Dear Parents,

This week in Room 304, we will continue to concentrate on writing expository essays as part of our ISAT practice.  In 5<sup>th</sup> grade, students are required to write an expository essay during ISATs.  In addition, we will begin to focus on extended response writing in Math to prepare for ISAT testing.  <strong>Report Cards will be distributed on Wednesday to students.</strong> Please review these with your child.  I am available for conferencing most morning between 8:30 and 9.   Please contact me via email:  <a href="mailto:agkrecik@cps.edu">agkrecik@cps.edu</a>.

<strong>Reading</strong><strong>: </strong>In addition to students’ daily responsibilities in Reader’s Workshop, we will focus on identifying the elements of a fairy tale.  Students will work in guided reading groups to compare/contrast two versions of the same fairy tale.   We will work in our ISAT prep books during the week and students will have ISAT prep work over the weekend.  Students will receive their new AR goal this week.  Make sure that your child is reading an AR book at home.  AR is 10% of the overall reading grade.<strong></strong>

<strong>Writing: </strong><strong>Students will continue to improve writing practice for expository essays.  We will focus on writing Knockout Endings and word choice this week.</strong>

<strong>Math:</strong> This week, we will cover lessons 5.2, 5.3 and part of 5.4:  Fractions.  Expect students to have math homework every day this week.  In addition, we will continue developing our short and extended responses in class.  On Thursday, students will take a short quiz to check progress.  Students will have ISAT prep work over the weekend.

<strong>Science: </strong>This week we will make our own magnifiers and test them.  We will  decide what i a good magnifier.

<strong>Social Studies: </strong><strong>We will begin studying the Thirteen colonies this week.  Students will be responsible for reading on Monday and Wednesday evenings for homework.  In class, students will be writing fictional letter to a relative back in </strong><strong>England</strong><strong> describing life in a </strong><strong>New England</strong><strong> colony.</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>