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. 

 

Good afternoon,

I hope everyone is enjoying their half day of school.  We have been in a meeting discussing the new PARCC Test, which will take the place of the ISATs.  We will begin taking these tests in March.

Next week we will be reading the story, “We’ll Never Forget You, Roberto Clemente.”  We will have activities and writing that accompany our story.  On Thursday, the students will have their end of story test, along with a DLP Test.  On Thursday, we will also finish up Chapter 10, Lesson 2 in social studies with a quiz.  We have been learning about the new government the United States had to create after winning the Revolutionary War.  We are discussing acids and bases in science and will finish up our science unit at the end of the week or toward the beginning of next week. 

All students must have their second trimester book report completed by February 12 at the latest.  Please remember that any school supplies needed may be bought at our very own Wesley Store, The Paw Pantry.  The store is open during lunch time on orange days.  We will have DARE on Tuesdays for the next four weeks.  The students enjoy this and receive valuable information.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.  Have a nice, three-day weekend.

 

Mrs. Constantopoulos

 

 

Welcome back!  I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing break.  Welcome to the New Year and to a cold week.  The students were very busy today and have a lot of homework tonight.  I gave them some time in school to begin working, so those who used their time wisely shouldn’t have to spend too much of the evening on their homework. 

This week we are reading “Iditarod Dream,” which is a story from our reading books.  We will have a test on Friday on the book, vocabulary, and the spelling words that accompany the story.  This will be done, as all spelling is, by writing sentences and writing the spelling words (and all words) correctly. We are continuing with decimals in math.  We will have a quiz on Friday to check our progress in math and also on Chapter 10, lesson one in social studies, where we are forming our new government.  We will also have a science test on Friday, and our outlines are due as well.  It’s back to a full week, so please encourage your child to keep up with his/her school work. 

I wish all of you a very healthy and happy 2015. 

 

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.