The Week of November 4, 2013

Dear Parents,

I am sending this out earlier than usual due to having to attend a funeral tomorrow, Friday.
Many of you send emails during the day with messages to convey to your child, please note that I will be unable to do that when absent.
 Please contact the office in my absence!

Parent Teacher Conferences are this week, November 4th - November 7th. You will be sent a reminder via email.  We will review your child's academic achievements and work and study habits.  ISAT test scores (that were taken in 4th grade) will be distributed to you and fall MAPs scores.
I look forward to meeting with you.

NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8th or MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11th

HERE's WHAT's HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING:  Lesson 10

ENGLISH:  Noun Test = Tuesday

We will be playing some language arts games that involve our understanding and usage of nouns.

Poetry this week too!

READING:  The students will be introduced to a computer based Reading Response Journal using our Google share capability.  Students will use this journal to reply to prompts based on the book they are independently reading. This will count as part of their reading grade.  Mrs. Foellmer is helping us get started with this technology based project!

We will be starting a historical fiction novel based on the Holocaust this week.

The students will be using a variety of reading comprehension skills and vocabulary will be self-selected.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  Chapter 6 Lesson 2 Colonial towns, cities and farms

SCIENCE:  Chapter 12 Oceans  

MATH:  Multiplication/Division practice sheet due MONDAY!!!

Another one will be given this week....

Chapter 3 

Monday - Division problems with patterns and practice 2 digit division with remainders

Tuesday - QUIZ

Wednesday - Estimating quotients using compatible numbers

Thursday - Dividing greater numbers

The Week of October 28, 2013

Dear Parents,

This week:
*Monday = Weather presentation, Trade Fair slip with student and parent signatures, and Art to Remember (if ordering) are all DUE!!

*Tuesday = Coupon Book or coupon book orders are DUE.
  BULLS Spirit Day!!

*Wednesday = CLASSROOM TRADE FAIR!!!

*Thursday = HALLOWEEN:
Students may bring their costume to school on Thursday. Please do not have your child wear any part of their costume to school that will be a distraction prior to the festivities. (makeup, sprayed hair, etc) The costume might need to be simplified for school purposes since students need to be able to change in a short amount of time. Changing will take place in the classrooms. The fifth grade will have designated classrooms for girls to change in and for boys. Washrooms will not be available for costume changing. No weapons, even fake, are allowed at school.  

Thank you to the following parents for all your preparations for the classroom party:

Mr. Hoffman     Mrs. Gustafson

Mrs. Major        Mrs. Arce

Mrs. Sprandel    Mrs. Mantri

Mrs. Harmon     Mrs. Hoffman

Thank you to Mrs. Cigrand for sending in Halloween prizes for our classroom "store".

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

SPELLING:  Lesson 9

READING: An assessment will be given that covers the reading comprehension skills we have practiced during the trimester.

We will begin non fiction text structures.

ENGLISH: Unit 2 Nouns 

The students are applying their knowledge of nouns to create a MAD LIB with a Halloween theme.

We will also review plural nouns.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Colonial jobs and trades - TRADE FAIR WEDNESDAY!

SCIENCE:  sharing Weather Presentations 

MATH:  Division!!!

This week your child will be given a homework sheet that will require them to record how they practiced multiplication/division facts at home daily with a parent signature daily.

Ch3 L3 2 digit division with remainders

Ch3 L4 Division Patterns

Ch3 L5 Estimating Quotients

*Wednesday = QUIZ over Lessons 1-4

*Thursday = Halloween (fun activities)

The Week of October 21, 2013

Dear Parents,

THURSDAY = EARLY DISMISSAL - 11:00
FRIDAY = BINGO NIGHT !!!


It was nice to see so many of you at the Book Fair.  I have many people to thank for the generous donations to our classroom library.  I have not yet had a chance to go through the stack on the side of my desk......
The kids will be excited too!! Thank you!!!

Thank you to Mrs. Sprandel and Mrs. Padavic for the fun Halloween goodies and prizes!!

Thank you Mrs. Mantri, Mrs. Gustafson, and Mrs. Copeland for sending in snacks to go along with our pizza party that we earned for the most participation in the Magazine Sale fundraiser.

The PTO is selling coupon books this year to help fund the purchase of tablets for our students.  If you wish to purchase a book, please send in $25 made payable to the Prairieview PTO.  If you do not wish to buy the book, please send it back with your student.  The deadline is October 29th.  The books have some great local coupons in them and really pay for themselves while the school gets half the money of all books sold!  The grade that sells the most books (15 books minimum) will get a movie and a treat on Tuesday, November 26th and each grade level student who sells the most books (5 book minimum) will get a $100 Target gift card!  Please contact Pam Topp (pam_topp@yahoo.com) or Maureen Gibbons (maureen.gibbons@comcast.net) if you have questions or would like more books to sell.  There are some great holiday shopping discounts available....take a look!!!!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING:  Lesson 8 and word of the week

ENGLISH:  Unit 5 Capitalization & Punctuation Test

Next, Unit 2 Nouns - Enrichment activity writing a story and turning it into a Mad Lib!!

READING:  Analogies

Analogy relationships between synonyms/antonyms, objects (nouns)/actions (verbs), cause/effect

SOCIAL STUDIES:   Chapter 6 Life in the English Colonies - Lesson 1 Working and Trading

SCIENCE:  Weather Project...Monday the rough draft of the  project is due.  The students need to have 5 topics explained in detail with interesting topic sentences and main ideas.  Four of the topics are using what we learned and one is a weather topic for them to learn more about.

Monday we will be creating a slide show presentation using Google with the assistance of Mrs. Foellmer.

MATH:  Chapter  2 Test  = Monday

Chapter 3 Lesson 1 Relating multiplication and division

Chapter 3 Lesson 2 and Lesson 3 2 digit division with remainders

The Week of October 14th, 2013

Dear Parents,

I apologize that you are receiving my newsletter a bit later than usual.  I was absent 1/2 day Thursday and Friday due to a family member having surgery.  All went well and I actually had a chance to get up to Michigan on Saturday and Sunday for a much needed quick get away!

Thank you to the following families for donating Halloween prizes and treats for our classroom:  Kalal, Reynolds, Harmon, Messina, and Pinto

PIZZA PARTY WEDNESDAY!!! Our class had the most participation in the Magazine Sale!!  Thanks to Amogh, Nathan, and Jordan for bringing some extra goodies!!

BOOK FAIR Thursday, Oct. 17th 6:30- 8:00 !!!!  Taffy Apples for sale!!!

COUPON BOOKS:
The PTO is selling coupon books this year to help fund the purchase of tablets for our students.  If you wish to purchase a book, please send in $25 made payable to the Prairieview PTO.  If you do not wish to buy the book, please send it back with your student.  The deadline is October 29th.  The books have some great local coupons in them and really pay for themselves while the school gets half the money of all books sold!  The grade that sells the most books (15 books minimum) will get a movie and a treat on Tuesday, November 26th and each grade level student who sells the most books (5 book minimum) will get a $100 Target gift card!  Please contact Pam Topp (pam_topp@yahoo.com) or Maureen Gibbons (maureen.gibbons@comcast.net) if you have questions or would like more books to sell.  There are some great holiday shopping discounts available....take a look!!!!

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: We have our  first session this Friday!

Jr. Achievement is a not-for-profit organization financed by businesses. The purpose of Jr. Achievement is to educate and inspire students to value free enterprise, business, and economics to improve the quality of their lives. Our volunteers, Ms. and Mr. Paleka, will be visiting our classroom once a week for the next 6 weeks. Both are successful in the business world and bring their expertise to the classroom. Mr. Paleka works for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and Ms. Paleka works for Harley Davidson financial services. They have been Junior Achievement volunteers in my classroom for 13 years! I'm sure your student will be sharing some of their experiences with this program during the next few weeks!

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

Spelling: Lesson 7 and word of the week

English: Chapter 5: Quotations, Abbreviations, and capitalizing titles correctly!

Test scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd

Reading:  focusing on ANALOGIES this week and vocabulary quiz on self - selected words from last weeks reading selections

Social Studies:  Chapter 5 Test = Friday

Science: The students will be showing what they learned by doing a weather project.  This will be their final assessment instead of a test.

Math:

multiplying by 1 digit and 2 digit numbers

Chapter 2 Test is scheduled for Monday, October 21st

The Week of October 7th, 2013

Dear Parents,

MANY THANKS to Mrs. Gustafson, Mrs. Alvarez, Mrs. Scheck, Mrs. Cullen, and Mrs. Silanskis for the generous Halloween treats/prizes!!!

THANK YOU to the many parents who dropped off donations for the Famous Fido Garage Sale to raise funds for homeless cats and dogs.  Please hope the weather cooperates and we don't have to postpone after all the preparation etc.....

CLASSROOM DONATIONS NEEDED:
  *Halloween stickers, prizes, for classroom rewards.
 *Individually wrapped packages of snacks (on the "healthier" side) with Halloween packaging.....pretzels, Rice Krispie treats, fruit snacks.....etc to fill a SPECIAL TREAT CAULDRON!!!!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM:

SPELLING:  Lesson 6 and word of the week 

ENGLISH:  Unit 5 "Capitalization and Punctuation"  COMMAS,,,,,,,We have been learning the many different correct uses for this punctuation mark.  We will be doing an enrichment project "Why commas make a BIG difference"  Following commas are ! interjections !  and  " quotations" .

READING:  COURAGE.....We will be reading both fiction and non fiction text and be focusing on making inferences about characters, vocabulary, and comprehension.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We have been learning about the early colonization of America....New Spain, New France, New Netherland, and New England.

We will be learning more about the 13 New England colonies!

SCIENCE:  Weather....measuring weather and weather instruments,  weather masses and fronts, and weather patterns and climates.

MATH:  Chapter 2

Lesson 4 Multiplication Patterns

Lesson 5 Make a Table

Lesson 6 and 7 Distributive Property of Multiplication

Lesson 8 Estimating Products

.