Final Friday ...in 2016

I hope that all of the Team201 Families enjoy and wonderful Winter Break.

Kids, don't forget about the Winter Reading Log.  Read and fill in those marshmallows! I hope that we have 100% participation and that we will be sipping hot cocoa together in 2017!

Over the Break Books

Thank you to Dhiren's mom for this great suggestion.  I know that parents are always looking for book suggestions. Here are a few that I like:

Any title by Rebecca Stead. Her first novel, First Light, is especially good for 4th graders.  Her other titles are also wonderful.



Has your child read any Judy Blume? Don't overlook these tried and true titles. Sometimes a quick read is a good read.   And don't forget about  the other Fudge books.

  
Check out the first of this fantastic graphic novel series.

If you 
haven't read Matilda, you should.


Last year's Team 201 kids LOVED this book. I must confess that I have not read it!


Christopher Paul Curtis is a favorite author. Try this title or any of his others...



Read this:

Don't be fooled by the cover. This is a great title for both boys and girls.

Why not get started on this series. It will soon be a Netflix mini series. The books is always better, right?

Testing Thursday

This evening at home...

• get your gingerbread supplies organized
• complete the homework and practice for 5.6
• read, really! Be prepared for Status of the Class and to tell me about what you read last night.

Parents, if you are coming to help tomorrow, please join me in 201 between 9:15 and 9:30.

Wintery Wednesday

Hello Parents-

As I write, your kids are enjoying the Winter Concert. Congratulations to Samantha, who won second place in the school- wide Spelling Bee!  Sam was competing against middle school kids. Wow!  She is the alternate representative for the city wide competition.  Wow! Make sure to congratulate Samantha when you see her.

This evening at home...

• Don't forget that Gingerbread House creation is this Friday.  All kids should bring one or two cans of frosting, a box of graham crackers, and assorted candies. Any unused cans of frosting will be returned. In most cases, one can is plenty.
• Read
• Complete the Homework and Practice for Go Math lesson 5.5

Time to Design Tuesday

In a few minutes we will begin to work on our Area and Perimeter blueprints.  Today we also....

• worked with finding common factors and multiples. This can get a bit tricky.  Pay extra attention to this evenings homework practice.
• read Wonder
• read I Survived The San Francisco Earthquake on our ipads
• discussed possessive nouns
• decorated some snowflakes in honor of today's Spirit Day
• esparked
• finished up the comprehension activities for Earth Dragon Awakes

This evening at home....

• Read and record
• Spend some time with this week's vocabulary words. We will take a test tomorrow.
• Complete pages 151, 152 and 153 in the Readers Notebook workbook.
• Complete the homework and Practice for Go Math lesson 5.4
• Take a look at The Winter Break Reading Challenge. This activity is designed to encourage independent reading while we take our winter break.  We will celebrate with a Hot Cocoa Read In if we get 100% participation. This will be the only homework aside from catching up on ST Math and IXL.

Late Post Monday

I will happily revise today's title.  Kids, I need your help on this one.  Parents, I apologize for the late post.  We were at the Field Museum all day. It was a great trip. We were able to see the Terracotta Warriors and so much more!

This evening at home...

• complete the Museum Reflection handout
• read

This week....

• We will make Gingerbread Houses on Friday. Parents, if you plan to join us, please let me know. I have already heard from several parents. :-)
• We will begin working on our Area and Perimeter Gingerbread blueprints.
• We will take our Math MAPS test on Thursday.
• We will take the Journeys Test for Earth Dragon on Wednesday.
• We will also go to the Lab on Wednesday to test conductors and insulators.

Parents, I am looking for a volunteer who can set up a Shutterfly Share Site for 201. This is a great way to share photos privately within our group. Please let me know if you have time to set up the site.

I would like to begin reading The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, as soon as possible.  I have several copies in 201. We will count them tomorrow. We may need a few extra! I will keep you posted.  We will tackle this book as both an independent read and a read aloud in class. This classic is one of my all time favorites. Not only is a fantastic story, it is a great way to explore character development and themes.   Yes, there is a movie. Of course, the book is much better! 

Foil Friday

It's an inside joke!  If you come to 201, you will get it.

This weekend at home....

• Read
• Math corrections are due on Monday.
• Catch up on IXL or ST Math
• don't forget that you will need a disposable bag lunch on Monday. Please label the lunch with your child's name, school and homeroom.
• No, we will not be visiting the Field Museum Gift Shop. Parents, please refrain from buying trinkets or snacks for your child or group.  

Temperature Drop Thursday

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Today we...

• worked on our Northeast Region research
• worked on, and mostly finished, our Holiday Persuasive Writing
• went to Dance
• corrected last night's math homework and worked on lesson 5.3: Using Common Factors to solve word problems. We are using the strategy: Make  a List
• took the Reading MAPS test. We will take the Math MAPS next Thursday
• did not go to the Science Lab. We will go tomorrow.
• had indoor recess
• read Wonder
• got Brag Tags to celebrate our reading accomplishments.

This evening at home....

• complete page 3 of the Earth Dragon packet
• complete tonight's homework and practice in Go Math
• read!
• do not worry about tomorrow's Reading Test because there will NOT be a Reading Test tomorrow.  We will continue to work on these skills next week and will test then.

Coming up next week....

• Field Trip to the Field Museum on Monday. Bring a bag lunch!
• Samantha will represent 201 in the school- wide Spelling Bee on Tuesday
• Gingerbread House Area and Perimeter Project. Get ready to design and calculate.
• Gingerbread House building: Friday

Winter Words Wednesday

This evening at home....

• complete the hw and practice for 5.2
• complete the back side of the page we did in class today (Earthquake)
• read!
• we will do multiplication madness on Friday
• we will take the MAPS Reading test tomorrow.

Term Tuesday

Today we discussed and clarified, I hope, the Chapter 5 Go Math terms. One of these terms is term.  Today we also...

• worked on our Northeast Region Research
• read Wonder
• read and discussed The Earth Dragon Awakes
• worked on Go Math lesson 5.1: factor pairs
• used our new app, Pic Collage, to create digital collages to help us learn this week's vocab. words
• worked on some persuasive writing. Should holiday's be celebrated in school?

This evening at home....

• complete the Analyze Text questions in Journeys for Earth Dragon Awakes
• get your Chapter 4 Math test letter signed.
• bring in your Field Trip money, if you have not done so. It is due tomorrow.
• complete the 5.1 Go Math hw

Parents, we take the Reading MAPS test on Thursday!

Thank you for the overwhelming volunteer response for our field trip. I am sending home confirmation notes today.  If there are other classes who do not have enough volunteers, we may be able to add a couple more.   If you have not been on a trip yet, you will get preference for the next one!

Enjoy this video by Bill Nye! It's Electric!

Monday Math Test

We experienced some technical difficulties today. A few kids will need to finish up the Math test tomorrow.

This evening at home...

• In the Chapter 5 Math book, complete the Show What You Know activities. Cut out the vocab. cards and keep them in a safe place.
• In your Readers Notebook, finish up the Reading Comprehension response pages we did in class today for Earth Dragon Awakes.
• 147-148 in the Readers Notebook should also be completed.
• Read! We will take a Status of the Class in the Morning.

201 will take the Winter Maps test this Thursday.

Please bring in the Field Trip fee and form if you have not done so!  

Friendly Friday

Team 201 received a true compliment from from Mr. Hoover today. At lunch he asked me, "Do you just love your class? What a friendly group of kids!" The answer, of course, was YES!

This weekend at home...

• read!
• catch up on some ST Math or IXL
• get prepared for Monday's Math test. I had the chance to meet with each child today to go over the Review and answer questions.
• a few kids have not finished the Hurricane flap book. It must be done by Monday. I am sorry parents, there was lots of time to work on this in class! Please look for it in the Green Folder.
• ask your child about the Gingerbread House Math project. The flyer about this project should be in the Green Folder. Gingerbread House making will take place on December 23 from 9:30-10:30,  and we need parent help! Come one, come all! This is a really fun opportunity to help at school and work on a creative project with your child.  We have just one hour to dedicate to the task!  

Text Structure Thursday

Parents, do you know what "text structure" is? You kids do!  Look on Google Classroom for tips and tricks.

Today we.....

• discussed Text Structure of Informational Text and created a page in our "mini lessons" notebook.
• went to the Science Lab to investigate Conductors and Insulators. Why materials allowed the heat to transfer and escape? Which material was the best insulator, keeping the water nice and hot?
• read Wonder and talked about Wonder.
• worked on our Hurricanes flip books.
• began our class Spelling Bee. We will continue tomorrow.
• worked on the Chapter Review. We will continue to Review tomorrow and will take the Chapter 4 Math Test on Monday.

This evening at home....

• finish the Chapter 4 Review. Please do some sample problems at home.
• If you have already finished the Review, complete the Enrich page. Most kids will be doing the Enrich page tonight.
• finish the Science Lab questions
• Read for 20 minutes or more in your independent reading book. Respond in writing using one of the ideas in your Readers Notebook titled "Suggestions for Writing About Reading" or, pick one of these. This list is copied from dailyteachingtools.com

Reader Response Prompts for Fiction
reader response questions
1. Explain a character's problem and then offer your character advice on how to solve his/her problem. 

2. Explain how a character is acting and why you think the character is acting that way. 

3. From what you've read so far, make predictions about what will happen next and explain what in the text makes you think it will happen. 

4. Pick one character and explain why you would/would not like to have him/her as a friend. 

5. Describe and explain why you would/would not like to have lived in the time or place of the story. 

6. What real-life people or events are you reminded of by characters or events in the story? Explain why. 

7. Write about what would happen if you brought one of your characters to school or home for a day. 

8. Pick a scene in which you disagreed how a character handled a situation/person and rewrite it in the way you think it should have happened. 

9. What quality of which character strikes you as a good characteristic to develop within yourself over the years? Why? How does the character demonstrate this quality? 

10. Who tells the story? Is this the best person to tell it? Why? 

11. How would the story be different if told through another character's eyes? 

12. Why do you think the author wrote this story? 

13. If you were the author, would you have ended the story in a different way? Why? How so? 

14. How does the character's actions affect other people in the story? 

15. How does the author provide information or details to make the story seem realistic? 

16. How does the author help you feel that you are really there (in both realistic stories and fantasy)? 

17. Do you have any unanswered questions about the story? Explain. 

18. Copy an interesting/confusing/important/enjoyable passage and explain why you chose it. 

19. From what you've read so far, make predictions about what will happen next and explain what in the text makes you think it will happen. 

Reader Response Prompts for Nonfiction
reader response questions
20. Copy a short passage that you found to be interesting. Explain what made it interesting for you. 

21. Write a summary of what you read in your book today. 

22. Explain some of the things that you have learned so far that you are not likely to forget in the near future. 

23. Write to inform us about the author. What other articles and/or books has the author written? Is he/she one of your favorite authors, and if so, why? 

24. What ideas might you have for turning this work of nonfiction into a work of fiction? Give a brief summary of what your story might be like. 

25. Explain the basic information that is being presented in terms of the 5W's: Who? What? When? Where? Why? 

Twister Tuesday

What's wrong with this title? If your child understand the differences between tornadoes and hurricanes, the answer is clear!


This evening at home...

• pp 139-142 in the Readers Notebook
• finish today's Hurricanes classwork. Most have done this.
• complete the homework and practice for lesson 4.12.  We should be ready to take this test on Friday or Monday!
• bring in Field Trip forms and money.

Use this link to get practice with this week's vocabulary words:

https://quizlet.com/24906659/hurricanes-earths-mightiest-storms-vocabulary-flash-cards/

Don't be confused!

Secret Santa in 201-

Dear Parents,

I love the Holidays! I love giving gifts! I must say "no" to Secret Santa! I appreciate the spirit of giving,however this is not an activity that can take place at school.  While harm is surely not intended, this activity has the potential to illicit bad feelings among students who are not included in the group.  I know that some are excited about  Secret Santa, and I encourage parents to organize an activity outside of school.  If your child is involved in this activity, please don't not bring an more Secret Santa gifts to school. 

Thanks for your understanding!

-MBG

Mightiest Storms Monday

This week's reading selection, Hurricanes, Earth's Mightiest Storms, gets technical!  Students will need to read carefully. I suggest that all families spend some extra time with this one at home!

The results from last week's test are available on Think Central.  If you child did not punctuate, a point was deducted.   Practice makes permanent. Our results are improving.  Take a moment to look at your child's results, please.

This evening at home....

• finish up today's work in the Readers Notebook, pages 133-134
• complete the "Analyze Text" questions found in Journeys found on pages 322,324, and 328.
• complete the HW and Practice for lesson 4.11

Friday News

 The School Spelling Bee is December 20th.  I am sending home a very long list with kids today.  This is the list that we will use to determine our 201 representative.  I know that you are getting very short notice on this one!  Just do your best!  Our class spelling bee will be next Wednesday.  If you are in it to win it, begin studying the list this weekend. On Tuesday, I will begin with the fist page!

This weekend at home....

• Read!
• Study those Spelling words!

Next week, we will begin learning about heat energy.  Enjoy this Study Jams!

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/energy-light-sound/heat.htm

Toothless Thursday

This title is inspired by Mac's tooth.  This is the third one he's lost in a month. He thinks.   We have not verified this with an official tooth count.

Today we...

• finished up our Day In the Life "energy" cartoons
• went to Music
• discussed Shades of Meaning and shared our homework ideas
• discussed Jose Born to Dance and did some writing from Jose's perspective on Google Drive
• corrected last night's math homework and moved on the 4.10 Place the First Digit. The next few lessons tackle long division.  Please check in with your child. I am working with kids to give them extra practice at school.
• enjoyed Mr. Lee's Multiples Rap
• went to the Science Lab and explored the effects of salt on watercolors.

 * The Pod 200 Awards Ceremony is tomorrow at 9:00!

*Yes, we are taking a test on Jose Born to Dance tomorrow.

This evening at home.....

• Read the poems found on pp. 304-306 in Journeys
• Practice reading one of them aloud. If you don't have an audience, practice in front of the mirror
• On page 306, do the Write a Dance Poem activity.  Make sure that you are proud of your work and be prepared to share!
• Complete Go Math hw lesson 4.10

Wonderful Wednesday

Our day began on the right foot. Team 201 kids did a fantabulous job on last night's JOT IT homework.  Kids had a chance to add some final touches today, and they are ready to display.

Today we also.....

• spent some time researching our congressional representative, senators and state leaders.
• read Jose Born to Dance  together and discussed key points.
• worked with partners to dig for evidence, discuss and  respond to this text.
• worked on using partial quotients and bar models to solve division problems.
• created " A Day In the Life" Energy cartoons

Do you have an extra roll of blue, or any color, painters' tape? We need some rolls for an art project tomorrow.

This evening at home

• complete the hw and practice for lesson 4.9. Choose your method!
• complete pages 111 and 112 in the Readers Notebook
• read for 20 minutes or more

Need help with using the Partial Quotients strategy? Maybe this will help:

Tried and True Tuesday

Greetings Team 201 Families,

Many kids in 201 prefer the "tried and true" method of division that you and I learned when we were in fourth grade. We are learning LOTS of different ways to divide. Today, we used partial quotients, rectangular models, and the good ole'-fashioned, " tried and true," long division.

On tonight's homework, select the method that works best for you! Please show all of your work.


This evening at home...

• Please find and sign the Mid Chapter Checkpoint. I had the chance to work with small groups today, and we went over some of the problems as a class. After looking at the problems at home, ask your child to circle problem- problems.  I can meet with kids individually this week.
• Read pp.428-439 in Science Fusion. Do not write in the book.
• Complete the JOT IT "artistic note taking" sheet.
• Complete the homework and practice for Go Math lesson 4.8

Mournful Monday

Well, today's title is a bit misleading. Don't be confused. Team 201 is not mourning. We did debut some new vocabulary today, and mournful is one of them. Don't be discouraged,  I know that with practice we will triumph!  Some kids may need to haul out those dictionaries this week!

This evening at home...

• finish pages 109 and 110 in the Readers Notebook.
• read for 20 minutes or more and record.
• prepare for Multiplication Madness tomorrow.
• show your parents the Field Trip form.
• complete the Lesson 4.8 Enrich Math sheet that was handed out today.

Today we took a Mid Chapter Checkpoint quiz. This helps me assess readiness to move on to new concepts.  Some of you will be getting a "grade trigger" this evening that indicates that your student's average has risen or fallen. I will be spending time reviewing these concepts with small groups or one on one tomorrow. I will send home the original quiz tomorrow.

Enjoy this poster and video on Divisibility Rules.  Memorizing Divisibility Rules can help you compute large numbers quickly.  I hope that this helps you with your homework!

Thankful Tuesday

Today we are thankful for our friends! 201 is saying farewell to our classmate Lucas. We know that you will make lots of new friends in your new school!  Thanks for the treats, Lucas. Stay in touch!


This weekend....

• Read!
• Finish your Snake Project. Please note that if you are bringing it home, it is officially late and points will be deducted.
• Do some IXL and ST Math
• Enjoy time with family
• Field Trip forms went home today. Our trip to the Field Museum is December 19th.
• The Quarter 1 Awards Ceremony is December 2.

Making Connections Monday

This morning began with a discussion of the root "inter-."  We are learning how to break down words and use root meanings to help us gain understanding.  Ask your child to explain the difference between interstate and international. At the intermediate level,  we are interjecting more "root" work into the curriculum.  As your kids know, I find Etymology, or the study of words, extremely interesting.

Here's a fun, to me, link to help you learn more about roots and word origins.

http://www.membean.com/wrotds/inter-between

This evening at home...

• finish the writing portion of the Snake research. Kids had lots of time in class to take notes and do research.  Please Do Not complete the first/cover page.  If you don't have time to do the sketches or drawings, that is fine. We can do them in class tomorrow.
• complete the Homework and Practice for lesson 4.7

Check out this Brainpop to give you a math boost. You will need to log in!

https://jr.brainpop.com/math/additionandsubtraction/repeatedsubtraction/preview.weml


Here is a sample of how we can use repeated subtraction to divide a number into groups.

Book Buffet

What a feast! 201 Welcomed members of 202 today.  These projects are certainly worth showing off!  Thanks for all of your hard work on this one. This is the first year that we've had a "Book Buffet" in 201.It is great to see such creativity on display.  Thanks for all of the support at home parents!  

Thursday Before Thanksgiving Thursday

This evening at home...

• Use your Book Buffet Book to complete the  "Giving Thanks for Story Elements" page.
• Complete your Project and bring it to school!
• Complete the Math for lesson4.5. Kids should have plenty of sample problems done in their math books. This was a tricky lesson. EVERY kid in 201 needed some extra support. 

Thanks for providing today's title, Lucas! We are thankful for your quick thinking!

Weird Weather Wednesday

Where are we? Georgia? I am not complaining, but it sure does not feel very "November in Chicago."

It was a great day to go on a field trip.  We really enjoyed seeing these short films.  Thank you so much to our parent volunteers!

This evening at home....

• complete the homework and practice for lesson 4.4. Please also complete any of the "circled" problems that were classwork.
• Read! Record!
• Put those finishing touches ( I hope) on your Book Buffet project.
• Tomorrow is picture day!

Tuesday Cluesday

Today we spent time in class learning how to interpret a remainder. Sounds fancy? Interpreting the remainder meanings making sense of the information. What does the remainder mean?  It can be kind of tricky. You have to read the question with care. You have to think!

Reading today followed a similar path.  We are working on drawing conclusions. This means that we are looking for clues in a text and backing up our ideas with evidence.


This evening at home...

• complete the Math hw and practice for lesson 4.3. Today we did every question in the lesson, because they are all so important.  Your child should be coming home with all of the correct answers and the steps that lead to them.
• READ!
• Write a paragraph about what you have read in which you DRAW A CONCLUSION  about a character or event.  What do you think about this character, or what do you think this character will do next?  Back up your writing with solid evidence from the text. Proofread your work.

• Field Trip tomorrow!
• We will eat lunch at school.
• Book Buffet Projects are due on Friday
• Thursday is Picture Day

Make a Motto Monday

Hello Team201 Families,

This morning we met in our "government simulation groups" once again.   Each group made some important final decisions: each group now has a State Motto and a State Flag.  Each state name is based on Greek and Latin roots.  Ask your child about the meaning.

Here is what the teams came up with:
Potdemsimil- Power People Together
Omniequfortpot- Together, We Are One
Omnifortpot- Fighting For The Unity And Freedom Of Tomorrow

In Math, we went over last week's homework and delved deeper into division.  We discussed the vocabulary and talked about how division relates to fractions.

Tonight's homework may ask your child to use counters.  In class, we used both models and regular old division.  Feel free to use the method that works for you tonight.

• Our Film Fest trip is this Wednesday. We will be eating lunch at school, so just go with your regular lunch routine.  Kids will be able to get a school lunch.
• The Book Buffet is this Friday!  I hope that those projects are coming along. I can't wait to see them!
• Picture Day is this Thursday! There is still time to turn in the form.
• This week, we will continue to focus on the skills presented in Dear Mr. Winston. We will take our weekly test on Friday.
• Next week is a short one, in terms of school. We will be together Monday and Tuesday.

This evening at home...

• complete the HW and Practice for lesson 4.2
• in the Readers Notebook, complete pages 103 and 104.
• Read!!! We will take a "status of the class" tomorrow and tally books read.

Time to Talk Tuesday

It is almost that time! I am looking forward to seeing Team 201 Parents tomorrow.   I will try my best to stay on schedule.  Please allow time to park and get up to the 2nd floor so that you are here for your scheduled time.

Ask your child about today's Government Simulation experience.   Working together is hard work! Today "state" groups defended their positions on state names and symbols.  Each group was able to form a consensus and take a vote.

The Chapter 3 Math test results are available on Think Central.  Some students are coming home with targeted skill work and a letter for you. Please have all corrections done by next Monday.


Students are busy working on their Auto Bio poems now.  They may or may not be ready for you to see tomorrow. Please leave these poems at school!  We want to put the finished products on display.

This evening at home...

• Complete the "Show What You Know" on pages 195 and 196 of the Chapter 4 Go Math book.
• Cut out  the math vocabulary cards and keep them in a safe place.
• Read! 
•  Select and complete one of the topic in Journeys for Dear Mr. Winston: text to self, text to text, or text to world.  Sorry, no Venn Diagrams.  Please write your responses and use complete sentences.

Don't forget that the Book Buffet projects are due on November 18th.
Don't forget that field trip forms and fees are due November 10th. If your child has lost the trip form, simply write a note:
My child, ________, has permission to attend the Film Fest trip on November 16th. Please sign the form and include an emergency number. The trip fee is $8.50.

Looking to get ahead?

• Read books on Myon and take the quizes.
• Spend time with JiJi.
• Check out IXL math and reading.  Your child may be ready to check out some of the 5th grade goals!
• Practice those multiplication facts!

Making Generalizations Monday

This evening at home....

• study for tomorrow's math test.  We corrected the Review Test today in class and ran question and answer sessions.  
• Complete the Write About Reading activity on page 275 in Journeys.  Make sure to use letter format, just as Cara does.   Your letter from Mr. Winston to Clara should make reference to the specifics!

Some parents have not signed up for a conference. A reminder note went home today.  I understand that some parents may not be able to attend. Please write me a note so that we can schedule a meeting on another day or by phone.  If you are having trouble reserving a spot, please let me know. I will reserve one for you.  

Thrilling Thursday

Today's Science  Lab, The Mystery Powder, was pretty thrilled.  We tested cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt with water, vinegar and iodine. We observed bubbling, clumping, mixing and overflowing.  Finally, we ran our tests on a Mystery Powder. A few kids were able to guess correctly.



This weekend at home...

• sign up for a Parent Teacher Conference. The link is on the previous post.
• finish the Math Review.  We will take the test on Tuesday.
• Finish the Social Studies project: the directions can be found on Thursday's blog post.
• read on your own for an hour or more.
• work on your Book Buffet Project.
• put in an hour of ST Math or IXL
• don't come to school tomorrow!

Picture Forms are going home today!

Parent Teacher Conference Sign Up

Report Card Day is Wednesday, November 9th.  The link to sign up for a conference  is finally live. I am so sorry about the delay. The times for Report Card Day were confirmed this afternoon.

Click on the link to get to sign Up Genius.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b4ba4a82babf85-november

W Wednesday

Hi Team 201 Families,

Thanks to all who have turned in Field trip money. If you have not done so, please return the form and funds soon. 

Don't forget that Friday is a Professional Development Day for teachers.  There is no school for students.

Report Card Conference Day is next Wednesday. I am looking forward to meeting you all!

We will take a Reading Test tomorrow. We spent some time talking about the grammar today. I think we are ready!

We are nearing the Chapter 3 finish line.  I plan on giving the Chapter 3 test next Tuesday.

This evening at home...

• complete the hw and practice for lesson 3.7
• complete the idioms activity
• read
• Please bring your Book Buffet book to school tomorrow if you have it.
• Kids should have a completed, double sided Me and Uncle Romie activity in the green folder. I will collect it tomorrow.  We spent lots of time on this today!

Symbols of Patriotism Project:
Most kids do have some work to do on this project. I will extend the deadline until Monday.
Projects should include 6 symbols and 10 or more facts about those symbols. We are using pages 41 and 42 in the SS book as our guide. Kids have also be using the internet to research.  All headings should be colored. Diagrams and illustrations should be colored or outlined in color.

Too Much Candy Tuesday?

Many members of Team201 will disagree with this title. I will speak only from personal experience.

If you did not come to school today, here is what you missed:

• we began a new Social Studies project on the Branches of Governmnet
• we corrected the homework from 3.5 and went on to finish 3.6
• we esparked in both reading and math
• we did Multiplication Madness and earned Brag Tags
• we received a Happy Halloween Brag Tag
• we went to Gym outside
• we read
• we discussed Me and Uncle Romie and began a digital collage
• we learned how to add slides on Google Slides

This evening at home...

• complete the homework and practice for lesson 3.6
• I will be collecting the Symbols of Patriotism projects on Thursday.  Take it home to add finishing touches.\
• complete pages 87 and 88 in the Readers Notebook
• read for 20 minutes or more. Make sure that you are keeping up with the Book Buffet!
• don't forget  that Field Trip money is due next week.

There is no school for kids on Friday!

Math Mystery Monday

Happy Halloween! Thank you for sharing all of the yummy treats. They are tempting us!

We are finishing up a Math Mystery.  Someone has been turning unsuspecting trick or treaters into pumpkins!   Kids have been solving mathematical puzzles to help them eliminate suspects.  Most have already cracked the case.

This evening at home...

Enjoy Halloween! There is not any homework. At all.


Tomorrow we will....

• continue to discuss and work with Me and Uncle Romie.  
• work on using strategies to solve multi digit multiplication problems
• discuss the Branches of Government and learn about "checks and balances."
• talk more about Chemical Changes
• do Multiplication Madness.

Flying the W Friday

I wish that you could see the kids in 201 right now. Audrey and I both brought face paint to school. Most of the kids are sporting some bold Cubs gear and war paint. They are looking good! I should add that our die hard Sox fans are being great sports.

 This weekend at home....

• finish the hw and practice for lesson 3.5. We had lots of class time to get this done and most kids are coming home with the work finished.
• read for about 40 minutes! Parents, please sign to confirm that reading actually happens. It is fine to split this into two 20 minute sessions.

Halloween Happenings:

• kids may bring individually wrapped treats or trinkets. There are 27 kids in our class. We do have a nut allergy in the class.
• Please do not send in extra candy that you want returned. All candy that is brought to 201 will be distributed.  If you have a large bag, then just count out the 28 candies that you want to share.  Thank you for understanding. It gets really confusing!
• kids may bring a costume to school. We will slip into costumes for the final period of the day.
• kids may NOT use the bathroom to change.  Wear a "base layer."
• kids may not bring toy weapons to school.
• kids may not wear costumes on the bus.

201 will go to the Book Fair on Monday at 10:10 a.m..

Parents: I will need 2-3 helpers in the morning who can set up the treat bags for 201, and possibly other homerooms.  We may also need some bulletin board help on this day. Please send me an email if you are able to help on Monday for any amount of time.

The time frame for Report Card Day on November 9th has not been confirmed. As soon as I can, I will post appointment times on Sign Up Genius.  Look for the link on this site sometime early next week.

Thinking Thursday

Tomorrow is Cubs Spirit Day!  201 knows that I spend more time with the White Sox, but this week I am cheering for the Chicago Team: Go Cubs.

This evening at home...

• There is no regular math homework.  Get ready for Multiplication Madness.
• In Journeys, read How Do They Do That? on page 218.
• Complete the Text To Self activity in writing that is found on page 221.

Study the vocabulary. Test tomorrow!

Wonder Wednesday

Today we caught up on Wonder. We read about Mr. Browne's Precepts. I hope that you will have a chance to talk about this one at home.

If you have to choose between being right and being kind, choose kind.

This evening at home...

• complete the homework and practice for lesson 3.4
• R.N, Grammar Practice: 79-82
• Read. Really.
• Parents, as soon as I have approval, I will be posting a Parent Teacher Conference sign up sheet on Sign Up Genius. All ten minute conferences will be scheduled online. Report Card Day is Wednesday, November 9.

Tomorrow is Science Lab Day!

We need apples for tomorrow's lab! Can you spare an apple? I will be cutting them in to sections, so 5-6 will do.

Tomorrow we will create "Greek and Latin Root Trees." You won't want to miss it!

That's Hollywood Tuesday

This evening at home....

• complete the Facts and Opinion sheet. It is double sided
• complete the first page, that's just one side, of the Reading Packet.
• complete the HandP for 3.3
• read

Making Estimates Monday

Today we use both rounding and compatible numbers to estimate products.   I think we are getting the hang of it!  We also discussed this week's vocabulary words, most of which are in the "film lingo" category.   This week's text, Coming Distractions: Questioning Movies  is all about techniques that film makers use to capture and keep our attention.

We also kicked off our new Social and Emotional Learning program today. It is called Second Step. We are discussing Empathy and Respect.

This evening at home...

• complete the homework and practice for Go Math 3.2
• in the Readers Notebook, complete pages 75 and 76
• complete the Second Step Home Link Activity
• read
• don't forget that I need to approve your Book Buffet selection.

Extra Time....

• ST Math, IXL
• Check out the Social Studies Liberty Bell Mystery on Google Classroom. It is not ipad friendly, so we can't play  the game at school.

Book Buffet Inspiration

Hello out there! I am posting some Book Buffet ideas that I hope will be helpful. Some of them are quite elaborate, others are less so.  You food choice does not have to be related to the book topic.  Select a food that is most appealing to you!

Frightly Friday

Time flies...it is actually Saturday. I guess, that I never clicked the "publish" button yesterday.

I can't wait for you to read our Haunted House Real Estate Listings.  They are spooktacular! Next week we will make some crafty haunted houses to further entice buyers to read our listings.


This weekend...

• Please sign the corrected SS test. It should be in the Green Folder.
• Please read the Book Buffet packet. Please sign to acknowledge that you are aware of the due date. I will answer more questions about the project and post samples on this blog.
• Find a book to read! I need to approve all Book Buffet selections.
• Please see the Halloween note.

Topic Thursday

We are polishing up our Haunted House topic sentences right now! Most kids are now in the drafting stage of the writing process.


Today we...

• took both our Social Studies AND the Math test.  Please don't do corrections on the Math test yet! I want a chance to review all of the scores.
• epsarked!
• read.
• went to the Science Lab and measured Density.
• created bar graphs to display the results
• began drafting our Haunted House For Sale

This evening at home...

• finish the Graph
• finish the Invasion From Mars questions. I am providing the paper.
• complete page 143 in the Chapter 3 Math book

Field Trip Help

Hello Team 201 Families,

Yes, we are going to the Film Fest on November 16th. Yes, we do have our two parent volunteers for the trip.

On November 14th, we will go to the Field Museum to see the Terracotta Warriors.  It will be a busy week!

201 needs about 4 volunteers to come to the Field Museum. Please let me know if you can join us!

Both trip forms will be in the green folders soon. In order to get approval for the trip, we need the parent volunteer names first so that we can submit our paper work to the Board for review.

Email me at mport@cps.edu

Writing Wednesday

Right now kids are working on creating strong lead, or topic sentences, for their Haunted House Real Estate listing.  I can't wait to hear the results.

This evening at home...

• study for Math and Social Studies. Kids are coming home with a study guide that they created.  For math, all kids should have the correct answers in their Math book.  The test questions will be very similar to the review questions.  Study!
• read 
• in the Readers Notebook, complete pages 67 and 68

Test Ready Tuesday

Hello out there!

Today we took the CPS Beginning of the Year Benchmark Assessment.  I will use this test as a base line to assess students' needs and target areas. At the end of the year, we will take a similar assessment to measure growth.   Kids are asked to read a passage, identify main ideas and supporting details, summarize the text, and then respond to a prompt. All of the work we do in class supports the kids' development in citing text and explaining their ideas. It is a work in progress.  These initial scores will not be entered into the 201 Gradebook.

Today we polished up our Social Studies Study Guides. All students should have a map with helpful tips recorded on the back.  Each child should also have a one page study guide that contains key vocabulary, main ideas and details and a few brief questions and answers.  We are working on how to study, and I hope that these materials will help.
Terms to know include: industry, natural resource, elevation, landform and precipitation.   Today we discuss meanings and examples.  On a map, students were asked to label the source and mouth of the Mississippi, a tributary of the Mississippi River, the city of Chicago, the Great Lakes, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, and draw a compass rose.  On Google Classroom you can view today's Map Assignment. The final test on Thursday will be very similar to this.


I hope that this Powerpoint slide show will help you better understand this week's grammar target: action, linking and helping verbs.
 Click here:   http://www.slideshare.net/JeanetteKropa/verb-powerpoint


Coming Soon.....

• Book Buffet project: You will receive the materials by the end of this week
• Thursday: SS test
• Thursday: Chapter 2 Math Test
• Thursday: Science Lab experiment on Density of Liquids
• Friday: Comprehension, Grammar and Vocabulary test

This evening at home....

• watch the powerpoint slide show
• complete the odd numbered problems of the Review Test in Go Math
• complete the first page of the Reading Packet. Do not do the other pages! I will explain them in class tomorrow.
• read!

Making Equations Monday

Let's make a plan! On tonight's Math homework, I expect to see your plan, a.k.a. equation.

This evening....

• Go Math 2.12
• Answer the "Analyze Text" questions found within this week's story, Invasion From Mars.
• finish your SS study guide.

I will stamp Gold Cards tomorrow. 

Freakishly Fantastic ST MatFriday

Guess what? For the first time, EVER, Team 201 is leading the ENTIRE SCHOOL in ST Math Progress.  Honestly, we are doing great. Honestly, there are a select few "ST Math Gurus" who are pulling up the entire class average. Thanks to everyone for their work on STMath. Thanks especially to Samantha, Hambalat, Cormac, Kaelyn, and Dhiren for raising the bar!   Other members of 201 will soon join these kids in the "Above 20% Club."


This weekend at home...

• read for an hour or more total. It is fine if you want to split it into two 30 minutes segments. Ten minute reading sessions are not O.K..
• Stormalong Packet: some kids need to finish the Character Traits or the Story Map page
• ST MATH, people!

Next week we will....

• Go to the Lab to explore the Density of Liquids
• Take the Chapter 2  Math Test on Thursday
• Take a SS quiz on Tuesday

Thinking Thursday

Hey there Team 201 Families!

We are busy at work. Today we are working on Multiplication with regrouping and we are doing it the old fashioned way! Whew. It actually seems easy compared to writing those long, drawn out equations.   At home, kids will notice that their homework once again contains lots of multi-stop problem solving.  We corrected in class today, and there were many errors. Tonight, read the questions with care. Take notes and do what makes sense. Practice makes permanent.


Today we also...

• worked on our SS study guides. We will take a SS test based on this information on Tuesday.
• went to Music
• worked in teams to discuss Stormalong
• finished the Stormalong comprehension questions
• read independently 
• went to the Science Lab, where we measured and graphed MASS
• worked on regrouping and corrected the homework
• ate lunch, had recess, etc.

This evening at home

• finish the Mass Graph
• complete the Stormy Interview found in the packet.  Get detailed and make it interesting.
• complete the hw for lesson 2.10
• we will take the Reading and Vocabulary sections of the Reading Test. We will not take the Grammar portion because we did not cover the concepts in depth during this short week.

Show Your Work Wednesday

Today we....

• spent a great deal of time working on the math.  Yes, Victor, we need to show out work and make models
• talked about character traits. Audrey pointed out that to determine a character's traits, we should examine their words and actions. Well said, Audrey.
• multiplied!  I will be ready with Brag Tags tomorrow.
• learned about States of Matter 
• worked on a SS study guide. We should finish these in class tomorrow. I will send home details about the upcoming SS Quest.
• Did you finish your Stormalong Traits? Parents, check on your child's progress on this task. They should be just about finished. We spent nearly 40 minutes on this .

This evening at home...

• complete the hw and practice for lesson 2.9
• complete the first side of the Stormalong comprehension questions ( 1-9)
• read

Options:

• finish the Multiplication Color by Products sheet
• ST Math 
• IXL

Field Trip Alert

Hello 201 Parents,

I am looking for Field Trip Volunteers for November 16. We are going to the Film Festival and the Music Box. I will accept the first two!  Thanks in advance for your help.


Wow!  Some of you are very quick to respond. We have our two volunteers for the Film Fest trip.  There will certainly be other opportunities to volunteer.  

Trip forms won't be going home quite yet. You will see them soon.

Taking Time Tuesday...not Making it Work Monday

Many of us are pretty tired today. We were up late wondering about what our day would hold. It was kind of tough not knowing until this morning. Well, we got through the day and made it work.  Thanks for coming to school 201, despite the uncertainty. I know that we will have a full house tomorrow!


This evening at home...

• work on the hw for lesson 2.8. Use the strategy that works best for you. A calculator is not a strategy.  Don't forget to look back at your classwork to help you.
• read! We will do a Status of the Class tomorrow.
• complete RN pp.51 and 52
• in the Reading packet, complete the Stormalong packet, complete the "Story Elements"   We circled it in class. 

Friday Thoughts

Hello Team 201 Families,

Maybe I will change today's title later. I need the students' help on this one!  Today we took our weekly ELA/Reading Test.  Before the test, we reviewed fragment and run on sentences. We also talked about how to read each question and answer with care. This is a skill that many kids will be working on this year. Finally, we reset the expectation for the short answer responses.  We modeled how to build a strong response. We will get there!  After reviewing today's results, I asked most kids to work on one or both of the responses.  I added extra points to the original score.

Parents, students will bring Progress Reports home today. Please sign them and return them in the green folders.  The Grade Book is open, and this is just a 5 week "snap shot." Many current grades have already changed in the last day!

I do not have any inside information about the possible Teachers Strike, and will be checking the News to find out whether or not we will be in 201 together on Tuesday.  In the event of a Teachers Strike, there are several things that kids should do at home to keep their academic minds active:

• Practice those multiplication facts. Kids who don't know the facts "like that" are not as prepared to handle the more advanced problem solving that is a part of our math lives! 
• Do ST Math
• Do IXL Reading and Math
• Read every day! If we are not in school, kids should be reading for an hour each day!
• Catch up with Brain Pop and Study Jams. Take the Brain Pop quiz of the day.
• Watch Bill Nye the Science Guy. Episodes are available on You Tube.

I will look forward to seeing all of the 201 Team members very soon! Please be aware that if there is a strike, I will not have access to my Cps email.

Theme Filled Cupcake Thursday

Here are some of today's plot points, in chronological order:

• we did a morning math, language and brainiac warm up
• we aced our Code Yellow drill
• we went to Music
• we learned all about Theme Vs. Main Idea: we worked on a group activity with task cards, we created a poster, we took a Kahoot quiz and we celebrated with cupcakes.
• we corrected last night's math homework and dove deeper into Partial Products.
• we went to the Science Lab and found the volume of irregular shaped objects
• we began a second attempt at creating an accurate  graph

This evening at home...

• Reread The Power of Wow. and The Kid's Guide To Money.
• Complete the Text to To Text, Compare Concepts writing found on page 129.
• Complete the Go Math homework and practice for lesson 2.7
• finish your graph if you have not done so already.
• Kids, you have a reading test tomorrow. Study those vocabulary words.

Thanks to Super Teacher Deb Hanson for providing the inspiration for today's lesson!

The cake represents the plot points in the story. The creme filling represents the underlying theme. This is a caption. Captions are text features that help the reader better understand details.