Behind the Scenes - Week of October 17

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 4 Social Studies test on Tuesday.
*Quiz on Text Organization on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Book Fair on Thursday, October 20, 6:30-8:00.
*John Lynn Presentation on Wednesday, October 26.
*Early Dismissal on Thursday, October 27, 11:00.
*Parade and Halloween Party on Friday, October 28, 1:15.
*Bingo Night on Friday, October 28, 7:00-8:30. Mrs. Sulima will be there!! Join me!!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will discuss plants that reproduce by spores and other ways plants grow. The students will do a lesson review on Wednesday. We will also begin our next lesson on animal life cycles.

Social Studies - On Tuesday the children will take the chapter 4 test. A review quest and vocabulary assignment will come home on Monday to help your child review. Students should bring their signed "how to study" sheet on Tuesday to earn 2 points on their test. We will also begin a mini-unit on a Native American tribe from the Northeast, The Narragansett.

English - The children took a pretest on Sentences on Friday. On Monday, I will return the pretests with learning contracts. The children will then need to pick their enrichment project for this unit. We will begin our sentence unit on Wednesday. This week we will focus on the following lessons: What is a sentence? Statements & Questions, and Commands & Exclamations.

Reading - In reading this week, the students will focus on noting details in a story. They will learn that details may give information, explain ideas, and reveal characters' feelings. They will also work on the Question comprehension strategy. Good readers ask themselves questions about important ideas as they read. The students will practice asking questions about the text that can be answered as they read the text and finish the story.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:

Monday - Zeros in the Multiplicand (Multiplying by 1-digit)

Tuesday - Multiplying by 2-digits

Wednesday - Multiplying by 3-digits

Thursday - Zeros in the Multiplier

Friday - Multiplication with Money. HW: Quiz on Monday.

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 10

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Monday - Columbus Day.
*No school on Tuesday - Institute Day.
*Verb test on Thursday.
*A Family Apart quiz on Thursday.
*Mario Kart Assembly on Thursday.
*Math Quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Movie Night on Friday, October 14, 6:30-8:45.
*Book Fair on Thursday, October 20, 6:30-8:00.
*Halloween Parade and Party on Friday, October 28.
*Bingo Night on Friday, October 28, 7:00-8:30 - Mrs. Sulima will be there!!!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will begin our study of plant life cycles. The children will also test their airplanes on Wednesday. Directions for the paper airplanes are in your child's science pocket.

Social Studies - Our trip through the Northeast will continue this week. We will explore the Chesapeake Bay. This is our last lesson in the Northeast Region, chapter 4. We will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Friday. Our chapter 4 test will be on Tuesday, October 18. Your child should review the following concepts for the test:
*Key words: glacier, gorge, hydropower, hydroelectricity, lighthouse, peninsula, vineyard, bog, sap, mineral, quarry, bay, inlet, watermen, & crab pot.
*Identify the two Great Lakes between which Niagara Falls is located.
*Identify the two main features for which Niagara Falls is known.
*Identify the three mountain ranges in the northeastern part of the Appalachian Mountains.
*Identify the two states in the Northeast that do not border the Atlantic Ocean.
*Identify key steps in the production of maple syrup.
*Explain why grapes grow well in certain areas of the Northeast.
*Identify the largest of the Finger Lakes.
*Explain why water is essential to the production and growth of cranberries.
*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 Bay area could take to help preserve the bay.

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

English - Our Verb Test will be on Thursday. Enrichment projects are due the day of the test. The children will take our next English pretest on Friday. Pretests and contracts will be returned to your child the following week.

Reading - We will continue focusing on the reading strategy of text organization. Many non-fiction authors organize their selections in time order. They also use features such as headings, pictures, captions, and charts to help the reader better understand the information. These skills will be practiced through the use of our Science and Social Studies textbooks.
Our class will also finish A Family Apart by reviewing character traits and taking a final comprehension, vocabulary, and character traits quiz on Thursday The children will be allowed to use the novel during the quiz. No other notes or handouts will be allowed.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - No school.
Wednesday - Properties of Multiplication.
Thursday - Mental Math & Patterns in Multiplication.
Friday - Check your Progress quiz over lessons 1-4. Estimating Products.

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 3

Worm Race Results:

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!


1st Place - Samantha
2nd Place - Alex
3rd Place - Serena
4th Place - Justin
5th Place - Fernanda
6th Place - Reese

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

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Cheer Clinic after school on Monday.
*Cheer Clinic after school on Wednesday.
*Chapter 8 math test on Thursday.
*Cheer Clinic after school on Thursday.
*Northeast Map test on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*No school on Monday, October 10 - Columbus Day.
*No school on Tuesday, October 11 - Teacher Institute.
*Unit 3 Verb test on Thursday, October 13.
*Movie Night on Friday, October 14, 6:30-8:45.
*Book Fair on Thursday, October 20, 6:30-8:00.
*Early Dismissal on Thursday, October 27, 11:00.
*Halloween Parade and Classroom Party on Friday, October 28.
*Bingo Night on Friday, October 28. (Mrs. Sulima will be there!)

Magazine Drive:
Our class won first place in the magazine drive by 1 magazine. Wow! Thank you all for making this magazine drive a success!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - This week, we will focus on how animals are classified. The children will be filling out notes in class. They should review these notes each day. The children will take a chapter 1, lesson 3 review on Friday. They will be able to use their notes and textbook during the review.

Social Studies - The children will take the Northeast Map test on Thursday. They will need to know the correct location and spelling of all the states in the Northeast. Capitals can be labeled for 1/4 point bonus each. The children will also need to label the 2 Great Lakes and the Ocean on the Northeast Map.

Spelling - We will continue with our new procedure this week. Children that get 95% or higher will become challenge spellers. They will choose words to work with all week. On Friday, they will take a test on their words. If they get 100% on their Friday test, they will earn 2 points on their pretest score.

English - Our verb unit will continue. This week our lessons will focus on writing past tense with helping verbs, irregular verbs, the verb be, and contractions with not. The children will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Friday. Our test will be on Thursday, October 13. Enrichment projects will be due on the day of the test.

Reading - The reading strategy that we will focus on is text organization. Many non-fiction authors organize their selections in time order. They also use features such as headings, pictures, captions, and charts to help the reader better understand the information.
Our class will also continue reading 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

Mrs. Sulima's Math Spotlight:
Monday - "Check your Progress" quiz on lessons 4-8. HW: Daily Practice Sheet.
Tuesday - We will fill out our "how to study" sheet for our test on Thursday. Decimal problem solving. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & study for chapter 8 test.
Wednesday - Continue decimal problem solving & review for test. HW: Daily Practice Sheet & study for chapter 8 test tomorrow.
Thursday - Chapter 8 test. Bring your "how to study" sheet. HW: Daily Practice Sheet due tomorrow.
Friday - Begin chapter 2 - Multiplication. HW: Enjoy your long weekend!!!