Sulima's Scoop - Week of January 4

Weekly Reminders:
*Lesson 16 spelling pretest on Monday.
*No W.O.W. words during the month of January.
*RtI Benchmarking on Thursday - Fluency.
*Lesson 16 spelling test on Friday.
*Chapter 5 math checkpoint #2 on Friday.

Plan Ahead:
*IOWA testing during the week of January 11.
*No spelling unit during the week of January 11.
*No school on Monday, January 18 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday.

Hot Lunch Program:
Just a reminder that the hot lunches will be increased to $2.50 on Monday, January 4, 2010.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will begin chapter 3 this week. The children will be learning about animal and plant adaptations. There will be an open book quiz on lesson 1 on Wednesday. We will spend the rest of the week working on lesson 2. This lesson reviews instincts, hibernation, migration, and learned behaviors.

Social Studies - We are still in the Southeast region. The children will be learning about the people and history of the Southeast. We will begin the week by exploring the culture of the Cherokee Tribe. Then we will move onto early explorers and leaders in this region. We will end the week by learning about the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.

Spelling - We will work on lesson 16 this week. This lesson practices words with -ough and -ould. This is a difficult lesson. Please help your child practice these words each evening.

English - We will begin our study of Adjectives this week. We will learn what adjectives are, the use of adjectives after be, and the correct use of a, an, and the. Students who passed out of any of these lessons will also begin working on enrichment projects.

W.O.W. Words - We will be taking the month of January off from W.O.W. words. Instead we will be focusing on word parts (ex. prefix, suffix, root words) and figurative language (alliteration, personification, similes, metaphors, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and idioms).

Reading - We will be working on a story from our reading anthology this week. The story is called Skylark. It is the sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall. The children will receive a readers' theater of this story on Monday. They should practice their lines throughout the week. We will present our readers' theater on Thursday. The children will be graded on accuracy, volume, rate, expression, and fluency. We will be reading the story from our anthology and working with comprehension questions. At the end of the week, we will watch Skylark.

Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday - Review Dividing by 1-digit. H.W. Daily Review pgs. 54 (#4, 8, & 12), 56 (#3, 7, & 11), and 59 (#4, 8, & 12).
Tuesday - Short Division. H.W. Daily Review pg. 55 (#1-12).
Wednesday - Review Finding Averages. (Quick review of median, mode, range, & mean) H.W. Daily Review pg. 58 (all but # 11).
Thursday - Review all concepts from chapter 5. H.W. Review for checkpoint tomorrow.
Friday - Chapter 5 checkpoint #2 (all lessons). We will not have a test on chapter 5.
Look Ahead - Next week, we will begin a short unit on algebra.

Sulima's Scoop - Winter Break

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday break. Try to find time to rest and relax. I will miss you all and will look forward to hearing about all the exciting things you did during your break.

Happy Holiday!

Mrs. Sulima

***See you next year - 2010.***

Sulima's Scoop - Week of December 14

Weekly Reminders:

*No spelling pretest this week.

*Chapter 6 Social Studies Test on Monday.

*Bowling Test on Tuesday.

*Chapter 2 Science Test on Wednesday.

*Bowling field trip on Thursday - 12:00-2:15.

*No spelling test on Friday ---HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

*Tivoli field trip on Friday - 11:15-2:15. Students may bring sack lunch or buy hot lunch.

*Holiday Break - December 21 - January 1. Return to school on January 4.

*

Hot Lunch News:

Please be advised that as of January 4, 2010 there will be a price increase in the student hot lunch program. The price of hot lunch will be $2.50 per meal.

*

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - The children will take the test on Wednesday, December 16. We will also begin our next chapter this week on "Adaptations".
Items to review for the test:
*Class notes
*Key vocabulary:trait, heredity, gene, photosynthesis, life cycle, direct development, and metamorphosis
*How are traits inherited? How are traits developed? Nature vs. Nurture.
*What are the stages in the life cycle of a plant? How do plants reproduce?
What are the stages in the life cycle of an animal? How do some animals grow and develop?

Social Studies - The chapter 6 test will be on Monday, December 14.
Items to review for test:
*Key vocabulary - barrier islands, Outer Coastal Plain, wetlands, Inner Coastal Plain, Piedmont, fall line, key. hurricane, hurricane season, endangered species, extinct, pulp, and fossil fuel.
*Identify and describe major landforms in the Southeast.
*Explain how barrier islands were formed.
*Compare and contrast landform elevations in the Southeast. (Use diagram done in class.)
*Describe the climate of the Southeast.
*Describe how hurricanes form and the effects of hurricanes.
*Explain the function of lighthouses.
*Describe the importance of protecting endangered species.
*Identify ways in which resources of the Southeast are used.
*Identify a renewable and a nonrenewable resource found in the Southeast.
*Explain why coal is an important resource in the Southeast.
*Describe a place you could visit in the Southeast. Why would you go there and what would you see and/or do? (Magic Kingdom and all related parks are closed!) Ideas: Everglades National Park, Key West, Myrtle Beach or any other place you may know of.

Spelling - We will be working with lesson 15 this week. The students will not have a spelling test on Friday. Instead, I will be collecting a couple assignments at the end of the week for a grade.

English - The children will receive their Adjective pretests back on Monday. That evening, they will need to choose their enrichment option. I will meet with each child on Tuesday to approve their enrichment choice. We will not begin this until until after winter break.

W.O.W. - We will not have W.O.W. words this week due to field trips at the end of the week.

Reading - We will be reading a wonderful novel called Sarah, Plain and Tall. The children will be working on comprehension questions about the novel. Some of the chapters will be read at home. The students may count this reading on their 100 minute chart. We will also be watching Sarah, Plain and Tall on Wednesday. This is a wonderfully done Hallmark movie.

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - Finish Order of Operations & do lesson on Mental Math - Patterns in Division. Homework: DR 50.

Tuesday - Estimating Quotients using compatible numbers. Homework: DR 51.

Wednesday - Divisibility Rules. Homework: DR 52.

Thursday - Open-book checkpoint. Homework: NONE!

Friday - Short math class - Holiday Math Activity. Homework: ENJOY YOUR WINTER BREAK!!!

Sulima's Scoop - Week of December 7

Weekly Reminders:

*Lesson 14 spelling pretest on Monday.

*All gifts for our Holiday Service Project are due Tuesday.

*Field trip to Drury Lane on Tuesday. Please dress nice.

*Home Run Inn pizza lunch on Tuesday (for those who ordered). Please bring a drink.

*Unit 2 - Nouns- English test on Wednesday.

*Chapter 4 math test on Thursday.

*Lesson 14 spelling test on Friday.

*Open-book chapter 2, lesson 3 science quiz on Friday.

*

Plan Ahead:

*Chapter 6 social studies test on Monday, December 14.

*Chapter 2 science test on Wednesday, December 16.

*Bowling field trip on Thursday, December 17.

*Tivoli field trip on Friday, December 18.

*Winter Break - December 21 - January 1. Return to school on January 4.

*

Parent Teacher Conferences:

I would like to thank you all for making our first round of parent teacher conferences so successful. I will be meeting with each child throughout the week to discuss their 2nd trimester goals. Your child will bring home a copy of the goals which you can keep at home. Please remind your child often to focus on reaching these goals.

*

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will move on to chapter 2, lesson 3. This lesson focuses on the life cycle of animals. We will finish chapter 2 this week. The children will take the test on Wednesday, December 16.

Items to review for the test:

*Class notes

*Key vocabulary:trait, heredity, gene, photosynthesis, life cycle, direct development, and metamorphosis

*How are traits inherited? How are traits developed? Nature vs. Nurture.

*What are the stages in the life cycle of a plant? How do plants reproduce?

What are the stages in the life cycle of an animal? How do some animals grow and develop?

*

Social Studies - The children will complete their southeast farmer projects. They brought home their rough drafts, please take time before Tuesday to help them edit their writing. We will be writing our final drafts on Tuesday. This project is worth 25 points (grading checklist is in your child's S.S. pocket), but the children can earn 2 bonus points for adding addition information or fun facts that are not listed on the grading checklist. We will finish chapter 6 by looking at other resources found in the southeast. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Wednesday. The chapter 6 test will be on Monday, December 14.

Items to review for test:

*Key vocabulary - barrier islands, Outer Coastal Plain, wetlands, Inner Coastal Plain, Piedmont, fall line, key. hurricane, hurricane season, endangered species, extinct, pulp, and fossil fuel.

*Indentify and describe major landforms in the Southeast.

*Explain how barrier islands were formed.

*Compare and contrast landform elevations in the Southeast. (Use diagram done in class.)

*Describe the climate of the Southeast.

*Describe how hurricanes form and the effects of hurricanes.

*Explain the function of lighthouses.

*Describe the importance of protecting endangered species.

*Identify ways in which resources of the Southeast are used.

*Identify a renewable and a nonrenewable resource found in the Southeast.

*Explain why coal is an important resource in the Southeast.

*Describe a place you could visit in the Southeast. Why would you go there and what would you see and/or do? (Magic Kingdom and all related parks are closed!) Ideas: Everglades National Park, Key West, Myrtle Beach or any other place you may know of.

*

Spelling - Lesson 14 will practice "au" words. Please have your child practice their words in cursive.

*

W.O.W. Words - Our W.O.W. words for the week are: banter, indulge, revel, relish, and excursion.

*

English - We have now finished unit 2 - nouns. The children filled out a "how to study" sheet on Thursday. Our test will be on Wednesday. Please help your child review for this test. The lessons on singular and plural possessives seems to be difficult for many children. We will review in class on Monday.

Here are some Internet games to help your child review:

http://www.gamequarium.com/partsofspeech.html

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/basketball/index.html

http://www.learningplanet.com/act/rats/ratslist3.asp

http://www.eduplace.com/cgi-bin/hme-quiz-start.cgi?Grade=3&Unit=2&Topic=Nouns&x=30&y=6

http://www.eduplace.com/cgi-bin/hme-quiz-start.cgi?Grade=5&Unit=2&Topic=Nouns&x=35&y=17

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Reading - We will finish our study of "A Christmas Carol" this week. The children will sequence important events from the story. We will also read our readers' theater again on Monday. The children will be graded on accuracy, volume, rate, expression, and fluency. I was very impressed by our practice reading on Thursday. On Tuesday, we will see the play at Drury Lane, and on Wednesday we will be watching Mickey's Christmas Carol. The children will be doing a triple Venn diagram comparing the book to the play to the movie. We will begin a short novel at the end of the week. It is a favorite of mine - Sarah, Plain and Tall.

*

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday: Multiplying by 3-digits.

Tuesday: Math at 1:30-2:15. Fill out "how to study" sheet. Review what will be on the test.

Wednesday: Math at 1:30-2:15. Review for test.

Thursday: Chapter 4 test. Don't forget to bring in your "how to study" sheet.

Friday: We will begin our next chapter on Division.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of November 30

Weekly Reminders:

*Parent Teacher Conferences on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday.

*No spelling pretest on Monday due to 4-day week.

*Yearbook orders due on Tuesday.

*Home Run Inn Pizza Order due on Tuesday (sorry for the short notice).

*Report Cards go home on Tuesday.

*Accelerated Math Checkpoint (Chapter 4, lessons 1, 3, 4, & 5) on Wednesday.

*Open-book Chapter 2, lesson 2 science quiz on Wednesday.

*Tivoli permission slip and fee due on Thursday.

*Bring "A Christmas Carol" readers' theater back on Thursday.

*Lesson 13 spelling test on Thursday.

*No school on Friday.

Plan Ahead:

*Field Trip to "A Christmas Carol" at Drury Lane on Tuesday, December 8.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science: We will continue to work on Chapter 2, lesson 2. This week we will set up a "sprouting seeds" investigation. The children will take an open-book quiz on photosynthesis, life cycle of flowering plants, life cycles of ferns, and other ways for plants to grow. This information can be found on pages 98-109.

Social Studies: This week we will learn about the resources that can be found in the Southeast region. Each child will become a Southeast farmer of cotton, peanuts, oranges, or peaches. The children will be given some time to research in class, but some will need to be done at home. We will also begin writing our Southeast farmer stories on Thursday. For homework, the children will need to finish the rough drafts of their Southeast farmer stories and have their story edited by an adult by Tuesday, December 8.

English: We will continue to work on Unit 2 - Nouns. This week the children will learn about singular possessive nouns and plural possessive nouns. We will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Thursday. The test on Unit 2 - Nouns will be on Wednesday, December 9. We will review for this test on Monday, December 7.

Spelling: We will be working on lesson 13 this week. Due to the 4-day school week, we will not take a spelling pretest.

W.O.W. Words: We will not have W.O.W. Words this week due to the 4-day school week. We will continue our vocabulary study on December 7.

Reading: We will continue our study of "A Christmas Carol". We will be reading Charles Dickens' version. The children will be involved in sequencing and summarizing activities while we read the classic story. The children should have read the whole readers' theater that was sent home last week. They should also practice their reading parts. The children should not memorize their parts. Instead I will be listening for expression and fluency while the children read their parts. All students MUST bring their readers' theater script on Thursday!

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - Estimating products to the greatest number and to the nearest 10. H.W. Daily Review 40.

Tuesday - Multiplying by 1-digit numbers. H.W. Daily Review 41.

Wednesday - Open textbook/notes checkpoint quiz on chapter 4, lessons 1, 3, 4 & 5. H.W. Review multiplication facts.

Thursday - Multiplying by 2-digit numbers. H.W. Daily Review pgs. 44 (#1-10) & 45 (#1-4).

Friday - No school.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of November 23

Weekly Reminders:

*Southeast Map Test on Monday.

*No school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Holiday Service Project:

We are once again going to be involved with the holiday service project helping families who have a child with cancer. Information was sent home on Friday. Please help make this family's holiday a bit brighter.

YEARBOOKS:

Now’s the time to place your orders. Yearbooks are $10.00 and the deadline for your order is Tuesday, December 1, 2009. No orders will be accepted after that date. Please make checks payable to Lifetouch. Please make sure your student’s name, teacher’s name and grade level are marked on the order form. If you have multiple students, please fill out one for each child. Yearbook order forms went home with your child on November 12th. If your child loses it, you can send an envelope with the following information on it: student’s name, teacher’s name and grade level, along with a check made payable to Lifetouch for $10.00. It is very important that you put this information on the envelope; Lifetouch does not know who your child’s teacher is. Prairieview Yearbook orders were not paid at registration!

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will begin lesson 2. This lesson focuses on the life cycles of plants. We will review photosynthesis and discuss the life cycle of a plant. We will also learn about the life cycle of a fern plant.

Social Studies - We will be taking the Southeast map test on Monday. The children should know the correct location and spelling for each state in the Southeast. They can also earn bonus points by writing the capital with the state. They will earn 1/4 point of bonus for every correct capital. The children do not have to memorize the spelling of the capitals. They should spell these as best as they can.

Spelling - We will not have a spelling list this week.

English - We will continue working on nouns this week. We will focus on nouns ending in y and more plural nouns (irregular).

Reading - This week, we will begin our Christmas Carol Study. On Monday, we will discuss the life and times of Charles Dickens. The children will also be given a readers' theater and assigned parts. They need to read the whole readers' theater and practice their parts for Thursday, Dec. 3. We will be reading A Christmas Carol out loud in class on Thursday, Dec. 3. We will also listen to A Christmas Carol in class and do activities to extend on the book/story. This study will end with our field trip to see "A Christmas Carol" at Drury Lane.

W.O.W. Words - We will not have W.O.W. words this week or next week.

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - Multiplication Properties

Tuesday - Mental Math: Multiplication Patterns Using 10, 100, and 1,000.

Wednesday - Friday: No school.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of November 16

Weekly Reminders:

*Lesson 12 spelling pretest on Monday.

*Roller Skating party from 3:45-6:30 on Tuesday.

*A Family Apart test on Wednesday.

*Chapter 3 accelerated math test on Wednesday and Thursday.

*Picture Retakes on Thursday. Students must have original order form or packet.

*Parent Focus Group on Thursday at Prairieview. All are welcome!

*Lesson 12 spelling test on Friday.

*Open-book science quiz on Friday.

*End of first trimester on Friday.

Plan Ahead:

*Thanksgiving Break, November 25, 26, & 27.

*Yearbook orders due by December 1.

*Parent Teacher Conferences, November 30, December 1 & 2.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We are going to begin chapter 2 on Life Cycles. The first lesson focuses on inherited characteristics and traits. The key words are trait, heredity, and gene. Students will take an open-book science quiz on Friday.

Social Studies - We are moving into the Southeast region. Lesson 1 of chapter 6 identifies and describes major landforms in the Southeast. We will also learn how the Barrier Islands were formed. The children will also compare and contrast landform elevations in the Southeast.

Spelling - Lesson 12 works with adding "ed" and "ing" to words that end in consonant y. Please help your child practice writing their words in cursive.

*

W.O.W. Words - Our words this week are: fracture, fragment, fragile, infraction, and infringe.

English - We will begin unit 2 on nouns. The children will learn about what is a noun, common and proper nouns, and singular and plural nouns.

Reading - We will review for our A Family Apart test on Monday and Tuesday. The test will be on Wednesday. Students may use the novel during the test. During the rest of the week, we will work on functional reading (ex. recipes, train schedules, store ads, newspaper articles, etc).

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - We will finish our work with probability by using tree diagrams to list all possible outcomes. The students will also receive a "how to study" sheet.

Tuesday - We will review for the test that will be on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday - Chapter 3 Test, Part 1. It is a long test because the children are asked to make graphs based on data provided. I do not want the children to feel rushed, so I am allowing for two test days.

Thursday - Chapter 3 Test, Part 2. The children will be able to use their notes & textbook during the test.

Friday - TBD

Sulima's Scoop - Week of November 9

Weekly Reminders:
*Lesson 11 spelling pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 5 Social Studies Test (lessons 1-3) on Tuesday.
*No school on Wednesday - Veteran's Day.
*PTO Dine-out Fundraiser on Thursday - Click for details:
http://www.ccsd66.org/PTO/FundRaiser/Goroma.pdf
*Chapter 1 Science Test on Friday.
*Lesson 11 spelling test on Friday.
*

Pizza Party
On Friday, November 13, our class will be awarded with a pizza party for our Box Top Collection. We will be having cheese pizza and a water will be provided for each child. If your child has a big appetite, you may want to send them with chips or a snack. If your child does not eat pizza, they should bring a sack lunch or get hot lunch that day. We will be eating in the classroom. We were unable to finish Charlotte's Web during our classroom celebration, so we will finish it during our pizza party. The children will be going out for recess. Keep sending in the Box Tops!


Plan Ahead:
*Roller Skating party on Tuesday, November 17, 3:45-6:30.
*A Family Apart Test on Wednesday, November 18.
*Picture Retakes on Thursday, November 19 - Students must have original picture packet or original order envelope in hand.
*Parent Focus Group on Thursday, November 19 at Prairieview. All are welcome!
*End of first trimester on Friday, November 20.
*Southeast Map Test on Monday, November 23.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We have finished reading the lessons in chapter 1. The students will brainstorm ways to study for the chapter 1 test on Monday. On Tuesday, we will play bingo with key words and phrases to review for the test. The chapter 1 test will be on Friday.
Topics to review for the test:
How are living things classified?
*Identify and describe structures that make up plant cells and animal cells.
*Describe the characteristics of one-celled organisms, bacteria, and protists.
*Define organism, microscopic, bacteria, and protist.
How are plants and fungi classified?
*Describe the structures of vascular and nonvascular plants.
*Describe the structure of fungi.
*Define vascular, nonvascular, and fungi.
How are animals classified?
*Describe characteristics of vertebrates.
*Describe characteristics of invertebrates.
*Define vertebrates and invertebrates.

Social Studies - The children will be taking the chapter 5 (lessons 1-3 only) test on Tuesday. This test is NOT open-book.
Topics to review for the test:
*Describe the key events that affected the Narragansett way of life once European settlers arrived.
*Define Sachem, cooperation, wigwam, reservation, powwow, and confederacy.
*Describe what goods the Europeans and Native Americans traded.
*Iroquois lived in longhouses and formed the Iroquois Confederacy.
*Identify events leading from colonization up to the founding of the United States.
*Be able to put these events in order: Colonists protest against England, Colonies are founded, The U.S. wins the American Revolution, The Declaration of Independence is signed, and The Constitution is written (these are not in the correct order).
*Identify reasons the Colonists wanted to be free from England.
*Identify the city in the Northeast where most European immigrants arrived in the 1800's.
*Explain why immigrants came to the United States.
*Define colony and revolution.
*Explain similarities and differences between the abolitionist movement and the women's rights movement.
*Define abolitionist, slave, and convention.
*Identify important women's rights reformers.
*Explain why reformers fought to win voting rights for women.

Spelling - We will be working with lesson 11 this week. The words practice adding "er" and "est" to words that end in "y". Please have your children practice their spelling words in cursive.

English - The children will take the next English pretest on Tuesday. They will receive their contracts on Thursday. I will meet with each child on Friday to approve their enrichment work.

W.O.W. Words - We will not have a set of W.O.W. words this week.

Reading - We will finish A Family Apart this week. The children will work on the GIST summarizing strategy. We will try to summarize a chapter in 20 words. We will also work on character traits. The children will take a test on A Family Apart. The test will be on Wednesday, November 18. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet this Friday and will receive a helpful study sheet.

Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday - The children will be working on coordinate graphing.
Tuesday - We will be taking a 5-minute multiplication test today. This will be graded. The children will also learn about stem-and-leaf plots.
Wednesday - No School.
Thursday - We will work on probability.
Friday - We will continue to work on probability.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of November 2

Weekly Reminders:

*Lesson 10 spelling pretest on Monday.

*Unit 1 English test on Thursday.

*Chapter 1, lesson 3 open-book science quiz on Thursday.

*Checkpoint in math class on Friday.

*Lesson 10 spelling test on Friday.

*

Plan Ahead:

*Chapter 5, lessons 1-3 social studies test on Tuesday, November 10.

*Five-minute multiplication timed test in math on Tuesday, November 10.

*No school on Wednesday, November 11.

*Chapter 1 science test on Thursday, November 12.

*Roller Skating Party on Tuesday, November 17.

*End of 1st trimester on Friday, November 20.

*

Thank You!

I would like to thank all the parent volunteers that helped make our Halloween Celebration a success. The children designed such creative pumpkins and looked so wonderful in their costumes.

*

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will finish our study of vertebrates and then move onto invertebrates. The children should be reviewing their notes each day. We will be taking an open-book quiz on Thursday. This quiz will cover the information in chapter 1, lesson 3. This lesson concludes chapter 1. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Friday. The test on chapter 1 will be on Thursday, November 12. We will play a review game on Tuesday, November 10 to help prepare for this test. Our next blog will have a list of key concepts to review for the test.

*

Social Studies - Our trip to the Northeast region is coming to an end. This week we will focus on lesson 3 in chapter 5. This lesson is called Taking a Stand. We will learn about abolitionists, slavery, and the Womens' Rights Movement. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Thursday for the chapter 5 test which will be on Tuesday, November 10. Our next blog will have a list of key concepts to review for the test.

*

Spelling - We will work with lesson 10 this week. This lesson covers making nouns that end in "vowel y" and "consonant y" plural. Please review the rules with your child throughout the week. The test on Friday will need to be done in cursive.

*

English - On Tuesday, we will fill out a "how to study" sheet for the Unit 1 English test. On Wednesday, we will review for the test. Our test on Unit 1 will be on Thursday. Enrichment projects will be due on the day of the test.

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Reading - We have finished the classic novel, Charlotte's Web. This week, we will begin our next novel study. We will be reading a wonderful piece of literature called A Family Apart. This (historically accurate) heroic tale follows the adventures of six children who are sent out west on the Orphan Train by their impoverished mother in hope that they will find a better life. Frances Mary, the eldest of the Kelly children, shepherds her siblings through the Orphan Train trip and struggles to find them good homes. Frances Mary and Petey are adopted by the Cummings' and find themsleves involved in the Underground Railroad movement. This book, as well as the accompanying activities, will challenge your child in various ways. Be sure to ask your child about this story. Find out more about the Orphan Train and other historical events that we will encounter while reading A Family Apart. Visit this website: http://www.bgcs.k12.oh.us/reinhart/apart/default.htm

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Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - Summarizing Data (median, mode, range, and mean)

Tuesday - Graphing Data (line graphs, bar graphs, circle graphs, and pictographs)

Wednesday - More on Graphing Data (double bar graphs & circle graphs)

Thursday - Reading Graphs & continue working with circle graphs

Friday - Checkpoint #1 (qualitative vs. quantitative, line plots & frequency tables, summarizing data, graphs)

Sulima's Scoop - Week of October 26

Weekly Reminders:
*Halloween Parade on Thursday at 12:30.
*Pumpkin Decorating Contest on Thursday at 1:00. Bring the items to decorate your pumpkins in a plastic grocery bag. You can use this bag to carry your pumpkin home. (No push pins, please.)
*All-school Assembly on Thursday at 1:30.
*No school on Friday - Teacher Institute.
*Since we do not have school on Friday, our next 100 minute reading chart will be due on Monday, November 2.
*Unit 1 English test on Wednesday, November 4.
*Chapter 1, lesson 3 open-book science quiz on Wednesday, November 4 or Thursday, November 5.

Field Trip Reminder:
A permission slip went home regarding “all” field trips that will be taken this year. If you have not returned this to school, please sign the form (on each line) and return the form with one check (made out to Center Cass District 66) or cash by Tuesday, October 27th.

Classroom Celebration:
Two homeroom squares were pulled on the hundreds chart. We will have a classroom celebration on Wednesday afternoon. During the celebration, we will watch Charlotte's Web. If anyone would be willing to send in a healthy treat for the children to have during the celebration, it would be appreciated. We will also need drinks.

Halloween Hints:
*We only have 10-15 minutes for costume changes. Please make sure your child can change into his/her costume easily and by themselves. Children will not be changing in the washrooms. Girls will be changing in one classroom and boys will be changing in another classroom.
*If the costume can be worn over their clothes, then both the time to change and the chances of losing any clothes is minimized.
*If the costume involves make up, please do not apply it before sending your child to school. It becomes too much of a distraction as we try to do academic school work in the morning.
*If you send your child in with make-up then your child must to be able to apply it themselves.
*Please do not send any weapons (guns, swords, etc.) as part of the costume. Save those for trick-or-treating.
*We will not have time to change back into our clothes for dismissal. Your child will wear their costume home.

**In addition, if your child would like to bring in something to pass out to the class on that day, it is fine. We will be sending these goodies home.**

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will work on chapter 1, lesson 3. The essential question of this lesson is: How are Animals Classified? We will focus on vertebrates this week and invertebrates next week. The children will take an open-book science quiz on Wednesday, November 4 or Thursday, November 5.

Social Studies - Our study of the Northeast Region will continue. We will be reading chapter 5, lesson 2. This lesson does a quick overview of important historical events including the American Revolution, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and immigrants coming to the America.

Spelling - This week we will be working with "spooky spelling" words. The children will have an activity to do each evening. Each activity will be graded. There will not be a spelling test this week.

English - We will finish the lessons in unit 1 this week. The children will learn about simple predicates and correcting run-on sentences. On Monday, November 2, we will fill out a "how to study" sheet for the unit 1 test. Our test will be on Wednesday, November 4. All enrichment will be due the day of the test.

Reading - The children will not be taking a final test on Charlotte's Web. Instead they will be making a "flip book" to display their understanding of the novel. The "flip books" will be due on Thursday. The children will be given time in class to work on this project, but some work may need to be completed at home. Flap 1 & 2 should be done by Tuesday. Flap 3 & 4 should be done by Wednesday. Flap 5 & 6 must be done by Thursday.

Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday - We will begin our chapter on using data and statistics. Our focus for the day will be on qualitative and quantitative data.
Tuesday - We will work on collecting data with surveys, line plots, and frequency tables.
Wednesday - The children have earned a math celebration.
Thursday - No math.
Friday - No school.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of October 19

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Here are some very creative decorated pumpkins.

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Weekly Reminders:

*Art to Remember orders due on Tuesday.

*Chapter 2 math test on Tuesday.

*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, 11:00.

*Open-book lesson 2 science quiz on Thursday.
*Book Fair/Social on Thursday, 6:30-8:00.
*Lesson 8 spelling test on Friday.

*Field Trip permission slips due by Tuesday, October 27.

Field Trips:

Permission slips went home for all our field trips and in-school presentations this week. If you would like to read descriptions of each of these field trips, please visit http://www.ccsd66.org/PermissionSlips/Prairieview/4th%20Grade/. Please send in the signed permission slips and payment by Tuesday, October 27. The only field trip that requires chaperones is our trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. Since I have over 15 parents signed up to chaperone, and I am only allowed to bring 5-6, I will probably draw names. If you know you signed up and are unable to attend this trip, please let me know ASAP.

PUMPKIN DECORATING CONTEST:

Start thinking about how you want to decorate your 3-5 lb. pumpkin during our Halloween festivities. You will need to bring in supplies to decorate your pumpkin. You may glue, tape, tie, or draw items on your pumpkin. You may also poke items into the pumpkins. You may not cut the pumpkin. Maybe you want to make a costume for your pumpkin. BE CREATIVE!

I have included a variety of example throughout this blog that might get your mind working on some very creative winning designs. Good luck to you all!

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Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will continue working on chapter 1, lesson 2. The students are learning about vascular and nonvascular plants. The lesson 2 open-book quiz will be on Thursday.

Social Studies - We will continue our study of the Northeast by moving onto chapter 5. We will begin by learning about Native American tribes that live(d) in the Northeast, the Narragansett tribe and Iroquois tribe.

Spelling - We will not take a spelling pretest this week. Lesson 8 is a review week. The children will be taking a different format of test. I will review the new format with the children on Monday. We will use this format for all review weeks.

W.O.W. Words - Our words this week are all about food and eating. The words are: palatable, inedible, culinary, delectable, and savory. Please encourage your child to use these words throughout the week.

English - We will have English on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Tuesday, we will go over commands and exclamations. On Wednesday, we will split sentences into subject and predicates. On Thursday, we will look at the complete subject of a sentence and decide what is the simple subject.

Reading - We will finish reading Charlotte's Web this week. Also, we will begin our weekly poetry practice. Your child will receive two poems on Monday. They should practice reading these poems outloud all week. On Friday, we will present these poems in a variety of ways including shared reading (ex. boys only, girls only, even numbers, odd numbers), independent reading (ex. each child gets a line), partner reading, etc.

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - We will review for the chapter 2 test.

Tuesday - We will take the chapter 2 test. Remind your child to bring their signed "how to study" sheet to get 2 bonus points on their test.

Wednesday through Friday - We will be working on problem solving and written explanations.

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Multiplication Note: Your child should continue to practice their multiplication facts. My expectation is that all the children in my class should be able to answer 100 multiplication facts in 5 minutes or less. Our November timed test (probably during the 2nd week in November) will count for a grade.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of October 12

Weekly Happening:
*No school on Monday, Columbus Day.
*Movie Night Permission Slips due Tuesday.
*Open book Chapter 1, lesson 1 science quiz on Wednesday.
*Bring in Box Tops by Thursday.
*Chapter 4 Social Studies Test on Thursday.
*Lesson 7 spelling test on Friday.
*Chapter 2, lesson 8-12 checkpoint in math on Friday.
*Monsters vs. Aliens Movie Night on Friday.


Homeroom Happenings:
Science: On Wednesday, the children will take an open book quiz on chapter 1, lesson 1. We will work on lesson 2 for the rest of the week. Lesson 2 teaches the students how plants and fungi are classified.

Social Studies: The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Tuesday. We will play a review game on Wednesday. On Thursday, we will take a test on chapter 4, lessons 1-3. The children will be allowed to use their textbook for support during the test. Please have your child review these items:

*Identify the 2 Great Lakes between which Niagara Falls is located.
*Identify the two main features for which Niagara Falls is known.
*Identify the 3 main mountain ranges in the northeastern part of the Appalachian Mountains.
*Identify the two states in the Northeast that do not border the Atlantic Ocean.
*Key words: glacier, gorge, hydropower, hydroelectricity, lighthouse, and peninsula.
*Identify the steps in the production of maple syrup.
*Explain why grapes grow well in certain areas of the Northeast.
*Identify the largest lake of the Finger Lakes.
*Explain why water is essential to the production and growth of cranberries.
*Key words: vineyard, bog, sap, mineral, and quarry.
*Define the name of the people who fish Chesapeake Bay.
*Explain how pollution from a factory gets into Chesapeake Bay.
*Explain why Chesapeake Bay is important to the Northeast.
*Describe actions a resident of the Chesapeake area could take to help preserve the bay.
*Key words: bay, inlet, watermen, and crab pot.

Spelling: We will not take a spelling pretest this week. The words this week have either "ie" or "ei". Remember this phrase: i before e except after c or when sounded like a as in neighbor or weigh.

Vocabulary: We will not have W.O.W. words this week.

English: We will begin Unit 1, Sentences, this week. We will discuss fragments and complete sentences, statements & questions, and commands & exclamations.

Reading: We will continue reading Charlotte's Web. The children will have reading homework some of the days this week. They may count this reading on their 100 minute reading chart. At the end of the week, we will discuss alliterations. Each child will be creating a Fall/Halloween alliteration.

Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - Adding and Subtracting Greater Whole Numbers.
Wednesday - Adding Decimals
Thursday - Subtracting Decimals.
Friday - Checkpoint on lessons 8-12. We will also fill out a "how to study" sheet. Our test on chapter 2 will be on Tuesday, October 20.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of October 5

Weekly Reminders:

*Lesson 6 spelling pretest on Monday.

*Science test (introduction chapter) on Monday.

*English test (capitalization & punctuation) on Tuesday.

*Progress Reports (D's and F's only) will be sent home on Tuesday.

*Fourth Grade Lunch in the Library on Thursday.

*Lesson 6 spelling test on Friday.

*P.T.O. Affy Tapple Orders due on Friday.

Trimester Midpoint:

Please take a few minutes to check your child's grades in each subject.

THANK YOU!

I would like to thank all the families who sent in items for our Northeast Resource taste testing. The children were able to taste cranberries, cranberry juice, grapes, and sap(maple syrup). I would also like to thank Sophia and her family for the adorable apron. I truly looked like Chef Sulima!

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - On Monday, the children will take their first science test on the Introductory Chapter. They have brought home a "how to study" sheet with suggestions on how to study. The children also have a notes sheet on what to know for the test. Children should bring their signed "how to study" sheets on Monday for 2 bonus points. During the rest of the week, we will begin our Life Science unit. The first lesson focuses on cells. We will learn about plant and animal cells.

Social Studies - We will continue our study of the Northeast. Our focus will be the challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay. We will be taking a test on lessons 1-3 during the week of October 12. Watch for a "how to study" sheet at the end of this week.

Spelling - We will be working with lesson 6 words this week. Our words are contractions. Take time to discuss what two words make up each contraction (ex. they'll = they + will). Please have your child practice their words in cursive for the test on Friday.

W.O.W. Words - Our words this week are: edifice, turret, spire, facade, and plaza. Please have your child explain what the words mean and try to use them in sentences.

English - The children will be taking the Unit 5 English test on Tuesday. They should bring their "how to study" sheet on the day of the test. All enrichment projects will be due on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we will take our next English pretest. The children will get their pretests back on Thursday and will need to choose their enrichment project by Friday. I will meet with each child and sign their contracts on Friday.

Reading - We will be reading Charlotte's Web. While we are reading, we will work on vocabulary, questioning, and character traits. We will be listening to E.B. White himself reading some of the chapters. Your child will have reading homework most nights. They can count this reading on their 100 minutes chart.

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday -We will begin chapter 2. The children will review addition properties: Associative Property - ex. (42 + 24) + 36 = 42 + (24 + 36), Commutative Property - ex. 18 + 9 = 9 + 18, and Identity Property - ex. 16 + 0 = 16.

Tuesday - We will be working with mental math strategies - using compatible numbers and compensation.

Wednesday - The children will use inverse operations to solve algebraic equations.

Thursday - We will use rounding to estimate.

Friday - The children will take their first open-book/notes checkpoint for chapter 2.

Worm Race Results - September 29

All the children did a wonderful job creating their race tracks and choosing variables to encourage their worms to travel as fast as possible to the finish line. We had some close races!

Our winners were:

1st Place : Max

2nd Place: Tamara

3rd Place: Sean

4th Place: Andy

We had an exciting race day! Congratulations to all students for their hard work, great sportsmanship, and creativity!

Sulima's Scoop - Week on September 28

Weekly Reminders:
*Bullying program for 45 minutes each day (Monday - Thursday).
*Lesson 5 spelling pretest on Monday.
*Final magazine turn-in on Tuesday.
*Picture Day on Thursday.
*Lesson 5 spelling test on Friday.
*100 minute reading chart due Friday.
*W.O.W. assessment on Friday.
*Northeast map test on Friday.


Homeroom Happenings:

Science - On Tuesday, the children will bring in their worms and racetracks. They should also bring back the "race rules" packet which included a grading sheet and the design plan. We will conclude the week, by reviewing all the key words and concepts from the first few lessons. The children will be taking a test on this introductory chapter on Monday, October 5.

Social Studies - We will finish chapter 4, lesson 1 early in the week. During the remainder of the week, we will focus on the resources of the northeast. Our Northeast map test will be on Friday. The children will need to know the location and correct spelling of each state in the Northeast. If they identify the capital (spelling just needs to be close), they will earn 1/4 bonus point for each.

W.O.W. Words - The words of the week are ebullient, arrogant, meticulous, impetuous, and presumptuous. Please help your child review these personality words and to use these words in sentences.

Spelling - Our spelling words all contain "oi." Please continue to help your child practice their spelling words in cursive.

English - We will finish the unit 5 lessons by continuing to practice proper use of quotation marks. Our final lesson will be on writing titles correctly. We will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Wednesday and review on Thursday. Our test on this unit will be on Tuesday, October 6. All enrichment projects will be due the day of the test.

Reading - At the beginning of the week we will finish reading Akiak. The children will fill out a story map while they are reading the story. At the end of the week, we will begin our next novel study - Charlotte's Web. We will be using this book to do character studies and questioning.

Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday - Comparing and Ordering Decimals
Tuesday - Rounding Decimals
Wednesday - Checkpoint #2/"How to Study" sheet
Thursday - Review for Chapter 1 Test.
Friday - Chapter 1 Test.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of September 21

Weekly Reminders:

*Lesson 4 spelling pretest on Monday.

*Early Dismissal on Tuesday, 11:00.

*Magazine Turn-in Day on Tuesday.

*Soccer P.E. test on Wednesday.
*Math Check-up on Wednesday.
*Magazine Turn in Day on Friday.
*Lesson 4 spelling test on Friday.
*100 minute reading chart due Friday.

*Scholastic Book Orders due Friday.

Lunch in the Library:

On October 8, the IMC is the place to be! Come talk about books while we munch on lunch with other readers. Bring a chapter book you really enjoyed reading, and tell us about it! You'll also hear about other great books you might like to read.

**A flyer was sent home. Please sign the bottom portion and return to school if your child would like to join Mrs. Walsh-Rock for "Lunch in the Library."**

Classroom Happenings:

Science - We will put the scientific method to the test as we begin our worm study. Please help your child create a worm habitat (dirt, leaves, grass) and find a worm for Monday. The worm habitat should be in a small plastic tub. Butter, Cool Whip, Gladware containers would be the perfect size. If the container is too large it becomes difficult to locate and remove the worm. We talked about finding moist areas, like under a large rock, for finding worms. If anyone finds more than one worm, please send them in. Larger worms are better for observing. The skinny, short ones seem to just curl up the whole time the students are trying to observe them. Thank you for your help with this study!

Social Studies - We are beginning our tour of the five regions of the United States. We will begin in the Northeast. The students will be filling out a Northeast map early in the week. On the map they will list the state capital and state name. They will need to begin studying these states & capitals (bonus) and their locations for our Northeast region test on Friday, October 2. Spelling of state names will count. Students can receive 1/4 bonus point for each capital labeled correctly. Spelling of capitals just needs to be close. We will not fill out a "how to study" sheet for the region map tests.

W.O.W. Words - Our W.O.W. words of the week are: mediate, mediocre, medieval, media, and intermediate. Please review the meanings of these words with your child and encourage them to use the words in sentences. Children will be assessed on these words on Friday.

Spelling - We will be working with Lesson 4 spelling words this week. All of the words contain "ea." Continue to help your child study for our spelling tests and practice writing their words in cursive.

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English - The children will have English on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday due to early dismissal on Tuesday. This week, we will focus on more uses of commas and correctly using quotation marks. As of right now, it looks like our test on this unit will be on Tuesday, October 6. All enrichment projects (which are being done in school) will be due on the day of the test.

Reading - We will continue working on predictions. The children will also focus on visualization and story structure. We will also be reading and doing activities with a story called Akiak. Your child can visit the site listed below to find out more about the author and play the e-word game.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/gr4/gr4_th1_sel1.html

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Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - We will work on rounding whole numbers. The children will not always be asked to round to the greatest place value. For example: Round 23,785,345 to the nearest thousand. The answer would be: 23,785,000.

Tuesday - We will not have math due to the early dismissal.

Wednesday - The children will take an open-book/notes check-up today. It will assess the following concepts:

>Value of digits through billions

>Expressing numbers in standard form, word form, and expanded form

>Comparing whole numbers using < , > , and =.

>Ordering whole numbers from least to greatest or greatest to least.

>Rounding whole numbers.

Thursday & Friday - We will work on understanding decimal place value.