Friday, February 25, 2011

February 28th - March 4th

Important Dates . . .
March 1 -- Report Cards
March 2 -- Parent Teacher Conferences
March 4 -- Parent Teacher Conferences -- No School
March 7 -- Casimir Pulaski Day -- No School
March 28 -- Spring Break Begins
April 4 -- Classes Resume
April 5 -- Teacher Institute -- No School
April 21 -- School Improvement -- Early Dismissal
April 22 -- No School


IMPORTANT NOTE:
IAA (Illinois Alternate Assessment) Testing continues this week and possibly into next week in Mrs. Krasnodebski's room. Due to the fact that this is an individual assessment we need more time than ISAT testing takes. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and has a healthy breakfast each morning. We will be testing in the morning during our reading class. Students will be continuing with reading strategies in stations as others will be indivually tested. Your child may want to bring an extra snack and/or drink to help keep them focused for the test each day.

Language Arts
We will continue building on the writing process this week. Students will be given topics and we will be working on brainstorming details.

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! This month students should be reading daily or a minimum of 20 minutes for 20 days. Please sign on the date the reading was accomplished. The Independent Reading Folder should be turned in for a grade this Monday, February 28th. Keep reading!

Spelling
The spelling words this week will cover two different yet similar sounding word families: - an & -ain. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's 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: Picture words – Draw a picture and write your words in the picture.

Social Studies
We will continue Unit 5, Our Country Long Ago. Some concepts and vocabulary terms we will discuss are: early America and expansion westward.

Math
This week we will be moving on to Place Value.

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

Friday, February 18, 2011

February 21 -25

Important Dates . . .
February 21 -- President's Day -- No School
February 21 -- PTO Dine-Out Fundraiser -- Noodles & Company (click for details)
February 22 -- IAA testing begins in Mrs. K's room
February 24 -- Spring Pictures
February 25 -- End of Trimester
March 1 -- Report Cards
March 2 -- Parent Teacher Conferences

IMPORTANT NOTE:
IAA (Illinois Alternate Assessment) Testing begins this week
and will continue for a few weeks in Mrs. Krasnodebski's room. Due to the fact that this is an individual assessment we need more time than ISAT testing takes; therefore, it is beginning this week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and has a healthy breakfast each morning. We will be testing in the morning during our reading class. Students will be continuing with reading strategies in stations as others will be indivually tested. Your child may want to bring an extra snack and/or drink to help keep them focused for the test each day.

Language Arts
We will be building on the writing process this week. Students will be given topics and we will be working on brainstorming details.

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! This month students should be reading daily or a minimum of 20 minutes for 20 days. 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 Monday. Keep reading!

This past month reading incentives were doubled! Not only could your child read 20 minutes to go to the reading party, but they could read to earn a ticket to go to Six Flags Great America! All you need to do is fill out the yellow form sent home with the information from their red reading folder, then sign. Please turn in the Six Flags Great America Sheets this Tuesday. I will be filling out the official teacher forms Tuesday after school.

Spelling
The spelling words this week will cover two different yet similar sounding word families: - an & -ain. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's 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: Picture words – Draw a picture and write your words in the picture.

Social Studies
We will continue Unit 5, Our Country Long Ago. Some concepts and vocabulary terms we will discuss are: 13 colonies, colonists, early America, etc. Students received another news event report on Friday and this will be due Tuesday.

Math
This Wednesday we should be wrapping up Chapter 5, Addition Strategies up to 12. This chapter will be focusing on specific strategies behind adding numbers and incorporting more mental math than in the past few chapters.

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

Friday, February 11, 2011

February 14 - 18

Important Dates . . .
Febrary 14 -- Valentine's Day Parties @ 1:30
February 21 -- President's Day -- No School
February 21 -- PTO Dine-Out Fundraiser -- Noodles & Company (click for details)
February 22 -- IAA testing can begin in Mrs. K's room
February 24 -- Spring Pictures
February 25 -- End of Trimester
March 1 -- Report Cards

Plan Ahead:
*Valentine's Day parties will be on Monday, February 14th. On Friday, February 4th, I sent a letter home with each student's name on it. Your child does not have to bring in Valentine's Day cards if he or she does not want to. However, if he or she does, he or she must bring in one for everyone in our class. Please do not send in Valentine's Day cards that have food or candy attached to them. Any candy brought in will be sent home with the student who brought them in. This is a new building policy.
*Parent Teacher Conferences during the week of February 28, 2011 - notes were sent home last Friday.

Language Arts
We will be wrapping up the unit of "Verbs" this week. We will review by working on a project, a verb poster. Your child should be able to give a you the definition of a verb (words that show action or helping words) and provide an example.

Reading
This week we will continue with reading stations. In the Soar to Success station we will read and discuss the book The Bald Eagle. 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 this Monday. Keep reading!

Spelling
The spelling words this week will cover two different yet similar sounding word families: - ack & -ake. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's 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: Antonyms: Write down your spelling words and write an antonym next to each word. An antonym is a word that means the opposite. Use a dictionary or thesaurus for help, if needed. Example: hot cold
How many of your words had an antonym?

Social Studies
We will continue Unit 5, Our Country Long Ago. Some concepts and vocabulary terms we will discuss are relating to types of transportation, shelter, traditions, etc. at the time of early America. Also, we will be working on sequencing events. Students should be getting another news event report later this week.

Math
We should be wrapping up Chapter 5, Addition Strategies up to 12. This chapter will be focusing on specific strategies behind adding numbers and incorporting more mental math than in the past few chapters.

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

Friday, February 4, 2011

February 7th - 11th

Important Dates . . .
Febrary 14 -- Valentine's Day Parties @ 1:30
February 21 -- President's Day -- No School
February 21 -- PTO Dine-Out Fundraiser -- Noodles & Company (click for details)
February 22 -- IAA testing can begin in Mrs. K's room
February 24 -- Spring Pictures
February 25 -- End of Trimester
March 1 -- Report Cards

Plan Ahead:
*Valentine's Day parties will be on Monday, February 14th. On Friday, February 4th, I sent a letter home with each student's name on it. Your child does not have to bring in Valentine's Day cards if he or she does not want to. However, if he or she does, he or she must bring in one for everyone in our class. Please do not send in Valentine's Day cards that have food or candy attached to them. Any candy brought in will be sent home with the student who brought them in. This is a new building policy.
*Parent Teacher Conferences during the week of February 28, 2011.

Language Arts
We will be continuing the unit of "Verbs" this week. This week we will be working on a verb poster. You may want to begin some parent-child time cutting out pictures of verbs for their project. While doing this they should be able to give a you the definition (words that show action or helping words) and provide an example.

Reading
This week we will continue with reading stations. In the Soar to Success station we will read and discuss the book A Bicycle for Roasaura. 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 this Monday. Keep reading!

Spelling
The spelling words this week will cover two different yet similar sounding word families: - ill & -ull. They will be receiving a spelling practice page daily as an assignment. A test over this week's 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: Antonyms: Write down your spelling words and write an antonym next to each word. An antonym is a word that means the opposite. Use a dictionary or thesaurus for help, if needed. Example: hot cold
How many of your words had an antonym?

Social Studies
We will continue Unit 5, Our Country Long Ago. Some concepts and vocabulary terms we will discuss are relating to types of transportation, shelter, traditions, etc. at the time of early America. Also, we will be working on sequencing events. Due to the snow days, students will report on their news event this week.

Math
We will continue with Chapter 5, Addition Strategies up to 12. This chapter will be focusing on specific strategies behind adding numbers and incorporting more mental math than in the past few chapters.

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