Your child's Spring MAP scores will be ready for distribution this Thursday. Parents have the option of personally picking up their child's scores at the front office anytime during the day on Thursday, May 22nd. Any reports that are not picked up on Thursday will be sent home via backpack mail on Tuesday, May 27th, since there is no school on Friday. Any questions, please refer to the office staff.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Thank You Everyone!
A BIG THANKS goes out to everyone in our class that helped to make my birthday on Friday so special! One of Westgate's second grade teachers took my class on a "secret mission" to make me fun bday banners and a book. Afterwards, two of our secret parent elves (aka: Mrs. Petrusonis and Mrs. Silvestri) surprised me with my absolute favorite chocolate cake from Portillos and a class gift. Wow! What a lucky teacher I am to have you all in my life! Many thanks!
Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip
All of the 3rd Graders had a blast attending the Museum of Science and Industry! We would like to thank our chaperones, Mrs. Petrusonis, Mr. Von Oesen, Mrs. Kaeseberg, Mr. O'Keeffe, and Mrs. Riley, for taking the time out of their busy schedules to help assist our field trip goers. We had such a fun day! Enjoy the pics.
Monday, April 14, 2014
A Message from Food Services......
To the Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of School District 25 Elementary Student(s):
It is your responsibility to monitor your student(s) lunch account balance(s) using an on-line account at www.mymealtime.com. The ID number needed to add each student to your account is the same number students use as a “server password” to log on to school computers. There is no cost for setting up an account. Only if you decide to pay on line is there a fee. You are always welcome to send in checks to your child’s school to add funds to your child’s lunch account.
If you have any questions about how to set up an account, please refer to the district website at www.sd25.org, select departments and then food service. On the food service home page select pre payment options. If you need additional assistance please call the Food Service office at 847-758-4883.
Starting April 16th the District will be using an automated phone message to let you know when your child’s account is negative more than $2.65. Calls will be made between 8:00 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. Once your child has a negative account balance in excess of $7.95, they will be called to the office and given an alternate meal. When adding money to your child’s account online there is a twenty-four (24) hour delay in the money showing up in the account. You must print your confirmation letter or send a check with your child to school to avoid the alternative lunch. Alternative lunches are the same price as the regular lunch and will meet nutritional guidelines.
If your family is experiencing financial difficulty, please complete an application to see if you would qualify for free or reduced price meals. Applications are available on the District 25 website or from the office at your child’s school.
Sincerely,
Coletta Hines Newell
Director of Food Services
Thursday, April 10, 2014
It's Math Workshop Time!
Many of your students may have come home this week discussing how math in our class is now structured a little bit differently in our room. I'm now incorporating Unit 8 (Fractions) of Everyday Math with a new model called "Math Workshop". Some of you may have heard the term "Guided Math". It is structured very similarly to the concept of Guided Reading that I utilize during literacy time.
Before a unit starts, your student is given a pre-test over the upcoming unit to determine concepts that your child already has mastered and ones that I need to reinforce with them. Based off of the pre-test, I place your child in an appropriate guided math group with similar students working at their same ability level.
Before a unit starts, your student is given a pre-test over the upcoming unit to determine concepts that your child already has mastered and ones that I need to reinforce with them. Based off of the pre-test, I place your child in an appropriate guided math group with similar students working at their same ability level.
The beginning of our math time starts off with a whole group "mini-lesson" that focuses on the math concepts for the day. Afterwards, your student is placed with their guided math groups for more in-depth practice of the whole group skills. Depending upon the group your child has been placed in, some students work on reinforcement skills if I felt they could use more practice in an area, while others work on enrichment skills if I believe that they could use an additional challenge in a particular area.
The groups rotate through stations utilizing the following stations:
1. Meet With Teacher: Students work on journal pages with teacher involving reinforcement or enrichment skills.
2. Math Fact Practice: Students work with a partner to practice their multi./div. facts and take a time test.
3. Technology: Each individual students works in Khanacademy.org or other online game focusing on the topic at hand.
4. Supplemental Activity: Students are given group reinforcement or enrichment supplemental activities.
After each station, students are asked to reflect upon their time at each station. Each day I look at their reflections and progress with their journal, Khan Academy, and supplemental activity to determine additional reinforcement or enrichment activities for the next session.
Homework will still remain the same with the students having a Homelink page to complete. Those students that qualified for the enrichment groups are given supplemental challenge Homelinks.
Over the past few days the kids have been loving the new model and cannot wait for math time! From a teacher standpoint, this new model allows me to work more individually with students that are struggling with a particular concept. While at the same time, it also provides more of a challenge for students that need enrichment activities in a particular area. Hopefully this success will continue and we can utilize this model with upcoming units throughout the rest of the year! :)
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Our Spring Break Adventures
Alex and his friend Lily had fun soaking up the sun and swimming in sunny Sanibel Island, Florida. Look at the beautiful palm trees swaying in the background.
Anthony went to the Museum of Science and Industry over Spring Break. WATCH OUT for big sharks!!!!
Natalie had a wonderful time visiting the Chicago Art Institute. Here she is observing the "American Gothic" painting. So cool!
Caroline caught a queen lady fish while visiting friends in Clearwater, Florida. Amazing!
Caroline is enjoying some ice cream with her brothers and sister. Mmmm....delicious!
Caroline went to a spring training game of the Boston Red Sox. She got a ball from Dustin Pedroia. Wooohoo!
Aidan is having a blast inside a jet at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
JJ at the Heinz History Center's Sports Museum (Pittsburgh is a HUGE sports town)
On his birthday, Emilio was able to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children. What a generous thing to do!
Emilio and his sister had a wonderful time at Orbit Skate Center. Check out his moves!
Kay and her family had a spectacular time visiting beautiful Can Cun, Mexico! She's having fun sipping a cool drink and playing life size Jenga! Check out the crystal blue water in the background.
Zachary & his brother Liam doing slot car racing. What a blast!
Zachary indoor go carting. He even climbed a rock wall. Pretty fun day!
Mrs. Hynek's daughter Alyssa having fun at the Bulls Game!
The Hynek family had a wonderful day playing at the new Dave and Busters. (Pictured is Mrs. Hynek's son Brayden).
The Hynek Crew had fun filled day visiting the Museum of Science and Industry with Grandma and Grandpa Meli. They were in town visiting from Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Classroom Snapshot of Events
February and March have proven to be such busy times in Room 116! How is it possible that all these winter months have slipped away from us and we only have one more week until Spring Break?
As a reminder, due to the make-up snow days, school will be in session this Thursday, March 20th and Friday, March 21st. Spring Break runs from March 24-28th and we return back to school on Monday, March 31st. ISAT Testing is now officially over and we're back in the normal routine of learning this week. Wooohooo! Here's a little snapshot of what we've been covering in class:
Literacy:
Throughout the past month, the students have been working on the comprehension strategies of story structure, cause and effect, making inferences, sequencing of events, comparing and contrasting, and making and confirming predictions. Moreover, during vocabulary time, we have been working on the concepts of idioms and multiple-meaning words.
This month, all students started a new novel and are having fun participating in Literature Circles. During Lit. Circle time, each student put into a novel group suitable to their guided reading level. Independently, your child is assigned a chapter to read in their novel. Afterwards, each member of the group is assigned a particular job to perform that goes along with their reading.
Additionally, the students have been working hard with learning how to compose an extended response question to short passages that they have read. Moreover, we spent some time before taking our ISAT's to review various test taking strategies when given a comprehensive question.
During Grammar time, the students have been focusing on action verbs that involve present-tense, past-tense, future-tense concepts. In addition, we have been studying irregular verbs, verbs of being, linking verbs, and verbs using contractions.
Writing:
The students are really completing Unit 2 in our WEX Writing Program entitled "Response to Literature". At the beginning of the unit, together we read the book called Maria Isabel. Now we are taking excerpts from the book and learning how to describe and write about the character traits of the main characters. We are also having fun writing about particular moments in time that the characters have had to endure and comparing them to our own personal lives and situations. Throughout the lessons, the students continue to learn how to utilize the concepts of focus, details, and sentence mechanics to enhance their journal entries. This week students will be writing a final piece in conclusion of our unit.
Math:
Our class recently completed Unit 6 that involved geometry. The students learned about lines, segments, rays, parallel and intersecting lines. Additionally, we were able to explore various concepts involving triangles, quadrangles, polygons, angles and turns, and symmetry.
Last week we just started to dive into Unit 7 of math that focuses on multiplication and division facts and strategies and concepts. It is important to have your student continue to review their math facts that they have been assigned to online at home in Xtramath.org.
Social Studies:
Over the past month, the students have been exploring Illinois History. Our unit started off with students being divided into one of the following Illinois Native American groups: Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, Late Prehistoric, and Illinois Native Americans. Each group was then asked to take notes and record their research in an online Googledoc. Our new LMC director, Mrs. Mika, has been helping our class with learning how to take notes accurately, efficiently, and rephrasing in their own words. Currently, from their notes, each student has to produce a poster of their Native American findings in an app called "Pic Collage". Our posters will be on display to teach other classroom members about our findings. This week, as a whole class, we continue to dive into our Illinois textbooks to learn more about the history of our state after the Native Americans were pushed out of their territories.
A BIG THANK YOU goes to all of our parent classroom volunteers:
I would like to thank Mrs. Silvestri, Mrs. Rogers, and Mrs. Murray for planning and implementing a spectacular sundae bar, art project, and game to play at our party. We would also like to thank Mrs. Ciccone, Mrs. Freels Von Oesen, Mrs. Osterlund, and Mrs. Riley for their assistance with these room moms at the wonderful party! Your time and energy is invaluable!
We would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Murray, Mr. and Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Silvestri, Mrs. Osterlund, Mrs. Petrusonis, and Mrs. Berg for coming in to assist with our Reader's Theater groups.
I certainly appreciate Mrs. Ciccone, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Petrusonis, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Silvestri, and Mrs. Barnett for coming in to make copies for our class too. I know that sometimes it is a battle with that machine and we greatly appreciate your time!
I personally cannot thank Mrs. Petrusonis, Mrs. Rogers, and Mrs. Silvestri for coming in to take inventory and organize our Science bins!
A big thanks goes out to Mrs. Riley for posting our idiom projects outside in our hallway!
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