Open House/Book Fair
I enjoyed seeing so many of you Thursday evening. I know the students appreciated the opportunity to show off their hard work on various classroom projects. I hope you had a chance to view the slide show of pictures from the beginning of the year up to now - we have done so much learning and growing together since September!
MAP Testing
Your students will be taking the Math MAP test on Monday, and the ELA MAP test on Tuesday. Please remind them to charge their Chromebooks!
Subject Update:
- ELA (English/Language Arts) - We will continue our unit, Hardships in History. Students will read the poem, "Paul Revere's Ride," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; and compare the events of the poem to the story And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? Students will also work with List #11 word parts, and learn about idioms, adages, and proverbs.
- Science - Lesson 3 will focus on chemical properties and changes. We will work to understand how chemical changes are different than physical changes in matter.
- Social Studies - We will have a real tea party while watching a video about the Boston Tea Party on Monday. Then we will work to review all lessons to prepare for the Chapter 8 Test on Thursday, May 5.
- Mrs. Strong's Math Class - Students will finish their rotation through a variety of stations on Monday after we complete our Math MAP testing. We do not have Math on Tuesday due to ELA MAP testing. There will be a Topic 8, L. 4-6 Homework Review on Wednesday. We will not have Math on Thursday due to another classroom's field trip. The Topic 8 Test is planned for Friday, May 6!
Mark Your Calendar:
May 2 - Math MAP Testing
May 2 - PRIDE! and Academic Achievement Awards
May 3 - ELA MAP Testing
May 12 - 5th Grade "Sneak Preview" of Lakeview Musical
May 13 - Early Dismissal (11:35 a.m.)
May 16 - Wheel of Wisdom Assembly
PARCC Testing
Your students will finish PARCC testing for ELA/Literacy on Monday. Please remind them to charge their Chromebooks and have their earbuds!
Paul Revere Assembly - History Mystery Solved!
Who stole Paul Revere's horse? The students successfully solved the mystery during this interactive play by working collaboratively in small groups to figure out a series of clues. Nice job, 5th graders!
Museum of Science and Industry - Colorful Chemistry Lab
Thank you to Mrs. Youngfelt and Mrs. Coronado for chaperoning our field trip. The students enjoyed their trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. We learned a lot about chemical changes, and some of the indicators that a chemical reaction has occurred. Here are some memorable moments from our lab experience.
Subject Update:
- ELA (English/Language Arts) - We will continue our unit, Hardships in History. Students will continue working with the text, "And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?" There is a quiz over Paul Revere vocabulary scheduled for Wednesday. Students will also begin working with List #11 word parts.
- Science - We have been learning about physical properties of matter. Next week, we will learn about mixtures and solutions. Mixtures and solutions are physical changes because the substances in them do not permanently combine and their properties don't change.
- Social Studies - As we continue in Chapter 8, we will hear how the American Revolution began with the battles of Lexington and Concord.
- Mrs. Strong's Math Class - Students will take a Topic 8, Lessons 1-3 Homework Review on Monday. Then we will work to understand how to plot integers on the coordinate plane and find distances between two points.
Mark Your Calendar:
April 22 - 3rd Trimester Midterm
April 25 - Final Day of PARCC Testing
April 28 - Spring Open House & Book Fair (6:30 - 8:00 p.m.)
PARCC Testing
Your students will continue to take PARCC Tests this week through Monday of the following week. We have completed Math and will move on to the ELA/Literacy tests. Please encourage your students to do their best, and remind them to charge their Chromebooks and have their earbuds!
Remember that students can access the practice tests for PARCC using the "TestNav" app on their Chromebooks. They may practice at home if needed so that they feel confident on testing days.
Students may encounter some difficult questions during testing. I encourage them to persevere. My expectation is that they finish each test being able to say, "I gave my best effort!"
Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip Reminders
On Friday, April 22nd, our class will be heading to the Museum of Science and Industry to experience the "Colorful Chemistry" lab. Although we will have time to explore some of the exhibits at the museum, that time will be limited and students will not be able to visit the gift shop. Please make sure your child has a sack lunch and/or money to purchase lunch from the museum's cafeteria.
Subject Update:
- ELA (English/Language Arts) - We have begun our final unit, Hardships in History. We have had some amazing small group discussions to define "hardship," and begin answering about our essential questions: How does the time period of the hardship impact future decisions and events? How are hardships in history similar and different? We will keep these questions in mind as we read our first selection, the song lyrics for Yankee Doodle. Also, students will take an assessment over List #10 word parts on Wednesday.
- Science - Students are learning how matter changes from one state to another. Ask your child how zero degrees Celsius can be both the melting point and the freezing point of water.
- Social Studies - We will begin Chapter 8, "The Road to War." In the first lesson, students will hear how tensions between the English colonists began to grow when the British imposed new taxes on them.
- Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will continue Topic 8 about integers. Students will learn how to compare and order integers, and work to understand the absolute value of numbers.
Mark Your Calendar:
April 11 - 25 - PARCC Testing Time Frame
April 18 - Paul Revere Program
April 20 - DuPage Health Department Presentation (during P.E.)
April 22 - Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip (Strong's and Trefonas's Class)
April 22 - 3rd Trimester Midterm
April 28 - Spring Open House & Book Fair (6:30 - 8:00 p.m.)
PARCC Testing
During the next few weeks, your students will be taking the Math and ELA/Literacy PARCC Tests. Please encourage your students to do their best, and remind them to charge their Chromebooks and have their earbuds!
In class, students learned how to access the practice tests for PARCC using the "TestNav" app on their Chromebooks. They also were shown the various testing tools that are available to them. They may practice at home if needed so that they feel confident on testing days.
Students may encounter some difficult questions during testing. I encourage them to persevere. My expectation is that they finish each test being able to say, "I gave my best effort!"
PRIDE! and Academic Excellence Awards
Congratulations to Sameer for earning the PRIDE! Award for Respect. Also, congratulations to Tayler for receiving the Specials Standout Award. Academic Excellence Awards for 2nd Trimester were given to Sameer, Joey, Jacob, and Josh. We celebrate your accomplishments!
Subject Update:
- ELA (English/Language Arts) - We will conclude our Nature's Fury unit. Students will finish their writing activity, a retelling of the book Eight Days: A Story of Haiti from the perspective of a different character. We will also work with List #10 word parts.
- Science - Students will learn about the three states of matter and the characteristics of each of these states.
- Social Studies - The Chapter 7 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12. Then we will move into Chapter 8, "The Road to War." In the first lesson, students will hear how tensions between the English colonists began to grow when the British imposed new taxes on them.
- Mrs. Strong's Math Class - Students will be taking the Math PARCC Tests during most of our time together, but we will use the remaining time scheduled for our Number Corner activities and Digits lessons. We will be jumping ahead to Topic 8 about integers (since Topic 7 "Fluency with Decimals" is covered through our Number Corner activities).
Mark Your Calendar:
April 11 - 25 - PARCC Testing Time Frame
April 13 - Early Dismissal (11:35 a.m.)
April 18 - Paul Revere Program
April 20 - DuPage Health Department Presentation (during P.E.)
April 22 - Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip (Strong's and Trefonas's Class)
Too Good For Drugs Graduation
Thank you to all who were able to join us for our TGFD Graduation. The students chosen to read their Promise Letters did an outstanding job; congratulations again to Nina for being selected to read from our classroom. Also, our guest speaker (former student Adam Rosignal) shared some real life experiences where the strategies taught in the TGFD program proved to be valuable. I hope our students remember his strong message about making good choices in life. Finally, thank you to all who contributed to the group gift for Deputy Seward. He very much appreciated the gift certificates.
Naper Settlement Trip
Thank you to Mrs. Portell for being our parent chaperone for the Naper Settlement field trip. Although the weather was a bit cold and rainy, we really enjoyed our experience. Here are a few pictures from the school house, printer, and log home.
Subject Update:
- ELA (English/Language Arts) - We are coming to the end of our theme Nature's Fury. Students will finish their discussion of point of view and perspective with the book, Eight Days: A Story of Haiti. They will also learn how to use their knowledge of different verb tenses to convey changes in time in their writing. We will also begin working with List #10 word parts.
- Science - Students will create models of molecules, determine if a molecule is an element or compound, and read about the Periodic Table of Elements. We will also play a game called SYMBO to practice what we learn about the Table of Elements.
- Social Studies - Students will finish up Lesson 3 about the French and Indian War. Then they will start reviewing for the Chapter 7 Test scheduled for Tuesday, April 12.
- Mrs. Strong's Math Class - We will be reviewing multiplication and division of fractions to prepare for the Unit B post-test later this week. We will also finish up our remaining Number Corner activities from March before heading into our April activities.
Mark Your Calendar:
March 25 - Spring Break Begins
April 4 - Classes Resume
April 6 - Robert Crown Field Trip
April 11 - 22 - PARCC Testing Time Frame
