End of Term

Today is the end of the 4th grading period....time marches quickly! I am working on grading and entering grades. Report card will be coming home next week.

Have a great weekend!

Progress!!!

As I contiunually speak to the students in regard to their progress....It is all about growing as a learner. This curriculum unit, or grading period there have been some ups and some downs. Math was tough this grading period. EQUATIONS!



I am proud of the studnets, they keep "plugging along"! There was wonderful growth overall in the areas of the Unit reading comprehension and vvocabulary.....well done class.



Report cards will be going home mid-week next week.



Parent Thought: Ask your child what they plan on making their learning goals for the next few months??? Improving in Math, Language Arts,... Then when report cards come home discuss this again with them.



Note: The is a posting on the school website http://www.baugo.org/ that outlines the budget plan for the corporation.



HOMEWORK:

Language Arts: Read for 30 + minutes

Math: None

Upcoming:

As we are moving through review and assessment week the students are showing success in their learning. The majority of the class has done a remarkable job with completing the assessments and scoring well on them.

Next week starting on Tuesday the students will have a total of four ISTEP tests to complete. The ISTEP will be completed in April.

HOMEWORK:
Language Arts:
Complete the vocabulary review crossword
study vocab.

Math: None

Great Day!

The students had a very successful day of reviewing skills and staying on task!
I am so proud of them!
Tomorrow is the spelling assessment for Unit 4....Please help your student to prepare tonight!

HOMEWORK:
Language Arts: Study spelling (assessment Wednesday) study vocab (assessment Thursday)


Math:
4 math problems

Review Week

This week is a review week. We will spend a significant amount of time reviewing the skills that have been taught through this curriculum unit. The students have been given a schedule of the assessments and what day each of the assessments will be taking place. In preparation for the assessments I have given the students the following recommendations:

• Take your time when completing assessments
• Read and re-read the questions as needed to make sure you understand
• Study the spelling and vocabulary daily instead of cramming the night before
• Use what you know, don't get frustrated!
• Look at one thing at a time and don't get overwhelmed!

UPCOMING: Next week will be one of the spring ISTEP testing weeks, there will be another one in April (more to come on this later in the week)

HOMEWORK:

Language arts: Study Unit Vocabulary and Unit Spelling words

Math: Share your family letter with your family

(If your child in in another math class they are to be responsible for writing their homework in their planners)

PARENT THOUGHT: ASk your child what are doing this week to prepare for assessments? Taking their time??? Look at things each night at home????

Skating Party Day!

Tonight is the last skating party of the school year....it is from 6-8pm to support PTO

HOMEWORK:

Language Arts:
Complete Spelling pg. 78 & 79
Re-read the story "Inventing the Future"
Study spelling and vocabulary for assessments

Math:
None

Have a nice evening!

This week....

Learning Goals this week are as follows:
Language Arts:
Comprehension: Understanding the author's purpose and thinking while reading
Vocabulary: Monitoring words and using context clues
Spelling: Spelling words that end in -ty, -ity, -tion
Grammar: Use of who and whom
Writing: narrative writing (variety)

Math: Solving equations and Unit 6 review and assessment

Science: Experiments and the scientific method

HOMEWORK:
Language Arts:
Study spelling & Vocabulary


Math:
Study Math Packet for Unit 6 Assessment

Parent thought: ask your child what they are writing their narrative about....what genre is it???

GREAT WEBSITE!!!
Have your child check out www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ this is a helpful site for typing and it is a fun game!!

Note: I will be out Thursday for Positive Behavior Support Training with other teachers and Mr. Kovatch....Please remind your child to respect all teachers.....:) I have reminded them as well!


Upcoming: Thursday February 18th- Tomorrow- The last skating party of the year 6-8pm

Equations....

As we journey through this week.....The students are reviewing Unit 6 math this week....the students are facing some challenges of remembering all the steps to solving equations. We are working on taking their time and stepping through the process....SLOWLY!!!

Due to the short week:
Spelling this week: Pretest Wed. and the test will be on Friday!

HOMEWORK:
Language Arts:
Study spelling on pg. 77
Vocab. sheet due WED! (TOMORROW!)

Math:
None

Parent Thought:
Ask your child (after they have read their nightly 30 minutes) What was the Author's purpose for writing what you have read???

LOOONG! Weekend

Have a safe and wonderful long weekend!
No school Friday or Monday....I will see the class on Tuesday Feb. 16th

Late start....

A late start = BUSY DAY!
The students adjusted well to the off schedule day! I am proud of them!

HOMEWORK:
LANGUAGE ARTS:
Re-read story & study vocab. (assessment tomorrow!)

For students who did not pass the spelling pre-test with 20 points or higher....
Complete spelling pg. 75 and study for the test tomorrow....


MATH:
None

AS ALWAYS: Read for 30 + minutes each night, discuss what you read with someone at home

Parent Thought: Ask your child what they learned about respect at the class meeting this morning....

Balancing the Equations....

As the class journeys through learning equations, we are hitting some bumps in the road! I am working with them through this and in time, we will get there.

Travel to Europe anyone??? Most of the students have their European brochures done and they look great! They were to choose a country in Europe and reserach then develop a travel brochure for the country! Well done class!

There was a BLUE note sent home regarding no school on Friday and Monday regardless of any snowdays that might be called this week.

HOMEWORK:
Language Arts:
Re-Read Story "Space Cadets" (for Thursday)
Vocabulary Sheet
Grammar pg. 73 (all) and 74 (#1-5 only)

Math: Finish Math Quiz (some have already completed this)

AS ALWAYS>>>>> Read for at least 30 minutes per day....the results will pay off today and for years to come!

Short Week

Although we have two back to back short weeks, there is a great deal of learning to be accomplished!

This week in Language Arts:
Comprehension.....Drawing conclusions, visualizing, use of context clues
Vocabulary....use and application of vocab. words
Reading: genre...Drama

This Week in Math:
Working and solving equations

Seminar: Students will begin a science seminar with Mr. LaFree


HOMEWORK:
Language Arts: Study spelling words (pg. 73)
Finish reading "Space Cadets" do reader response #1-3
Vocabulary Sheet (Due Wed.)

Math: studylink 6.9 (all)

Parent Thought:
Ask your child how they plan on studying vocab. this week????

Upcoming:
Hat day tomorrow for $1 to donate to Haiti
NO SCHOOL Friday and next Monday

Go Colts!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Parent Thought....Today the students were able to earn 5 Extra Credit Points toward their reading grade....many did not take the opportunity to do so, ask your child if they did??? This is ownership for learning!!

NO HOMEWORK!

Girls Basketball players need to report to the school by 8:20 a.m. Saturday for the LaVille Tourney....the bus will leave with or without them......

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

We have had some conversations at morning meeting about what it means to be respectful! It is not all just what you say....it is how you say it, your facial expressions and your body language. I feel that there being respectful is a key component to the students being successful and making positive choices. It is a core value of the classroom, the school and in life....respect takes us places. I have focused on the with the students and plan on continuing these conversations!

HOMEWORK:
Language Arts:
Study spelling and vocabulary
Re-read Black Frontiers focus on the main ideas of the selection

Math: Studylink 6.6 #1-6

Bookorders due tomorrow!

Upcoming Next week:
We will be having some spirit days to raise money for Haiti!

Monday: None
Tuesday: Hats for Haiti - Wear a hat for a $1 donation
Wednesday: Hearts for Haiti...Purchase 4 Valentines for $1
Thursday: Free time for Haiti- Time in the gym or computer lab for a $1 donation

NO SCHOOL Friday February 12 and Monday February 15

Comprehension Preparation....

The story this week is an example of Expository Nonfiction, "Black Frontiers", it is a interesting, but challenging story. Many students are struggling with the comprehension and vocabulary of the story. Some suggestions for success this week:
Students should.....
Study their vocabulary with some one at home, this will help them to understand the usage of the words. Students will also need to re-read the story at home this week (as always) It is recommended that they retell the story to some one at home to assist in their comprehension of the story.

Math.....Many students had some difficulty with the lesson yesterday and the homework from last night....Students have the opportunity to correct their homework tonight after the re-teaching in class today.


HOMEWORK:
Language Arts:
Study vocabulary words
Study Spelling (assessment tomorrow)
... if the student did not pass the spelling pretest with a score of 20 0r higher

Math:
Correct the homework from Tuesday night

Parent Thought:
Ask your child what they are doing this week to prepare for the assessments....suggestions, re-reading the story, paying close attention in class, knowing vocabulary

Struggles in the Frontier...

Today the students read "Black Frontiers"....The learned about the hardships of pioneer life, they truly were surprised at the challenges that the pioneers and the homesteaders faced.

They were shocked to see that some of them lived in homes made of sod, dirt and grass. Much different from the way that they live today....it was an eye opening experience.




Homework:

Language Arts:

Vocabulary Usage Sheet
Finish Color Writing and share it with a family member (bring back to school)

Math:

Studylink 6.3 #1-2 Only

PARENT THOUGHT: Ask your child how well they would have done as a child on the American Frontier....What struggles would they face??

Learning This Week....

This week the students will be learning about the American Frontier and the challenges that the individuals of this time period faced. The goals and the objectives for this week are:

Language Arts:
Learning about Cause and Effect Relationships in reading
Activating Prior knowledge for comprehension strategies
Spelling words with -ci and -ti that make the /sh/ /ch/ sound
Possessive Pronouns

Seminar:
Traveling Europe....A Passport to learning
Students will make travel brochures for the countries of Europe

Math:
Equations and how they can be fun! :)

Have a wonderful week!

Parent Thought:
Ask your child what they have learned about frontier life....

HOMEWORK:
Language Arts:
Spelling Page 70 and study words on pg. 69 for the pretest on Wednesday
Vocabulary Usage Sheet (Due Wed.)

Math:
Studylink 6.5 Use SRB if needed


UPCOMING:
Valentine's Day is coming up....students do not need Valentine's for their classmates we will be doing a class friendship activity that will take the place of this. Students may still bring Valentines if they would like.