Week of February 3

Weekly Events:
*Six Flags Read to Succeed Sheets are due Monday!
*Spelling Pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 6 Social Studies test on Monday.
*Early Dismissal on Tuesday, 11:00.
*Biography Shape Book due Wednesday!
*Chapter 14, lesson 2 science quiz on Wednesday.
*District Spelling Bee on Thursday.
*Spelling Test on Friday.
*TFK quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Valentine's Day Party on Friday, Feb. 14, 1:35-2:20.
*No school on Monday, Feb. 17 - Presidents' Day.
*No school on Friday, Feb. 28 - Teacher Institute.

Homeroom Happenings: 
Spelling - Our spelling pretest will be on Monday.  Students who miss one or none will become challenge spellers.  They will need to complete a practice sheet and 3 activities throughout the week.  Students who miss 2 or more will work with our regular weekly words.  They will need to complete a practice sheet and 3 workbook pages.  The challenge and regular weekly tests will be on Friday.

English - We were unable to begin our pronoun unit due to the 2 "cold days."  We will begin this unit this week.  Our focus will be on Subject & Object Pronouns.

Reading - We will explore figurative language this week.  The children have a bookmark in their reading pockets that we will be referring to throughout the week.

Science - On Monday, we will finish chapter 14, lesson 2.  The children will take a quiz on this lesson on Wednesday.  At the end of the week, we will begin working on lesson 3, which focuses on chemical changes.

Social Studies - The children will take the chapter 6 test on Monday.  Please refer to last week's blog for concepts to study.  Next, we will begin chapter 7.  

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Review for Integer Test.
Tuesday - Integer Test.  To prepare for this test, review all slide shows in Google Docs file.
Wednesday - Short and Extended Responses.
Thursday - No math due to District Spelling Bee.
Friday - Short and Extended Responses.

Week of January 27

Two bitterly "COLD" Days!!!
Weekly Events:
*No spelling this week due to "Cold" Days.
*Classroom spelling bee on Wednesday.  Top 2 will go to grade level bee on Thursday.
*Fifth Grade spelling bee on Thursday.
*Paul Revere Mystery on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Chapter 6 Social Studies test on Monday, Feb. 3.
*Early Dismissal on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
*District Spelling Bee on Thursday, Feb. 6.
*Valentine's Day Party on Friday, Feb. 14, 1:35-2:20.
*No school on Monday, Feb. 17 - Presidents' Day.
*No school on Friday, Feb. 28 - Teacher Institute.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - No spelling this week due to 2 "cold" days.

English - We will begin our pronoun unit this week.  The children will learn about subject and object pronouns.  Most of these lessons are review from last year but there are a couple additions.

Reading - We will continue to work in our COACH book this week.  The questions in this book are similar to those on the ISAT test.  We will also work with figurative language this week - similes, metaphors, idioms, personification, hyperbole, and alliteration.

Science - We will continue chapter 14, lesson 2.  This lesson reviews physical properties and changes of matter.

Social Studies - We will finish chapter 6, lesson 4 on Wednesday.  The children will have a test on Chapter 6 on Monday, Feb. 3.  To review, your child can look over the slide shows on their Google Docs files and go through the following concepts:
*What are the advantages and disadvantages of working as an apprentice?
*What are the main products of each colonial region?
*What is a common triangular trade route?
*What were the different types of jobs available to colonists?
*Define: apprentice, artisan, triangular trade routes, and Middle Passage.
*What were some of Benjamin Franklin's important contributions to the colonies?
*What were New England towns like?
*What types of crops were raised on plantations?
*Define: self sufficient & town common
*What was it like to attend school in the colonies?
*What foods were popular in the colonies?
*Why was reading important in the colonies?
*Define: Great Awakening & almanac
*How was slavery different in the north and south?
*What skills did enslaved people bring to the colonies?
*How were enslaved Africans able to keep their traditions alive?
*How did people resist slavery?
*Define:  Stono Rebellion

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - No school..."Cold" Day
Tuesday - No school..."Cold" Day
Wednesday - Finish lesson on equations.
Thursday - Temperature.
Friday - No math due to Paul Revere Mystery Shop.
Looking ahead....Review for test on Monday, Feb. 3.  Integer test on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Week of January 20

Weekly Events:
*No school on Monday - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
*Spelling pretest on Tuesday.
*Trade Fair on Tuesday.  Don't forget to bring your items to trade!
*Quiz on Point of View, Story Vocabulary, and Conflict on Tuesday.
*Chapter 14, lesson 1 science quiz on Wednesday.
*Classroom practice spelling bee on Wednesday.
*Third session of TGFD on Friday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*TFK Quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Final Classroom spelling bee on Monday, January 27.
*Fifth Grade spelling bee on Thursday, January 30.
*Early dismissal on Tuesday, February 4, 11:00.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will take our spelling pretest on Tuesday.  The children who miss one or none will become challenge spellers.  They will only need to complete the practice sheet and 2 activities this week since it is a 4-day week.  The students working on the regular weekly words will need to complete the practice sheet and 2 workbook pages.  The tests (challenge and regular) will be on Friday.

English - The children will be taking the pretest on our next English unit on Thursday.  We will begin this unit during the week of January 27.

Reading - On Tuesday, the children will take a quiz on Point of View, Story Vocabulary, and Conflict.  They have notes in their LA spiral for studying.  Also, they may review by using the slide shows which are located in the shared documents on their Google Docs accounts.

Science - We have finished lesson 1 of chapter 14.  The children will take a lesson 1 quiz on Wednesday.  This will not be an open book/notes quiz.  We will begin lesson 2 this week.

Social Studies - We will continue chapter 6, lesson 3 this week.  Our focus will be on the importance of reading in the colonies and colonial meals.  Don't forget that you may review any parts of the lesson using the chapter 6, lesson 3 slide show which is located in the shared documents on your child's Google Docs account.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - Dividing Integers.  
Wednesday - Open book/notes quiz on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers.  We will also begin working with integers and order of operations.
Thursday - 1/2 time problem solving other 1/2 Buzz Math (We now have the premium version!!)
Friday - Continue working with integers and order of operations.  

Week of January 13

Weekly Events:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Reading MAP test on Tuesday.
Reading MAP Practice Sites:
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm
http://clinton.k12.wi.us/maptest_sites/map_reading_rit.html
*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, 11:00.
*TGFD Family Goal Sheets due Wednesday.
*2nd Session of TGFD with Officer Seward.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*TFK quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*No School on Monday, January 20.
*3rd Session of TGFD on Thursday, January 23.
*4th Session of  TGFD on Thursday, January 30.
*Early Dismissal on Tuesday, February 4.

TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS:  

This week we had our first session with Deputy Seward with the Dupage County Sheriff's Office.  Your child has a letter that explains the program and what your child will be learning during the next 10 weeks.  Please take the time each week to ask your child about the interactive "family" assignment which corresponds with information covered during school.  We are all working together to make sure your child can make great decisions!  If at any time you have any questions about the program, feel free to contact me or Deputy Seward (630) 407-2367.

Homeroom Happenings:
Spelling - We will take the spelling pretest on Monday.  This week, the children will only have 15 words.  If they miss one or none, they will become a challenge speller.  Both challenge activities and regular weekly activities will be due on Friday.  The challenge and regular weekly test will be on Friday.

English - This week, we will finish writing a four paragraph essay on events from winter break. The children are working on adding a "hook" to their introduction to grab the reader's attention.  We are also adding our own personal "voice" to our essays.  The children will be given an opportunity to share their essays to the class later in the week.

Reading - We will begin the week by learning about conflict.  Then we will move onto plot.  At the end of the week, we will do an activity where we will need to "lasso" a quote from an article as evidence to answer a question.  Finding textual evidence will be an important skill that we will continue to practice throughout the rest of the school year.

Science - Our study of matter will continue.  This week, we will continue to work through lesson 1.  The children should review their notes each night.  We are defining our vocabulary on our notes sheet.  The children will learn about atoms, molecules, elements (the periodic table), and solids, liquids, & gases.  We will have a quiz on this lesson during the week of January 20.  Watch your child's assignment notebook.

Social Studies - The children will continue working on their City, Town, and Farm flip books on Monday and Tuesday.  This assignment will be due on Wednesday.  Then we will begin working on lesson 3.  This lesson will focus on the importance of school, attending religious services, and reading to the colonists.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - We will take the MAP test during our normal scheduled math time.
Tuesday - No math due to MAP testing.
Wednesday - No math due to early dismissal.
Thursday - Finish subtracting integers and begin multiplying integers.
Friday - Finish multiplying integers and dividing integers.