The Week of February 28, 2011

Dear Parents,
We have now officially started the 3rd Trimester of fifth grade. During the third trimester, the late policy will be the same as Lakeview's policy. This will help the students realize the importance of getting work completed on time and the penalty that will affect their grades for late work. It will also make a better transition to Lakeview.

Third Trimester Late Policy: 1 day late - minus 25%
More than 1 day late until test is taken - minus 50%
After unit test is taken - a zero is entered in the grade book

REPORT CARDS are issued on Tuesday.
Parent/Teacher conferences are being held this week.

No School on Friday, March 4th and Monday, March 7th!

ISAT TESTING: The 5th grade schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Math 8:15 - 9:30 & Reading 9:45-10:30
Please make sure your child is healthy, well rested, and has eaten a healthy breakfast to ensure
successful test taking!
A snack break will be in homeroom between math and reading ISAT testing.

Please mark your calendars for March 15th for the Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAPS scores.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS: Due Wednesday!
The choices in the Arrow and Tab orders for March are great! This is one of the best book orders I have seen!

**Miss Trefonas will not be at school on Tuesday. I am letting you know this because I often get emails from parents to give a message to their child during the day. If you need this type of help, please email the office on Tuesday. The office will get the message to the substitute!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: No spelling this week due to ISAT testing.

READING: Monday we will be learning about the use of Personification and how it makes reading and writing more interesting!
The rest of the week the students will be taking ISAT tests during reading time.

ENGLISH: The Unit 3 Verb test is Monday.
We are starting Expository writing this week. The students will be writing an expository that will be entered in a contest which they can earn a monetary prize. Information will be sent home mid week.

SCOOPer READING: The due date is March 18th!

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 9 Lesson 2
The students will be learning about the famous event of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River. They will be writing a letter from a soldier's point of view and telling about the event in first person.

SCIENCE: Chapter 14 Physical Changes

MATH: Monday we will be reviewing a variety of math concepts prior to ISAT testing.
The rest of the week the students will be taking the ISAT math test.

The Week of February 21, 2011

Dear Parents,
Thanks again to all my wonderful Valentine Party Helpers, Field Trip Chaperones, and Copy Moms, who I mentioned by name last week. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Please remember: No School Monday = Presidents' Day
Tuesday = After school Project Challenge
Thursday = Spring Picture Day

ISAT testing is the week of February 28th.
The 5th grade schedule:
Tuesday 3/1, Wednesday 3/2, and Thursday 3/3
Math - 8:15 - 9:30
and
Reading - 9:45 - 11:00

HELP NEEDED: Snacks and Capri Sun for ISAT week!
I would like to provide the children a healthy snack and Capri Sun each day of testing!
Please remember snacks need to be individually wrapped and peanut free!
Some snack suggestions: Cherry and Blueberry Nutrigrain Bars
Rice Krispie Treats
Gold Fish
Pop Tarts
Fruit Snacks
(If you'd like to send in fresh fruit, please contact me!)
THANKS......................

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: Lesson 21 VV Pattern
The grades from Lesson 21 will be the first grades on the third trimester report card.
Students will have to get 100% on the pretest to be on the challenge list for third trimester.


READING: This week we will be learning about figurative language which will include:
onomatopoeia, alliteration, idioms, similes, metaphors, and personification.
The students will be creating original images when when they interpret figurative language literally.

SCOOPer Reading: About a month to reach our goals......

ENGLISH: We will finish Unit 3 verbs. The test will be on Monday, February 28th.
The test will be recorded for third trimester grading period.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are finishing Chapter 9 Lesson 1 .
We will be learning more about the Declaration of Independence.

SCIENCE: Chapter 14 We will learn about solids, liquids, and gasses.

MATH:
Tuesday = Lesson 4.6 Solve Equations
Wednesday = Lesson L1-L6 QUIZ and Lesson 4.7 Functions
Thursday = Lesson 4.8 Inequalities
Friday = Homework sheet and Lessons 5-9 QUIZ
**There will be no end of the chapter test. There will be a total of three quizzes.
**Wednesday's QUIZ will be the last grade recorded for the second trimester.

The Week of February 14, 2011

Dear Parents,
Happy Valentine's Day! Try your heart-est to have a special day!

Special thanks to the following parents:
~Mrs. Dusza for developing film for our memory books.
~Mrs. Burrows for sending in Valentine stickers and other goodies.
~Mrs. Brandt and Mrs. Herstowski for coordinating the Valentine Party.
~Mrs. Conners, Mrs. Burrows, Mrs. Wiseman, and Mrs. Reynolds for snacks, drinks, & paper goods.
~Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Brandt, Mrs. Olsen, Mrs. Szyptek, and Mrs. Herstowski for running the games and activities at our party.
~Mrs. Brandt and Mrs. Smiles for being field trip chaperones to Argonne!
~ Thanks also to my copy moms who come every week:
Mrs. Smiles, Mrs. David, and Mrs. Alvarez!

REMEMBER.....
Monday = Valentine's Day Party
Tuesday = Field Trip to Argonne!
~Lunch needs to be in a disposable bag.
~Students must wear long pants and closed shoes.
~NaperSettlement field trip slip and $ needs to be sent in!
~Six Flags "Read to Succeed" is due this week.



Something we need before Friday...Can you donate?
1 bag of mini colored marshmallows
1 bag of mini white marshmallows
**Please email me if you can donate! Then, I will let others know that it's being supplied! Thanks!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

Spelling: Lesson 20 Frequently misspelled words and word of the week.

Reading: This week we will be writing an extended response using a fictional piece. We will also be identifying character traits using a variety of instructional materials.
We will be reading James Forten from our reading anthology.
The students also are performing their Toliver's Secret skits!

SCOOPer Reading: Monday, March 18th is the next due date!
Almost every student has shared a book and the activity to accompany it with the class!

Social Studies: Chapter 8 Test = Monday
Chapter 9 "Winning the Revolution" We will cover lesson 1 this week.

Science: Unit E Chapter 14 Matter and Energy

Math: continuing Chapter 4 Algebra Expressions and Equations
Monday= Lesson 4.3 Properties
Tuesday= Lessons 1-3 review and ISAT practice problems
Wednesday = no math
Thursday = Homework Sheet and Lessons 1-3 QUIZ
Friday=Lesson 4.5 Write Equations

The Week of February 7th, 2011

Dear Parents,
Wow! What an eventful beginning of February we have had! This snowstorm is one we will all remember. I can't recall the last time we had two snow days off from school in a row.
All this hype about the snowstorm, is there still a Superbowl game being played?
I guess most of us want to forget that we could of....should of....been watching the Bears play in the big game. Being a Cubs fan, I am used to saying, "There's always next year!"

Monday, Feb. 14th = Valentine's Day!! Thanks to all the moms who have been busy planning and organizing the party for our classroom. Students are encouraged to bring in Valentines to pass out.
Please make sure that your child has one for every student in the class and that they are appropriate. There are no candy Valentines allowed to be passed out or any candy at all.
Students may pass out a non candy item with their Valentines if they would like.

Thanks to Mrs. Brindac and Mrs. Gurnic for the classroom "goodies" you donated!!!!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: Lesson 19 VCCCV pattern 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 as we finish our novel study - Toliver's Secret. As a culminating activity, the students will be doing skits on a scene in the novel, which will also reinforce cause and effect!

SCOOPer Reading:
Our goal due date is about a month away!! I have reviewed with each student what their goal is and how many books/activities they have completed thus far.
**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: We are finishing our Linking Verb Island shares. I am grading and entering the grades after each student shares theirs. We are also finishing our letter writing "Love Letters"!
Furthermore, we have more work to do in our verb unit....Unit 3.
We will finish verb tenses and work on verb agreement.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 8 Lesson 3 continued.....
We have read and discussed Paul Revere's Ride, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, where the first shot was fired during the American Revolution, and next we will read about the Battle of Bunker Hill. We are taking notes on "puzzle pieces". These notes will be very helpful when we write about these events for our PATRIOT/LOYALIST project.
Class time will be given for typing and illustrating our PATRIOT/LOYALIST project on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The entire project including the cover is due Friday!
The students will be given their HOW TO STUDY sheet on Thursday, reviewing on Friday, and testing on Monday, Feb. 14th.

SCIENCE: We will be starting Unit E Matter and Energy.

TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS: Session 4 this week. Your child will have interesting information to share with you.

MATH: Chapter 18 Geometry Test = Monday
Target Test Review and Symmetry project = Tuesday
Target Test and finishing Symmetry project = Wednesday
Chapter 4 Algebra Expressions and Equations Lesson 1 = Thursday
Lesson 2 Order of Operations = Friday