Literacy News for Week of Feb. 28-March 4

Literacy News:

Week of February 28-March 4

The new word wall words for this week are:
1. than
2. keep
3. listen
4. shirt
5. awesome

Reading Goals:
We will continue discussing how characters' actions and what they say help us learn more about them. We will be ending our unit on analyzing characters this week.
We will also start a unit on identifying facts from opinions. We will be reading and discussing what are facts and opinions as we read several fiction and non-fiction books and short passages.

Language Goals:
This week students will continue practicing the use of quotation marks. As part of our Writing Unit: Conventions, students will also review their knowledge of the use of commas, and they'll learn and list where commas are needed in their writing.

Writing Goals:
This week students will put together what they know about writing conventions. They will be writing a story: using commas and quotation marks correctly, clear and complete sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation. This writing piece ties up wonderfully with our reading focus: analyzing character traits. Students will show how their main character is by how he/she acts and says, giving a clear picture of the character's traits throughout their story.

News/Announcements:
* We are close the end of the 3rd quarter. This quarter ends on March 10. Please make sure your child is completing all the homework and encourage him/her to continue working hard. The last quarter is as important as any other. They need to hang in there and show their best!

Thank you,
Lila Paredes

MATH\SOCIAL STUDIES\SCIENCE FEB 28 - MAR 4, 2011

MATH: This week the class will be working with area and volume. On Thursday, March 3rd there will be a test covering both areas. Corresponding pages in the old green math text are pages 343-347. On Wednesday, March 2nd our weekly math test will be dividing by 5.

SOCIAL STUDIES: The class will concentrate on organizing data: pictographs, tally marks and bar graphs. On Friday, March 4th, the class will be tested. For review, this information is in the old green math text pages 26-31. In the new Math Concepts text the pages are 515-539. Either text can be used.

Have a great week,

Kathy Vega

LITERACY NEWS: WEEK OF FEB. 21-25

Literacy News: February 21-25

The new word wall words are:
1. type
2. piece
3. peace
4. just
5. crazy
The test will be on Friday, Feb. 25. Please remember to review all word wall words on a regular basis. The Language focus on this test will be the use of quotations.


Language Goals:
This week we will work on practicing how to use quotations in their writing. As a reference, they will use a poster with a list of rules or tips for using quotations that students have written. As a reference you may see the Language book pgs: 420-421.


Reading Goals:
This week we will continue working on analyzing the character/s in a story based on how they act, what they do, say, and by looking at the illustrations. Students will have a test on analyzing characters this Thursday, Feb. 24.

Writing Goals:
We are focusing on the 6th writing trait: Conventions. We are reviewing different Language rules that we apply in our writing such as writing complete and clear sentences and avoiding run on sentences in our writing. Students will also be practicing writing dialogues between characters in a story showing correct use of quotation marks. Also, students will pick a character trait and write a short story where they (the authors) will show the reader what the character is like by what he/she says and does in the story. This ties very nicely with analyzing the characters.

News/Announcements:
*This Friday/Feb 25 will be a color's day for Lps. 5. If your child would like to buy an ice cone from Moto Minutas, please send an additional Lps. 15 so he/she can receive their snow cone on Friday.

Thank you,
Mrs. Lila Paredes

MATH\SOCIAL STUDIES\SCIENCE FEB 21-25, 2011

MATH: This week we will continue the geometry unit: 2 dimensional figures, congruency, slides, flips and turns. The class will be tested on Thursday, February 24th. This test will also include perimeter. To review, in the new Math Concepts see pages 472, 484, 392. In the old green Math book: pages 330, 331, 340, 341.

On Wednesday, February 23rd our time test will be divide by 4.

SOCIAL STUDIES: To finish our map unit, the students will be creating an original map this week which includes a map key with 5 to 7 symbols, a compass rose and 5 direction statements.

Have a great week,

Kathy Vega

Literacy News: Week of Feb. 14-18, 2011

Literacy News: Week of February 14-18

The new word wall words are:
1. surprise
2. better
3. speak
4. spread
5. whose
The word wall test will be on Friday/Feb. 18. The language focus will be the correct usage and spelling of pronoun-verb contractions and possessive pronouns: you're, they're, it's, and your, their and its.

Language Goals:
This week we will be working on distinguishing between the pronoun-verb contractions: you're, they're, and it's, and the possessive pronouns: your, their, and its. Students often have mistaken their use because of the similarities between the words. You may use the Language book pgs: 338-339 as a review and reference.
Students will also be learning how to use quotation marks. They will read and observe how authors use them, and then they will list the rules for using quotation marks in their writing. This list will become a class chart for them to refer to when they use quotation marks in their writing.

Reading Goals:
We will be reading several stories where students will be analyzing the characters. They will tell what they are like by what they say and do in the story and by how the author and illustrator portrays them.

Writing Goals:
We are beginning the 6th (and last) writing trait: Conventions. Students review language rules taught so far ( types of sentences, punctuation, capitalization rules, etc...) and they will learn how to use quotation marks and commas correctly in their writing. We will spend the rest of the month reviewing and teaching language conventions, before the final assessment of this trait.

News/Announcements
1. Valentine's Day is a free colors day! Students may come to school wearing Valentine's Day colors: red, white, pink, purple. Remember to bring a card and treat to share with all the classmates.
2. Yearbook pictures will be taken this Thursday, Feb. 17. Please make sure your children look good and that they wear the correct uniform.
3. Progress reports go home on Monday/Feb. 14 Please send them back signed the following day.

Thank you,
Lila Paredes

MATH\SOCIAL STUDIES\SCIENCE FEB 14-18, 2011

MATH: This week we will continue to concentrate on our Geometry unit: solids (cube, rectanglar prism, cone, pyramid, cylinder, sphere), faces, edges, vertex, symmetry, right angles, per pendicular and parallel lines. There will be a test on Thursday. Correspond text pages are Scott Foresman Math pages 321-338 and Math Connects pages 467-491.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Next week we will work with using a scale to measure distance on a map. We will also be looking at different types of maps (population, physical and product). On Friday, there will be a maps test covering this area.

PLATO RESULTS: On Monday, Feb. 14th your child's Plato scores will be sent home. To help you understand the results we have posted the information letter below. It will be necessary to read this letter which explains the scoring for your child.

Have a great week

Kathy Vega

Valentine's Day News:

Next Monday, Feb 14 we will be celebrating love and friendship in school. This week, all students must work on decorating a Valentine's Day box (shoe box or similar box) with Valentine's pictures and/or colors: red, purple, pink , or/ and white). Please bring the box on Monday/Feb. 14. On this special day, everyone should bring a candy/treat with a card to share with each classmate. Cards may be bought, hand-made or computer made! It's a great time to get creative!

Literacy News: Week of Feb.7-11, 2011

Literacy News: Feb 7-11

This week we will only have 4 new word wall words:

1. receive

2. believe

3. might

4. tiny

Students will learn the rule that i goes before e, except after c: Examples: receive and believe

The word wall test will be given on Thursday, Feb 10 because we have Friday off.

Reading Goals:

We will continue working very hard finding cause-effect relationships in stories and real life situations. The students will have a test on cause and effect this Thursday/Feb 10.

Language Goals:

This week students will learn what are pronoun-verb contractions. A contraction is a shorter way of writing 2 words, so a pronoun-verb contraction is made up by a pronoun and a verb: Example: they are = they're

As a reference you may see the Language Book pgs. 336-337

Writing Goals:

Students will be creating a cause and effect table where they will be adding at least 4 cause-effect relationships from the read aloud story.

They will also be learning about the 6 magic words/phrases: please, thank-you, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and excuse me. We will introduce the use of quotation marks as students learn about these.

Announcements/News

1. This Friday is a holiday! (Winter Break) Enjoy the long weekend!!

2. Cookie Grams will be sold all week. This is an activity where students may send a Valentine Cookie to a friend or cousin in the Elementary. The cost is Lps: 20 This Valentine's Day activity is sponsored by the 5th graders in order to raise funds to help Casitas Kennedy.

3. Progress reports will go home next Monday/February 14.

Thank you,

Mrs. Lila Paredes

MATH\SOCIAL STUDIES\SCIENCE FEB 7-11, 2011

MATH: This week the class will be counting Honduran coins. We will have a division test on Wednesday, February 9th on /2. Remember, you can practice at http://www.fun4thebrain.com/

SOCIAL STUDIES: The class is concentrating on reading a variety of maps. On Tuesday and Thursday tests will be given on maps of Honduras. On Tuesday, the class will read and interpret the symbols in a map key and locate the compass rose. On Thursday, the class will work on cardinal and intermediate directions (north, northeast, northwest, south, southeast, southwest) and distance scale. The class may look in their notebooks to refresh their memories.

Have a great week,

Kathy Vegga