Week of 9/27/10 - 10/1/10

Where did the week go? In the blink of an eye, Friday is here (in this case, Thursday) and I am writing my blog. Next week also starts the fabulous month of October. Amazing... Please remember that Tuesday is the last day to turn in magazine orders. They are a great value and help the school tremendously. It is entirely a win-win situation!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 5 (review words;) pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Final test on Friday.

English: Chapter 2 and nouns were introduced on Thursday. This week we will continue our study, specifically common and proper nouns and singular and plural nouns.

Core Reading: We will be understanding generalizations in text and recognizing the difference between fact and opinion.

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
This week we will focus on the skills of generalizing and fact vs. opinion. We'll visit Alaska with our read aloud called Wild Alaska and enjoy another story from our textbook entitled Grizzly Bear Family Book. Author generalizations will be identified by the students as they read the various selections this week.

Social Studies: This week, we'll learn about the first successful British colony, Jamestown. The students will make a Jamestown study guide. This is the section of the textbook where we meet Pocahontas, John Rolfe, and John Smith.

Science: Has your child told you about the owl pellets yet? Well, this is the week for the actual and virtual dissection. Get ready!!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
This week we will start Chapter 3 which focuses on division, specifically estimating and dividing using one digit divisors, interpreting remainders, and zeros in division. Today's homework for the weekend is PRACTICE MATH FACTS!! I've included a couple sites.
http://www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/multiplication.html
http://www.thegreatmartinicompany.com/multiplication.html

Important Dates:
9/24 – Teacher Institute (no school)
9/28 – Last magazine turn-in day
9/30 – Picture day

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 9/20/10-9/24/10

I'm happy to report we had a very busy and productive week. The students took their first social studies and science tests (and lived to tell about it!) Please make sure to check your child's grades from time to time and email me if you ever have a question or concern.

An important note from Mrs. Cushing: The PE study guide for the soccer test went home Friday. Have you seen it yet? If not, please ask your child about it. The PE soccer test will be Wednesday. Please help your child review for this test.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 4 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Final test on Thursday since Friday is a day off for the students.

English: The test on Chapter 1 will be on Tuesday. We will review for the test using the homework the students were given on Friday. The study of nouns will begin on Thursday.

Core Reading: This week our core reading group will continue word work with prefixes, suffixes, and roots.

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
After studying tall tales using Paul Bunyon, John Henry, and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, the students will start to write their own tall tales using similes, metaphors, and their imaginations! Ask your child about the characters we met this week!

Social Studies: The tests for chapter 4 have been graded and entered in grade book. We are ready to start Chapter 5 which begins with the lost colony of Roanoke. What a mystery that is!! We'll also read about another battle, the Battle of the Spanish Armada.

Science: After a very successful science test this week on our first chapter, we are going to take a break from the text book and study owl pellets. This is a great introduction to our next unit, Ecosystems. This week we will learn exactly what an owl pellet is and why we study them. We'll dissect them the week of 9/27.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
The students have been multiplying like crazy this week. We'll be finishing up the chapter on Monday with a short review quiz on lessons 4-6 on Tuesday. Another review day will follow on Wednesday with the Chapter 2 test on Thursday. Please practice those important multiplication facts with your child! I've included a couple links that might help.
http://www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/multiplication.html
http://www.thegreatmartinicompany.com/multiplication.html

Important Dates:
9/24 – Teacher Institute (no school)
9/30 – Picture day

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 9/13/10 - 9/17/10

I always feel like the four day weeks are jam packed and very busy. Next week will be a nice, normal five-day week. I hope your child is feeling comfortable here in fifth grade. If you have any concerns, please let me know. It was great speaking to so many of you at Curriculum Night. If you were unable to attend and sign up for a conference, please email me and I will put you on the schedule.

Make sure you check your child's backpack this coming week for the packet regarding our magazine drive. This is a huge fundraiser for our district and we all appreciate your support.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 3 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Final test on Friday.

English: We will finish our chapter by learning about conjunctions and run-on sentences. We took a trip to “Conjunction Junction” today. We will review the chapter toward the end of the week and early the following week with a test on Tuesday, 9/21.

Reading: This week, our core reading group will focus on the skill of affixes and roots. An affix is a small word part that can be added to the beginning, middle, or end of a root word. Students will learn the meaning of various affixes and how to put them together with a root word. They will then apply this skill to find the definition of both familiar and unfamiliar words in context.

Our skill - based reading groups will begin on Monday. Students will find out Monday morning who their skill - based reading teacher is. During skill based reading we will be using Tall Tales to practice visualization and to look at story structure.

Social Studies: A test on Chapter 4 will be on Friday, 9/17. We will complete a “How to Study” sheet prior to the test to help the students study properly. A “postcard from Tenochtitlan” will also be created this week.

Science: There will be a test on Chapter 1 on Thursday, 9/16. Watch out for a list of study topics and also a “How to Study” sheet.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We have already completed an entire chapter on place value and will be starting Chapter 2 on Monday. This chapter is all about multiplication, starting with patterns in multiples and estimating products. After getting through the first 3 lessons, the students should be prepared for a short quiz on Thursday. Students should also be practicing their multiplication facts because we will start taking timed mixes starting on Monday. My suggestion to you would be to use flash cards with your child or find a good computer game using fast facts. Proficiency in multiplication facts is essential for math success!

Important Dates:
9/13 – Magazine drive kick off

9/16 - Lakeview Band performs at PV (recruitment concert)
9/24 – Teacher Institute (no school)

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 9/6/10 - 9/10/10

We have completed our first full week of curriculum work. I have already added some grades, so please make sure to check your child's grades frequently. Curriculum night is Tuesday, September 7th from 6:30-7:30. The presentation will begin in the multipurpose room with Mrs. Schultz. You will have an opportunity to sign up for first trimester conferences in our classroom.


Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 2 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Final test on Friday.

English: We will continue to learn about simple subjects and simple predicates. Did you know that in an imperative sentence, the subject is always “you?” Mr. Morton helped us with subjects and on Friday we will take a trip to Conjunction Junction. Ask you child about it!

Reading: This week in reading we will be focusing on context clues. The students will learn how to identify words within the context of a story.


Social Studies: We will finish our lesson on the Aztecs and the Spanish conquistadors by listing the advantages each had in battle. Lesson 3 “Life in New Spain” will then be read and discussed. A test on Chapter 4 will be on Friday, 9/17. We will complete a “How to Study” sheet prior to the test to help the students study properly.

Science: We are still in the "Getting Ready for Science" chapter and will read and discuss Lessons 2 & 3 this week on inquiry skills. There will be a test on Chapter 1 on Thursday, 9/16.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
I have really been enjoying my math class! The students have been getting their homework done and asking good questions, when necessary. This week we will review, review, review! After some problem solving using the “working backward” method, the students will take a practice “pretest” which we will grade together. This will give them a good idea what they need to study and what they already know pretty well. The chapter 1 test will be Thursday.



Important Dates:
9/6 – Labor Day (no school)
9/7 – Curriculum Night for 4th and 5th grades (6:30-7:30)
9/24 – Teacher Institute (no school)

Have a wonderful 3-day weekend! Mrs. Klacza