Klacza Klips

Week of 1/30/12 - 2/3/12

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Argonne field trip permission slips will be coming home on Monday. They will be due back to me by Friday. The field trip for our class will be 2/16.

An important message from the office: Somehow, some parents have a copy of the unadopted calendar. Friday, February 17, was originally scheduled as a Teacher Institute-- that is not the case any longer. We will be in school that day. We do have a Teachers' Institute on Tuesday, March 20. Also, Friday, May 18, (not Thursday, May 17th) is another Early Dismissal/SIP Day. The correct calendar is on the website on the left under "calendars" -- "11/12 School Year"; this is the calendar that was adopted & revised on June 14, 2011

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 19 – Pretest Monday, practice sheet due Tuesday. Homework due Thursday and test on Friday.

English: We have started our “Me Front Page” activity which will use the 7 traits of writing. The lead story will be typed this week and is written in the third person, as if a reporter were writing about the student.

Reading: We will be identifying cause and effect relationships using a variety of instructional materials. This week, we will read Katie's Trunk in our literature books.

Social Studies: We will finish chapter 8 this week. Our puzzle pieces on Paul Revere, Lexington-Concord, and Bunker Hill are due Monday. The test is on Friday. On Wednesday, I will be introducing my “webquest” activity. The students will have an opportunity to search the web and choose a project from a long list pertaining to the American Revolution. Much of this will have to be done at home, but there will be time at school offered to the children, too. Hopefully, they will use their time wisely! They will have an entire week to finish this project. Students in the past have found this activity to be very enjoyable.

Science: Chapter 15, Forms of Energy, will be completed this week. We will read and take notes on lesson 4, have a quick study on Wednesday, and the test on Monday, 2/6.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: After a fun symmetry project on Monday, we will start chapter 4, Algebra. This week we will focus on writing and evaluating algebraic expressions and also the math properties. A quick quiz on lessons 1-3 will follow on Friday.

Important Dates:

February 1 – Great America Read to Succeed program ends
February 14 – Valentine's Day (party)
February 16 – Argonne Field Trip

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/23/12 - 1/27/12

2012-01-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

As we anticipate another snowstorm, please check out all of our assignments and activities for the coming week. Don't forget... Early dismissal is on Wednesday.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 18 – Pretest Monday, practice sheet due Tuesday. Homework due Thursday and test on Friday.

English: There will be a pronouns test on Monday. Later in the week we will start our “Me Front Page” activity which will use the 7 traits of writing.

Reading: This week, we continue our focus on the skill Author's Viewpoint. This skill provides excellent practice in using the text to support answers to comprehension questions. Our story is And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? which ties in nicely with our social studies curriculum! We will also be reviewing the familiar skill of prediction as well. Lastly, we'll work on our extended responses.

Social Studies: We will continue chapter 8 this week. We will focus on Paul Revere and his famous ride and Lexington-Concord and Bunker Hill. Tentative test date for chapter 8 is Friday, 2/3.

Science: Lesson 3, the transfer of heat, is our next lesson. We'll take some notes and finish the week with a quick study.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will finish up chapter 18, geometry. We'll be specifically studying congruent and similar figures and symmetry. Our test is planned for Friday, 1/27.

Important Dates:

January 24 -- District Spelling Bee
January 25 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal
February 1 – Great America Read to Succeed program ends

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/16/12 - 1/20/12

2012-01-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

What a crazy weather week we've had! I personally prefer the warmth, but I knew it was bound to change sooner or later. Congratulations to Anupama and John for winning our classroom spelling bee! On to the 5^th grade bee on Wednesday. We wish them luck!

Please make sure you read the parent traffic alert that went out earlier this week, especially now with all the snow and ice on the ground. We need to keep our children safe!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 17 – Pretest Tuesday, practice sheet due Wednesday. Homework due Thursday and test on Friday.

English: We will be finishing up our Pronouns unit this week. Our last lesson is using we and us with nouns. Our test on chapter 6 is Monday, 1/23.

Reading: This week, we begin our focus on the skill Author's Viewpoint. In this skill, students will identify how the author feels about the topic they are writing about, as well as indicate words, phrases, or sentences in the text that help to "reveal" this viewpoint. This skill provides excellent practice in using the text to support their answers. We will also be reviewing the familiar skill of prediction as well. Our story this week is And then What Happened, Paul Revere?

Social Studies: We will continue chapter 8 this week. Did your child tell you about The King's Gold game that we played? I hope they understand how it feels to be taxed unfairly and with no representation. We'll be reading about the Boston Massacre this week.

Science: Lesson 2, types of energy, is our next lesson. We'll take some more triangle notes and finish the week with a quick study.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Our focus will be chapter 18, geometry. We'll be specifically studying points, lines, and angles before a quiz which is planned for Friday, 1/20.

Important Dates:

January 16 -- M.L. King Holiday -- No School
January 16 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- TGIFriday's
January 18 – 5^th Grade Spelling Bee
January 25 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal (11:00)
February 1 – Great America Read to Succeed program ends

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/9/12 -1/13/12

2012-01-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! It's great to be back at school after the long, restful break. I was in Disneyworld with my family, not sure how restful that was... We are ready to start 2012!

This past week was our first session of T.G.F.D. which stands for Too Good For Drugs. This is a substance abuse prevention curriculum. There will be a total of 10 lessons that focus on the dangerous substances that are used widely by young people. There will be homework going home that needs to be done with a family member. Ask your child about it! Deputy Seward will be facilitating this program for the 5th grade. Also, we will be taking our MAPs tests on Monday and Thursday. Children are reminded to get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast and lunch, concentrate, and relax.

Please be advised that it is Prairieview's turn to volunteer for Market Day and this Saturday is our first time. If you can help, please report to Lakeview at 8:00 a.m. Thanks so much.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 16 – Pretest Monday, practice sheet due Tuesday. Homework due Thursday and test on Friday.

English: We will continue our chapter on pronouns this week, specifically possessive pronouns, contractions with pronouns, and double subjects. Tentative date for test is Monday, 1/23.

Reading: This week we will continue focusing on identifying main ideas and details and using them to summarize a text. We have been reading The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home and practicing picking out the main idea and details in this non fiction story.

Social Studies: We will continue chapter 8 this week. The colonists are angry with King George III because he has been taxing them. They say “no taxation without representation!” We will be playing “The King's Gold” on Thursday so students can get a good idea of what the colonists were experiencing.

Science: This week we will begin chapter 15 on Energy. We will specifically focus on kinetic and potential energy. A quick study on the first lesson will be on Friday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Students will be taking MAPs tests on Monday and Thursday of this week so we have to eliminate math. However, we have pretty much wrapped up chapter 24 and after reviewing on Tuesday, a test will be taken on Wednesday.

Important Dates:

January 7 – Market Day at LV; Prairieview hosts
January 9 & 12 – MAPs testing (Reading/Math, respectively)
January 16 -- M.L. King Holiday -- No School
January 16 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- TGIFriday's
January 25 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal
February 1 – Great America Read to Succeed program ends

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/2/12 - 1/6/12

2011-12-16T05:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you all, so very much, for the wonderful class gifts I received on Wednesday. What a wonderful surprise!! You were all so generous and I truly appreciate it.

I'd also like to thank the PTO for providing us with a fabulous appetizer spread on Wednesday for the cookie exchange and a wonderful lunch on Thursday. Thank you to all the parents who baked cookies and provided those wonderful appetizers for the cookie exchange. My family was thrilled with all the delicious treats I brought home. Finally, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season – stay safe and warm and enjoy your families; I will be enjoying mine!

This week the fifth grade "Too Good For Drugs" program will begin. Deputy Seward from the DuPage County Sheriff's Department will be coming to our class on Fridays to discuss various topics on drug prevention. A letter explaining more about the program will be sent home on Friday.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 15 – Pretest Tuesday, practice sheets due Wednesday. Homework due Thursday and test on Friday.

English: We will continue our chapter on pronouns this week, specifically using I and me properly. We will also begin learning about the 6 traits of writing.

Reading: This week we will be focusing on identifying main ideas and details and using them to summarize a text. The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home will be our story as we practice these important skills.

Social Studies: We will start chapter 8, probably the most exciting chapter of the entire year! Our first lesson is entitled “The Road to War.” The colonists are fed up with being under Britain's rule. They say, “No More Kings!” which just happens to be our first Schoolhouse Rock.

Science: Our quick study for lesson 3 will take place on Wednesday, after we go over our notes and review on Tuesday. Plan on a chapter 13 test on Friday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will begin chapter 24 this week which focuses on the area of squares, rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms. It's not a long chapter, so a test will probably happen the beginning of the following week.

Important Dates:

December 19 -- Winter Break officially begins
January 3 – Back to school after break!
January 16 -- M.L. King Holiday -- No School
January 16 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- TGIFriday's
January 25 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal

Have a wonderful holiday! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 12/12/11 - 12/16/11

2011-12-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all the parents who sent in healthy snacks for our reading party. Everything was delicious! Next week is our last week of school before winter break. Hard to believe!!

On Friday, December 16th, the fifth grade is looking forward to turning our classrooms into cinemas to celebrate the start of our holiday vacation. As you know, students will be viewing a movie of their choice, and enjoying a snack of popcorn and water as well. To make our rooms a bit cozier, we are allowing students to bring in a pillow, cushion, or small blanket to sit upon while watching the movie. We ask that the items be no larger than a normal size beach blanket to ensure we have enough room for everyone to be comfortable. Thank you!

Parents, please don't forget about our big recycling bin in the LV parking lot. We earn money with our paper! A question arose from a parent regarding shredded paper and if it's ok to put it in there. Here is the response from the recycling company: "Absolutely you can put shredded paper in the bin. I would recommend that you put the shredded paper in a bag, so that it does not blow around when the driver services the bin. Paper or plastic bag is fine."

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 14 – Pretest Monday, practice sheets due Tuesday. Homework due Thursday and test on Friday.

English: We will continue our chapter on pronouns this week, specifically object pronouns.

Reading: We will begin the actual reading of our non-fiction story The Grizzly Bear Family Book. So far, we have been tackling our skills and leading up to the story. The skills explored have been identifying valid/invalid generalizations, facts vs. opinions, and inferencing. The students are experts at deciding if a generalization is valid or not!

Social Studies: Plan on finishing chapter 7 this week and having the test on Friday.

Science: Our quick study for lesson 2 will take place on Monday. We'll then read and take notes on lesson 3; however, I'm holding off on giving the test until after break. We will review, of course, beforehand.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Monday will be our “pretest” day for perimeter/circumference. Our test will be Tuesday. We'll then do some plotting of coordinates on graphs.

Important Dates:
December 12 – Cadet Band & Choir at Lakeview 7:00
December 16 – Prairieview Cinemas

December 19 -- Winter Break officially begins
January 3 – Back to school after break

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 12/5/11 - 12/9/11

2011-12-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed meeting with you all at our conferences. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or telephone.

Your child will be bringing home a permission slip in order to watch the movie Marley & Me on Wednesday during our reading party. It will be a healthy treat party; many of the students volunteered to bring healthy food in...

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 13 – Pretest Monday, practice sheets due Tuesday. Homework due Thursday and test on Friday.

English: After going over all our review pages, we will have our Nouns test on Monday. We will start the chapter on pronouns later in the week.

Reading: We will revisit our reading textbook this week with the non-fiction story The Grizzly Bear Family Book. The skills explored will be identifying valid/invalid generalizations, facts vs. opinions, and inferencing.

Social Studies: Chapter 7 continues this week, specifically lesson 2 on the French and their explorations of the Mississippi River. We will get the chapter 7 test in before our holiday break, probably on 12/16.

Science: Our quick study for lesson 1 will take place on Monday. We'll then read and take notes on lesson 2 on physical properties and changes.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We are skipping way ahead to perimeter which is chapter 23! We will specifically review polygons before we get into some formulas for perimeter, circumference, and radius. Our test on this chapter will be either 12/12 or 12/13. I'll know for sure in a few days.

Important Dates:
December 2 -- No School
December 8 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- Go Roma
December 12 – Cadet Band & Choir at Lakeview 7:00
December 19 -- Winter Break Begins
January 3 – Back to school after break!

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 11/28/11 - 12/2/11

2011-11-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving, full of family, friends, and food (of course!) It's so hard to believe first trimester is over and we are beginning the holiday celebrations! Enjoy!! I look forward to sitting down with you all next week for conferences.

Coming up the week of 11/28:

Spelling: Lesson 12 (review week) Pretest Monday, practice sheets due Tuesday. Homework and test on Thursday.

English: We are leading up to our test on nouns. We will finish the chapter this week and review before our test date of 12/5.

Reading: We will be reviewing our reading skills this week, focusing particularly on author's purpose and prior knowledge.

Social Studies: Chapter 7 begins this week! The Spanish are moving north and we will read all about it!

Science: We will skip ahead to chapter 14 this week, States of Matter.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will not start our perimeter chapter until the week of 12/5. Instead, we will focus on reviewing the entire first trimester (yes, including long division!) and doing some problem solving and extended responses.

Important Dates:
November 23, 24, 25 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School
November 28-30 – Conferences in Room 208
December 2 -- No School
December 8 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- Go Roma
December 19 -- Winter Break Begins

Have a great holiday weekend! Mrs. Klacza

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

2011-11-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

We will be visiting the Robert Crown Center on Tuesday morning for the Michael & Linda program. It was great seeing so many of you at the parents' night Monday. Please send a lunch from home on Tuesday for your child; we won't be getting back until 11:30 or so. We will also be having our marble party for good behavior that day. Congratulations students!!

Our “Dig into a Good Book” program will be starting for the second trimester this week. Completed contracts with new goals should be coming back to me on Monday. Please discuss this goal with your child. They know what they can do and should “up” their first trimester goal by at least one book. There will be new activities in lieu of the classic book report form this trimester.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Since we are only here for two days, there will be no spelling this week.

English: We will continue chapter 2, Nouns, specifically singular and possessive nouns.

Reading: Students will work on their individual book projects for Crash or Kid in the Red Jacket this week.

Social Studies: Since we just finished chapter 6, we will take a couple days off and start chapter 7 the week of 11/28.

Science: Please be prepared for the chapter 6 test on Monday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Since we only have one day of math this week, we'll do some problem solving and extended response problems. Perimeter starts the following week!

Important Dates:

November 21 -- Trimester 2 begins
November 22 – Robert Crown field trip (Bring a sack lunch!!)

November 23, 24, 25 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School

November 28-30 -- Conferences

December 2 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences -- No School

December 8 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- Go Roma

December 19 -- Winter Break Begins

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

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

2011-11-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

Please don't forget the Michael & Linda overview here at PV on Monday at 6:30. This is a “parents only” meeting and will help with any questions your child has after our Robert Crown visit. It will also help start meaningful conversations because you will know exactly what will be covered on the field trip.

Book reports for our “Dig into a Good Book” program are due on 11/18. There is a grade involved and a reading party, if the students complete their individual goal!

*Paper Recycling: Did you know that you can help our district earn money by recycling paper here at school? You can bring in any paper (no cardboard please) to the green and yellow bin marked Paper Retriever located in Lakeview's parking lot to be recycled. The more paper we collect, the more money we can earn. The provider of the bin uses the paper to make newsprint, which is then sold to other companies. That is how we are paid to recycle paper.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 11: Pretest Monday/Practice homework due Tuesday. Workbook/Challenge work due Thursday. Test Friday.

English: We will start chapter 2, Nouns. A pretest will be given on Monday which will determine the students who “test out” of certain lessons in the chapter. Alternate assignments will be given at the appropriate times.

Reading: We continue applying the reading skills that we have learned this year to our novels. The students have really been enjoying both Crash and Kid in the Red Jacket. We will be finishing up the novels before the the Thanksgiving break.

Social Studies: We will finish chapter 6 this week and have our test on Friday.

Science: There will be a lesson review (also known as a quick study) on Monday. Students are welcome to use their books and notes. After we read, discuss, and take notes on lesson 3, another quick study will follow on Thursday. A chapter 6 test is planned for Monday, 11/21.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will start mean, median, mode and range this week. There will also be some problem solving thrown in for good measure!

Important Dates:
November 11 – Veterans' Day – no school
November 14 – Michael & Linda overview for parents at 6:30
November 16 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- Culver's
November 18 -- Peer Buddies starts!
November 22 – Robert Crown field trip (Bring a sack lunch!!)
November 23, 24, 25 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School
December 2 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences -- No School
December 8 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- Go Roma
December 19 -- Winter Break Begins

Have a great Veteran's Day weekend! Mrs. Klacza

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

2011-11-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Prairieview students made cards for patients at Hines VA hospital this week as part of our PBIS program. Thanks to the fifth grade moms who came in to supervise this project. The students loved it and it's such a moving tribute to those who served in the armed forces!

Trade Fair is Monday! Every child needs to bring at least one item to trade, although most bring 10-20 items. They will also need their sign displaying their wares. This activity ties in very nicely with Junior Achievement since Mr. Blocker talks about supply and demand and other economic issues. His last visit will be this Tuesday.

Book reports for our “Dig into a Good Book” program are due on 11/18. There is a grade involved and a reading party, if the students complete their individual goal!

Lastly, conference notices will be coming home this week. If you weren't at Curriculum Night and were unable to sign up for a time slot, I will assign you one. Please confirm the time when you receive the confirmation as soon as possible.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 10: Pretest Monday/Practice homework due Tuesday. Workbook/Challenge work due Thursday. Test Thursday.

English: Our unit 5 test will be Thursday. We will review on Tuesday and Thursday. PLEASE make sure your child studies the entire unit. It's a tough one!

Reading: We will be applying the reading skills that we have learned so far this year to our novels. The students have really been enjoying both Crash and Kid in the Red Jacket. Please make sure you include some discussion at home about the novel your child is reading.

Social Studies: Trade fair is Monday. We will read and discuss both lessons 3 and 4 this week about everyday life in the colonies.

Science: The Great Fuzz Frenzy projects are due Tuesday. We'll also be reading lesson 2 on how ecosystems change over time.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will continue chapter 6 on decimals, specifically estimating sums & differences. We will then do a little problem solving before reviewing the four lessons we covered in chapter 6. Our quest is set for Thursday, November 10.

Important Dates:

November 7 – Classroom trade fair
November 11 – Veterans' Day – no school
November 16 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- Culver's
November 23, 24, 25 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School
December 2 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences -- No School
December 8 -- PTO DineOut Fundraiser -- Go Roma
December 19 -- Winter Break Begins

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/31/11 - 11/4/11

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

A great, big THANK YOU to all the moms who helped in some way today to make our Halloween party a rip-roarin' success. From the food to the games, it was wonderful!! I hope you enjoy all the Halloween festivities this weekend and on Monday.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 9: Pretest Monday/Practice homework due Tuesday. Workbook/Challenge work due Thursday. Test Friday.

English: We will continue Unit 5 on Capitalization and Punctuation, specifically studying abbreviations and titles this week. Tentatively planning an english test on 11/10.

Reading: We will be applying the reading skills that we have learned this year to our novels. Please ask your child what they are reading and let them share the stories with you. They both deal with bullying and being the “new kid.” These are great topics for discussion here in the classroom and at home!

Social Studies: Chapter 6 “Life in the English Colonies” continues. We will specifically study how the early colonists lived in cities, towns, and on farms. Remember our classroom trade fair on November 7. Permission slips are due Monday!.

Science: We read and took notes on lesson 1 of chapter 6. This lesson deals with symbiosis and adaptation. There will be a project assigned Wednesday which goes along with one of my favorite books, The Great Fuzz Frenzy.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We are rolling through chapter 5 on decimals. Monday we will take a step back to do some Halloween fun sheets. Tuesday, back to decimals with a nice review and practice “quest.” The actual chapter 5 “quest” is on Wednesday.

Important Dates:
October 31 – Trade Fair permission slips due
November 3 – Picture retakes
November 7 – Classroom trade fair
November 11 – Veterans' Day – no school

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/24/11 - 10/28/11

2011-10-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

We will have our Halloween party and parade on Friday, October 28th! Please make sure your child brings an "easy to put on" costume for this day. They will change into their costumes after lunch. There will be NO ACCESS to the bathroom for costume or make-up "put on." There will be "girls" and "boys" classrooms assigned for changing of costumes.Costume parade will begin at 1:00; party at 1:30.

Don't forget our early dismissal day on Thursday; PV will get out at 11:00

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 8: Pretest Monday/Practice homework due Tuesday. Workbook/Challenge work due Thursday. Test Friday.

English: We will continue Unit 5 on Capitalization and Punctuation, specifically studying quotations and abbreviations this week.

Reading: We will be applying the reading skills that we have learned this year to a novel. The students will be divided into two groups. Some students will be practicing reading skills using a book called, The Kid in the Red Jacket and some students will be using a novel called, Crash!

Social Studies: Chapter 6 “Life in the English Colonies” will start on Wednesday. We will specifically study how the early colonists worked and traded. There will be a classroom trade fair on November 7. Information about the fair will be coming home later this week.

Science: We will be dissecting our owl pellets early in the week. The students love this project; bones will be coming home!!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will start chapter 5 on decimals this week, specifically studying decimal place value, equivalent decimals, and comparing and ordering decimals. This is a short chapter, so look for a “quest” the following week.

Important Dates:

October 27 -- School Improvement Day/Early Dismissal

October 28 – Halloween parade and party

November 3 – Picture retakes

November 7 – Classroom trade fair

November 11 – Veterans' Day – no school

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/17/11 - 10/21/11

2011-10-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to two new students, Danny and Diego, who joined our classroom today! We had a very short week this week; back to normal next week!! We will have Junior Achievement session 2 on Thursday. Our picture packets should arrive on Tuesday, October 18th. Our retake day is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3rd. Enjoy the beautiful weather that continues over our area!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 7: Pretest Monday/Practice homework due Tuesday. Workbook/Challenge work due Thursday. Test Friday.

English: We will continue Unit 5 on Capitalization and Punctuation, specifically studying commas this week.

Reading: We will work with leveled reading books this week and apply the skills we learned while reading Elena. Students will be getting vocabulary words with their books on Monday and I am planning a vocabulary quiz on Wednesday.

Social Studies: We are just about finished studying chapter 5. All notes will be checked on Tuesday and Wednesday. We will review playing “numbered heads together” on Thursday and have our test on Friday.

Science: Please check your child's binder for their chapter 5 test! We will be focusing on owl pellets this week. It's a very exciting unit and I like to study them after our ecosystems unit. Remember to ask your child about it next week!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Chapter 3 is finished! We will focus on practicing division (specifically long division) with a tentative test date of Wednesday. Please make sure your child practices at home in the next few days.

Important Dates:
October 27 -- School Improvement Day/Early Dismissal
October 28 – Halloween parade and party

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/11/11 - 10/14/11

2011-10-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

We will have a very short week coming up... Columbus Day is Monday and Tuesday is a Teachers' Institute. Enjoy the beautiful weather we are expecting! We will also be starting Book Buddies on Thursday, pairing up with the students of Mrs. Olsen's 3rd grade class.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Due to the short week, there will be no spelling lesson this week

English: We will continue Unit 5 on Capitalization and Punctuation, specifically studying proper nouns and adjectives this week.

Reading: This week, we will continue to focus on story structure and mapping using the historical fiction tale of Elena and other stories. We will also work with analogies and start the summarizing process (Get the gist?)

Social Studies: The 13 English Colonies will be explored this week.

Science: We have completed the reading of chapter 5. On Wednesday, we will review for the test, which will follow on Thursday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We continue our division unit this week as we learn how to divide with 2-digit divisors. We will then focus on practicing division with a tentative test date of Wednesday, 10/19. I will reevaluate this date as we move forward. Long division is a very difficult concept and I hope to make it as clear as I can before the test date.

Important Dates:
October 10 -- Columbus Day -- No School
October 11 -- Teacher Institute -- No School

October 27 -- School Improvement Day/Early Dismissal

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/3/11 - 10/7/11

2011-09-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the magazine orders! Wow!! We are the second place classroom at PV; we missed first by only 1 order, so that is terrific. This fund raiser is a great one for our school.

We start Junior Achievement next week. There will be 5 sessions spread out over the next 6 weeks and we have an awesome volunteer instructor. Can't wait! We also have our in-school science field trip on Thursday morning. Sarah's & Jack's moms are my helpers. Thank you both in advance!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 6 pretest will be on Monday. Homework from the workbook will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Practice sheets will be due on Tuesday, however. Final test is on Friday.

English: We'll skip to unit 5 this week, Capitalization and Punctuation. Specifically, we will learn about correctly forming sentences.

Reading: This week, we will focus on story structure and mapping using the historical fiction tale of Elena. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Thursday. Vocabulary words will be defined on Monday. We will also work with analogies.

Social Studies: We will read and discuss lesson 2, “New European Colonies”, and lesson 3, “The First Colonies.” The Pilgrims and the Puritans are our main characters!

Science: There will be a lesson 2 “quick study” on Tuesday. This is considered a quiz, although the students may use their text book and notes while taking it. We will then focus on the pyramid of energy.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We continue our division unit this week as we learn how to interpret remainders, put appropriate zeroes in our quotients, and work with patterns in division. There will be a quiz on lessons 1-4 on Wednesday.

Important Dates:

October 6 – In-school field trip
October 6 – Junior Achievement begins
October 10 -- Columbus Day -- No School
October 27 -- School Improvement Day/Early Dismissal

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 9/26/11 - 9/30/11

2011-09-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Autumn and the leaves are starting their slow change. Keep an eye out for a special leaf project we will be doing this week. Students are expected to find and preserve leaves. They will especially be on the lookout for interesting colors and shapes! More to come!!

Don't forget that Tuesday and Thursday are magazine drive turn-in days. Also, please remember to save all your General Mills box tops and send them in for our classroom. There are some stores that offer box top bonuses. If you happen to know of these bonuses, please let me know!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 5 (review) pretest will be on Monday. Homework from the workbook will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Practice sheets will be due on Tuesday, however. Final test is on Friday.

English: We will review chapter 1 on Monday; test on Tuesday. We will then skip to chapter 5 which focuses on capitalization and punctuation.

Reading: This week we will be focusing on drawing conclusions, homonyms and multi-meaning words, and an extended response which lines up with our anthology story A Boy Called Slow.

Social Studies: We have begun chapter 5. Ask your child about the mystery at Roanoke Island! Jamestown will be studied this week.

Science: We will be reading, discussing, and taking notes on lesson 2 this week which focuses on food webs and the energy pyramid.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will have more review on multiplication on Monday and our chapter 2 test on Tuesday. Division and chapter 3 is next! I am thrilled to see how well the children are doing on their timed multiplication fact “minutes.” This will help them greatly with the test Tuesday and with the division chapter.

Important Dates:
District Magazine Drive -- Magazine Order Turn-in days: 9/27, 9/29

September 30 -- Early Dismissal

October 10 -- Columbus Day -- No School

October 11 -- Teachers' Institute -- No School

October 27 -- School Improvement Day/Early Dismissal

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 9/19/11 - 9/23/11

2011-09-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

There is certainly a chill in the air! Pretty soon the leaves will be changing colors and autumn will be here. This time of year brings with it our district-wide magazine drive. Tuesday is our first turn in day. This is an excellent fundraiser for our school so please consider taking part in it.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 4 pretest will be on Monday. Homework from the workbook will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Practice sheets will be due on Tuesday, however. Final test is on Friday.

English: We will learn about conjunctions this week, helping us will be the Schoolhouse Rock video “Conjunction Junction.” Run-on sentences will also be covered. After a chapter check-up on Friday and more review on Monday, a test on chapter 1 will be given on Tuesday, 9/27.

Reading: This week we will be focusing on drawing conclusions, doing vocabulary activities, and an extended response as we read a selection in our reading anthology – A Boy Called Slow.

Social Studies: After a review game on Monday called Numbered Heads Together, our chapter 4 test will occur on Tuesday. Watch out for the How to Study sheet!!

Science: Chapter 5 will be started this week on ecosystems. We'll start with plants and photosynthesis.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Please remind your child to practice his/her multiplication facts!! We are on chapter 2, multiplication, and it will help them to be successful. After learning lesson 3 on Monday, there will be a quiz on lessons 1-3 on Tuesday. We'll then continue with lessons 4-6, ending the week with another short quiz on those 3 lessons on Friday! It will be a busy week! Looks like a chapter 2 test is in our future – Tuesday, 9/27.

Important Dates:
Magazine Order Turn-in days: 9/20, 9/27, 9/29

September 30 -- Early Dismissal

October 10 -- Columbus Day/no school

October 27 -- School Improvement Day/Early Dismissal

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 9/12/11 - 9/16/11

2011-09-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

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.

We talked about the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 today and how we all need to do something to help people in some way to commemorate this day in history.

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

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 3 pretest will be on Monday. Homework from the workbook will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Practice sheets will be due on Tuesday. Final test is on Friday.

English: We continue chapter 1 this week, focusing on simple subjects & predicates and subjects in the imperative.

Reading: We continue with Tall Tales. The skills specifically targeted will be identifying story structure and distinguishing between exaggerated and realistic story elements. As a review, we will use our visualization skills, define unknown words using context clues, and define and use roots, affixes, prefixes, and suffixes. We will also discuss and practice using similes and metaphors. This week we will be writing our own tall tales with plenty of similes and metaphors!

Social Studies: On Monday we will start our Aztec masks. Later in the week we will read, discuss, and take notes on lesson 3, “Life in New Spain.” Look out for a How to Study sheet because I foresee our first social studies test on 9/20.

Science: We read and discussed lesson 3 from our book and took notes on the scientific method. There will be an open note/book quiz on Tuesday on lesson 3. The week will end with an interesting experiment where we will use the scientific method.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Our chapter 1 test will be on Tuesday. Please make sure your child has finished the pretest given to them as homework today. We will continue to review the chapter on Monday. Chapter 2 on multiplication is next!

Important Dates:

District Magazine Drive -- Magazine Order Turn-in days: 9/20, 9/27, 9/29
September 30 -- Early Dismissal
October 10 -- Columbus Day -- No School
October 27 -- School Improvement Day/Early Dismissal

Enjoy your weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 9/5/11-9/9/11

2011-09-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 2 pretest will be on Tuesday. Homework from the workbook will be assigned on Tuesday and due on Thursday. Practice sheets will be due on Wednesday. Final test is on Friday.

English: We continue chapter 1 this week, focusing on subjects, simple subjects, and predicates. Get ready to meet Mr. Morton! He is a Schoolhouse Rock character and the students love this video!

Reading: We continue this week with Tall Tales. The skills specifically targeted will be identifying story structure and distinguishing between exaggerated and realistic story elements. As a review, we will use our visualization skills and define unknown words using context clues. We will also discuss and practice using similes and metaphors, which can be used to write a tall tale of their own!

Social Studies: We continue plowing through chapter 4 and will specifically focus on lesson 2 this week, “Different Worlds Collide.” We took our lesson 1 notes as a class, but after reading lesson2 I will expect the students to pair up and write their own on a graphic organizer. Don't worry, we go over them explicitly.

Science: Plan on a quiz on the tools scientists use on Wednesday. The students have notes on all the tools to study from. We will discuss the scientific method this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We continue chapter 1 this week, focusing on lessons 4, 5, and 6. Students will be rounding whole numbers, estimating sums and differences, and adding and subtracting whole numbers. After some review, I foresee a chapter 1 test on 9/13.

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

Have a wonderful 3-day weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 8/29/11 - 9/2/11

2011-08-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over and we are in full swing at Prairieview School. We completed our first week and I am happy to report that we have had a wonderful time getting to know each other. I hope your child shared some of the information they learned about me! I will be blogging every week on Friday and will attach it to a weekly email. Feel free to reply if you have any questions or concerns. Let the games begin!!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 1 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Final test is on Friday.

English:We will learn about sentences this week, focusing on the four types of sentences: declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory. We will also be working on our own autobiographical poems.

Reading: We begin our year with Tall Tales. The skills we will specifically target will be identifying story structure and distinguishing between exaggerated and realistic story elements. As a review, we will also use our visualization skills and define unknown words using context clues. This week we will be reading about Bess Call and Paul Bunyon.

Social Studies: After textbooks are assigned, we will have a scavenger hunt! We will then start the book in chapter 4, lesson 1, “The Voyages of Columbus.”

Science: We will learn about various tools scientists use; each student will then draw their own scientist and describe him/her.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
After a textbook scavenger hunt, we will begin Chapter 1 which focuses on place value, addition, and subtraction. We will only have math on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday due to MAPs testing.

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

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 8/22/11 - 8/26/11

2011-08-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

WELCOME BACK TO PRAIRIEVIEW!!

I am so excited to be back in Room 208 with a new group of fifth graders. It will be an exciting year for all of us. I look forward to meeting you all on Wednesday at Open House. It will take place from 9-11. Please feel free to bring in your supplies. There will be various sign-up sheets available for holiday parties, field trip chaperones, and classroom helpers.

See you on Wednesday!

Mrs. Klacza

Last Week of School!

2011-06-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

I would like to wish all of my students a wonderful, relaxing, and safe summer. We have had a successful year together in Room 208 and I truly believe each and every one of you are ready for what lies ahead at Lakeview. Work hard, be respectful to your teachers and your fellow students, and have fun! Take part in sports and activities while you are there. I will never forget you.

To my parents, I thank you for your support and generosity throughout the year. Your children have their wings and are ready to fly. Support them and love them; they are all treasures.

Come visit now and then. Keep on reading (for enjoyment, of course!) Email me from time to time to let me know how things are going :) I do check my emails in the summer!!

6/6 - Picnic & games
6/7 - Final day of 5th grade (dismissal at 9:30)

Enjoy your summer! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 5/30/11 - 6/3/11

2011-05-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

There are several awesome activities coming up this short week. Of course, we are off on Monday, remembering those brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Tuesday is the annual talent show at 1:00. Our bowling field trip is Wednesday and Robert Crown is Friday. We will be watching Night of the Twisters on Thursday to celebrate those students who met their reading goals for the 3rd trimester. What an appropriate movie for our current weather patterns.

The raffle for Japan has just begun. A letter was sent home on Wednesday, with the list of raffle items and raffle tickets. If you wish to participate, just fill in the tickets, put them in an envelope with the money, and return it to your classroom teacher. All tickets must be turned in by June 3rd. We will have the raffle at the all school assembly on June 6th. Thank you so much for your support.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: We will finish The Wish Giver, which is in the fantasy genre, finally finding out how our main characters get out of their crazy predicaments.
It has been a pleasure teaching reading and spelling to your children. I hope they enjoyed the year as much as I did. Please encourage and challenge them to read for pleasure over the summer!

Spelling: We are done!!

English: The persuasives were awesome! I am in the process of grading them.

Social Studies: We are reading and discussing the chapter that focuses on the early 20th century, specifically, the world wars.

Science: Our 5th grade curriculum has been covered. Most of the students did very well on their final test on chapter 12. They are coming home today!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will be taking a target test this week for not only chapter 17, but also a target test on the entire trimester. It will be interesting to see how well the students absorbed the math concepts. We will also be playing multiplication bingo. Our chapters are finished. We have had a great math year together. Thank you for sharing your children with me. I hope I made the concepts understandable and enjoyable!

Important Dates:
5/30 – Memorial Day – no school
5/31 – Talent show
6/1 - 5th graders bowling
6/3 – Robert Crown visit
6/6 – School picnic
6/7 – Last Day!

Have a wonderful 3-day weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 5/23/11 - 5/27/11

2011-05-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

We are entering our final 5-day week of school. The following week includes Memorial Day, so it's shorter! It's hard to believe that this school year is almost over. It is, however, a full week with a few tests thrown in! We can't get lazy yet!!

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2 mile Walk Day on Tuesday, May 24th at Prairieview School. All proceeds from the event will go to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the earthquake in Japan. There will also be a raffle to help raise money for the cause, and any donations would be appreciated. (gift cards, sport items, games, services, small goodies). Anyone who would like to volunteer on May 24th, please e-mail Mrs. Cavoto ccavot@ccsd66.org or Mrs. Sulima Ssulima@ccsd66.org to let them know.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: We continue to read The Wish Giver, which is in the fantasy genre. Our third story is called “Water Water Everywhere.” We will continue to focus on story structure, character traits, and figurative language. Sequence of events will also be covered this week.

Spelling: Lesson 30 – Pretest on Monday; Homework due on Thursday/Test on Friday.

English: We have been busily writing our first persuasive piece on whether or not uniforms should be required in public schools. Our second persuasive assignment is coming up this week!

Social Studies: We will review for our chapter 12 test on Monday, test on Tuesday. After a TFK on Wednesday, I've decided to skip ahead to chapter 18, which we will read and discuss (NO TEST!!) I chose this chapter because it talks about moments in history the children have been asking about, like World War I and II. Social studies has been one of my favorite subjects to teach this year, maybe my favorite :)

Science: We'll finish chapter 12 this week on the oceans. Lesson 3 will be read with note-taking on Tuesday, quick study on lesson 3 on Wednesday, and the test on Friday. This will be a busy week, indeed.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: This week will be all about probability as we jump into chapter 17. We will cover lessons 1, 2, 4, & 5. Expect a test on Friday!

Important Dates:
5/23 – Linda & Michael overview for parents (6:30)
5/24 – Walk for Japan at PV
5/30 – Memorial Day – no school
5/31 – Talent show
6/1 - 5th graders bowling
6/3 – Robert Crown visit
6/6 – School picnic
6/7 – Last Day!

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 5/16/11 - 5/ 20/11

2011-05-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Has your child talked to you about the 5^th grade celebration we were treated to by our PTO? It was absolutely wonderful and a great big thank you to all the parents that made it possible.

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2 mile Walk Day on Tuesday, May 24^th at Prairieview School. All proceeds from the event will go to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the earthquake in Japan. There will also be a raffle to help raise money for the cause, and any donations would be appreciated. (gift cards, sport items, games, services, small goodies). Anyone who would like to volunteer on May 24^th, please e-mail Mrs. Cavoto ccavot@ccsd66.org or Mrs. Sulima Ssulima@ccsd66.org to let them know.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: We continue to read The Wish Giver, which is in the fantasy genre. The second story is called “The Tree Man.” We will continue to focus on story structure, character traits, and figurative language, especially colloquialism.

Spelling: Lesson 29 – Pretest on Monday; Homework due on Thursday/Test on Friday.

English: We have finished our entire text book... Hooray! We will work on persuasive writing this week.

Social Studies: This week, the students are writing their very own “Fortunately, Unfortunately” booklets to go along with lesson 2 on the industrial revolution. We will then read lesson 3. A chapter 12 test is planned for Tuesday, 5/24.

Science: We continue our ocean study and will create our own ocean floors this week. An open note/book quick study will occur on Tuesday for lesson 1. We'll then read and take notes for lesson 2 with a quick study on that lesson Friday. I predict a test in the near future! I'll keep the students posted...

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will finish chapter 9 this week on mean, median, and mode. The test will be Thursday.

Important Dates:

5/16 – LV visit
5/18 – Cadet band/choir concert at LV (7:00)
5/23 – Linda & Michael overview for parents (6:30)
5/30 – Memorial Day – no school
5/31 – Talent show
6/1 - 5^th graders bowling
6/3 – Robert Crown visit
6/6 – School picnic
6/7 – Last Day!

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

2011-05-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I hope you are pampered and treated with the respect you deserve!

I'd like to thank you all for a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week. The food that some of you made for our breakfast (Tuesday) and lunch (Thursday) was outstanding! All the lovely wishes and tokens were greatly appreciated, also.

There are a lot of exciting things coming up for the 5^th graders. The first occurs this Thursday and is our 5^th grade celebration. There will be games followed by a pizza lunch. After lunch, we will be heading over to Lakeview to catch a sneak preview/dress rehearsal of their musical, Fiddler on the Roof. It should be a great day! Remember there is an early dismissal on Friday (11:00.)

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: We have begun The Wish Giver, which is in the fantasy genre. The first story is called “Jug-a-Rum” and our activities will revolve mostly around this tale. We will particulary focus on story structure, character traits, and figurative language, especially colloqualism.

Spelling: Lesson 28 – Pretest on Tuesday; Homework due on Friday/Test on Friday. (notice the change in days)

English: We'll finish up adverbs and prepositions this week and conclude with a test on Friday. Our final lesson is called “Adverb or Preposition?”

Social Studies: We will start Chapter 12 this week called “Times of Change.” The United States is 50 years old and we will learn about the Industrial Revolution and meet some inventors like Eli Whitney and Robert Fulton.

Science: We will begin our next science chapter on oceans this week. We will do an interesting experiment on the temperature of salt water vs. fresh water.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Students should be prepared to take a test on Monday on measurement, chapter 22. We will then begin chapter 9 on mean, median, and mode.

Important Dates:
5/12 - 5^th graders' celebration and LV for musical
5/13 – Early dismissal
5/16 – LV visit
5/18 – Cadet band/choir concert at LV (7:00)
5/23 – Linda & Michael overview for parents (6:30)
5/30 – Memorial Day – no school
5/31 – Talent show
6/1 - 5^th graders bowling
6/3 – Robert Crown visit
6/6 – School picnic
6/7 – Last Day!

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 5/2/11 - 5/6/11

2011-04-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's already May? Where has the year gone? Let's hope for better weather this month! We will be having our math MAPS test on Tuesday. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest Monday night and eats a nutritional breakfast and lunch.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: There will be a Toliver's Secret open ended response test on 5/2. We will then start our new novel, The Wish Giver, which is in the fantasy genre. We will particulary focus on story structure, character traits, and figurative language.

Spelling: Lesson 27 – Pretest on Monday; Homework due on Thursday/Test on Friday.

English: We will continue our chapter on adverbs and prepositions, focusing this week on prepositions and prepositional phrases.

Social Studies: Our chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday. We will not start chapter 12 until the following week.

Science: Our chapter 11 test on weather and the water cycle will be on Friday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We continue the study of measurement (chapter 22) this week, specifically focusing on customary capacity and mass, weight, and elapsed time. After much review, a test is planned for Monday, May 9.

Important Dates:
5/2 - Shoe rescue begins
5/3 - MAPS math testing for Klacza
5/12 - 5th graders to LV for musical
5/13 - Early dismissal
5/16 - LV visit
5/18 - Cadet band/choir concert at LV (7:00)
5/23 - Linda & Michael overview for parents (6:30)
5/30 - Memorial Day – no school
5/31 - Talent show
6/1 - 5th graders bowling
6/3 - Robert Crown visit
6/6 - School picnic
6/7 - Last Day!

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/25/11 - 4/29/11

2011-04-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! It was wonderful seeing so many family members at our TGFD graduation. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did; Deputy and Mrs. Kotovsky are inspirational! We will be having our reading MAPS test on Monday. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest Sunday night and eats a nutritional breakfast. It looks like our marble party for good behavior will now be on Tuesday. Please make sure you sign and return the permission slip for our PG rated movie.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: This week we will finish reading the novel Toliver's Secret using our very important reading skills. The summary grids will be collected on Friday. There will be a Toliver's Secret open ended response test on 5/2.

Spelling: Lesson 26 – Pretest on Tuesday; Homework due on Friday/Test on Friday.

English: We will start our next (and final) chapter on adverbs and prepositions. Get ready for Lolly!!

Social Studies: We'll read and discuss lesson 3 this week on the War of 1812. It looks like our chapter 11 test will be on Tuesday, May 3.

Science: Lesson 3 on weather will be studied and discussed this week. Be ready for another “Quick Study” on Thursday with a test on weather and the water cycle probably happening the week of May 2. I will alert the students as soon as my plans are finalized.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: Lesson 2 on metric length and lesson 3 on changing linear units will be explored this week. A lessons 1-3 quiz will take place on Friday.

Important Dates:
4/22 – Good Friday (no school)
4/25 & 5/3 – MAPS testing for Klacza
4/28 – Wheel of Wisdom

Have a wonderful Easter weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/18/11 - 4/22/11

2011-04-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

I hope to see you all on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. for our TGFD graduation. We will be meeting in the gym and all are invited! Don't forget, Thursday is an early (11:00) dismissal day and Friday there will be no school. The students have earned their second marble party for good behavior. We will be having a celebration in our classroom on Wednesday, 4/27. I will supply the healthy treats.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: This week we will continue reading the novel Toliver's Secret, using our very important reading skills. Added to those skills, we will continue to summarize the chapters and also work on vizualizing and character development.

Spelling: There will be no spelling due to our early dismissal and day off this week.

English: We have finished our chapter on pronouns! We will review on Monday and Wednesday, and take our test on Thursday.

Social Studies: Lesson 2 begins this week entitled, “Jefferson Looks West.” The students will be making some mini-books and watching a new Schoolhouse Rock song, “Elbow Room.”

Science: We finished our reading and notes for lesson 2 on the water cycle. We will specifically focus on clouds this week using a worksheet and a mimio and take our “quick study” on Wednesday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: After our “target test” on fractions Monday, we'll begin to learn about measurement, both customary and metric, starting on Tuesday.

Important Dates:
4/20 – TGFD Graduation at 8:30 (all are invited!!)
4/21 – Early dismissal and district fund raiser at Panda Express
4/22 – Good Friday (no school)

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/11/11 - 4/15/11

2011-04-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Geospace was very interesting and the students made some great “spaces” using various 3-dimensional shapes. Check them out at Open House on Thursday! Thank you to Mia's mom and Andy's mom for helping out.

A field trip to the Robert Crown Center has been scheduled for June 3rd. There will be an information meeting for parents on May 23rd. Permission slips and more information will be sent home in a few weeks.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: This week we will continue reading the novel Toliver's Secret and use some important skills as we read, particularly drawing conclusions, inferring, identifying author's viewpoint, and cause and effect. We will specifically focus on cause and effect toward the end of the week.

Spelling: Lesson 25. Pretest Monday/test Friday. Homework will be due on Thursday.

English: We will continue our pronoun chapter with possessive pronouns, contractions with pronouns, double subjects, and using we and us with nouns. There will be a test on unit 6 on Thursday, 4/21.

Social Studies: Chapter 11 begins this week, “The Young United States.” Lesson 1 discusses George Washington, again, only now he is the President.

Science: We continue chapter 11 on weather this week. A quick study “quiz” (which is always open note/open book) will be on Wednesday. We will then move on to lesson 2, the water cycle.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: As we finish up chapter 12, we will learn how to compare and order fractions and convert fractions to decimals and vice versa. There will be a test on the entire chapter on Friday, 4/15.

Important Dates:
4/14 - Open House and Book Fair
4/20 - TGFD Graduation at 8:30 (all are invited!!)
4/21 - Early dismissal
4/22 - Easter break (no school)

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/4/11 - 4/8/11

2011-03-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at Naper Settlement. I'd like to thank Sophia's mom, Matthew's mom, and Julianna's aunt for chaperoning in the cold! Did you ask your child about it? Geospace will be our next field trip, here at school.

Have a terrific spring break. Let's hope the weather cooperates!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
This week we will start the novel Toliver's Secret and use some important reading skills as we read, particularly drawing conclusions, inferring, identifying author's viewpoint, and cause and effect. Toliver's Secret is a terrific, action-packed, historical fiction novel set during the Revolutionary War.

Spelling: We will not have a spelling lesson this week due to Geospace. We've had to shift our schedules around a bit to accommodate all of our classes.

English: We will be returning to our textbooks this week as we start the pronoun chapter, unit 6.

Social Studies: We continue chapter 10 by creating an “Important Book” on lesson 3 (“Ratifying the Constitution.”) We will do quite a bit of reviewing before our test on Friday.

Science: We will start the study of weather (chapter 11) later this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
This week we will continue fractions, chapter 12. Mixed numbers will be explored a little more thoroughly before our quiz on lessons 1-4, tentatively set for Wednesday. The quiz will cover equivalent fractions, simplest form, mixed numbers, and improper fractions.

Important Dates:
March 25 – Spring break begins at the end of the day
April 4 – Back to school
April 5 – Teachers' Institute (no school)
April 7 – Geospace from 12:00-2:00 (Klacza's class)

Have a wonderful week! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 3/21/11 - 3/25/11

2011-03-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

It was great seeing some of you at the MAPs meeting on Tuesday. We will be doing some “goal setting” this week in reading and math for the spring tests. Also, Wednesday is our annual field trip to Naper Settlement. Please remember to send your child with a sack lunch that includes a drink. Make sure your child dresses for the weather because much of the trip is outside.
Happy Spring!!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: This week we continue our study of China. The students are using the facts they researched about China to create a travel brochure. This will reinforce the use of main idea and supporting details. The travel brochure will be due at the end of the week. We are mostly working on it during class.

Spelling: Lesson 24; pretest on Monday/homework due Thursday/Test on Friday.

English: We will be continuing our “Me Front Page” project this week. Many of the students are finished, others are still typing, but I expect them to all be finished by Friday. They look terrific and you will enjoy them at Open House in April!

Social Studies: This week we will start lesson 3 in our books, “Ratifying the Constitution.” I will not be testing on chapter 10 until after spring break.

Science: Lesson 4 on the use of energy resources is next! The quick study on lesson 4 will be on Wednesday, after the field trip. The test on Chapter 15 will be on Thursday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
This week we will begin fractions, chapter 12. We will specifically study equivalent fractions, putting fractions in simplest form, and mixed numbers.

Important Dates:
March 19 – District 66 fundraiser @ Cabana Charlies
March 25 – Spring break begins at the end of the day

April 4 - Back to school!

April 5 - Teachers' Institute - no school

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 3/14/11 - 3/18/11

2011-03-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

We had a great week; I especially enjoyed the Hawaiian dancers at our PBIS assembly on Thursday. What a nice treat, and the children were treated with a dancing demonstration by their teacher!! Please remember to attend the March 15th Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAPS scores. It will start at 6:30 here in the PV gym.

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead by an hour before you go to bed on Saturday!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
This week we continue our study of China. We are focusing on identifying main idea and supporting details using research materials. The students will be using non-fiction China books and the internet to complete an outline which will eventually lead to the creation of a travel brochure. The students are using clarifing and monitoring skills as they dig into the information!

Spelling: Lesson 23; pretest on Monday/homework due Thursday/Test on Friday.

English: We will be continuing our “Me Front Page” project this week. Students will be tracing and coloring their pictures using an overhead projector. They will also continue typing up their stories.

Social Studies: We will be designing sections of the Preamble in groups this week after our read-aloud book, We the Kids.

Science: Lesson 3 on how heat is transferred begins this week. The quick study will be on Friday. I am looking at Thursday, 3/24 as a test date for chapter 15.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We will continue chapter 11 on least common multiples (LCM,) divisibility rules, and greatest common factors (GCF.) Please remind your child to practice those multiplication facts. We found a great race car/multiplication game today (thank you Lauren A.) on-line. Just google multiplication and race cars and you'll see Grand Prix math. A quiz on Lessons 1-4 will take place on Thursday.

Important Dates:
March 15 – Parent Connect

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - wear your green!!
March 19 – District 66 fundraiser at Cabana Charlie's (I just bought my

ticket!)

March 23 - Field trip to Naper Settlement - bring sack lunches!
March 25 – Spring break begins at the end of the day

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 3/7/11 - 3/11/11

2011-03-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

ISAT tests are now behind us. The students did a great job; they took their time and worked carefully. Thank you to the parents I conferenced with; it's always great to sit down and chat about our favorite subjects – our children! Please remember to mark your calendars for March 15th for the Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAPS scores. Lastly, we have now begun the 3rd trimester of our reading program. Please encourage your child to read! Tuesday is our reading celebration for trimester 2. Enjoy the 4-day weekend!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
This week we begin the study of the fascinating country of China. We will focus on identifying main idea and supporting details using research materials. As we read our non-fiction China materials, we will be using our clarification and monitoring skills.

Spelling: Lesson 22; pretest on Tuesday/homework due Thursday/Test on Friday.

English: The expository writing piece on the importance of saving money is due on Tuesday. We will be continuing our “Me Front Page” project this week. 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. We will be visiting the computer lab to type them up soon!

Social Studies: We will begin Chapter 10 this week, entitled “Forming a New Government.” Be prepared to learn the Preamble to the Constitution along with your child. It's a very catchy Schoolhouse Rock song; in fact, many of you may remember it from your youth!!

Science: A “quick study” quiz (open note/open book) on lesson 2 (forms of energy) will take place on Tuesday. We will take a bit of a break and start lesson 3 the week of 3/14.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
After our target review and target test on chapter 4 Tuesday, we will start chapter 11 on least common multiples (LCM.) This would be a good time for the students to practice their math multiplication facts at home. There are wonderful computer programs to help them. They will struggle with this chapter if they don't know their facts very well!

Important Dates:
March 4 – Day off (conferences)
March 7 – Day off (Pulaski Day)
March 15 – Parent Connect
March 19 – District 66 fundraiser @ Cabana Charlies

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

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

2011-02-25T11:52:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

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

Week of 1/31/11 - 2/4/11

2011-01-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that January is just about over?? Soon it will be Valentine's Day and we'll be celebrating! I will be sending home a classroom list for valentines very soon. Furthermore, moms who have signed up for the party will be notified via email.

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 also be identifying cause and effect relationships using a variety of instructional materials. This week, we will read Katie's Trunk in our literature books.

Spelling: Lesson 18 – Pretest on Monday, test on Friday. Homework due on Thursday.

English: We learned how significant the comma was after reading the book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. The students are working on their own pair of sentences that are greatly changed once commas are inserted. We will then move on to interjections and quotations.

Social Studies: I have been seeing some of the Webquest projects and have been impressed. They are all due on Monday. Students may present them to the class. I will keep them for open house night. We will start chapter 9 this week, “Winning the Revolution.”

Science: We will start Lesson 3, “Chemical Properties and Change” this week. Our open note/book quick study will take place on Friday. Tentative test date for this chapter will be 2/9.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:

Lesson 7, symmetry, will be studied on Monday. Tuesday will be a review day and Wednesday is our Chapter 18 test date. We will wrap up the week with a target review and test on geometry and graphing coordinates.

Important Dates:

February 14 -- Valentine's party
February 15 -- Argonne Labs 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 1/24/11 - 1/28/11

2011-01-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is our district spelling bee and David C. will be representing the fifth grade. Go David!! Please remind your child to keep reading and getting those book reports finished. Stay warm this weekend and Go Bears!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
We will continue to understand the author's viewpoint and to distinguish between fact and opinion using instructional level materials, in particular, the story And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? from our textbook.

Spelling: Lesson 17 – Pretest on Monday, test on Friday. Homework due on Thursday.

English: We started “Capitalization and Punctuation.” This week we will focus on proper nouns, proper adjectives, and commas in a series. We will use the book Eats,Shoots, and Leaves to help us understand the significance of the comma!

Social Studies: Our Chapter 8 test is Tuesday. The students will be introduced to our “webquest” project which focuses on the Revolutionary War. They will be able to pick their own activity from a list given to them on Monday. We will visit the computer lab once, but most of the work will be done at home or in class during study hall. The projects are due on or before Monday, 1/31.

Science: Lesson 2 will be completed this week on physical properties and changes. The open note/book quick study will be on Thursday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We will continue with geometry this week, focusing on drawing and measuring angles, polygons, circles, congruent and similar figures, and symmetry. There will be an open note quiz on Wednesday covering important geometry terms and angles. The chapter 18 test is tentatively planned for 2/1.

Important Dates:

January 25 -- District Spelling Bee @ 10:00 a.m.
February 14 -- Valentine's Day parties
February 15 -- Argonne Labs 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 1/17/11 - 1/21/11

2011-01-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

We discussed Martin Luther King, Jr. today and the significance of Monday's holiday. Has your child told you about our reading buddies in 3rd grade? We have been meeting with Mrs. Olsen's class every Tuesday and sharing books. What a great way to share our love of reading!! Today marks the mid-term point of this trimester. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to access your child's grades online through Parent Connect. If you are having difficulty accessing the grades, please contact the office and they would be more than happy to assist you.

Enjoy the 3-day weekend and stay warm. GO BEARS!!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
This week we will be determining the author's viewpoint as we read And Then What Happened Paul Revere? in our literature books. We will also be focusing on the differences between a fact and an opinion.

Spelling: Lesson 16 – Pretest on Tuesday, test on Friday. Homework due on Thursday.

English: Our next chapter will be “Capitalization and Punctuation.” We won't start until Friday.

Social Studies: Lesson 3 is entitled “The Revolution Begins.” We will learn about the “shot heard round the world,” Paul Revere's ride, and Lexington/Concord and create some puzzle pieces, which will be our notes for this lesson. The test date for Chapter 8 is Tuesday, 1/25.

Science: There will be an open note/open book “quick study” quiz on chapter 14, lesson 1, which discusses the structure of matter. We will then begin lesson 2 entitled “What are Physical Properties and Changes.”

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Students should be ready to learn about graphing coordinates on Tuesday and Wednesday and then jump into geometry, chapter 18, the latter part of the week.

Important Dates:
1/17 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School
1/17 – PTO dining fundraiser
1/18 – Fifth grade spelling bee (We will be sending David C. and Clayton – congrats!)

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/10/11 - 1/14/11

2011-01-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We started TGFD this week. Please ask your child about it! There will be homework involved most weeks, and it will typically involve families. This grade will be applied to Science since it is health related. Our classroom spelling bee will be on Friday, with a practice round on Thursday.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
We will be working on story structure using a story map template while reading various literature selections from our basal and other short story passages. A vocabulary quiz over words from the selection Elena will be given on Monday.

Spelling: Lesson 15 – Pretest on Monday, test on Friday. Homework due on Thursday.

English: English test on adjectives will take place on Wednesday, 1/12. We will review Monday and Tuesday.

Social Studies: Lesson 2 is entitled “The Colonists Rebel.” We will specifically learn about the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party in this lesson. Furthermore, I will be asking each child to bring in a picture that they can call their “picture of the year.” This goes along with a year-end TFK issue. It can be a snapshot or a picture from a magazine or newspaper! I will assign this on Monday and the pictures need to be brought in to school by Wednesday. If you happen to find one before then, send it in!!

Science: We have finally completed chapter 6 and will jump ahead to chapter 14, lesson 1, which discusses the structure of matter.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
After our Monday test on chapter 24, we will work on a wintertime activity which incorporates a variety of important math skills.

Important Dates:
1/6 -- TGFD begins and continues for 10 weeks
1/14 -- Classroom spelling bee
1/17 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School
1/17 -- PTO dining fundraiser
1/18 -- Fifth grade spelling bee

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/3/11 - 1/7/11

2010-12-17T05:17:00.000-08:00

I'd like to thank the PTO for providing us with a wonderful lunch on Tuesday and a fabulous appetizer spread on Thursday for the cookie exchange. Thank you to all the parents who baked cookies and provided those wonderful appetizers for the cookie exchange. My family was thrilled with all the delicious treats I brought home. Also, Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) begins this week with an officer from the Dupage County Sheriff's Department. This is a substance abuse prevention curriculum. There will be a total of 9 lessons that focus on the dangerous substances that are used widely by young people. A letter will be sent home explaining this program in more detail after our first session on Thursday. At the end of the program, we have a graduation ceremony!

Finally, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season – stay safe and warm and enjoy your families; I will be enjoying mine!

Coming up the week we return:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
When we come back from break, we will be learning more about the structure of a story through story mapping! Our class will read the story Elena, from our anthology.

Spelling: Lesson 14/Pretest on Monday, test on Thursday. Homework due on Thursday. (We are Maps testing with our homerooms on Friday...)

English: We continue our study of adjectives, specifically, comparing with good/bad and proper adjectives. English test on adjectives will take place on Wednesday, 1/12.

Science: Chapter 6 will be finished up this week with lesson 3, which discusses humans and the environment. After another “quick study” on lesson 3, a test on the entire chapter will occur on Friday. I can't stress enough how important it is for the students to keep all their chapter 6 information in their science pockets.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We will begin chapter 24 this week which focuses on area of squares, rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms. It's not a long chapter, so a test will probably happen the beginning of the following week.

Important Dates:
12/20 -- Winter Break Begins

1/3 -- Classes Resume after Winter Break
1/6-- TGFD begins

1/17 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School

Have a wonderful holiday! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 12/13/10 - 12/17/10

2010-12-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

We are entering our final school week of 2010. Hard to believe, but true... Don't forget about our Holiday Service Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. All donations are due on Monday, December 13. Thank you for opening up your hearts to help make the holidays a happy one for those who are less fortunate.

Coming up this week (and what a wonderful week it will be:)

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: This week we will continue to practice summarizing and predicting with skill pages and fiction reading material. We will also be writing an extended response for A Boy Called Slow, using the IEIEIE method.

Spelling: Holiday words: Pretest on Tuesday. Homework due on Friday; Test Friday.

English: We continue our study of adjectives, specifically, articles and demonstratives. We will also be comparing with adjectives.

Social Studies: After reviewing chapter 7 on Monday and Tuesday, there will be a chapter test on Wednesday. We will start chapter 8 after our break.

Science: I moved up the open book/open note assessment for lesson 2 (succession) to Tuesday. The third lesson will be covered after break and the test will follow so it is imperative that all notes stay in the science pocket of the binder.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We will finish up our chapter on perimeter Monday with a lesson on circumference. There will be a homework check on Monday for PW150. Pretest and review on Tuesday, test on Wednesday.

Important Dates:
12/13 – All school concert @ 9:30
12/13 – 7:00 concert at LV
12/16 - 5th grade bowling
12/17 – Holiday outing at the Tivoli (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
12/17 – Holiday break begins at 2:25!!

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 12/6/10 - 12/10/10

2010-12-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

December is here and we've already seen some snow. Please make sure your child is dressed warmly every day for outdoor recess. Our reading incentive celebration will be Wednesday; I hope to see all the permission slips returned by then! Also, don't forget our holiday food and toy drive here at PV. With regard to our paper recycling program, a note from our office: "NO" cardboard boxes please -- there are many that we had to remove from the bin.

It was great meeting with you all during our conferences. I hope I answered all your questions and put any fears to rest. You have terrific children and I am proud to be their teacher.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: This week, all fifth graders will review the skill of drawing conclusions. They will also be introduced to the skill of Author's Purpose. Students will learn how to read a text and decide if it was written to persuade, inform, or entertain. They will use the acronym PIE to help them remember these three important terms.

Spelling: Lesson 13: Pretest on Monday. Homework due onThursday; Test Friday.

English: We won't be starting our next unit until Friday. On that day, we will be “unpacking our adjectives.” Get ready for another Schoolhouse Rock song!

Social Studies: Lesson 2 will be studied this week, “French Explore the Mississippi.” We will take notes and discuss before starting lesson 3, “The French and Indian War.” I am planning our Chapter 7 test for Wednesday, 12/15.

Science: We continue Chapter 6. We will learn about succession as we read and discuss Lesson 2. There will be an open book/open note quiz on this lesson on 12/15. I know it's the same day as the social studies test, but this one is short and open book, so lots less stress. I also want to finish up this lesson before break. The third lesson will be covered after break and the test will follow so it is imperative that all notes stay in the science pocket of the binder.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We have been studying mean, median, mode, and range. We will use some of Chapter 9 and also some creative mimios and worksheets to learn this valuable statistical skill. A quiz is planned for Tuesday. We will then begin our chapter on perimeter.

Important Dates:
12/3 – Day off (conferences)
12/6 – Buffalo Wild Wings fundraiser (see school website)
12/13 – All school concert @ 9:30
12/13 – 7:00 concert at LV
12/16 - 5th grade bowling
12/17 – Holiday break begins at 2:25!!

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 11/22-11/26 and Week of 11/29-12/3

2010-11-19T12:01:00.000-08:00

Report cards will be going home on Tuesday; however, most of you should already know your child's grades, so no surprises!! I look forward to meeting with you all during conference week. Have a safe, happy, family-filled Thanksgiving holiday.

Some important Prairieview information: The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season. PLEASE DONATE!

*Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

Coming up this week (Thanksgiving) and next week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading/Spelling Class:
We will continue to review summarizing, drawing conclusions, inferencing, identifying author generalizations, visualizing, and word work with vocabulary words using our realistic fiction novels until December 2nd. Next week, we will review main ideas and details using our skills workbook. Our work with extended response will continue as well. A book project will be assigned on Monday for The Kid in the Red Jacket. Students will have time to work in class on Monday.

Spelling: No spelling assignments for Thanksgiving week.
Then... Lesson 12: Pretest on Monday. Homework due onThursday; Test Thursday.

English: On Tuesday, we will be taking the second part of the verbs test, which covers lessons 9 – 15. We will then take a bit of an English break :) Our work will resume on 12/6.

Social Studies: Chapter 7 begins this week, specifically Lesson 1, "The Spanish Move North."

Science: We continue Chapter 6. The students will learn a little more about population and competition with a project using the book The Great Fuzz Frenzy. This will not be introduced until 11/29. Much of this project will be done in class.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
After some extended response practice leads us to Thanksgiving, we will begin studying mean, median, mode, and range. We will use some of Chapter 9 and also some creative mimios and worksheets to learn this valuable statistical skill.

Important Dates:
11/23 – Report cards & Picture retakes
11/24, 25, 26 – Thanksgiving holiday
11/29, 11/30, & 12/1 – Parent/Teacher Conferences
12/3 – Day off (conferences)

Have a wonderful holiday! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 11/15/10 - 11/19/10

2010-11-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the students of Room 208! They have won their first “great behavior” marble party. On Monday, we will celebrate!! Furthermore, today officially ends trimester 1. Some important information follows regarding our 5^th grade late work and extra credit policies.

Late homework - Trimester 2
1 day late - minus 15%
More than 1 day late until unit test is taken - minus 25%
After unit test is taken - a zero is entered in the grade book

Please remember that here at Prairieview, we suggest that students set a personal goal for the grades they would like to earn each trimester, and then work towards that goal the entire trimester. Therefore, students are NOT given opportunities for extra credit assignments. However, teachers may provide bonus points on various assignments throughout the year.

On Tuesday, November 23rd, Fullersburg Woods will be coming to talk with the 5th graders about ecosystems. They will focus on the concept of food chains and the energy pyramid and how everything in our world is connected. This fits in great with our science chapters 5 and 6.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading/Spelling Class:
We will continue writing extended responses this week, using questions from our realistic fiction novels. Furthermore, we will continue to review all the skills we have studied so far this school year, specifically, summarizing, drawing conclusions, inferencing, identifying author generalizations, and visualizing. We are also continuing our word work with vocabulary words. We will be finishing The Kid in the Red Jacket this week and the students will be assigned a culminating book project.

Spelling: Lesson 11: Pretest on Monday. Homework due onThursday; Test Friday.

English: We continue our study of verbs with part II of our chapter, specifically studying contractions with not, regular and irregular verbs, verb phrases with have, and correctly using the verbs teach/learn and let/leave. I plan to wrap the chapter up with a test on lessons 8-15 on Tuesday, 11/23.

Social Studies: Did your child tell you how successful our social studies testers were?? We had nothing lower than a B on chapter 6! We won't be starting chapter 7 until the end of the week.

Science: Chapter 6 begins this week with lesson 1 reading and note taking, followed by a Bill Nye video on population. An open note, open book assessment will occur on Tuesday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Our “quest” on chapter 6 will be on Monday. We'll then have a “target test” this week to make sure the students are able to master some of the important concepts regarding decimals. We will then be working on extended responses leading us into the holiday weekend.

Important Dates:

11/12 – End of Trimester 1
11/16 – Report cards
11/24, 25, 26 – Thanksgiving holiday
11/29, 11/30, & 12/1 – Parent/Teacher Conferences
12/3 – Day off (conferences)

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 11/8/10 - 11/12/10

2010-11-05T11:50:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to “fall back” this weekend! It will be great to get the extra hour of sleep, but I really dislike the shorter days. Ah, well, winter is here... Don't forget the roller skating party on Monday! Watch out for the office email with important information.

An important reminder from the office: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 will be picture retake day. Any student that did not have their picture taken prior to this date may do so. They will be required to have a picture envelope with money to have a picture taken. Any student wishing to have a picture retaken will have to return the original picture packet for a retake.

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading/Spelling Class: We will begin writing extended responses this week. This skill is taught using a short story called The River and a technique with the acronym IEIEIE which stands for Idea, Evidence, Interpretation, Evidence, Interpretation, Extension. Fifth graders should be familiar with this technique. Furthermore, we will continue to review all the skills we have studied so far this school year, specifically, summarizing, drawing conclusions, inferencing, identifying author generalizations, and visualizing while reading a realistic fiction novel. Please ask your child to summarize what we've read so far of The Kid in the Red Jacket! We are also doing a lot of word work with vocabulary words. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Ch. 1-6 on Wednesday.

Spelling: Lesson 10 - Pretest on Monday. Homework due on Friday; Test Friday. (normally, I collect homework on Thursday, but since it is a holiday, I will collect it on Friday.)

English: Part 1 of the verbs test will be on Tuesday. This will cover Lessons 1-8. We will then continue with Lesson 9 Friday (agreement with be/have.)

Social Studies: Our Chapter 6 test will occur on Wednesday after some reviewing on Monday and Tuesday. We won't start Chapter 7 until the week of 11/15.

Science: We will take a break from the science textbook this week and focus on Junior Achievement, Time for Kids, and a Thanksgiving project.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We will study Chapter 6 this week which covers adding and subtracting decimals. We will only cover Lessons 2, 3, and 5 with a quest on 11/15. (We've already covered Lesson 1 on Friday!)

Important Dates:

11/8 – Roller skating party

11/11 – Veteran's Day – no school

11/12 – End of Trimester 1

11/16 – Report cards

11/23 - Picture retakes

11/24, 25, 26 – Thanksgiving holiday

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 11/1/10 - 11/5/10

2010-10-29T12:09:00.001-07:00

Thank you to the moms who came into our classroom and provided games, activities, snacks, and beverages to our children for the Halloween party. A particular shout out goes to Mrs. Cione and Mrs. Kubik for running the whole party! You are all so appreciated by your children and me! Junior Achievement started this week and I learned lots of new things about the business world from Mr. Blocker. He will be back the week of November 8. Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Coming up this week:

Mrs. Klacza's Reading/Spelling Class:

This week, we will review all the skills we have studied so far this school year, specifically, summarizing, drawing conclusions, inferencing, identifying author generalizations, and visualizing while reading a realistic fiction novel. The novel we will be reading in room 208 will be The Kid in the Red Jacket. The students will love reading about Howard's problems as he moves to a new house in a new state. He is the “new kid” and his only friend seems to be Molly, a little girl who lives next door and is a royal pain!!

Spelling: Lesson 9: Pretest on Monday. Homework due on Thursday; Test Friday.

English: We continue our study of Verbs this week. We will specifically learn about past and future tense and subject/verb agreement. A test on the first 8 lessons will be on Tuesday, November 9.

Social Studies: I hope our children enjoyed the trade fair as much as I did! This week we will make “circle books” to go along with Lesson 3. We will discuss Ben Franklin and his Poor Richard's Almanack. Lesson 4 will follow, entitled “Slavery in the Colonies.” I have a Chapter 6 test planned for Wednesday, 11/10.

Science: We'll be making a 3-D pyramid of energy on Monday, reviewing chapter 5 on Wednesday, and taking our test on Thursday. Look out for a “How to Study” sheet!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:

We have covered Chapter 5, lessons 1-3 on decimals, and will have a “quest” on Wednesday. Review will be on Monday.

Important Dates:
11/2 – Election day/teacher institute – no school
11/11 – Veteran's Day – no school
11/12 – End of Trimester 1
11/16 – Report cards
11/24, 25, 26 – Thanksgiving holiday

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/25/10 - 10/29/10

2010-10-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

We will be celebrating Halloween on Friday with our 1:00 parade and 1:30 party. Thank you in advance to all the moms who have volunteered to organize and run it, and send in treats and drinks. Students need to bring their costume to school on Friday. The costume might need to be simplified for school purposes since students need to be able to change in a short amount of time. Changing will take place in the classrooms. The fifth grade will have designated classrooms for girls to change in and for boys. Washrooms will not be available for costume changing. No weapons, even fake, are allowed at school.

Junior Achievement will start this week (Wednesday) in Room 208. We have a wonderful instructor, Mr. Blocker, who will visit us once per week for 5 weeks and teach us about business!

Coming up this week:

English: We continue our study of Verbs this week. We will specifically learn about main and helping verbs, linking verbs, and present tense verbs.

Social Studies: This week we will learn about life in the cities, towns, and farms of the 13 colonies. Trading and bartering was very important to the colonists and in order to learn a little more about trading and supply and demand, we will be having our annual trade fair on Thursday, 10/28. Every student needs to bring at least one of something homemade to trade. We've discussed it extensively in class and there is a parent permission slip due back to me on Monday. Ask your child about it!

Science: The “leafy critters” were fabulous! We had such a ball exploring all the different types of leaves and using them for various animal parts. We will have our “lesson review” on lesson 2 Monday. Students may use their notes and textbook.

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
Our CORE reading skill this week continues to be analogies. All fifth grade students will learn how to analyze and complete various types of analogies. In addition, all students will continue to focus on the important skills of drawing conclusions and making inferences. We will specifically be using short written pieces this week. I find that short mysteries work well with inferencing and drawing conclusions!

Spelling: Lesson 8: Pretest on Monday. Homework due on Thursday; Test Friday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We will work on Chapter 5 this week, focusing on place value with decimals, equivalent decimals, and comparing with decimals.

Important Dates:

10/11-12/3 – Read to Succeed program (Chicago Wolves)

10/22 – Buona Beef fundraiser

10/29 – Halloween parade and parties

11/2 – Election day/teacher institute – no school

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/18/10 - 10/22/10

2010-10-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

The children did a wonderful job during MAP testing! We will have one more day of testing for this session; math will be tested on Thursday. Don't forget, Wednesday is an early dismissal day.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: (My reading class) Lesson 7: Pretest on Monday. Homework due on Thursday; Test Friday.

English: We will start Unit 3 this week on Verbs. We will focus on action verbs and direct objects.

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: Our CORE reading skill this week is analogies. All fifth grade students will learn how to analyze and complete various types of analogies. In addition, all students will begin focusing on the important skills of drawing conclusions and making inferences while reading a fictional text.

Social Studies: This week we will begin Chapter 6, "Life in the English Colonies." We will specifically be learning how the early colonists worked and traded. The trade fair will be coming up in about a week and a half. Look out for the permission slip!

Science: Students should be on a leaf hunt this weekend. They each have a packet of directions on how to press their leaves properly. We will be making leafy critters next week. Lesson 2 will also be read which covers the passing of energy through ecosystems.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
This week, I will be giving the students a "target" review to see how well they know the most important concepts in the first 3 chapters of our textbook. This will give me a good idea of concepts I may want to focus on a little more before moving on too quickly. We will begin Chapter 5 this week (putting off Chapter 4 until a later date.) Decimals will be introduced.

Important Dates:

10/11-12/3 – Read to Succeed program (Chicago Wolves)

10/15 - Movie Night

10/21 – Book Fair 6:30-8:00

10/29 - 1:00 Costume parade 1:30 parties

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/11/10 - 10/15/10

2010-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

The weather is warming up a bit and the trees are beginning their glorious transformation! I hope you all have a wonderful 3-day Columbus Day weekend. Please be advised that we will be MAP testing next week on Tuesday and Friday. Here is a little information on the topic:

There is a new testing system being employed by the district this year. MAP testing stands for Measures of Academic Progress. These tests will be taken beginning next week, in the areas of Reading, Language, and Math. Students will take a series of multiple choice tests in each area on the computer. The program computes a score, which is then placed along a continuum to show each student's individual progress. It will even be able to show what particular areas each student excels at, and what areas they may need some additional support with. We are hopeful that this new system will help make our instruction for our students even better!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Since we will be MAP testing, there will be no spelling lesson this week.

English: We will finish chapter 2 (Nouns) this week. After reviewing extensively, our test will be on Thursday. Watch out for a “How to Study” sheet.

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class: We will continue to work on finding the main idea and supporting details in various types of text. Homonyms/Homographs and multiple meaning words will also be our focus.

Social Studies: We will continue to study the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies. Our chapter 5 test will be on Friday.

Science: Back to the textbook! Chapter 5 will begin this week which covers ecosystems. Photosynthesis will be the first topic studied and the children will be responsible for gathering some fall leaves and flattening them at home. A packet of information regarding this project will be going home later this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
The chapter 3 test is now scheduled for Wednesday (part 1) and Thursday (part 2.) I am breaking it up so the students will have enough time to work hard and finish! We have truly reviewed and I hope my students are practicing math facts and studying division at home. We will begin reviewing for a “target” test which will cover important concepts in chapters 1-3.
http://www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/multiplication.html
http://www.thegreatmartinicompany.com/multiplication.html

Important Dates:
10/11-12/3 – Read to Succeed program (Chicago Wolves)
10/11 – Columbus Day (no school)
10/15 – Box tops turn-in day (pizza party at stake!!)
10/15 - Movie Night

10/29 - Halloween parade & parties

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 10/4/10 - 10/8/10

2010-10-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

Happy October and Happy Autumn everyone! I'd like to remind you all to check "parent connect" to see how your child is doing in each subject. We are officially halfway finished with the first trimester. If your child is receiving a grade below a C, a progress report has been mailed to you. I ask that you sign and return the bottom portion as soon as possible. If you have concerns at any time regarding your child's progress, please contact me.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 6; pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Final test on Friday.

English: We continue our study of nouns with more plural nouns (and their interesting spellings,) and singular and plural possessive nouns. An example of this would be: the pencil belonging to the boy = the boy's pencil. Or, the books belonging to the teachers = the teachers' books.

Core Reading: Homonyms/Homographs and multiple meaning words will be our focus.

Mrs. Klacza's Reading Class:
We will be reading non-fiction text and concentrating on finding the main idea and supporting details in the selection entitled The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home.

Social Studies: Lessons 2 and 3 will be our focus this week as we specifically learn about some new European colonies started by the French and Dutch. Later in the week, we will concentrate on the original 13 colonies.

Science: The owl pellets were a success! The students learned a little about the barn owl through their eating habits. On Tuesday, the students will be taking a culminating quiz on the owl pellet experience. They will be able to use their notes.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
There will be a quiz on Lessons 1-4 (Chapter 3) on Monday. We will then continue the chapter, focusing on patterns in division and estimating and dividing using 2 digit divisors. I have planned a test (tentatively) on this chapter for Friday. We will certainly review on Thursday and I will assess the situation and see if the students are ready for a test. However, it will not be put off any more than 1 day.

http://www.aplusmath.com/Flashcards/multiplication.html
http://www.thegreatmartinicompany.com/multiplication.html

Important Dates:
10/1 - Bingo Night
10/11 – Columbus Day (no school)
10/15 - Movie Night

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

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

2010-09-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

Week of 8/30/10 - 9/3/10

2010-08-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

All 4th and 5th grade students have the opportunity to sign up for Intramural Games. This is a "free" after school program that allows your child to stay active. Permission slips will be sent out next week. Please return these to Mrs. Cushing by Friday, September 3rd.

Due to a high number of peanut-related allergies in the fifth grade, we are asking that no peanut-based foods be sent to school as a snack. Thank you for your understanding.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 1 pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be assigned on Monday and due on Thursday. Final test is on Friday.

English: The students need to bring in a picture or photograph for an activity on Monday. This is a homework assignment. It should be about the size of a large index card. We will be learning about subjects and predicates this week after we finish the four types of sentences. The students will meet Mr. Morton this week!

Reading: This week we will review and discuss the following reading strategies: predicting, inferring, decoding, clarifying, questioning, evaluating, and summarizing. The students will listen to a read-aloud story entitled The Pumpkin Box to apply these strategies.

Social Studies: We have started our textbook at Chapter 4 entitled "Spain Builds an Empire." Lesson 1 is about the voyages of Columbus. Each student will be writing a letter this week pretending he or she is Columbus and persuading the Queen to allow him/her to return to the new world. We will then begin Lesson 2 which focuses on the Aztecs.

Science: After drawing and describing our own scientists, we will begin diving into our textbooks. Getting Ready for Science is the first chapter covered in our science books. Lesson 1 deals with inquiry tools. We will read the lesson and take notes throughout the week. On Thursday, there will be a short, open note, open book quiz on Lesson 1.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We begin Chapter 1 which focuses on place value, addition, and subtraction. We will specifically cover place value, rounding whole numbers, and estimating sums and differences this week. I am tentatively planning a test on 9/10 for the first chapter.

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 weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 8/23/10 - 8/27/10

2010-08-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

WELCOME BACK TO PRAIRIEVIEW!!

I am so excited to be back in Room 208 with a new group of fifth graders. It will be an exciting year for all of us. I look forward to meeting you all on Monday at Open House. It will take place from 9-11 and feel free to bring in your supplies.

This week we will be getting to know each other with lots of activities. We will also start getting into the curriculum, especially toward the end of the week. Gym, art, music, and IMC all begin this week.

See you tomorrow! Mrs. Klacza

Last Week of School!!

2010-05-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

To my parents, I thank you for your support and generosity throughout the year. Your children have their wings and are ready to fly. Support them and love them; they are all treasures.

Come visit now and then and enjoy your time off. Keep on reading (for enjoyment, of course!) Email me from time to time to let me know how things are going :) I do check my emails in the summer!! Again, have a great summer.

Yearbooks: Will be handed out to students on June 2nd. Any students who did not purchase a yearbook may do so on a first-come-first-serve basis on June 2nd; 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 12, 2009 and orders were due by Tuesday, December 9, 2009.

Important Dates:

5/31 - Memorial Day; no school

6/1 - Reading Party celebration in classroom

School Picnic (hot dogs served)

6/2 - Last Day of School (9:30 dismissal)

Have a wonderful weekend and summer! Mrs. Klacza

GO BLACKHAWKS -- BRING HOME THE CUP!!!!

Week of 5/24/10 - 5/28/10

2010-05-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

We are truly down to the wire now, with one more full week of school before summer vacation. We had a great time visiting Lakeview and I think the students are feeling a little less anxious about the 6th grade. It was enjoyable listening to the choir and cadet band again on Thursday. What talented students we have here at PV! Please note that our fifth grade celebration will happen on Thursday afternoon. The PTO has planned a very special afternoon for our “Class of 2010.”

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 34 will be our last lesson but there will be no test due to the many special activities occurring this week. We will do the workbook pages.

English: We will learn about “busy prepositions” (School House Rock) and prepositional phrases, also.

Reading: We continue to practice and perfect the reading strategies and skills we have learned this entire year by revisiting some of the stories from our anthology. We will specifically focus on autobiographies and non-fiction. It looks like our reading party will occur on 6/1.

Social Studies: We'll finish reading Chapter 13 this week, focusing on the trails which led to the West, specifically the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trail. Then we will find out how California became “The Golden State.”

Science: After our Monday Science test, we will watch a Bill Nye on planets. That pretty much wraps it up for the year!!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:

Chapter 9 tests will be returned on Monday and then we will very quickly breeze through Chapter 10 on various types of graphs.

Important Dates:

5/27 - 5th grade celebration (afternoon)
5/28 - 5th graders go bowling – sack lunches, please!
5/31 – Memorial Day/No school
6/1 – All school picnic
6/2 – Report cards issued/Last Day!!! 9:30 dismissal

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 5/17/10 - 5/21/10

2010-05-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy week which included a trip to Lakeview to watch the dress rehearsal of Oklahoma. The fifth graders got a nice preview of life at LV. We will visit once again on Tuesday for a formal visit and tour. Parents are invited to a Parent Night at LV on 5/17 (Monday.) I also enjoyed watching our children perform in the cadet band and with the choir. They are so talented! On Thursday, 5/20, there will be a repeat performance at 1:00 here at PV.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 33 – the letter “y” in words: pretest on Monday; test on Friday

English: We will finish up adverbs this week and have a "quest" on Friday.

Reading: We continue to practice the reading strategies and skills we have learned this entire year while finishing up Jacob's Rescue. I will be assigning a reading project on Tuesday that will require the students to put themselves in Jacob's shoes (or Hannah's from Hannah's Suitcase) and write a letter to someone in the United States describing their experiences in Europe. The Holocaust has been a topic that we just can't stop discussing. What inquiring minds we have in the fifth grade!

Social Studies: Chapter 13 will be the last chapter we cover in Social Studies and we will specifically study “People Moving West.” We will find out about the state of Texas.

Science: The solar system has been “explored” in room 208 and there will be an open book/note assessment on Thursday. A test on the entire chapter will take place on Monday, 5/24.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Chapter 9 is short and sweet. It covers statistics and data and only contains 4 lessons, so...
Test on Friday!

Important Dates:
5/17 – Parent Night at Lakeview
5/18 - 5th graders visit Lakeview (Library visit and Open House)
5/20 – In-school concert 1:00
5/28 - 5th graders go bowling – sack lunches, please!
5/31 – Memorial Day/No school
6/1 – All school picnic
6/2 – Report cards issued/Last Day!!! 9:30 dismissal

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 5/10/10 - 5/14/10

2010-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the moms!! Secondly, thank you for making Teacher Appreciation Week so special. I hate the thought of having to pack a lunch again!

We only have 3 more full weeks of school ahead and there are lots of exciting events coming up. Scroll down for some of those important dates. Also, please remember that Panda Express in Darien is proudly displaying our 5th grade students' work!

All this week Prairieview is collecting gym shoes in any shape and all other shoes that still have some life in them. We want to help cut down on the amount going into landfills. The shoes will be either donated to places that help people or will be sent to Nike's recycling center where they recycle gym shoes into a variety of objects including floor mats. Please tie the shoes together or put them in plastic grocery bags so that they do not become separated. Thank you for your support. At Prairieview School – Character Counts!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 32 – more prefix forms: pretest on Monday; test on Friday

English: We'll tackle adverbs this week, focusing specifically on comparing with adverbs and determining the difference between adverbs and adjectives.

Reading: We continue to practice the reading strategies and skills we have learned this year while reading Jacob's Rescue. The students have really been developing their questioning skills by finding answers within the novel to “right there,” “think and search,” and “on your own” questions.

Social Studies: This week, the students will finish their “Fortunately, Unfortunately” booklets and then read Lesson 3 entitled “The Struggle for Reforms.” Friday we will have our Chapter 12 test, with a review game on Thursday.

Science: After an open note Lesson 2 assessment on Tuesday, we will begin Lesson 3, “What Makes up our Solar System?” Tentative test date is 5/24.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We are working on Chapter 24, picking and choosing what's important and doubling up on some lessons. This week we continue to study area and add parallelograms to the mix. We will also relate perimeter, area, and volume. The students will be taking the Chapter 24 test on Thursday. I will allow them to use formula notes.

Important Dates:

5/10 – 7:00 concert at LV with Cadet Band and Choir
5/11 – Bubble Wonder assembly
5/13 – 5th graders visit Lakeview to see Oklahoma (dress rehearsal)
5/14 – Early Dismissal
5/18 - 5th graders visit Lakeview
5/31 – Memorial Day/No school

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 5/3/10 - 5/7/10

2010-04-30T05:14:00.000-07:00

It is now officially May and we are busy in the fifth grade. Not only are we busy here at school, but I know many of my students are involved in baseball, softball, soccer, etc., etc.... Spring is my favorite sport season, particularly baseball, but let's not lose sight of everything we are still learning at PV. Please continue to motivate your child to study and do homework before their sport, if possible. I remember my own kids coming home so tired after a game that all they wanted to do was shower, eat, and go to bed! But, I do love May!!

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Students from Project Challenge have started a fundraiser for the ASPCA, a foundation to stop animal cruelty. The kids will be selling Smencils® (scented pencils) for a 1.00 each. The pencils will be sold each morning in the grade level areas. The sales will start Friday April 30th and go through May 28th. We will track our sales on the bulletin board by the multi-purpose room. For every twenty dollars we raise, one food bowl will go up on the bulletin board. So please help save our animals. Buy Smencils.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 31 – the prefix ex: pretest on Monday; test on Friday

English: On Monday the students will take their test on Pronouns. The rest of the week will be devoted to persuasive writing. This class did a tremendous job with their expository writing; I am curious to see how well they will be able to persuade!!

Reading: We continue to use the reading strategies and skills that we have learned throughout the year using the novel Jacob's Rescue. This week, we will particularly focus on summarizing, inferring, and predicting. Our novel takes place during the Holocaust and involves Jacob, a Jewish boy who is sent to live with a non-Jewish family in order to stay safe. I am sure the children will enjoy it.

Social Studies: This week we start Chapter 12, “Times of Change.” The United States turns 50 in Lesson 1. What a great nation we are becoming! Sadly, the Native American people are being pushed off their land in this lesson; we will read about the Trail of Tears.

Science: We have finished Lesson 1 and have begun Lesson 2 which focuses on the moon. We will specifically learn about its phases this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:

We will finish our very short perimeter lesson and take our chapter test on Wednesday. Chapter 24 which covers volume and area is up next!

Important Dates:
5/3 – Start buying smencils!
5/13 – Students visit Lakeview to see Oklahoma (dress rehearsal)
5/14 – Early Dismissal
5/31 – Memorial Day/No school

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/26/10 - 4/30/10

2010-04-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

As we enter our final week of April, I'd like to remind you all to continue to check your child's grades on line. Also, PLEASE make sure your son or daughter has a silent reading book in school. We have silent reading time EVERY DAY. I sometimes see students wandering around and they tell me they do not have a book nor are any in my classroom interesting to them! So, much time is wasted when it could be spent reading and getting a book finished for a book report.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 30: -or words: pretest on Monday; test on Friday

English: We continue our study of pronouns and will do plenty of reviewing this week. I have pushed back the test to Monday, May 3. Persuasive writing will be explored after our pronoun test!

Reading: We will continue to reinforce the reading strategies that we have studied this year using the novel, Night of the Twisters. Our discussion groups were wonderful to watch. All the students participated in a positive way. This week the students will be working on a book project that presents the characters, the setting, the summary, etc. A comprehension quiz will occur on Wednesday and we will watch the movie Night of the Twisters on Thursday and Friday. The students will be comparting and contrasting the novel and the movie.

Social Studies: After reading a little more about Lewis and Clark, Lesson 3 will be explored which deals with the War of 1812. Did you know “The Star Spangled Banner” was written during this war? The chapter 11 test is planned for Friday.

Science: After finishing up Lesson 1 which discusses the reason we have seasons, the students will take an open note/book assessment on Wednesday. We'll then move on to Lesson 2, and we will specifically study craters.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
After taking the Chapter 22 test on Monday, we will start Chapter 23 on Perimeter, the distance around an object. This will turn out to be a very short chapter so a test on this chapter is tentatively planned for May 5.

Important Dates:
4/26 – Dr. Tiede visits room 208 to read to us
5/13 – Early Dismissal
5/31 – Memorial Day/No school

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/12/10 - 4/16/10

2010-04-16T10:43:00.001-07:00

It was wonderful visiting with so many families last night at our annual Open House and Book Fair. What a great turn out we had on a very hot night! The students were thrilled to show off their work; thank you for making this last Prairieview open house so special for your child.

An important message from the office:

Since Earth Day falls on the 22nd & we have Early Dismissal that day we will be celebrating on April Friday 23. Students & staff members may wear their Earth Day shirts or green shirts & pack a "NO-trash" lunch as well as walk or ride their bike to school & any other great ideas you may have to celebrate this national day!!! Remember if students are planning on visiting their parents' work on Thursday, April 22nd (Take Your Child to Work Day) encourage them to do so in the afternoon since we are dismissing at 11:00 on that day.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 29 – Compound Words: pretest on Monday; test on Friday.

English: We continue our study of pronouns, particularly contractions with pronouns and using we and us with nouns. I have a tentative test date planned for 4/30.

Reading: We will continue to review the reading strategies that we have studied this year using the novel, Night of the Twisters. Our book clubs will continue to meet after the discussion sheets are completed. Many skills are used to complete these sheets, such as predicting, summarizing, self-questioning, and connecting. The book is so exciting now – ask your child about it!

Social Studies: We begin Lesson 2, "Jefferson Looks West." It seems we could use a little “elbow room” in America so Jefferson purchases some land that increases the size of our country a whole lot!

Science: A new chapter begins this week. Chapter 13 discusses the earth, the moon, and beyond. We will start with the seasons and why they occur each year.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We've made lots of measurement progress and will continue this week with elapsed time and temperature. We'll review the entire chapter on Wednesday, take a pretest on Thursday, and take our Chapter 22 test on Monday, 4/26.

Important Dates:
4/22 – Early Dismissal (11:00 for PV)
4/23 – Talent Show (fifth graders only)

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/12/10 - 4/16/10

2010-04-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who came to cheer on our students as they graduated from the Too Good For Drugs program. It was great to see such a big crowd come out on a Friday morning to show support. Please remember that Thursday night is our open house and book fair. Please try to attend; the children have been working very hard on all their fabulous projects!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 28: Greek combining forms. Pretest Monday, Final test on Friday.

Reading: We are reinforcing all the strategies previously covered in reading as we continue our novel, Night of the Twisters. We will particularly focus this week on self-questioning as we develop a “twister journal” answering “right there,” “think and search,” and “on your own” questions.

Language Arts: Pronouns will be covered this week specifically object pronouns, using I & me, and possessive pronouns.

Social Studies: We will review Chapter 10 on Monday with a test following on Tuesday. I hope my students remembered to bring their textbooks home since I reminded them to reread the chapter this weekend. They should not be cramming on Monday! We will begin Chapter 11 on Wednesday entitled “The Young United States.”

Science: We will finish reading and discussing lesson 3, Waves on a Beach, and will have a short assessment of that lesson on Wednesday. The test for Chapter 12 will be on Friday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We will continue our study of measurement with customary capacity & weight and metric capacity & weight. Furthermore, all students will enjoy Geospace in their own homerooms this week.

Important Notes:

4/12 - Spirit Day – Chicago Baseball Day – Support your FAVORITE team!!!
4/13 - Geospace inschool field trip provided by the DuPage Children's Museum
4/15 - Open House and Book Fair
4/22 - Early Dismissal (11:00 for Prairieview)

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 4/5/10 - 4/9/10

2010-03-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

We had a great final week before Spring Break; particularly enjoyable was the Naper Settlement field trip. Thank you to Mike's mom, Morgan's mom, and John Luca's mom for chaperoning. I hope you all have a safe and refreshing spring break. I also wish you a Happy Easter!

Don't forget, TGFD Graduation will take place on Friday, April 9, at 9:00 a.m. here in the PV gym. Families are invited and welcome to come. What a great way to show your support of this very valuable program!

Coming up the week after spring break:

Spelling: Lesson 26: review words. No pretest, Final test on Friday.

Reading: This week we will focus primarily on summarizing, and touch on the other reading strategies while finishing our study of the country of China. We will finally get to those lanterns I mentioned last week and watch The Great Panda Adventure as our culminating activity. On Wednesday, I plan to continue using our reading strategies, especially summarizing, as we start the novel Night of the Twisters.

Language Arts: We are finished with our adjectives unit and will finish our “Me front page” project before plunging into our pronouns chapter.

Social Studies: Lesson 3 will be studied this week, “Ratifying the Constitution.” Students will be making an “Important Book.” I hope they are all singing the Preamble song! The Chapter 10 test will be on 4/13.

Science: We will read and discuss lesson 3, waves on a beach. Our test will tentatively occur the following week, but my plans are not finalized yet.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We are totally shifting gears this week and moving on to measurement. We will specifically learn about customary and metric units of measurement. I am going to present the information in small chunks, with a short quiz given after the first 3 lessons, probably on Thursday.

Important Notes:
3/26 – Spring break starts at the end of this day!
4.9 – TGFD graduation at 9:00 a.m.
4/13 – Geospace inschool field trip provided by the DuPage Children's Museum

Have a great break! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 3/22/10 - 3/26/10

2010-03-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

I'd like to congratulate our very own classmate, Ari, for winning the Citizens Bank essay contest telling how she would impact our country if she were the President! She was chosen by a panel of seven bank employees. There were over 170 who entered from four schools. I am so proud of her and her classmates for showing good character. Way to go Ari!!

This will be our last week of school before Spring Break! This school year has truly been flying by. Let's keep working hard to keep our kids focused; spring fever is apparent in room 208... Also, please refer to the bottom of this blog for information on the Naper Settlement field trip coming up this Tuesday.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 25: silent letters. Pretest on Monday, Final test on Friday.

Reading: As we continue our study of China, we will be focusing on using non fiction text to practice the reading strategy of clarifying. On Monday, the students will be assigned a China brochure they need to create. The brochures will be due on Friday. We will also be making Chinese lanterns.

Language Arts: We will review our chapter on Adjectives and there will be a test on Thursday.

Social Studies: Lesson 2 will be studied this week, “A Debate in Philadelphia.” The children will then be put in pairs to create a section of the preamble to the Constitution.

Science: TGFD Letter (4 paragraphs) due on Wednesday. Lesson 2 on the movement of ocean water will be studied this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
Chapter 14, Lessons 3, 4, and 5 will be studied this week. This chapter focuses on adding and subtracting mixed numbers such as 2 ½ + 3 ¼. It's very important for our math students to know their basic multiplication facts! I am giving the students a quiz on these 3 lessons on Friday.

Important Notes:

3/23 – Naper Settlement field trip – Students should dress for the weather and bring a sack lunch and a drink!!!
3/26 – Spring break starts at the end of this day!

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 3/15/10 - 3/19/10

2010-03-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

Conference week is over and I was happy to speak with many of you. Please keep in mind that if you ever have a question or concern, I am an email or phone call away! We are now in the third (and last) trimester of fifth grade. I'm emphasizing to the class that they need to stay focused and work hard. I would appreciate you doing the same at home. Spring fever is in the air and sometimes grades tend to slip at this time of year. Let's work together and end the year successfully! Don't forget to "spring ahead" this weekend!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 24: words ending with -ar. Pretest on Monday, final test on Friday.

Reading: We will continue clarifying using nonfiction text throughout this week with our focus on China. We will specifically be reading and discussing the economy, people, and culture of China. The students will also be asked to create their own panda to join our “Pandas on Parade.” Ask your child about it!

Language Arts: We continue our chapter on Adjectives. I am looking at a test date of 3/25. We will also be working on our About Me front page. The students were asked to bring in an 8x10 photo of themselves, or smaller if they don't have a large one. (A wallet sized photo is really too small.) This goes along with the front page they will create.

Social Studies: “Forming a New Government” is the name of chapter 10. This is the chapter when each fifth grader learns the Preamble to the Constitution. We will watch the School House Rock video in order to learn it. The students love this one!

Science: We continue the study of oceans, specifically, the ocean floor. There will be an open note assessment on Lesson 1 Thursday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We will review Chapter 19 on Monday. I have decided to give the students a “quest” on Tuesday. (I mentioned Wednesday in an earlier blog.) We will then begin Chapter 13 on fraction operations.

Important Notes:
3/12 – Day off -- conferences
3/23 – Naper Settlement field trip
3/26 – Spring break starts at the end of this day!

Have a great, long weekend! Mrs. Klacza

Week of 3/8/10 - 3/12/10

2010-03-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

Conference confirmation forms have gone home and most have been returned. I look forward to meeting with many of you or speaking with you on the phone the week of March 8.

Look for the flyer that was sent home Friday. It announces a reading incentive program that Prairieview is encouraging called “Raise a Reader.” Parents sign up your child starting Monday the 8th by going to: http://www.parents.com/reading/prairieviewschooldowil
All students who sign up will get to put their first name and teacher's name up on the bulletin board in the front hallway. So join the fun and keep reading!

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 23, the prefix ad-; Pretest on Monday, Final test on Friday.

Reading: The study of China begins! This week we will be focusing on clarifying by identifying the main idea and details of nonfiction text. We will specifically be focusing on the climate, geography, animals, and plants of China.

Language Arts: We begin our chapter on Adjectives. We will also be working on our About Me front pages again!

Social Studies: The chapter 9 test will be on Tuesday. Circle books for Lesson 3 are due on Monday. We won't start chapter 10 until the week of March 15.

Science: This week we will start our study of oceans, specifically, what water is like in different parts of the ocean.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:

We will begin Chapter 19 this week, which also focuses on geometry. We will specifically study triangles, quadrilaterals, plane figures, and solid figures. Tentative “quest” will be on March 17.

Important Notes:
Week of 3/8 – Conferences (those requested by teachers/parents)
3/9 – Report cards distributed
3/12 – Day off for conferences
3/23 – Naper Settlement field trip

Have a great weekend! Mrs. Klacza

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

2010-02-26T05:15:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-12T05:20:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-05T10:55:00.001-08:00

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

Week of 2/1/10 - 2/5/10

2010-01-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that January is over?? Soon it will be Valentine's Day and we'll be celebrating! I will be sending home a classroom list for valentines very soon. We will start “music buddies” this week. Some of my students will help the younger students with their recorders in Ms. Wyse's class during their recess. The children are also so excited to visit the multineeds classroom to be their “peer buddies.” What a great way to show our character. Lastly, we have cleaned out our behavior jar!! Keyerra can be (and has been) thanked for helping us. We will decide how to celebrate next week.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 19 – VAC words. Pretest Monday/Final test Friday.

Reading: As we continue our study of connecting, we will read another story from our reading series called Katie's Trunk. This story is also set during the American Revolution; however, Katie and her family are Loyalists. We will see things from a different point of view! We will also continue our ISAT practice.

Language Arts: We conclude our study of verbs this week. An intense review will follow with a test planned for Tuesday, Febuary 9. Hold on to your hats, expository writing follows!

Social Studies: Monday is our Chapter 8 test. I do not plan to start Chapter 9 until the week of 2/8. However, the students will be working on their “webquests.” They were introduced to this project already – ask your child about it, please!

Science: We continue our study of weather this week, specifically local and prevailing winds.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:
We conclude Chapter 12 this week with a test on Friday. Only two lessons will be taught this week, problem solving and relating fractions and decimals. Of course, we will “pretest” before the actual test.

Important Notes:

2/2 – Teacher's Institute – no school
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 and stay warm! Mrs. Klacza