Week of 1/28/08 - 2/1/08

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF 1/28/08 – 2/1/08

SPELLING
Lesson 16 – Silent “h” words. Words to Know are: them ==> they're. Menu work is due on Friday, 2/1.

READING
The story of Katie's Trunk continues to be our focus this week. Students will analyze cause and effect in this story, and practice writing extended responses in preparation for the comprehension QUIZ which is tentatively scheduled for Monday, 2/4.
(from www.google.com)

“Bite into a Good Book” Program
The deadline for the reading program is February 22nd. Students will be allowed to adjust their reading goal, with teacher approval, until 2/1.

LANGUAGE ARTS / WRITING
After conferencing with me, students will begin writing and editing the rough drafts of their persuasive essays on the topic of, "Should students in public schools wear uniforms?"

SOCIAL STUDIES
Lesson 3 of Chapter 8, "The Revolution Begins" is on our agenda for this week. Students will read about the ride of Paul Revere and the famous "Shot Heard 'Round the World". We will also be continuing our work on the Patriot/Loyalist project.

SCIENCE - “You and Your Body”

Muscles will be the topic this week.

MATH - Mrs. Bell's Class

We will have our first midchapter QUIZ for Chapter 4 on Tuesday, 1/29. The quiz will cover lessons 1-3. Lesson 4 (Decimals & Fractions) & lesson 5 (Equivalent fractions & Simplest form) will be our focus for the rest of the week.

FYI
We will have our second classroom spelling bee on Tuesday, 1/29. The winner and first runner up from that competition will represent our classroom in the 5th grade spelling be on Friday, 2/1. Good luck to all my "super spellers"!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/21/08 - 1/25/08

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF 1/21/08 – 1/25/08

SPELLING
Lesson 15 – Words that end with “ery”. Words to Know are really => see. Menu work is due on Friday, 1/18.

READING

We will be starting the next selection in our reading series, Katie's Trunk. This story tells the tale of what life was like for a Tory (Loyalist) during the Revolutionary War, and focuses on the reading skill of cause & effect.

(From www.google.com)

"Bite Into A Good Book" Reading Program

The deadline for this trimester's reading contract is February 22nd.

LANGUAGE ARTS / WRITING
Persuasive writing continues to be our focus. We will be reviewing how to write introductions and conclusions at the beginning of the week. Students will be reading an article about uniforms in school, choosing a side on the topic, and beginning the rough draft of their essays.

SOCIAL STUDIES

This week we will continue with Lesson 2 of Chapter 8, “The Revolution Begins”. We will discuss the Intolerable Acts and the First Continental Congress, and write paragraphs for the next installment of the Patriot/Loyalist book. We will also have our own Boston Tea Party.

SCIENCE - "You & Your Body"
The bones QUIZ will be on Thursday, 1/24. Students should review their vocabulary words, and page 12 of the science book to prepare for the quiz.

MATH - Mrs. Bell's Class

Pi day will be Tuesday, 1/22. Students will enjoy a slice of pie after determining the area of the pie that is being shared! We will be starting Chapter 4 - Number Theory & Fractions on Wednesday, and will cover the first three lessons in the chapter this week!

FYI

Every student has received a letter and list of words for the district spelling bee. We will be having our first classroom spelling bee on Friday 1/25. The second bee is scheduled for 1/29, when our two classroom representatives will be chosen. The fifth grade bee will be the morning of February 1st.

Enjoy your Holiday Weekend...

Stay Warm!
Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/14/08 - 1/18/08

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF 1/14/08 – 1/18/08

SPELLING
Lesson 14 - "More Prefixes & Roots". Words to Know are: really - see. Menu work is due on Friday, 1/18.


READING/WRITING
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? is the story from our reading text that we are focusing on this week. We will be discussing author's viewpoint and fact and opinion as these topics appear in this story. There will be a comprehension QUIZ on this story on Friday, 1/18.

We will be also be continuing with our study of persuasive writing. Students will review the elements of a persuasive essay, and practice writing strong paragraphs in a group setting.

“Bite into a Good Book” Program
Students should be thinking about giving their book talk soon!

The Boston Tea Party

SOCIAL STUDIES
As we continue to focus on the events that led to the American Revolution, the topics this week will be the Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party. Students will be taking notes on these two topics, and writing entries for the patriot/loyalist project.

SCIENCE - You and Your Body
Does your child know where his/her patella is? How about his/her metatarsals and tarsals? The skeletal system will be our topic this week, as we take a look at joints and students conduct a scavenger hunt to discover the wonders of their bones!



MATH - Mrs. Bell's Class
Circles will be our topic this week. Students will study the relationship between circumference, diameter, and finally...Pi! Our TEST is scheduled for Friday, 1/18, followed by the "much anticipated" Pi day on Tuesday, 1/22!




FYI
FROM THE OFFICE...THE NEW POLICY REGARDING
FORGOTTEN LUNCHES:

Starting in January, 2008 students who do not have a lunch ticket or money will be able to borrow from the office providing there is not an outstanding balance for lunch tickets. If your child forgets his/her hot lunch ticket or has used them all, he/she may bring $2.25 to school and purchase a ticket that day from the office staff. Students must have exact change to purchase a ticket; no change will be given. If a child has no lunch, no money and the parent cannot be contacted, he/she may borrow from school office, but only twice per trimester. Students will no longer be able to borrow lunch tickets from the lunchroom staff. Students will not be able to borrow money for milk.

On Tuesday, January 15th, we will have the Geospace field trip in our classroom. We are scheduled for 12:15 - 2:15.



Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs. Karen Bell