Week of January 6

+ 2 SNOW DAYS

MAP Practice....

Reading:

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm

http://clinton.k12.wi.us/maptest_sites/map_reading_rit.html

Math:

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/

http://clinton.k12.wi.us/maptest_sites/map_math_rit.html

Weekly Events:

*No school on Monday - Snow Day.
*No school on Tuesday - Snow Day.
*First session of TGFD (Too Good For Drugs) on Thursday. This is a 10 week program.

*Math MAP Testing on Friday. (My math students will not take the test until Monday, Jan. 13)

Coming Attractions:

*Reading MAP Testing on Tuesday, January 14.
*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, January 15.
*No school on Monday, January 20.
*Trade Fair on Tuesday, January 21. (rescheduled date)
*Early Dismissal on Tuesday, February 4.

Homeroom Happenings:

Spelling - No spelling this week due to 2 Snow Days.

English - Let it Snow!  The children will be working on a "Snowman Adventure" story this week.  This narrative, must have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  We will focus on the use of voice and word selection.  During the week of January 13, we will begin a new English unit.  The pretest will be on Monday, January 13.

Reading - Daily, the children are working through lessons in our COACH book.  These lessons will help the students to understand what types of questions will be on the ISAT test which will be taken at the beginning of March.  We will also work on some mini lessons this week.  Our mini lessons will cover story vocabulary (plot, protagonist, antagonist, setting, and complications), conflict (internal and external), and a deeper look at plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution).

Science - Solids, Liquids, and Gases, Oh My!!!  We will begin our unit on matter this week.  Students should review their notes each night.  FYI:  Vocabulary will be defined on the notes sheets (not in the science/social studies spiral).

Social Studies - We will continue lesson 2 which looks into life in colonial cities, towns, and farms/plantations.  The children will complete a "flip book" on these three areas.   

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:

Monday - Integers.  Homework will be due on Wednesday.

Tuesday - No math due to MAP testing.

Wednesday - Introduction to Integers & Comparing and Ordering

Thursday - No math due to MAP testing.

Friday - Adding Integers

Looking Ahead...My math class will take the Math MAP test, during our normal math time, on Monday, January 13.  We will be taking the 6+ form of the test.
Next Week:  Subtracting Integers, Multiplying Integers & Dividing Integers.

Week of December 16

Weekly Events:
*Early Dismissal on Tuesday, 11:00.
*Bowling trip from 9:00-11:00 on Wednesday.
*Students will present their owl presentations on Wednesday and Thursday.
*Spelling Test on Friday.
*Tivoli All-School trip on Friday. (We will eat lunch in the classroom before the trip.)

*Coming Attractions:
*Winter Break from December 21 to January 5.  Enjoy!
*Return to school on Monday, January 6

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will not have a spelling pretest this week.  We will be working with a special winter/holiday list.  Each child will need to complete 3 activities from our "Challenge Activity list" using the winter/holiday words.  The three activities are due Friday.

English - We will begin a new English unit after winter break.  This week, we will do some writing activities.

Reading - When we return from winter break, we will begin a new novel study.  The children should be working on their biography shape book project.

MAP READING GAMES

Science - The children have done a WONDERFUL job on their owl slide shows.  Don't forget, you can check your child's work on their google account.  This was a group project.  Each group had 2 or 3 students.  I am amazed at how well the groups worked together.  Thank you, boys and girls, for all your hard work on this project!

Social Studies - We will begin chapter 6, lesson 2.  After break, the children will be introduced to our trade fair project.  Each child will be responsible for creating something to trade at the trade fair.  All items should be homemade.  Start thinking now!

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - We will review for the test on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tuesday - 1/2 of the test (addition and subtraction of fractions and mixed numbers)
Wednesday - 1/2 of the test (multiplication and division of fractions and mixed numbers)
Thursday - Fraction Problem Solving Day.
Friday - No Math.  Enjoy your break.  Get ready for our study of integers when we return from break.

Week of December 9

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*All-School Holiday Concert on Tuesday at 9:00.
*Owl quiz on Tuesday.
*Adjective test on Wednesday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*TFK quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Early dismissal on Tuesday, December 17, 11:00.
*Bowling field trip on Wednesday, December 18, 9:00-11:00
*Tivoli field trip on Friday, December 20, 11:15-2:10.  We will eat lunch in the room before we leave.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will take our spelling pretest on Monday.  Students who miss one or none, will work with challenge words for the week.  They will need to complete a practice sheet and 3 challenge activities.  The rest of the students will work with the regular 5th grade list.  They will also need to complete a practice sheet and 3 workbook pages.  All spelling work will be due on Friday.  The spelling test (regular & challenge) will be on Friday.

English - We have completed our English unit on adjectives.  The class will review on Monday.  Our adjective test will be on Wednesday.

Reading - Our final literature circle meeting will be on Tuesday, December 10.  I will be collecting the novels and literature circle packets on Tuesday.

MAP Reading Review Games

Science - The children have started a group technology project.  They are researching an owl found in Illinois and displaying their research in a Google Docs presentation (like a PowerPoint slide show).  
This past week, we dissected owl pellets.  The children enjoyed this song:  Owl Pellet Song

Social Studies - We will explore life in the colonies.  Our focus will be on work and trade.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Review multiplying fractions & mixed numbers.
Tuesday - No math due to All-School Holiday Concert.
Wednesday - Review dividing fractions and mixed numbers.
Thursday - Fractions with money.
Friday - Algebra with fractions and mixed numbers (expressions & Equations)
A Look Ahead...Week of Dec. 16 ----
Monday - Review Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Dividing fractions and mixed numbers.
Tuesday - 1/2 of Fraction Test (shortened math class)
Wednesday - 1/2 of Fractions Test (shortened math class)
Thursday - Problem Solving Day
Friday - No math today.  Enjoy your Winter Break.  We will begin integers in the new year!


MAP Math Practice Games

Biography Shape Booklet

Today your child brought home our 2nd Trimester book project.  They will need to read a biography (preferably 100 pages or less) and create a Biography Shape Booklet about the person.  Below are some examples that might help you visualize the project.  I did tell the students that they may type their information and may use computer generated illustrations.  Today at library check-out, many children chose a book.  They need to show me their book by Wednesday, Dec. 11.  At that time, I will provide them with the grading rubric and tag board.

 

Thanks,

 

Sheryl Sulima

Week of December 2

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Third literature circle discussion on Tuesday.
*Chapter 5 social studies test on Wednesday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*All-school Holiday Concert on Tuesday, December 10 at 9:00.
*Last literature circle discussion on Tuesday, December 10.
*Early dismissal on Tuesday, December 17 at 11:00.
*Bowling Field Trip on Wednesday, December 18, from 9:10-11:00.
*Holiday Visit to the Tivoli on Friday, December 20.

Prairieview School-Community Service Project

proudly collected $550

to sponsor an Edward Hospital Animal 
Assisted Therapy Program!!!

Thanks to everyone who donated!!!

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - Our spelling pretest will be on Monday.  Children who miss one or none will become challenge spellers.  They will need to complete the challenge practice sheet and 3 activities by Friday.  Regular spellers, that miss 2 or more on the pretest, will need to complete the practice sheet and 3 pages in the workbook for Friday.  The spelling test will be on Friday.

English - We will continue working with adjectives this week.  Our lessons will cover comparing with adjectives, comparing with good and bad, and proper adjectives.  The children will also be writing an adjective poem this week.  Our adjective test will be sometime during the week of December 9.

Reading - The children will have their third literature circle discussion on Tuesday, December 3.  Our final discussion will be on Tuesday, December 10.  I will also introduce our second trimester reading project.  Each child will choose a biography for this project.  Mrs. Csorba will have a cart of biographies ready for the children to pick from during their Thursday book check-out.

Science - We will be learning more about barn owls this week. On Wednesday, the children will also be involved in an owl pellet dissection.  Later in the week, we will begin our next technology project on Owls.  We will work on this project for the next week.

Social Studies - Our chapter 5 test will be on Wednesday, December 4.  The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Monday.  Here is a list of items to review:
*Lesson 1 vocabulary:  charter, stock, cash crop, indentured servant, and House of Burgesses
*Explain why the English founded a colony on Roanoke Island.
*Explain why their was conflict between Spain and England.
*Analyze the problems the first Jamestown colonists encountered and how they solved them.
*Describe the type of government set up in the Virginia Colony.

*Lesson 2 vocabulary:  Northwest Passage
*Evaluate the impact of the search for the Northwest Passage on the establishment of French and Dutch settlements in North America.
*Explain the factors responsible for the founding and growth of New France and New Amsterdam.

*Lesson 3 vocabulary:  Pilgrim, Separatist, persecution, Mayflower Compact, and Puritan
*Describe the motivations of the Pilgrims in coming to North America.
*Summarize the difficulties encountered by the Pilgrims on their journey and in establishing Plymouth Colony.
*Describe how the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims and the significance of their Thanksgiving celebration.
*Explain how the Puritans applied the experiences of earlier English colonists to the growth of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

*Lesson 4 vocabulary:  dissenter, proprietor, and debtor
*Compare and contrast the geography of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.
*Outline the similarities and differences of the settlers in each region.
*Explain how events in England affected the founding of the Middle and Southern Colonies.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Finish Pretests.  Introduce class to www.sokikom.com.  HW:  Review Adding Fractions and Mixed Numbers.
Tuesday - Problem Solving using adding fractions and mixed numbers.  HW:  Review subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.
Wednesday - Problem Solving using subtracting fractions and Mixed Numbers.  HW:  More review of subtracting mixed numbers/whole numbers.
Thursday - Problem Solving using subtracting mixed numbers/whole numbers.  HW:  Review for quiz tomorrow on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.
Friday - Quiz on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.  HW:  MAP or ISAT games, BuzzMath, or Sokikom (fractions).

Interactive Owl Pellet Dissection

Click on the owl.  

Weeks of November 18 and November 25

Weekly Reminders:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*First literature circle meeting on Tuesday.
*Robert Crown Parent Meeting on Tuesday at 6:30.
*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, 11:00.
*Chapter 6 Science test on Thursday.
*Spelling Test on Friday.
*TFK quiz on Friday.
*PE Test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Second Literature Circle meeting on Monday, Nov. 25.
*Robert Crown Field Trip on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
*Thanksgiving break on Wednesday, Nov. 27; Thursday, Nov. 28; and Friday, Nov. 29.
*Return to school on Monday, Dec. 2.


THINK ENERGY - Here is another video and a couple great links. 
National Energy Foundation Video
Fun facts about Electricity, Natural Gas, and Renewables
Energy Games

Prairieview School-Community Service Project

Animal Assisted Therapy Program-Edward Hospital

Prairieview School, in Downers Grove, (3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Graders) is proud to have an opportunity to sponsor an Edward Hospital therapy dog.  The students are looking forward to sponsoring, Kodi.  Prairieview School will take donations until November 19^th!  If you want to learn more about this Animal Assisted Therapy Program go the the following link:  httpwww.edward.org/animalassistedtherapy.

Homeroom Happenings:

Spelling - This will be the first spelling test of second trimester.  We will take a pretest on Monday and the test on Friday.  This is a review week.  There will be 30 words to study.  I will choose 20 words for the test on Friday.  We will not have a spelling unit during the week of Nov. 25.

English - The children are working on a creative A to Z adjective book.  This book will be due on Friday.  The children will have time in class on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Reading - The children have begun their first set of literature circles.  Each child is responsible for the reading that their team scheduled.  They are also responsible for one assigned activity.  Please look at your child's binder for more information about our literature circles.  Most of the reading and activities, for our literature circles, will need to be completed in home.  We will be using our class time to work on other reading skills and strategies.

Science - The children will take the chapter 6 test on Thursday.  We will review for the test on Monday and Wednesday, in class.
Items to study:
*Key words:  population, community, competition, adaptation, symbiosis, predator, & prey.
*How does body color help insects survive?
*How do populations interact (depend on or compete with)?
*Describe plant and animal adaptations.  How do these adaptations help them compete?
*Key words:  succession & extinction.
*How does a changing ecosystem affect the organisms living there?
*How can changes cause extinction?
*Key Words:  pollution, acid rain, habitat, conservation, & reclamation.
*How does fertilizer affect plants?
*How do people's actions affect the environment?
*Describe ways to protect and restore an environment.
**Review Notes

Social Studies - We will explore the 13 English Colonies.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday  - GCF using prime factorization or an organized list.
Tuesday - LCM using prime factorization or an organized list.
Wednesday - No math due to early dismissal.
Thursday - Writing fractions and mixed numbers as decimals.
Friday - Writing decimals as fractions and mixed numbers.
Monday - Problem Solving.
Tuesday - No math due to Robert Crown Field Trip.

Week of November 12

Weekly Events:
*No school on Monday - Veterans' Day.
*Spelling pretest on Tuesday.
*Chapter 6, lesson 2 science quiz on Tuesday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*Think Energy assembly on Friday.
* "Hat Day" on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Community Service Project Donations due Tuesday, November 19.

THINK ENERGY:

This week our 5th grade will be participating in an activity provided by Nicor Gas and Com Ed called THINK ENERGY!  The goal of this program is to help the students and their families learn about energy and how to use it more wisely.  Your child will be bringing home a TAKE ACTION KIT that will require parent involvement.  It's a very cool kit that you get to keep!  Visit this link to learn more about your ACTION KIT:  http://thinkenergy.org/install-devices-in-kit/.

Prairieview School-Community Service Project

Animal Assisted Therapy Program-Edward Hospital

Prairieview School, in Downers Grove, (3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Graders) is proud to have an opportunity to sponsor an Edward Hospital therapy dog. Edward Hospital is located in Naperville, Illinois and helps many people every year who have to visit the hospital.  In order to sponsor a therapy dog, we need to raise money that will go toward the program that supports the wellness of patients in the hospital.  The students are looking forward to sponsoring, Kodi.

Prairieview School will take donations until November 19^th!

If you want to learn more about this Animal Assisted Therapy Program go the the following link:  httpwww.edward.org/animalassistedtherapy.

Homeroom Happenings:

Spelling - We will take a spelling pretest on Tuesday.  Challenge spellers and regular spellers will take their tests on Friday.  All spelling activities are due Friday.

English - The students will take the next English pretest on Wednesday.  We will begin the new unit on Thursday.

Reading - The "Time For Kids" quiz will be on Thursday.  We may have some time to read and discuss some of the articles before Thursday.  Please make sure your child keeps their TFK in their binders.  We will also begin our first novel unit this week.  Watch your child's assignment notebook for reading assignments.

Science - On Tuesday, the children will take a quiz on chapter 6, lesson 2.  During the rest of the week, we will explore how people affect ecosystems.  Our key words are:  pollution, acid rain, habitat, conservation, and reclamation.

Social Studies - The children will read about the Separatists and Puritans.  These English settlers established colonies in New England.  They were in search of religious freedom.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:

Monday - No school.

Tuesday - Division Test

Wednesday - Pretest on Next Unit - Number Theory and Fractions.  Most of this unit is review.  We will move quickly through it.

Thursday - Begin new unit.  Topic will depend on pretest results.

Friday - No math due to "Think Energy" program.

Looking for extra practice for our winter MAP testing?  Here is a great link:  http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/.

Week of November 4

Weekly Events:
*Parent Teacher Conferences (Homeroom Only) on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday.
*BEARS Spirit Day on Monday.
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Unit 2 English Test on Monday.
*"Memory Book Bag" due Tuesday.
*"Eye of the Storm" Vocabulary test on Wednesday.
*Spelling test on Thursday.
*No School on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*No school on Monday, November 11 - Veterans' Day.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will take a spelling pretest on Monday.  Children who miss one or none will become challenge spellers.  They will have a practice sheet and 2 activities to complete this week.  Children who miss two or more will work with our weekly spelling list.  They will have a practice sheet and workbook pages to complete.  Since we do not have school on Friday, our weekly and challenge tests will be on Thursday.  All spelling practice work will be due on Thursday.

English - The children have been reviewing for the Unit 2 test on Nouns.  They will take the Unit 2 test on Monday.  This test will assess their knowledge of nouns, common & proper nouns, plural nouns, and singular & plural possessive nouns.

Reading - We will finish our unit on Informational Text this week.  The children will take a quiz on the "Eye of the Storm" vocabulary on Wednesday.  Review your vocabulary words at:  http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/ewordgame/index.html?grade=5&theme=1&selection=2.
We will begin a novel study during the week of November 12.

Science - We will begin chapter 6, lesson 2.  This lesson will focus on succession and extinction.  The children should review their vocabulary and notes nightly.

Social Studies - Our study of European colonization will continue.  This week, we will explore how the search for the Northwest Passage led to the founding of French and Dutch colonies in North America.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Multiplication and Division Expressions.
Tuesday - Rounding Quotients to the nearest 10th, 100th/cent, and 1000th.
Wednesday - Review for test on Tuesday, November 12.
Thursday - Review for test on Tuesday, November 12.
Friday - No School.
Monday, Nov. 11 - No School - Veterans' Day.
Tuesday, Nov. 12 - Division Test.

Week of October 28 - November 1

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*PTO coupon books or money due on Tuesday.
*Last Jr. Achievement Session on Wednesday.
*Chapter 6, lesson 1 science quiz on Wednesday.
*Halloween Parade at 1:15 on Thursday.
*Halloween Party at 1:30 on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Unit 2 English test on Monday, November 4.
*Memory Book Bag Project due on Tuesday, November 5.

Halloween Parade & Party:  
Please have your child bring their costume in a bag with their name.  The children will only have about 10 minutes to change into costumes.  They will not be allowed to change in the washrooms.  We will have a room designated for boys and a room for girls to change into their costumes.  There will not be a lot of time to put on make-up either.  Keep it simple!!!!!  The parade begins around 1:15.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - The children will take a spelling pretest on Monday.  If they have -1 or none, they will become a challenge speller.  Students who miss 2 or more will work with the regular weekly list.  All assignments are due on Friday.  (With Halloween on Thursday, please have your child work ahead of schedule to make sure they complete their work for Friday.)  The challenge and regular weekly tests will be on Friday.

English - We will finish our unit on Nouns this week.  The children will learn about plural possessive nouns.  We will also review for our Unit 2 test which will be on Monday, November 4.

Reading - We will continue our study of Informational (Non-fiction) text.  The children will be reading about storms this week.  We will also do some "close" reading of our Time For Kids magazine.  Please make sure your child brings their magazine to class each day.

Science - We will continue to answer the question - "How do organisms compete and survive in an ecosystem?"  Your children should review their vocabulary words and notes each evening.  This will help prepare them for the test - one lesson at a time.  Our focus at the beginning of the week will be on the predator-prey relationship.  The children will take a quiz on Chapter 6, lesson 1 on Wednesday.  

Social Studies - The students will read about the Battle of the Spanish Armada, which turned England's attention away from founding colonies for a while.  Then we will learn about the first successful English colony, Jamestown.  The children will be taking notes in class.  They should review these notes each evening.  

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Students will list concepts that will be on the quiz.  Lesson on dividing decimals by 10, 100, and 1,000.
Tuesday - Quiz on the following concepts:  Bar diagrams using distributive property, partial quotients, short division with a 1-digit divisor, patterns in division, estimating quotients using compatible numbers, & long division with 1-, 2-, and 3-digit numbers.
Wednesday - Dividing decimals by whole numbers.
Thursday - Halloween Math Activities.  No Homework!
Friday - Dividing decimals by decimals.

Week of October 21-25

Weekly Events:
*Mrs. Sulima will be at a conference on Monday.
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Informational Text structure quiz on Tuesday.
*Jr. Achievement on Wednesday.
*English Quiz on Thursday: Unit 2, lessons 1-4.
*Early Dismissal on Thursday, 11:00.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*TFK quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Our last session of Jr. Achievement will be on Wednesday, October 30.
*Halloween Parade ~1:00 on Thursday, October 31.
*Halloween Party ~1:30 on Thursday, October 31.
"Get Science" Assembly on Friday, November 1.

Coupon Books:
The PTO is selling coupon books this year to help fund the purchase of tablets for our students.  If you wish to purchase a book, please send in $25 made payable to the Prairieview PTO.  If you do not wish to buy the book, please send it back with your student.  The deadline is October 29th.  The books have some great local coupons in them and really pay for themselves while the school gets half the money of all books sold!  The grade that sells the most books (15 books minimum) will get a movie and a treat on Tuesday, November 26th and each grade level student who sells the most books (5 book minimum) will get a $100 Target gift card!  Please contact Pam Topp (pam_topp@yahoo.com) or Maureen Gibbons (maureen.gibbons@comcast.net) if you have questions or would like more books to sell.  There are some great holiday shopping discounts available....take a look!!!!

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - The children will take a pretest on Monday.  If your child misses one of less, they will be a challenge speller for the week.  They will need to complete a practice sheet and 3 activities.  If your child misses more than two words, they will be a regular speller.  They will complete a practice sheet and workbook pages.  The tests will be on Friday.

English - We will continue our unit on nouns.  The children will take a unit 2, lesson 1-4 quiz on Thursday.  This quiz will cover:  What is a noun?, Common and Proper Nouns, and Singular and Plural Nouns.

Reading - The children will take a quiz on Text Structures on Tuesday.  We will then move onto reading some informational passages.  The children have a few study sheets in their reading pocket on the following structures:  chronological/sequence, problem and solution, cause and effect, description, and compare and contrast.
Here is a game to practice text structure:  http://www.quia.com/ba/99066.html

TFK - I will not be sending the TFK magazine home until Wednesday night.  We will be doing some "close" reading activities with some of the articles on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The children will still have a quiz on Friday.

Science - Children will print out their brochures on Tuesday.  I have a special brochure paper that I would like to print these on.  We will also begin the next science unit.  This unit will answer the question:  "How do Organisms Compete and Survive in an ecosystems?"

Social Studies - We will finish our detective work with Roanoke Island.  What happened to the colonists?  The children will choose a theory this week and back it up with evidence from the text.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Mrs. Sulima will be at a conference today.  Quiz on Divisibility Rules.  Students will not be able to use their notes or book during this quiz.  Lesson on Patterns in Division.
Tuesday - Estimating Quotients using Compatible Numbers.
Wednesday - Dividing by a 2-digit Divisor.
Thursday - Dividing by a 3-digit Divisor.
Friday - Problem Solving with Division.

Week of October 14-18

Weekly Events:
*No School on Monday - Columbus Day.
*Spelling pretest on Tuesday.
*Jr. Achievement on Wednesday with Mr. Blocker.
*Magazine Drive - Mario Kart Assembly on Wednesday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*TFK quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Early Dismissal on Thursday, October 24.
*Halloween Party on Thursday, October 31.
*Realistic Fiction Memory Book Bag due Tuesday, November 5.

Coupon Books:
The PTO is selling coupon books this year to help fund the purchase of tablets for our students.  If you wish to purchase a book, please send in $25 made payable to the Prairieview PTO.  If you do not wish to buy the book, please send it back with your student.  The deadline is October 29th.  The books have some great local coupons in them and really pay for themselves while the school gets half the money of all books sold!  The grade that sells the most books (15 books minimum) will get a movie and a treat on Tuesday, November 26th and each grade level student who sells the most books (5 book minimum) will get a $100 Target gift card!  Please contact Pam Topp (pam_topp@yahoo.com) or Maureen Gibbons (maureen.gibbons@comcast.net) if you have questions or would like more books to sell.  There are some great holiday shopping discounts available....take a look!!!!

Book Fair:

Prairieview will be having a Book Fair and Taffy Apple Sale on Thursday, October 17.  Visit this link for more information: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/prairieviewelementaryschool15

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - The children will take a spelling pretest on Tuesday.  If they miss 1 or none, they will become a challenge speller.  Since this is only a 4 day week, challenge spellers will only need to do 2 activities and the practice sheet.  All spelling activities are due Friday.  Regular and Challenge spelling tests will be given on Friday.

English - We will begin a new unit this week on Nouns.  This week will review:  What is a Noun?, Common & Proper Nouns, and Singular & Plural Nouns.

Reading - We have started our unit on Informational Text (Non-fiction).  Last week, we reviewed informational text features like a table of contents, headings, subheadings, index, glossary, illustrations, captions, and much more.  The children also were introduced to text structures which include sequence/chronological order, cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, and description.  We will continue learning about text structures this week.  The children will be reading many short passages and deciding which type of text structure it represents.

Science - The children will finish their Snow Leopard brochures this week.  For our first "tech project," they have done a wonderful job.  We will begin our next science unit during the week of October 21.  Don't forget...you can check their progress on this project on their Google Apps account.  The username is:  17lastname@ccsd66.org.  The password is their school network password twice with no space in between.

Social Studies - How could an entire colony disappear?  This week we will discuss "The Lost Colony - Roanoke Island."  We will become CSI detectives as we analyze different scenarios that could have happened. 

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - Test & Vocabulary Introduction
Wednesday - Pretest on our next unit.
Thursday - Determined based on pretests.
Friday - Determined based on pretests.

Week of October 7 - 11

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 5 science test on Monday.
*Unit 1 English test on Tuesday.
*Wear orange on Wednesday for Unity Day - Stand up against bullying.
*Jr. Achievement on Wednesday.
*Chapter 4 social studies test on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*Movie Night on Friday, 6:30-8:45.

Coming Events:
*No School on Monday, October 14 - Columbus Day.

Homeroom Happenings:

Spelling - The children will take a spelling pretest on Monday.  All spelling workbook pages or challenge activities will be due on Friday.  The challenge and regular tests will be on Friday.  Your child may choose to do the test in print or cursive.

English - On Tuesday, the children will take the Unit 1 Sentence Test.  There are many resources your child may use to prepare for this test.  They may use the items in their English pocket, the lesson pages in the textbook, the lesson review in the textbook, and the extra practice pages in the textbook.  
Each child will need to bring a photograph, picture from Internet, or picture from the Internet on Wednesday.  It should be a picture that they would like to write about.

Reading - We will work on building or reading stamina this week.  Each day, we will set a goal to increase the amount of time we can read independently.  We will also begin working with non-fiction/informational text this week.  The children will not receive a TFK magazine this week.

Science - On Monday, the children will take the chapter 5 test.  There are many resources your child can use to prepare for this test.  They may use the lessons in the textbook, items in their science pocket, the chapter 5 review in the textbook, and their bingo board.  The bingo board has a list of words/phrases that would be beneficial to review.

We will also continue working on our Snow Leopard brochures.  You can watch your child's progress on their Google Apps account.  Your child's username is 17lastname@ccsd66.org.  Their password is their school network password twice with no space.

Social Studies - On Monday, we will fill out a "how to study" sheet for our first social studies test which will be on Thursday.  At least 5 ways to study for the test will be listed on the "how to study" sheet.  If your child writes at least 2 ways they studied and have a parent sign their sheet, they will receive a bonus point on their test.  We will use Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to review the 3 lessons in chapter 4.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Estimating Products
Tuesday - Multiplying by 1 & 2 digit number (Whole and Decimal)
Wednesday - Multiplying by larger numbers (Whole and Decimal)
Thursday - Order of Operations Activities.
Friday - We will finish our activities from Thursday & review for the chapter 2 test on Tuesday, October 15.

Week of September 30 - October 4

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 5, lesson 2 science quiz on Tuesday. (Not open book)
*First session of Jr. Achievement with Mr. Blocker on Wednesday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*TFK quiz on Friday.

Coming Events:
*Chapter 5 science test will be on Monday, October 7.  
*Unit 1 English test will be on Tuesday, October 8.


Homeroom Happenings:

Spelling - This week we will be doing a review unit.  The pretest on Monday will have 30 words.  Students will still need to miss only one or none to become a challenge speller.  All spelling homework will be due on Friday.  The test on Friday will be over 20 of the 30 words.  Students should practice all 30 words since they will not know which of the words will be on the final test.


English - We will continue our unit on Sentences.  The children will learn about Subjects in Imperative Sentences, Conjunctions, and Run-on Sentences.  Our test on Unit 1 will be on Tuesday, October 8.


Reading - This week, we will begin learning about "Read to Self" in our classroom.  The children will learn what is expected of them during "Read to Self" and will practice building stamina (reading independently for a length of time).  We are practicing "Read to Self" to allow me the availability to take small reading groups for strategy practice.  We will also finish our unit on Tall Tales this week.

Science - The children will take a quiz on chapter 5, lesson 2 on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, they will receive a chapter 5 review assignment.  The Chapter 5 test will be on Monday, October 7.
Science e-book:  There are directions for the e-book in your Curriculum Night packet.  Visit:  http://www.thinkcentral.com/.  Click "Science and Health."  Click on HSP Science.  Fill in our school information.  Your child's School ID number (without a zero in front) is the username.  The password for all accounts is:  ccsd66.  
Also, we will begin working on our first "tech project."  The students will be doing a brochure on Snow Leopards.  Last year, Prairieview students raised money for the Chicago Zoological Society (through Brookfield Zoo).  With this money, we have adopted a snow leopard named Sabu.  He is at Brookfield Zoo.  If you have the chance stop by and see Sabu sometime.  What a beautiful creature!


Social Studies - We have now completed lesson 1 and 2 of chapter 4.  This week, we will work on lesson 3.  In this lesson the children will read and learn about life in New Spain.  


Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Multiplication Patterns
Tuesday - Problem Solving (using a table)
Wednesday - Quiz on Prime & Composite, Prime Factorization, Powers & Exponents, Multiplication Patterns, and Problem Solving (using a table)
Thursday - Distributive Property
Friday - More Distributive Property

Week of September 23-27

Weekly Events:
*Week 4 spelling pretest on Monday.
*English, lesson 1-3, quiz on Monday. (not open book)
*Magazine turn-in day on Tuesday.
*Picture Day on Thursday.
*Week 4 spelling test and challenge test on Friday.
*Time for Kids quiz on Friday.
*Early Dismissal on Friday, at 11:00.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will work on week 4 spelling words.  The pretest will be on Monday.  The final test (in print or cursive) will be on Friday.  All spelling homework is due on Friday.


English - On Monday, the students will take a quiz on lessons 1-3 (What is a sentence?, 4 types of sentences, and subjects and predicates).  The students will not be able to use their books or notes for this quiz.  Throughout this week, we will also learn about simple subject and simple predicates.


Reading - Our unit on Tall Tales will continue.  We will be reading "The Day Pecos Bill Rode Old Twister" and "Old Stormalong."  The children will be working with vocabulary, figurative language (hyperbole, simile, & metaphor), and comprehension questions using these two stories.


Science - We will move onto lesson 2 this week.  In this lesson, we will learn about food chains and food webs.  We will also explore the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.  Finally, we will identify how energy flows through the ecosystem.
I believe I now have the online science textbook ready for student use.  The directions for this e-book are included in the Curriculum Night packet.  I will go over with the students how to access this sometime this week.


Social Studies - On Friday, we discussed the advantages that Cortes & the Conquistadors had versus the Aztecs.  These advantages helped Cortes defeat the Aztecs.  We will continue this lesson this week by learning about the changes the Spanish brought to New Spain and learn about other Spanish conquests.  The children will also have the opportunity to design an Aztec mask this week.  We will discuss the symbolism behind the mask.


Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Algebraic Expressions
Tuesday - Review for chapter 1 test.
Wednesday - Chapter 1 Test (Chapter 1 in My Math and Chapter 1 in 6th grade book)
Thursday - Prime Factorization
Friday - Powers and Exponents

Curriculum Night Presentations

Thank you to all the families that were able to attend curriculum night!  I appreciate that you are taking time out of your busy schedules to come and learn about your child's classroom.

I know that it is not possible for everyone to attend, so I have attached my homeroom and math presentations. Click on the play button in the middle of the screen.  Once the slide show opens, there will be forward and backward arrows (at the bottom) to move from slide to slide.  I will also send a packet of information home with your child.  If you have any questions, please let me know.




Under my Math Curriculum Night presentation, I have attached a "Flipped Classroom" video that will give more information about this teaching strategy.

Week of September 16-20

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 5, lesson 1 science quiz on Monday.
*Curriculum Night (Parents Only) on Tuesday, 6:30-7:30.
*Unit 1, lessons 1-3 English quiz on Wednesday.
*Lakeview Band performs for Prairieview students on Wednesday.
*Crazy Hair Day on Friday.
*Spelling test on Friday - print or cursive.

Curriculum Night:
4th and 5th Grade Curriculum Night is on Tuesday, Sept. 17!
6:30-6:45 Meet in the gym with Mrs. Schultz
6:45-7:00 Meet in your child's math classroom
7:00-7:30 Meet in your child's homeroom

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will work on Week 3 spelling words.  The children will take the pretest on Monday.  The regular and challenge tests will be on Friday.  Students may choose to write in print or cursive.  All spelling homework is due Friday.

English - We will continue Unit 1 this week.  The children learned about 4 types of sentences last week - declarative (statement), interrogative (question), imperative (command), and exclamatory (exclamation).  We will continue to practice these this week.  We will also review subject and predicates.  On Thursday, the children will take a quiz on lessons 1-3.  We will end the week by finding the simple subject in a complete subject.

Reading - Our Tall Tales unit will continue.  We will read Paul Bunyan and John Henry.  We will also explore a type of figurative language called hyperbole.  The children will also find out about our first trimester reading project on Thursday.  They will be reading a historical fiction book and making a memory bag to show different parts of the story.  This project will not be due until November.  More information will be sent home or posted on my blog during the month of October.

Science - The children will take a lesson 1 quiz on Monday.  This quiz will not be open book.  I am hoping that your child has been completing their homework each night which has been to review their notes and vocabulary.  If they have done that then they should be well prepared for the quiz.  I suggested to the children to take their textbook home.  Rereading the lesson could also be helpful in preparing for this quiz.  We will continue focusing on photosynthesis throughout the week.  At the end of the week, we will record the lesson 2 vocabulary in our science spirals.

Social Studies - Our focus has been on Christopher Columbus and his multiple expeditions to the "New Land."  This week the children will write a letter, as Christopher Columbus, to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella persuading them to fund a second trip. We will work on these in class, but some rough draft work and editing may need to be completed at home.  We will end the week by learning about the Aztecs.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
The students did a wonderful job on their first "Project-Based Learning" activity.  They are stupendous party planners!  We will continue our focus on decimals this week.  The children should be able to add, subtract, and multiply decimals.  We will do some work on dividing with decimals, too.  Knowing these skills will help the children with many activities that we will do throughout this school year.

Week of September 9-13

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Preposition quiz on Monday.
*Magazine Dive kick-off on Tuesday.
*Spelling test on Friday - print or cursive.
*Time for Kids quiz on Friday.  Don't forget to bring your TFK back to school on Friday.

Upcoming Events:
*5th Grade Curriculum Night on Tuesday, September 17 at 6:30.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - The students did a wonderful job with our weekly spelling routine.  We will take the week 2 spelling pretest on Monday.  On Friday, spelling homework will be due, and the students will take either the regular or challenge test.

English - On Monday, the children will be taking a preposition quiz.  They will need to be able to find the prepositional phrase in the sentence.  Also, they should know where the preposition and object are in each prepositional phrase.  Students should watch out for compound objects.  All of these concepts have been covered in class.  The children should have study tools in their English pocket.

Reading - We will begin our Tall Tales unit.  In this unit, we will identify the elements of a tall tale.  The children will receive a vocabulary list on Monday.  They should review the words each night to prepare for a vocabulary quiz on Thursday.  Throughout the week, we will be reading different tall tales and discussing a type of figurative language called hyperbole.

Science - Hopefully your child told you about the "sewer maggots" experiment.  If not, ask them about it!  We will now begin our first unit on Energy and Ecosystems.  This week we will begin the answer the question - How do Plants Produce Food?  Our vocabulary for this unit included:  transpiration, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, producer, and consumer.  The children will be reading the lesson in class and filling out notes that will help them study for quizzes and test.

Social Studies - We will begin chapter 4 this week.  The children will learn about Christopher Columbus the explorer.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - We will review rounding whole numbers and decimals.
Tuesday - We will take a quiz (open book/notes) on the concepts we have covered to this point.
Wednesday - We will review estimating sums and differences of decimals.
Thursday - We will do a Project Based Learning Activity where the children will need to apply their knowledge of adding and subtracting decimals.
Friday - We will learn about addition and subtraction expressions.

Week of September 3

What a Terrific Team!
     We made it through our first three days of school!  Throughout these days, we have organized our supplies, reviewed our school and classroom expectations, started some projects, and enjoyed getting to know each other better.
     On Tuesday, we will begin many of our academic subjects.  Below I have listed what we will cover in each subject.  Watch your child's binder and spirals for other work we complete in class.  Please do not remove any papers that are put in your child's middle binder pockets.  We will put items in our "Keep At Home" pocket that can be removed from our binders.  Thank you in advance!

Weekly Events:
*No school on Monday - Labor Day.
*Lesson 1 spelling pretest on Tuesday.
*Math MAP test on Wednesday from 8:05-9:05.  Please make sure your child is on time for school.
*Reading MAP test on Friday from 10:30-11:30.
*Lesson 1 spelling test or challenge test on Friday.
*Handbook sheet due Friday.

Upcoming Events:
*Preposition quiz on Monday, September 9.
*5th Grade Curriculum Night on Tuesday, September 17 at 6:30.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will take our first spelling pretest on Tuesday.  If your child receives 19/20 or 20/20, they will be working on challenge spelling words for the week.  All spelling homework is due Friday.  The regular and challenge tests will be on Friday.  Students may write in print or cursive on the spelling test.

English - The children will explore prepositions and prepositional phrases this week.  We will learn about prepositions, the object of a preposition, prepositional phrases, and pronouns in prepositional phrases.  The students will take a quiz on prepositions on Monday, September 9.  After this mini unit, we will move onto Unit 1 - The Sentence.

Reading - The students will finish a couple projects that we began last week.  Our first reading unit will begin the week of September 9.  This unit will be on Tall Tales.

Science - On Tuesday, we will do an activity about scientists.  Also, a special experiment has been scheduled for Friday.  It is a surprise!!

Social Studies - We will begin the year with a scavenger hunt.  The children will discover what a wonderful resource our book will be for them throughout this school year.  Also, we will begin defining lesson one vocabulary in our Social Studies spiral.  Your child should review these vocabulary words each day.  We will also begin our study of early America, in chapter 4, as it explains how Spain built an Empire.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Our focus will be on place value.  We will identify the values of digits in whole numbers to the trillions and decimals to the millionths.  Also, the children will write whole numbers and decimals in expanded form.  Students will compare whole numbers and decimals.  We will end the week by taking a look at exponents and powers of ten.

Week of August 26th

Welcome Back!

Behind the Scenes - May 27 through June 5

This will be my last Blog of the 2012-2013 school year.

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Monday - Memorial Day.
*Unit 7 Open Book English Test on Tuesday.
*Chapter 15 Open Book Science Test on Tuesday.
*School Talent Show on Wednesday at 9:00.
*Helping Hands Walk for Charity on Wednesday from 3:30-5:00. Don't forget to bring dollars to play the games.  All money will go to The Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, Chicago Zoological Society, and Midwest Shelter for Veterans.
*Last Jr. Achievement session on Thursday.
*Fourth Grade Talent Show on Friday at 1:25.
*PTO Field Games and Picnic on Monday, June 3.  Please do not wear sandals or flip flops.
*Bring a board game to school on Monday, June 3.
*Jump Rope Warrior Assembly on Monday, June 3.
*Last Classroom Celebration on Tuesday, June 4.  Looking for volunteers to bring in popcorn (or another treat) and clear drinks.
*Bowling field trip on Tuesday, June 4, from 12:15-2:00.
*Last Day of School on Wednesday, June 5. Bring a pen for a fourth grade autographing session.

End of Year School Picnic  

In the interest of ensuring that all students remain safe while having fun during the school picnic, gym shoes will be the only acceptable foot wear of the day.  Little toes and feet cannot play when bruised and abraded. If feet are not in proper attire, students will not be allowed to participate in outdoor activities.  Thank you.

 

Homeroom Happenings:

We will be wrapping up everything this week.

Science - The children will take an open-book test on Chapter 15 on Monday.  We played a review game Friday afternoon in class to prepare for this test.  We will spend the rest of our science time learning about minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle.

Social Studies - The children are working in small groups to research a Native American tribe.  They are creating postage stamps to represent the tribe's homes, traditional clothing, ceremonies, families, etc.  I have chosen a tribe from each of the 5 regions.  Ask your child which tribe they are studying.

Spelling - Last week was our final week of spelling!

English - We will take the Unit 7 open-book test on Tuesday.  We went through part of the review pages in class on Friday to prepare for this test.  English enrichment will also be due on Tuesday.  This will be our last unit.  

Reading - The children have finished reading Dear Mr. Henshaw.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - No school
Tuesday - Last Timed Test.  Area of rectangles and irregular shapes. HW:  WB 138.
Wednesday - Area of parallelograms and triangles. HW:  WB 139.
Thursday - Introduction to integers. HW:  WB 161 and 162.
Friday - Last day of math.  Measurement Olympics.  I will be collecting workbooks and textbooks on this day.