Dear Parents,

This week in Room 304, we will concentrate on ISAT test preparation.  Students will continue to write and refine expository essays.  In addition, we will continue to focus on extended response writing in Math and Reading to prepare for ISAT testing.  If you have any questions, please contact me via email:  <a href="mailto:agkrecik@cps.edu">agkrecik@cps.edu</a>.

<strong>Reading</strong><strong>: </strong>We will continue to investigate the elements of a story this week, focusing on point of view and characterization.  In addition, we will identify poetic devices in poetry, and we will create our own original poetry using poetic devices.  Students should be reading AR books at home nightly.  AR is 10% of the overall reading grade.<strong></strong>

<strong>Writing: </strong><strong>Students will write expository essays on important African-Americans.  This will be the centerpiece of their Black History project.  Essays are due, final and complete on Monday, February 22.</strong>

<strong>Math:</strong> This week, we will focus on lessons in our ISAT Coach books.  We will focus on decimals/percents/fractions and estimation to prepare for ISATs.  In addition, students will work on an extended response problem this week.  We will examine each other’s problems and grade them in class against the ISAT rubric.

<strong>Science: </strong>This week we will examine objects in microscopes and determine our “Field of View”, or how much do we see in a microscope.  Students will learn how to prepare a slide.

<strong>Social Studies: </strong><strong>We will begin our study of the Middle Colonies this week.  Students will examine the differences between the </strong><strong>New England</strong><strong> colonies and the Middle colonies.  Using details from the reading, students will write letters to colonists in the </strong><strong>New England</strong><strong> colonies describing the differences.</strong>

<strong>Spelling: </strong>Because of the important work we are doing in class for ISAT prep, we are suspending spelling until after ISATs are complete.  We will resume weekly spelling in March.<strong></strong>

<strong>Reminder!!!!!  Please try your best to get your child to school on time!  With ISAT testing fast approaching, we want to ensure all students get into a routine that will have them at school on time, awake, and well-rested.  Thank you!</strong>