The Week of January 31st, 2011

Dear Parents,
Will the groundhog see his shadow? I am ready for winter to be over!

Thanks to Mrs. Olsen and Mrs. Burrows for their generous classroom donations.

Can you help out?
This is what we can use:
~Goldfish crackers (individually wrapped packages)
~any other "peanut free" snack, individually wrapped EXCEPT fruit snacks!!!
(We have plenty of fruit snacks presently!!)

Things to note:
~Movie Night permission slips are due Monday.
~Argonne permission slips are due by Friday.
~Movie Night = Friday!
~Failure Notices will be sent home Friday to any student receiving lower than a C.

BOX TOPS......send them in!

HERE'S WHAT WE ARE UP TO THIS WEEK:

SPELLING: Lesson 18 and word of the week

READING: We are practicing writing an extended response using a nonfiction genre. This will help us succeed when taking the ISAT tests! We will be identifying cause and effect relationships using a variety of instructional materials. We will be applying these skills while continuing our novel study - Toliver's Secret.

SCOOPer Reading: This weather lends itself to cuddling up with a good book.....I hope to see some book activities turned in this week!
**Don't forget the Read to Succeed - Six Flags reading sheets are due Feb. 17th! A free ticket just for reading and filling out the sheet with a parent signature!

ENGLISH: Unit 3 Verbs continued. Linking Verb Island Project due Monday.
The students had class time on Weds., Thurs, and Fri. Hopefully, they won't have too much left to complete over the weekend.
Next, we will be reviewing present, past, and future tense of verbs.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 8 Lesson3 Revolution Begins
We are reading the text, taking notes, and continuing our Patriot/Loyalist project.
This is the last lesson of the chapter.
It is recommended to review the lessons we have already covered.
Then, when it's test time it's not too overwhelming!!!

Too Good For Drugs: Session for this week! Your child should be able to share some useful information with you from this program.

SCIENCE: Have your child share what rodents they found inside the owl pellet they dissected.
This week we are not starting any new material.

MATH: Chapter 18 Geometry
Monday - Lesson 6 Congruent and Similar Figures
Tuesday - Lesson 7 Symmetry
Wednesday - Homework sheet and Chapter 18 review
Thursday - Chapter 18 test
Friday - Symmetry project

The Week of January 24, 2011

Dear Parents,

HELP NEEDED: Can you donate any of the following?

~Capri Sun juice drinks

~February stickers or prizes of any kind

SNACKS

~cheese and crackers

~Sun Chips

Thanks, Mrs. Dygdon for donating plastic cups and Capri Sun!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MISS TREFONAS'S CLASS:

SPELLING: Lesson 17 and word of the week

READING: We will continue to understand the author's viewpoint and distinguish between fact and opinion using instructional level materials. We will be using the novel Toliver's Secret which coincides with what the students are learning about in social studies....the events leading up to the American Revolution. Vocabulary activities and character traits will be incorporated during this novel unit too.

SCOOPer Reading: Due date is in March. I continue to be impressed with the students book selections and book activities.

ENGLISH: We will be doing a project "Linking Verb Island".

Time will be given in class to work on this.

Final Project due on Monday, January 31st.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Chapter 8 Lesson 2 The events we have read and discussed are the Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Pary and The Intolerable Acts.

We will be continuing the Patriot/Loyalist "point of view" activity with these events.

We will also be watching a LIBERTY KIDS history cartoon on these events and having a tea party!

By the end of the week, your child should have Chapter 8 Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 events finished (typed and illustrated) as a final copy for our Patriot/Loyalist project.

SCIENCE: We will be learning about Barn Owls and owl pellets.

We will be doing an interactive computer activity, as well as, dissecting owl pellets.

MATH:

Chapter 18 Geometry continued

Monday = Lesson 3 Polygons

Tuesday = more work on polygons and a review for Wednesday's quiz

Wednesday= Homework sheet and QUIZ

Thursday = Lesson 5 Circles (yes, we are skipping lesson 4)

Friday = Lesson 6 Congruent and Similar shapes

The Week of January 17, 2011

Dear Parents,

~NO SCHOOL MONDAY - Martin L. King, Jr. Holiday

Today marks the mid-term point of this trimester. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to access your child's grades online through Parent Connect.

Students who are receiving a failing grade in a particular subject will receive notification home through US Mail in the next few days.

If you are having difficulty accessing your child's grades via Parent Connect, please contact the office and they would be more than happy to assist you.

CONGRATULATIONS to Matt and Maggie for winning our classroom spelling bee and going on to the 5th grade Spelling Bee on Tuesday. Good luck!!

HELP NEEDED: Can you donate any of the following?

~Capri Sun juice drinks

~Clear plastic cups - 9 ounce

~February stickers or prizes of any kind

SNACKS

~cheese and crackers

~Sun Chips

~Nutri Grain bars or other cereal bars (nut-free)

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!!

Thanks to Mrs. Reynolds for the prizes she donated this past week!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS: Session 3 is this week. Your child gets a weekly activity to share at home.

SPELLING: Lesson 16 VCCV & VCV patterns. Word of the Week!

READING: This week we will be determining the author's viewpoint as begin a novel TOLIVER's SECRET. We will also be focusing on the differences between a fact and an opinion, vocabulary, and character traits.

SCOOPer READING: Everyone has at least one book read and activity completed....HOORAY!

The due date is in March!

ENGLISH: Unit 3 Verbs....Main and Helping Verbs and Linking Verbs!

SCIENCE: Chapter 6 Lesson 3 Quiz on Tuesday. Students should study their Lesson 3 notes, reread lesson 3 in their textbook, and study lesson 3 vocabulary.

Tuesday a study sheet will be passed out.

Chapter 6 Test = Thursday.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We have started a writing activity "Patriot/Loyalist". The students have written 6 paragraphs from the point of view of an American Patriot and British Loyalist. They have described the feelings of both sides on being taxed, The Stamp Act, and The Townsend Acts. The final typed and illustrated copies for these three events are due WEDNESDAY.

Next, we learn about the Boston Massacre, Committees of Correspondence, and the Boston Tea Party.

MATH: Tuesday and Wednesday we are doing one lesson in chapter 10 - Ordered Pairs.

Thursday we begin Chapter 18 Geometry - Lesson 1 Points, Lines and Angles.

Lesson 2 Measure and Draw Angles.

Your child needs to have a protractor here at school.

We will be taking notes in a Geometry Packet.

This is an important packet that needs to be kept in their math section of their binder.

The Week of January 10th, 2011

Dear Parents,
Happy New Year to all! At the end of this week we will be halfway finished with Trimester 2.
Please review your child's grades on parent connect. If you have any concerns, please let me know.

~MAPS testing = Weds. 1/12 - 1:00-2:00
~No School = Mon. 1/17/ Martin L. King, Jr. Holiday

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: Lesson 15 Frequently misspelled words and word of the week.

READING: We will be working on story structure using a story map template while reading various literature selections from our basal and other short story passages.
A vocabulary quiz over words from the selection Elena will be given Thursday.

SCOOPer READING: A lot of books were read during the winter break. I am currently caught up on book meetings. I enjoy having book discussions with the children.
Trimester 2 goal is due March 18th.

ENGLISH: We got involved in a creative winter Haiku Poem activity this past week.
The verb unit will begin this week. We will review action verbs and learn about direct objects.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 8 - American Revolution.
We have completed Lesson 1 . The children learned about Britain unfairly taxing the colonies by passing the Stamp Act and Townshend Act.
We did a simulated activity with taxes and our tickets.....King Arman was sure tough!
We will be doing a point of view activity in which the children will retell these events as a "loyalist" and as a "patriot".
Lesson 2 - The colonists rebel and the students will learn about the Boston Massacre, The Committees of Correspondence, and The Boston Tea Party.

SCIENCE: Chapter 6 Lesson 2 "How do Ecosystems Change Over Time"
and Lesson 3 "How do People Affect Ecosystems"

T.G.F.D. - Too Good For Drugs
Your child should have shared an information letter about this program and what they will be learning. The letter also suggested setting a family goal.
This Thursday will be our second session.

MATH: Homework sheet and Chapter 24 Review = Monday
Chapter 24 Test = Tuesday
No math = Wednesday
Chapter 23/24 Target Test = Thursday
Problem Solving will be part of this week through two different activities: The Snowman Construction Company and a January Mathlib.