Week of 3/1/10 - 3/5/10

ISAT WEEK IS THIS WEEK!! Please remember to send a nutritious snack to school each day with your child. These tests make them hungry!! Also, a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast is imperative every day, but especially ISAT week.

I will be sending home conference confirmation forms very soon. Please watch your child's binder for them. I look forward to meeting with many of you the week of March 8.

On a happy note, I will officially gain my Masters degree in Reading and Literacy on Tuesday when I present my portfolio to the adminstrators at Benedictine University. It will be so nice to go home after school and not have to worry about homework! I hope all the knowledge I've gleaned from my studies makes me a better teacher to your children.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: We will take a break from Spelling this week due to ISATs.

Reading: We will be reviewing all the reading strategies used in reading for preparation during the ISATs. Also, Tuesday is the last day I will accept book reports for our reading program. This project does count toward the reading grade and there will also be a reading party for all “goal meeters.”

Language Arts: Our expository writing has been coming along nicely. I hope we can use all we've learned during the writing portion of the ISATs. We will get back into our textbooks the week of March 8.

Social Studies: We will begin Lesson 3 entitled “The World Turned Upside Down.” We will make circle books as our note taking tools. Tentative test date for Chapter 9 is March 9.

Science: We have a test on Chapter 11 coming up on Wednesday! We will then take a break from Science until the week of March 8.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
ISAT Testing. We have been working so hard on so many math concepts, I hope we can keep them all straight! Let's work hard and do our best!!

Important Notes:

3/1 – Pulaski Day – no school
Week of 3/2 – ISAT testing
Week of 3/8 – Conferences (those requested by teachers/parents)

3/23 - Tools for Schools field trip

Have a great, long weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 2/22/10 - 2/26/10

We only have one more week until ISAT's! Please remember to send a snack to school each day with your child. The tests make them hungry!! Also, a good night sleep and a healthy breakfast is imperative every day, but especially ISAT week. Also, please make sure to fill out the conference request form that went home on Wednesday, even if you don't feel you need a conference. As soon as those start arriving, I will schedule the times.

An important message from the office: Thursday, February 25, 2010 is Spring Picture Day - Look before you buy. Send no money now - see your portraits first. Your finished portrait package will be sent home for your review. Simply return any un-used portrait sheets with your payment. All students will be photographed. Please notify your student's teacher if you do not want an individual portrait taken of your child. Additional Flyer will be sent home with your child on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Please check their backpacks.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 22 - the prefix “com.” Pretest Monday/Final test Friday.

Reading: We will work in our ISAT workbooks this week, focusing on answering multiple choice questions and writing extended responses.

Language Arts: Expository writing continues this week. We will be writing about what we would do if we were the President. I squeezed another expository in before our president paper, just for extra practice :)

Social Studies: We continue Chapter 9 this week, specifically focusing on George Washington and his accomplishments during and after the American Revolution.

Science: We will read and take notes on Lesson 3 which deals with weather patterns. An open book assessment on Lesson 3 will occur on Thursday and I'm planning a test on Chapter 11 for Tuesday, 3/2.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We'll finish up Chapter 18 this week with symmetry. Pretest will be Tuesday and the final test on Wednesday. We've been preparing and will continue to prepare for ISAT's throughout the week and will really focus on expended response writing on Thursday and Friday.

Important Notes:
3/1 – Pulaski Day – no school
Week of 3/2 – ISAT testing
Week of 3/8 – Conferences (those requested by teachers/parents)

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 2/15/10 - 2/19/10

A great big thank you to my wonderful moms for running a wonderful Valentine's Day party! We had a ball and the students and I appreciate your hard work. Please remember there is no school on Monday for President's Day. Enjoy the 3-day weekend everyone.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 21 “ei” words. Pretest Tuesday/Final test Friday.

Reading: Since we've finished the “Voices of the Revolution” section of our reading textbook, I'd like to focus on ISAT preparation this week and next. We will specifically focus on reading passages and answering multiple choice questions. Some strategies have been discussed so we can perfect our skills! We may be reading some leveled readers, also.

Language Arts: We've begun expository writing. The students have been writing their first attempt about a place in the world they would like to visit. This week we will be writing about what we would do if we were the President.

Social Studies: We will start Chapter 9 this week entitled “Winning the Revolution;” specifically, we will learn about the Declaration of Independence.

Science: This week we will continue to read Lesson 2 about the water cycle and clouds and precipitation. There will be an open note/book assessment on Wednesday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Our first geometry quiz on Lessons 1-4 will be on Tuesday. We will then move on to Lesson 5, circles, and lots of ISAT preparation. It looks like I'll be testing on Chapter 18 the week of 2/22.

Important Notes:

2/15 – President's Day – no school
3/1 – Pulaski Day – no school
Week of 3/2 – ISAT testing
Week of 3/8 – Conferences (those requested by teachers/parents - a note should be coming

home soon!)

Have a great, long weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 2/8/10 - 2/12/10

As we quickly move through the second trimester, I'd like to remind you all to check out your child's grades on line. There is still time to boost some of those grades that may not be as good as they were a few weeks ago...

Soon it will be Valentine's Day and we'll be celebrating on Friday! The class list for valentines went home this week. We will be enjoying a wonderful party; a note from the office reminds us that we can only have water as our party drink. The small bottles would be perfect! We will also be having a “great behavior” party on Tuesday with healthy snacks and a movie. Do you think we can fill the marble jar again before fifth grade is over? We'll see...

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 20 -ary words. Pretest Monday/Final test Friday.

Reading: We continue connecting using our basal readers and will have an open book quiz on Monday on the story Katie's Trunk. We will then move on to James Forten, another story occurring during the American Revolution.

Language Arts: Test Tuesday on Verbs!! Then on to Expository writing.

Social Studies: I've seen some wonderful webquest projects, wow! I'm impressed!! We will work on a “letters home” activity this week (pretending we are colonists writing to our relatives back home in England.)

Science: There will be an open note/book assessment on lesson 1 on Tuesday. We will then move on to the water cycle and clouds and precipitation.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:

We will move on to Chapter 18 this week which covers geometry. Of course, ISAT practice will be mixed in to make life interesting!!

Important Notes:

2/11 – Family Book Night
2/12 – Valentine's Day celebration (end of day)
2/15 – President's Day – no school

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza