THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 15, 2008

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY HOLIDAY!!!!

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Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

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REMINDERS:

~PTO fundraiser at Home Run Inn - Mon. 12/15 & Tues. 12/16 Noon to 10pm

Print a flyer from Center Cass School District Web page!

Miss T. will be there Monday evening around 5:30!

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~Monday, Dec. 15th @ 1:15 Holiday Concert in our Prairieview gym

Parents may attend!

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~Tuesday, Dec. 16th Bowling Fieldtrip @ 9:00

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~Friday, Dec.19th PV Holiday outing to the Tivoli "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

SCIENCE: Changing Forms of Energy

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SOCIAL STUDIES: Junior Achievement commercials/skits for our final Jr. Achievement session on Thursday. Mr. and Ms. Paleka, our Jr. Achievement volunteers, have sure made this a fun learning experience!

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HOLIDAY SERVICE PROJECT: We sure helped make a less fortunate family have a happy holiday with all the generous donations. It was heartwarming to see what our class brought in!

Thanks to all!

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Miss Trefonas's reading, language arts, and spelling class:

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SPELLING: Lesson 16 and word of the week

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ENGLISH: Unit 3 Verbs - Test will be on Friday, January 9th

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READING: Holiday activities this week!

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VOCAB WORDS: December words are due Monday, Jan. 5th or BEFORE!!!

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SCOOPer READING: Everyone should have at least one book read and activity completed before the holiday break!

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Miss Trefonas's Math Class:

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Chapter 6 "Adding and Subtracting Decimals

This is a short chapter and the test will be Weds. January 7th.

We will be doing a comprehensive review on Tuesday prior to the test!

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!!!!!

The Week of December 8, 2008

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

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Holiday Service Project = The last day to send in gifts, gift cards, or cash donations is Wednesday, December 10th.

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Donations needed!!! = If you can send in healthy individually wrapped snacks for our prize bin it would be greatly appreciated! Fruit snacks and cheddar crackers (Goldfish) are the most needed!

Hand Sanitizer that comes in a pump bottle needed too!

THANKS!!!

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SCIENCE= Forms of Energy (Solar, Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, and Sound)

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SOCIAL STUDIES = Chapter 7 Test = Wednesday

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Miss Trefonas's Reading:

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Donations needed!!! = If you can send in healthy individually wrapped snacks for our prize bin it would be greatly appreciated! Fruit snacks and cheddar crackers (Goldfish) are the most needed!
Hand Sanitizer that comes in a pump bottle needed too!
THANKS!!!

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SPELLING = Lesson 15 and word of the week

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ENGLISH = Linking Verbs - We are doing a creative activity "Linking Verb Island"

We will also be reviewing Verb Tenses - Present, Past, and Future

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READING = We are using the reading strategy of QUESTIONING as we begin a literature book Running Out of Time.

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SCOOPer Reading = 2nd Trimester goals have begun!!!

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VOCAB CLUB = December words.....They are due on the day we return from holiday break.

They can be finished before break!!! What choice is your child making?

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Miss Trefonas's Math Class:

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Chapter 5 Decimal Test = Wednesday!!

The Week of December 1, 2008

SOME IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

Conferences are this week! You are meeting with your child's reading teacher.

Report Cards issued Tuesday, December 2nd!

No School - Friday, December 5th!

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MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

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SCIENCE - Chapter 15 Energy "Kinetic & Potential Energy"

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SOCIAL STUDIES - We will be finishing Chapter 7 this week. Chapter 7 Test = Tues. 12/9!

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MISS TREFONAS'S READING CLASS:

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SPELLING: Lesson 14

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ENGLISH: Unit 3 Verbs

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READING: Making inferences & causes of events

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SCOOPer Reading: Your child should be reading and working on book activities.......

Wednesday our class will be going to Lakeview to check out books from their library!

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VOCAB CLUB: November words are due Monday, December 1st!

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MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

Chapter 5 Decimals "Lessons 1-3"

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The Weeks of November 17 and 24, 2008

Dear Parents and Students:
Announcing Prairieview 2008-2009 Yearbook. Order your yearbook today!!! The cost of the yearbook is $10.00 and make payments to Lifetouch. Order deadline date is December 1, 2008.
No orders will be accepted after that date.
Parents just a reminder-- Prairieview yearbooks are not paid for at registration. Please place your order now. Yearbook order forms went home with your child on November 13th and there a few extra envelopes available; please try not to lose them. If your child loses it, you can send an envelope with the following information on it: student’s name, teacher’s name and grade level along with a check made payable to Lifetouch for $10.00. It is very important that you put the information on the envelope; Lifetouch does not know who your child’s teacher is. There will be a limited supply in June. Order Today!!!
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NO SCHOOL NOVEMBER 26 - 30 = THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!!!!
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Miss Trefonas's Homeroom

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Social Studies = Chapter 7 "Fight for a Continent" Lessons 1 - 3

~Chapter 7 grades will be part of 2nd Trimester grades.

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Science = Unit E Chapter 14 "Matter" TEST = Friday 11/21

~This will be the last grade for 1st Trimester report card.

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Miss Trefonas's Reading - English - Spelling

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Reading = We are working on the skills required to answer an extended response prompt to a short reading selection. This is a skill required for ISAT tests. We are using a selection entitled "The River".

."Stories with Holes" It's a story with a "hole" or an important part of the story missing.

The students are using their inferencing and questioning skills to solve the missing part of the story!

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SCOOPER READING = Our celebration will be Tuesday, November 25th!

More information will be sent home with your student.

We will be setting our 2nd Trimester goals and receiving new book activity packets.

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Vocabulary Club = November words will be due Monday, December 1st!

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English = Unit 2 Noun Test is Thursday, November 20th

This is the last grade for 1st Trimester report cards in English!

We will be doing some Thanksgiving poetry and creative writing!

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Spelling = Lesson 13 and word of the week

This will be the last spelling unit for 1st Trimester.

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Miss Trefonas's Math Class:

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Chapter 4 Test = Thursday, November 20th

~This is the last grade that will be included for 1st Trimester report card.

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!!!

The Week of November 10, 2008

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

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SOCIAL STUDIES: Monday = Chapter 6 Test

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SCIENCE: Physical and Chemical Changes

*More vocabulary words! Your child has a "MEMORY GAME" made with their vocabulary cards and should be practicing!

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Miss Trefonas's Reading, English, & Spelling:

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SPELLING: Lesson 12 and "word of the week"

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ENGLISH: Unit 2 Nouns.....singular and plural possessive

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READING: Applying the skill of making INFERENCES & beginning some extended response activities!

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VOCAB CLUB: 10 words due by the end of the month!

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SCOOPER READING: Friday, November 14th = 1st trimester due date!

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Miss Trefonas's math class:

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Continuing chapter 4!!!

Friday = homework sheet and quiz covering Lessons 4.1 - 4.6

The Week of November 3, 2008

Dear Parents:
No School Tuesday, November 4th!
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The Social Studies committee is looking for two parents who have an education or history background to be involved in the adoption of new Social Studies textbooks. You would have to meet with the committee and provide input choosing our textbook for the coming years. The Social Studies committee will be meeting once every other month for the next two years. Please email jtrefonas@ccsd66.org if you would be interested in joining the Social Studies committee.
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MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION.................
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The online student edition of Science textbooks, HSP Science, for Prairieview students (grades 3-5) is now available on line. To access the online book, use the website:
http://www.thinkcentral.com
Choose: Illinois
Choose :Center Cass School District 66
Choose :Prairieview
Login with your students 7digit school ID – the same ID you use to access Parent Connect.
Password for all Prairieview students is ccsd66.
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MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

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SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 6 - We will be finishing the chapter this week and testing Monday, Nov. 10th!

-Colonial Games due Monday, Nov. 3rd!

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SCIENCE: Physical Changes

There are a lot of difficult vocabulary words/terms! Students should be studying with their vocab cards......

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MISS TREFONAS'S READING, SPELLING, AND ENGLISH CLASS:

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SPELLING: Lesson 11 and "word of the week"

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ENGLISH: continuing Unit 2 Nouns.......

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READING: We begin the reading strategy of making INFERENCES!!!! We will begin by reading a story entitled "A Boy Called Slow" in our reading basals.

We will be completing an activity sheet entitled "Reading Between the Lines" as we do exactly that! The students will also be doing a character inferencing sheet!

The students will learn how predicting and inferencing are similar and different!

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VOCAB CLUB: October words were due 10/31.

10 November words are due at the end of the month.

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SCOOPer Reading: The first trimester goal is due November 14th!

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MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

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MATH: Chapter 4 Algebra Expressions & Equations

The students are taking notes of terms and examples!

There are a lot of new concepts, some of which are difficult!

The Week of October 27, 2008

Important Reminder:
Our new lunch programs has started! Lunch tickets will no longer be accepted. Any unused tickets can be returned for credit to the student's account (be sure the student's name is on the envelope marked please credit my account) until December 31, 2008. Also, in the lunchroom, students will enter their 4 digit code to access their electronic funds. The 4 digit codes are being kept with the homeroom teacher. Please refer to our website at www.ccsd66.org ( http://www.ccsd66.org/ ) for additional information regarding this new procedure.


Friday, Oct. 31st
Halloween Celebration!
Parents planning activities and attending = Mrs. Stoppleman & Mrs. Meyer
Snacks=Mrs. Hartenberger & Mrs. Gade
Beverages=Mrs. Blaum


Tuesday, November 4th - No School

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

SCIENCE = Unit E Matter and Energy

The 3 States of Matter - solids, liquids, gases

SOCIAL STUDIES = Monday, October 27th is our classroom TRADE FAIR!

This week we will continue to learn about life during colonial times, and learn about the one book that was read just as much as the bible by colonists.....Poor Richard's Almanac!!

Monday, Nov. 3rd - The students will have their colonial game due!

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-ENGLISH-SPELLING CLASS:

READING = We are continuing to use the genre of folktales, specifically TALL TALES, as we continue to learn about story elements and the reading strategy of visualizing. The students will be individually reading a variety of TALL TALES and filling out a story elements sheet.

We will analyze the story elements by comparing and contrasting what we find in each tale.

SCOOPer Reading = 1st Trimester book goals/activities due Friday, November 14th

VOCAB CLUB = 10 October words due this Friday!

ENGLISH = Unit 2 Nouns

Common and Proper Nouns

Singular and Plural Nouns

SPELLING = Lesson 10 and "word of the week"

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

Chapter 3 Test = Tuesday, October 28th!

The students were given this date a week in advance!

The Week of October 20, 2008

Important Dates:

Tuesday, Oct. 21st - Project Challenge 2:30 - 3:45

Wednesday, Oct. 22nd - Early Dismissal @ 11:00!

Friday, Oct.24th-Fieldtrip "The Legend of Pocahontas" **This is the rescheduled date!**
~Students need to bring a lunch. We might not be back in time for our hot lunch program.

Friday, Oct. 31st-Halloween Celebration!
Parents planning activities and attending = Mrs. Stoppleman & Mrs. Meyer
Snacks=Mrs. Hartenberger & Mrs. Gade
Beverages=Mrs. Blaum

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

TICKETS!!

Has your child told you about our classroom tickets that they can earn for positive behavior? I am asking for any parents who'd like to donate to my ticket prizes to send in "goodies" at any time. We need healthy individually wrapped snacks like cereal bars, fruit snacks, crackers, pretzels etc. Also, decorative pencils, prizes, stickers, and any other item you think would be fun for the kids to earn is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

THANKS!!!!

SCIENCE: Matter & Energy! The students made a MEMORY card game with their lesson 1 vocabulary words. This week we will learn more about each of these words.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Jr. Achievement ! Mr. and Ms. Paleka will be here Thursday for our second session of J.A.
Chapter 6 "Life in English Colonies" Lesson 1 - Working and Trading continued.....

The students will be making a "good" for our classroom TRADE FAIR!!

The Trade Fair directions will be given on Monday.

This is a project and classroom activity that the children need to prepare for in advance!!!

Monday, October 27th = TRADE FAIR!!!

We will also be learning about Colonial Life in cities, towns, and farms this week!

MISS TREFONAS'S READING, ENGLISH, & SPELLING:

TICKETS!! Has your child told you about our classroom tickets that they can earn for positive behavior? I am asking for any parents who'd like to donate to my ticket prizes to send in "goodies" at any time. We need healthy individually wrapped snacks like cereal bars, fruit snacks, crackers, pretzels etc. Also, decorative pencils, prizes, stickers, and any other item you think would be fun for the kids to earn is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

THANKS!!!!

SPELLING: Lesson 8 Review of lessons 1-7! Test = multiple choice!

ENGLISH: Unit 5 Capitalization & Punctuation - Test = Tuesday, October 21st!

Are next unit is NOUNS.

VOCAB CLUB: 10 words are due at the end of October!

Students must be able to pronounce words correctly.

SCOOPer READING: The first trimester goal is due Friday, November 14th!
Each child has been given reminders of what their goal is and how many books and activities have been completed.

READING: We will be using the reading strategy visualizing with TALL TALES.

The students will be looking at the hyperboles, or exaggerations, that make TALL TALES a unique type of folk tale. The students will be doing independent reading of a variety of TALL TALES and their story elements!

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

MATH: Chapter 3 Division - Lessons 7-10. We are dividing by 2 digit numbers. Often 5th grade students have difficulty with this lesson. Please monitor how your child is understanding this chapter. There is time to ask questions and get help almost every day during homework time which is the last 10 minutes or so of class.

CHAPTER 3 TEST = TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28!

The Week of October 13th

Important Dates

Monday, Oct.13th - No School due to Columbus Day Holiday!

Thursday, Oct. 16th - Book Fair @ Prairieview 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm-See you there!

Wednesday, Oct. 22nd - Early Dismissal @ 11:00!

Friday, Oct.24th-Fieldtrip "The Legend of Pocahontas" **This is the rescheduled date!**

~Students need to bring a lunch. We might not be back in time for our hot lunch program.

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

SCIENCE: We will be starting Matter & Energy! The students will be making a MEMORY card game with their lesson 1 vocabulary words. Thursday,the students will be doing an activity with a Mystery Box !

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Jr. Achievement begins! 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 econmics 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. Ms. Paleka works for Harley Davidson Financial, and Mr. Paleka works for Tellalabs. They have been the volunteers for my classroom for the past 7 years! I'm sure your student will be sharing some of their experiences with this program during the next few weeks!

Chapter 6 "Life in English Colonies" Lesson 1 - Working and Trading

MISS TREFONAS'S READING, ENGLISH, & SPELLING:

SPELLING: Lesson 7 and word of the week!

ENGLISH: Unit 5 Capitalization & Punctuation - Quotations, Abbreviations and Titles!

We are FINISHING the unit this week and testing on Tuesday, October 21st!

VOCAB CLUB: 10 words are due at the end of October! Students must be able to pronounce words correctly.

SCOOPer READING: The first trimester goal is due Friday, November 14th!

Each child has been given reminders of what their goal is and how many books and activities have been completed.

READING: Main Idea and Details & Sequencing are the reading skills we are working on this week!

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

MATH: Chapter 3 Division - Lessons 3 - 6. We are doing long division with zeros in the quotient, learning about patterns in division, and estimating with 2 digit divisors.

Friday the students will be filling in a homework sheet. After we grade each day's homework, the students should fix any errors and safely keep their assignments in their binder in their math pocket.

Quiz on Friday, October17th!

The Week of October 6th

Dear Students and Parents,
Thanks for taking the time to read this week's newsletter!

TICKETS!! Has your child told you about our classroom tickets that they can earn for positive behavior? I am asking for any parents who'd like to donate to my ticket prizes to send in "goodies" at any time. We need healthy individually wrapped snacks like cereal bars, fruit snacks, crackers, pretzels etc. Also, decorative pencils, prizes, stickers, and any other item you think would be fun for the kids to earn is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
THANKS!!!!

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 5 Test is Tuesday, October 7th!

How to Study Sheet filled out with a parent signature is worth 2 Bonus Points!

**It is a 5th grade policy that we do NOT send home graded social studies tests. Your child will be able to see how they did on the test and then return it. If at any time you'd like to see the actual graded test, please contact me.

SCIENCE: We are still using science time to learn about the election process.

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MISS TREFONAS'S READING-ENGLISH- SPELLING CLASS:

SPELLING: Lesson 6 and "word of the week"!

ENGLISH: Unit 5 "Capitalization & Punctuation" We are learning about all the different uses for the comma. It sure is an important punctuation mark! We will be doing a creative thinking activity based on the picture book, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.

READING: We are finishing Trouble River. The students will be getting a grade on their summary journals this week. The students will be creating a "story pyramid" based on the book which will show their comprehension of the book. This end of the book activity will also be graded. We will also be reading some short "spooky" stories that will review the reading skills of main idea and supporting details.

SCOOPER READING: We are halfway through the trimester this week which means your child should be halfway finished with their reading goal!

VOCABULARY: The grades for your child's 10 September words have been entered in the grade book. Ten October words will be do at the end of the month or before! The child must be able to pronounce the word correctly in order to get credit for the word. Please check that the words your child has selected or appropriate.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

Multiplication timed tests= Last day is Tuesday!

This week we are doing some ISAT practice from Chapters 1 & 2, and we are starting Chapter 3.

We will be working on division in Chapter 3.

There will be a quiz and homework sheet at the end of the week.

The Week of September 29th!

Dear Students and Parents,

Thanks for taking the time to read this on-line newsletter! It sure helps you be informed!

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

Arrow/Tab Scholastic Book Order will be sent home on Tuesday. There are many great offers in each month's book order. This is optional. Buying books from these orders earns the classroom teacher bonus points to buy books and other classroom materials. Please send orders in an envelope with exact money or a check made out to SCHOLASTIC BOOKS.

This week's order will be due on Friday!

TICKETS!! Has your child told you about our classroom tickets that they can earn for positive behavior? I am asking for any parents who'd like to donate to my ticket prizes to send in "goodies" at any time. We need healthy individually wrapped snacks like cereal bars, fruit snacks, crackers, pretzels etc. Also, decorative pencils, prizes, stickers, and any other item you think would be fun for the kids to earn is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

THANKS!!!!

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are finishing Chapter 5 this week! The test will be on Tues. Oct. 7th!

Again, I am suggesting that reviewing for the test start as each lesson is finished.

I asked review questions from lessons 1-3 this past Thursday......ask your child if they were able to answer the question(s)! They even got tickets for correct answers! There were some students who obviously have studied and unfortunately some students who didn't know many of the answers.......

SCIENCE: Using science time to learn more about ELECTIONS! The students have a packet with 6 different election issues. There is background about each issue and each candidate's stance on them. The students have questions they have to answer about these issues. Lastly, they will be asking adults to read the issues and respond with their opinions.....BE READY!!!

The students will be getting a direction sheet on Monday about finding an appropriate quote from one of the presidential candidates that is needed for Friday, October 3rd.

Electoral College will be a big topic this week! We are doing a simulated activity with Miss Stetka's class about how the popular vote vs. the Electoral vote works in the election process!

MISS TREFONAS'S READING, ENGLISH, SPELLING CLASS:

TICKETS: Has your child told you about our tickets that they can earn for positive behavior? I am asking for any parents who'd like to donate to my ticket prizes that I welcome "goodies" at any time. We need HEALTHY individually wrapped snacks like pretzels, crackers, fruit snacks, cereal bars etc. Also, decorative pencils, prizes, stickers, etc....would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!

SPELLING: Lesson 5 and word of the week!

ENGLISH: Unit 5 Capitalization & Punctuation - Proper nouns and adjectives and commas will be discussed this week!

READING: We are applying the reading strategy of summarizing as we read TROUBLE RIVER. We are writing a cumulative summary of 20 words or less as we read. The students are doing this in a summary journal which also requires illustrations.

SCCOPER READING: Many great book discussions and activities!!! Mrs. Warkentien, our library assistant, has also been meeting with students with their book activities and is excited about the books being shared with her!

VOCAB CLUB: September's 10 words are due this week. Students need to also pronounce the words correctly.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

MATH: Some students have completed their timed multiplication tests 0 - 12's. ! WOW!

Timed tests due date is Tuesday, October 7th. The deadline was extended since there are a couple of days I will not be here , and I don't have a sub give timed tests.

Chapter 6 Test is Thursday, October 2nd

The WeeK of September 22, 2008

Dear Parents and Students:

Magazine Turn in = Tuesday, September 23rd!
Picture Day = Thursday, September 25th!

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

SCIENCE= We are taking a temporary break from science and will be doing an Election Unit.

Some of the activities involve family participation.

We will be learning about the Democratic and Republican parties and candidates.

SOCIAL STUDIES= Parents, Can you answer this question......"What's the name of England's first permanent colony in America? Check with your 5th grade historian to see if you are correct! You can also have an interesting conversation with your child about what happened to the colonists of Roanoke Island?

We have finished Lesson 1 of Chapter 5. To make studying at the end of the chapter easier, go over Lesson 1 vocabulary, people and places! An ongoing review is a lot easier!!!!

This week we will finish Lesson 2 and Lesson 3.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING, ENGLISH & SPELLING CLASS:

SPELLING= Lesson 4 and W.O.W. (Word of Week) Have any W.O.W. bonus points been earned yet? Check the grade book to find out!

ENGLISH= Unit 1 ! We are finishing the unit this week. The students will be doing a review from the textbook on Wednesday. We will go over the review on Thursday. Friday is the test!

READING= We will be begin the reading comprehension strategy of summarizing using various materials. By the end of the week, the students will have begun a "summary journal" using the literature book Trouble River.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

MATH: Chapter 2 Multiplication. We are multiplying by 2 and 3 digit numbers this week.

Your child is currently taking timed tests. We have many students who are ready to take their 7's timed test on Monday. Timed Tests for 0's - 12's due Friday, October 3rd.

Quiz over textbook lessons 1-4 = Friday!

GO CUBS!!!!

GO MUSTANGS!!!

GO BEARS!!!!!

The Week of September 15, 2008

Dear Parents,
Thanks to all of you who attended Curriculum Night. In the limited amount of time that was alloted to meet with each group, I hope I communicated expectations, policies and answers to questions. Please keep communication open between the classroom and home.

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

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 4 tests will be graded and returned on Monday.

Chapter 5 Lesson 1 "Hard Times in Virginia" We will learn about the colonies of Roanoke and Jamestown. Ask your child this question at the end of the week: Which was the first permanent English Colony in America?

SCIENCE: "Egg-speriment" due Tuesday!

We will be finishing the introductory unit. There will not be a final test over the introductory unit.

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

SPELING: Lesson 3 workbook due Thursday. Final test on Friday!

Word of the Week = possible 2 bonus points!

ENGLISH: Each child needs to bring in a photograph that they are in doing something memorable. This will be used to write our "Pyramid Poems". The pictures will be returned.

We will be learning about subjects in imperative sentences and conjunctions.

We will be listening to and singing along to two classic School House Rock songs.......Mr. Morton & Conjunction Junction! How many parents remember these?

READING: We will be reviewing the skills of looking at pictures and reading charts and graphs when used in non fiction text. We will also be learning how to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information in non fiction text. Main idea and supporting details will be reviewed towards the end of the week which will be an introduction to our next reading strategy, SUMMARIZING!
VOCABULARY WORD CLUB = Your child is responsible for completing 10 vocabulary cards due by the end of the month! Hopefully, they are working diligently on this!

SCOOPER READING = Tyler shared a wonderful book activity and an interesting book on Friday! We have had many other good shares too!

MATH CLASS:

Tuesday is our "Celebration of Knowledge" or otherwise known as a TEST on Chapter 1!!!

Chapter 2 MULTIPLICATION is next. How will your mathematician do on multiplication timed tests that begin this week?

GO DGS MUSTANGS! CROSS TOWN RIVALRY AT DGN!!!!

GO CUBS!!! INCREASE OUR FIRST PLACE LEAD!!!

The Week of September 8th in Miss Trefonas's Class

Dear Parents,
It was nice to see many of you who came to the R.T.I. parent information meeting this past Thursday evening. Hopefully, you gained some insight into how we are structuring reading and meeting the children's needs.
This week we have our 5th Grade Curriculum Night - Thursday, September 11 @ 7:00pm! I encourage you to attend. You will be going to a presentation with each of your child's teachers. This will help you know each teacher's expectations and policies in their classroom. You will also sign up for fall parent/teacher conferences in your child's reading class.
Friday, September 12th....Lakeview's band will be preforming for Prairieview students.
This is a fun kick-off to the band program at Prairieview. This will be at 12:45. Parents are always welcome!

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

SOCIAL STUDIES= Chapter 4 "Spain Builds an Empire"

Wednesday = How to Study sheet

Thursday = Jeopardy review

Friday is the chapter test.

SCIENCE = We are doing an introductory unit and learning about different tools and inquiry skills that scientists use. The students will be getting information about an EGG-cellent experiment/contest on Thursday!!! The students will have to "invent" something on their own and fill out the steps of the scientific method.

The EGG-cellent experiment "invention" will be due Tuesday, September 16th!

More information will be coming home with your scientist.......

MISS TREFONAS'S RTI CLASS:

SPELLING = Lesson 2 Workbook due Thursday! The test is on Friday!

This week will be our first W.O.W. "Word of the Week"....students can earn bonus points for spelling the word correctly and knowing its meaning. This will be explained to them on Monday!

ENGLISH = Unit 1 Sentences! We will be reviewing the 4 types of sentences and subject/predicate. Project Challenge students will be receiving some enrichment assignments this week.

READING = We are continuing to use the comprehension skill "predicting" through various activites. We are also doing different language activities with synonyms and antonyms.

We will also start making vocabualry cards to increase our vocabulary knowledge and usage.

Each child will be responsible for finding 10 new words and making vocabulary cards for each of those words. They will be individually quizzed orally by Miss T. at the end of the month on their words and a grade will be taken.

SCOOPER READING: Your child should be reading a book....then, completing a book activity!

Some students have already completed a book and activity!

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

MATH: Quiz over Chapter 1 Lessons 1- 3 is Monday.

The students completed their first " homework sheet" on Friday, Septermber 5th. I will explain how homework is graded and the "homework sheet" at Curriculum Night!

We will be finishing the chapter this week and testing at the beginning of next week...9/15!

Monday, September 1, 2008

THIS WEEK IN MISS TREFONAS'S CLASSROOM....

Dear Parents and friends,
We have just completed our first week of school and the students and I are settling into our routine. I have enjoyed getting to know their individual personalities and talents and am anticipating a tremendous year together!

Just a couple of reminders…

RTI Parent Link Night for all Prairieview Parents is Thursday Sept. 4th at 7:oo. This is an important informational night. At this meeting, you will be informed about the new structure of our reading program.

Curriculum Night for Fifth grade is Thursday, September 11th at 7:00! The evening will begin with an introduction by Mrs. Schultz, followed by a meeting in each of your child's classrooms, during which we will review topics such as curriculum and expectations. You will also have the opportunity to sign up for parent conferences in your child's reading class. I look forward to seeing all of you!

We spent this week getting to know each other, and organizing for the coming year. Highlights included a scavenger hunt in the Social Studies textbook, writing an acrostic poem about first impressions of fifth grade, and a 3 minute timed test on following driections.
The office has requested that any items that come to school in an envelope be marked with the child's name, teacher's name, grade, and purpose (lunch tickets, field trip money, etc.). This is helpful in avoiding confusion regarding these items!

Please enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday weekend, and I look forward to seein you at Curriculum Night!

Sincerely,

Miss Trefonas

June 2008 - End of the Year!

June 2008

Dear Students and Parents,
WOW! Where does time go? The students in my 2007-2008 5th grade class definitely make this saying true: “Time flies when you are having fun!” As much as I am looking forward to summer activities, I'm not looking forward to saying good-bye to this year's students.

The school year has been filled with many fond memories. The books that have been read this year have been incredible. I think the overall favorite read aloud was LIGHTENING THIEF by Rick Riordan. A fantastic accomplishment this year was that the entire class met their SCOOPer Reading goals for all three trimesters! Some other memorable moments were the Trade Fair, Junior Achievement skits, School House Rocks songs, Social Studies review games, T.G.F.D. with Deputy K. who complimented us as being one of the best classes he has ever worked with, Brett in the S-P-E- (pause) L-L-I- (restart) N-G BEE, Book Clubs, Jennifer's China shares, Narrative writing / Creative writing stories being read aloud, tickets, auctions, Matt S. during read aloud time, Amber's solos, Anne of Green Gables and I could just go on and on!!!!

I am proud of each student and know that they are moving on to 6th grade with self-responsibility which will help them succeed at the junior high and beyond. The ability to work with one another and be able to listen, contribute ideas, and get the “task at hand” accomplished was repeatedly noticed by all the teachers they worked with this year. It was remarkable to hear compliments about the students from special area teachers (P.E., music, art, library, etc), other teachers, substitutes, and other staff members. This says a lot about each and every one of the students. We really and truly were....ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY!

With confidence, I feel each and every student from this class has the potential to achieve great things as they go on to Lakeview, high school, and hopefully higher education. I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about successes and achievements.

In closing, I would like to thank the parents for letting me be a part of your child's life for the past nine months. As we leave for the last time on Thursday, June 5, I hope that the children will have at least one lasting memory of our time together.

I have 23 very special memories of this year!
Miss Trefonas



PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH:
e-mail = jtrefonas@ccsd66.org
home address: 2443 Concord Drive
Woodridge, IL 60517

The Week of May 26, 2008

Dear Parents:
I hope everyone has a relaxing Memorial Day weekend! With no school on Monday, that means there's only one Monday left of school. Where does time go?

Center Cass School District #66 is in the process of implementing an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) mandate, Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI is an array of procedures that can be used to determine if and how students respond to specific changes in instruction. RTI provides an improved process and structure for school teams in designing, implementing, and evaluating educational interventions.
Please look for the additional information on RTI, which will be included with your child’s end of the year Report Card.

SOME HAPPENINGS FOR THIS WEEK:

~Tuesday.......Robert Crown Field Trip "Body Systems" SACK LUNCH (milk will be available)
~Wednesday..Lakeview library visit to check out books for summer reading!
~Thursday.....Bowling Field Trip - $ for snacks, if purchasing!
~Friday..........5th grade end of the year farewall party!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

Spelling = Words of the Week....Letters S-Z! ABC books due Thursday and test Friday!

Narrative Writing = Working on editing, proofreading, and our final copy!

Reading = Anne of Green Gables and P-M-I response journals!

Social Studies = Chapter 12 Test "open note" test = Wednesday, May 28th!

Hopefully your child has taken good notes because this has been independent work....if they've worked hard, it will sure pay off during an "open note" test!

Science = Human Body

Math = We will be taking the Chapter 10 Checkpoint Quiz on Friday, May 30th.

The quiz is taken directly from textbook page 398.

GO CUBS....LET'S STAY IN FIRST PLACE!!!

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of May 19, 2008

Dear Parents,
Congratulations to the band and choir members for their awesome concerts!

SOME SPECIAL EVENTS:
~We have a special guest visiting our class Monday, Mrs. Sindee Viano, to teach cartooning to our class. Mrs. Viano also offers art workshops and classes at her house.....perhaps a good summer activity? Information will be sent home!

~Tuesday, Indian Prairie Library will be presenting their summer reading program to the students.

~Thursday, 5th grade attends the "dress rehearsal" for the Lakeview play/musical MUSIC MAN @ 1:00!

~Friday, 1:15 the Cadet Band and choir concert for our students in the gym..... Parents are invited!!!

HERE'S WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM:

Spelling: Words of the Week letters J-R

English: Unit 7 Adverb test is Tuesday. (only testing on adverbs not prepositions at this time)

Writing: Narratives......the student have shown their creativity in the first stories they have written!

Reading: Anne of Green Gables....has your child told you about Ann(e) with an "e"?

Ask about the infamous apology and what type of character Anne is!

SCOOPer Reading is due Friday, May 23rd!!!!

Social Studies: Chapter 12 Lesson 3 and review this week. Test is Tuesday, May 28th.

Science: Human Body...Ear and Eye!!

Math: Chapter 10! We will be adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators.

GO CUBS!!!! We need to break the "curse"!!

Miss Trefonas

The Week of May 12, 2008

Dear Parents,
Thanks to all of you who made Teacher Appreciation Week special. I appreciate the thoughtfulness.
Our Kleenex supply is almost out! Can you send in a box? Thanks!

IMPORTANT:
~Monday, May 12th = 5th grade visits Lakeview for an orientation in the afternoon!

HERE'S WHAT WE ARE UP TO THIS WEEK:

SPELLING: We are finished with our "regular" spelling workbook. We are doing an ABC

book with our WORDS of the WEEK. This week the WORDS of the WEEK that begin with A-I

will be assigned and tested.

ENGLISH: Unit 7 Adverbs.....comparing with adverbs and being able to distinguish whether a word is an adjective or an adverb.

READING: Narratives.....We will be reading a variety of picture books and discussing elements of a narrative text. Then, the children will create a narrative and make a picture book!

SOCIAL STUDIES: continuing Chapter 12......The students are completing and checking note sheets for each lesson independently after we read and discuss the information. The test will be an open-note test!

SCIENCE: continuing Human Body!

MATH: Any student who completed the checkpoint from the textbook prior to the quiz last week received 2 extra credit points!

Chapter 9 Fraction test = Thursday, May 15th!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CADET BAND FOR AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE!!!!

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of 5-5-08

Dear Parents,
We have been learning and playing various language arts games to enhance skills like spelling, vocabulary, creative and critical thinking. The games we have been playing are You've Been Sentenced, Boggle, In a Pickle, and Scrabble.
HELP WANTED......
If you'd like to purchase a game, we could use more of these games:
~Boggle ~Scrabble ~In a Pickle (Target sells this game) ~Upwords

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: Lesson 32 and word of the week

ENGLISH: Unit 6 Pronoun Test = Tuesday, May 6th.... Next, we begin Unit 7 Adverbs.

READING: Flap Books will be the culminating activity for our Book Clubs.

SCOOPer Reading = Deadline is May 23rd.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 11 Test is Monday, May 5th.

SCIENCE: Human Body - Nutrition

MATH: Fractions - Chapter 9....Checkpoint quiz is Tuesday. The quiz is taken from problems on p.348 in the textbook.

WELCOME SPRING!!!!

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of April 28, 2008

Dear Parents,
I appreciate the book certificates that many of you purchased for me at the Book Fair. I was able to enhance my classroom library with your generousity.

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE LEARNING IN OUR CLASSROOM THIS WEEK:

SPELLING: Lesson 31 and word of the week.

ENGLISH: We will be finishing Unit 6 Pronouns by the end of the week. The Unit 6 test will be on Tuesday, May 6th.

READING: Book club meeting #2 and discussion sheet is due Monday. Book club meeting #3 and last discussion sheet will be due Friday. Those students who receive an A on both book club discussion sheet 1 & 2 are not required to do the last discussion sheet. It will be optional for those students, yet they will still be part of the discussion group.

SCOOPer Reading: Friday, May 23rd is the due date!

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are finishing Chapter 11 and the test is on Monday, May 5th.

SCIENCE: Human Body....teeth and nutrtion.

MATH: Chapter 8 Test = Monday April 28th. The students did a review test on Friday to help prepare them for the test. This are also excellent pages to use for review and practice at the end of the chapter. Chapter 9 is next which is FRACTIONS!

REMEMBER THAT SUCCESS COMES IN "CANS'...not "CAN NOTS"....

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of April 21, 2008

Dear Parents,
Important dates for this week:

*Tuesday, Earth Day! Wear green or blue or your Earth Day shirt to school!

*Thursday = Early Dismissal @ 11:00!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: Lesson 30 and word of the week

ENGLISH: Pronouns - Contractions and Double Subjects

READING: Book Club reading and discussion sheet due Tuesday.

The second reading assignment and discussion sheet will be Friday.

Book Clubs use the following reading strategies: summarizing, questioning, predicting, and making connections.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Lewis and Clark and their great journey west......

SCIENCE: Human Body - Teeth...and I'm telling you the tooth and nothing but the tooth!

MATH: Chapter 8 Problem Solving: Choosing a Strategy

Checkpoint quiz on Tuesday!

Lessons 10 and 11 = dividing by decimals

GO CUBS!

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of April 14, 2008

Dear Parents,
Open House is this Thursday from 6:45 - 8:30!!! Please try your hardest to come and see all the wonderful work on display. It's a special night for your child to show off their accomplishments and hard work. Also, we have our spring Book Fair in the gymnasium.
I look forward to seeing you Thursday!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK:

SPELLING: Lesson 29 and "word of the week"

ENGLISH: Unit 6 Pronouns! Your child should know the difference between a subject and object pronoun by the end of the week. We will also be reviewing how to use I and ME correctly!

READING: China travel brochures due Tuesday!

Next, we begin BOOK CLUBS. Your child will be choosing a literature book and then required to read the first section of the book and do the Book Club sheet which is used for their book club discussion group meeting and graded. The sheet includes the following reading strategies: summarizing, questioning, connecting, and predicting.

A due date for the first reading assignment will be given as the books and sheets are distributed later in the week.

SCOOPer READING........your child should be reading and doing book activities!

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 11 - Lesson 1 "Washington as President"

and Lesson 2 "Jefferson Looks West" will be completed by the end of the week.

Once again, I suggest that your child begins reviewing after we finish each lesson.

SCIENCE: We are doing what I had planned for last week....finishing respiratory system and learning about our skin. Science was not our priority last week.

MATH: Chapter 8 Multipyling Decimals and Multi-step Problem Solving.

Lessons 1-7 will be covered this week. The checkpoint quiz will be the week of April 21st!

WELCOME SPRING!!! GO CUBS!!!

Miss Trefonas

The Week of April 7, 2008

Dear Parents and Students,
Baseball season has begun! GO CUBS!

Here are the upcoming Prairieview Spirit Days:

Friday, April 11th = Baseball Day (I look forward to seeing CUBS spirit wear!)

Friday, April 18th = Rock Band Day - Wear your favorite rock group, choir, or band appearal!Friday, April 25th = Decade Day - dress up in the 50's, 60's, 70's,etc

SAVE THE DATE....THURSDAY, APRIL 17th OPEN HOUSE!!!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING =Lesson 28 and "word of the week" *(We skipped lessons 26 & 27)

ENGLISH =Unit 4 Adjectives.... proper adjectives and adjective poems.

Test is scheduled for Thursday!

READING = SCOOPer Reading.....Most students have read and done at least one book activity for their 3rd trimester goal.

CHINA...... Due date for travel brochure research is MONDAY! The students have been sharing awesome facts as they have been researching!

SOCIAL STUDIES =Chapter 10 - Test is Tuesday!
During this chapter, the children have done solos, duets, or trio performances of "We the People"! There have been some remixes and creative performances....your child can fill you in!
The children will have a "fill in the blank" section on the Chapter 10 test, without a word bank, for the Preamble.

SCIENCE =Human Body We are finishing the "Respiratory System" and then we will be learning about "Skin"!

MATH =Chapter 6 Long division....dividing by 2 - digits!

Chapter test = Wednesday!

YOUR PARTNER IN LEARNING.....
MISS TREFONAS

The Week of March 31, 2008

Dear Parents and Students,
I hope everyone had a nice spring break whether you were able to go on a vacation or just spend time doing things other than your normal work/school routine.
Here are the upcoming Prairieview Spirit Days:
*Friday, April 4th = Prairieview Spirit Day
*Friday, April 11th = Baseball Day (I look forward to seeing CUBS spirit wear!)
*Friday, April 18th = Rock Band Day - Wear your favorite rock group, choir, or band shirt.
*Friday, April 25th = Decade Day - dress up in the 50's, 60's, 70's,etc

SAVE THE DATE....THURSDAY, APRIL 17th OPEN HOUSE!!!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING =
Lesson 25 and "word of the week"

ENGLISH =
Unit 4 Adjectives.... ADJECTIVE "ABC"booklets due Tuesday, April 1st.

Articles, Demonstratives, and Comparing with adjectives (when to use -er/-est, or more/most)

This week we make adjective hats and do a project "Things That are Most in the World".......

READING = We had an awesome SCOOPer Reading party to celebrate reaching our second trimester book goals.

SCOOPer Reading..... I look forward to meeting with students about the books they are reading and their fabulous book talks/activities.

CHINA......ask your child about the theme of their panda for our "Pandas on Parade" display which you will see at open house!

We begin researching facts and information for our travel brochures!

SOCIAL STUDIES =
Chapter 10 - Lesson 3 "Ratifying the Constitution"

During this lesson, the children will receive the lyrics for the Preamble.

We will be singing along to School House Rocks - We the People !

The children will have a "fill in the blank" section on the Chapter 10 test, without a word bank, that is the Preamble. Each child needs to practice and memorize the Preamble. We the People will make this fun and easier....ask your child by midweek to sing or say it at home!

The children have been encouraged to review and study lessons 1 and 2 prior to and during spring break......hmmm, has that happened at your house?

Chapter 10 test = week of April 7th!

SCIENCE =
Human Body "Respiratory System" and then we will be learning about "Skin"!

MATH =
Chapter 6 Long division....dividing by 2 - digits!

Checkpoint quiz - page 220 in textbook - Tuesday, April 1st

(Monday we will be reviewing for the quiz!)

YOUR PARTNER IN LEARNING.....

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of March 17, 2008

Dear Parents,
Happy St. Patrick's Day! May we all have a little luck of the Irish! There's an expression that says "Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day". I guess that even means me, and I am 100% Greek!

SOME REMINDERS:

**No School on Friday and the following week is SPRING BREAK!!!!
**SCOOPer Reading celebration Thursday, March 20th!!
Pizza & 70's theme & watching "National Treasure"
~Some students have volunteered to bring snacks and dessert!!

SAVE THE DATE.....OPEN HOUSE is THURSDAY, APRIL 17th!

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM:

SPELLING:
Lesson 24 and word of the week! Test = Thursday!

ENGLISH:
Unit 4 Adjectives... We will be reviewing what an adjective is and does!

The children will be creating an "ABC" adjective book!

READING:
We will be learning about China using a variety of non-fiction books and other resources. The children will be specifically learning more about one of China's most famous animals,the panda, this week. Each child will also be creating a unique panda to display proudly with our "PANDAS ON PARADE" exhibit. This will be one of many things you'll see at Open House!

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Chapter 10 - Lesson 2 "Debate in Philadelphia"
Your child shoud review lessons 1 and 2 to make sure they understand what we have learned!

SCIENCE:
Human Body....QUIZ on the heart and circulatory system = Tuesday!
Next, we learn about the respiratory system!

MATH:
Chapter 6 This chapter covers long division and dividing by 2 digit numbers.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Miss Trefonas

The Week of March 10th, 2008

Dear Parents,
~ Report cards will be given to your child on Tuesday.

~Parent-Teacher conferences are this week. *If you don’t have a conference, and you have any concerns about your child’s grades or progress at any time, please contact me. E-mail is the best way to contact me!

~ISAT testing is this week. Please make sure your child is well rested and eats a healthy breakfast. We have a supply of snacks and juice drinks for a "testing" snack!

THIS WEEK IN ROOM 205:

ISAT TESTING: We will not be doing spelling, English, or reading this week due to testing.

SCOOPer Reading……We are now working on our 3rd Trimester goals!

Social Studies: Chapter 10 “Life in a New Nation” We will cover Lesson 1.

Science: We are continuing the heart and circulatory system.

Math: No regular math....Just ISAT testing!

REMEMBER....No School on Friday!

Miss Trefonas

The Week of 3-3-08

Dear Parents,
This newsletter is being posted earlier than usual due to my being absent Weds. 2/27 - Fri. 2/29. You may view any past newsletters by clicking on that option to the left of the screen.
Please contact the office or write a note to the substitute versus e-mailing me during my absense, thank you.

SOME IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
~No School Monday, March 3rd - Casmir Pulaski Holiday
~Skating party - Tuesday, March 4th
~T.G.F.D. Graduation - Friday, March 7th 1:00 Prairieview gym
Parents and guests are invited!
~ISAT testing the week of March 10th
~Parent/teacher conferences the week of March 10th

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

SPELLING: We are taking a break this week...no spelling workbook or test!

READING/WRITING: We will be getting ready for our ISAT testing by practicing extended response answers in reading and working on expository writing.

READING/SCOOPer Reading: We will be setting our 3rd trimester SCOOPer Reading goals and getting new book activity packets. The children will also be planning our celebration for reaching their book goals...more information will be sent home about this!

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 9 Celebration of Knowledge - TEST - scheduled for Thurs. 3/9.

SCIENCE: Human Body - The heart!

Mrs. Davis will be coming in on Weds. to share more information about the heart!

Thanks, Mrs. Davis!

MATH: ISAT testing preparation.....extended responses / T-charts!

I HOPE TO SEE YOU AT OUR T.G.F.D. GRADUATION!

MISS TREFONAS

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

The Week of January 28, 2008

Dear Parents,
~We have had our first of two classroom spelling bees. Our next classroom spelling bee will be on Tuesday! The winners from our classroom go on to compete in the 5th grade spelling bee on Friday, Feb. 1st. The two winners from all of 5th grade will go on to compete in the Center Cass Spelling Bee on Friday, Feb. 8th!
~Our healthy snack supply is dwindling! If you can send in individually wrapped fruit snacks, Nutrigrain bars, cheese and crackers, or Goldfish crackers it would help replenish our supply!

HERE’S WHAT WE ARE UP TO THIS WEEK:

Spelling = Lesson 21 and “word of the week”

English = We are finishing our verb unit, finally! Due to the length of this unit and that we started it before the winter break, a study guide will be given for this test. It is highly recommended that the students use the textbook review pages to study too!
Unit 3 Verb test = Thursday!

Reading = SCOOPer Reading deadline is February 29th!
The students are allowed to meet with one book and activity per meeting…..
Is your child pacing themselves? Multiple book activities will not be accepted on the Feb. 29th!
ISAT skill practice = We will be using the ISAT workbooks to learn about cause of events, practice making inferences, drawing conclusions, and making generalizations. We will also review fact and opinion.

Social Studies = Lesson 3 of Chapter 8, “The Revolution Begins”
This is the last lesson of the chapter! Again, I have suggested to the students to begin reviewing learned material after each lesson instead of waiting until the test date is announced. Your child has note sheets from each lesson and graded work book pages. To begin preparing for this test, your child should be rereading the text, reviewing vocabulary, important people, and events.
THERE IS A LOT OF MATERIAL TO KNOW!!!!

Science = Human Body! Quiz on Monday over the 4 systems we have learned!
This week we will learn how our different body systems work together.

T.G.F.D. = Too Good For Drugs……This is week 7 of our 10 week program.
The children do not have a homework assignment this week.

Math = We are finishing Chapter 7 Geometry. The test has been announced to the students!
Chapter 7 test is scheduled for Thursday. Hopefully your child has started studying.

Keep warm during this frigid weather!
Miss Trefonas