Volume 7, Number 25                    sadkins@pennoyerschool.org                          May 8, 2009

Hello Parents!  What a beautiful week we have had!  The kids have been thrilled to not have to wear their coats outside for recess.  We stayed inside Wednesday due to the police activity so close by that was in the news, and I think we teachers felt safer staying inside, although the kids sure complained!  I was told to not explain what was happening to the kids so as to not alarm them, so it is up to you if you would like to explain to them or not.  We had a busy week, so here’s what’s been happening:

Reading ~ Our story for this week was called Wilbur’s Boast, and it is an excerpt from the book Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.  I told the kids that many of you would be familiar with this book, so I hope you enjoyed a familiar read on Monday night with your child.  Many of the children in our class had also read the book, and the few that have not seem interested in taking it on.  Please encourage your child to read this book if they have not already.  One of our skills for this week was making judgments.  This was surprisingly difficult for the kids, although we do it all the time in everyday life.  I tried to make the concept more real for them by giving them real life situations, and asking their thoughts about the person after they did something.  Some judgments are positive, some are negative, but they all contribute to the moral aspect of our society. 

Language Arts ~ Our grammar lesson for this week was on adjectives that compare.  I was glad to have another week on adjectives, as a handful of students did not do well on their test last week, and I took time on Monday to reteach it to the small group.  We worked with these adjectives that compare (-er and –est endings) yesterday during one of our literacy centers, and they did pretty well.  Hopefully they will do better on their test this week.  The test from today has an added surprise on it, so be sure to ask your child about it!  During our centers, we also took time to look for words in magazines and newspapers that have various prefixes.  This was a big part of our spelling list this week, and it is important for the children to understand what the various prefixes mean.  During our writing time, the kids have finished up their letters to the mayor about building a road through Troll Mountain.  They are good!  I plan to put them together in a book for everyone to enjoy.  We will focus more on original fairy tales next week.

Math ~ We started on chapter 11 this week, which is on division.  Specifically, we practiced using the multiplication table to divide, using fact families, dividing by 3, and dividing by 4.  I’ve tried to keep up with Miss Wierzgac’s creative math plans, so we did some fun activities during math time that enhanced their learning.  No one has passed their timed multiplication test this week, although there have been vast improvements since the kids have had to work with me during recess! J

Science ~ We got started on our chapter on forces and motion this week.  On Monday, we completed an experiment using spring scales to measure force.  Please ask your child about that experiment, and have them describe a spring scale to you.  Yesterday I decided to try something new.  Instead of our usual read the chapter, write vocabulary definitions, and answer questions, I have come up with a new format that will hopefully help the kids retain the information better.  (I’m loving my graduate classes where I am learning lots of new ideas!)  Please ask your child for details on how our science class went yesterday.  I hope the bridges are coming along.  Some kids are done, and some kids have yet to start from what I have heard.  The bridges are due next week on Wednesday.  A letter will go home on Monday with more details for the drop off of the bridges.  All parents are invited to come and look at the bridges next Friday, May 15 from 1:30 – 2:15.  Hope to see you then!

Social Studies ~ This past week in social studies we reviewed for our Chapter 5 Social Studies Test.  We reviewed the different types of landforms and human features.  We discussed the importance about Portland, Maine.  We learned that Portland, Maine is located besides a natural harbor and that it is the largest fishing center in the U.S.  We also read and looked at pictures of the Pan-American Highway and why it is important to people.  This highway is the longest highway in the world and it connects 17 countries.  Students reviewed how to read a map using a map key and how to interpret a chart.  The test is on May 8th, and will be returned home on Monday, May 11th.

Other Areas of Interest:

• This week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and I want to thank all of the families that helped make this a special week for us teachers.  I appreciated all of the cards, pictures, and poems I got from the kids and well wishes from you.  Thank you!
• Remember the bridges!  They are due on Wednesday.  Please do not bring them in earlier than that.  Please try to come and view them all on Friday at 1:30.

That’s it for now!  I hope that you have been able to take a quick peek at the new web site.  It was not up and running until Monday evening, but I took time during our computer class this week to show it to all the kids.  I showed them how to find the homework and spelling words on my web site (I got a groan from the kids over that one. J No more excuses!).  I have not heard back from any of you, and I really formed this web site with the intention of it being user friendly for you.  Please send me a quick note regarding any suggestions or comments you may have, and I will try to accommodate your ideas.  I wish you all a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother’s Day!  Remember to keep your child reading!

Mrs. Sarah Adkins

Volume 7, Number 17                  sadkins@pennoyerschool.org                 February 27, 2009

Hello Parents!  We have had a pretty good week together.  Miss Wierzgac spent some time on Tuesday afternoon talking to the kids about being respectful to each other, and they really seemed to listen!  They had a fantastic day on Wednesday, and it is nice to see the kids making efforts to be kind to each other.  We have established a “who praised you today?” chart at the front of the room for kids to acknowledge who has been kind to them.  It is wonderful to see the chart full of names by the end of the day.  I will not write a Newsletter next week as we have the ISAT testing.  Please read the attached paper to find more details regarding this important week.  We had a busy week, so here’s what’s been happening:

Reading ~ Our story this week was non-fiction and it was called Here’s My Dollar.  It is a terrific story about a girl who made a difference to her local zoo simply by writing a letter.  I was able to watch President Obama give his speech to Congress Tuesday night, and I was delighted to see a girl there with his wife who had written a letter to Congress, asking them for money to help her school.  It is so nice to see something like that happen for everyone to see.  I like that the kids can be exposed to the fact that one person really can make a difference in our world.  We spent time discussing author’s purpose, and that you should understand the purpose before you read a book.  We tend to read things differently for our different purposes, and that is important to understand.  The three purposes authors write for are to inform, persuade, or entertain.

Language Arts ~ Our grammar lesson this week was on irregular past tense verbs.  I gave the kids some extra practice with this yesterday during our reading groups.  They each were to write a story using at least seven irregular past tense verbs.  So many of these grammar lessons have to do with what makes sense in the sentence, and I will always encourage the kids to reread their sentences to look for sense.  Our formal writing time has been spent finishing up with our persuasive papers.  Many of the kids finished theirs up today, and hopefully the rest will catch up soon.  Next week on the ISAT tests the kids will be expected to write a full, five paragraph paper on an expository topic.  We will take some time before that test to practice writing one in a 45 minute time period.

Math ~ Congratulations to Shane and Justyna this week for successfully completing their timed multiplication test.  They accurately answered 100 problems in 5 minutes.  Way to go, Shane and Justyna!  In other news, we have started two new chapters in Math. We have talked about fractional parts of a group, equivalent fractions, fractions greater than one and fractions as decimals. We did some fun activities with these concepts and they even got a treat! Ask them about their special candy they received and what they did with that candy! Also, ask your child about the artwork they created on Thursday that went along with their math lesson!

Science ~ On Monday, all the students played their energy review game to help prepare them for their test on Thursday. They all did a great job when they were answering the questions! They were pretty quick and both teams earned a lot of points! On Thursday then, the class took their test on energy. Please look for this test in your child’s papers they took home today.  After ISAT week, we will begin a new chapter on Heat. If you would like, at home, you and your child could discuss heat and different forms of heat. This could get them excited and ready to learn about heat when we get back to our normal schedule.

Social Studies ~ This past week in social studies class we have read about Americans who have worked to make life better for others.  Such individuals are Harriet Tubman, Thomas Jefferson, Helen Keller, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We recognized and discussed the risks some of them took to secure freedom for themselves and others.  We also read about ordinary people who exemplified good citizenship, such as retired Fire Chief Joseph Curry (New York City) who organized rescue teams after the attack on New York City.  Also, in the upcoming month, beginning March 9^th in social studies class, your child will be introduced to many famous historical people.  They will be introduced to these people through many written biographies.  Your child will read 6 – 10 biographies in class about famous individuals.  On March 20^th, your child will be required to pick a historical figure and complete a biography report on him or her.  This report will be due on March 30^th.  A detailed handout of instructions will be provided on Friday, March 20^th.  Following this lesson, your child will hold a WAX MUSEUM SPECIAL.  Your child will dress up as their famous individual and display their costume and appear as a wax figure for you and the students of Pennoyer to view. This will take place on April 2nd and April 3rd.

Other Areas of Interest:

• There will be school on Monday, April 13!  This is the day after Easter, and in the school calendar, this is scheduled as a day off.  However, since we have had so many snow days, administration has decided to use April 13 as one of our make up days.  They chose to do this because otherwise we will have to have school into the week of June 15, and we wanted to have the school year wrapped up by the end of the previous week.  So please make note that school has been scheduled for Monday, April 13.
• Our regular reading/spelling/grammar program will be suspended next week due to the ISAT tests.  There will be no homework given so that you child can go to be early and be well rested for the tests.  Please read the attached ISAT information sheet for more details.
• The February Book-It form was due today.  March is the final month for the Book-It program, and the kids are expected to read a total of 5 chapter books.  The form went home today with your child.

That’s it for now!  Thank goodness the weather is warming up again.  I will be glad to put away my long, down coat for the season.  Please remember to spend time every night reviewing multiplication flash cards with your child.  If your child has already passed the test, this only needs to be done once a week or so.  I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and remember to keep your child reading!

Mrs. Sarah Adkins

Miss Sarah Wierzgac

Volume 7, Number 11                                    sadkins@pennoyerschool.org           December 5, 2008

Hello Parents!  Welcome to winter!  We sure were hit with a blast of it this week.  The rules at recess when there is snow out, is that children must have boots and snow pants to go on the snow piles and/or the playground.  If they don’t have both, they will have to remain on the blacktop.  Please make sure your child is dressed warmly.  We go outside unless the temperature or wind chill reaches zero degrees.  I enjoyed meeting with all of you last week for conferences, and I have made some changes with the kids based on our conversations.  Thank you for making the time to come in and see me.  My door is always open to you if you have any other questions or concerns.  We had a good week together, so here’s what’s been happening:

Reading ~ Our story this week was the folk tale of Stone Soup.  Some of you may be familiar with the story already.  Hopefully you enjoyed reading it with your child Monday night.  We focused on inferences this week, seeking out the implied message from the author.  I also introduced a thesaurus to the kids, and they had the opportunity to use one to find synonyms.  They really seemed to enjoy using this tool, so pull yours out at home if you have one for your child to look through and use.  Please remember to practice using our weekly vocabulary words with your child at home.  Our goal is for these words to become part of their everyday language, and the more they practice them, the more likely they are to use them.

Language Arts ~ Our grammar lesson for this week was on verbs.  Finding these verbs can be tricky, especially the being words such as am, was, were, and is.  I gave them some extra practice with this in class in hopes of clearing up some confusion.  Hopefully they do well on their test today.  We spent our writing time on revising and editing our expository papers.  I am looking to start the kids on a writing workshop, which includes allowing the kids to write about whatever they like.  They just need more practice writing, and they are more likely to do so if they are interested in their topic.  I still need to teach them the formal writing of expository, persuasive, and narrative, but I am going to start having a writing workshop twice a week for now.  We’ll see how that goes starting next week.

Math ~ I am so proud of how the kids did on their chapter 7 test this week on probability.  I am happy to report that my Please Correct stamp remained in my drawer as everyone got at least a C on that test.  Yay!  I also gave the kids a unit test this week on this chapter and our last one on charts and graphing.  They didn’t do as well on that test, but I’m still pleased with their effort.  Please look for both of these tests today in your child’s Friday papers and go over it with them.  We have skipped ahead in our book to chapter 12 on time and temperature.  Please practice having your child tell time on an analog clock at home.  Elapsed time is always a tricky lesson, so any extra help you can provide at home will be very beneficial.  I will be teaching multiplication (the skipped chapters) in an intense, 7 day span in January.  We will immerse ourselves in multiplication throughout the day, and I really enjoy those few days of Multiplication Mania that we do every year.  I will send home detailed information about that sometime in mid January.

Science ~ We have started our new chapter on the planets in our solar system.  The kids have been excited to get to this chapter.  We currently have a hanging solar system in our classroom, and the kids spend much time admiring it and observing the differences in the planets.  Please ask your child to explain to you why Pluto is no longer considered a planet.  We took a look at several mnemonics to use to help us remember the order of the planets from the sun.  The one our class settled on is Many Very Educated Men Just Seem Uneducated Now.  I’ve shared my own mnemonic with the class that I learned as a child (Mary’s Violet Eyes Make John Stay Up Nights Proposing) and if you remember yours, please share it with your child.  We are all very excited to be going to the Planetarium next week on Wednesday as an extension of this chapter. 

Social Studies ~ This past week in social studies we read a story about Jane Addams, “Peace and Bread”.  We learned who Jane was and that she decided at age 6 that she wanted to grow up and improve life in Chicago.  She wanted to help others and by doing that she exemplified good citizenship.  We learned many interesting facts about Hull House so please ask your child about it.  Finally, we read and discussed other volunteers who believed in justice, equality, and responsibility for the common good.  We gave examples of community changes that resulted from individual or group decisions.  We also are able to distinguish between elected and appointed government leaders.

Other Areas of Interest:

      We celebrated Marcin’s 9^th birthday this past Monday.  His actual birthday was on November 25, and we were delighted to celebrate with him a few days late.  Happy birthday Marcin!

      Progress reports went home today for any grades less than a C- or 73%.  Please look for these in your child’s Friday papers, and return it to me signed next week.

That’s it for now!  It is looking like a really cold weekend ahead of us.  Brrrr!  Hopefully the cold will be an advantage for the Bears in their game this Sunday, and they can win!  Be careful out there with any holiday shopping your find yourself doing, as the malls have been crazy busy.  I wish you all a wonderful weekend and remember to keep your child reading!

Mrs. Sarah Adkins