Just Move it! Challenge

The Just Move it! Challenge 5k and 1 Mile run/walk fundraiser will be held on April 22nd at South Middle School.  This is a great family and community event that raises money for ABC25 grants.  Please consider participating as a runner/walker or a volunteer and help Dryden bring home the participation trophy this year!!

Early registration for the JMI Challenge is now open to all walkers and runners!  Please go to registration.  In order to guarantee that you receive a t-shirt for the race, you must register before April 7, 2017

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If anyone would like to volunteer to help make this year's race a huge success, please sign up here.

This Week...

February 21- February 24, 2017

Reading:  We continued reading various books about forces!  Students learned that it’s important to use strategies when faced with difficult, content vocabulary.  We utilized a S.E.E.D. graphic organizer to help us understand challenging words.  Students found Sentences that contained the word, wrote Examples, wrote an Explanation of the word, and Drew a picture or connection.  Students also recorded their learning about forces in a KWL chart. Reading Logs are due Monday, February 27.  (100 minutes)

Math:  Students solved multiplication/division puzzle boxes.  Multiplication Bingo was a great game to practice and review important facts.  At the end of the week, students created equations using parentheses to solve for various number stories.  **If applicable: for students still on addition and subtraction, fact tests and graphs are due Monday, February 27.

Science:  Students learned how friction affects the movement of a toy car.  They also learned that when forces are applied with equal strength, but in opposite directions, the object will not move.  At the end of the week, students investigated the force of gravity!

Writing:  At the beginning of the week, students worked in pairs to give each other important feedback about their response to literature rough drafts.  After incorporating the feedback into their pieces, students used an editing checklist to make important spelling and punctuation changes.  Then, students worked on completing their final copies!   In grammar, we focused on irregular verbs.

Spelling:  We had our week 22 test.

Miscellaneous:  Just a reminder, our February writing words test will be on Tuesday, February 28.  This test will be cumulative.  Please let me know if you need any copies of the previous lists.  Today, students enjoyed celebrating student council’s spirit day: Wear your favorite color!  As always, please let me know if you have any questions…have a wonderful weekend!

This Week...

February 13- February 17, 2017

Reading:  We started our Forces and Action reading unit!  We began by focusing on our essential question: How and why do objects move?  We also previewed key vocabulary for the unit.  We discussed the importance of knowing content vocabulary as we read various articles and books.  Students accessed their prior knowledge of forces by drawing upon their science experiments.  This information sparked new wonders and questions.  After reading a nonfiction book about forces, students recorded their new learning on sticky notes. Reading Logs are due Tuesday, February 21.  (100 minutes)

Math:  We began unit 7!  Students discovered that square products are formed by multiplying two identical factors.  They also learned that 2 even factors produce an even product, while 2 odd factors produce an odd product.  Students worked together to increase their speed of recalling the basic facts.  This automaticity will help students solve more complex multiplication and division problems later in the unit. **If applicable: for students still on addition and subtraction, fact tests and graphs are due Tuesday, February 21.

Science:  Students worked together to find creative ways to make a toy car move.  They created questions and tested out their ideas with various materials.  While experimenting, students discovered that a force is a push or a pull.  A force must act on an object in order for it to move.  The students’ experiments focused on the four force descriptors: what the force is, what the force is acting on, the direction of the force, and the strength of the force.

Writing:  Students wrote their rough drafts by combining their leads, moments, and revisions.  The worked on replacing weak verbs and adding dialogue from the text.  At the end of the week, they used a checklist to ensure they had the key elements of the response to literature essay.  In grammar, we focused on helping verbs.

Spelling:  We had our week 21 test.

Miscellaneous:  Thank you to everyone who made our Valentine’s Day party possible!  The students really enjoyed the celebration!  The West states and capitals information went home this week.  Students will have about a month to learn this region.  Just a reminder, students do not have school on Monday due to President’s Day.  Enjoy the 3-day weekend and I’ll see you back on the 21st!

World Read Aloud Day!

Mrs. Kenney read to us for World Read Aloud Day!

Valentine's Day Party!

We had a blast at our Valentine's Day party!  Thank you to everyone who made it possible!

Forces and Action

We began our new science unit this week!  Students developed scenarios to make a toy car move.  They created questions and recorded observations!

Art Appreciation!

Blake's Mom did a great job teaching us all about George Seurat and Pointillism!  

This Week...

February 6- February 10, 2017

Reading:  In reading, students reviewed the major ideas from our fiction unit.  They practiced going back to the text to highlight supporting details.  Determining genre, inferring character traits, and using context clues were all important areas of focus.  At the end of the week, students took their fiction unit assessment.  Next week, we will begin our new reading unit on Forces and Action!  Students will be reading texts that correlate with our new science unit. Reading Logs are due Monday, February 13.  (100 minutes)

Math:  Students studied various characteristics of 3-D shapes.  Vertices, faces, bases, and edges were identified on the shapes.  Students also reviewed major concepts from unit 6 and took their unit test.  Next week, we will begin unit 7! **If applicable: for students still on addition and subtraction, fact tests and graphs are due Monday, February 13.

Social Studies:  We reviewed the key concepts from our Illinois unit and students took their unit test on Wednesday.  In the LMC, students continued researching a famous person from Illinois.  Next week, we will begin our new science unit: Forces and Action!

Writing:  Students met with partners to share peer feedback about the response to literature essays.  They helped each other find parts of the essays to revise.  After meeting, students worked on revision assignments that focused on using details and dialogue from the text.  In grammar, we focused on linking verbs.

Spelling:  We had our week 20 test.

Miscellaneous:  This week, we enjoyed a wonderful Art Appreciation session given by Blake’s mom!  Students learned about George Seurat and pointillism.  Just a reminder, if your child is planning on bringing valentines, please be sure there is one for each student and that they do not contain food/candy.  Valentine boxes are due on Monday, February 13.  Students took their Northeast states and capitals test today.  Our next region will be the West!  Finally, please turn in field trip forms for both the Chicago boat tour and Elgin Symphony Orchestra…thank you!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Have a great weekend!

This Week...

January 30- February 3, 2017

Reading:  In the beginning of the week, we focused on how authors use figurative language to express ideas.  We learned the difference between similes and metaphors.  Students were able to identify the comparisons being made within the text.  We also learned the important terminology used in dramatic plays.  We acted out Stone Soup while determining the theme of the story.  Students used clues and text evidence to support their thinking. Reading Logs are due Monday, February 6.  (100 minutes)

Math:  At the beginning of the week, students learned the names of various polygons.  They used straws to create polygons with different features.  Students also learned how to draw the mirror image of an object from a line of symmetry.  Congruent shapes were discussed and investigated.  The unit 6 test will be on Friday, February 10.  A review guide will be going home on Wednesday.

Social Studies:  Agriculture and Illinois industries were a main area of focus this week.  Students explored how farm products are turned into food and how it reaches consumers.  We also had a rich discussion about various industries, such as manufacturing and business.  Students identified adults they knew and where their jobs fit in the various industry categories.  Our Illinois unit test will be next Wednesday, February 8.  A review guide will go home on Monday.  The Northeast states and capitals test will be Friday, February 10.

Writing:  Students chose a character trait and moment for their response to literature essay!  They also developed interesting leads to hook the reader.  Some of these leads included questions or interesting details.  They learned that leads need to include the title of the book and the author.  On Tuesday, students took their January writing words test.  The February writing words list went home on Thursday.  In grammar, we focused on the past and present tenses for the following verbs: have, be, and do.

Spelling:  We had our week 19 test.

Miscellaneous:  We had a busy week full of exciting experiences!  Students enjoyed the book fair!  It was great to see everyone picking out some wonderful books.  On Wednesday, students participated in Global Play Day!  They had the opportunity to document their activities and reflect on their learning.  On Thursday, our class enjoyed a presentation from the Cook County Farm Bureau.  Students learned about various crops and how important farming is to the state of Illinois.  I hope you have a fabulous weekend…please let me know if you have any questions!