Week of 2/28/11 - 3/4/11

This week the students will be taking the ISAT tests. Please make sure your child gets a good night's sleep every night and eats a healthy breakfast before coming to school.

The 5th grade ISAT schedule:

Tuesday 3/1, Wednesday 3/2, and Thursday 3/3

Math - 8:15 - 9:30

Reading - 9:45 - 11:00

Third trimester officially begins this week and our late work policy changes.
Third Trimester Late Policy:
1 day late - minus 25%

More than 1 day late until test is taken - minus 50%

After unit test is taken - a zero is entered in the grade book

REPORT CARDS are issued on Tuesday.
CONFERENCES are being held this week.

Please mark your calendars for March 15th for the Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAPS scores.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
Monday we will be learning about the use of personification and how it makes reading and writing more interesting! The rest of the week the students will be taking ISAT tests during reading time.

Spelling: There will be no spelling assignment or test this week due to ISATs.

English: This week we will focus on our expository writing skills and, as stated last week, start our “Me Front Page” project. Students should bring in an 8 x 10 picture of themselves. A school picture works nicely. If you don't have one that large, I can try to enlarge a smaller picture.

Social Studies: Tuesday will be our chapter 9 test. We will review on Monday. I do not plan to start chapter 10 until the week of 3/7.

Science: We will finish up lesson 2 on the various forms of energy this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
There will be a quiz on chapter 4, lessons 5-8, on Monday. We will take a “review” quiz first and the students will be allowed to use their notes for the actual quiz. We will also go over the ISAT packet they should be working on over the weekend. I told the students to try each problem and if they don't know how to get the correct answer, they need to take an education guess.

Important Dates:
February 28 – March 3 – Conference week

March 1 -- Report Cards
March 4 – Day off (conferences)
March 7 – Day off (Pulaski Day)

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 2/21/11 - 2/25/11

Thank you to the moms who planned and ran our terrific Valentine's Day party. Thank you, also, to those moms and dads who provided delicious treats and drinks. The children had a great time! The Argonne trip was also a huge success. Did you ask your child about it?

ISAT testing is the week of February 28th.
The 5th grade schedule:
Tuesday 3/1, Wednesday 3/2, and Thursday 3/3
Math - 8:15 - 9:30
Reading - 9:45 - 11:00

If you would be able to help me out, I could sure use some healthy snacks sent in, such as granola bars, raisins, individual bags of fruit slices, etc. Thanks!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
This week we will explore and learn to properly use figurative language, like onomatopoeia and idioms! We will be using a variety of instructional level materials.

Spelling: Lesson 21 – Pretest on Tuesday, test on Friday. Homework due on Thursday.

English: This week we will focus on our writing skills. We will improve our expository writing skills and also start our “Me Front Page” project.


Social Studies: After reading lesson 3 of chapter 9, the students will create circle books to document the important events in that chapter. The tentative test date is March 1.

Science: A “quick study” will occur on Tuesday. Remember, students may use their notes and textbooks for these quizzes. We'll then read lesson 2 on forms of energy and take our triangle notes.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Chapter 4 on Algebra continues! We will specifically study lessons 5 – 8 this week on writing and solving equations, functions, and inequalities. I will let the students know when our next quiz will be!


Important Dates:
February 21 -- President's Day -- No School
February 25 -- End of Trimester
February 28 – March 3 – Conference week
March 1 -- Report Cards
March 4 – Day off (conferences)
March 7 – Day off (Pulaski Day)

Have a wonderful 3-day weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 2/14/11 - 2/18/11

There are a few important announcements regarding our Argonne field trip on Tuesday. Please remember to send your child with a sack lunch and drink (no lunchboxes.) Everything must be disposed of after we eat lunch. Also, students must be in long pants and closed-toed shoes. I don't think that will be an issue with the weather we've been having! Our Valentine's Day party is Monday and I am really looking forward to it. Thank you to all the parents who volunteered in some way.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
This week, in order to help us succeed with our ISAT tests, we will be writing an extended response using a fictional piece. We will also be identifying character traits using a variety of instructional materials. Our textbook story is James Forten.

Spelling: Lesson 20 – Pretest on Monday, test on Friday. Homework due on Thursday.

English: Our chapter 5 test will be on Thursday. We'll review in the beginning of the week.

Social Studies: We will learn more about George Washington this week in lesson 3. Students should plan to have a test on chapter 9 sometime during the week of 2/21. I will let them know the exact date.

Science: We begin chapter 15 this week on kinetic and potential energy. We will be using a new note-taking format, triangle notes. Bill Nye will also be viewed this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Chapter 4 on Algebra continues! Lesson 3 (math properties) will be covered on Monday. A quiz on lessons 1-3 will be on Tuesday. We will then continue with the chapter for the rest of the week.

Important Dates:
February 14 – Valentine's Day parties
February 15 – Argonne Field Trip
February 21 -- President's Day -- No School

February 25 -- End of Trimester

March 1 -- Report Cards

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 2/7/11 - 2/11/11

Wow, what a crazy week this has been! I hope you enjoyed your family time and stayed nice and warm. Thank you to our wonderful staff who cleaned up our driveways and parking lots. What a pleasure it was to pull up this morning to a clean parking spot and walk into the building without slipping! District 66 is the best!!

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching. I will be sending a list for valentines home next week. Please make sure your child has a valentine for everyone, should he or she choose to pass them out. Also, there is no candy allowed; a non-food trinket is always acceptable. Thank you to all the moms who are in the planning stages for the 2/14 party.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
We are practicing writing an extended response using a nonfiction genre. This will help us succeed when taking the ISAT tests! We will be identifying cause and effect relationships using a variety of instructional materials. This week, we will continue to read Katie's Trunk in our literature books.


Spelling: Lesson 19 – Pretest on Monday, test on Friday. Homework due on Thursday.
English: We will study quotations, abbreviations, and titles this week. Our chapter 5 English test is tentatively planned for February 17.


Social Studies: I am still working on grading the webquest projects. Many are very large, so I chose to leave them at school during our blizzard. I will be getting to them slowly but surely. We will begin Chapter 9 this week, "Winning the Revolution."


Science: Our Chapter 14 Science test is planned for Wednesday. We will review on Tuesday.


Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Our Chapter 18 geometry test is Monday. After a little ISAT practice, we will plunge into Chapter 4, Algebra.

Important Dates:
February 14 – Valentine's Day parties
February 15 – Argonne Field Trip
February 21 -- President's Day -- No School
February 25 -- End of Trimester
March 1 -- Report Cards

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza