Ms Quilici's blog

Dear Families,

Wednesday through next Tuesday, we are doing a simulation activity on Pilgrims. Students will vicariously experience the hardships of life in the New World as they make decisions and face consequences just as the Pilgrims did nearly 400 years ago. By the end of our four days, the students should have a better understanding of why the Pilgrims gave thanks and why we honor them today.

During the simulation, the students establish colonies in the New World and try to do a better job of surviving than the original Pilgrims. Students are not competing against themselves, but against the original Pilgrims. Success depends on hard work, good decisions, and luck.

Due to the simulation, we will not be studying our regular subjects. Therefore, the students will have minimal homework.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Ms. Quilici

November 18, Tuesday- Book Fair- Please send your child with money to buy books.

November 20, Thursday- Prairie Quiz- Study two-column notes

November 21, Friday- Field trip to Niles West- Everyone needs a bag lunch.

All Week- Please help a family enjoy a Thanksgiving meal by donating money to the Niles Township Food Pantry. A collection box is in the school office.

There will be a quiz on the prairie ecosystem next Thursday.  The children need to study their two-column notes and seed diagram in their packets.  The quiz will be fill-in-the-blanks with a word box and a short answer question.  This quiz is roughly the half way point in the unit and the only quiz. 

 

Dear Families,

Halloween was a blast! The children had a great time!

Costumes must be weaponless, non-gory, and allow the children to move and see freely. The children can come dressed in their costumes. The morning will be a regular day.

Our celebration will be a non-food event. Students and parents may not bring candy or other food treats. We will do a craft and play a game. Our parade will be at 2:00. Parents are welcome to watch the parade.

October 29 is the end of the quarter. Don't forget about Red Ribbon Week. Wear red on Monday to show you are drug free.

Thursday, October 23, will be our social studies test on Chapter 2, Core Lessons 1 and 2. The children have many materials and assignments to study from, but they should concentrate on their two-column notes. The children will be responsible for knowing how to put events on a timeline and how to read a timeline. If they need to review timelines, they can reread pages 50-51 of their textbooks. They completed and corrected a study guide on Thursday, October 16. I have attached a copy of the study guide and a matching game we will be playing on Tuesday. The children should study every night until the test. The test follows the exact same format as the last test.

Monday- Library and Gym

Tuesday- Computers

Wednesday- Music and Gym

Thursday- Music and Gym

Friday- Art

Reading- We will begin a new theme next week on Traditions. The comprehension strategies we have been focusing on are predicting, summarizing, making connections, and inferring.

Math- We are on Unit 2-Whole Numbers. The children have been working on "What's My Rule?", parts-to-total diagrams, and fact extensions. Please continue to help your child master his/her addition and subtraction facts.

Social Studies- We have finished reading Chapter 2, Core Lessons 1 and 2. The children have begun to take two-column notes on Chapter 2. We will have a few homework assignments with this chapter. The children will be responsible for knowing how to put events in order on a timeline. As part of this unit, the children will also be doing a timeline on the computer using the software Timeliner. We will have our second Social Studies test before the quarter ends on October 29.

In computer class, we use the COW (Computers on Wheels). Each child has a laptop at his/her desk. The children have been working with Kidspiration to make a web of facts about a prairie animal of their choice. They researched their animals on the Internet using the website Enchanted Learning, took notes in their science spirals, and used those notes to form their webs using Kidspiration. Right now, the children are experimenting with changing the font, font size, bubble color, bubble border, bubble shape, and pictures on their webs. In addition to this project, the children have visited Rutledge Hall's website and my blog.