Mrs. Nino's Blog

January 30th-February 3rd

2012-01-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how quickly these weeks are flying by! Here are the curriculum topics for this coming week!

*Reading: We are continuing our author study unit by looking at Mike Thaler and the "Black Lagoon" series. I am very excited about teaching with these books because they offer a humorous and imaginative point of view for students to see. Our skill focus with these book will be comparing fact vs. fantasy (compare/contrast).
*Reader's Theater: This week, we continue with another funny play titled, "The Silly Wishes." A man who always seems to complain about everything is granted three wishes by an elf. Do you think you can predict what this woodsman might wish for?
*Math: This week in math, we will be practicing our calculator skills. Almost all people seem to have a calculator within their reach these days, whether on their phone, iPod, computer, etc. Since we all have access to this technology, it is very important that we know how to use them to help us be successful individuals.
*Social Studies: We are beginning to delve further into our unit on the Solar System! We will start with the Sun on Monday and begin to work through the planets the remainder of the week. As we learn about each star/planet, we will be adding a representation of it to our individual solar system models!
*Spelling: In the spirit of Groundhog's Day, our spelling words this week will all relate to this "holiday"!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Social Studies Projects!!!

2012-01-25T09:11:00.001-08:00

This week, we concluded our Continents Unit in Social Studies with our culminating project. The students did a fabulous job!!!

January 23-27th

2012-01-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

We concluded our MAP testing this week and are very proud with the individual progress that we all made.

Here is an overview of this coming week....

*Math: We are continuing to work on telling time. We have created our own clocks and will be using those to practice throughout the week.
*Reading: We will continue to work in our groups this week. Monday through Friday, we will be working on our own "Eric Carle-like" stories. These should be complete by the end of the week. Those students reading "The Secret Garden" will be moving into the final chapters of the book and will compare and contrast several of the characters from the beginning to the end of the book.
*Reader's Theater: Our new play for the week will be "The King of Everything's Cat." This is a very humorous play about how a King decides on a name for his new cat.
*Social Studies: We will continue working on our Continent projects this week. They are due on Thursday. The students will have both Monday and Tuesday to work on them in class and any remaining work will be homework.
*Pen Pals: On Wednesday, our pen pals from Lakeview will be coming to visit us and participate in a few winter activities.

Reminders:
-Wednesday, January 25th is an 11:00 dismissal.

Have a great week!!

Upcoming Movie Night!

2012-01-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

Prairieview's next movie night is on Friday,February 3rd! We will be viewing "Mr. Popper's Penguins." Permission slips are due on Wednesday, February 1st.

January 16-20th

2012-01-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

In math this week, we are continuing to work on telling time. We will be using the clocks that we made last week to practice.

In reading, we are continuing to work in our groups. Those of us reading "The Secret Garden" will continue through the next few chapters next week focusing on vocabulary and comprehension. We are really enjoying this story! The second group will continue reading the work of Eric Carle and, by the end of the week, we will begin writing our own "Eric Carle" stories. A formal rubric will be going home on Wednesday.

In Social Studies we will begin our continents project. This project will be completed mostly in school, but some work will be required outside of school. I will be uploading a rubric within the next few days.

Both the 4th and 5th grade grade-level spelling bee will be occurring this week. Fourth grade on Tuesday afternoon and fifth grade on Wednesday. We will be there to cheer on our other classmates!

Finally, we will be completing our Math MAPS testing on Wednesday morning. The students will have minimal homework on Tuesday so that they can get to bed extra early in preparation for the testing.

Have a wonderful three day weekend!!!

January 9th-13th

2012-01-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone enjoyed their winter break! As we begin 2012, we look forward to attaining new goals and learning all that we can to help us become successful and independent individuals.

As some of us continue reading the novel, "The Secret Garden" this week, the rest of the class will be starting an author study on Eric Carle. We already know and love his books so we are going to dedicate this week to identifying and analyzing his word choice, illustrations, and story characteristics (characters, setting, etc.)!!

In math, we will be returning to the addition and subtraction what we ended with before winter break. Our Readers' Theater play for the week will be the "Otters and the Octopus". Finally, in Social Studies, we will return to the final part of our continents unit.

Volunteers are needed for Market Day on Saturday, January 7th. Please arrive at 8:00am if you are available.

Have a wonderful week!

Marshmallow Snowman!!

2011-12-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

On Friday, we made Marshmallow snowman to celebrate the upcoming winter break! Everyone did a great job!

January 3rd-6th

2011-12-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

As 2011 draws to a close, I know that we are looking forward to all that 2012 will bring. I hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday break and Happy New Year!

When we return from break, we will be beginning our mini-book and novel units in reading. Each week, we will focus on a specific reading skill (similar to what we have always been doing) but additionally apply them to the books we are reading.

On Thursday, January 5th, we will be having an assembly on Martin Luther King. We will spend the week learning about Martin Luther King's life and his impact on our lives today.

Finally, in math, we will review addition and subtraction word problems throughout the entire week.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday break and happy new year! See you next year! :)

December 12- December 16th

2011-12-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

It seems like December just began and we are already entering into our last week before Winter Break! Time is just flying by!!

Next week, we will be using various holiday stories to practice our reading strategy of the week, 'Who and What?' In math, we are continuing to work on addition and subtration at varying levels and we will finish the week with a holiday math activity. In Social Studies, we will be learning about the continents of Antartica and Australia. Since we have spent more time on the continents than I had originally planned, the culminating continent project will be completed after break.

We will be going over to Lakeview to visit with our Pen Pals on Wednesday and will be completing a holiday craft with them!

We also are all looking forward to watching our holiday movies on Friday. Fourth grade will be watching Happy Feet and fifth graders will have the option to choose their favorite movie to watch (Home Alone, Despicable Me, Muppet Christmas, or The Santa Claus).

Have a wonderful week!!!

December 5th -December 9th

2011-12-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

It was wonderful meeting and speaking with all of you at Parent Teacher Conferences this week! I am looking forward to another great trimester!

In reading next week, we will practice making predictions. We will be writing our own stories, as well as, reading several published stories to demonstrate our knowledge of this strategy.

In Social Studies, we have offically begun our continents unit! So far we have learned a "Continents Song" to help us memorize the names of the seven continents and learned about North America. Next week, we will be exploring South America and Africa with a short quiz at the end of the week.

Finally, our new Reader's Theater play for the week is "What a Skunk Needs to Do." This play combines humor, rhyme, and fact to create a very funny and enjoyable play to perform!
**Dates to Remember**
- Bowling fieldtrip : Friday, December 9th :)

Have a wonderful extended weekend!

Thanksgiving Week

2011-11-19T19:27:00.001-08:00

On Friday we said goodbye to Mrs. Philbin and took some time to thank her for all that she has done to help us this year! She will be greatly missed within our classroom! On a happier note, we are looking forward to welcoming Mrs. Micek back on Monday!

For Monday and Tuesday of this week, our main focus will be on Cause and Effect. This concept will not only be practiced in reading, but Science, as well. We will wrap up our seed experiment on Tuesday and check our hypothesis that we made when we first planted our seeds. In math, we will working on some Thanksgiving math problems.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Break!

**Reminders**

*5th Grade Fieldtrip to Robert Crown: Tuesday, November 22nd

*Thanksgiving Break: No school Wednesday, November 23-Friday, November 25th

November 14-18th

2011-11-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

We are definitely going to have a busy week here next week!

This week in reading, we are going to be practicing comparing and contrasting. We will be reading the story "Waves for You", which compares wave pools to the ocean, along with several other mini-stories.

In math, we are continuing to work with addition, varying between repeated addition and double to triple digit addition. By the end of the week, some of us will be beginning subtraction with borrowing.

On Monday and Tuesday in Social Studies, we will be on the computer researching our landforms. For the remainder of the week, we will be using our class time to put together our models. I cannot wait to see the final products!!

In Science, we will be monitoring and recording any activity/growth with our radish seeds. Hopefully we will be seeing a bud before the end of the week!

In writing, we will continue to write in our Writer's Notebooks daily, as well as, write a response to the letters we receive from our buddies. We did all have a lot of fun today meeting our pen pals for the first time today! The students interviewed each other and even got a tour of Lakeview!

Enjoy your extra long weekend!

November 7-11th

2011-11-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone has recovered from all of the Halloween fun earlier this week. It is hard to believe that we are in November already!!!

In reading, our new skill of the week is sequencing! Along with our daily reading packet and materials, we will be working together to put "clues" in order to help us solve a few mysteries within our classroom.

We will continue to work on addition next week in math, but also integrate place value into our lessons to enhance our understanding of number sense.

In Social Studies, we will explore a few more states in detail and end the week learning about the two countries that neighbor the U.S.

Also, our spelling lists next week will only be six words due to the shortened week!

Have a great weekend!!

Dates to Remember:

Rollerskating Party- Monday, November 7th- After School

Friday, November 11th: Veteran's Day- NO SCHOOL

Halloween Pictures!!!!

2011-10-28T13:17:00.001-07:00

October 31-November 4th

2011-10-28T13:06:00.001-07:00

After a very fun and exciting day, we are all looking forward to a fun Halloween weekend!

For next week, we will be switching to a new reading strategy: Who and What? This helps us to identify the main character in a story and tell what happens to them. We will be reading several stories and continue to complete our daily comprehension activities, too.

In math, we are also continuing to work on single and double digit addition with and without number lines.

The Social Studies state projects went out earlier this week and the students have been coming in each day to show us their progress! It is great to see such excitement learning about the United States. We will cover more details about the United States and will end the week discussing the land forms.

Finally, our Reader's Theater play for next week is "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."

I will be posting Halloween pictures soon!

Have a safe and fun Halloween weekend!

Reader's Theater 10/21

2011-10-23T19:31:00.001-07:00

On Friday, we performed our Reader's Theater play of the week, Big Mose. This story told us about the life of hero New York firefighter Mose Humphrey. The students did an excellent job both reading and acting out their characters, while having fun, too!!!

October 24th-28th

2011-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had a great week despite the chilly and rainy weather we had!

We had a great end to our week watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid to follow up on our read aloud. I will be posting pictures of the performance this weekend.

Our target reading strategy of the week will be Finding the Main Idea. We will be using several stories (both fiction and nonfiction) to develop this and the students will have homework each night, as well, to further practice locating the main idea in stories.

In math, we are continuing to work on addition and subtraction word problems, focusing on locating the "key" words that tell us the correct operation to use.

In Social Studies, we will be finishing up our Illinois unit and beginning our independent state projects.

Have a great weekend!!!

Picture Info

2011-10-17T12:49:00.001-07:00

Just FYI...

*Picture packets should arrive tomorrow, October 18th.

*Picture retakes will be on Thursday, November 3rd!

October 17th-21st

2011-10-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had a great week and enjoyed the wonderful weather that we had earlier this week!

Our reader's theater play next week will be "Big Mose," which is the story of a New York City firefighter who lived over 150 years ago. We will be needing a few props (firefighter hats, etc.), so we will be making a list after our first read-through on Monday.

In reading, our skill of the week is Making Predictions. Throughout the week we will be using several books, activities, and passages to practice making predictions and giving reasons/evidence to support our predictions.

In math, we will be practicing our addition and subtraction skills at a more difficult level. We will also spend most of the week recognizing key words that help us determine if a word problem is addition or subtraction.

In Social Studies, we have begun learning about the United States. Our initial focus will be on Illinois. At the end of the next week, students will be choosing a state to write a short report about independently. They will have one week to complete this. In class, we will be completing one of these same reports on Illinois together so the students will have a model to use for their own state reports. More information will be coming home later next week.

Have a great weekend!

Week of October 10-14th

2011-10-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

With Columbus Day and a Teacher Institute starting off our next week, I'm sure that Wednesday-Friday will go by quickly!

In reading, we will be using our Readers' Theater play for the week, The Three Pigs, to practice checking for understanding and reading with fluency. On Thursday, we will read another version of this story, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, which is told from the wolf's perspective. Using these two texts, we will practice using a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast them. On Friday, as a fun activity, we will view the video of The Three Little Pigs and compare/contrast them, too.

In math, we are moving along with money and practicing writing amounts of money in different forms (using words, the cents sign, and the dollar sign). We will also continue to add various amounts of change.

In Social Studies we will be starting our Presidental Unit and discuss presidental history, as well as the design and purpose of our government.

Please be sure to check your student's reading log every night to ensure that they are keeping up with their reading.

Have a great extended weekend!

October 3-7th

2011-10-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

We have another busy week planned in Room 216!

*Reading: Our focus skill in reading this week is identifying and discussing reality vs. fantasy. We will read short passages each day and practice this skill. Our reading groups will be divided between learning/practicing word families and reading the story "Nights of the Pufflings" by Bruce McMillan.
*Math: In math, we are continuing to practice counting money. Later in the week, we will be adding quarters into our addition problems with pennies, dimes, and nickels.
*Readers Theater: The Readers' Theater play for the week is "The Little Red Hen." We did our first read through this morning and the students are all very excited about their new parts!
*Science/Social Studies: In Science, we are finishing up the body unit early this week and will begin a Presidential unit in Social Studies on Wednesday.

Dates to Remember:
-Monday, October 10th: Columbus Day, No School
-Tuesday, October 11th: Teacher Institute, No School

Have a great week!

Week of 9/26-9/30

2011-09-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone has had a great start to the school year and want to say that you to Mrs. Donar and Mrs. Philbin for all of their help over these past four weeks! I am so happy to see the progress that the students have made in the short time that I was gone. The students and staff here at Prairieview have been very welcoming and I am looking forward to this school year!

Here is a quick overview of our upcoming week!

I am very excited to share that in writing, we are beginning our very own Writer's Notebooks! The students were given their notebooks on Friday and were very motivated to write in them for the first time! We will be writing in our notebooks every day here at school. The students have the freedom to chose their topic and need to follow only one rule for this alloted time: Write (and/or draw if needed) until the timer goes off! Each week, the students will be learning and using a new writing strategy. The goal of writer's notebook is to develop independent writing skills and encourage students to write often. You will see these notebooks coming home at least two times a week, as students will be required to write entries at home.

This week in math, we are continuing to focus on identifying and adding coins. Students will be using mimio activities, manipulatives, and computer games to develop these skills.

Over the previous week, students began learning about the major bones in our body and will continue to learn about the five senses and body systems this week. Each student has created "shadows" of themselves and have labeled and illustrated them as we have learned new things!

Our reading story this week is "The Keeping Quilt" by Patricia Polacco, which tells of one family's tradition. Students will have a short quiz on Friday over the reading as well as create a family tree during this week.

Important dates to remember:
-Magazine turn in: Tuesday 9/27
-Picture day: Thursday 9/29

Have a wonderful week and feel free to contact me with any comments/questions/concerns! :)

Baby News!

2011-07-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hi! I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer.

I just wanted to introduce you to our new daughter, Natalie Marie. She was born on July 12th weighing 6 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19.5 inches long!

I look forward to seeing all of you next month! Enjoy the rest of your break!

End of the School Year

2011-06-06T09:08:00.001-07:00

As we finish up our final days of the school year, I want to wish everyone a happy and safe summer!

Enjoy your time off!

Memorial Day!

2011-05-26T11:08:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that we are approaching our final official week of school! With 8th grade graduation on Thursday and WOW day on Friday, it will be a busy week!

In 7th grade Language Arts and Reading, we will be sharing our Radio shows on Monday! I am very excited to see the final products with all of the hard work that the students have been putting forth. Our classes will also be finishing up our Ray Bradbury story unit and reading "There Will Be Soft Rains."

In 2nd and 7th Period reading, we will read and perform two Reader's Theater plays, "The Millionaire Miser" and "The Borrower and the Boy".

For more information about the upcoming week, please see Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Mastny's blogs.

*****Don't forget to bring in your WOW day supplies on Tuesday!!!!!*****

Enjoy your three day weekend!!!

Career Fair!

2011-05-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

I want to take a minute to thank all parents, family, and friends who volunteered their time this morning for our 7th grade career fair. The students greatly enjoyed all presentations and were very excited to share their experiences!

Looking forward to next week, we will be reading the works of Edgar Allen Poe including the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" and poem "The Haunted House." Our skill focus will be on pulling out story elements and discussing their importance in the text. We will conclude the week by writing our own "scary stories" following Poe's example.

In 3rd period reading, we will finish reading Pacific Crossing and write a final journal assessment on Friday.

In 7th grade language arts, we will be reading, listening to, and creating our own radio shows. Throughout the weeks, students will be allowed to work in groups to prepare a radio show to share with the class.
In 7th grade reading, we will meet with Miss Hagensee to discuss the summer reading lists and continue reading the works of Ray Bradbury.

In 8th grade math, we will be finishing up Chapter 12 and will have a final in-class assessment on Wednesday.

For additional information and assignment rubrics, please see Mrs. Mastny and Mrs. Myer's blogs.

Have a great weekend!

Spring Fever

2011-05-06T09:28:00.001-07:00

With warm weather predicted for the week ahead, the feeling of spring is finally here!

As we move into next week, we will begin to explore new topics in each of our classes.
-In 2nd period Reading, we will be discussing sequencing of events. The three articles, which all focus on natural disasters, we will read, discuss, and analyze are "Struck by Lightning", "A Mountain on Fire", and "Hurricanes: The Monster Storms".
-In 3rd period reading, we will begin our final novel of the year, "Pacific Crossing." This book is the sequel to "Taking Sides," which you all enjoyed reading. In this novel, Lincoln and Tony reunite and live/go to school in Japan as foreign exchange students. We will spend most of this week introducing the book and reading the first few chapters.
- In 7th grade Language Arts with Mrs. Mastny, we will be writing our district assessment and finish the week learning about and creating our own comic strips. The rubric can be found on Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Mastny's blogs.
-In 7th grade Reading, we will finish reading "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" and write a graded journal response as the final assessment for the novel.
-In 8th grade math, we are moving on to fractions with a Quest over this on Wednesday and begin chapter 12 on Thursday.
- Finally, in 7th grade RtI Reading, we will be focusing on Finding the Main Idea and Supporting Details. We will use the articles "School Before Soccer", "Fitting In", and "A New Immigration Boom" to help us strengthen our Main Idea skills. Each of these articles are related to the general topic of Immigration (since you are currently learning about this in Social Studies :))

Enjoy your weekend! (And be sure to say thank you to your mom's on Sunday! :))

April Showers

2011-04-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we have survived a rainy week and are looking forward to the predicted sunshine and warmer weather this weekend!

This Sunday, May 1st, is the 2011 Ride Janie Ride. I want to thank all of you for your continued support throughout this past year and I feel very blessed to be surrounded with great co-workers and students! I have included the RJR link below if any of you would like to see/get to know this years recipients. www.ridejanieride.org

Looking forward to next week in 7th grade Language Arts, we will be moving onto prepositions. During this week, we will be taking notes and practicing using prepositions. In reading, we are continuing to read chapters 15-18 in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Additionally, with the new AR books that we checked out this week, the May book report will be due on May 27th.

In 8th grade math, we are spending the week reviewing how to solve multi-step equations and fractions, in order to help us prepare for our transition to high school in the fall.

Finally, in 7th RTI Reading, we will be focusing on the reading skill of comparing/contrasting. We will use the "Turning Points" mini-unit in our readers to practice and apply this skill.

Have a wonderful weekend!

2011-04-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

We have another busy week coming up here at Lakeview! In Period 2 Reading, we are focusing on the reading skill of Cause and Effect. We will both outline and create our own cause and effect stories/charts throughout the week. In Period 3 Reading, we are continuing to read Taking Sides and will read through Chapters 9&10 in partners. We will also make predictions about some of the "unanswered questions" we have in come across in our novel so far. In 7th grade Language Arts, we are shifting the focus in our career unit from research to writing our outlines. We will have all week to write our rough drafts, edit, and type the outlines. In 7th grade reading, we will read Chapters 11&12 in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie and journal about the stages of grief each character is now in. In 8th grade math, we are continuing to work through chapter 10 and will learn about the surface area of prisms, pyramids, and cones. There will be a quiz over this new material on Thursday. Finally, in 7th Period RtI Reading, we are focusing on Problem and Solution. The stories we will read and analyze this week are "Under Pressure", "The Secrets of Self-Esteem", "Tragic Death on a Train", and " The Power of Peer Pressure." Reminder: Assembly Tuesday = shortened class periods Thursday- 11:35am Dismissal Have a great weekend!

Week of April 11-15th

2011-04-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

In Period 2 Reading this week, we will continue to focus on sequencing and complete several activities, including creating sequencing storyboards and comprehension worksheets, to practice this skill. In Period 3 Reading, we are continuing to read Taking Sides and will have our first quiz on Chapter 1-8 on Friday. We will review Wednesday and Thursday. In 7th Grade Language Arts, we will continue to be in the IMC researching our careers. Daily checks will be done to monitor each student's progress with research and notecards. In Reading, we will read Chapters 8-10 in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie and have a book report work day on Friday. Just a reminder that all book reports are due on April 21st! In 8th grade math, students will have the beginning of the week to finish working on their House Design project. An extra credit opportunity will be given on Monday for this, as well. The remainder of the week, we will continue to work on chapter 10 with area of circles, three dimensional figures, and cylinders. Finally, in 7th period RtI, we will be reading the story, Come Home Louisa, which focuses on a young girl who runs away from home and her journey back. Our focus skill is pulling out the elements of the story. For additional information about 7th grade LA/Reading, please see Mrs. Mastny's blog! Have a wonderful weekend!

Spring Fever

2011-03-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

As we take a short break and enjoy a week off of school , let's reflect on what we will begin learning when we return.

In our 2nd period reading class, we will be focusing on sequencing. We will complete several activities assessing our ability to sequence story events and, at the end of the week, create our own sequences for our classmates to follow!

In 3rd period reading, we will continue to read and discuss the novel, Taking Sides. We will complete a sequencing activity on Monday to refresh our memory about the important events in the story, so far. We will then continue reading the remainder of the week. Our first quiz will be a week from Friday on Chapter 1-8 (including vocabulary).

In 7th grade Language Arts, we are beginning our Career Unit! Monday, students will be taking a survey that will highlight possible career choices for them. From this we will spend the next three weeks researching our career, creating notecards, making an outline, creating a bibliography, making a visual, and preparing our speeches. More information will follow.

In 7th grade Reading, we will continue to read Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Our first quiz (on Chapters 1-7) will be on Thursday. Please remember to read your silent reading books at least 20 minutes each day over Spring Break so that you are ready to begin working on your book report the week we return, as well!

For additional information about 7th Grade Reading/Language Arts and 8th grade math, please see Mrs. Myers and Mrs. Mastny's blogs!

Have a nice and relaxing Spring Break!

2011-03-11T12:57:00.001-08:00

I hope that everyone had a great week!

In 2nd period reading, beginning on Monday, we will be focusing on the skill of inferencing. Throughout the week, we will read various passages and complete activities that help us to strength our ability to make inferences when reading.

In 3rd period reading, we will continue reading our new novel, Taking Sides. Our focus will be on vocabulary and using context clues, comparing/contrasting the Mission District and Sycamore, and completing our Reading Logs.

In 7th period RtI, we are going to continue making connections with the texts we read throughout the week. Our stories will include The Story or Mzee and Owen and Gulliver's Travels.

For more information about 7th grade Language Arts/Reading and 8th grade math, please see Mrs. Mastny's and Mrs. Myers's blogs.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to change your clocks!

March Madness :)

2011-03-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

Well...we have all made it through another year of ISATs! Students, you should all be proud of your accomplishments and the hard work that you have put in over the first two trimesters!

Looking ahead to next week, we are going to begin our next novel in 3rd period Reading, Taking Sides. We will explore our background knowledge and introduce new vocabulary on Tuesday and Wednesday and, finally, begin reading Thursday and Friday.

In 2nd period reading, we are going to discover our "Multiple Intelligences" and discuss how these affect our learning. We will end the week reading a story from our reading series, titled"Westwood."

If you need any additional information about 7th grade Language Arts/Reading or 8th grade Math, please see Mrs. Mastny/Froats and Mrs. Myers blogs.

Enjoy your four day weekend!

ISATS

2011-02-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

As we enter into ISAT week, be sure to take a deep breath each morning and remind yourself of all the hard work and effort that you have already put forth! You should all be very proud of how much you have learned so far this year!

With the added change of entering into a new trimester, as well, we all have the opportunity to start today with all "A's"! So lets remember to always put forth our best effort and ask for help when we have questions!

Here is this week's schedule:

*In Reading this week, we are reminding ourselves about why we loved to read as children and celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday. All of our class activities will relate to his books.
*In our new extra Reading period, we will be completing comprehension/writing activies based on the articles in this months Action Magazine.
*In RtI Reading, we will be reading the Reader's Theater play for The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and writing our own "true" version of a fairy tale.

Please see Mrs. Mastny and Mrs. Myer's blog for any additional information for 7th grade LA/Reading and 8th grade math!

Have a great week!

ISAT Prep!!

2011-02-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

With ISAT testing just a week away, we are busy preparing in both math and reading. Throughout the next week, in all classes, we will be practicing test-taking strategies, reading passages with multiple choice questions, and writing extended responses. Since we have been working on developing these skills throughout the year, we should be ready to start ISATs on the 28th!

We also must remember the importance of these tests, as our result are used to show growth and progress throughout the year.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Snow Days!

2011-02-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

I hope that you enjoyed your two snow days this week and stayed warm!

As we enter into next week, we will be finishing up much of the work that we missed Wednesday and Thursday. In Language Arts, we will begin prepositions now on Monday. In Reading, we will take our vocabulary quiz on Monday and finish reading Trouble River on Thursday. The book test will be the following week.

Enjoy your weekend!

Here is a picture of Dominic on his first snow day! :)

Januaray 31st

2011-01-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

As we enter into the month of February (!!!!), the end of the trimester is approaching just two short weeks away!

In Language Arts, we will be wrapping up our Conjunctions & Interjections unit with a test on Wednesday (moved from Tuesday). On Thursday, we will be starting to learn about prepositions! In Reading we will take our vocabulary quiz for Trouble River on Thursday and finish the week just a chapter away from the end of the book! Or Trouble River test will be the following week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chilly Weather!

2011-01-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

It is definitely a chilly ending to the week! Be sure to bundle up this weekend!

In Language Arts, we have finished writing our persuasive papers and will begin a new grammar unit on Conjunctions and Interjections next week! In Reading, we will continue to read Trouble River and complete an in class comprehension assessment on Thursday.

We had another great week in RtI Reading, too, where we read another great Reader's Theater play and have even begun to write our own! A few pictures of our week are included below!

Have a great weekend!! GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

It has been another productive week in Room 106!

In Language Arts, we are in the middle of writing our persuasive papers. We have chosen our topics, researched, and began writing our body paragraphs throughout the week. Next week, we will write our introductions and conclusions and finalize our papers.

In Reading, we have begun our second novel of the year, "Trouble River". Since this book has a similar setting and characters to "Sign of the Beaver", which we read earlier this year, we have, and will continue to, compare and contrast the characteristics between both books.

Enjoy your 3-day weekend!

January News

2011-01-07T06:34:00.001-08:00

I hope that everyone had a safe and relaxing two week break! It's difficult to believe that we have already finished our first week back!

In Language Arts, we are beginning to write our persuasive papers. We have chosen our topics and began researching them in class. Next week, we will develop our introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The final paper will be due on Tuesday, January 18th.

In reading, we have been working on comprehension activities to prepare us for our next novel, Trouble River, which we will begin next week, too.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Winter Break

2010-12-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

As we wrap up the end of 2010 and enter into the new year, we should all take time to reflect upon our school work so far and set new goals for ourselves!

Have a safe and wonderful holiday and break with family and friends!

See you next year!

Final week of the year

2010-12-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

As we enter into the final week of the year before break, we must remember to stay focused, as we have a busy week next week. Seventh graders have a music, social studies, science, and English test next week so start studying this weekend!

In reading, we will finish reading Sign of the Beaver and complete a culminating project in class. No work will be expected to be completed outside of the classroom. In language arts, we are going to focus on creative writing and work on this throughout the week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

December is here!

2010-11-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how quickly the weather can change to from mild to freezing! I don't know if I am quite ready for this change but unfortunately there is not much we can do to stop it! :)

As we move futher into the second trimester, we are wrapping up several things in our LA/Rdg classes.

In reading, we will be finishing up Sign of the Beaver and beginning to work on our final project for the novel. In language arts, we will be finishing up the verb unit and taking a test on Friday.

We had another exciting week in RtI Reading, too, practicing our fluency with the Readers Theater play, The Mystery Spot. We had a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of our actors! :)

Thanksgiving Week!

2010-11-23T09:56:00.001-08:00

Today, students had a surprise assembly, the Jessie White Tumblers, as a reward for all their hard work with PBIS this school year. Students have been respectful and earned 3.5 lbs of Spartan Stars so far! :) Our combined goal for the end of second trimester will be 10 lbs.! The Tumblers were fantastic and the students really enjoyed the event. Congratulations to the Lakeview students on all of their hard work!

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving break! See you all on Monday! :)

Second Trimester Begins!

2010-11-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful first week of the second trimester! As we all start anew with clean slates and perfect grades, lets all remember how important our education is and put forth our best effort and dedication!

In Language Arts next week, we will be taking our Sentence test on Monday and completing a writing activity on Tuesday. In Reading we will be doing a culminating activity for Sign of the Beaver Chapters 11-15.

Have a great weekend!

Veteran's Day Week

2010-11-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

This week, I hope that we all we spent time reflecting upon and thanking all of those Veterans who have served and protected our country. In RtI this week, we read the story, Scars and Stripes, that introduced us to two teenagers who lost their father's in the Vietnam War and their visit to the Vietnam Memorial. It was a very touching story and we had great class discussions!

Next week, in Language Arts, we are beginning our sentence unit. This will take us until Thanksgiving Break and we will have our unit test on Monday, November 22. In Reading we will continue to read Sign of the Beaver and explore how our characters are changing throughout the book.

Have a wonderful weekend!

November Updates

2010-11-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

As the temperatures took a dive this week, we also dove further into our narratives in Language Arts this week. Next week we will be editing and typing our rough drafts. Our final narrative will be due Monday, November 15th.

In reading, we will continue to read the Sign of the Beaver and have a Chapter 1-10 quiz on Wednesday.

Don't forget to change your clocks back an hour on Saturday night! Have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

Another week has flown by and I know many of you are looking forward to this Halloween weekend!

In Language Arts next week, we are beginning to write our narrative. For Monday, please have your top three choices chosen for your narrative topic. In reading, we are continuing to read Sign of the Beaver and will have a short quiz over chapters 1-10 at the end of the week.

Reminder: No School-Tuesday, November 2nd!

Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend!

Parent Teacher Conferences

2010-10-21T17:09:00.001-07:00

It was great to see all of the parents at Parent Teacher Conferences last night! The support team that the parents in our district provide is so beneficial in guiding our students to success.

Looking ahead to the next few weeks, we will begin writing our narrative in Language Arts and practice writing, editing, and revising our work. Our main goal will be brainstorming this week.

In reading, we will continue with the Sign of the Beaver. Our goal this week is to strengthen our vocabulary skills and ability to use context clues to determine the definitions of new words.

On a personal note, Dominic is already 3 1/2 months old (I can't believe how quickly time is going!) He is starting to sit up with support, which is very exciting! I attached a recent picture for those of you who have asked! :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fall Fun

2010-10-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that October is halfway over already!

In Language Arts next week we will finish up our Adjective Unit and take a test on Friday. In Reading, we have begun to read Sign of the Beaver and will be focusing on summarizing and main ideas throughout theses chapters. Finally, in RtI, we will be reading The Stranger and focusing on vocabulary strategies.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Reminders:
Early Dismissal-Wednesday, October 20th
Parent Teacher Conferences- Thursday, October 21st

Fall Update

2010-10-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Although I have only been back at Lakeview for a short week, I am already back in the school routine! I am very excited to see everyone again and am looking forward to a great year! Thank you to all of the staff and students for making my transition back to Lakeview a great one!

Looking ahead to next week, we will be continuing the Adjective unit in Language Arts. There will be a quiz on Friday. In Reading, we are beginning our first novel of the year, Sign of the Beaver! We will preview the book on Tuesday and begin reading on Thursday!

Additional Info:
8th grade Explore Test- Wednesday, October 13th

Have a great week!

Welcome Back!

2010-08-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

School is back in session!

I hope that everyone enjoyed their summer and is returning to Lakeview ready for another year full of enriching classroom experiences! My summer was very busy, as many of you know, as my husband and I welcomed Dominic Anthony into our family on July 6th! He is a wonderful baby and is already growing so fast!

It was great to see many of you at Open House and I look forward to working with all of you when I return from my maternity leave on October 4th!

See you soon!

7 Days Left!

2010-05-21T09:40:00.001-07:00

As we enter into the final week of school, we are filled with mixed emotions of excitement for summer and sadness over the end of another school year. With the last day just around the corner, we have many exciting days/events coming up.

In math, we are going to finish the year off by creating a math review book of all the various math concepts that we have learned this year. In RtI, we will be finishing our read-aloud book, After Ever After, and discuss how we can work on continuing to develop our reading skills over the summer.

7th Grade Important Dates:
- Wednesday, May 26th: Ride Janie Ride Pancake Breakfast
- Friday, May 28th: Field Day & Lip Sync Assembly & End of 3rd Trimester
- Tuesday, June 1st: Awards Assembly
- Wednesday: Last Day!

Countdown Begins!

2010-05-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

It is officially that time of the school year when many of the students begin to count down the final number of days of school! It is both the most exciting and most busy time of the year!

In math, we are in the middle of our final chapter- Probability and Combinations. Students will have a quiz on Friday over this material. In RtI, we are finishing writing our children's books and we will share those with the class at the end of the week.

Exciting Events:
May 25th-May 27th: Pancake Breakfast for grades 6-8
May 28th: 8th grade fieldtrip & 6/7 Field Day
May 31st: No school
June 1st: Graduation
June 2nd: Last day of school!

RJR 2010

2010-05-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was the official Ride Janie Ride event. It turned out to not only be a beautiful day weather-wise, but a wonderful ride, as well! Over 800 riders drove the 65 mile long ride from Villa Park to Joliet. It was both amazing and overwhelming to watch the two-mile long stretch of motorcyles that lined the street. The RJR members and riders continued to be amazed by the generousity and kindness of the Lakeview students and staff. They even displayed our check on the stage! Here are a few of the pictures taken at the event.

RJR Weekend!

2010-04-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of fundraising here at school for Ride Janie Ride, I am excited to say that we are finally at the weekend of the ride. On Sunday, rain or shine, the RJR participants will take off on their 65-mile journey. I know that this will be a very powerful weekend and my appreciation for this event is greatly strengthened knowing that I have the support of my colleagues and students here at Lakeview! I will post pictures from the event on my blog next week!

Looking ahead to next week, we will begin graphing both points and linear equations in math. In RtI, we will finally finish The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and complete a short project using the plot, characters, and events in the story.

Ride Janie Ride (continued :))

2010-04-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

There are always those moments in teaching when your students do something that amazes you above and beyond what you thought possible. These moments are what make teaching the best profession in the world and you know that what you and your fellow teachers do make a difference.

The amount of support and donations that have come in within the past two weeks for the Ride Janie Ride fundraiser have been astounding. Students have, and continue to be, an inspiration in all that they have done to raise money. I cannot wait to see the final totals on Monday!

On an academic note, we will be working on long division with remainders all next week in math. There will be a quiz on Thursday. In RtI reading, we will be close to finishing, if not finish, reading The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ride Janie Ride

2010-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Lakeview is raising money for the Ride Janie Ride Foundation over the next two weeks (until April 23rd). This fundraiser is very personal and special to me because my brother-in-law, Anthony, who has been battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma since last year, was chosen as one of this years recipients. Anthony has been through dozens of chemotherapy treatments and spent months in the hospital during this past year. It has definitely been a very emotional journey for our family. In February of this year, Anthony underwent a stem cell transplant at Northwestern and we are patiently awaiting the results. We should know within the next month, if the transplant was successful.

My family and I truly appreciate all of the support that we have received throughout this process. I am truly touched at all of the thoughts, prayers, and encouragement from all of the staff and students here at Lakeview.

If you would like any additional information on Kayla, Anthony, and Michael or the Ride Janie Ride Foundation, please check out their website- www.ridejanieride.org.

I also know many of you were wondering how to address checks to donate- You can make the checks out to the Ride Janie Ride Foundation.

I can't wait to see the final fundraising results!

April Showers :)

2010-04-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

After a restful spring break, everyone is back in "school-mode" for the final stretch of this school year!

In math, we spent the week practicing 1x1 digit and 2x1 digit multiplication. Next week, we will begin to practice 2x2 and 3x2 digit problems!

In RtI, we will continue to read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and, as we become closer to the plot/climax of the story, will be analyzing cause/effect.

Have a wonderful weekend and great week!

Spring Break!

2010-03-26T06:41:00.001-07:00

I hope that everyone had a great week! I can't believe that it will be April before we return from Spring Break!

When we return, we will begin multiplication and long division in math. With today's use of calculators, many of us have forgotten how to do these operations with paper and pencil. :) In RtI Reading, we will continue to read our novel, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, in our literature circles.

Have a safe and relaxing Spring Break!

March 19th

2010-03-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

It was another great week here at Lakeview! With Snowflake this weekend and sports tryouts next week, we have much to look forward to next week, as well.

In Math, we will be learning how to turn fractions into decimals, decimals into percents, and fractions into percents. We will have a short quiz on Thursday over this material.

In RtI, we will continue to read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, create a character map, and work in our literature circles.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Conference Week!

2010-03-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

It was great to see so many parents at Conference Night on Thursday! As we enter into the third trimester it is great to see the wonderful parent support and parent/teacher collaboration!

This week in math, we are continuing to work on fractions. We will begin the week with multiplying and dividing fractions and finish with mixed numbers.

In RtI, we are continuing to read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and we will switch our literature circle roles at the end of the week.

Have a good week!

ISAT Week

2010-03-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

We have finally come to the end of ISATS and I want to congratulate all of our students who worked so hard this week during testing!

Looking forward to next week, we will begin a new novel in RtI Reading, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. We will be working in literature circles, rotating roles each week. Our main focus will be on summarizing and monitoring our own comprehension while reading. In math, we will continue to work with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions!

Have a wonderful weekend!

ISAT Week!

2010-02-26T10:02:00.001-08:00

ISAT week is finally here and we have been working all year to prepare! Testing next week will take place during the first three periods of each day. Be sure to bring in your calculator and a silent reading book.

Next week in math we will be continuing to practice adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions. In RtI Reading, we will be reading a Reader's Theater play and applying our reading comprehension strategies.

Enjoy your three day weekend!

ISAT Prep

2010-02-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

We are just one short week away from ISATs! This week we will be devoting time in each of our classes to review all that we have learned so far this year in an effort to prepare. In both math and RtI Reading, we will practice writing both short answer and extended responses, as well.

Have a wonderful week!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone and their families a happy Valentine's Day weekend!

Looking ahead to next week, we will be finishing up our graphing unit in math and then we will be moving on to mean, median, and mode. With ISATs only a few short weeks away, we will begin to review many of the major concepts that we have practiced this year.

In RtI Reading, we will also be reinforcing many of the reading strategies and practices that we have worked on this year. Using the text, The Lotus Seed, we will apply previewing, determining the author's purpose, point of view, and chronological order. In RtI, we will end the week with a picture writing prompt.

Have a safe and relaxing weekend!

Spirit Week 2010

2010-02-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

We had a very exciting week here at Lakeview! The week started off with ugly shirt day, Pack the Place followed on Wednesday and Thursday, and ended today with the Hats for Haiti! This was a great opportunity to help out those in need! Thank you to everyone who donated!

Looking into next week we will be finishing up angles in shapes in math and in RtI we will be preparing for our second verb test and looking further into Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie!

Have a wonderful weekend!

February is here!

2010-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

As we begin a new month, it is good to take a look ahead! Pack the Place is Wednesday and Thursday of next week! Be sure to wear your spirit wear here at school and stay to cheer on our teams!

Academically, we will be continuing to practice our reading strategies in RtI using what we are reading in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.

In math we will continue to explore angles and their relationship to each other.

Have a great week!

January 25th

2010-01-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well it is already the final week in January! Despite the gloomy weather, the time is flying by so quickly!

This week in math, we are beginning to learn about the various types of angles and how to solve for supplementary, complementary, and vertical angles. We will be having a short quiz on Friday over this material.

In RtI, we are focusing on the "Making Connections" reading strategy in relation to the novel we are reading, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Each day we will be focusing on a different type of connection, in addition to, getting ready for our verb test on Thursday.

Have a great week!

Martin Luther King Jr. Week

2010-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

With IOWAs behind us, we are ready for another week!

In math we are reviewing all five of the area, perimeter, and circumference formulas that we have learned. We will be applying them in real life situations and finishing the week with an Equations BINGO on Friday!

In RtI we will continue to read and discuss poetry, fact and opinion, and our new novel, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.

Have a great week!

Welcome to Winter!

2010-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

It has definitely been a busy week....snow and all!

In math, we are continuing to work with area and perimeter and will be learning the formula for circumference. In RtI Reading, we will learn about drawing conclusions and making inferences; as well as, read the Readers Theater play, "The Plot Against Robin Hood."

Next week, students will be taking the IOWA test Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning. Be sure to get a good nights sleep and eat a healthy breakfast!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well 2009 is ending on a very positive academic note! Each of my students has put forth a great amount of work and effort that makes me confident that 2010 will be just as successful!

Have a safe and happy holiday! See everyone next year! :)

December News

2009-12-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

It was another great week, ending with Pajama Day today!

In math, we learned how to caluculate the perimeter of an object and will continue into next week learning about area. We will use manipulative and interactive games to reinforce these concepts throughout the week.

In RtI Reading we began our Christmas Carol activities and finally began reading today. We were very lucky to have Dr. Tiede read with us. Thank you Dr. Tiede! Next week, we will finish reading the play and, at the end of the week, watch the video. It is rated PG. If you have any objections to your child watching this, please contact me at cnino@ccsd66.org.

Have a great weekend!

December is Here!

2009-12-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

As always, it was great to meet with many parents this evening at conferences! Second trimester is getting off to a great start and I know that the positive progress will continue!

Next week, we will begin to learn about the perimeter of squares, rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms in math. We will also learn the equations necessary to find each perimeter and even solve for an uknown side when the perimeter is given to us.

In RtI, we will continue to write and develop our editorials for Language Arts and then begin reading the play, A Christmas Carol. This play will take us through next week, as well. We will be discussing the elements of a drama, stage directions, theme, plot, and comparing/contrasting.

Have a great week!

New Beginnings

2009-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

As we bring the 1st trimester to a close, I look back and see many positive academic experiences and gains for many students! It is great to see the growth that has occured since August! In the same breath, its difficult to believe that the holidays are beginning already!

During our short Thanksgiving week, we will be reading a Readers Theater play in RtI Reading titled "Confection Perfection." We will be incorporating the multiple intelligences and applying our reading strategies into this play. The following week, we will be further exploring Editorials, which we will begin reading/writing in language arts.

In math, we will continue to practice solving one-step equations. Following Thanksgiving break, we will begin exploring two step equations!

Have a wonderful break!

November 13th

2009-11-13T13:00:00.001-08:00

It was a great week in math and RtI Reading!

In math, we began learning how to solve one step algebraic equations using addition and subtraction. We will have a quick review and quiz on Tuesday and then begin one step equations with multiplication and division!

In RtI Reading we will begin to review for our Cay test on Friday. Be sure to study your vocab over the weekend! We will also be exploring the reading strategy of cause/effect, both in our own writing and through our reading text!

Have a great weekend!

Week of 11/2

2009-11-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

It was great to see so many parents at conferences on Thursday! It's hard to believe that November is already here!

In RtI Reading, we are working in groups to finish creating our story summary wheels for the story, Two Left Hands, Two Left Feet, and Two Left on the Bench. We will continue the week by developing the persuasive essays that we are beginning in Language Arts.

In math, we are finishing up our money unit by discussing sales tax. We are learning how to caluculate it when purchasing an item and figuring out our total bill including the tax.

Have a great week!

Learning How We Learn Best!

2009-10-23T13:07:00.001-07:00

*Our class was very busy learning about how we learn in RtI Reading this week! We spent this week further exploring the Multiple Intelligences (MI) and how they relate to our learning. Using the reader's theater play, The Mystery Spot, we divided into groups based on our Multiple Intelligences and completed activities relating to the story. It was a great opportunity to practice the comprehension and summarizing of a story. Some of us drew scenes from the story, while other acted them out, and the remainder of us created a game that related to the events in the story.
We had a great
week!

Red Ribbon Week

2009-10-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

This week we are celebrating Red Ribbon Week, which focuses on drug and violence prevention. We will have our annual assembly tomorrow morning at 8:30am, and we will continue throughout the week, and school year, to discuss the importance of living drug-free!

In math, we are continuing to work on calculating tips and sales using percents. We will have a quiz on Friday. In RtI Reading, we are also continuing to learn about how we learn best, through the use of the multiple intelligences (MI). Throughout the week, we will be completing activities using the MI and focus on finding ways that can help to strenghten our own learning.

Have a great week!

October 9th

2009-10-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about how you learn best? About techniques/strategies that can help you succeed? In RtI reading this week, we will work to answer these questions. Through the use of True Colors and the multiple intelligences, we will learn how to strengthen and develop our own learning. In addition, we will be reading a historical fiction story, Encounter to parallel what we have been learning in our Extension in Reading books.

In math, we will begin to discuss percents and relate them to sale items at retail stores and tip/taxes. We will also be designing our own menus using what we have learned.

Enjoy your three-day weekend!

October Begins!

2009-10-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Our money unit is in full swing and the students are truly enjoying balancing their checkbooks and spending money on groceries and other additional expenses. They were, however, not too excited about having to pay bills this week :)
Next week, we will continue to balance our checkbooks and work with adding and subtracting decimals. There will be a quiz on Wednesday covering this. Beginning on Thursday, we will be using menus to work with decimals and will eventually design our own menu with prices starting on Friday.

In RtI Reading, we will be preparing for our Language Arts test on Wednesday by playing review Jeopardy. The remainder of the week, we will begin to read the urban legend, "The Stranger." The focus will be on vocabulary, making predictions, sequence, and plot.

I am looking forward to a great week!

September 27th

2009-09-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

We have already reached the final week of September! I am very pleased to see how much progress each student has made in this first month of school!

In math, we are continuing to work with decimals. On Monday, we will learn how to add/subtract with borrowing and, by the end of the week we will be multipling and dividing decimals, as well. Friday, we will once again work on "Our Price Is Right" unit and pay our first set of utility bills!

In RtI reading we will review for our short story unit test, which is on Wednesday, and begin to read the folktale, Rachel the Clever. We will focus on learning the characteristics of a folktale, making predictions, and "retelling" a story.

I am looking forward to a great week! :)

Welcome fall!

2009-09-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to believe that summer is officially over and fall is here! This first month of school has flown by so quickly!

In math this week, we are continuing to work on rounding, ordering, adding, and subtracting decimals. On Friday, we will use these skills to continue our "Price is Right" unit and go on a "shopping spree!" :)

In RtI, we will conclude our short story unit by reading Westwoods. This humorous story is written in play form and is one of my favorite short stories! We will continue to pull out the story elements, as well as, develop vocabulary and problem/solution.

I am looking forward to a great week!

Open House

2009-09-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

It was great to see so many parents at Open House! I always look forward to meeting everyone and discussing ways to work together to create a positive and successful school year.

Looking back on this short, but productive week, we accomplished many things in Room 106.
In math, we finished up our lessons on Variables and Expressions. We will have a short quiz on Wednesday covering this material. Next week, we will learn about Exponents, as well as, begin our unit on decimals. To supplement the decimal unit, we will continue our "Price Is Right" activities, which will involve balancing a checkbook (adding and subtracting decimals).

In RtI this week, we continued to work on pulling out the parts of a short story and monitoring our own reading, using "Challenge" by Gary Soto. We also devoted a class period to creative writing, in which we used pictures as inspirations for our stories. Looking forward to next week, we will read the short story, "Raymond's Run" and focus on the main idea and its correlating details.

Have a great weekend!

Week 2!

2009-09-04T08:42:00.001-07:00

It was another great week full of hardworking students and staff! In math, we finished up our lessons on Order of Operations and took our first quiz this morning. Next week, we will begin discussing Variables and Expressions, as well as, dive further into our "Price is Right" unit.

In RtI this week, we continued to work on pulling out the parts of a short story and analyzing our characters and plot, using the story LAFFF by Lesney Namioka. We also discussed points of view and presented descriptive commericals about Rice Krispy Treats based on our target audiences! It was a lot of fun! Looking forward to next week, we will be focusing on the parts of a short story and how to monitor your own reading, using the story Challenge by Gary Soto.

Have a great extended weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone at Open House next Thursday!

Week One

2009-08-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

We have officially finished the first week of this school year and are beginning to get back into the "school routine!" It's great to be back!

Looking forward to next week, we will be having a short math quiz on Friday during 3rd hour to review what we have practiced/reviewed both this week and early next week (multiplication and division facts, order or operations, and squares). I also will be introducing our "Price Is Right" unit in math, in which we will be practicing money skills, including balancing checkbooks, entering withdraws and deposits, etc.

All grades will be posted at http://sds.ccsd66.org/parentconnect/ starting at the end of next week.

Have a great weekend!

Back to School

2009-08-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Lakeview for the 2009/2010 school year! Summer flew by quickly, as it always does, and I am very excited to begin my second year teaching here tomorrow. It was great to see so many smiling faces this morning at Open House.

I am looking forward to another successful year! :)