January 3rd - 7th

Important Dates . . .
January 3 -- Classes Resume after Winter Break
January 17 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School
January 17 -- PTO Dine Out Fundraiser -- Papa Passero's (click for details)
February 21 -- President's Day -- No School
February 25 -- End of Trimester
March 1 -- Report Cards

I'd like to thank the PTO for providing us with a wonderful festive lunch on Tuesday and appetizers on Thursday for the cookie exchange. Thank you to all the parents who baked cookies and provided those wonderful appetizers for the cookie exchange. My family was very appreciative of the delicious cookies I was able to share with them.

Language Arts
We will be working on a unit of "Special Words" this week. These words will be days of the week and months of the year.

Reading
This week we will continue with Soar to Success. We will read a new story each week and focus on phonics and comprehension skills in small groups. This week they will be reading Animals in Winter.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! This month I will be requiring 20 days at 20 minutes. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at this Thursday. Keep reading!

Spelling
The spelling words this week will reflect the sixth chapter science terms. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is utilizing this website: http://www.kidsspell.com/ On this website students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Science
This upcoming week we will be introducing Chapter 6, Natural Resources. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is Earth has many natural resources that people use. It is important to protect them to make them last. To maintain a consistent understanding of the science vocabulary words, we will be building this throughout the chapter in the form of flashcards and applying them in spelling also.

Math
We will be beginning Chapter 4 this week. This chapter is a review of basic addition and subtraction . Also in this chapter we will continue to reinforce problem solving. Just a reminder of the strategy the children are learning: PAL.
P = problem ( 2 + 2 = )
A = answer ( 4 )
L = label ( toys )

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

December 13th - 17th

Important Dates . . .
December 15 -- 3rd Grade bowling in the morning
December 16 -- 4th Grade bowling in the afternoon
December 17 -- Tivoli field trip in the afternoon
December 20 -- Winter Break Begins
January 3 -- Classes Resume after Winter Break
January 17 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School.

Plan Ahead:
*Classes resume on Monday, January 3.

Holiday Service Project:
Don't forget about our Holiday Service Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. All donations are due on Monday, December 13. Thank you for opening up your hearts to help make the holidays a happy one for those who are less fortunate.

Language Arts
We wrapped up our Noun unit this week. What a great job each child did on this unit!!!

Reading/Social Studies
This week we will read from an online news subscription we just received! It reinforces our events news reports. This weeks theme is The Polar Express. Not only do we learn a little about the story The Polar Express, but we will see how it connects to social studies concepts. The news lessons also focus on word building and comprehension skills.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! This month I will be only requiring 12 days at 20 minutes. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at this Thursday. Keep reading!

Spelling
Once again the spelling words this week will reflect the fifth chapter science terms. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is utilizing this website: http://www.kidsspell.com/ On this website students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Science
This week we will be completing Chapter 5, Exploring Earth's Surface. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is the Earth's surface is made up of many different materials and can change over time. To begin reviewing for the Chapter 5 test you can review the science vocabulary words using flashcards, worksheets in science binder, and reread Chapter 5 in the textbook(p. 194-229) which was sent home.

Math
We will be completing Chapter 3 this week. Not only have they learned strategies to subtraction, but we will continue to reinforce problem solving throughout the chapter and year. Just a reminder of the strategy the children are learning: PAL.
P = problem ( 2 + 2 = )
A = answer ( 4 )
L = label ( toys )


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- monthly turn in on this Thursday
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

December 6th -10th

Important Dates . . .
December 6 -- PTO Dine out Fundraiser -- Buffalo Wild Wings
(Click for details and coupon)
December 15 -- 3rd Grade bowling in the morning
December 16 -- 4th Grade bowling in the afternoon
December 17 -- Tivoli field trip in the afternoon
December 20 -- Winter Break Begins
January 3 -- Classes Resume after Winter Break
January 17 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School.


IMPORTANT NOTES:

It was great meeting with all the parents this week for conferences. Thank you for your time!

The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season. PLEASE DONATE!

*Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

Language Arts
We are continuing on with our Noun unit this week. Thus far they have reviewed the definition of a noun, practiced writing singular and plural nouns. Can your child name nouns around your house?

Reading
This week we will continue with Soar to Success. We will read a new story each week and focus on phonics and comprehension skills in small groups. This week they will be reading Tree of Birds.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
Once again the spelling words this week will reflect the fifth chapter science terms. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is utilizing this website: http://www.kidsspell.com/ On this website students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: Finger Tracing - Use your finger to spell out each of your words one letter at a time on your Mom or Dad’s back. Then it’s YOUR turn to feel and spell.

Social Studies
Students are to research a news event or report. The 5Ws are found in most news stories. Often, the five Ws are introduced in a story's opening paragraph. First of all find a news story that interests your child. They should either find it on the internet and print it out or cut out from a newspaper to bring into school at the beginning of the week. They will be asked to discuss this current event with fellow students throughout the week. In order to do this it would be good to ask your child to talk about the who, where, when, what, and why of the story. Circle, underline, or highlight the areas of the story that tell each of the five Ws. At school each student will be asked to report to the class the who, where, when, what, and why of the story. (Online resource suggestions: Time For Kids, Learning With Newsweek, Weekly Reader Feature Zone, & National Geographic Kids )

Science
This upcoming week we will be introducing Chapter 5, Exploring Earth's Surface. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is the Earth's surface is made up of many different materials and can change over time. To maintain a consistent understanding of the science vocabulary words, we will be building this throughout the chapter in the form of flashcards.

Math
We have more subtraction tricks yet to learn! Not only have they learned strategies to subtraction, but we will continue to reinforce problem solving throughout the chapter and year. Just a reminder of the strategy the children are learning: PAL.
P = problem ( 2 + 2 = )
A = answer ( 4 )
L = label ( toys )


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test
Social Studies - current event newsclip due Monday

November 29th - December 3rd

Important Dates . . .
December 1 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences p.m.
December 3 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences -- No School
December 20 -- Winter Break Begins
January 3 -- Classes Resume after Winter Break


IMPORTANT NOTES:

The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season. PLEASE DONATE!

Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

Language Arts
We are beginning on to a new unit this week on Nouns.

Reading
This week we will continue with Soar to Success. We will read a new story each week and focus on phonics and comprehension skills in small groups. This week they will be reading The Wolf's Chicken Stew.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will wrap up the list of the top 100 words with a review. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Monday. At the beginning of the week would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: Finger Tracing - Use your finger to spell out each of your words one letter at a time on your Mom or Dad’s back. Then it’s YOUR turn to feel and spell.

Science
This upcoming week we will be introducing Chapter 5, Exploring Earth's Surface. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is the Earth's surface is made up of many different materials and can change over time. To maintain a consistent understanding of the science vocabulary words, we will be building this throughout the chapter in the form of flashcards.

Math
We are continuing with subtraction! Not only have they learned strategies to subtraction, but they have had to learn to solve subtraction word problems. The children have done a wonderful job with the PAL rule when solving word problems.
P = problem ( 2 + 2 = )
A = answer ( 4 )
L = label ( toys )


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

November 22nd - November 23rd

Important Dates . . .
Tuesday, November 23 -- Report Cards
-- Picture Retake Day
-- Unit 4 Social Studies Test
November 24, 25, 26 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No Schoool

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Tuesday, November 23, 2010 will be picture retake day. Any student that did not have their picture taken prior to this date may do so. They will be required to have a picture envelope with money to have a picture taken. Any student wishing to have a picture retaken will have to return the original picture packet for a retake.

The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season. PLEASE DONATE!

*Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

Language Arts
We are wrapping up the Capitalization unit this week.

Reading
This week we will be reading about Thanksgiving and focusing on comprehension skills in small groups.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
No spelling list to study this week. We will be working on spelling strategies using a Thanksgiving theme.

Social Studies
We will wrap up Unit 4 this week, with a test on Tuesday, November 23rd. We have discussed and written various definitions on notecards in this unit thus far. There is a lot of information to know. Please review lessons over the weekend when the book will be sent home. The definitions/vocabulary cards will be found in their social studies folder in their binder. This will help when the test arrives next week.

No news event or report this week.

Math
We are continuing on with subtraction!


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
Social Studies - current event newsclip due Monday
- study for Unit 4 test - Tuesday, November 23rd

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

November 15th - 19th

Important Dates . . .
Tuesday, November 23 -- Report Cards
-- Picture Retake Day
-- Unit 4 Social Studies Test
November 24, 25, 26 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No Schoool

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 will be picture retake day. Any student that did not have their picture taken prior to this date may do so. They will be required to have a picture envelope with money to have a picture taken. Any student wishing to have a picture retaken will have to return the original picture packet for a retake.


Language Arts
We are continuing on with Capitalization this week. By midweek your child should be able to answer the question: "What is a proper noun?"

Reading
This week we will continue with Soar to Success. We will read a new story each week and focus on phonics and comprehension skills in small groups. This week they will be reading Arturo's Baton.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will wrap up the list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: Scratch n' Sniff - Use a new sensation to teach the alphabet or spelling words. Write letters with glue on paper, then sprinkle with Jell-O. Makes a super scratch n' sniff when tracing over the letters.

Social Studies
We will wrap up Unit 4 this week, with a test the following Tuesday, November 23rd. We have discussed and written various definitions on notecards in this unit thus far. There is a lot of information to know. Please review lessons over the weekend when the book will be sent home. The definitions/vocabulary cards will be found in their social studies folder in their binder. This will help when the test arrives next week.

Students are to research a current news event or report weekly. The 5Ws are found in most news stories. Often, the five Ws are introduced in a story's opening paragraph. First of all find a news story that interests your child. They should either find it on the internet and print it out or cut out from a newspaper to bring into school at the beginning of the week. They will be asked to discuss this current event with fellow students throughout the week. In order to do this it would be good to ask your child to talk about the who, where, when, what, and why of the story. Circle, underline, or highlight the areas of the story that tell each of the five Ws. At school each student will be asked to report to the class the who, where, when, what, and why of the story. (Online resource suggestions: Time For Kids, Science News for Kids, Weekly Reader Feature Zone, & National Geographic Kids )

Math
We are moving on to the next chapter, subtraction! The children had done a wonderful job with the last chapter, especially when they are able to have hands on materials with problem solving!

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test
Social Studies - current event newsclip due Monday
- study for Unit 4 test - Tuesday, November 23rd

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

November 8th - 12th

Important Dates . . .
Thursday, November 11th -- No School - Veterans Day
Friday, November 12 -- End of Trimester
-- 3rd Grade Downers Grove Field Trip
Tuesday, November 23 -- Report Cards
-- Picture Retake Day
November 24, 25, 26 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No Schoool

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 will be picture retake day. Any student that did not have their picture taken prior to this date may do so. They will be required to have a picture envelope with money to have a picture taken. Any student wishing to have a picture retaken will have to return the original picture packet for a retake.


Language Arts
We are beginning on to a new unit this week on Capitalization.

Reading
This week we will begin a new comprehension program called Soar to Success. We will read a new story each week and focus on comprehension skills in small groups.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: Fancy Letters - Use old magazines, catalogs, or newspapers to cut out letters and glue them down to spell your words!

Social Studies
We will review the first few lessons in Unit 4 this week. Also, we will connect our study with information on Downers Grove.

Students are to research a current news event or report. The 5Ws are found in most news stories. Often, the five Ws are introduced in a story's opening paragraph. First of all find a news story that interests your child. They should either find it on the internet and print it out or cut out from a newspaper to bring into school at the beginning of the week. They will be asked to discuss this current event with fellow students throughout the week. In order to do this it would be good to ask your child to talk about the who, where, when, what, and why of the story. Circle, underline, or highlight the areas of the story that tell each of the five Ws. At school each student will be asked to report to the class the who, where, when, what, and why of the story.
(Online resource suggestions: Time For Kids, Learning With Newsweek, Weekly Reader Feature Zone, & National Geographic Kids )

Math
We will be wrapping up the chapter on basic addition. The children have enjoyed working through this chapter, especially when they are able to have hands on materials with problem solving!

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test
Social Studies - current event newsclip

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

November 1st - 5th

Important Dates . . .
Tuesday, November 2nd -- No school - Teacher Institute
Thursday, November 11th -- No School - Veterans Day
Friday, November 12 -- End of Trimester
Tuesday, November 16 -- Report Cards
November 24, 25, 26 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No Schoool

Language Arts
We are wrapping up our study of punctuation this week.

Reading
This week we will complete our current level of vocabulary skills with Lesson 24! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: - Use empty film containers. Put lima beans with each spelling word letter on individual beans in the container. It is a "hands on" word scramble.

Social Studies
We have completed two lessons about local and state government in Unit 4, Our Country Today. We will move on to lesson 3 midweek. We have discussed and written various definitions on notecards in this unit thus far. There is a lot of information to know. Please review lessons when possible. The information will be found in their social studies folder in their binder. This will help when the test arrives next week or so.

Math
We are working in a new chapter, Addition. The children have enjoyed working through this chapter, especially when they are able to participate in interactive white board activities!

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- weekly turn in on Friday
- study lesson 24 vocabulary words
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

October 25 - October 29

Important Dates . . .
Friday, October 29 - Halloween Parties - 1:30 to 2:25 p.m.

Halloween Festivities:
Please keep in mind the following guidelines when helping your child pick out a Halloween costume for our Halloween party and parade (parents may come at 1:00 pm to watch our school parade) on Friday, October 29th:
*We only have 10 minutes for costume changes. Please make sure your child can change into his/her costume easily and by themselves. 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 you send your child in with make up then your child has 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 dimissal. Your child will wear their costume home.

Language Arts
Continuing to study punctuation. We will also work on a Halloween acrostic poem!

Reading
This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 23! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade this Wednesday, October 27th. The reading party date will be Friday! Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: - KidsSpell.com The Custom Spelling list feature allows you to type in your spelling list and use those spelling lists throughout the games and activities on this website.

Social Studies
We will continue on with Unit 4, Our Country Today.

Math
We are working in a new chapter, Addition.

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- monthly turn in this Wednesday, October 27th
- study lesson 23 vocabulary words (quiz on Thursday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

October 18th -22nd

Important Dates . . .
Wednesday, October 20 - Early dismissal @ 11:00 a.m.
Thursday, October 21 - Book Fair - 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Friday, October 22 - National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
*District 66 - Eat Out at Buona Beef http://www.ccsd66.org/PTO/FundRaisers/BuonaBeef.pdf
Friday, October 29 - Halloween Parties - 1:30 to 2:25 p.m.

This past week and next week, students are taking the MAP assessment. The MAP assessment is a new tool for our district that will provide teachers an effective means for determining students' proficiency in reading, language and math. The test will be given in three parts, on three different days. Your child has already taken the Language Arts assessment and next week will take the Math and Reading. The MAP assessment is replacing Iowa testing in District 66.

Language Arts
Was you child able to answer the question after Friday, "What happens when punctuation takes a vacation?" Punctuation is our new unit of study!

Reading
This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 22! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: Window spelling - - Use Crayola Window Markers ($3 each at Wal-mart) and the kids can write their words on the windows.

Social Studies
We will begin a new unit this week, Unit 4, Our Country Today.

Math
We are working on number sense and numeration. The students have been gaining much from mini lessons followed up with multi-modal activities.

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- turn in this Friday
- study lesson 22 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test on Friday

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

October 11th - 15th

Important Dates . . .
Monday, October 11 - Columbus Day -- No School
Friday, October 15 - Movie Night
Wednesday, October 20 - Early dismissal
Thursday, October 21 - Book Fair


Language Arts
This Wednesday students will take an in class assessment over the unit we are completing called "What is a Sentence?" On Friday our new unit begins with a look at writing correct sentences, how to write names of people, pets, names & things, and abbreviations. After Friday, ask your child what happens when punctuation takes a vacation!


Reading
This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 21! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!


Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday.

Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: draw a picture and "hide" the words in the picture!


Science
We will continue with Chapter 4, Living Things in Their Environments. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is different areas have places where plants and animals find the things they need, such as food, water, and shelter. We will read Lesson 3 and review for the Chapter 4 Test coming up next week. To begin reviewing for the Chapter 4 test you can review the science vocabulary words, worksheets in science binder, and review Chapter 4 when the book is sent home.


Math
We are working on number sense and numeration. The students have been gaining much from mini lessons followed up with multi-modal activities.


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- turn in this Friday
- study lesson 21 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test on Friday
Science - review science vocabulary cards, worksheets in science binder, and review Chapter 4 when the book is sent home

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

October 4th - 8th

Important Dates . . .
Friday, October 8 - Taffy Apple Orders are due
Monday, October 11 - Columbus Day -- No School

Language Arts
We will focus on what makes a complete sentence. Capitalization, punctuation, subject, verb, and details are important when writing complete sentences. The students will have have mini lessons then they work on the skills afterwards.

Reading
This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 20! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Once again the children had done a superb job with their fluency poem last week! They will continue to be introduced to a new poem this Monday and be responsible for practicing reading a poem at home during the week to focus on reading fluency. This poem is always introduced on the first day of the week and they are to read it to me on Friday for a grade without any assistance. It is important to keep practicing nightly! The poem this week relates to our Science curriculum we will be reading.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade at the end of the month. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Friday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: draw a picture and "hide" the words in the picture!

Science
We will continue with Chapter 4, Living Things in Their Environments. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is different areas have places where plants and animals find the things they need, such as food, water, and shelter. In class we investigated to find out about how energy flows through setting up an environment in an aquarium. The children continue to monitor the soil, plants, and worms daily! There will be a brief vocab quiz over Lesson 2 words this week. Keep studying those vocab words! This coming week we will begin by rereading and reviewing how living things survive in different places. To maintain a consistent understanding of the science vocabulary words, we will be building this throughout the chapter in the form of flashcards.

Math
Some of the concepts we continue to review and instruct are numeration, addition and subtraction with word problems, fractions, patterns, and geometry. The students have been gaining much from mini lessons followed up with multi-modal activities.

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log
- turn in this Friday
- study lesson 20 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test on Friday
Science - review science vocabulary cards at least 3 times a week to continually review and prepare for the test on Ch4

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

September 27th - October 1st

Important Dates . . .
September 28 -- Final Magazine Sale Turn-in
September 29 -- Independent Reading Folder turn in
September 30 -- Picture Day
-- Reading Party
October 1 -- Assembly

Plan Ahead:
*No School on Monday, October 11 - Columbus Day.

Language Arts
We will be continuing our review of basic writing skills in Language Arts this week. We have been reviewing capitalization, punctuation, and the four different types of sentences. The students have had mini lessons then they work on the skills afterwards.

Reading

This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 19! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Once again the children had done a superb job with their fluency poem last week! They will continue to be introduced to a new poem this Monday and be responsible for practicing reading a poem at home during the week to focus on reading fluency. This poem is always introduced on the first day of the week and they are to read it to me on Friday for a grade without any assistance. It is important to keep practicing nightly! The poem this week relates to our Science curriculum we will be reading.

We will continue working on phonics, decoding, encoding, and comprehension throughout the week through direct instruction, Lexia, and hands on materials.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade on Wednesday, September 29th, to ensure they can attend the lunch reading party the next day, Thursday, September 30th. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Thursday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: Comic Strip - Use this handy blank comic strip form to create a comic strip using each of your spelling words!

Science
This past week we began Chapter 4, Living Things in Their Environments. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is different areas have places where plants and animals find the things they need, such as food, water, and shelter. In class we investigated to find out about how energy flows through setting up an environment in an aquarium. The children really enjoyed monitoring the soil, plants, and worms daily! There will be a brief quiz given as a review on animals beaks and teeth. This upcoming week we will read and learn about how living things survive in different places. To maintain a consistent understanding of the science vocabulary words, we will be building this throughout the chapter in the form of flashcards.

Math
Some of the concepts we continue to review and instruct are numeration, addition and subtraction with word problems, fractions, patterns, and geometry. The students have been gaining much from mini lessons followed up with multi-modal activities.


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log - turn in this Wednesday
- study lesson 19 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly to be turned in & study words for test on Friday

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

September 20th - 24th

Important Dates . . .
September 21 -- 2nd Magazine Sale Turn-in
September 22 -- PE Soccer Test (Look for study guide on Friday, September 17)
September 24 -- Teacher Institute -- No School
September 28 -- Final Magazine Sale Turn-in
September 30 -- Picture Day
-- Independent Reading Folder turn in


Reading

This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 18! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Once again the children had done a great job with their fluency poem last week! They will continue to be introduced to a new poem this Monday and be responsible for practicing reading a poem at home during the week to focus on reading fluency. This poem is always introduced on the first day of the week and they are to read it to me on Friday for a grade without any assistance. It is important to keep practicing nightly! The poem this week relates to our Science curriculum we will be reading.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade on Thursday, September 30th, to ensure they can attend the lunch reading party the next day. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will begin working through a list of the top 100 words. These l00 words as listed in the "A.B.C. Language Arts Bulletin" Educational Research Service, American Book Co., account for 65% of all running words in the writing of adults. We will continue to work through the list of these words for the next few weeks. Reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study
time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given this Thursday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test. One strategy you can use to help is: Memory Game - Make pairs of word cards. Flip them over and try to match the pairs!

Science
The children have been doing a great job with reading/reviewing chapters 1-3. This upcoming week we will be introducing Chapter 4, Living Things in Their Environments. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is different areas have places where plants and animals find the things they need, such as food, water, and shelter. To maintain a consistent understanding of the science vocabulary words, we will be building this throughout the chapter in the form of flashcards.

Math
We continue reviewing basic math concepts this week.


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log - turn in on Friday
- study lesson 18 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly & study words for test on Friday

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

September 13th - September 17th

Important Dates . . .
September 13 -- Magazine Sale Kick-off
--Beginning Band Parent Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Multi-Purpose Room
September 17 -- 1st Magazine Sale Turn-in
September 21 -- 2nd Magazine Sale Turn-in
September 22 -- PE Soccer Test (Look for study guide on Friday, September 17)
September 24 -- Teacher Institute -- No School
September 28 -- Final Magazine Sale Turn-in
September 30 -- Picture Day

FYI... The magazine drive will begin with the kickoff celebration on Monday, 9/13. Look for an information packet to be sent home with your child that day.


Reading

This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 17! Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Once again the children had done a great job with their fluency poem last week! They will continue to be introduced to a new poem this Monday and be responsible for practicing reading a poem at home during the week to focus on reading fluency. This poem is always introduced on the first day of the week and they are to read it to me on Friday for a grade without any assistance. It is important to keep practicing nightly! The poem this week relates to our Science curriculum we will be reading.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade on Thursday, September 30th, to ensure they can attend the lunch reading party the next day. Keep reading!


Science & Spelling

In order to jump into the 1st graded Science unit, we need to begin with a review of science concepts. We will do this by reading through some chapters in Science. Last week we read and discussed Chapter Two: Animals. The next Chapter is Plants, Chapter Three. To maintain a consistent understanding of the spelling words, I have been sending a copy of definitions to the spelling words studied.

Once again the spelling words this week will reflect the third chapter science terms. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help with spelling words this week is utilizing this website: http://www.kidsspell.com/ Students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.


Math

We continue reviewing basic math concepts this week.


Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log - turn in on Friday
- study lesson 17 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly & study words for test on Friday

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.


Information about the picture above:

Rafflesia Flower

This incredible flower, found primarily in the shady lowland tropical forests of Indonesia, has by far the largest bloom of any flower and is one of the world's rarest and most endangered plants. Almost one meter wide and weighing over 6 pounds, it is a fleshy, malodorous plant, I have highlighted here since it is a symbol for all other endangered rainforest plants.

The flower is an excellent example of how fragile some components of the tropical forest are, for its very survival is totally dependent on one particular vine called Tetrastigma, related to the grapevine. The Rafflesia is a disembodied flower. A rootless, leafless and stemless parasite, it drains nourishment and gains physical support from its host vine. Its only body outside the flower consists of strands of fungus-like tissue that grow inside the Tetrastigma vine. It first manifests itself as a tiny bud on the vine's roots or stem. But over a period of 12 months, it swells to a cabbage-like head that bursts around midnight under the cover of a rainy night to reveal this startling, lurid-red flower.

September 6th - September 10th

Important Dates . . .
September 6 -- Labor Day -- No School
September 7 -- Curriculum Night 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. - Parents Only
September 13 -- Beginning Band Parent Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Multi-Purpose Room
September 24 -- Teacher Institute -- No School

Curriculum Night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7th for 4th & 5th graders and my class from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. This is an important evening that will highlight some important information. After being dismissed from the gym, please come to my room. I hope you can make it! If you need to contact me, the easiest way is through email – jkrasno@ccsd66.org

The children have done a great job earning "Classroom Cash” the last two weeks. A student can earn a dollar by showing good behavior, good classroom performance, remembering to get a signature when needed, showing good character, following directions, etc. They will be able to buy rewards and special prizes. They are able to pick out of a prize bin on Friday afternoons. Donations throughout the year for stickers, pencils, and other items of interest are always appreciated!

Reading
It has been greatly appreciated that many children have begun to bring an appropriate silent reading book to keep in their desk for a daily silent reading time.

This week we will continue vocabulary skills with Lesson 16! We will be continuing with this program weekly. Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Students had done a great job with their fluency poem last week! They will continue to be introduced to a new poem this Tuesday and be responsible for practicing reading a poem at home during the week to focus on reading fluency. This poem is always introduced on the first day of the week and they are to read it to me on Friday for a grade without any assistance. It is important to keep practicing nightly! The poem this week relates to our Science curriculum we will be reading.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade on Thursday, September 30th, to ensure they can attend the lunch reading party the next day. Keep reading!

Science & Spelling
In order to jump into the 1st graded Science unit, we need to begin with a review of science concepts. We will do this by reading through some chapters in Science. Last week we read and discussed Chapter One: Living and Nonliving. The next Chapter is Animals, Chapter Two.

The spelling words this week will reflect the first chapter science terms. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help is: ABC order- Write your words in alphabetical order.

Math
We continue reviewing basic math concepts this week.

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log - turn in on Friday
- study lesson 16 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly & study words for test on Friday

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

August 30th - September 3rd

Important Dates . . .

September 3 -- Book orders due
-- Intramural sheets due to Mrs. Cushing
September 6 -- Labor Day -- No School
September 7 -- Curriculum Night 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. - Parents Only
September 13 -- Beginning Band Parent Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Multi-Purpose Room
September 24 -- Teacher Institute -- No School


Welcome to the beginning of another new and exciting year! Last week we spent much of our time organizing our things and getting to know each other. The children spent the first day learning about the PBIS program and the three behaviors that we will be working on all year. You may want to ask them to tell you about the three "B's" they learned about. (Be safe. Be responsible. Be respectful.)

Our first week was excellent! During our second week, we will begin a lot of our core classes.
Please make sure your child makes it a routine of bringing in a healthy snack to school each day, as they all are saying they are starving come lunch time (lunch is served between 11:00 and 11:35).

* Don't forget to review the rules in the Parent Handbook with your child and please sign and send the green sheet back to school with him/her. The handbook can be found on the Prairieview web page.

* All 4th and 5th grade students have the opportunity to sign up for Intramural games. This is a "free" after school program that allows your child to stay active. Permission slips will be sent out next week. Please return them to Mrs. Cushing by Friday, September 3rd.

Curriculum Night is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7th for 4th & 5th graders and my class from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. This is an important evening that will highlight some important information. After being dismissed from the gym, please come to my room. I hope you can make it! If you need to contact me, the easiest way is through email – jkrasno@ccsd66.org

This week our class began with earning "Classroom Cash”. A student can earn a dollar by showing good behavior, good classroom performance, remembering to get a signature when needed, showing good character, following directions, etc. They will be able to buy rewards and special prizes. They are able to pick out of a prize bin on Friday afternoons. Donations throughout the year for stickers, pencils, and other items of interest are always appreciated!


Reading
It would be greatly appreciated if every child would an appropriate silent reading book to keep in their desk for a daily silent reading time.

This week we will jump right into vocabulary skills! We will be continuing with this program weekly. Your child will be coming home with 7 words that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Students will be introduced to a poem and be responsible for practicing reading a poem at home during the week to focus on reading fluency. This poem is introduced on Monday and they are to read it to me on Friday for a grade without any assistance. It is important to keep practicing nightly! The poem this week relates to our Science curriculum we will be reading.

Please keep reading 20 minutes a night for the Independent Reading Program! You may just note the time read in increments of 20 minutes in the pages read section. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This red folder should be turned in every Friday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade on Thursday, September 30th, to ensure they can attend the lunch reading party the next day. Keep reading!

Science & Spelling
In order to jump into the 1st graded Science unit, we need to begin with a review of science concepts. We will do this by reading through some chapters in Science.

The spelling words this week will reflect the first chapter science terms. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given Friday. Please try to help your child study daily. One strategy you can use to help is: ABC order- Write your words in alphabetical order.

Math
We will begin reviewing basic math concepts this week.

Daily Homework
Reading - 20 minutes and complete Independent Reading Folder Log - turn in on Friday
- study lesson 15 vocabulary words (quiz on Friday)
- practice reading poems given to work on fluency (read to teacher on Friday)
Spelling - Practice Page nightly & study words for test on Friday

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time.

May 31st - June 2nd

Important Dates . . .
May 31 -- Memorial Day -- No School
June 1 -- All-school picnic
June 2 -- Report Cards issued
Last day of school

PTO Picnic:
On Tuesday, the PTO will be providing lunch for the students. Each student will get one hot dog, a bag of chips, a bottle of water, and an ice cream treat. If your child does not eat hot dogs or needs more food than what is being provided, please send in a small sack lunch.

Yearbooks:
Will be handed out to students on June 2nd. Any students who did not purchase a yearbook may do so on a first-come-first-serve basis on June 2nd; they will go on sale after morning announcements. The cost will be $10.00 and children wishing to purchase should have exact amount. Checks can be made out to Prairieview. There is a limited supply. Prairieview yearbook orders were not paid for at registration. A flyer was sent out on November 12, 2009 and orders were due by Tuesday, December 9, 2009.

I sincerely want to thank you for a wonderful year! I have been so blessed to work with your children and family. I so appreciate all of you that have shown your gratitude for the education your child has received this year. I thank you for being such supportive, involved partners with us this year. It truly has been a joy and a privilege to know and work with all of you! I wish all of you a safe, fun summer filled with lasting memories of special times spent with your children, families, and friends.


OVER THE SUMMER:
Your child should continue to read this summer! Check out one of the great library programs in your area! In addition, if you are looking for some help in a certain subject area for your child, go on to the district website, look at the left hand side margin under “Students”, click on “Educational Websites.” Here you will find a long list of websites under each subject heading that you can check out. I hope you find this useful!

May 24th - 28th

Important Dates . . .
May 25 -- 3rd Grade Bowling Field Trip in a.m. (* bring a sack lunch )
May 28 -- 3rd Grade Chicago Boat Trip (* bring a sack lunch or $10 )
-- 4th Grade Bowling Field Trip in p.m.
May 31 -- Memorial Day -- No School
June 1 -- All-school picnic
June 2 -- Report Cards issued
Last day of school

Language Arts
The students are wrapping up writing good sentences this week. They will also work on creating a special poem this week using Co-Writer.

Reading
Your child will be coming home with 7 words from lesson 15 of the Elements of Reading Vocabulary program that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Each 20 minute increment read counts for a point up to 20 points – yes, that means an additional reading grade each month for learning to love to read. Your help is greatly appreciated! Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This orange folder should be turned in every Monday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in this week (no later than Wednesday, May 26th) to ensure they can attend the lunch reading party on Thursday, May 27th. Keep reading!


Spelling
This week we will be working on a different list, where reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given every Friday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test.

One strategy you can use to help is utilizing this website: http://www.kidsspell.com/ Students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.

Math (Mrs. K's Math class only)
This week we will wrap up adding coins for the year. The children will be encouraged to use Touch Math to solve the values of the coins presented. They have done well with coins in isolation, but it is more difficult for them when adding mixed coins. One way to continue their practice of adding up coins and money would be having your child help make purchases. This would greatly help in their understanding and retention of money concepts.

Daily Homework
Reading- 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log due Thursday,May 27th
- students should practice reading poem nightly to parents to work on fluency
Spelling- Practice Page nightly & study words with parents nightly

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time

May 17th - 21st

Important Dates . . .
May 18 -- Beginning Band Concert
May 25 -- 3rd Grade Bowling Field Trip in a.m. (* bring a sack lunch )
May 28 -- 3rd Grade Chicago Boat Trip (* bring a sack lunch or $10 )
-- 4th Grade Bowling Field Trip in p.m.
May 31 -- Memorial Day -- No School
June 1 -- All-school picnic
June 2 -- Report Cards issued
Last day of school

Students from Project Challenge have started a fundraiser for the ASPCA, a foundation to stop animal cruelty. The kids will be selling "Smencils", (scented pencils), for $1.00 each. The pencils will be sold each morning in the grade level areas. The sales will go through May 28th. We will track our sales on the bulletin board by the multi-purpose room. For every twenty dollars we raise, one food bowl will go up on the bulletin board. So please save our animals. Buy Smencils.

Language Arts
The students are continuing to work on handwriting and good main idea sentences this week. They will continue building on writing grammatically correct sentences that relate to the topic given.

Reading
Your child will be coming home with 7 words from lesson 14 of the Elements of Reading Vocabulary program that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Each 20 minute increment read counts for a point up to 20 points – yes, that means an additional reading grade each month for learning to love to read. Your help is greatly appreciated! Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This orange folder should be turned in every Monday to make sure they are staying on track.

Spelling
This week we will continue to be divided into different spelling groups. Some will be working on Unit 35 this week. Others will be working on a sports list, where reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given every Friday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test.

One strategy you can use to help is utilizing this website: http://www.spellingcity.com/ Students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.

Science
We will dive right into Chapter 3, Plants. The children will be learning about the parts of a plant, how plants differ, and what are some plant life cycles. This information will build on our knowledge from Chapter 1. Through investigations and insta labs, the children should be ready for a brief test at the end of the week. Please review vocabulary and lesson notes nightly beginning Tuesday.

Math (Mrs. K's Math class only)
This week we will begin with just adding quarters then we will continue working on adding the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter all together. The children will be encouraged to use Touch Math to solve the values of the coins presented. They have done well with coins in isolation, but it is more difficult for them when adding mixed coins.

Daily Homework
Reading- 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log due every Monday
- students should practice reading poem nightly to parents to work on fluency
Spelling- Practice Page nightly & study words with parents nightly
Science - test Friday, May 21st- Reread Ch. 3 p.114-141, Study vocabulary words & lesson reviews for test

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time

May 10th - 14th

Important Dates . . .

May 10 -- 4th grade trip to Robert Crown
May 14 -- Early Dismissal @ 11:00
May 18 -- Beginning Band Concert
May 25 -- 3rd Grade Bowling Field Trip in a.m. (* bring a sack lunch )
May 28 -- 3rd Grade Chicago Boat Trip (* bring a sack lunch or $10 )
-- 4th Grade Bowling Field Trip in p.m.
May 31 -- Memorial Day -- No School
June 1 -- All-school picnic
June 2 -- Report Cards issued
Last day of school

Weekly Reminders:
*All 4th grade students need to bring a sack lunch and drink on Monday. They will be eating in the classroom before we go to the Robert Crown Center. Students may want to bring a second snack for when we return in the afternoon.
*Chapter 2 Science test on Friday.


Language Arts
The students are continuing to work on handwriting and good main idea sentences this week. They will continue building on writing grammatically correct sentences that relate to the topic given.

Reading
Your child will be not be coming home with 7 words from Elements of Reading Vocabulary program this week. Due to schedule changes because of field trips and early dismissal we will take a break from vocabulary for the week and utilize all of our reading time on decoding and sight word reading this week.

It's still important to keep reading 20 minutes nightly for the Independent Reading Program. Did you know that showing your child that you enjoy reading makes a lasting impression on the importance of the life long skill of reading? Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This orange folder should be turned in every Monday to make sure they are staying on track.

Spelling
This week we will continue to be divided into different spelling groups. Some will be working on Unit 34 this week. Others will be working on a farm animal list, where science, reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given every Friday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test.

One strategy you can use to help is utilizing this website: http://www.spellingcity.com/ Students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.

Science
There is a lot of information to know in Chapter 2, Animals. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is there are many kinds of animals. Animals can be grouped by their traits. The children have finished the second lesson, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish. Each child has a lot to share of their knowledge about animals. I would like them to be able to not only be interested in the animals discussed, but to know the characteristics of each animal group and how they differ by specific traits. This week we will be moving on to the Lesson 3, Life Cycles of animals. Finally, we will end the week with a Chapter 2 test
on Friday morning. Please review vocabulary in folder and Lesson 1 & 2 notes this weekend in preparation for the test.

Math (Mrs. K's Math class only)
This week we will begin with just adding quarters then we will continue working on adding the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter all together. The children will be encouraged to use Touch Math to solve the values of the coins presented.


Daily Homework
Reading- 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log due every Monday
- students should practice reading poem nightly to parents to work on fluency
Spelling- Practice Page nightly & study words with parents nightly
Science - test Friday, May 14th
- Reread Ch. 2 p.78-113 - Study vocabulary words & lesson reviews for test

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time

May 3rd - May 7th

Important Dates . . .

May 9 -- Happy Mother's Day, Moms!
May 10 -- 4th grade trip to Robert Crown
May 14 -- Early Dismissal
May 31 -- Memorial Day -- No School

Students from Project Challenge have started a fundraiser for the ASPCA, a foundation to stop animal cruelty. The kids will be selling "Smencils", (scented pencils), for $1.00 each. The pencils will be sold each morning in the grade level areas. The sales will start Friday, April 30th, and go through May 28th. We will track our sales on the bulletin board by the multi-purpose room. For every twenty dollars we raise, one food bowl will go up on the bulletin board. So please save our animals. Buy Smencils.


Language Arts
The students are continuing to work on handwriting and good main idea sentences this week. They will continue building on writing grammatically correct sentences that relate to the topic given. We will also work on creating a poem this week using Co-Writer.

Reading
Your child will be coming home with 7 words from lesson 132 of the Elements of Reading Vocabulary program that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Each 20 minute increment read counts for a point up to 20 points – yes, that means an additional reading grade each month for learning to love to read. Your help is greatly appreciated! Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This orange folder should be turned in every Monday to make sure they are staying on track.

Spelling
This week we will continue to be divided into different spelling groups. Some will be working on Unit 33 this week. Others will be working on an animal list, where science, reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given every Friday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test.

One strategy you can use to help is utilizing this website: http://www.spellingcity.com/ Students can learn spelling words, practice spelling tests, and play fun spelling games.

Science
There is a lot of information to know in Chapter 2, Animals. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is there are many kinds of animals. Animals can be grouped by their traits. The children have finished the first lesson, Mammals and Birds. Each child has a lot to share of their knowledge about animals. I would like them to be able to not only be interested in the animals discussed, but to know the characteristics of each animal group and how they differ by specific traits. This week we will be moving on to the Lesson 2, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish.

Math (Mrs. K's Math class only)
Instead of adding on the value of quarters, the class spent more time focusing on adding just pennies, nickels, and dimes last week. So, this week we will continue working on the value of coins, and more specifically adding the value of a quarter. Then, we will be adding the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter all together. The children will be encouraged to use Touch Math to solve the values of the coins presented.


Daily Homework
Reading- 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log due every Monday
- students should practice reading poem nightly to parents to work on fluency
- study lesson 13 vocabulary words
Spelling- Practice Page nightly & study words with parents nightly

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time

April 26th - 30th

Important Dates . . .
May 14 -- Early Dismissal
May 31 -- Memorial Day -- No School

Language Arts
The students are continuing to work on handwriting and good main idea sentences this week. They will continue building on writing grammatically correct sentences that relate to the topic given. We will also work on an essay this week using Co-Writer.

Reading
Your child will be coming home with 7 words from lesson 12 of the Elements of Reading Vocabulary program that will be studied during the week in class and should be reviewed at home. On the page I will be sending home each Monday there will be suggestions on how you can work with your child & have them get extra practice.

Each 20 minute increment read counts for a point up to 20 points – yes, that means an additional reading grade each month for learning to love to read. Your help is greatly appreciated! Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. This orange folder should be turned in every Monday to make sure they are staying on track. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in at the end of the month (no later than April 29th) to ensure they can attend the lunch reading party on Friday, April 30th. Keep reading!

Spelling
This week we will continue to be divided into different spelling groups. Some will be working on Unit 32 this week. Others will be working on a different list, where reading and spelling skills will be built at the same time through this list.

Practice pages will be assigned for the upcoming week's list on Friday to give additional study time. Over the weekend would be a good time to discuss the meaning of the words. Although we work on meaning typically on Fridays and Mondays, help from home is greatly encouraged! They will be receiving them daily as an assignment. A test over the lesson will be given every Friday. Please try to help your child study if you see they are not performing as well as you'd expect on the weekly test.

One strategy you can use to help is: Spelling with Crayons and Paper. Want to get started right away -- maybe today -- with some fun spelling activities? Do you have paper and crayons on hand? Sure you do! Here is a super easy spelling idea! Have your child completely cover a half sheet of paper with crayon. Use a variety of bright colors in any pattern at all. Then you can do a couple of things with the waxy page. Your child can scrape the spellings into the wax with his fingernail or the end of pen cap. Another idea is to place the waxy side face down on a clean piece of paper. Write the spelling words onto the backside of the colored page, pressing down hard. The wax will press onto the clean sheet, making rainbow letters. Colors are used to emphasize the spelling and improve memory of the words.

Science
The children have begun a new chapter in science last week. There is a lot of information to know in Chapter 2, Animals. The "Big Idea" of this chapter is there are many kinds of animals. Animals can be grouped by their traits.

Math (Mrs. K's Math class only)
The class will continue building on to our knowledge of coin value. So far we have covered the value of pennies, nickels, and dimes. This week we will continue working on the value of coins, and more specifically adding the value of a quarter. Then, we will be adding the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter together. The children will be encouraged to use Touch Math to solve the values of the coins presented.

Daily Homework
Reading- 20 minutes and fill in Independent Reading Folder Log due every Monday
- turn in Independent Reading Folder Log no later than Thursday, April 29th
- students should practice reading poem nightly to parents to work on fluency
- study lesson 12 vocabulary words
Spelling- Practice Page nightly & study words with parents nightly

*Please check your child's homework and sign assignment notebook when complete.
**If your child is having difficulties with their homework please send a note and I will help them during free time