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.