Well, school is almost out.  Two more days until we have to say good bye.  I would like to say how much I enjoyed this class.  Your children are very polite, kind, and hard workers.  Every year it's difficult to say good bye, but this year will be especially sad.  I will miss their smiling faces.  We've had a week of fun, field trips, fifth grade farewell, and signing of yearbooks.  I thank all of you for your support, and I hope you all have a safe and happy summer.   Don't ever hesitate to email me with anything you may need.  It's been a wonderful year.  Thank you.

Ellen Constantopoulos

Thank you for all the lovely gestures for Teacher Appreciation Week!  They’re all very much treasured.  It’s hard to believe that we’re getting close to the end of the year.  However, we still have so much to accomplish.  The students will be taking two PARCC math tests this week.  The computer room is very warm, so dress for that!  We are working on measurement in math this week.  There will be a quiz on what we’ve learned thus far on Thursday.  We are approaching the end of the Civil War in social studies.  Chapter 15, Lesson 3 Test is on Friday.  We are in our last unit of science.  We will be doing a small project in science before the end of the year.  We are reading “Satchmo’s Blues” in reading this week.  We will have an end-of-story test and a DLP test on Friday over this material.

Next week we will be reading an autobiography.  We’ll be writing our own autobiographies, so look for instructions on this project next week.  Also next week look for some information on our upcoming field trip.  I hope everyone has a great week. 

Hello everyone!  I hope you had a nice weekend.  We will take our first end of year PARCC test this Wednesday in reading.  Then we will take two more next week.  This week we are multiplying and dividing fractions in math.  We will have a quiz on Thursday.  In social studies we are in the middle of the Civil War.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 15, Lesson 2 on Thursday.  We are studying weather in science.  Their outline is due on Wednesday, and there will be a test on Thursday.  Don’t forget, this Friday there is early dismissal for the students.  They will get out of class at 12:00. 

Students and teachers from Indian Trail Junior High are coming to talk to the students this afternoon.  You might want to discuss with them what they learned from the representatives and how they’re feeling about next year.  Have a good week.

I hope everyone had a nice break.  It’s good to be back, but the year is winding down fast.  I wanted to give you some important dates.  We will be taking the end of year PARCC tests.  There will be one reading test on April 29 and two math tests, one on May 6 and the other on May 8.  The students worked hard on the first group of tests, and I’m sure they’ll do the same on these end of the year tests. 

The Sock Hop is taking place next Wednesday, April 15, from 5:00 – 6:30.  Permission slips are due by Friday, April 10.  You can send in the $2.00 with your child and give it to his/her classroom teacher, or you can pay at the door.  This is for Wesley Students only. 

The spring musical will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16.  The students have been working hard on their songs, and we hope to see you all there.

Our annual Celebration of Learning will take place on May 19.  Accelerated Reading Night will be on May 28.  There will be a patrol outing on Thursday, June 4, and fifth grade will be taking a field trip on Friday, June 5.  There will be a cost of $3.00, and more information will be coming next month.  The fifth grade farewell party will be Wednesday, June 10, and Field Days will be Thursday, June 11.  I think that gets you caught up on all the important upcoming dates.

We will have a chapter 14, lesson 3 test in social studies on Friday and a test on lesson 6 in science on Friday.  We are currently reading the novel, Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.  The students are enjoying the book.  There are activities that they are completing, and we will have a test on the book when we are finished with it, probably at the end of next week.

Thank you for your support.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Good morning,

As we wind down during the week before spring break, I want to give you an update on what’s happening in Room 15.  We are heading into the Civil War as the North and South begin their struggles with one another.  We will end the week with a social studies test on Chapter 14, Lesson 2.  In math, we are adding and subtracting fractions, and we will end the week with a quiz on those concepts.  This week we are learning about weather in science, particularly types of clouds.  We will have a test on this Friday as well.  Also on Friday, students will be demonstrating their knowledge of poetry with a quiz and also with a reading of a poem each student has chosen to read to the class.  As you can see, we’ve been quite busy, so the students will be ready for their break next week.

I want to wish you all a very restful spring break, and a very happy Easter.  For those of you who are traveling, I wish you safe travels. 

 

 

Good afternoon students and parents.  This week and next we will all be reading the novel entitled Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare.  This book also goes along with our cross curricular topic of how resources impact survival.  I think the students will enjoy the novel about a boy surviving alone in the wilderness. 

We have started working with fractions in math.  Some of the students are alarmed by this topic.  I am here to help.  Please encourage your child to see me if he/she is having difficulty.  They must learn to ask for help when needed.  I am trying to teach them to be their own advocates, especially as they move on to the junior high and beyond.  We will be having our first test next week on fractions.  As always, those who know their math facts will have an easier time.  However, please be assured that it’s never too late to learn!

In science next week we will begin studying the respiratory system, with a quiz at the end of the week.  This week we are presenting our pictures of the five items we have chosen to take with us if we were stuck in the wilderness.  So far the students’ presentations have been very interesting. 

In social studies we just finished with the War of 1812.  Many students took me up on my offer of extra credit if they memorized the Preamble to the Constitution.  We are now singing the preamble and memorizing the School House Rock version.  We would like to sign it to the school for the talent show so we can show off not only our singing talent but our knowledge of the Preamble.  Every student received a copy of the song, and you can also find it on YouTube School House Rock, Preamble.

Beginning in March, each week we will be taking one or two sessions per week of the new PARCC test that has replaced the former ISAT test.  Please encourage your child to do his/her best but not to stress out about these assessments.  All any of us can do is our individual best, and that’s all we’re asking. 

Don’t forget, this week we have half a day Thursday, and the students have no school on Friday.  It’s a perfect time to read and memorize those math facts.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.  Thank you.

 

ell, we are finished with our reading MAPs test as of today.  We have the winter math MAPs test to take in the beginning of February.  Monday we will have a mid-trimester common assessment in math.  The students have been working hard on decimals and division, so I’m confident they will do well.  We are then moving on in math to ordered pairs, order of operations, patterns, and problem solving.  On Thursday, we will have our Chapter 10, Lesson 3 test in social studies.  We are post-Revolutionary War, and coming up with a government that will work.  We will be reading the story “Woodsong” in reading.  There will be a test on the story and DLP on Friday.  In science, we are working on acids and bases.  We had some interesting experiments going on today.  Ask your child to explain to you what we observed. 

The ISATs have been replaced by the PARCC test, which is coming in March.  Having basic typing skills will be helpful to the students when taking the test.  They will have to type in the answers as well as click, drag, and understand the toolbar.  Please encourage your child to go to www.typingweb.com to practice typing.  The username is wes (studentID) and the password is the student’s ID number.  Practice will truly make the testing less stressful for your child because they will become more comfortable with typing. 

Have a great weekend.