Parents:
Yet another week has flown by! Where does the time go?
We will begin our week with Halloween festivities and then get back to our normal routine on Tuesday.
This is what's going on this week in the content areas:
Reading-On Monday, the students will be sharing their spooky stories that they wrote during reading. Tuesday, we will begin a story from our reading book entitled, We Will Never Forget You, Roberto Clemente. We will focus on vocabulary development, scan and run reading strategy, utilizing graphic organizers and outlining. There will be a test on this story at the end of the week.
Flex.-This week in flex., we will be focusing on non-fiction text. The students will participate in a variety of activities, some of which include reading for information, answering open-ended questions, using the scan and run reading strategy, and completing graphic organizers.
Writing-We will re-introduce the 4-square graphic organizer. I will be modeling a writing piece on a 4-square and, later in the week, the students will be completing their own. Also, we will continue to discuss Harris Burdick and finish up our wordless book activities.
Math Accel.-We are on lesson 3.5 currently and the students will be taking a short quiz on Thursday covering the first five lessons from Unit 3.
Social Studies-The students will continue and complete their colony projects by week's end. On Friday, the students will be presenting information on their colonies to the class. The students have worked very hard in their groups and the presentations should be excellent.
Have a great week!
~Mrs. Bennick
Picture
Asheville, North Carolina
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Report Cards
Parents:
Report cards went home this past Friday. Please sign and return the report card jacket. I do not need the actual report card returned.
Thank you!!
Report cards went home this past Friday. Please sign and return the report card jacket. I do not need the actual report card returned.
Thank you!!
Halloween Reminder
Parents:
Monday is Halloween and we will be celebrating by having a parade and party. Students may come to school in their costumes, but any make-up or hair color/spray must be applied at home. Looking forward to a fun-filled afternoon! Prior to the party, the students will be sharing spooky stories that they have written and then they will vote for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from our classroom.
Monday is Halloween and we will be celebrating by having a parade and party. Students may come to school in their costumes, but any make-up or hair color/spray must be applied at home. Looking forward to a fun-filled afternoon! Prior to the party, the students will be sharing spooky stories that they have written and then they will vote for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from our classroom.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
5B News for the Week of October 24th
Here's what will be going on in 5B this week:
Reading-This week during reading, we will be using our Time For Kids magazines, wordless books, and our favorite picture books to form opinions and take a stance on a topic. Both fiction and non-fiction materials will be utilized.
Flex-In Flex. this week, we will also be using wordless books where we will be developing our oral language as well as written language skills. The students will have the opportunity to discuss several wordless books both in a whole group situation and in their smaller groups. The students will be writing their stories in their reading response journals.
Writing-Animal memoirs should have been completed last Friday. This week, we will continue to add overused words to our "dead book". The students will have the opportunity to use the laptops to search for synonyms for their overused words.
Math Accel.-We will continue working on Unit 3. Currently, we are on lesson 3.2 which focuses on general patterns with two variables and algebraic expressions.
Social Studies-Our colony project just got underway this past Friday. We will continue to develop this project over the next couple of weeks. The students are currently deciding on locations for their colonies and how to repay a charter of $3,000. I am excited to see the results!
Remember, report cards will go home this Friday, October 28th. Please remember to return the report card jacket signed.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Looking forward to another exciting week of learning!
~Mrs. Bennick
Reading-This week during reading, we will be using our Time For Kids magazines, wordless books, and our favorite picture books to form opinions and take a stance on a topic. Both fiction and non-fiction materials will be utilized.
Flex-In Flex. this week, we will also be using wordless books where we will be developing our oral language as well as written language skills. The students will have the opportunity to discuss several wordless books both in a whole group situation and in their smaller groups. The students will be writing their stories in their reading response journals.
Writing-Animal memoirs should have been completed last Friday. This week, we will continue to add overused words to our "dead book". The students will have the opportunity to use the laptops to search for synonyms for their overused words.
Math Accel.-We will continue working on Unit 3. Currently, we are on lesson 3.2 which focuses on general patterns with two variables and algebraic expressions.
Social Studies-Our colony project just got underway this past Friday. We will continue to develop this project over the next couple of weeks. The students are currently deciding on locations for their colonies and how to repay a charter of $3,000. I am excited to see the results!
Remember, report cards will go home this Friday, October 28th. Please remember to return the report card jacket signed.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Looking forward to another exciting week of learning!
~Mrs. Bennick
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Halloween Information
May Watts Elementary School
800 Whispering
Hills Drive
Hills Drive
Phone: 630 428-6700
Dear Parents,
On Monday, October 31, May Watts School
The PTA will sponsor room parties for the children. The parties will run from:
Kindergarten -
Children must be in attendance throughout the day in order to participate in the parade and party.
Children will be permitted to wear costumes and clothing to school that does not interfere with physical education, lunch, and outdoor recess. Accessories (props, masks, etc.) need to be carried to school in a bag and will be permitted to be used and/or worn for the parade only. Since it will be the responsibility of your child to dress himself/herself, please consider this when choosing his/her costume.
If your child will require make-up or colored hair spray for his/her costume, please apply the make-up or spray at home prior to sending him/her to school. No make-up or spray should be brought to school. Costumes should be appropriate in taste for elementary school children with no adult or violent themes, and not so big as to cause problems walking in halls or through doors. Children should be able to see adequately so as not to have an accident. Anything resembling a weapon (gun, sword, knife, sticks, etc.) should be left at home.
The PTA will be providing the students with cupcakes and a Capri Sun during the party. The cupcakes are from * Whole Foods Market in Naperville
If your child is unable to have the treat provided because of allergies, please send the school nurse a note informing us of this. You are asked to provide your child with a treat that he/she can have if they have allergies to the cupcakes being served.
Please do not send in any other treats for the classrooms because of possible food allergies. Treats brought to school will be sent home.
Finally, alternative activities will be planned for children whose families choose not to participate in this event beginning at Please contact Mr. Raczak through email in order that appropriate activities can be arranged. His email is: mike_raczak@ipsd.org.
With the excitement of Halloween, please emphasize the need for safety to and from school.
The May
*The May Watts PTA would like to thank Whole Foods for partnering with the PTA. Whole Foods offered a tremendous price break in order to provide our children with a healthier, more natural and delectable party treat.
Robert Crown Parent Information Meetings
MAY WATTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
800 S. Whispering Hills Drive
Naperville, Illinois 60540
Phone: 630 428-6700
FAX: 630 428-6701
October 18, 2011
Dear Parents/Guardians:
IndianPrairieSchool District #204 will host a parents’ orientation to our fifth grade health unit on Human Growth and Development. For your convenience, we have scheduled two dates. Please feel free to attend any one of the sessions as follows:
Thursday, November 17, 2011 Wednesday, November 30, 2011
7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
Brooks Elementary School Patterson Elementary School
2700 Stonebridge Boulevard 3731 Lawrence Drive
Aurora, IL 60502 Naperville, IL 60564
(Stonebridge Subdivision; (Ashbury Subdivision;
West off of Eola Rd.) North off of 104th St. onto Lawrence Dr.)
This unit includes, as part of its material, a visit by our students to the Robert Crown Health Center in Hinsdale.
At the health center, students have a presentation on the growth changes that are about to begin in their bodies with the onset of puberty. They also will see a twenty-minute film on human growth and development.
The purpose of the parents’ meeting is to inform you of the material your child will be seeing and to answer any questions you might have about the Robert Crown student visitation. If you have any questions about this unit or about the meeting, please contact me. I hope you will be able to attend one of the sessions.
Sincerely,
Michael Raczak
Saturday, October 15, 2011
5B News for the Week of October 17th
Hello Parents:
I can't believe that we are already halfway through October. The days are flying by. The weather has turned cooler, so please have your child bring in a light jacket or hoodie to wear for outdoor recess.
The fifth grade classes participated in a Poetry Cafe yesterday. All of the participants did an incredible job! It is amazing what this fifth grade class is capable of.
Here's what the upcoming week will look like:
Reading- This week in reading we will be focusing on a story from our reading textbook entitled, Dear Mrs. Parks. We will focus on vocabulary, character traits, and extended response. We will be taking a comprehension test at week's end.
Flex.- During flex this week, we will discuss colonial times, which corresponds with our social studies unit.
We will read a book about colonial times and each group will be responsible for summarizing their portion of the book. Also, we will focus on the main idea and supporting details. The students will do a think-write-share activity. Our goal will be to work on reading for meaning.
Writing- The students just completed their personal memoirs. They have now begun writing a memoir from their animals' point of view. We hope to finish these memoirs by the end of the week. In addition to this, we will be making a book of "Dead Words". This will be a synonym book which will focus on using synonyms for words that are used much to frequently. For example, the word "happy" is used frequently. A better choice of word could be "joyful."
Math- We have finished Unit 2 and the students will be receiving their study guides on Monday. The Unit 2 test will be this Thursday. I will be reviewing a couple of concepts on Monday that were difficult in the last lesson.
Social Studies- We have a lot going on in social studies this week! First, the Chapter 4 & 5 test will be this Thursday. There will be no study guide, as the test will be open book. We have been studying colonies these past couple of weeks, therefore, the other fifth grade teachers and I thought that having the students create their own colony would be a great culminating activity. We will start this group activity mid-week. The students should have a lot of fun with it. Basically, each group will be given a charter. They will be responsible for discussing how best to use this charter along with developing a plan for repaying it. They will be naming their colony, developing a flag for it, discussing the areas' natural resources, climate, geography, etc. This is a creative group of students. I can't wait to see what they come up with.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
~Mrs. Bennick
I can't believe that we are already halfway through October. The days are flying by. The weather has turned cooler, so please have your child bring in a light jacket or hoodie to wear for outdoor recess.
The fifth grade classes participated in a Poetry Cafe yesterday. All of the participants did an incredible job! It is amazing what this fifth grade class is capable of.
Here's what the upcoming week will look like:
Reading- This week in reading we will be focusing on a story from our reading textbook entitled, Dear Mrs. Parks. We will focus on vocabulary, character traits, and extended response. We will be taking a comprehension test at week's end.
Flex.- During flex this week, we will discuss colonial times, which corresponds with our social studies unit.
We will read a book about colonial times and each group will be responsible for summarizing their portion of the book. Also, we will focus on the main idea and supporting details. The students will do a think-write-share activity. Our goal will be to work on reading for meaning.
Writing- The students just completed their personal memoirs. They have now begun writing a memoir from their animals' point of view. We hope to finish these memoirs by the end of the week. In addition to this, we will be making a book of "Dead Words". This will be a synonym book which will focus on using synonyms for words that are used much to frequently. For example, the word "happy" is used frequently. A better choice of word could be "joyful."
Math- We have finished Unit 2 and the students will be receiving their study guides on Monday. The Unit 2 test will be this Thursday. I will be reviewing a couple of concepts on Monday that were difficult in the last lesson.
Social Studies- We have a lot going on in social studies this week! First, the Chapter 4 & 5 test will be this Thursday. There will be no study guide, as the test will be open book. We have been studying colonies these past couple of weeks, therefore, the other fifth grade teachers and I thought that having the students create their own colony would be a great culminating activity. We will start this group activity mid-week. The students should have a lot of fun with it. Basically, each group will be given a charter. They will be responsible for discussing how best to use this charter along with developing a plan for repaying it. They will be naming their colony, developing a flag for it, discussing the areas' natural resources, climate, geography, etc. This is a creative group of students. I can't wait to see what they come up with.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
~Mrs. Bennick
Saturday, October 8, 2011
5B News for the Week of October 10th
Parents:
Welcome to another week in 5B. Just as a reminder, there will be no school on Monday, October 10th, due to Columbus Day. Also, there is a half day of school on Wednesday, October 12th, due to teacher in-service. Dismissal will be at 12:15 on Wednesday.
Check out my previous post about meeting our new Kindergarten buddies. We enjoyed spending time with Mrs. Peterson's wonderful students. We look forward to our next visit next month.
Here's what's going on this week in 5B...
Reading- We will have some mini lessons on onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, hyperboles, idioms, and personification to prepare us for our poetry study that we will be starting this week. The students will be listening to and performing poems with their peers. At week's end, we will choose three groups from our room to represent us at the Poetry Cafe in Mr. Schumann's room on Friday.
Flex- We will also be working on poetry during flex. time and we will write our own "I am" poems to share.
Writing- We will be finishing our memoirs this week. Some students have already finished and they are excellent! There are still a few students who need to conference with me and write their "good copy". All memoirs should be completed by Wednesday. Also, we will continue our work with memoirs but from a different point of view. All students will be asked to bring in their favorite stuffed animal and we will be writing memoirs from the animals' point of view. The books, Memoirs of a Goldfish and The Secret World of Teddy Bears will be used to introduce this activity.
Math Accel.- We have just about finished up lesson 2.8 and will begin lesson 2.9 on Tuesday. My plan is to finish lesson 2.9 by Friday since it is a short week. (no math on Monday or Wednesday afternoon)
Social Studies- We have finished Chapter 4 and will be starting Chapter 5 on Tuesday. We had an awesome discussion on Friday about the lost colony of Roanoke. What happened to that colony? Our theories were very interesting. We will continue to discuss Roanake and move forward to Jamestown. Also, we are planning a fun project based on colonial life and coming to a new world. At this time, we are building background knowledge which will allow the students to fully understand how colonies came to be.
Enjoy this gorgeous weather!!!
~Mrs. Bennick
Welcome to another week in 5B. Just as a reminder, there will be no school on Monday, October 10th, due to Columbus Day. Also, there is a half day of school on Wednesday, October 12th, due to teacher in-service. Dismissal will be at 12:15 on Wednesday.
Check out my previous post about meeting our new Kindergarten buddies. We enjoyed spending time with Mrs. Peterson's wonderful students. We look forward to our next visit next month.
Here's what's going on this week in 5B...
Reading- We will have some mini lessons on onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, hyperboles, idioms, and personification to prepare us for our poetry study that we will be starting this week. The students will be listening to and performing poems with their peers. At week's end, we will choose three groups from our room to represent us at the Poetry Cafe in Mr. Schumann's room on Friday.
Flex- We will also be working on poetry during flex. time and we will write our own "I am" poems to share.
Writing- We will be finishing our memoirs this week. Some students have already finished and they are excellent! There are still a few students who need to conference with me and write their "good copy". All memoirs should be completed by Wednesday. Also, we will continue our work with memoirs but from a different point of view. All students will be asked to bring in their favorite stuffed animal and we will be writing memoirs from the animals' point of view. The books, Memoirs of a Goldfish and The Secret World of Teddy Bears will be used to introduce this activity.
Math Accel.- We have just about finished up lesson 2.8 and will begin lesson 2.9 on Tuesday. My plan is to finish lesson 2.9 by Friday since it is a short week. (no math on Monday or Wednesday afternoon)
Social Studies- We have finished Chapter 4 and will be starting Chapter 5 on Tuesday. We had an awesome discussion on Friday about the lost colony of Roanoke. What happened to that colony? Our theories were very interesting. We will continue to discuss Roanake and move forward to Jamestown. Also, we are planning a fun project based on colonial life and coming to a new world. At this time, we are building background knowledge which will allow the students to fully understand how colonies came to be.
Enjoy this gorgeous weather!!!
~Mrs. Bennick
Calling All Favorite Stuffed Animals!!!!
Parents & Students:
This upcoming week, we plan to continue our study of memoirs from a different point of view....the viewpoint of your favorite animal! We will introduce this lesson by reading the books, Memoirs of a Golfish and The Secret World of Teddy Bears. Plan to bring in your favorite stuffed animals on Wednesday.
This upcoming week, we plan to continue our study of memoirs from a different point of view....the viewpoint of your favorite animal! We will introduce this lesson by reading the books, Memoirs of a Golfish and The Secret World of Teddy Bears. Plan to bring in your favorite stuffed animals on Wednesday.
Dismissal Time for Wednesday, October 12th is 12:15
Parents:
Due to Wednesday's late start, dismissal time on Wednesday will be at 12:15.
Due to Wednesday's late start, dismissal time on Wednesday will be at 12:15.
5B/KP Book Buddies Have Begun!
5B enjoyed a visit from our Kindergarten book buddies yesterday. It was our first meeting, and both Kindergarten & 5th grade students seemed to value the time that they spent with their new friend. We plan to visit Mrs. Peterson's room next time in about a month. Our goal is to touch base with our buddies once per month.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
5B News for the Week of October 3rd
Parents:
I hope that all of you had the opportunity to get outside and enjoy this beautiful Fall weather that we are having.
Here's what's going on this week in 5B:
REMINDER: Track & Field Day is tomorrow, Monday, October 3rd from 9:20-10:30. Please dress appropriately and bring a water bottle.
Reading-This week in reading we will be working on non-fiction material which will include reading from our Time For Kids magazines. Our focus will be on building vocabulary, making inferences, and cause and effect skills.
Flex-Flex groups will start this week. Many of the students will be switching to a different class during Flex. Our focus will include making connections to the real world, short story work, and making inferences.
Writing-During writing we will continue to develop our memoirs. Last week, the students listened to several short memoirs during read aloud. Last Friday, they started their own special memory map, or visual, of a special memory they have. On Monday, they will continue to work on this visual and will begin their rough draft writing.
Math Accel.-We are moving right along in Unit 2. Last Friday, we started lesson 2.5. We will finish 2.5 on Monday and continue on. We will be having a short quiz later this week or early next week on some of the concepts learned in Unit 2 so far.
Social Studies-We will continue the exploration of North America this week. Our focus will be on who came, why they came, and what it led to. We will also be honing in on our map skills. We will discuss longitude and latitude and how maps and globes differ.
Looking forward to another great week!!
Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day!
~Mrs. Bennick
I hope that all of you had the opportunity to get outside and enjoy this beautiful Fall weather that we are having.
Here's what's going on this week in 5B:
REMINDER: Track & Field Day is tomorrow, Monday, October 3rd from 9:20-10:30. Please dress appropriately and bring a water bottle.
Reading-This week in reading we will be working on non-fiction material which will include reading from our Time For Kids magazines. Our focus will be on building vocabulary, making inferences, and cause and effect skills.
Flex-Flex groups will start this week. Many of the students will be switching to a different class during Flex. Our focus will include making connections to the real world, short story work, and making inferences.
Writing-During writing we will continue to develop our memoirs. Last week, the students listened to several short memoirs during read aloud. Last Friday, they started their own special memory map, or visual, of a special memory they have. On Monday, they will continue to work on this visual and will begin their rough draft writing.
Math Accel.-We are moving right along in Unit 2. Last Friday, we started lesson 2.5. We will finish 2.5 on Monday and continue on. We will be having a short quiz later this week or early next week on some of the concepts learned in Unit 2 so far.
Social Studies-We will continue the exploration of North America this week. Our focus will be on who came, why they came, and what it led to. We will also be honing in on our map skills. We will discuss longitude and latitude and how maps and globes differ.
Looking forward to another great week!!
Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day!
~Mrs. Bennick
Picture Day is Coming!
Parents:
Please mark your calendars for picture day at Watts. It is this Thursday, October 6th. Please dress your best and bring your smile! Also, do not forget to bring in your picture order form.
Mrs. Bennick
Please mark your calendars for picture day at Watts. It is this Thursday, October 6th. Please dress your best and bring your smile! Also, do not forget to bring in your picture order form.
Mrs. Bennick
New Reading Incentive Program
Hello Parents:
Please check out Mrs. May's new reading incentive program. The information is on her blog at mwlmc.blogspot.com. The students just need to read twenty minutes per night to earn a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!
Happy Reading!
Please check out Mrs. May's new reading incentive program. The information is on her blog at mwlmc.blogspot.com. The students just need to read twenty minutes per night to earn a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!
Happy Reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)