February 28-March 4

Important Dates:
ISAT testing begins: 3/1
P/T Conferences 2/28, 3/1, 3/2, 3/3
Report cards 3/1
No school Friday 3/4
No school Monday 3/7

Classroom Chatter:

If you have not already, please send a letter of encouragement, for the ISAT tests, sealed in an envelope to school on Monday with my name on it. The letters will be distributed on Tuesday for the students to read.

ISAT testing begins this week. The schedule is as follows:
Monday Feb. 28: No testing
Tuesday March 1: Reading I
Wednesday March 2: Reading II, Math I
Thursday March 3: Reading III, Math II
Friday March 4: No school!
Monday March 7: No school!
Tuesday March 8: No Testing
Wednesday March 9: Math III

ISATs: Please take some time to check out the Illinios State Board of Education (ISBE) website below for important information regarding the upcoming ISAT test your child will be taking starting March 1, 2011. The Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) measures individual student achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. The results give parents, teachers, and schools one measure of student learning and school performance.

Click here to find sample books for this year and previous years. These sample booklets will show you the types of questions your child will be answering in reading and math.
http://www.isbe.net/assessment/htmls/sample_books.htm

Click here for more information regarding the ISAT and student assessment.
http://www.isbe.net/assessment/isat.htm

We are now in our 3rd trimester. Reports will come home Tuesday. Today, your child came home with their MAPs scores. Please look in their binders for them.

Please mark your calendars for March 15th for the Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAPS scores.



Spelling
No spelling this week due to ISAT testing.

Reading
We will continue to review for the ISAT tests this week as well as take the reading portion during our scheduled reading time. See schedule above!

English
We will finish typing our final copies of our autobiographies.

Science
We will finish up our energy unit with lesson 3. Students will learn about fossil fuels and renewable and non-renewable resources.

Social Studies
We will finish up our Egpyt unit this week. We will be taking the Ancient Egypt test after ISAT testing is over with. It is tentatively planned for Thursday 3/10. This week I'll send home a study guide.

Math
We will take a mad minute in division 4. We will have the chapter 11 test on Friday, 3/11. We will actually finish the chapter this week, but due to ISAT testing and a day to play a review game, the test is scheduled for after ISAT's. Also, information about your child's geometry project will come home. It will be due Friday 3/25.


HAVE A GREAT WEEK! ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO DO THEIR BEST ON THE ISAT'S! REMEMBER A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP AND HEALTHY BREAKFAST!!!!