Today we focused on preparing for next week and the 5th graders took a field trip to South Bend Art Museum. We had a great time. Ask them what they learned
Next week we start Spring ISTEP. Please make sure that your child gets plenty of rest every night next week and that they get a good breakfast every morning. I've included the times we are testing in 4th and 5th grade below. All students will test with their LA teacher. Please make sure that your child is in school at these times. If for some reason, they can't be in school they will do all make up testing with Mrs. Stephan.
Here is our testing schedule:
Monday
8:10-8:50
11:05-11:45
Tuesday
8:10-9:20
12:55-2:05
Wednesday
8:05-9:30
Thursday
8:10-8:50
11:05-11:45
Friday
Field trip to the Pops concert at Penn H.S.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thrilling Thursday
We had a thrilling day!
5th graders - Don't forget that we have a field trip tomorrow. Most of you need to bring a sack lunch.
Language Arts and Math
Today we reviewed skills for next week.
Language Arts - Your reading packet is due tomorrow.
Science - We finished up questions about how light pollution effects all of us. No homework tonight.
5th graders - Don't forget that we have a field trip tomorrow. Most of you need to bring a sack lunch.
Language Arts and Math
Today we reviewed skills for next week.
Language Arts - Your reading packet is due tomorrow.
Science - We finished up questions about how light pollution effects all of us. No homework tonight.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wow! Wednesday
We had a great day today!
Language Arts
We began our day with a grammar review and then we worked on vocabulary vine. We have changed our focus from learning new Greek and Latin roots to reviewing the roots that we have already learned. So far this week we have broken the following words into their roots, defined the words using the roots and then wrote the words in original sentences using context clues that help the reader understand the word. There will be a quiz over these words on Friday.
Vocab Vine Words: Geometry, dismiss, manicure, visit, tripod, telescope, concert, centipede, prevent, and biography. For ISTEP prep today we read and answered question about a non-fiction story. We also wrote about story. We also visited with our reading buddies and completed a couple of art projects for our rainforest bulletin board that we will be using to track minutes for the I Love to Read Challenge.
Math
We tested over Unit 7 today. Tomorrow we will spend the day reviewing for ISTEP.
Science
We didn't have science today. Instead we had Art Smart.
A huge thank you to our Art Smart parents. They are amazing and we love what they teach us!
Look for a permission slip for the Penn Pops concert. The concert takes place the Friday after ISTEP. It should be a great way to end a stressful week.
Remember that ISTEP starts next week. We will be testing in our LA groups Monday through Thursday. Look for a detailed schedule to come home soon.
Language Arts
We began our day with a grammar review and then we worked on vocabulary vine. We have changed our focus from learning new Greek and Latin roots to reviewing the roots that we have already learned. So far this week we have broken the following words into their roots, defined the words using the roots and then wrote the words in original sentences using context clues that help the reader understand the word. There will be a quiz over these words on Friday.
Vocab Vine Words: Geometry, dismiss, manicure, visit, tripod, telescope, concert, centipede, prevent, and biography. For ISTEP prep today we read and answered question about a non-fiction story. We also wrote about story. We also visited with our reading buddies and completed a couple of art projects for our rainforest bulletin board that we will be using to track minutes for the I Love to Read Challenge.
Math
We tested over Unit 7 today. Tomorrow we will spend the day reviewing for ISTEP.
Science
We didn't have science today. Instead we had Art Smart.
A huge thank you to our Art Smart parents. They are amazing and we love what they teach us!
Look for a permission slip for the Penn Pops concert. The concert takes place the Friday after ISTEP. It should be a great way to end a stressful week.
Remember that ISTEP starts next week. We will be testing in our LA groups Monday through Thursday. Look for a detailed schedule to come home soon.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Marvelous Monday
LA
Our focus this week is going to be on writing and ISTEP prep. Today we worked on word choice, syllables and grammar usage. Homework this week is a reading packet. It is due on Friday.
Math
Today we reviewed adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. We also started review for the unit 7 test on Wednesday. Homework was to finish up the review.
Science
Today we talked about the different types of light pollution. Homework is to look at light sources in your neighborhood and see if they create light pollution.
Our focus this week is going to be on writing and ISTEP prep. Today we worked on word choice, syllables and grammar usage. Homework this week is a reading packet. It is due on Friday.
Math
Today we reviewed adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. We also started review for the unit 7 test on Wednesday. Homework was to finish up the review.
Science
Today we talked about the different types of light pollution. Homework is to look at light sources in your neighborhood and see if they create light pollution.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
What a great game!
It was so much fun watching the 5th graders play the staff in basketball. Hopefully this will become an annual tradition. Great game everyone.
Language Arts
Today we reviewed grammar. We read the story and sequenced the major events. We also practiced possessive pronouns. Tomorrow fluency and flow is due. Book orders are also due tomorrow.
Math
Today we practiced adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. There are some rules it helps to know. Tomorrow we will continue to work on this skill. It takes some practice.
Science
We finished up our projects today. Be sure to look for them during Galaxy Gallery.
Language Arts
Today we reviewed grammar. We read the story and sequenced the major events. We also practiced possessive pronouns. Tomorrow fluency and flow is due. Book orders are also due tomorrow.
Math
Today we practiced adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. There are some rules it helps to know. Tomorrow we will continue to work on this skill. It takes some practice.
Science
We finished up our projects today. Be sure to look for them during Galaxy Gallery.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
What a Wednesday!
Each year we participate In WSBT's I love to Read Challenge. A green packet came home today telling all about our plans for March. I am also sending home a book order today in case you want to stock up on books to read next month. The book order is due on Friday, February 20th. ( I want to have the book in the kids' hands as close to the March 1. as possible.) As always, ordering is completely voluntary.
We met with our reading buddies today. What a great privilege our 4th graders have as the mentor a child who is just beginning to learn to read. The first graders really look up to the 4th graders. It is fun to watch. Today I watched two buddies find just the right place to read and they both had identical smiles on their faces as they sat down and opened their books.
We also went over some skills today. We reviewed our vocabulary, sequencing, homographs, and rhyme scheme and meter. We also reviewed how to write to an ISTEP prompt in 55 minutes. We wrote about a time we did our best.
Math
Today we continued looking at negative numbers. We worked with counters to show "in the black" and "in the red" situations. There is no homework tomorrow as continue this lesson.
Science
We continued to work on our Orion stories and pictures. Look for these to be hanging up in the building soon.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Not quite a typical Tuesday.
Welcome back. I hope everyone enjoyed their 3 day weekend.
Mailbox alert - 5th graders.
A permission slip for Sculpture Quest is coming home today. It is on a yellow slip of paper. Sculpture quest is put on by the South Bend Museum of Art. Students will view art and create a sculpture of their own.
Galaxy Gallery is also coming up. Students who play an instrument are invited to play during the event. Look for more details on a 1/2 sheet of green paper.
Language Arts
Today we read the story, "Adelina's Whales." Our vocabulary for the week includes rumbling, massive, snoring, tangles, unique, politicians, and dove. Our vocabulary skill for the week is homographs. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and perhaps different pronunciations. Dove (the past tense of dive) and dove (the bird) are good examples. Our comprehension strategy for the week is sequencing.
Fluency and Flow is due on Friday. Here are the expectations.
1. Read the story out loud to an adult have the adult sign.
2. Answer the questions at the end of the story.
3. Do the attached worksheet.
4. Study your spelling words.
Math
Today we began looking at negative numbers. -18 is read negative 18 or the opposite of 18. It is not minus 18. We also practiced parenthesis and order of operations. Study link is 7.6.
Science
We continued looking at the mythology of Orion. No homework.
Mailbox alert - 5th graders.
A permission slip for Sculpture Quest is coming home today. It is on a yellow slip of paper. Sculpture quest is put on by the South Bend Museum of Art. Students will view art and create a sculpture of their own.
Galaxy Gallery is also coming up. Students who play an instrument are invited to play during the event. Look for more details on a 1/2 sheet of green paper.
Language Arts
Today we read the story, "Adelina's Whales." Our vocabulary for the week includes rumbling, massive, snoring, tangles, unique, politicians, and dove. Our vocabulary skill for the week is homographs. Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and perhaps different pronunciations. Dove (the past tense of dive) and dove (the bird) are good examples. Our comprehension strategy for the week is sequencing.
Fluency and Flow is due on Friday. Here are the expectations.
1. Read the story out loud to an adult have the adult sign.
2. Answer the questions at the end of the story.
3. Do the attached worksheet.
4. Study your spelling words.
Math
Today we began looking at negative numbers. -18 is read negative 18 or the opposite of 18. It is not minus 18. We also practiced parenthesis and order of operations. Study link is 7.6.
Science
We continued looking at the mythology of Orion. No homework.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thoughtful Thursday
We had a busy day!
Attention all 4th and 5th grade parents. A notice went home today about "The Talk." Every year we have a growth and development talk with the 4th and 5th graders. This has been scheduled for later this month. Please check your students back pack for a letter that gives all the details.
LA
We reviewed grammar skills with a focus on pronouns. We also added root words to our vocab vine boxes. Today's roots were naut (having to do with ships and sailing) and nom (names, laws, and distribution). We won't be adding anymore cards to our boxes this year. We will be reviewing the roots that we already know. We also worked on our poetry. Today we brainstormed ideas for a poem that we are going to write tomorrow. Fluency and Flow is due tomorrow.
Math
Today we learned about order of operations. We used the PEMDAS system and the following sentence to help us remember the order. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. This means that we do parenthesis first. Next is exponents. After that we do all the multiplication and division and finally we do the adding and subtracting. Study Link 7.5 is due tomorrow.
Science.
We continued the packet we started yesterday.
I will be out of the building tomorrow. I am going to a math meeting. I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day and a great President's day. I will write again on Tuesday.
Attention all 4th and 5th grade parents. A notice went home today about "The Talk." Every year we have a growth and development talk with the 4th and 5th graders. This has been scheduled for later this month. Please check your students back pack for a letter that gives all the details.
LA
We reviewed grammar skills with a focus on pronouns. We also added root words to our vocab vine boxes. Today's roots were naut (having to do with ships and sailing) and nom (names, laws, and distribution). We won't be adding anymore cards to our boxes this year. We will be reviewing the roots that we already know. We also worked on our poetry. Today we brainstormed ideas for a poem that we are going to write tomorrow. Fluency and Flow is due tomorrow.
Math
Today we learned about order of operations. We used the PEMDAS system and the following sentence to help us remember the order. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. This means that we do parenthesis first. Next is exponents. After that we do all the multiplication and division and finally we do the adding and subtracting. Study Link 7.5 is due tomorrow.
Science.
We continued the packet we started yesterday.
I will be out of the building tomorrow. I am going to a math meeting. I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day and a great President's day. I will write again on Tuesday.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wet Wednesday
Brave the rain and come out for the Northpoint Read-in tonight from 5:30-7:00. PTO has many fund activities planned.
Language Arts
We reviewed grammar skills and practiced spelling words by sorting and defining them. We worked on Greek and Latin roots. Our focus today was photo which mean light and astro which means stars. We visited with our reading buddies. We worked with partners to read the story and to make up examples of personification. We revised our poems.
Math
We learned about parenthesis and how they help us make sense of mathematical expressions. Our homework today is study link 7.4. We also practiced math facts.
Science
We worked on a science packet about light pollution and it's effect on wildlife. It's not homework.
Language Arts
We reviewed grammar skills and practiced spelling words by sorting and defining them. We worked on Greek and Latin roots. Our focus today was photo which mean light and astro which means stars. We visited with our reading buddies. We worked with partners to read the story and to make up examples of personification. We revised our poems.
Math
We learned about parenthesis and how they help us make sense of mathematical expressions. Our homework today is study link 7.4. We also practiced math facts.
Science
We worked on a science packet about light pollution and it's effect on wildlife. It's not homework.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
PBA Days Fly By!
Wow, today was quick. It seemed like they arrived had lunch and left. I hope everyone enjoyed sleeping in this morning.
Language Arts. They had gym today.
Don't forget that the poem "Where Are You From" is due tomorrow.
Math
Today we worked on powers of ten (any number that can be written as a product of 10s) and scientific notation (any number that can be written as a number times a power of 10). Homework tonight is study link 7.3
Science
We played a game called shakedown (think Jeopardy). The game reviewed concepts we have gone over in class.
No homework.
Language Arts. They had gym today.
Don't forget that the poem "Where Are You From" is due tomorrow.
Math
Today we worked on powers of ten (any number that can be written as a product of 10s) and scientific notation (any number that can be written as a number times a power of 10). Homework tonight is study link 7.3
Science
We played a game called shakedown (think Jeopardy). The game reviewed concepts we have gone over in class.
No homework.
Monday, February 9, 2009
PBA Tomorrow. Everything is 2 1/2 hours late!
Just a reminder that tomorrow is a PBA day. Kids get to sleep in and report to school or bus stops 2 and 1/2 hours late.
Language Arts
This week we are studying persuasion techniques. We are also looking at the author's purpose and how they convince us that they are right. Our vocabulary words are electrical, globe, fuels and decayed. Our grammar skill is pronoun/verb agreement. Our writing focus continues to be poetry.
Homework.
Fluency and Flow is a bit different this week.
Part 1. Read aloud then have an adult sign.
Part 2. Answer questions on page 477 of book. There are only 4 questions this week.
Part 3. Do the page that is attached to fluency and flow.
There is no word workout/spelling practice this week. However, it is still a great idea to practice those spelling words!
If you haven't finished your "Where Are You From" poem. That is due on Wednesday!
Math
We practiced powers of 10. Basically any number that can be written as a product of 10 is a power of 10 number (10, 100, 1000, etc.) This lesson lays the groundwork for tomorrow. Tomorrow we look at scientific notation.
Homework: Study Link 7.2
Science
Today we played a game that reviewed light pollution and wildlife concepts.
No homework
Have a great lazy morning!
Language Arts
This week we are studying persuasion techniques. We are also looking at the author's purpose and how they convince us that they are right. Our vocabulary words are electrical, globe, fuels and decayed. Our grammar skill is pronoun/verb agreement. Our writing focus continues to be poetry.
Homework.
Fluency and Flow is a bit different this week.
Part 1. Read aloud then have an adult sign.
Part 2. Answer questions on page 477 of book. There are only 4 questions this week.
Part 3. Do the page that is attached to fluency and flow.
There is no word workout/spelling practice this week. However, it is still a great idea to practice those spelling words!
If you haven't finished your "Where Are You From" poem. That is due on Wednesday!
Math
We practiced powers of 10. Basically any number that can be written as a product of 10 is a power of 10 number (10, 100, 1000, etc.) This lesson lays the groundwork for tomorrow. Tomorrow we look at scientific notation.
Homework: Study Link 7.2
Science
Today we played a game that reviewed light pollution and wildlife concepts.
No homework
Have a great lazy morning!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
It's been a couple of days....
Science Expo was great yesterday. It was very interesting to see the types of projects and see all of the hard work realized. Our judges (PHD candidates from ND) were impressed as well. Thank you to all of the people who came yesterday to pick up the projects. We really appreciate it.
All projects that are still here on Monday morning will be thrown away.
Language Arts.
We reviewed idioms and pronouns. We reviewed vocabular vine and added the roots ser, sert and in-, im- il- and ir-. ser, sert means to join or bind and the in- family means either in or not. We worked on free verse poetry today as well. Fluency and Flow is due tomorrow.
Math
We completed yesterday's lesson on exponents and reviewed adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. No homework tonight.
Science
We went over the packet from yesterday. We tried to go outside to inspect light sources but didn't make it. Homework tonight: Go out the front door and record light sources that can be seen from the front door.
All projects that are still here on Monday morning will be thrown away.
Language Arts.
We reviewed idioms and pronouns. We reviewed vocabular vine and added the roots ser, sert and in-, im- il- and ir-. ser, sert means to join or bind and the in- family means either in or not. We worked on free verse poetry today as well. Fluency and Flow is due tomorrow.
Math
We completed yesterday's lesson on exponents and reviewed adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. No homework tonight.
Science
We went over the packet from yesterday. We tried to go outside to inspect light sources but didn't make it. Homework tonight: Go out the front door and record light sources that can be seen from the front door.
Monday, February 2, 2009
What a SUPER day!
The kids seemed a little sleepy today. How many stayed up to watch the game?
The bad news: Phil saw his shadow today 6 more weeks of winter!
Language Arts:
Check out the post right below this one. It has the goals and expectations for the week. Today we took the spelling pretest. Then we learned about subject and object pronouns. Subjects pronouns are ones that go at the beginning of a sentence and do the action. Object pronouns are most likely to be found at the end of a sentence and receive the action. She (subject pronoun) threw the kush ball to him (object pronoun). Tomorrow we will learn about reflexive pronouns. That is when we are both the subject and the object. We will teach ourselves about pronouns. Ourselves is reflexive. We discussed the vocabulary and the comprehension skills and listened to the story. In writing we discussed repetition, quatrains, ballads, and rhyme schemes. Some common rhyme schemes are aabb, abab, and abcb. Ask your child to give you an example of poems with thie type of scheme.
Math
Today we started our end of journal 1 review test. This will help me see what skills are secure and which ones need a little more review.
Science
Today we heard about science expo projects. We learned that you can make a radio out of common household items, that the higher up a marble starts on an incline the better the chance it will make it through a loop without falling out, and that salt raises the boiling temperature of water. We learned many other things as well. You will be able to check out all the projects on Wednesday at the science expo. Please make plans to take home your child's Science Expo projects on Wednesday afternoon.
The bad news: Phil saw his shadow today 6 more weeks of winter!
Language Arts:
Check out the post right below this one. It has the goals and expectations for the week. Today we took the spelling pretest. Then we learned about subject and object pronouns. Subjects pronouns are ones that go at the beginning of a sentence and do the action. Object pronouns are most likely to be found at the end of a sentence and receive the action. She (subject pronoun) threw the kush ball to him (object pronoun). Tomorrow we will learn about reflexive pronouns. That is when we are both the subject and the object. We will teach ourselves about pronouns. Ourselves is reflexive. We discussed the vocabulary and the comprehension skills and listened to the story. In writing we discussed repetition, quatrains, ballads, and rhyme schemes. Some common rhyme schemes are aabb, abab, and abcb. Ask your child to give you an example of poems with thie type of scheme.
Math
Today we started our end of journal 1 review test. This will help me see what skills are secure and which ones need a little more review.
Science
Today we heard about science expo projects. We learned that you can make a radio out of common household items, that the higher up a marble starts on an incline the better the chance it will make it through a loop without falling out, and that salt raises the boiling temperature of water. We learned many other things as well. You will be able to check out all the projects on Wednesday at the science expo. Please make plans to take home your child's Science Expo projects on Wednesday afternoon.
Language Arts Goals and Expectations
Good Morning,
Here are this weeks reading skills and the expectations for Fluency and Flow.
This week we will continue to draw conclusions as we read, The Blind Hunter. The story is set in Africa and involves a blind man who wants to go on a hunt. He teaches the hunter that he sees in different ways. Our vocabulary skill is word families. For example; wise and wisdom belong to the same family. Our vocabulary words: cautiously, crisscrossed, jealousy, disguised, fade, faint, jealousy, wisdom.
Fluency and Flow Expectations:
1. Read the story and have an adult sign.
2. Answer the questions at the end of the story.
3. Words to know- Write the sentences.
Spelling words - Just a signature. (The signature means that you did the activity out loud
with an adult.
4. Just a signature - Discuss the page and pictures with an adult and have them sign the page.
Here are this weeks reading skills and the expectations for Fluency and Flow.
This week we will continue to draw conclusions as we read, The Blind Hunter. The story is set in Africa and involves a blind man who wants to go on a hunt. He teaches the hunter that he sees in different ways. Our vocabulary skill is word families. For example; wise and wisdom belong to the same family. Our vocabulary words: cautiously, crisscrossed, jealousy, disguised, fade, faint, jealousy, wisdom.
Fluency and Flow Expectations:
1. Read the story and have an adult sign.
2. Answer the questions at the end of the story.
3. Words to know- Write the sentences.
Spelling words - Just a signature. (The signature means that you did the activity out loud
with an adult.
4. Just a signature - Discuss the page and pictures with an adult and have them sign the page.
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