The Week of January 4th, 2010

Dear Parents and Students:
~Happy New Year!!!
.
~IOWA testing begins the week of January 11th.
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING: Lesson 15 and word of the week

.

ENGLISH: Verbs - Unit 3 Lessons 7 - 10

We will be learning future tense verbs, subject/verb agreement and reviewing contractions.

.

READING:

Monday - Running Out of Time - last book club meeting and discussion sheets are due.

The rest of the week we will be practing different reading skills from our ISAT practice books.

"Using prior knowledge and setting a purpose for reading" and "Author's Purpose".

.

SCOOPer Reading = Remember this is a self paced independent reading program and your child has set a goal to reach by the end of the trimester. Book activities can only be turned in one at a time. I have a feeling that I will be getting a lot of book activities this week after our winter break.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES = Chapter 7 "Fight for a Continent"

We will be learning about the French and Spanish trying to claim more land.

.

SCIENCE = Chapter 6 test = Weds. It will be an open note (not book) test.

The students can use all the note sheets and quizzes from Chapter 6.

OWL PELLETS.....We will be doing a hands-on activity and dissecting the pellets at the end of the week! The students will be sorting, classifying, and identifying what they discover in the pellet.

.

MATH = Chapter 6 test = Weds.

We will be doing review activities in class prior to the test,

Extended Response math questions, which are on the ISAT test, is what we will be working on the rest of the week.

.

The Week of December 14, 2009

Dear Parents and Students:
Thanks to all of you who were able to contribute to our Holiday Service Project. Our class came through in making a less fortunate family's holiday a lot merrier!
.

Some Reminders.....

*Monday, 12/14 = Holiday Concert - 7:00 @ Lakeview

*Thursday, 12/17 = Bowling field trip - students may bring $ for snacks.

Ms. Stainman has asked them not to bring more than $10.oo.

*Friday, 12/18 = Movie at Tivoli

Hot lunch will be available!

.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING - None this week!

.

ENGLISH - Linking Verb project due on Monday.

We will be continuing Chapter 5 verbs and going over present and past tense of verbs this week.

This chapter will continue after our winter break.

.

READING - Running Out of Time

Monday = Book club discussion for chapters 10-14 and book club discussion sheet due.

Wednesday = Book club discussion for chapters 15 -19 and book club discussion sheet due.

Monday, January 4th = Book club discussion for chapters 20 to end of book and book club sheet.

*The book club discussion sheet requires the students to use the reading strategies we have been working on: summarizing, questioning, connecting, and predicting.

.

SCOOPer Reading - Your child should have a chance to get some reading and an activity done during break. I have gone over with each student their goal and what they have accomplished so far.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES - Chapter 6 Test = Tuesday. The students were told about this test over a week ahead of time because of it being the day after the concert.

We will be doing a class review game on Monday.

.

SCIENCE - Lesson 3 "How Do People Affect Ecosystems"

Wednesday = Quick Study/Quiz

.

MATH - Chapter 6 Lessons 1-3

.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Week of December 7, 2009

Dear Parents and Students:
.
Some Reminders: Holiday Service Project - due date for donations is Tuesday, Dec. 8th.
Thanks so much to all of you who have already so generously donated gifts
and gift cards to make this less fortunate family have a wonderful holiday!
.
Bowling Permission Slips - due before or on Thursday, Dec. 10th
Bowling Field Trip = Thurs. 12/17
.
Project Challenge - meets Tues. Dec. 8th afterschool
.
.
THIS WEEK IN OUR CLASSROOM:
.
Spelling = Lesson 14 and word of the week
.
English = Unit 3 Verbs....Lesson 4 "Linking Verbs"
We will be doing a project with linking verbs. The students will begin with a rough draft that will be due Tuesday. Then, we will go over our rough drafts and begin our creative islands with linking verb sentences to describe the island. They will have class time on Tues. and Weds. to work on this. The project can go home on Weds. to be completed by its due date Friday, December 11th.
We will also be doing a review lesson on present tense forms of verbs.
.
Reading = We are reading the novel, Running Out of Time. We have gone over the questioning strategy and the students are now independently writing their own Right There, Think & Search, and On Your Own questions. We have had some interesting class discussions from the questions they wrote.
We are also practicing summarizing and with this novel writing a cummulative summary.
This week we will be incorporating connecting skills and predicting skills........
The students will begin "Book Club Discussion sheets", which will use all the above mentioned skills, by the end of the week.
.
SCOOPer Reading = Each student should have one book read and activity completed prior to our holiday break. The goal is for the trimester but you don't want to fall behind!
.
Social Studies = Chapter 6 continued..... I encouraged each child to bring home their social studies book and review lessons 1,2, and 3. This will make studying a bit easier as we do our last
lesson, lesson 4 "Slavery in the Colonies" this week.
We will go over what to study at the end of the week.
Chapter 6 Test is Tuesday, December 15th
**I am giving this advance notice because I know many students are in the concert on Monday night prior to the test!
.
Science = continuing Chapter 6 - Lesson 2 "How Do Ecosystems Change Over Time?"
.
Math = Chapter 5, Lessons 1 & 2 "homework sheet" = Monday.
It will have 5 problems from both wb5.1 & wb 5.2.
Chapter 5 Review is Wednesday.
Chapter 5 Test is Thursday.

The Weeks of November 16th & 23rd

Dear Parents & Students,
.
YEARBOOK: Now’s the time to place your orders. Yearbooks are $10.00 and the deadline for your orders is Tuesday, December 1, 2009. No orders will be accepted after that date. Please make checks payable to Lifetouch. Please make sure your student’s name, teacher’s name and grade level are marked on the order form. If you have multiple students, please fill out one for each child. Yearbook order forms went home with your child on November 12th and there are 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.
.
Prairieview Yearbook orders are not paid at registration!
.
~PROJECT CHALLENGE meets Tues. 11/17 until 3:45
~Picture Retake Day = Thursday, November 19th
(only students with original envelope or picture packet inhand will be allowed to have picture taken)
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING = Lesson 12 (There will not be any spelling the week of 11/23/09)
*Lesson 12 will be the first grade for trimester 2!

.

ENGLISH = We are finishing Unit 2 Nouns - Test is Friday 11/20

*The test will count for a trimester 2 grade.

.

READING = We are continuing to work on the reading comprehension skill of making inferences until Thanksgiving break. We will be using some short stories, our ISAT practice workbooks, and other various activities.

.

SCOOPer Reading: The due date for books/activities was Fri. Nov. 13th.

Many students paced themselves and completed their goals prior to this week!

Unfortunately, some other students waited until the final week to complete more than one book and activity. I will let you know at conference time if your child left this until last minute or not.

**The students who met their goals will be part of our SCOOPer Reading Celebration on Tuesday 11/24. I will be asking volunteers to bring in treats for the celebration!

We will continue SCOOPer Reading during Trimester 2. There will be a new activity packet and goal sheet. The students will continue to use the same folder.

.

JR. ACHIEVEMENT = We continue to have Mr. & Ms. Paleka teaching us about ecomomics in a way that's understandable and fun. They are great volunteers!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: = We are halfway through the chapter. I suggested that the students take home their textbooks and review lessons 1 & 2.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH = TRADE FAIR!!!!

Lesson 3 "Everyday Life in the Colonies".......the students will be responsible for replicating a colonial game/toy to share with eachother. The directions, including the types of game/toy will be given on Thursday and due Tuesday, Nov. 24th.

Lesson 3 = Trimester 2 grades.

.

SCIENCE = Chapter 6 -Lesson 1 "How do Organisms Compete & Survive in an Ecosystem?"

The students will be given a project based on a book we share during this lesson. They will be given Monday 11/23 & Tuesday 11/24 afternoons to complete the majority of the project.

The project will be due Monday 11/30. *If time is used wisely in class, your child will have minimal, if any, work to finish with this project over the holiday weekend.

Chapter 6 = Trimester 2 grades.

.

MATH = finishing Chapter 4....Lesson 4.8 Inequalities is our last lesson.

We will be doing a comprehensive review on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday, 11/19 is our Chapter 4 Test.

The Chapter 4 Test = the first grade for 2nd Trimester.

We will then be doing some Thanksgiving probem solving sheets!

The Week of November 2, 2009

Dear Parents and Students:
Reminders for this week:
~Robert Crown field trip = Friday, November 6th
STUDENTS NEED TO BRING A LUNCH on Friday, November 6th
**We might not get back in time for the hot lunch program. Milk will be available.
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING: Lesson 10 and "word of the week" This week's test will be on Thursday due to our Robert Crown Field Trip on Friday.

.

ENGLISH: Unit 2 Nouns (Project Challenge students will be receiving alternate assignments

during this unit.)

We will also be sharing our most recent "Mind Movers" creative thinking/writing

thinking.

.

READING: We will be discussing elements of Tall Tales and writing some fun exaggerations.

We will also be doing activities with analogies. The analogy sheets can be

challenging and students may have to use dictionaries or dictionary.com., as well as,

work carefully!

.

SCOOPer Reading:

1st Trimester goals are due Friday, Nov. 13th. All students who have goals

to be completed have received many reminders! Only one book activity can

be turned in at a time. Many students have already completed their goals!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 6 "Life in English Colonies". Lesson one will emphasize how

colonists worked and traded. The children will be getting directions for

our classroom TRADE FAIR on Tuesday. Parents, please go over this

sheet/directions with your child.

TRADE FAIR = Tuesday, November 1oth

.

SCIENCE: We are finishing Chapter 5 this week. The last section we are going to cover is

energy pyramids.

Chapter 5 test will be the week of November 9th.

Your child has made vocabulary game boards which is a great way to

review/reinforce the Ch. 5 vocabulary words.

A sheet that contains information about what to study will be given to the students.

.

Jr. Achievement = We will have or fourth session with Mr. and Ms. Paleka this week.

The students have been learning a lot about "Our Nation" and businesses.

.

MATH: (Miss Trefonas's Class)

Chapter 4 Lesson 2 - Order of Operations & Lesson 3 - Properties & Review

*These concepts tend to be difficult.....review at home would help !

Monday, Nov. 13th = Chapter 4 Quiz over L1-L3

The Week of October 26, 2009

Dear Parents and Students:
It was nice to see many of you at the Book Fair. Thanks to the many families who purchased books for the classroom.
Also, thanks to all of you who have sent in treats/prizes for our classroom rewards.
.

REMINDERS FOR THIS WEEK:

~Parents, please fill out and return the sheet about your student being absent and work being sent home. DUE MONDAY!!

.

~HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION = Thursday, October 29th!

Thanks to Mrs. Balinski for coordinating the parent helpers!

Thanks to Mrs. Stanuch, Mrs. Balinski and Mrs. Fisher or coming in to be parent helpers!

Thanks to Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Kling, Mrs. Dourdourekas for providing treats!

Thanks to Mrs. Van Geertry for providing drinks for the students!

.

***Students need to bring supplies to decorate their pumpkins for our contest!

A student per grade level will win a BEST BUY gift certificate for having the #1 pumpkin!

If any parents would like to send in any extra craft items, feel free to send them with your child!

Parade is @ 12:30! Parents are welcome to attend the parade!

.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING: We are not doing spelling this week! This is not a trick but a treat!

.

ENGLISH: We will go over the Unit 5 "Capitalization/Punctuation" review sheet on Monday.

Test = Tuesday! I encouraged all students to bring home their textbooks and review over the weekend.

We will also be sharing our "Mind Mover" creative thinking/writing activities.

.

READING: We finished the White Giraffe ! The students are completing their summary journals which are due Monday. Today, Friday, as a class, we were able to summarize the entire book in less than 25 words. We also had a great group book discussion.

The children will be doing an end of the book activity for White Giraffe this week.

.

Next, we will work on the reading skill of visualizing using some tall tales.

.

SCOOPer Reading: Wow! I have had some great book talks while meeting with your child to discuss the book they read and the activity they did.

DUE DATE = November 13th!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are finished with Chapter 5 and will be filling out our "HOW TO STUDY SHEET" Monday. TEST = WEDNESDAY!

I encouraged all students to bring home their textbook over the weekend to start reviewing!

.

SCIENCE: We are learning about food chains and food webs.

Your child has begun a vocabulary word game board to study/practice vocabulary words for this unit.

.

MATH: (Miss Trefonas's Math Class)

Chapter 3 Review = Monday

Chapter 3 Test = Tuesday

Next, we begin Chapter 4 "Algebra Expressions & Equations"

~We will be taking notes and doing many "together" problems in our math spirals.

~Review at home would be helpful during this chapter!

The Week of October 19, 2009

Dear Parents and Students:
Some reminders.......
~Book Fair/Affy Tapple Sale/Spirit Wear orders = Thursday, October 22nd - 6:30 - 8:00
~Art to Remember packet must be returned with or without an order - Due October 20th.
~Character Counts Responsiblity slips (optional) are due at the end of the month.
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING: Lesson 8 "review lesson". No pretest or word of the week this week.

. Workbook due Thursday. Multiple Choice Test = Friday.

.

ENGLISH: We are finishing Unit 5 Capitalization/Punctuation this week. Our last lessons are how to use and capitalize titles and abbreviations correctly. The test will be Tues. Oct. 27th.

.

READING: We will be finishing White Giraffe this week and our summary journals.

.

SCOOPer Reading: Book Goals for the trimester are due Friday, November 13th.

.

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 8 years! I'm sure your student will be sharing some of their experiences with this program during the next few weeks!
.
Chapter 5 Lesson 3 - We will learn about the Puritans & Lesson 4 is about all of the 13 English colonies.
The test will be the week of October 26th.
.
SCIENCE: LEAVES are due Monday!! The children should have a lot of fun with this project!
Chapter 5 - Lesson 2 "How energy is passed through an ecosystem"
.
MATH: (Miss Trefonas's math class)
Tuesday = Quiz over lessons 1 - 5 in chapter 3.
We will cover lessons 6,7,9, and 10 this week. We will be dividing by 2 digit numbers.
Homework sheet will be given on Friday.

The Week of October 12, 2009

Dear Parents & Students,

~No School Monday = Columbus Day

~Leaves......has your child started collecting and preparing leaves for our science project?
The leaves are due Monday, October 19th. This assignment can not be left until last
minute. The students have a direction packet and should share/discuss it with you.
.
~Robert Crown field trip slip will be given to your child on Tuesday. We will be going to
the "Michael & Linda" program. The permission slip goes into further detail.
Also, please indicate on the slip whether or you'll be attending the parent workshop.
.
~Halloween!!! Mrs. Balinski, classroom party coordinator, has contacted all the party
helpers. As part of the Halloween festivities,students need to bring things from home to
decorate their pumpkins which will be judjed for a contest with prizes. They are about 3 -
5 pounds each and will be provided by our P.T.O.
These items are not allowed: paint, and sharp objects such as knives or
carving tools.
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING: Lesson 7

.

ENGLISH: Comma project due Tuesday!

We will also be learning how to use quotation marks correctly.

.

READING: We will be reviewing the reading skills of homonyms and homophones.

White Giraffe.....continuing to read this adventure and summarizing chapters.

.

SCOOPer Reading: Your child's goal is due 11/13. I have enjoyed many of the discussions I have had with your child when meeting with them.

If your child meets their goal prior to the due date, they get to read just for the "fun of it" and not have to do any more activites until the next trimester.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 5 - Lesson 2 "New England Colonies" & Lesson 3 "The First Colonies"

.

SCIENCE: We are continuing to learn more about photosynthesis and learning about producers and consumers.

.

MATH(for Miss Trefonas's math students):

~Chapter 3 - Lessson 3.4 "Zeros in the quotient"

~Quiz Thursday over Lessons 3.2 - 3.4

~Homework sheet with problems from wb pages 3.1 - 3.4

The Week of October 5, 2009

Dear Parents & Students:
Some reminders for this week:
~Lunch in I.M.C. = Thursday, October 8th. We have lots of students in our class participating!!
~Project Challenge = The afterschool program begins Tuesday, October 6th!
~see SCIENCE....the students have a project that they need to begin!
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING: Lesson 6

.

ENGLISH: Unit 5 "Capitalization & Punctuation"

This week we will look at the different ways we use commas. We will also review interjections.

.

WRITING: We have been doing some "mind mover" creative writing in our writing spirals.

Have your child share one of their activities!

.

READING: We are continuing the book White Giraffe and working on summarizing.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 5 - We will be learning about the first permanent English colony.......Jamestown and other European colonies.

.

SCIENCE: Monday = Science test......Study sheets with parent signature earns bonus points!!

We are starting the next chapter and learning about plant structures and photosynthesis.

.

IMPORTANT...on Weds. the students are going to be getting directions for the leaf project we will be doing. Please make sure your child shares what they need to do with you because they need to collect and prepare the leaves according to the direction sheet.

LEAVES ARE DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16th.

.

MATH: Chapter 3 Division

We will cover lessons 1-3. This includes long division and interpreting remainders.

The Week of September 28, 2009

Dear Parents and Students,
~Magazine Turn in = Tuesday, September 29th
~Picture Day = Thursday, October 1st
~"Lunch in the Library" forms due Thursday, October 1st
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

SPELLING: Lesson 5 and word of the week

.

ENGLISH: Unit 1 Test = Monday

Next, we skip to Unit 5 "Capitalization & Punctuation". This week we will learn more about proper nouns and adjectives and commas in a series.

We will also be doing another MIND MOVER writing activity.

.

READING: We are working on the reading strategy of summarizing while reading the book "White Giraffe" which happens to be a Rebecca Caudill award nominee this year.

We will also begin some reading skill work with context clues, roots, and affixes.

.

SCOOPer Reading: Your child should have at least one book/activity done by the end of this week. I have about half the class who have completed at least one book/activity. Please ask your child where they are with their book/activity.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Your child will receive their graded Chapter 4 test. Remember, it's a 5th grade policy that we do NOT send home tests. I will have the children write down their test score in their assignment notebooks.

Chapter 5 - Lesson 1 "Hard Times in Virginia" which includes the lost colony of Roanoke, The Battle of the Spanish Armada, and Jamestown.

.

SCIENCE: We will be finishing the introductory unit this week.TEST = MONDAY, OCTOBER 5

The students will receive a "Getting Ready for Science Study Tips" on Wednesday.

.

Miss Trefonas's MATH Class:

We are completing Chapter 2 this week.

Quiz over lessons 4 - 6 and a homework sheet = Tuesday.

Chapter Review in class = Wednesday.

Chapter 2 Test = Thursday.

****Multiplication timed tests due date has been extended to Monday, Oct. 5th since I will be absent on Thursday and not able to give the timed tests.

The Week of September 21, 2009

Dear Students and Parents:
~Tuesday, September 22nd = Early Dismissal - Prairieview 11:00
~Your student brought home a sheet today about a new activity , IMC LUNCH BUNCH! Take a look at the handout. It sounds like it could be a fun activity to try.
~Magazine Turn in = Tuesday & Friday!

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

.

SPELLING : Lesson 4 and word of the week.

.

ENGLISH: We will be finishing Unit 1 "Sentences" this week. The test will be on Monday, September 28th. We will be doing a review in class prior to the test, however, your child should still be responsible and study at home. There are a lot of review pages at the end of each Unit in the textbook.

.

READING: We are working on the reading strategy of summarizing. We are learning how to write cummulative summaries in 20 words or less.

.

SCOOPer Reading: I am impressed with the book activities I have met with so far. Your child should have at least one book read and activity completed/turned in by the end of the month.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We will be completing Chapter 4 this week. Your child will be getting a "How to Study" sheet and filling it out on Weds. Along with this sheet, I will have the students attach the notes, worksheets etc. that are being stored in their social studies pocket to the "How To Study" sheet . We even highlight important study information from these notes and sheets.

Hopefully, your child has been putting and keeping all the sheets in the social studies pocket. They have been reminded many times as each sheet has been done, graded and returned.

.

SCIENCE: The Scientific Method is what we are focusing on this week.

.

MATH for Miss Trefonas's class..... You should know from the newsletter I sent home that we are doing timed multiplication fact tests.

We will be estimating, multiplying by 1 digit numbers, and multiplying by 2 and 3 digit numbers.

I emphasize that your child needs to have their facts memorized.

Quiz over chapter 2, lessons 1 -3 will be given on Wednesday.

.

The Week of September 14, 2009

Dear parents and students,
This past Thursday we had an assembly and the Lakeview Band put on a great concert for us.
We also have officially started the Magazine fund raiser. Your child has a packet with all the information.
.
Tuesday, September 22nd = Early Dismissal (Prairieview 11:00)
.

HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM:

.

Spelling: Lesson 3 and word of the week. The workbook is due Thursday & test Friday.

.

English: Unit 1 L4 - L7 which includes simple subjects and predicates, subjects in imperative sentences and conjunctions.

.

Writing: Color Poems, some journal writing, and Pyramid Poems!

.

Reading: We have a couple of predicting activities to do. Next, we will be incorporating both predicting and summarizing while reading a literature book.

.

SCOOPer Reading: Six students have completed their first book and activity and have put a scoop on the bulletin board! By the end of September, I expect to have an activity from all students.

.

Social Studies: Chapter 4 Lesson 2 "Different Worlds Collide" This will be about the Aztec people and the Spanish.

.

Science: We are continuing to learn about inquiry skills.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

Math: Chapter 1 test = Wednesday 9/16. We will be doing a class review on Tuesday. Your student should not just rely on the class review but also study at home. There are review pages at the end of each chapter.

CHAPTER 2 MULTIPLICATION! 5th graders should have their multiplication facts memorized!

The Week of September 7, 2009

Dear Parents,
First, it was great to see that many of you were able to attend 5th grade Curriculum Night. For those of you who were unable to attend Curriculum Night, I sent home handouts etc. with your child. I would appreciate you filling out the STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET and returning it to school on Tuesday or as soon as possible. I know that the information about your child's strengths and weaknesses might be something you intend to share just with me and not your child. Please send the sheet back in an envelope.
There is also a blue sheet "5th grade policies" in my handout. Please review the sheet, especially the late work policy, with your child. This needs a student and parent signature and needs to be returned Tuesday or as soon as possible. Thanks!
.
NO SCHOOL MONDAY = LABOR DAY
.

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

.

SPELLING: Lesson 2 Pretest Tuesday and the students will be learning about "word of the week"! The workbook assignment will be due Thursday and the final test is on Friday.

.

ENGLISH: Unit 1 Sentences

.

READING: We are practicing the reading stragegy of using predicting skills while reading text.

This includes what clues the author is providing, as well as, using our own experiences/knowledge to make valid predictions. We will be doing a lot of various predicting activities.

We have also started using our ISAT COACH workbook to practice and refine comprehension skills.

.

SCOOPer Reading: This is our independent reading incentive program for the class. Hopefully your child explained how this program works when they had you sign their contract????

If you are needing further explanation, there is a sheet in the Curriculum Night packet or please contact me.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are finishing Chapter 4 - Lesson 1. Your child should be able to share some interesting facts about Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Exchange.

This week we will be doing a creative writing project that coincides with the information learned.

.

SCIENCE: Using science tools and inquiry skills......there will be an "open note" quiz this week.

.

MATH: (for students in Miss Trefonas's math class)

The students filled out their first homework sheet and took their first quiz this past Friday.

Next, we will be rounding whole numbers, estimating sums and differences and reviewing adding and subtracting of large numbers.

Homework sheet will be given on Friday.

The Week of August 31, 2009

Dear parents and students,
We have officially started 5th grade! We have gone over rules, policies, and what's to be expected in 5th grade. All school supplies should be here by Monday and it's strongly recommended that all students have "book socks" on their textbooks.
.
Parents: 5th grade Curriculum Night is Thursday, September 3rd - 6:30-7:30.
Please try to attend because this is your chance to find out what's expected in 5th grade.
.

IMPORTANT: Please do not send any snacks for your student or any treats for the class that contain PEANUTS. We have a student in our class with a peanut allergy. Please check the ingredient list on the box especially the very bottom of the list. A lot of times in bold it will say the snack may have a trace or was made in a factory with food that contains peanuts.

OF COURSE, I APPRECIATE TREAT DONATIONS FOR THE CLASS......fruit snacks, Rice Krispie treats, Goldfish crackers, pretzels, individually wrapped!
.
4th and 5th grade intramural games will be starting the week of September 14th. Permission slips will be handed out next week. Forms are due to Ms. Stainman by Friday, September 4th.
.

HERE'S WHAT WE WILL BE DOING THIS WEEK:

.

Spelling = Lesson 1 - workbook due Thursday and test Friday

.

Language Arts = English - Unit 1 Sentences

& Writing - we will be writing an autobiographical poem and working on descriptive "colorful" writing skills!

.

Reading = Your students will be getting directions about our SCOOPer independent reading program.

We will also be using our ISAT coach workbooks to review and practice some reading comprehension skills.

.

Science = We will be using inquiry tools and skills during our introductory unit.

.

Social Studies = Chapter 4 Lesson 1 "Voyages of Christopher Columbus"

.

Math = THIS IS FOR STUDENTS IN MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS

Chapter 1 Place Value - Lessons 1.1 -1.3

Quiz Friday over lessons 1.1 - 1.3

.

.

Welcome 5th grade students and parents to Miss Trefonas's class!

.

OPEN HOUSE is Monday, August 24th from 9:00 - 11:00. You need to come to room 205.

Please bring all your school supplies to Open House.

There will be sign up sheets for parent volunteers for field trips, class parties, and some other misc. helper items........

.

An e-mail of my classroom newsletter/blog will be sent to all my homeroom and math students

weekly. This information should be helpful to both the students and parents.

.

The best way to get in touch with me, Miss Trefonas, is by e-mail: jtrefonas@ccsd66.org.

Also, you may call the office between 7:15 and 7:45 and ask to have me paged or at the end of the day from 2:00 (students are at gym class) - 4:00.

I don't check my voicemail as often as I should since the phone is shared by the entire team.

So, if you have left a voicemail and I have not responded PLEASE e-mail or call!

.

WELCOME BACK!

Miss Trefonas

The Week of June 1st, 2009

OUR LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL

MISS TREFONAS'S 5TH GRADE CLASS 2008-2009

I hope your 5th grade student came home and told you about our special 5th grade celebration this past Thursday. The Jesse White Tumlers performed for us, we had a special recess just for 5th grade and delicious snacks. Thanks to the parents who organized this wonderful event!

.

Thursday is our school picnic. For lunch, each child wil receive a hot dog, bag of chips, and a bottle of water. An ice-cream dessert will also be given. If your child does not eat hot dogs, please bring a lunch....they may have any/all of the other treats being provided!

In the afternoon, there is a special assembly "High Action Bikes"!

.

YEARBOOKS: will be handed out to students on Friday, June 5th. Any students who did not purchase a yearbook may do so on a first-come-first-serve basis on June 5th; they will go on sale after morning announcements. The cost will be $10.00 and children wishing to purchase should have exact amount. Checks can be made out to Prairieview. There is a limited supply. Prairieview yearbook orders were not paid for at registration. A flyer was sent out on November 13, 2008 and orders were due by Monday, December 1, 2008.

.

Wednesday, June 3rd = Miss Trefonas's homeroom is being treated to a slice of pizza and bottled water for being the 5th grade BoxTop winners!

.

Friday, June 5th = Last day of school!!!! Students dismissal = 9:30!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES = We have finished Chapter 12.

We will be doing some current events with Time for Kids and also using this time for "end of the year" activities.

.

SCIENCE = Owl Pellet dissection is our big finale for the year!

.

SPELLING = We our finished with our regular spelling work and "word of the week" work.

.

LANGUAGE ARTS = We will finishing sharing our narrative creative writing stories.

We also will be playing a variety of language arts games like: You've Been Sentenced, In a Pickle, Boggle, and Scrabble!

.

READING = We will be ending the year with doing a comprehension journal while viewing Anne of Green Gables which is based on the classic novels by Lucy Montgomery.

.

MATH = This last week we will be doing a variety of math activities in the computer lab and in the classroom.

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!

I hope that you will keep in touch and share the many future accomplishents of your children in the years ahead!

Miss Trefonas

The Week of May 25, 2009

Some important dates & items for this week.....
~Monday, May 25th - No School - Memorial Day
~Tuesday, May 26th - Woodridge and Darien Public Libraries come to present their summer
reading programs to our PV students
~Wednesday, May 27th - Robert Crown Fieldtrip - topic = Drug education
**Lunch program will not be available....students need to bring their
lunch, Milk will be available.
~Thursday, May 27th - We are following a Monday schedule......The students will have their last
Library class with Mrs. Bouton!
~Thursday, May 27th - 5th grade celebration. An exciting afternoon has been planned for just
the 5th grade students!
~Friday, May 29th - 5th grade P.E. bowling field trip. Students may bring money for snacks.
.
MEMORIAL DAY is being celebrated with a special parade in Woodridge this Monday!! Lakeview marching band will be in the parade, as well as, our District 66 principals riding on an antique fire truck with our own Dr. Tiede driving the fire truck! The Board of Education will also be special guests of honor on the fire truck. Try to attend and give a friendly parade wave to our special celebrities from District 66.
The parade begins at 9:30! The parade route starts at 63rd/Hobson Road and Woodridge Drive and ends at Jefferson Jr. High on Janes Avenue.
.

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

Social Studies = We are finishing Chapter 12 this week! The students have a flap book to complete and is due Tuesday.

The Chapter 12 Test = Thursday and it will be open note.....which means they can use any note sheet, booklet, worksheet, and/or workbook pages from this chapter. The textbook can NOT be used.

Students should still study........especially so they know where the information is on these various sheets and notes because no extra time will be given!

.

Science = We have been sharing our animal research projects aloud.

WOW.....the students have researched such interesting animals and the facts we have learned have been incredible! They have been showing great listening and questioning skills as they have been listening to eachother's presentations.

Our last science activity will be learning about OWLS and dissecting owl pellets.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING - ENGLISH - SPELLING:

.

Spelling = Words of the Week S-Z in our ABC booklets due Thursday and our final test is Friday.

.

English = Preposition Test = Thursday

We are still sharing our Narrative creative writing aloud!

.

Reading = Castle in the Attic - The students need to have the book finished for Tuesday and have a total of 5 discussion questions.

A reading comprehension sheet for chapters 1-6 was assigned today, class time was given, however many students need to complete this as homework....due Tuesday.

.

SCOOPer READING CELEBRATION!!!! This is scheduled for this Thursday, May 28th.

Thanks to all the students who have volunteered to bring in goodies for our final celebration......

Thanks also to the wonderful parents who have said that their child can bring in the snacks!!!!!!

The class voted on our movie selection.

I look forward to celebrating our achievement with our independent reading program!!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

Chapter 15 Lesson 2 - Multiplying Fractions

Chapter 15 Lesson 3- Multiplying Fractions and Whole Numbers

Chapter 15 Lesson 4 - Multiplication with Mixed Numbers

Chapter 15 Lesson 6 - Dividing Whole Numbers with Fractions

and lastly.......Logic Problems!

.

Homework grades are still counting.

There will not be anymore quizzes or tests.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

GO BLACKHAWKS!

GO CUBS!

The Week of May 18, 2009

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS.....

~Monday, May 18th = 5th grade gets a tour of Lakeview @ 1:10 !!

and it's 5th Grade Parent Night at Lakeview - 6:30

~Thursday, May 21st = 5th grade band and choir concert - 1:15 in our gym. Parents may attend!

~Friday, May 22nd = Ginger Zee meteorologist from NBC is a guest speaker for 5th grade!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES = continuing chapter 12.....Lesson 2 which discusses the Industrial Revolution and Lesson 3 "A Struggle for Reformers".

The anticipated date for Chapter 12 test will be Thursday, March 28th.

.

SCIENCE = The students have been working on a project...."This Place is a Zoo" which incorporates research on an animal and its habitat.

The students have been given class time this past week to work on their posters.

The last in class work day will be Thursday, May 14th.

THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS DUE MONDAY, MAY 18TH.

*The students have the rubric, grading sheet, to check that they have all the requirements etc.!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-SPELLING-LANGUAGE ARTS:

.

SPELLING = Words of the Week..... J-R

ABC book for J-R is due Thursday and test is Friday

.

ENGLISH = Unit 7 Prepositions

We will continue to share our narrative creative writing.

.

READING = JACOB'S RESCUE..... The students have been having very meaningful and deep discussions in small book groups and as an entire class.

We will be doing an end of book activity which is a "Bio-Poem" (Bio = biographical).

.

SCOOPer Reading = Books read and activities were due Friday, May 15th.

Unfortunately, some students did NOT meet their goals even with all the reminders given.

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO DID MEET THEIR 3rd TRIMESTER GOAL!!

This counts as a grade! Also, their will be a classroom celebration the week of May 29th for everyone who met their goal!

.

VOCAB CLUB = 10 May words due Friday, May 22nd.

Everyone who has met with me thus far has gotten 10 of their 10 words correct! YEAH!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

Chapter 7 Multiplying Decimals

We started this unit this past Thursday.

It's a short unit and there will be a test on Tuesday, May 19th.

We will then do one lesson from C hapter 8 on dividing decimals.

Then, Chapter 15 - Multiplying Fractions.

The Week of May 11, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!!

.

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

.

Some special events this week:

~Monday, May 11th = Spring Concert

~Tuesday, May 12th = "Staley the Bear" assembly during school

~Thursday, May 14th = Fifth grade gets to go to Lakeview to see the dress rehearsal of the musical!

.

Social Studies: Chapter 12 "Times of Change"

We will be covering Lesson 1 "U.S. Turns 50" and Lesson 2 "A New Kind of Revolution"

.

Science: We are working on a research project "This Place is a Zoo".

This project incorporates students researching facts about animals and their habitats.

We spent time in the computer lab doing research last week.

ALL RESEARCH IS DUE MONDAY!

Next, we begin the sign and poster in class.

The entire project's anticipated due date is Monday, May 18th.

.

**Many students have had late work this month. Please remember that 25% is taken off for work that is 1 day late. We are following the policy that Lakeview uses.

.

Miss Trefonas's Reading - English - Spelling:

.

Spelling= We are beginning our "Words of the Week" spelling ABC book and tests.

This week the students will be responsible for "Words of the Week" A - I on their Words of the Week spelling list.

Letters A -I in their ABC book will be due Thursday.

Letters A -I test is Friday.

.

English=Unit 7 Adverb test is Wednesday.

.

Writing = Narratives! We are beginning with a creative writing story where the student has to develop a story based on a character, plot, and setting picked from a bag! There will be some interesting stories developed because of what was on the slip picked!

Creative writing story is due Monday!

.

Reading= Jacob's Rescue which is a historical fiction novel that is based on World War II and the Holocaust.

.

SCOOPer Reading = Due this Friday, May 15th.

There are many students who are behind and there are no exceptions to turning in only one book activity at a time.

.

Vocab Club = May words due by the end of the month.

.

Miss Trefonas's Math Class:

.

Chapter 24 - Area of squares, rectangles, triangles, parallelograms......

Chapter 24 test = Weds. May 13th.

The Week of May 8. 2009

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

.

Social Studies = Chapter 11 Test is Monday.

We are not starting chapter 12 this week. Instead we will be doing current events activities with TFK (Time for Kids).

.

Science = We are doing a creative extenstion activity about animal populations and their environments. The story The Great Fuzz Frenzy was shared with the class. They are now creating their own story board about an unusual object being found in a certain creatures environment.

Project due Tuesday, May 5th.

.

Miss Trefonas's Reading-English-Spelling:

.

Spelling: Lesson 32 and the last 3 words of the week.

This is our last "regular" spelling lesson.

Next week, we begin an activity with all our words of the week.

.

English: Unit 6 Pronoun Test is Monday.

Next, we begin Unit 7 - Adverbs

.

Reading: Jacob's Rescue is a historical fiction book which takes place during the Holocaust.

We will be working on many of the comprehension skills while reading and discussing this book together.

.

Lakeview I.M.C. visit= Our last scheduled visit is Wednesday, May 6th

.

SCOOPer READING: DUE DATE IS MAY 15TH. There are many students who have fallen behind in their independent reading and completing book activities.

This counts as a grade and we have a "celebration" for all who completed their goal.

.

Vocab Club: March/April words due April 3oth. Many students waited until the last week to complete this activity after having 2 months to complete their ten words. This is disappointing.

MAY WORDS = 10 due, on or BEFORE , May 29th.

.

Miss Trefonas's Math Class:

We have started Chapter 23 which includes Perimeter, Perimeter Formulas, and Circumference.

It is a short chapter. The test will Be Tuesday, May 5th.

Next, Chapter 24 Area of geometrical figures.

The Week of April 27, 2009

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

.

Science: Chapter 6 "Ecosystems & Change"

The children will be making a storyboard based on an unusual change in an ecosystem.....

We will also be learning about symbiosis.

.

Social Studies: Chapter 11 Lesson 3 "Another War With Britian"

Chapter 11 Test is scheduled for Monday, May 4!

.

Miss Trefonas's Reading - Language Arts - Spelling Class:

.

Spelling: Lesson 31 and word of the week

.

English: Unit 6 Pronouns - Test is scheduled for Monday, May 4!

.

Reading:

~Vocab club is due April 30th. This is 10 words total for March/April.

Many students have NOT turned this in yet!

.

~SCOOPer Reading....book goals are due May 15th.

Many students are behind on this.

.

~ Book Clubs... Final Meeting and discussion sheet due Monday.

We will be making Flap books as an end of the book activity/assessment.

.

~We will begin a literature unit later in this week with a novel that is based on the Holocaust

.

Miss Trefonas's Math Class:

Chapter 22 Measurement Test is Monday. Students will be allowed to use the measurement charts and calculators on this test.

.

Chapter 23 Perimeter - Lessons 2, 3, and 5

The Week of April 6, 2009

Family Book Club Night:
Are you looking for a good book to read? Is your child looking for a way to stay busy over Spring Break? Join us for Family Book Club Night on Wednesday, April 29th @ 6:30 p.m. Simply go to the Center Cass 66 District website, click on "Prairieview", and read more about this great school event! You can then print a registration form and send it in. Please note that registration has been extended.
If you have any questions, contact Lynda Slinger lslinger@ccsd66.org or Jennifer Cerney jcerney@ccsd66.org. Hope to see you there!
.
OTHER IMPORTANT DATES:
Tuesday April, 7th = No School - Staff Development Day
Friday, April 10th, = No School - Good Friday
Monday, April 13th = TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS GRADUATION = 8:45am
Thursday, April 16th = Open House/Book Fair
.

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

SCIENCE: continuing energy and ecosystems

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Time for Kids - current events. We will also be watching "National Treasure" as a culminating activity for chapters 9 & 10.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-ENGLISH-SPELLING:

.

SPELLING: LESSON 28 and word of the week

.

READING/ENGLISH: finishing up CHINA!

.

SCOOPer Reading: Spring Break is a perfect time to get a book read and activity completed.

May 15th = 3rd trimester due date.

.

VOCAB CLUB: March/April 10 words due at the end of April.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

Chapter 22 Lessons 1 and 2

Customary and Metric Length

.

.

HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK!!!!!

The Week of March 16, 2009

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

Tues. 3/17 = Project Challenge

Thurs. 3/26 = GeoSpace with the DuPage Children's Museum facilitators

*Mrs. Villa and Mrs. Fisher are parent helpers

.

**Mark your calenders......T.G.F.D. graduation = Monday, April 13 @ 8:45 in PV gym.
Parents and family members invited!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 10 "Life in a New Nation"

Lesson 2 "Debate in Philadelphia" will be covered this week and we will be starting Lesson 3 "Ratifying the Constitution". The children will be responsible for memorizing the Preamble.

**Chapter 10 TEST = Friday, March 27th!

.

SCIENCE: Photosynthesis and how energy passes through an ecosystem

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING - LANGUAGE ARTS - SPELLING

.

SPELLING: Lesson 25 workbook is due *Monday (due to the day off etc.)

Lesson 25 TEST is MONDAY (due to the day off etc.)

.

ENGLISH: Adjectives!

**The Unit 4 Adjective Test = Friday, March 27th!

.

READING: China research has been extended to Tuesday. The students should have most of their research done over the weekend with only a little bit of information to find Monday in class.

They will be making a China travel brochure and we will be doing other activities pertaining to this country.

.

SCOOPer Reading: Our entire class met their 2nd Trimester goals!

We will be having a celebration on Thursday!

.

VOCAB CLUB: March words due on or before Friday, March 27th!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

CHAPTER 19 - Plane and Solid Figures

QUEST (quiz/test) is Tuesday, March 17th

Next, Chapter 13 Fractions ....adding and subtraction

The Week of March 9, 2009

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

REMINDERS:

~Parent/teacher conferences are being held this week.

~Early Dismissal - Thursday, March 12th 11:00

~No School - Friday, March 13th

.

**Mark your calenders......T.G.F.D. graduation = Monday, April 13 @ 8:45 in PV gym.

Parents and family members invited!

.

Social Studies: Chapter 9 Test = Tuesday, March 10th

.

Science: Chapter 5 "Energy & Ecosystems"

.

T.G.F.D.: Deputy K. will not be here this week.

We have two more sessions prior to our T.G.F.D. graduation.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-LANGUAGE ARTS-SPELLING:

.

Spelling: Lesson 25 - workbook due Weds. & test Weds.

.

English: Unit 4 Adjectives

.

Reading: We are researching China. Students are using a variety of non-fiction materials to gather information for their "planning sheet" which will be used to make a travel brochure.

We are using books from the library, a set of China books, and the internet.

PLANNING SHEET WITH CHINA FACTS - DUE MONDAY!

.

SCOOPer READING: Everyone met their 2nd trimester goals! Yipee!

Our celebration will be Thursday, March 19th.

Third Trimester goal sheets and packets.....students get them on Friday, March 6th!

.

VOCAB CLUB: March words due before spring break.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

Chapter 19 "Plane and Solid Figures"

Lessons 19.1, 19.2, 19.4, 19.6 are the lessons we are covering.

There will be a QUEST (stands for quiz/test) on MONDAY, MARCH 16th!

The Week of March 2, 2009

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

~No school Monday - Casmir Pulaski Holiday

~ISAT testing in math and reading this week.

I am asking for contributions for healthy snacks and drinks...thanks!

~Parent/teacher conferences = week of March 9th

.

.

SCIENCE: Quest (quiz/test) on Tuesday on Light. (This is the last grade in science that will count towards Trimester 2).

We are not starting a new unit next week.

.

Social Studies: We are finishing Chapter 9. We will be learning about the last battle of the American Revolution (Yorktown) and the official document that ended the war (Treaty of Paris).

The test date is probably Tuesday, March 10th.

This test will count as a 3rd trimester grade.

.

T.G.F.D: The students have a sheet to discuss with you and it needs a parent signature.

Due Thursday.....T.G.F.D. grade will be part of Trimester 3 grades.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-SPELLING-LANGUAGE ARTS:

.

ISAT Testing this week....if you can donate a healthy snack/juice drink it would be appreciated! It's a great energy boost! Thanks!

.

SPELLING: None this week due to ISAT testing.....The next lesson will count as Trimester 3 grade.

.

READING: We are learning about CHINA as a nonfiction genre. We will be taking notes and using several comprehension skills during our reading and researching!

.

LANGUAGE ARTS: We finished our expository writing about an individual who has made an impact on our lives. The students submitted these in a contest at a local bank. We will announce Prairieview Winners when we get the results.

I hope your child involved you in the writing process and that they shared their final copy with you.

We will be doing integrated language arts activities with reading this week.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

ISAT TESTING will take most of our time this week.

We are not beginning a new chapter. During any extra, non-testing time, we will be doing some fun problem solving and logic activities.

.

If you can send in a healthy snack/juice drink for an energy boost with ISAT testing, it would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

The Week of February23, 2009

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

Important dates:

~Project Challenge = Tues, 2/24

~Spring Picture Day - Thurs, 2/ 26, 2009
All students will be photographed. Please notify your student's teacher if you do not want an individual portrait taken of your child. Look Before You Buy: Send no money now - View your portraits before you buy.Your finished portrait package will be sent home for review. Simply return any un-used portrait sheets with your payment.

~NO SCHOOL -Casmir Pulaski Holiday -Mon. March 2

~ISAT WEEK begins Tuesday, March 3rd

~Conference week - Monday, March 9th

.

.

I am asking for snacks for ISAT week. Please send individual juice drinks (Capri Sun, Juicy-Juice etc.) and or an individually wrapped healthy snack (pretzels, fruit snacks, cereal bars, goldfish crackers) I will put these out for the 4 days of testing.

Thanks for your help!

.

.

SCIENCE: Chapter 17 Lesson 2 light. We are taking notes on an outline as we read from our textbooks.

.

T.G.F.D. This is week 7 of 10. The students do not have an assignment due this week.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Chapter 9 Lesson 2 "Patriots at War" and Lesspm 3 "The World Turned Upside Down"

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-LANGUAGE ARTS-SPELLING CLASS:

.
I am asking for snacks for ISAT week. Please send individual juice drinks (Capri Sun, Juicy-Juice etc.) and or an individually wrapped healthy snack (pretzels, fruit snacks, cereal bars, goldfish crackers) I will put these out for the 4 days of testing.
Thanks for your help!

.

SPELLING: Lesson 24 and word of the week

.

LANGUAGE ARTS: Final copy of expository writing,,,,we will be typing them here at school on Monday and Tuesday.

.

VOCAB CLUB: 10 February words due Friday!

.

SCOOPer Reading: Second trimester book goals are due Friday!

.

READING: continuing ISAT practice.....We are reading a fiction and non-fiction selection and going over multiple choice questions that require application of various reading skills.

We are also refining our "extended response" answers to a passage.

We will end the week by having some more fun with figurative language "PERSONIFICATION"!

.

LAKEVIEW I.M.C. VISIT = WEDNESDAY

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

CHAPTER 18 GEOMETRY TEST = MONDAY, FEB.23

We will then be practicing a variety of math skills to prepare for our ISAT tests.

The Week of February 16, 2009

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

.

No school Monday = President's Day!

Congratulations Nikitha for doing an excellent job in the Spelling Bee!

Thanks to the great Valentine's Day helpers!

UPCOMING EVENTS....ISAT week March 2nd!

.

T.G.F.D. = assignment due Thursday. The students are to discuss the sheet with one or both parent(s) and get a parent signature.

.

SCIENCE = Unit E - Chapter 17 Lesson 2 Light

Light energy, light waves, absorbtion, reflection & refraction will be covered this week.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES = continuing Chapter 9....L2 - We will be doing a special letter writing activity with When Washington Crossed the Delaware.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING - ENGLISH - SPELLING CLASS:

.

SPELLING = Lesson 23 and word of the week

.

ENGLISH = Expository Writing - We have finished our planning "step" sheet for our expository writing. I have encouraged each student to have a conference with a parent with their planning sheet. The students are writing about a person who has had an impact on their life. Their final piece will be submitted in a contest. Ask your child to see the sheet about the contest.

Introduction - This is due Tuesday! The introduction needs to grab the reader's attention and focus on the topic. The children have a great sample sheet to help them!

.

READING = ISAT preparation.....extended response and multiple choice!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

GEOMETRY....Vocab quiz on Tuesday! The students need to study their geometry words from their packets!

Circles-Congruent and Similar Figures-Symmetry will all be covered this week.

Friday = Homework sheet and Chapter 18 review.

Monday, 2/23 = Chapter 18 GEOMETRY Test!

The Week of February 9, 2009

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

.

THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL PARENT CHAPERONES WHO ATTENDED THE NAPER SETTLEMENT FIELD TRIP!!!!

.

VALENTINE'S DAY = We are celebrating this by passing out appropriate valentines and having a classroom party. Valentines are only to be passed out to students in our homeroom. Your child may give a valentine to another teacher or adult.

If you choose to pass out valentines, everyone in our class needs to receive one. Valentines that include candy are allowed. The candy will be enjoyed at home.

PARTY HELPERS = Mrs. Fisher, Mrs. Soderstrom, Mrs. Villa, & Mrs. Aguilera are in charge of games/activities and attending the party!! Thanks to all of you!

.

snacks, napkins & plates = Mrs. Fortin and Mrs. Hegarty (Thanks)

.

drinks = Mrs. Stoppelman (Thanks)

.

HELP NEEDED.....HELP NEEDED.....HELP NEEDED.....

We are almost out of disinfecting wipes that we use to clean our desks.

Please send in a container or two.....thanks a million!!!!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES = Patriot/Loyalist project due on Monday, Feb. 9th

Chapter 8 Test is Tuesday, Feb. 10th

We beging Chapter 9 "Winning the Revolution" lesson 1

.

SCIENCE = Sound test = Thursday

.

T.G.F.D. = Homework assignment due Thursday with parent signature

.

PROJECT CHALLENGE meets this Tuesday, Feb. 10th

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-ENGLISH-SPELLING:

.

SPELLING = Lesson 22 and word of the week

.

ENGLISH = Persuasive writing final copies have been completed.

Expository Writing is next! We will start by looking at different expository pieces and the elements of expository writing.

By the end of the week, your child will be assigned a topic and have their "step" planning sheet.

.

VOCAB CLUB = February words due at the end of the month.

.

SCOOPer Reading = Feb. 27th is the due date for our 2nd trimester goals.

.

READING = Structural pattersns of Informational (Expository) Text and reviewing literary elements and themes. We will be using our ISAT workbooks for these skill lessons.

.

LAKEVIEW BOOK CHECKOUT = Wednesday!

.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

Chapter 12 FRACTION test is Tuesday, Feb. 10th. Students were given this test date over a week ahead of time!!!

Next, we start Chapter 18 GEOMETRY!!! There are a lot of vocabulary words to know, learn, and apply.

The Week of February 2, 2009

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

SPELLING BEE: Congratulations to Megan & Nakitha for winning our homeroom spelling bee!

They will compete in the 5th grade spelling bee on Tuesday @ 9:45! GOOD LUCK!!

.

FIELD TRIP: Wednesday we are going to Naper Settlement to experience life in the 1800s!

Our chaperones are: Mrs. Lippi, Mrs. Kirkolis, Mrs. Meyer, and Mrs. Soderstrom. A big thanks to all of them for volunteering.

~SACK LUNCH!!

~DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR WEATHER!!

.

T.G.F.D. Week 3 with Deputy K. Remember, assignments are counted for science grade!

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Patriot/Loyalist final copy of the entire project (Lessons 1-3) is due Monday, Feb. 9th.

Chapter 8 Test is scheduled for Tuesday, February 10th.

.

SCIENCE: Chapter 17 Sound

Echoes, sound transmission, and how animals hear and make sounds will be covered this week.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-ENGLISH-SPELLING CLASS:

.

SPELLING: Lesson 21 and word of the week

.

ENGLISH: Persuasive writing! Your child has begun writing their first draft.

This week we will be writing our introduction and conclusion and start revising.

.

READING: Toliver's Secret end of book project, a setting corner, is due Monday.

We will be working on "purpose for reading" with our ISAT skill books.

.

VOCAB CLUB: January words were due Fri. 1/30. Students should now be working on their 10 February words.

.

SCOOPer reading: What enthusiastic readers we have!! Have your child tell you about the book they are reading......Keep reading!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

Chapter 12 Fractions........this week we will cover lesson 12.5 "comparing and ordering fractions and mixed numbers, and lesson 12.7 "fractions & decimals"

We will be finishing the chapter this week and testing next week.

The Week of January 26, 2009

Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

.

SPELLING BEE 2009 = Students have received word lists. We had our homeroom practice spellling bee this past Thursday . The homeroom final spelling bee which we will have 2 winners is Tuesday, January, 27th. The 5th grade spelling bee which the 2 homeroom winners will represent our class is Tuesday, Feb. 3rd!
.

TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS (TGFD) = Deputy Kotovsky held our second session this past Thursday. The students have a homework assignment that requires family participation. The top part of the sheet needs to be turned in this Thursday with a parent signature.
*Your child will receive a grade in science for their participation in this program.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES = Loyalist/Patriot final copies for Chapter 8 - Lesson 1 topics is due Tuesday. We will be writing and completing the Loyalist/Patriot paragraphs for Chapter 8 -Lesson 2 this week. The Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and Intolerable Acts are the events that the students will be covering from the two different viewpoints.

We will also be starting Chapter 8 - Lesson 3 which covers Paul Revere, the "Shot Heard Around the World, and the Battle of Bunker Hill.

.

SCIENCE = Sound - Chapter 17

We will be learning about soundwaves, sound energy!

Mr. Tedeschi is going to be doing a special demonstration with our class to help us learn about pitch and frequency!

.

PROJECT CHALLENGE meets on Tuesday, January 27th!

.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-SPELLING-LANGUAGE ARTS CLASS:

.

SPELLING = Lesson 20 and word of the week.

.

LANGUAGE ARTS = Persuasive Writing......The students will be given a list of topics to choose their persuasive topic. The students will then plan their paper using a "step" graphic organizer.

.

READING= Toliver's Secret book club discussion sheet for pages 55 - 106 is due Monday.

The final book club discussion sheet and reading assignment will be due Wednesday.

The students will be assigned an end of the book activity, a setting corner, later in the week.

.

SCOOPER READING= We are halfway through the trimester which means that students should be halfway through the goal they set for our independent reading program.

.

VOCAB CLUB = January words are due on or before Friday!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

Chapter 12 Fractions!! We will be covering lessons 12.1 - 12.4 which includes equivalent fractions, simplest form, and mixed numbers.

Homework sheet - Friday, January 30th

QUIZ - Friday, January 30th

The Week of January 19, 2009

NO SCHOOL - MONDAY, JANUARY 19TH in observance of Martin Luther King holiday

RED, WHITE, & BLUE DAY = Tuesday for the INAUGURATION of Barak Obama!

.

MISS TREFONAS'S HOMEROOM:

.

SPELLING BEE 2009 = Students will receive word lists on Tuesday. Our homeroom practice spellling bee is scheduled for Thursday 1/22. Homeroom final spelling bee which we will have 2 winners is Tuesday 1/27. More information will be shared about the 5th grade bee and school spelling bee.......

In our homeroom, we will be watching an inspirational movie The Girl who Spelled Freedom.

This movie deals with achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. It's based on a true story of a Cambodian refugee who ends up participating in the National Spelling Bee.

.

TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS (TGFD) = Deputy Kotovsky held our first session Thursday, 1/15.

He sent home a parent letter with your child explaining this age-appropriate abuse prevention curriculum.

Your child will receive a grade in science for their participation in this program.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are learning about the First Continental Congress and will be continuing our Patriot/Loyalist project. Have your child share their rough draft from Chapter 8, Lesson 1.

SCIENCE: We are not starting a new unit this week.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING - ENGLISH - SPELLING :

.

SPELLING: Lesson 19 and word of the week

.

ENGLISH = Persuasive Writing......We will begin looking at persuasive text and the elements of a persuasive piece of writing.

.

READING =
"Toliver's Secret" is the novel we will be using for Book Clubs. We will be going over making connections to self, another text, or another wordly event. We will also be applying the strategies of summarizing, questioning, and predicting.
This novel is historical fiction and extends what is being learned about the American Revolution in social studies.
.
SCOOPer Reading = continue to read and work on book activities....
.
VOCAB CLUB= January words are due at the end of the month.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.
Unit 11 Fraction Concepts - We have finished Lesson 1, multiples & least common multiple

Lesson 2, Divisibility Rules, and Lesson 3 Factors & Greatest Common Factor.

During class on Friday, I went over exactly what to review for Lessons 1-3 with the class.

Notes and the divisibility notesheet will be allowed for the quiz.

.

Lesson 4 Prime & Composite Numbers = Tuesday

.

QUIZ ON LESSONS 1-4 = WEDNESDAY & Homework sheet

STAY WARM,

MISS TREFONAS

The Week of January 12. 2009

.

The Week of January 12th in Miss Trefonas's Homeroom:

.

IOWA Tests of Basic Skills are this week. The students will be completing the reading and math tests in their reading and math classrooms. I'd like to provide a healthy snack to the class on testing days. If you can contribute an individually wrapped snack, (cereal bars, fruit snacks, graham crackers, Goldfish or cheese crackers, and/or Capri Sun or another juice drink) it would be greatly appreciated!! THANKS!!!

.

T.G.F.D. = Too Good For Drugs! Your child will be involved in a ten week program which takes place in our classroom and is instructed by Deputy K. who is a Dupage Sheriff officer.Our first session is Thursday, January 15th. Your child will be bringing home information that tells all about the program. There is weekly homework that involves family participation.
This counts as a participation grade for Science/Health!

.

SCIENCE = Chapter 15 We are on the last lesson "How Do People Use Energy Resources".

How to Study sheet will be filled out Tuesday and we will hilight notes.

CHAPTER 15 TEST is FRIDAY. *There will be less of a homework load this week due to IOWA testing, so there should be more than ample time for quality study time.

.

SOCIAL STUDIES = Chapter 8 Lesson 2 "The Colonists Rebel & The Boston Massacre"

.

MISS TREFONAS'S READING-ENGLISH-SPELLING CLASS:

.

IOWA Tests of Basic Skills are the week of January 12th. The students will be completing the reading and language arts tests in their reading classroom. I'd like to provide a healthy snack to the class on testing days. If you can contribute an individually wrapped snack, (cereal bars, fruit snacks, graham crackers, Goldfish or cheese crackers, and/or Capri Sun or another juice drink) it would be greatly appreciated!! THANKS!!!

.

SPELLING = None this week due to IOWA testing!

.

ENGLISH = Persuasive Writing......We will begin looking at persuasive text and the elements of a persuasive piece of writing.

.

READING = Analogies and Idioms!

"Toliver's Secret" is the novel we will be using for Book Clubs. We will be going over making connections to self, another text, or another wordly event. We will also be applying the strategies of summarizing, questioning, and predicting.

This novel is historical fiction and extends what is being learned about the American Revolution in social studies.

.

SCOOPer Reading = continue to read and work on book activities....

.

VOCAB CLUB= January words are due at the end of the month.

.

MISS TREFONAS'S MATH CLASS:

.

IOWA Tests of Basic Skills are the week of January 12th. The students will be completing the math testing in their math classroom. I'd like to provide a healthy snack to the class on testing days. If you can contribute an individually wrapped snack, (cereal bars, fruit snacks, graham crackers, Goldfish or cheese crackers, and/or Capri Sun or another juice drink) it would be greatly appreciated!! THANKS!!!

.

We are skipping to CHAPTER 11 "Fraction Concepts"

Multiples, least common multiple, divisibility rules, and greatest common factor are what is being covered this week. These concepts will require some review/reinforcement at home.

MISS TREFONAS