I wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.  This year has gone by so fast, and I’m fortunate to be able to say this is in part due to the nice group of students I have. 

We’re finishing out 2014 with a math quiz and a social studies quiz over Chapter 9, Lesson 3 on Friday.  Then we have our Christmas party in the afternoon. The only homework the students have over break is to read.  I sent home an on-line reading program through RAZ Kids, which they can practice over break.  It has a lot of fun activities, and I think it will be helpful.

I hope everyone enjoys their break.  Again, Merry Christmas to all!

Mrs. Constantopoulos          

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Only two weeks to go until Christmas break!  Remember, there is no school for students on Friday, December 12.  This coming week we will be finishing up our chapter on addition and subtraction of decimals.  We will have a review on Wednesday and the Chapter 5 test on Thursday.  We will then be moving on to multiplication and division of decimals.  In social studies, we have started the Revolutionary War.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 9, lesson 2 on Thursday.  To help celebrate the season, in reading we will all be reading The Worst/Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.  This is a fun book, which the students typically enjoy.  We are studying mixture and solutions in science.  This is a difficult unit, so please ask your child to bring his/her book home to go over what we’ve done in school. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. 

I can’t believe how the time is flying.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, although it feels like the middle of winter.  I look forward to seeing you all at conferences on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week.  It’s my hope that your child can accompany you to our conference, since it is all about him/her.  If not, that’s not a problem, but I want you to know they are more than welcome, if not encouraged, to join us.

We have finished up with division temporarily in math.  We are now adding and subtracting decimals, and we’ll move back to multiplying and dividing, but it will be with decimals this time.  We will have a short quiz to check our progress on Thursday.  We began the Revolutionary War in social studies, in which the students seem to take an interest.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 8, Lesson 3 on Thursday as well.  We are finishing up A Family Apart in reading this week.  The children have been doing activities that go along with the book.  In science, we have been working on the circulatory system and the heart, and we’ll have our quiz on these this Thursday.  I’m trying to teach the students that studying is just as important as doing written homework.  Please reiterate this message at home.

The week we return, we will be continuing with decimals in math. They’ll be having a quiz on Thursday, December 4 on what we’ve learned through that time.  In social studies we will continue with the Revolutionary War through the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Also on the fourth we will have a quiz on Chapter 9, Lesson 1.  We’ll be reading various stories in reading during our guided reading time, having a written assessment on that Friday, December 5.  We will be starting our unit in science on mixtures and solutions.  Outlines will be passed out the day we come back to class, December 1. 

I think that pretty much catches you up.  As always, please contact me with any questions.  Have a wonderful week with your children, and I wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. 

 

The heat finally came on today, so we should be nice and warm in the classroom as it gets colder outside.  I hope this finds everyone well.  We are finishing up the trimester, as it ends on November 12.  The students’ book reports and common assessment writing pieces are both due on November 6.  Some of the students are experiencing anxiety about this.  I understand the writing is difficult since this is the first time they have to write using sources.  However, the book report was assigned the first day of school.  Each student is responsible for one book report per trimester.  I advised them not to wait until the last few days.  Unfortunately, as kids will be kids, most have waited.  Thus, they’re experiencing concern to get everything finished.  This is a good lesson as far as not waiting until the last minute, which I will reiterate all year.  Part of them being ready for the junior high is to learn to manage their time well.  Everyone needs help with that, and I will try and help them as best as I can.

We are continuing with division this week, with a review on Wednesday and a test on Friday.  We are leading up to the American Revolution, and we will have a quiz on Chapter 8, Lesson 1 on Thursday.  We are spending most of our afternoons finishing up our writing projects, as well as starting new books in guided reading. 

I hope everyone has a good week.  As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.   Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning!

I hope everyone had a nice three-day weekend.  The students are working on the math mid-trimester district assessment right now.  We have just finished up with chapters one and two in math, and we will be moving on to division.  In social studies, we are talking about the colonies and slavery in the colonies.  The students will be making a horn book, signifying what colonial children used in school.  We will have a test on Chapter six, Lesson 3 tomorrow (Thursday).  We are continuing in reading by doing guided reading in our groups.  This week we are focusing on main idea and details, along with figurative language.  We will be working on a new story this week, and we will continue working on it next week as well as with the accompanying activities.  We will have a science quiz on the endocrine system and the reproductive system tomorrow, Thursday, October 16. 

Next week we will be going to Addison Trail High School to see the Lyric Opera.  That will take place on Tuesday morning.  Also, next Friday there is only a half day of school for the students.  They will be getting out of school at 12:00.  Next week Thursday, students will have a math quiz on what we’ve covered in Chapter three.  Please remind your child to study the vocabulary words, which are a large part of the test.  The Chapter six, Lesson four social studies test will be next Thursday, October 23.  Conference letters are going home today.  Please send them back to school with your child, indicating if you can make the time/date designated.  Thank you!

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a restful weekend.  Don’t forget, next Monday there is no school in honor of Columbus Day!  The students have done a nice job on their biomes.  We will finish presenting them today, and they will be on display in the display case in the foyer of the school.  They will come home at the end of the week.

A representative from Robert Crown will be visiting tomorrow afternoon.  Then we will continue with the endocrine and reproductive systems this week in science/health.  This is a heavy week of math testing.  We have our chapter review quiz tomorrow, a chapter test on Wednesday, and a district common assessment on Friday.  We will have a review day on Thursday to help students answer any questions of which they’re not sure.  Please encourage your child to see me for help if they are not understanding something.  I am sending home a study guide with them today for them to review at home.

We are talking about the colonies in social studies as well as those who lived in urban and rural areas.  In computer lab, the students are also working on an individual colony of their choice, from the original thirteen.  We will have a chapter 6, lesson 2 quiz on Friday. 

I know the newsletter said to call and schedule conferences with your child’s teacher.  If you would like to email me at econstantopoulos@asd4.org and give me a day/time you’d prefer, I can easily get back to you and let you know if that time is available.  After this week, I will be sending conference sheets home with a conference date and time.  If you are not able to make the given time/date, please give me an alternative date/time.  With the size of the class, I don’t have many extra spots, but we will work something out. The direct number to my classroom is 630 628-4075. 

Have a good week!

 

This picture is just a reminder that the biome boxes are due one week from tomorrow, September 30.  We have discussed this at length in school, but if the students still have questions, please make sure they ask me for clarification.  We will be presenting the biomes next week Tuesday through Friday.  I’m excited to see the creativity the students put forth.  We will continue working on ecosystems this week and after our biome presentations as well.  The students have an outline which is due on Friday. Also, we will have a DLP Test on Friday.  Please encourage your children to study for these and all tests and quizzes.  In math, we are working on factors, multiplication patterns, and we will start multiplication.  We will have a quiz on Friday in math and also on Lesson 4 in Chapter five in social studies.  We are talking about the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies in social studies.  We hope to finish the book Wonder this week.  We continue to have excellent discussions about different aspects of this novel.  We took the reading MAPs test last Friday, and we’ll be taking the math MAP test this Friday.  The students seem to have taken their time while testing, which is great.  Have a good week. 

 

Welcome to a new week!  I sincerely hope to see you at Curriculum Night tomorrow night.  It’s a nice way for me to get to know some of you and vice versa.  It’s also an excellent opportunity for you to see what our class expectations are and ask any questions you may have.

This week we will have the Chapter 1 review test tomorrow and the Chapter 1 final test on Wednesday.  We will also have a quiz over lesson 3, Chapter 5 in social studies.  We are working on biomes in science.  Please watch for information on a biome project to come home this week.  Please assist your child with this project. Don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions.  See you tomorrow night!

Happy Monday, or should I say Green Day!  For those of you who read this Blog, I hope to see you parents at our first PTA Meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m.  Also, this Friday, September 12, is early release day, meaning your children get out of school at 12:00 p.m., and there is no school for kindergarten students.  Lastly, Curriculum Night is Tuesday, September 16 from 6 – 7:15.  I look forward to meeting all of you!

This week we will continue with our read aloud of Wonder.  The students are enjoying this book, and some excellent conversations are taking place about the importance of how we treat and accept others and their differences.  We are continuing with decimals and place value in math.  I encourage you to remind your children that I am here to help if they should have any problems.  Asking me to stay after school to help with a confusing concept is something I’m happy to do, but they need to ask me.  We will have two Social Studies quizzes this week, one on Chapter 5, Lesson 1 and the other on Chapter 5, Lesson 2.  We will also be discussing what happened back on September 11, 2001.  In science, we are having a quiz tomorrow on the water cycle.  We will be starting to learn about biomes this week.  Please be on the lookout for more information about a project the students will be completing.  I would advise you to begin looking for an old shoe box you don’t need.  Have a wonderful week.

 

 

 

We’re off to a great beginning of the school year.  I updated the specials schedule on the Blogger Home Page.  It’s difficult for all of us to get used to days being a color instead of a name, but I’m sure we’ll all catch on.  On Wednesday, we’re having our first social studies quiz.  The students were given instructions on what to study, as they always will be.  We began science today, studying the water cycle.  The students were given a science outline to complete by September 10.  In math, we are on Chapter one, which has to do with place value and decimals.  In reading, we are reading the #1 New York Times bestseller, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio.  It’s gotten great reviews, and we all seem to be enjoying it so far.

Have a great week! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the start of a new year! I am really looking forward to meeting some new students and seeing some familiar faces from last year. I hope you all had a wonderful summer and are ready for a fantastic fifth grade year!