December 17-January31

Warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday break! I hope you enjoy spending time with your family and friends during this joyous time of year. This blog will be updated with exciting new art projects just after the new year. Happy Holidays!

All the best...

Mrs. Cirjakovic

December 13-December 17

Although many of the eighth grade students have completed their self-portraits, several will need additional time during this final week before winter break to complete the project. The final deadline for this project is Thursday, December 16th. If students need additional work time, they can come in during their study hall period or at 7:35 a.m. I will begin grading them over the break. During the week, we will also design holiday card collages for nursing home residents in need of holiday cheer.

December 6th- December 10th

This week, the eighth graders will complete their self-portrait grid projects. On Monday, they will decide on a color scheme for the design of their backgrounds. They will choose from the following schemes: monochromatic, analogous, triadic, complimentary, cool, or warm colors. I am looking forward to seeing how each child incorporates their own personal style in the design of their background.

November 29th-December 3rd

Self Portrait, 1889

Vincent van Gogh

The eighth graders continue to work diligently on their self-portrait grid projects. During each class period they analyze the values in the boxes of their photo grids, then they use different drawing pencils, blending tools, and kneaded erasers to create the exact value on their drawing paper. The results have been amazing! The students have shared that this has been the most realistic-looking drawing that they have created to date.

November 22nd-November 26th

Chuck Close

Self-Portrait, 2004

The eighth grade classes have started the Self-Portrait Unit and will continue to work on them during our short Thanksgiving week. Each student is using a photograph of themselves to create a self-portrait inspired by the grid process used by artist Chuck Close. The students are measuring and designing their grids, then numbering each corresponding box. On Monday, we will begin the process of analyzing the values and shapes in each box and enlarging it to the doubled grid on their drawing paper.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Break!

November 15-November 19

Welcome to 8th grade art! My name is Mrs. Cirjakovic and I will be your child's art teacher for the next 12 weeks. This trimester will be filled with several projects that will explore you child's creativity, teach them problem solving skills, and broaden their knowledge of art history. We will begin by designing personalized art portfolios to safely store our works of art. Then we will move on to our self-portrait unit. Self-portraits by famous artists will be viewed and discussed before we embark on this exciting (yet challenging) project. Various styles will be explored so that each student is inspired to design a unique and one of a kind product.

November 8th-November 12th

It is hard to believe, but we have made it to the end of the first trimester. The seventh graders will have their final day in art this Friday, November 12th. On Monday, November 15th, they will begin the next class in their Encore rotation. It has been a pleasure creating works of art with such talented and imaginative students. I believe that they have taught me as much as I have taught them. During this final week, we will finish painting our clay pots, complete our Op Art designs, and finish putting together our portfolios to take home. I hope that you enjoy this compilation of projects as much as I did.

November 1st-November 5th

Bridget Riley, Cataract V , 1967

OP ART

Seventh grade students are taking a break from the clay unit so that all projects can thoroughly dry before we begin painting them on Wednesday. In the meantime, we began the "Op Art" unit. "Op Art" is short for optical art. This style of is described as "geometric art in which patterns of lines and/or color combinations react on the eye to produce a sense of movement, dazzle, or even discomfort." The students will study samples and learn some basic techniques in creating Op Art. We will use pencils, rulers, and black markers to create our designs.

October 25-October 29th

Getting ready to work with clay!

Last week, seventh graders worked on their scratchboard designs based on nature. They used different tools and techniques to "scratch out" their designs to reveal what lies below the black ink. It was a tricky exercise for some because it forced the students to think of negative space and value in a challenging way. Scratchboard choices included silver, gold, glitter, rainbow, and white.
This week, we will begin our clay unit!

October 18th-October 22nd

Scratchboard Art

The seventh grade students will be exploring a new medium this week: Scratchboard. During this project, students will become familiar with the etchings by Durer and create etchings of their own. This project will also have students broaden their understanding of using light and dark value to create form. These scratchboard designs will be based nature. On Tuesday, each student will be expected to bring in a picture from a magazine or online that shows any aspect of nature: landscapes, animals, underwater life, etc. A selection of pictures will also be available to choose from in the art room.

October 11th-October 15th

The seventh grade students continue to work tirelessly to complete their Andy Warhol Pop Art projects. This project has proven to be more challenging than I had first thought. Although they are having a hard time keeping up their original momentum, they continue to plug away to complete their amazing works of art. Each day, the students set a personal goal for how much of the design they must complete in class. Our goal is finish these by the end of the week. Upon completion, each student will begin working on their personalized art portfolios.

October 4th-October 8th

Andy Warhol

Pop Art

This week, we will continue to work on our Andy Warhol inspired Pop Art projects. The students have worked with tireless effort and precision to recreate a product from their everyday life into a work of art. They have been using lightboxes and the sunlight from the art room windows to trace/repeat their image six times on 12 X 18 drawing paper. This week, we will begin to add the exact colors from the real product to the drawings using colored pencils and markers. The results should be a feast for the eyes!

All projects will be kept at school until the end of the trimester. At that time, all students will bring home their artwork in a personalized portfolio.

September 27th-October 1st

Andy Warhol

The seventh graders are finishing up their still life drawings of geometric shapes this week. They are using oil pastels for blending and shading to show light and shadows on the forms. They are using complementary colors in their final product. Our next project is inspired by the Pop Art created by Andy Warhol. Each student will need a wrapper or label from a product by Wednesday, September 29th, to use as the focus of their Pop Art project.

September 20th-September 24th

Gray Scale in Art

Guernica

Pablo Picaso

1937

Last week, the seventh graders learned about the use of "value" in a work of art. Value is an element of design that refers to light and dark. Value contrasts help us to see and understand a two-dimensional work of art. The students created gray scales, then painted tints and shades of a specific color. Tints are created when we add white to a color, shades are created when we add black. This background knowledge will help them in our next project when we create a still life of varying geometric shapes. Each seventh grader will be expected to use what they know about value by using shading to create "roundness" and "edges" to their still life rendering. We will use oil pastels to give our work a pop of color.

September 12th-September 16th

Contour Line Drawing

The seventh grade art classes will begin a new project that focuses on contour line drawing. Each student will draw three different views of various shoes with pencil. Later, they will outine their drawings in marker. We will discuss the various styles and types of lines that can be used to create interest and detail. The students will be encouraged to vary the thickness and thinness of their lines as well as explore patterns to create their works of art. We will wrap up these contour line drawings the following week.

Please be sure to stop by the art room during Curriculum Night on Monday, September 12th, beginning at 6:45 p.m. I am looking forward to meeting with you.

September 6th-September 10th

Henri Matisse

Snow Flowers

The seventh grade classes completed their "Namely Me" Matisse collage projects on Friday, September 3rd. This project pushed all of the students to use shape and color in a unique way. The results were far better than I ever expected. It has been such a pleasure to be surrounded by talented artists throughout the day. Please be sure to view these masterpieces while they are on display at Open House on Monday, September 13th.

During the week of September 6th, the students will begin a contour drawing project. The lessons will focus on the use of different kinds of lines and patterns to create a contour drawing of a real object. Stay tuned for student artwork samples to be posted on future blogs!

August 30th-September 3rd

Welcome to the Art Room!

My name is Mrs. Cirjakovic and I will be your child's art teacher for the next 12 weeks. I am very excited about being a part of the teaching staff here at Lakeview Junior High.

During the first week of school, we explored the life and works of Henri Matisse. We focused on the colorful collages that he created near the end of his life. He described his technique as "drawing with scissors." With Matisse as an inspiration, the seventh graders began designing their own collages using the letters in their names as a focal point. These collages will also include symbols to represent personal interests and talents. Each letter and symbol will be created with colored paper and scissors--no pencil allowed! We will continue to work on these Matisse collages throughout next week. The early stages of this project are quite impressive.

Mark your calendar...

5/28 Bowling Field Trip

5/31 No School--Memorial Day

6/1 School Picnic
6/2 Last day of school—Report Cards Issued

Spelling:

We will not have a spelling lesson this week. All spelling grades will be posted by Monday.

Reading:

We will continue working in our detective agencies to solve various mysteries. The students are working together to detect clues, rule out possible suspects, and solve puzzles in stories, short chapter books, and videos.

English:

This week, we will work on various practice activities to learn more about adverbs. We will also begin our fourth grade memory book project. If you have any scrap booking paper or stickers to donate to our class it will be greatly appreciated.

Math:

We are moving on to Chapter 16 and continuing of study of fractions until the end of the school year.

Social Studies:

I will be giving the Chapter 12 test on Monday, May 24th, as an open-book quiz. It will cover all of the lessons in Chapter 12. Our last session of Junior Achievement will also take place this week.

Science:

Our study of earth science will continue in Chapter 8. We will explore the various landforms found on Earth.

May 17th-May 21st

Mark your calendar...
5/28 Bowling Field Trip
5/31 No School--Memorial Day
6/2 Last Day of School

Spelling:
Lesson 35: Review List. Alternate version spelling test on Friday.

Reading:
The final book club meeting will be Friday, May 21th. Our next unit of study in reading will be mysteries. The children will be reading, watching, and listening to many mysteries. We will review the elements of a mystery. The class will also review all of our reading strategies throughout this unit.

English:
All students who did not pass out of the Verb Pretest will take the Verb Test on Tuesday, May 18th.

Math:
We will continue with our unit on fractions. There will be a quiz on Lessons 15.1-15.4 on Friday, May 21st. This chapter will not be formally tested.

Social Studies:
Do you know your states? The map quiz on The West will be on May 19th. The “Fifty State Challenge” for extra credit points will be on Thursday, May 20th. I will be giving the Chapter 12 test on Monday, May 24th, as an open-book quiz.

Science:
The Chapter 7 Test is scheduled for Friday, May 21th. We will complete a “How to Study” sheet this week. I will be giving the test in the morning because many students will be attending a band concert in the afternoon.

May 10th-May14th

Mark your calendar...

5/10 Robert Crown Field Trip

5/14 Early Dismissal-11:00 a.m.

5/28 Bowling Field Trip

5/31 No School--Memorial Day

6/2 Last Day of School

Field Trip News:

All students in our class will need to bring a "nut-free" lunch and drink on Monday, May 10th. We will be eating an early lunch in the classroom before we go to the Robert Crown Center. Students may want to bring a second snack for when we return in the afternoon.

Donations:

All this week Prairieview is collecting gym shoes in any shape and all other shoes that still have some life in them. We want to help cut down on the amount going into landfills. The shoes will be either donated to places that help people or will be sent to Nike's recycling center where they recycle gym shoes into a variety of objects including floor mats. Please tie the shoes together or put them in plastic grocery bags so that they do not become separated. Thank you for your support. At Prairieview School-Character Counts!

Spelling:

Lesson 34: Words ending with -less and -ment. Due to the field trip on Monday, there will not be a pretest for this lesson. The test will be on Friday.

Reading:

All poetry Unit Books will be on May 14th. Book Clubs were formed April 30th. The second book club meeting will be Friday, May 14th. Our next unit of study in reading will be mysteries. The children will be reading, watching, and listening to many mysteries. We will review the elements of a mystery. The class will also review all of our reading strategies throughout this unit.

English:

We are currently working on persuasive writing. We will also continue with our unit on verbs. All students who did not pass out of the Verb Pretest will take the Verb Test on Tuesday, May 18th.

Math:

We are moving on to Chapter 15: Fractions. We will cover Lessons 1-5. Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home. We will continue with our mad minutes until the end of the year.

Social Studies:

We have moved on to the West! The map quiz will be on May 19th. All students will receive a labeled map on Monday for studying.

Science:

This week, we will complete Lesson 3 and move on to Lesson 4 which focuses on soil. The Chapter 7 Test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 20th.

May 3rd-May 7th

Mark your calendar...
5/10 Robert Crown Field Trip
5/14 Early Dismissal

Students from Project Challenge have started a fund raiser for the ASPCA, a foundation to stop animal cruelty. The kids will be selling Smencils® (scented pencils) for a 1.00 each. The pencils will be sold each morning in the grade level areas. The sales will start Friday April 30th and go through May 28th.
We will track our sales on the bulletin board by the multi-purpose room. For every twenty dollars we raise, one food bowl will go up on the bulletin board. So please help save our animals. Buy Smencils!

Spelling:
Lesson 33: Words ending with -tion
The test will be on Friday.

Reading:
Our Poetry Unit will continue throughout this week. This unit revisits our study of figurative language and will require students to explore different styles of this genre. The students will read, interpret, and write their own poems in class. Please review the poetry packet and rubric with your child at home. All Poetry Unit Books will be due on May 14th. Book clubs were formed April 30th. The first book club meeting will be on Friday, May 7th. Book club worksheets will also be due at the first meeting.

English:
We will continue with our unit on verbs and contract enrichment for the unit.

Math:
We are moving on to Chapter 14: Number Theory and Patterns. We will cover Lessons 14.1, 14.2 and 14.3. This chapter will not be formally tested. Instead, we will have a graded assessment. Please refer to your child's assignment notebook for the exact date of the assessment. Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home so that you child knows the answers with speed and accuracy.

Social Studies:
The Chapter 11 social studies test will be on Tuesday, May 4th. During the week, we will move on to our final region: The West! We will also be have a Junior Achievement representative in our classroom on Wednesdays for the next four weeks.

Science:
We will concentrate on Lesson 2 in Chapter 7. Your child will learn about the rock cycle. There will be a graded assessment on lesson 2 near the end of the week. Please watch for it to be posted in your child's assignment notebook.

April 26th-April30th

Mark your calendar...

4/27 Straight “A's” from Second Trimester Recognized
5/10 Robert Crown Field Trip
5/14 Early Dismissal


Spelling:
Lesson 32: Words ending with a consonant + le.
The test will be on Friday.

Reading:
Our Poetry Unit will begin this week. This unit revisits our study of figurative language and will require students to explore different styles of this genre. The students will read, interpret, and write their own poems in class. Please review the poetry packet and rubric with your child at home. In addition, we will select novels and create a reading schedule for our next book club.

English:
We will begin our unit on verbs and contract enrichment for the unit. We will finish all Hero expository essays in the computer lab this week.

Math:
We will continue to work on our division unit. This week we will divide 3-digit numbers and money (Lesson 12.2) and divide 3-digit numbers by 1 digit numbers when there are zeros in the quotient (Lesson 12.3). The students will have a graded assessment on Wednesday. It will review what they have learned in Lessons 12.2 and 12.3. The Chapter 11/12 Test is tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 30th. It will cover Lessons 11.1, 11.3, 11.5, 11.7, 12.2, and 12.3. Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home so that you child knows the answers with speed and accuracy.

Social Studies:
We will continue our study of the Southwest in Chapter 11. This week, we will work on Lesson 3: Ranches and Drivers. We will also be have a Junior Achievement representative in our classroom on Wednesdays for the next five weeks.

Science:
We will wrap up Lesson 1 in Chapter 7. Your child will learn about how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks are formed. We will handle and observe various rock samples and classify them into groups. There will be a graded assessment on this lesson near the end of the week. Please watch for it to be posted in your child's assignment notebook.

April 19th-April 23rd

It was wonderful to see so many parents and students at our Spring Open House/Book Fair. I hope you enjoyed exploring our inventions and classroom projects!

Mark your Calendar
4/22 Early Dismissal—11:00

Spelling:
Rule: Plural Possessives
The test will be on Friday.

Reading:
Our Poetry Unit will begin this week. This unit revisits our study of figurative language and will require students to explore different styles of this genre. The students will read, interpret, and write their own poems.

English:
All students will complete their Personal Hero expository essays. We will also pretest our next English unit on verbs.

Math:
We will continue to work on our division unit. This week we will investigate division patterns (Lesson 11.5) and where to place the first digit in a quotient by estimating or using place value (Lesson 11.7). The students will have a graded assessment on Wednesday. It will review what they have learned in Lessons 11.1, 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7. We will move on to Chapter 12 on Thursday. Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home so that you child knows the answers with speed and accuracy.

Social Studies:
We will continue our study of the Southwest. This week, we will work on lesson two. We will also be have a Junior Achievement representative in our classroom on Wednesdays for the next five weeks.

Science:
We will begin our final unit of study in science: Earth Science!

April 12th-April16th

Mark your Calendar
4/13 Inventions Due
4/15 Spring Open House

Spelling:
Lesson 30: Possessive form of singular nouns
The test will be on Friday.

Reading:
This week we will continue to learn about Pourquoi Tales. Pourquoi Tales are folktales that explain how something in nature came to be. Pourquoi is a French word that means "Why." Our reading strategies for the week will be self-questioning and personification. The students will finish writing their own versions of Pourquoi Tales.

English:
We will continue working on our Hero expository essays. This week, the children will finish filling out a graphic organizer to plan out their writing about their hero. Then, they will move on to their rough drafts.

Math:
We will continue to focus on multiplication of 3 & 4 digit numbers. We will complete Chapter 9 and move on to specific lessons in Chapter 10. The Chapter 9/10 Math Test is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14th. It will cover Lessons 9.1, 9.2, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 10.1, 10.6, and 10.7.

Social Studies:
We are moving on to Chapter 11. This chapter explores the people of the southwest. We will kick off the first lesson which explores the life of the Navajo.

Science:
This week, we will wrap up our study of simple machines. The Chapter 17 Test is scheduled for Thursday, April 15th. Inventions are due on Tuesday, April 13th! All students should continue to work on their inventions at home. Use your invention calendar to help you stay on track.

April 5th-April 9th

Welcome back to school!

Mark your Calendar

4/5 School Resumes

4/13 Inventions Due

4/15 Spring Open House

Spelling:

Rule: words with the prefixes "mis" and "dis"

The test will be on Friday.

Reading:

This week we will learn about Pourquoi Tales. Pourquoi Tales are folktales that explain how something in nature came to be. Pourquoi is a French word that means "Why." Our reading strategies for the week will be self-questioning and personification. At the end of our study, the students will write their own versions of Pourquoi Tales.

English:

We will begin our Hero expository essays. We will brainstorm a list of character traits and behaviors of a hero. Then, each student will identify a hero that has affected them in their own life. The children will fill out a graphic organizer to plan out their writing about their hero. Then, they will move on to their rough drafts.

Math:

We will continue to focus on multiplication of 3 & 4 digit numbers. We will complete Chapter 9 and move on to specific lessons in Chapter 10. The Chapter 9/10 Math Test is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, April 14th.

Social Studies:

We are moving on to Chapter 11. This chapter explores the people of the southwest. We will kick off the first lesson which explores the life of the Navajo.

Science:

This week, we will continue with our study of simple machines. We will compete Lessons 2 & 3 and prepare for the Chapter 17 Test. The Chapter 17 Test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 15th. All students should continue to work on their inventions at home. Use your invention calendar to help you stay on track.

April 1, 2010

I hope that you are all enjoying your Spring Break! Please look for an updated posting of our classroom blog this weekend. I hope to see you all on Monday well-rested and ready to learn!

March 22nd-March 26th

Mark your calendar...
3/24 Field Trip—Museum of Science and Industry
3/29-4/2—Spring Break—No school
4/13—Inventions Due
4/15—Spring Open House

Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip:
Our class will be taking our field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry on Wednesday, March 24th. For lunch, your child has the option of bringing a sack lunch from home or approximately $8.00 to purchase a lunch at the museum food court. The students will not be allowed to visit the gift shop or attend exhibits that require additional money.

Invention Convention:
Information regarding the Invention Convention project will be coming home on Monday, March 22nd. Your child will receive a parent letter, contract, and grading rubric. Signed invention contracts (plans) need to be returned on Thursday, March 25th for teacher approval. Students should not begin to build their inventions until they have my approval.

Take a look at our week...

Spelling:

Lesson 28: prefixes -un and -in. The spelling test will be on Friday.

Reading:

Fourth grade students will be reviewing the strategies of clarifying and inferring this week. We will read a biography from our reading series entitled Louis Braille, The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind. There will be an open-book graded assessment on Friday on vocabulary and comprehension. This story connects perfectly to our study of inventions.

English:

We will begin our study of expository writing. Our class will begin writing a five paragraph essay that will be on display for spring open house.

Math:
We will continue with our study of multiplication in Chapter 9. We will cover Lessons 9.4, 9.5, and 9.6. We will be combining Chapter 9 with some of the lessons in Chapter 10. There will be a combined cumulative test sometime after spring break. As the test nears, I will post all of the lessons that will be included in this assessment.

Social Studies:
The Southwest Map Quiz will be Tuesday, March 23rd. State capitals will be worth 1/4 of a bonus point. The Chapter 10 test is scheduled for Thursday, March 25th.

Science:
We will continue with our study of simple machines. Next week, we will cover Lesson 2 in Chapter 17. There will be an open book graded assessment on Thursday or Friday of next week. Please watch assignment notebooks for an exact date. We will not test out of Chapter 17 until after spring break.

March 15th-March 19th

Mark your calendar...

3/16 Roller Skating Party
3/24 Field Trip—Museum of Science and Industry

Take a look at our week...

Spelling:
Lesson 26: Review Unit. The alternate version test will be on Friday.

Reading:
Fourth grade students will be reviewing making connections and summarizing this week. We will read Tanya's Reunion in our reading textbooks. There will be an open book vocabulary and comprehension quiz on Friday.

English:
The adjectives test is scheduled for Tuesday, March 16th.

Math:

We will have an open book graded assessment on Monday. The Chapter 22 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17th. The test will cover all lessons except 22.5 .

Social Studies:

We will continue with our study of the Southwest. This week, we will cover Lessons 2 & 3. The Southwest Map Quiz will be Tuesday, March 23rd. State capitals will be worth 1/4 of a bonus point. The Chapter 10 test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 25th.

Science:
We will begin Chapter 17: Our unit on simple machines.

March 1st-March 5th

Mark your calendar...

3/1 - Casimir Pulaski Day—No School

3/2-3/5 ISAT testing3/5 End of 2nd Trimester
3/8-3/10 ISAT make-ups
3/8-3/10 Parent/Teacher Conferences
3/9 Report Cards Issued
3/12 No School
3/16 Roller Skating Party
3/24 Field Trip—Museum of Science and Industry

ISAT Testing:

Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and has a healthy breakfast each morning. We will be testing in the morning and afternoon. Your child may want to bring an extra snack and/or drink to help keep them focused for both tests each day.

Our Testing Schedule:

Tuesday - Math Part 1 (10:00-11:00) & Reading Part 1 (12:00-1:00)

Wednesday - Math Part II (10:00-11:00) & Reading Part II (12:00-1:00)

Thursday - Math Part III (10:00-11:00) & Reading Part III (12:00-1:00)

Friday - Science Part I (10:00-11:00) & Science Part II (12:00-1:00)

Take a look at our week...

Spelling:
Lesson 24: forming plurals with -es. The test will be on Friday.

Reading:
We will be taking the Reading ISAT test during our reading block on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Friday, we will take a Science ISAT test during this time.

English:

Our study of adjectives will continue.

Social Studies:
We will be covering science during social studies this week.

Science:

We will begin chapter 16, lesson 3 this week. We will be skipping lessons one and two. On Wednesday, March 24, we will be visiting the Museum of Science and Industry. At the museum, we will be involved in a Simple Machine Lab. I will need 5-6 chaperons for this trip. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. If I have more than 6 volunteers, I will do a drawing. We would leave around 9:00 and return around 2:00.

February 22-February 26

From the Office: Thursday, February 25, 2010 is Spring Picture Day - Look before you buy. Send no money now - see your portraits first. Your finished portrait package will be sent home for your review. Simply return any un-used portrait sheets with your payment. All students will be photographed. Please notify your student's teacher if you do not want an individual portrait taken of your child. Additional Flyer will be sent home with your child on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Please check their backpacks.

Mark your calendar:
2/25 Spring Pictures
2/26 Ozzie's Reading Club Deadline
2/26 Movie Night
3/1 No School
3/2 ISAT Week

Let's look ahead at our week...

Spelling:
Lesson 23: words ending in “tch” or “ch.” The test will be on Friday.

English:
So far, we have concentrated mostly on our adjective contract enrichment projects. This week, we will focus more on the textbook lessons for the adjectives unit.

Reading:
We will continue writing “Reader Responses” to different reading passages and continue practicing reading strategies in our Illinois Reading Standards workbooks. We will also create mini onomatopoeia books.

Math:
We will spend most of next week reviewing for the ISATs. This will include problem solving as well as a review of fourth grade math concepts. The students will be graded on one in-class T-chart toward the end of the week. If time allows, we will continue with our Measurement Chapter. If not, we will revisit it after the week of ISATs.
*Important: If your child has a different math teacher, please visit her blog for weekly math updates.

Social Studies:
We will finish Chapter 9 at the beginning of the week. The Chapter 9 Test is scheduled for Friday, February 26th. Please look for the “How to Study” worksheet for tips for preparing for the test.

Science:
We will complete Chapter 15 at the beginning of the week. The Chapter 15 Test is scheduled for Thursday, February 25th. Please look for the “How to Study” worksheet for tips for preparing for the test.

February 15th-February 19th

Mark your calendar:
2/15 No School—President's Day
2/19 Six Flags Reading Club Deadline
2/25 Spring Pictures
2/26 Ozzie's Reading Club Deadline
2/26 Movie Night

A warm thank-you to all of the parents who helped make the Valentine's Day Party such a success. The children truly loved the treats and games!

Let's look ahead at our week...

Spelling:
Lesson 22: words ending in “dge” or “ge.” The test will be on Friday.

English:
We will continue with lessons on adjectives along with contract enrichment writing assignments.

Reading:
We will continue writing “Reader Responses” to different reading passages and continue practicing reading strategies. We will round out our study of figurative language by focusing on idioms, personification, and onomatopoeia. We will also put together our class book of alliterations.

Math:
We are currently working on our Measurement Unit in Chapter 22. Throughout the week, we will also continue practicing math strategies using problem solving and explaining our reasoning in T-Charts.
*Important: If your child has a different math teacher, please visit her blog for weekly math updates.

Social Studies:
We will continue with of study of the people of the Midwest. Our next lesson will explore “The Fur Trade.”

Science:
The graded assessment for Lesson Two has been postponed until Wednesday. We will move on to Lesson 3: What Are Some Sources of Electricity?

February 8th-February 12th

Mark your calendar:
2/9 Failure Notices
2/12 Valentine's Day Party
2/15 No School—President's Day
2/19 Six Flags Reading Club Deadline
2/25 Spring Pictures
2/26 Ozzie's Reading Club Deadline
2/26 Movie Night

Let's look ahead at our week...

Spelling:
Lesson 21: 1+1+1 words and silent e words with endings. The test will be on Friday.

English:
We will begin lessons on adjectives along with contract enrichment writing assignments.

Reading:
We will continue writing “Reader Responses” to different reading passages and continue practicing reading strategies.

Math:
The Chapter 20 & 21 Math test will be on Wednesday, February 10th. It will cover the following lessons: 20.1, 20.2, 20.3, 20.6, 21.1, 21.3, and 21.4. We will also continue working on explaining our math reasoning in T-Charts. T-Charts will not be included on the math test this week.
*Important: If your child has a different math teacher, please visit her blog for weekly math updates.

Social Studies:
The Chapter 8 Social Studies Test is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9th. Our next Chapter will focus on the people of the Midwest.

Science:
This week we will explore how electricity and magnetism are related. There will be an open-book graded assessment on Thursday.

February 1st--February 5th

Mark your calendar:
2/2 No School—Teacher Institute Day
2/4 District Spelling Bee—Good luck, Amy!
2/9 Failure Notices
2/12 Valentine's Day Party
2/15 No School—President's Day
2/19 Six Flags Reading Club Deadline
2/25 Spring Pictures
2/26 Ozzie's Reading Club Deadline
2/26 Movie Night

Let's look ahead at our week...

Spelling:
Lesson 20: words and endings that begin with consonants. The test will be on Friday.

English:
We will have a pretest on our next unit: Adjectives. Once the pretests are graded, we will begin daily lessons and contract enrichment assignments.

Reading:
We will wrap up our literature book club novels from the “Orphan Train Adventures” series. Our final meeting will be on Thursday, February 4th. All book club sheets will be collected on that day. We will also begin writing “Reader Responses” to different writing passages and continue practicing reading strategies.

Math:
This week will be devoted to problem solving and T-chart responses. We will also move on to selected lessons in Chapter 21. I will combine Chapter 20 & 21 for one test sometime during the week of February 8th. I will list the omitted lessons and exact test date in my next blog on February 5th.
Fourth graders are expected to know their facts so that can apply them easily to new math concepts.
*Important: If your child has a different math teacher, please visit her blog for weekly math updates.

Social Studies:
The Midwest Map quiz will be Thursday, February 4th. The students will need to know the location and spelling of each state. Capitals will be worth a quarter of a bonus point each. We will finish Chapter 8 by the end of the week. The Chapter 8 Social Studies Test is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 9th.

Science:
We will continue with our electricity unit throughout the week. There will be an open book graded assessment on lesson one on Wednesday, February 3rd. We will move on to Lesson 2 by the end of the week. It will explore how electricity and magnetism are related.

January 25th-January 29th

Mark your calendar:
1/29 Mr. Lee's Science Magic
1/29 Prairieview Bingo Night

Congratulations!
Amy Wang and Jake Burrows did an excellent job representing our classroom in the Fourth Grade Spelling Bee. Amy Wang was the winner! She will represent fourth grade in the District Spelling Bee on Thursday, February 4th at 1:00.

Let's look ahead at our week...


Spelling:
Lesson 18: words and endings that begin with vowels. The test will be on Friday.


English:
We will continue to work on our Pronoun Unit and Contract Enrichment work. The Pronoun Test will be moved to Thursday, January 28th.


Reading:
We will continue with our literature book club novels from the “Orphan Train Adventures” series. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 27th. All book club sheets will be collected on that day and new chapters will be assigned. We will also begin writing “Reader Responses” to different writing passages.


Math:
Our geometry unit continues! Next week we will work on Chapter 20.

Fourth graders are expected to know their facts so that can apply them easily to new math concepts. Due to Mr. Lee's program, math will be from 1:35-2:15 on Wednesday thru Friday.
*Important: If your child has a different math teacher, please visit her blog for weekly math updates.

Social Studies:
Our next destination: The Midwest! The Midwest Map quiz will be Friday, February 5th. The students will need to know the location and spelling of each state. Capitals will be worth a quarter of a bonus point each. We will begin lesson one on Monday.

Science:
This marks the start of our study of physical science. Our first chapter will explore electricity. This week, we will make two different kinds of circuits and learn about conductors and insulators. On Friday, Mr. Lee will come into our classroom to conduct electricity-related experiments for most of the day. Please have your child wash their hair the night before (Thursday) and refrain from using any hair products. One experiment works better with freshly washed hair.

January 18th-January 22nd

Mark your calendar:
1/18 Martin Luther King Day—No School
1/18 District 66 Eat-Out—Home Run Inn
1/29 Prairieview Bingo Night (permission slips are due by 1/26/10)

Let's look ahead at our week...

Spelling:
Lesson 17: Review Unit. The alternate format test will be on Friday.

English:
We will continue to work on our Pronoun Unit and Contract Enrichment work.

Reading:
The class will read a selection from our reading text entitled “Happy Birthday Dr. King!” (We did not get to this last week due to IOWA testing.). Our skill focus for the week will be “cause and effect” with a strategy focus on “clarifying.” We will review new vocabulary words and focus on comprehension skills. In addition, we will continue with our literature book club novels from the “Orphan Train Adventures” series that we began with “A Family Apart.” I will introduce the book club sheets that each student will have to fill out prior to their group meeting.

Math:
Please review the vocabulary from Chapter 19 at home. Due to IOWA testing, we did not have time to fill out our vocabulary/terms sheet. We will work on these study sheets in class on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Chapter 19 math test is scheduled for Thursday, January 21st. We will fill out “How to Study” sheets in preparation for the test.Fourth graders are expected to know their facts so that can apply them easily to new math concepts.
*Important: If your child has a different math teacher, please visit her blog for weekly math updates.

Social Studies:
The Chapter 7 Social Studies Test will be Wednesday, January 20th. We will fill out “How to Study” sheets in preparation for the test.

Science:
The Chapter 3 Science Test will be Friday, January 22nd. We will fill out “How to Study” sheets in preparation for the test. Our next unit will be "Electricity."

January 11-January 15th

Mark your calendar:

1/18 Martin Luther King Day—No School

The IOWA Basic Skills testing will be taking place this week. Please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats a good breakfast each morning. The children will be given time to eat their healthy snacks during the morning. Testing is scheduled to take place from Monday through Thursday.

Let's look ahead at our week...

Spelling:

No spelling this week due to Iowa Testing. We will have three practice Spelling Bees this week in preparation for the Fourth Grade Spelling Bee “Spell-Off” that will take place next week.

English:

We will continue to work on our Pronoun Unit and Contract Enrichment work.

Reading:

The class will read a selection from our reading text entitled “Happy Birthday Dr. King!” Our skill focus for the week will be “cause and effect” with a strategy focus on “clarifying.” We will review new vocabulary words and focus on comprehension skills. In addition, we will continue with our literature book club novels from the “Orphan Train Adventures” series that we began with “A Family Apart.”

Math:

We will have IOWA testing during math time on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. We will continue with our lessons in Chapter 19 as time allows. Please review the vocabulary from this unit at home. By the end of the week, your child will have a vocabulary/terms review packet to study. The Chapter 19 math test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, January 21st.
Fourth graders are expected to know their facts so that can apply them easily to new math concepts.

*Important: If your child has a different math teacher, please visit her blog for weekly math updates.

Social Studies:

We will focus on The Civil War and The Civil Rights Movement this week. If lesson pacing allows, we will have the Chapter 7 Social Studies Test sometime next week. I will confirm an exact date at the end of this week. I will send home lesson summaries this week in preparation for the upcoming test.

Science:

Our goal this week is to complete Lesson 2 and 3 in Chapter 3. There will be an open book graded assessment this Friday on these lessons. The Chapter 3 Science Test will be sometime during the week of January 18th. I will post the exact date at the end of this week.