The Week of 2-25-8

Dear Parents,
We are using our last container of Lysol/Clorox disinfecting wipes. We use these weekly to clean our desktops. Please send in a container of any brand of disinfecting wipes!! Thanks!!
***SAVE THE DATE***Friday, March 7th - 1:00 for T.G.F.D. Graduation in PV gym!!!
I will be absent Weds. 2/27 - Fri. 2/29. If you e-mail me, I will not be able to respond or get a message to your child. Please call the office or send a note to the substitute.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: Lesson 23 and "word of the week"

WRITNG: Expository Writing...Your child has picked their expository writing topic and have begun their first draft. I am emphasizing supporting details!

READING: SCOOPer Reading is due Friday, 2/29.

ISAT reading skills....We are learning and reviewing different literary elements. This includes characterization and literary themes. The mastery test over literary elements will be given on Wednesday.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 9...finishing Lesson 2 and Lesson 3 "The World Turned Upside Down". We will be taking the Chapter 9 test the week of March 3rd. Again, reviewing what we have already learned this week would be recommended.

SCIENCE: Human Body...we will be doing some activities to apply what we have learned about voluntary and involuntary muscles. Next, we begin learning about the Circulatory System and the heart.

MATH: We are finishing Chapter 11....The QUEST (Quiz/Test) will be given on Wednesday.

This will include the metric system, perimeter, and area. Next, we will be reviewing and practing what will be tested on the ISAT tests.

STAY HEALTHY!!!

Miss Trefonas

The Week of 2-18-8

Dear Parents,
Thanks to everyone for sending in the healthy snacks and drinks during testing week. We are well stocked right now and if more are needed for ISAT testing in March I will let you know!
I am at a meeting on Tuesday and there will be a substitute. If you send an e-mail that needs immediate attention, I will not be here to respond. Please call the office for any concerns etc.
NO SCHOOL MONDAY - PRESIDENTS' DAY

**Mark your calendars.... Friday, March 7th - 1:00 Too Good For Drugs Graduation in Prairieview Gym! Parents and guests are invited!
SAVE THE DATE!!

HERE'S WHAT WE ARE UP TO IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: Lesson 22 and "word of the week"

ENGLISH: Expository writing........The students will be implementing the elements that are required in ISAT writing. In March, they will be writing a timed expository prompt for the ISAT test.

We will also be creating Limericks this week which will be in honor of President Lincoln and President Washington in honor of these two great men's February birthdays.

READING: SCOOPer Reading goal is due Feb. 29th.

Literary Elements which include theme, critical events, and main/supporting characters will be our focus using our ISAT reading workbooks. The students take a mastery test at the end of each of these units.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 9 I will be sharing a book When Washington Crossed the Delaware with the students. It is written by Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice President Cheney.

It is a compelling story about American history that helps us understand how fortunate we are to live in freedom. The students will imagine what it was like to be a patriot soldier with General Washington during this grueling time. They will write, from the point of view of one of these soldier's, a letter home. They will be getting a special pen during this activity!

We will also be watching a video about the "father or our country"....George Washington.

Thanks, Mrs. Caldarazzo, for making the pens!

SCIENCE: Human Body.....skeletal system, joints, and muscles.

I hope we'll flex our muscles and build great learning muscles!!!

MATH: Metric Measurement...length, capacity,mass(weight), and temperature.

Homework sheet on Friday!

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND.....

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of Feb 11th, 2008!

Dear Parents,
This week we are taking the IOWA Tests of Basic Skills. Testing is every day, Monday – Thursday. Unless a student is absent, testing will be completed Thursday. It’s important that your child is well rested and has a healthy breakfast. It’s important for the students to do well and show how much they know on these tests!

Thursday, we will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a classroom party that begins at 1:30. I encourage the students to bring Valentines to pass out. Of course, they should be appropriate, and students should have one for each child in the class. Thanks to the parents helping with the party!
Our party helpers are Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Froats, and Mrs. Balinski.
The parents providing snacks are Mrs. Stahulak and Mrs. Karen Swain .
The parent providing the students with a beverage is Mrs. Chokshi.
A special thanks to Mrs. Caldarazzo for being a great classroom part coordinator!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING/SCIENCE: Skeletal System words.

This is a combination spelling test and science quiz.

Obviously, spelling the skeletal words correctly is how spelling will be graded.

Having the parts of the skeletal system labeled in the correct places will be how science is graded.

READING/WRITING: Expository reading and writing activites.....

We will be reading expository pieces and highlighting the elements. We will then apply these components into our writing.

SCOOPER READING: Due date is Feb. 29th!

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 9 - Winning the Revolution - Lessons 1 and 2!

SCIENCE: Bones and Joints

MATH: Chapter 11 Customary Measurement

Tuesday, Feb. 19th will be our combination quiz/test...QUEST on Cusomary Measurement.

We have a lighter load this week due to IOWA testing....

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of 2-4-8

Dear Parents,
I put this newsletter for next week up early. However, you can always access past newsletters by clicking on the Blog archive to the left of your screen.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
~No School - Tuesday, Feb. 5th
~Early Dismissal -Thursday, Feb. 7th
~Spelling Bee Assembly in Prairieview gym Friday, Feb. 8th at 1:15. You are welcome to attend!

HERE'S WHAT WE ARE UP TO IN THE CLASSROOM:

Spelling/Science: Skeletal System words! The spelling of the words counts as a spelling grade and labeling the bones correctly counts as a science grade.

This test is on Tuesday, Feb. 12th. or earlier if your child is ready!

Study materials will be given on Mon. Feb. 4th!

Expository reading and writing: This will be a combination of reading and writing activities. The children worked hard on their persuasive writing pieces which have almost identical components to expository writing. We will focus on the same writing elements: focus, support, organization, and conventions when writing an expository. The emphasis is going to be on support. This means to explain in detail(s)! This is required for ISAT writing.

Social Studies: Chapter 8 Test is Wednesday, Feb. 6th. The children were given over a week's notice of the test date. Has your 5th grader been studying. The test has 4 sections: multiple choice, a "Where am I?" and "Who am I? section and a sequencing of events section.

Science: Skeletal System quiz on Tuesday, Feb. 12th (as mentioned above).

We will be going over the entire skeletal system! I hope that your child will use their cranium and learn all the parts of the skeletal system for the quiz!

T.G.F.D: This is week 8 of our 10 weeks of our drug education program with Deputy K.

*Remember that the homework grades will be entered as a science grade at the end of the program.

Math: Chapter 11 Measurement - This week we will be working with elapsed time, adding/subtracting time, and customary length/capacity with doing equivalencies.

Happy SuperBowl weekend!

Miss Trefonas