South Holland School District 150

EXCEEDING THE LIMITS!

Attention All Parents...
We have had several parents ask whether we will still accept late field trip payments.  Because we want as many of our students to attend as possible, we are allowing students to pay by Friday, May 9.  We will also be sending forms for Field Day and Field Trip t-shirt orders.  (These orders are optional.)  Check your child's Friday folder for more details.
Please be aware that we want Field Day to be an enjoyable experience for everyone. That is why we want students to work hard leading up to this event.  We are watching closely to make sure students are obeying school rules, completing work on time, and being respectful at all times. Students who do can plan to enjoy a full day of fun and games to celebrate the end of the year.  I will be using a chart to keep track of how well students are making progress towards these goals. We want to end the year as well as we started.  Furthermore, several students who misbehaved during the Project Aces walk have already been warned about not being able to participate in Field Day. Our goal is to reward hard work and good choices.

Welcome Back!
It feels like we never left for spring Break.  We are moving full speed ahead into our final full month of school.  I have been reminding students that this is actually the most important time to buckle down academically.  Students have a tendency to stop turning in work on time or to study less because the warmer weather is back, but this is the month that we actually look at the data (test scores, grades, work habits, performance compared to the previous year) to determine whether students have made adequate growth.  We also look for ways to promote learning throughout the summer months.  These weeks are too important to be slack about the quality of work.  I appreciate your support in my endeavor to challenge students to do the best job they possibly can.
Important reminders:  This week is the deadline for payments to attend the Irons Oaks trip.  We encourage on line payments using the e-pay link on our website.  Students with unpaid school fees cannot attend any Field trips or Field Day activities unless the school fees are paid.

Spring is here- snow and all!  We couldn't be happier.  As we prepare for Spring Break, there are some very important reminders, namely:  
1.Payments for our Irons Oaks Field Trip ($60) may be made using our e-pay system or in person by stopping at the Main Office; 
2.We are in need of volunteers for Field Day (June 2);
3.Please restock your students' school supplies (index cards, loose leaf paper, and spiral notebooks) during break.

It was great to see so many of you out for Parent-Teacher Conferences!  I know that fourth quarter is going to be great just based upon the number of involved and supportive parents we saw last week.  There is much to cover in this last quarter to make sure our students are more than ready for sixth grade.  With your help, it can be done.  Therefore, as many of you heard me say, I am combining Science chapters 14 and 15 as they both deal with energy.  We will explore many related topics such as electricity, clean energy, natural resources, and Earth Day.  We will also do more with students' designing machines, creating maps of electric circuits, and participating in labs in preparation for their future involvement in sixth grade Science Fair.  I also expect to cover at least one more novel before the end of the school year.  Right now, we are covering Theme 5 in our Reading book, and we are ending Unit 8 in Math.  Please refer to our homework link for more information.
Don't forget the IRONS OAKS deposits can be made on line using e-pay.  Final payments are due by MAY 1.

Happy Tuesday!
Congrats to Xavier Jones, our VIP!  We are into our last quarter of the school year and are encouraging each of our students to bring their "A Game".  School is not about being the class clown or being cool.  It is about making academic progress.  That needs to be the first priority.  Therefore, the students who are likely candidates for VIP are those who are still putting forth their best effort to turn in quality work every time.  They are following directions the first time given, and they are active participants in our lessons.  That being said...the note you will receive this week is actually a great way to reinforce the behavior we expect from every student.  It is about our end-of-the-year field trip.  This field trip is to Irons Oaks Nature Center and is only for those students who have no suspensions and no more than 2 referrals.  We will visit the Nature Center on June 3.  We would like to bring our whole class, so good behavior is required.  The cost of the trip is $60.  Please look for more details in your child's folder this week.
Parents, please come out to Parent-Teacher Conferences this Thursday (4-8 PM) and Friday (9AM-Noon).  If for any reason you cannot attend conferences, please email me at [email protected]. 

This quarter is flying by.  Students have until the end of the day March 27 to take their last AR tests of the quarter.  Grades will then be updated to show their AR progress.  Students do not have to wait until then to show you their progress because they can view those reports just by logging in to Renaissance Learning.  Remember, 10 points are needed for an A-.  Furthermore, several tests are planned.  Please refer to the homework link on this page to know what students need to study to be well-prepared for these assessments.  Please note that there is no school this Friday, March 21 due to our Teacher Institute Day.  That will be a great time to finish reading Number the Stars.  We have already begun chapter 5 in class. Students can feel free to read ahead. We have been comparing the book toHana's Suitcase, our most recent class novel about the Holocaust.  Make sure that students keep their novels in the baggies they were given, along with the packet of vocabulary and writing activities.

Hello, Parents!
(It has been a while since I used this platform for sending messages.  I had been somewhat discouraged that more people weren't using it as a means of helping their children study.  For the sake of those who do, I have to keep this going.)
Due to unforeseen circumstances this afternoon, we had many disruptions to our day.  We all took advantage of an opportunity to recollect ourselves and get some fresh air outdoors after a mildly stressful week of testing.  VIP announcements will resume next week (once testing is over).  I do want you to know that most of our class took longer and put forth their best efforts in Math.  Some students seemed to work a little too quickly when completing the reading portions.  We have one session of reading and one in math left to complete; however, many other students in the building will still be testing.
Please click the "homework" link on this page to find out what we will be doing next week. 

Welcome back after a long weekend!
It's hard to believe that we have made it to another midterm, but we have.  Expect grades to be updated to reflect points students have earned in AR over these last four weeks.  Remember, the letter grade is based upon points earned, not based upon the comprehension percentage. 
You may (or may not) be aware that ISAT testing is beginning two weeks from now.  Students will be tested in Reading and Math.  The third session of Math requires writing about how problems are being solved. You can help your child practice this at home by having them explain to you how they are solving Math problems from the homework.  They should be able to explain each step to a solution.  Students need to be careful on the reading prompts to restate the key words from the question in their answer.  There are wonderful practice questions in the Common Core Coach books which are being sent home soon to help you reinforce the skills with your child.   For additional practice, please visit any of the links on this page.

Those deadlines for projects and reading logs are right around the corner.  In fact, it was previously suggested that to guarantee that Six Flags and Deep River would receive our reading logs on time, I should have moved the due dates forward to Feb. 24th-not the 27th.  In any case, I have only received two sets of reading logs from our class. The Black History projects, however, are still due by Feb 21.  I am encouraged by all of the students who have been coming up to me to tell me what they are learning from their research.  Since we have finished our novel about Frederick Douglass, we are back into our reading series this week.  This Friday, expect that students will take their  Reading, Spelling, and Grammar Tests.  The Grammar test will cover the use of commas in a series, combining sentences, and using introductory phrases.

Brrrr!
Thankfully, winter is half over.  Yet, the lists of things to do seems to keep growing.  Hopefully, you received from your students the reading logs for Six Flags and for Deep River Water Park.  Most students enjoy receiving those at the end of the year as a well-earned reward for their hard work with improving their reading grades.  I will trust that they will keep up with those copies because there will not be replacement copies made should those become lost.  it is part of instilling responsibility in our youth.  the best way to keep up with the reading log is to keep it in the take home folder, updating it daily. 

Welcome Back!
     We are slowly getting back to a regular schedule- just in time for the end of the quarter.  Many students were in a frenzy to beat out their AR scores from last quarter.  The challenge had been issued to them to score at least five points above whatever they already had.  Invitations will be coming home soon to announce those students who are being invited to the AR party to celebrate their hard work.  A few of their points could have been earned from books which were part of our class discussions:The House on Hackman's Hill,  Seven Miles to Freedom, and Rosa. 
     Our next novel study will begin next Tuesday and last about 3 weeks.  It is a reading of the biography of Frederick Douglass.  It is also an AR book.  Most of the reading will be done in class.  
     In honor of Dr. King, we have been analyzing quotes and speeches, looking at books and photographs from the Civil Rights movement.  I am encouraging families to sit down together and watch documentaries and other films being aired this weekend to help deepen students' understanding of the struggles African-Americans have faced in the quest for equal rights.  Many of them will be aired this weekend and will greatly benefit our class discussions.
Thank you to every parent who helped their student succeed on their Solar System project.  The displays were wonderful!  I look forward to having your student research African-American Scientists (TBA).  

Well, it has been a while since I've posted messages with Thanksgiving, the planning for the Field Trip, Midterms...Life..Now, I'm back.  Special thanks to Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Hester, and Mrs. Piggott for their help in chaperoning our trip. By now, you should have received a notice from me regarding Solar System Projects.  Those are due Tuesday, December 17.  Students have been several choices of topics and time in class for research.  We have read e-books on constellations and meteors and visited several web sites to learn about the Sun, Moon, and planets.  I have also permitted students to borrow books from my classroom library to support their research.  Your signature on the notice was required as proof of receipt.
In the meantime, we are planning our holiday party. Our class will be making gingerbread houses.  Each child will need a bag of candy so that there is enough candy to decorate the houses.  Gum drops, candy canes, gummy bears, fruit snacks, spice candies, peppermints, or butterscotch are all appropriate.  The money collected for the parties will be used to order food for the children and to purchase paper goods for the meal.  

It was a joy to meet all of the families who attended conferences last week.Conferences are important times to focus on what strengths and weaknesses each student possesses.  It is also important for children to see their parents and teachers working with one accord to help them achieve their best levels of success. Our chances of success are greater when we support one another.  Therefore, I am very appreciative of parents who took the time to be here.  Some of you missed some important deadlines.  Forms are already past due for those who are signing up for the after school program or for the discounted service being offered by Sylvan Learning Centers and other area tutoring services.  Field trip forms are also now due.  The first of 3 parent chaperones has already sent in the signed permission slip expressing the desire to volunteer for the day.  
The trip is scheduled for December 6.  All monies are due by November 25.  (I can only accept two more volunteer forms.) 

Students were to take home a letter explaiing further details about the Math Test.  I was in a meeting, and the letter was not distributed with those papers.  It stated:

Good Morning, Parents!
Watch your child's book bag for three important things this week: A "Take Home Test" for Math, a spelling list, and a Loser. The LOSER book we are reading does have an AR test.  So, I am encouraging students to take the reading seriously to do well and to raise those AR grades.
We have already started collecting money for our class parties.  If your child has not yet given you the notice about it, please be aware that the cost is $5.00.  The first party is being held at the end of the month. 

Hopefully, all of you received the handwritten notes I sent to you regarding your child's behavior and/or class performance.   These notes will be sent to you on a regular basis and will require your signature as proof of having read the note.  Students who do not return the note signed will miss recess until the note is returned.  
Please refer to the "homework" link to keep informed of what I am assigning each week.  Feel free to email me should questions arise.

Picture Day is next Monday, Sept 9.  Students will be coming home this week with ordering information.  As a reminder... students must have their payment envelopes with them when their pictures are taken.  (Students will not be permitted to call home saying they've forgotten their envelopes.)

 

Open House is a special time for parents and teachers to meet and for parents to become familiar with their students' schedules and access to resources.  I would like to encourage the parents who could not attend Open House to please schedule some time to visit.  Typically, the sooner we can build bridges between school and home, the smoother our path to success with our students.  We want this year to be the best ever!  We cannot do it without you.

Wow! What a busy week it has been!  Hopefully your child has given you my first newsletter explaining my grading procedures and expectations.  Newsletters will be updated weekly with announcements about assignments or test dates. I also have traditionally included links to educational websites as the year progresses.  Should you need to contact me, please do so through email: [email protected] .  I am expecting great things from our students.  I believe that great academic success begins at home, and I look forward to discussing ways that we can help each other make this happen for our students.  I would love to meet each of you at Open House next Wednesday evening.