Session 5

Feb. 9 - T.G.F.D. Session 6

Feb. 14 - T.G.F.D. Session 7

Feb. 14 - Valentine's Day Parties

Feb. 16 - Argonne Field Trip

WEEK OF JANUARY 23

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our 3rd session of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward discussed decision-making. Students learned how the decisions a person makes impacts their character and reputation in either positive or negative ways. Once again, students received a homework assignment that should be completed with their families to reinforce the ideas shared during session 3.

5th Grade Spelling Bee
Congratulations to our classmate, David, who was one of two winners in the 5th Grade Spelling Bee! He will participate in the District Spelling Bee on January 24 at 1:00 p.m. Way to go, David!!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 18 pretest will be on Monday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will review about pronouns. The Unit 6 Pronouns Test is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24.
  
• Reading - We will continue our focus on the skill Author's Viewpoint. We will also be reviewing the familiar skill of prediction and working on extended response. READING TIC-TAC-TOE: Students have their Tic-Tac-Toe sheets for 2nd trimester. Please monitor your child's progress and encourage your child to read at home to earn Tic-Tac-Toe by March 2nd!
  
• Science - Students will learn about some of the different forms of energy and how energy is changed from one form to another.
  
• Social Studies - We will begin Chapter 8 :The Road to War. Students will hear how the colonists were troubled over new tax laws put in place by King George III and Parliament.
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students are learning formulas for calculating the volume of rectangular and triangular prisms, and cylinders. The Chapter 10 Test is scheduled for Thursday, January 26!

Important Dates:

Jan. 20 - Check Student Progress Via ParentConnect

Jan. 24 - District Spelling Bee (PV - 1:00 p.m.)

Jan. 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Jan. 26 - T.G.F.D. (Session 4)

Feb. 1 - Six Flags Read to Succeed Forms Due!

WEEK OF JANUARY 16

Too Good For Drugs Program
During our second session of T.G.F.D., Deputy Seward discussed the importance of communication. We learned that communication involves a sender and receiver of information and that messages can be sent verbally and non-verbally. Once again, students received a homework assignment that should be completed with their families to reinforce the ideas shared during session 2.

Classroom Spelling Bee
Congratulations to our top speller, David, and our runner-up, Madison; winners of our Classroom Spelling Bee. These students will represent our class in the 5th Grade Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 18. Good luck!

Parent Traffic Alert!
Please make sure you read the parent traffic alert that went out earlier this week from the office. Especially now with all the snow on the ground, we want to keep our children safe!

Subject Update:

• Spelling - The Lesson 17 pretest will be on Tuesday. Based on the pretest, students will be given either the regular or challenge word lists. Homework will be assigned during the week to practice their words. Both regular and challenge word tests are on Friday.
• English - We will learn how to avoid double subjects, and use "we" and "us" correctly. Then we will review all about pronouns. The test is tentatively scheduled for the following Tuesday, January 24.
  
• Reading - This week, we begin our focus on the skill Author's Viewpoint. In this skill, students will identify how the author feels about the topic they are writing about, as well as indicate words, phrases, or sentences in the text that help to "reveal" this viewpoint. This skill provides excellent practice in using the text to support answers. We will also be reviewing the familiar skill of prediction. READING TIC-TAC-TOE: Students have their Tic-Tac-Toe sheets for 2nd trimester. Please monitor your child's progress and encourage your child to read at home to earn Tic-Tac-Toe by March 2nd!
  
• Science - As we begin Chapter 15, we will learn about energy. Energy has a very special meaning to scientists - the ability to cause change in matter.
  
• Social Studies - The students will continue to learn about the French and Indian War when the French, British, and Native Americans fought for control of a large part of North America. The Chapter 7 Test is scheduled for Friday, January 20!
  
• Mrs. Strong's Math Class - The students will explore solid figures and learn formulas to find surface area and volume.
  

Important Dates:

Jan. 16 - No School (M. L. King, Jr. Day)

Jan. 18 - 5th Grade Spelling Bee

Jan. 19 - Too Good For Drugs (Session 3)

Jan. 20 - Check Student Progress Via ParentConnect

Jan. 25 - Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)

Feb. 1 - Six Flags Read to Succeed Forms Due!