Feb. 25- Mar. 8
Thank you to all who came out for Student-Led Conferences. Your children were very excited and proud to show you their hard work and progress this year. We were impressed with all the "buildings" made with toothpicks and marshmallows! Many were able to withstand the "earthquakes." Students also enjoyed playing some of their favorite math games with you as well. We hope you enjoyed this time with your child. Thanks again!
Language Arts:
The students did a wonderful job learning the new Science words for the last spelling/vocabulary list. We will continue to interact with these words throughout our current Science unit. Our next list of words are common misspelled words. We looked at the students' writing and found many common words that are often misspelled. Although they seem simple, please interact with these words during the next couple weeks. The tests, meaningful sentences and 4 Spelling City activities will be due on Friday March 8. Here is the next set of words:
Power Standards include:
In the next coming weeks, the students will start a problem based learning (PBL) project. Our class will be working in groups of 3 or 4 to solve the problem of soil erosion from wind and water on a farm. The students will be creating a prototype that would help fix this problem. Each student will be assigned a role in their group. Each group member will need to perform his/her job to help the group be successful in developing a way to lessen the impact of soil erosion. The students will get to test the prototype and then have the chance to modify it to make it better. At the end of the project, each group will give a presentation about their prototype and we will test each one. It's a wonderful STEM experience and lots of fun!
Math:
We are about to wrap up Unit 5, Fractions and Mixed Numbers Computation and Measurement. The concept of fractions can be more challenging but the students are making good progress. We appreciate your support at home while working through the home links. Remember, this website is a wonderful resource for home links, explanations and other materials you or your child may need at home:
Everyday Math Unit 5
Students completed a fun fraction mosaic art project that was displayed in the hall during conferences. We hope you witnessed students' abilities to not only create mosaics, but to incorporate fractional concepts (decomposing fractions, finding equivalent fractions and adding fractions).
The Math test will be this coming Friday, March 1. Below you will see an optional extra review. We will complete a review in class this week, but I encourage the students to complete the extra review too.
Language Arts:
The students did a wonderful job learning the new Science words for the last spelling/vocabulary list. We will continue to interact with these words throughout our current Science unit. Our next list of words are common misspelled words. We looked at the students' writing and found many common words that are often misspelled. Although they seem simple, please interact with these words during the next couple weeks. The tests, meaningful sentences and 4 Spelling City activities will be due on Friday March 8. Here is the next set of words:
Book Talks are due this Thursday, Feb. 28. The genre is realistic fiction. Please check in with your child to make sure progress is being made and that their book talk is ready to be presented. The requirements continue to include: 2-3:30 minutes total in length, RAH calendar turned in on time and signed with correct total minutes and object. Thank you!
The next book talk will cover March and April (due to spring break). March/April's book talk genre will be biography. Please note that the format will be different for this particular book talk. This will be a No-Notes presentation. Instead of using notes, the students will only use images on Google Slides to help them present their information. More information on the biography poster and No-Notes presentation will be given in class and through upcoming blogs/emails.
Speaking of realistic fiction, we have been working very hard on our own realistic fiction stories. Students have done a wonderful job "hooking their reader" and getting the reader's attention. We will be continuing writing our scenes to our stories this week.
Science:
We hope you enjoyed the jello lab simulation. Thank you to parents who made trays for us! We are moving on to the Changing Land portion of the unit. During the next couple of weeks, we will spend time analyzing the Earth's changing land through weathering, erosion and deposition. Students will have various mini labs and assessments during this unit.
Science:
We hope you enjoyed the jello lab simulation. Thank you to parents who made trays for us! We are moving on to the Changing Land portion of the unit. During the next couple of weeks, we will spend time analyzing the Earth's changing land through weathering, erosion and deposition. Students will have various mini labs and assessments during this unit.
Power Standards include:
- Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in landscape over time.
- Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
- Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impact of natural Earth processes on humans. (Assessment is limited to earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions)
In the next coming weeks, the students will start a problem based learning (PBL) project. Our class will be working in groups of 3 or 4 to solve the problem of soil erosion from wind and water on a farm. The students will be creating a prototype that would help fix this problem. Each student will be assigned a role in their group. Each group member will need to perform his/her job to help the group be successful in developing a way to lessen the impact of soil erosion. The students will get to test the prototype and then have the chance to modify it to make it better. At the end of the project, each group will give a presentation about their prototype and we will test each one. It's a wonderful STEM experience and lots of fun!
We are about to wrap up Unit 5, Fractions and Mixed Numbers Computation and Measurement. The concept of fractions can be more challenging but the students are making good progress. We appreciate your support at home while working through the home links. Remember, this website is a wonderful resource for home links, explanations and other materials you or your child may need at home:
Everyday Math Unit 5
Students completed a fun fraction mosaic art project that was displayed in the hall during conferences. We hope you witnessed students' abilities to not only create mosaics, but to incorporate fractional concepts (decomposing fractions, finding equivalent fractions and adding fractions).
The Math test will be this coming Friday, March 1. Below you will see an optional extra review. We will complete a review in class this week, but I encourage the students to complete the extra review too.
Extra Review Unit 5 Math Test
We will then move onto Unit 6. In Unit 6 the students will learn about extended division facts, partial quotients (long division), and other division strategies. We will also see a continuation of area and perimeter, weight, and angles. Please watch this brief video to help explain the Partial Quotients Division Method:
SEL:
We had fun discussing compliments and creating our compliment heart on Valentine's Day. The student were very kind to others and gave wonderful compliments to everyone! We will continue with this topic and perspective taking.
We will then move onto Unit 6. In Unit 6 the students will learn about extended division facts, partial quotients (long division), and other division strategies. We will also see a continuation of area and perimeter, weight, and angles. Please watch this brief video to help explain the Partial Quotients Division Method:
SEL:
We had fun discussing compliments and creating our compliment heart on Valentine's Day. The student were very kind to others and gave wonderful compliments to everyone! We will continue with this topic and perspective taking.
From Mrs. Friedman's Bulletin:
March Madness with Books
All Longfellow students will be participating in “March Madness” with books during the month of March. Homerooms are assigned to a “region.” Every student in each region reads specific titles and votes on the title they want to “win.” Votes will be tallied and displayed in the front hallway each week. We look forward to spreading the joy of reading throughout the building. Which book will win the tournament??
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Information from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
Our students in grades 3-5 take federally required assessments every spring. These assessments help us understand how our students are growing academically, compared to their peers across the state. The state uses this information to provide more support and resources to the schools in the greatest need. This year, the English language arts and math assessment for grades 3-8 is called the Illinois Assessment of Readiness.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness is almost exactly the same this year as the assessment that students took last year (PARCC), only slightly shorter. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness measures the same Illinois Learning Standards and includes the same high-quality test questions that teachers and students have become familiar with over the past four years. Our students should feel confident showing what they know and can do on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, even with the new test name and new look.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness will change over the next few years, as the state works to make it more useful to schools and families. Next year, we will have the results back from the test much more quickly. The following year, the test will adapt to each student, so we gain a better understanding of where each individual student is in their learning. We will continue to be able to measure students’ growth from year to year throughout these improvements.
The district testing window for the IAR will be April 2-April 18.
All Longfellow students will be participating in “March Madness” with books during the month of March. Homerooms are assigned to a “region.” Every student in each region reads specific titles and votes on the title they want to “win.” Votes will be tallied and displayed in the front hallway each week. We look forward to spreading the joy of reading throughout the building. Which book will win the tournament??
Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Information from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
Our students in grades 3-5 take federally required assessments every spring. These assessments help us understand how our students are growing academically, compared to their peers across the state. The state uses this information to provide more support and resources to the schools in the greatest need. This year, the English language arts and math assessment for grades 3-8 is called the Illinois Assessment of Readiness.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness is almost exactly the same this year as the assessment that students took last year (PARCC), only slightly shorter. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness measures the same Illinois Learning Standards and includes the same high-quality test questions that teachers and students have become familiar with over the past four years. Our students should feel confident showing what they know and can do on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, even with the new test name and new look.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness will change over the next few years, as the state works to make it more useful to schools and families. Next year, we will have the results back from the test much more quickly. The following year, the test will adapt to each student, so we gain a better understanding of where each individual student is in their learning. We will continue to be able to measure students’ growth from year to year throughout these improvements.
The district testing window for the IAR will be April 2-April 18.
**If you could please avoid scheduling doctor visits/trips during this time, it would be most appreciated! Students will have to miss class time to do test makeups.
Important Dates:
Thur., 2/28: Realistic Fiction Book Talks due (don't forget RAH calendar and object)
Fri., 3/1: PTO Bingo Night, 6:30-8:30, Cooper Middle School (I WILL SEE YOU THERE)
Tues., 3/5 Battle of Books Practice 12-12:30 pm in LMC
Wed., 3/6: Discovery Science, pm
Thur., 3/7: PTO Meeting, 7-8:30 pm
Fri., 3/8: END OF TRIMESTER 2 (report cards will be sent home a week later on 3/15), Spelling/Vocab Tests on Lesson 10
Tues., 3/12 and Wed., 3/13: Battle of Books 4th Grade Competitions 12:00-12:30, LMC
Thank you for your support in all that we do at school! It means a lot to all of us.
Important Dates:
Thur., 2/28: Realistic Fiction Book Talks due (don't forget RAH calendar and object)
Fri., 3/1: PTO Bingo Night, 6:30-8:30, Cooper Middle School (I WILL SEE YOU THERE)
Tues., 3/5 Battle of Books Practice 12-12:30 pm in LMC
Wed., 3/6: Discovery Science, pm
Thur., 3/7: PTO Meeting, 7-8:30 pm
Fri., 3/8: END OF TRIMESTER 2 (report cards will be sent home a week later on 3/15), Spelling/Vocab Tests on Lesson 10
Tues., 3/12 and Wed., 3/13: Battle of Books 4th Grade Competitions 12:00-12:30, LMC
Thank you for your support in all that we do at school! It means a lot to all of us.
