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Mrs. Tiffany Schiff » Home

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5th Grade Team
 

Hello and welcome back to school! I hope you had an incredible Summer filled with fun and adventures. My name is Mrs. Schiff and I am delighted to write to you as your child’s Math, Science and Social Studies teacher. We're going to learn, explore, and grow together in our wonderful classroom.

 

A little about myself: I have been married for 21 years and have lived in Libertyville for 23 years. I have four children: Amanda, who has been married for almost a year now; Olivia, who is a Freshman at Indiana University Kelley School of Business; Ty, who is a Junior at LHS and recently made the Sophomore Basketball team; and Audrina, who is in 4th grade here at SJCS.

 

Throughout my 12 years at St. Joseph Catholic School, I have been furthering my education. I earned my Education degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2019. Last year, I assumed the role of 5th - 8th grade Middle School Resource Teacher and worked with students who hold ISP’s and 504 plans. I am currently working towards earning my Special Education credential as well.

 

As this new school year starts, I will be working closely with each student to ensure their success. During my time as the 5-8 Resource Teacher, I gained a strong understanding of the Middle School Math, Science, and Social Studies curriculum. I will continue to work closely with these teachers to ensure the 5th graders are prepared for 6th grade.

 

I am grateful for your trust and support as their teacher, and feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

Many Blessings!

 

Also...I have created a new Amazon wish list of items that will help grow our library of knowledge and also improve my new way of teaching math and ensuring that each student continues to grow and learn in many different ways. We will also be learning study skills and I need supplies from my wish list to make this happen as well. Any donation is greatly appreciated. Link is here or under Amazon tab on the side... thank you!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3RS691H76HBK0?ref_=wl_share

 

 

Posts

Tuesday, September 26, 2023 Homework

Today was a different schedule as we had a guest speaker at 10am talking about the problems that social media can bring if not careful. Then we had the 12:30pm Eucharistic Adoration Mass. Students might have more homework than usual from me, but that is because of limited class time today. Thank you for your understanding.
 
Math - pgs 123 & 124 and 2 extra reteach worksheets (Today we broke down multiplication problems in an easier way to get the answers using distributive property again. Example: 5 x 17 = 5 x 10 + 5 x 7 = 50 + 35 = 85 as the final answer. Please keep practicing multiplication flashcards at home as we will be doing a lot of multiplication in the next few weeks. )
 
Science - Schiff only...read pages 35 - 39 in book and answer all the questions if not finished in class and D.O.S. has been passed out and due by Friday (Today we learned how matter changes. Questions to ask... What is physical change and some examples?... A physical change is a change in one or more properties of matter without forming a different kind of matter...examples: breaking glass or stretching a rubber band is a physical change.  What are three types of physical change?... Stretching, melting, tearing )
 
Social Studies - Great Plains packet if not finished in class and D.O.G. has been passed out and due by Friday  (Today we focused on Great Plains region for the Native Americans. Questions to ask... Why was the buffalo so sacred?... It was so sacred because it provided all the valuable elements needed for survival.  What does nomadic mean?... Nomadic means they moved their homes following the buffalo herd.)
 
Reminders:
- TOMORROW is now wear Purple dress down in honor of Charlotte who was a young, and strong fighter of Cancer. May God be with her and her family.
 
- I offer office hours Monday - Thursday if your child needs me to reteach something in Math, Science or Social Studies. Please email me for assistance and we will meet via google meet link. 
 
- I offer afterschool Math group tutoring on Thursday's of every week until 3:15pm. Some weeks we review and some weeks we go ahead and learn the next lessons. We will also work on strengthening our math facts in multiplication. It is $30 per week if you'd like to join. You can come and go from week to week, but it is very beneficial. Contact me with any questions. 
 
- Amazon wish list, if you can donate to our classroom... https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3RS691H76HBK0?ref_=wl_share
 
Upcoming Events:
~ We will have our first field trip on Thursday, November 9th to The Grove in Glenview. We will see LongHouses from the Native Americans and also talk about Pioneers....all lessons we will have finished learning by then. Permission forms will come home sometime in October and Room Mom's will be asking for volunteers soon too. Can't wait for this extra enrichment for the students.

Monday, September 25, 2023 Homework

Math - pgs 117 & 118 and 2 extra worksheets (Today we broke down multiplication problems in an easier way to get the answers using distributive property. Example: 5 x 17 = 5 x 10 + 5 x 7 = 50 + 35 = 85 as the final answer. Please keep practicing multiplication flashcards at home as we will be doing a lot of multiplication in the next few weeks. )
 
Science - Bubis only...read pages 35 - 39 in book and answer all the questions if not finished in class and D.O.S. has been passed out and due by Friday (Today we learned how matter changes. Questions to ask... What is physical change and some examples?... A physical change is a chnage in one or more properties of matter without forming a different kind of matter...examples: breaking glass or stretching a rubber band is a physical change.  What are three types of physical change?... Stretching, melting, tearing )
 
Social Studies - Native Americans and the Eastern Woodlands and Southeast Regions packet if not finished in class and D.O.G. has been passed out and due by Friday  (Today we focused on two regions for the Native Americans; Eastern Woodlands and the Southeast. Questions to ask... How did people of the Eastern Woodlands stay warm during the winter?... They used animals such as; bear, rabbit and raccoon fur to keep warm as clothing.  What did they eat in Southeast region?... They would eat foods planted by women such as; corn, squash and beans. The men hunted for turkeys, hogs, and even alligators.)
 
Reminders:
- This Friday is wear Purple dress down in honor of Charlotte who was a young, and strong fighter of Cancer. May God be with her and her family.
 
- I offer office hours Monday - Thursday if your child needs me to reteach something in Math, Science or Social Studies. Please email me for assistance and we will meet via google meet link. 
 
- I offer afterschool Math group tutoring on Thursday's of every week until 3:15pm. Some weeks we review and some weeks we go ahead and learn the next lessons. We will also work on strengthening our math facts in multiplication. It is $30 per week if you'd like to join. You can come and go from week to week, but it is very beneficial. Contact me with any questions. 
 
- Amazon wish list, if you can donate to our classroom... https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3RS691H76HBK0?ref_=wl_share
 
Upcoming Events:
~ We will have our first field trip on Thursday, November 9th to The Grove in Glenview. We will see LongHouses from the Native Americans and also talk about Pioneers....all lessons we will have finished learning by then. Permission forms will come home sometime in October and Room Mom's will be asking for volunteers soon too. Can't wait for this extra enrichment for the students.

September 25, 2023 to September 29, 2023 Week at a Glance

Math : Chapter 2 - Multiply Whole Numbers (one lesson per day) 

  • Lesson 6 - Use Partial Products and the Distributive Property (Use models to relate decimals to fractions) 
  • Lesson 7 -  Distributive Property (Use the distributive property to multiply mentally) 
  • Lesson 8 - Estimate Property (Estimate products by using rounding and compatible numbers)  
  • Lesson 9 - Multiply by One-Digit Numbers (Multiply up to three-digit number by a one-digit number)
  • Lesson 10 - Multiply by Two-Digit Numbers (Multiply up to a three-digit number by a two-digit number) 

Science: Chapter 1 on the Properties of Matter (one lesson per week)

  • We ask ourselves, How does Matter change? 
    • What are the properties of matter?
  • Students will observe and compare physical and chemical changes and will analyze how these changes are affected by temperature.
  • Important vocabulary words for the week: chemical change, physical change, and rust
  • A Brain Pop assignment on Matter is assigned for them to watch, answer questions and do the quiz (not graded) for Wednesday
  • Thursday, we have our weekly Words to Know Quiz…they are allowed to use their books every week on these quizzes
  • Weekly D.O.S. (Daily Oral Science) will be passed out on Monday as well - due on Friday

Social Studies: Native Americans continued….

    • On Monday, we will do a packet on Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands & Southeast Region
    • On Tuesday, we will do a packet on the Native Americans in the Great Plains
    • On Wednesday, we will do a packet on the Native Americans of the Southwest & Northwest Regions
    • On Thursday, we will do a packet on Native Americans of the California and Plateau Region
    • On Friday, I’m giving them a break from all the work this week and they can do BrainPop Social Studies 
  • Weekly D.O.G. (Daily Oral Geography) will be passed out on Monday as well - due on Friday

*Please note that The Week at a Glance is very broad. Please check my nightly Edlio posts to read about what we specifically did in class that day.*

Thursday, September 21, 2023 Homework

And the classroom gifts/donations keep coming...Thank you so much for your support of our classroom. Most donations are coming without names on them or on the gift receipts, so I'm sorry if I'm not sending personal emails to all, but THANK YOU! xoxo
 
Math - None (Today we did our lesson and a check my progress worksheet in class. The lesson was on doing mental math. Example: 32 X 1000 = 32,000 or 7 x 500 = 3,500. They caught on very quickly to this and I was so proud of them all.)
 
Science - None (Today we did our Lesson 4 Check quiz and students were allowed to use their books...they did a great job! )
 
Social Studies - None  (Today we did a test on Native Americans and their Regions. They were allowed to use their books and work in partners as well. So proud of the results....they are rockstars!!!)
 
Reminders:
- No School tomorrow- Friday, September 22, 2023 ... Enjoy the nice long weekend!
 
- I offer office hours Monday - Thursday if your child needs me to reteach something in Math, Science or Social Studies. Please email me for assistance and we will meet via google meet link. 
 
- I offer afterschool Math group tutoring on Thursday's of every week until 3:15pm. Some weeks we review and some weeks we go ahead and learn the next lessons. We will also work on strengthening our math facts in multiplication. It is $30 per week if you'd like to join. You can come and go from week to week, but it is very beneficial. Contact me with any questions. 
 
- Amazon wish list, if you can donate to our classroom... https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3RS691H76HBK0?ref_=wl_share
 
Upcoming Events:
~ We will have our first field trip on Thursday, November 9th to The Grove in Glenview. We will see LongHouses from the Native Americans and also talk about Pioneers....all lessons we will have finished learning by then. Permission forms will come home sometime in October and Room Mom's will be asking for volunteers soon too. Can't wait for this extra enrichment for the students.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023 Homework

And the classroom gifts/donations keep coming...Thank you so much for your support of our classroom. Most donations are coming without names on them or on the gift receipts, so I'm sorry if I'm not sending personal emails to all, but THANK YOU! xoxo
 
Math - pgs 97 & 98 and extra reteach worksheet (Today we started using exponents in class. We took the prime factorization we learned on Monday and Tuesday and built on that. Example: 8 x 8 x 8 = 8^3  or 49 = 7^2. I had them start worksheet in class so I can see their understanding. Lots of multiplication is being used in the next few lessons. They can use scratch paper and some numbers get real big, so they can use a calculator at home if needed. At school, I make them work it out in front of me.)
 
Science - Mixture and Solution packet if not finished in class and weekly D.O.S. is due by Thursday (Today we enriched our lesson with an extension lesson on Mixtures and Solutions that we read about this week in our books.)
 
Social Studies - Native American Movement and Winter on the Great Lakes packet if not finished in class and weekly D.O.G. is due by Thursday  (Today we continued our journey with Native Americans and learned about seasons and movement for them. This was another interesting read. Questions to ask: During the Spring, tribes would move where?... Many of the tribes moved inland to be close to rivers and streams so they can hunt and get food. Deerskin was a material used to make leggings and what else?... They would deerskin to make leggings and moccasins.)
 
Reminders:
- No School on this Friday, September 22, 2023 
 
- I offer office hours Monday - Thursday if your child needs me to reteach something in Math, Science or Social Studies. Please email me for assistance and we will meet via google meet link. 
 
- I offer afterschool Math group tutoring on Thursday's of every week until 3:15pm. Some weeks we review and some weeks we go ahead and learn the next lessons. We will also work on strengthening our math facts in multiplication. It is $30 per week if you'd like to join. You can come and go from week to week, but it is very beneficial. Contact me with any questions. 
 
- Amazon wish list, if you can donate to our classroom... https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3RS691H76HBK0?ref_=wl_share
 
Upcoming Events:
~ We will have our first field trip on Thursday, November 9th to The Grove in Glenview. We will see LongHouses from the Native Americans and also talk about Pioneers....all lessons we will have finished learning by then. Permission forms will come home sometime in October and Room Mom's will be asking for volunteers soon too. Can't wait for this extra enrichment for the students.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 Homework

And the classroom gifts/donations keep coming...Thank you so much for your support of our classroom. Most donations are coming without names on them or on the gift receipts, so I'm sorry if I'm not sending personal emails to all, but THANK YOU! xoxo
 
Math - pgs 91 & 92 and extra review worksheet on multiplication (Today we continued learning about prime factorization. We took composite number in a graph/pyramid form and broke them all the way down to prime number factors. Example : 36 = 18 x 2 = 9 x 2 x 2 = 3 x 3 x 2 x 2...so the prime factorization for the number 36 is 2 x 2 x 3 x 3)
 
Science - only for Schiff homeroom - read pgs 29 - 33 in the book and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.S. is due by Thursday (I only had my class for Science today> Miss Bubis' class learned this same lesson yesterday. Today we learned about mixtures and solutions... Example: a mixture is like a fruit salad that can be picked apart and separated again...a solution is when you dissolve something into a liquid and cannot separate it again with a strainer or something)
 
Social Studies - Native American Myths, Customs and Traditions packet and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.G. is due by Thursday  (Today we continued our journey with Native Americans and learned about some myths, customs and traditions. This was an interesting read for sure. Questions to ask: What is another word for the myths the Native Americans told?... Another word for it is simply "storytelling". What was a custom that each family group called themselves?... They would call their family group a name after an animal that they had in high regard.  What determined the migration of Native American tribes?... The migration was determined by the changing of the seasons.)
 
Reminders:
- No School on this Friday, September 22, 2023 
 
- I offer office hours Monday - Thursday if your child needs me to reteach something in Math, Science or Social Studies. Please email me for assistance and we will meet via google meet link. 
 
- I offer afterschool Math group tutoring on Thursday's of every week until 3:15pm. Some weeks we review and some weeks we go ahead and learn the next lessons. We will also work on strengthening our math facts in multiplication. It is $30 per week if you'd like to join. You can come and go from week to week, but it is very beneficial. Contact me with any questions. 
 
Upcoming Events:
~ We will have our first field trip on Thursday, November 9th to The Grove in Glenview. We will see LongHouses from the Native Americans and also talk about Pioneers....all lessons we will have finished learning by then. Permission forms will come home sometime in October and Room Mom's will be asking for volunteers soon too. Can't wait for this extra enrichment for the students.

Monday, September 18, 2023 Homework

I feel so blessed and overwhelmed with the love of all the wish list items coming to school from Amazon. It's like an early Christmas. Thank you so much for your gifts to our classroom. They are coming without names on them or the receipts, so I'm sorry if I'm not sending personal emails to all, but THANK YOU! xoxo
 
Math - pgs 85 & 86 and 2 extra reteach and review worksheets (Today we learned about prime factorization. We took composite number and broke them all the way down to prime number factors. Example : 36 = 18 x 2 = 9 x 2 x 2 = 3 x 3 x 2 x 2...so the prime factorization for the number 36 is 2 x 2 x 3 x 3)
 
Science - only for Bubis homeroom - read pgs 29 - 33 in the book and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.S. is due by Thursday (I only had Miss Bubis' class for Science today and then my class class will learn this same lesson tomorrow. Today we learned about mixtures and solutions... Example: a mixture is like a fruit salad that can be picked apart and separated again...a solution is when you dissolve something into a liquid and cannot separate it again with a strainer or something)
 
Social Studies - Iroquois, Cheyenne and Pocahontas packet and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.G. is due by Thursday  (Today we continued our journey with Native Americans and learned about a few different tribes. Questions to ask: What river is in the area where the Iroquoian languages were spoken?... It was the Hudson River. The Cheyenne tribe calls themselves the Tsitsistas. What does this translate to?... It stands for "the people".  Who was Pocahontas the daughter of?... Pocahontas was the daughter of the powerful Algonquian chief Powhatan.)
 
Reminders:
- No School on this Friday, September 22, 2023 
 
- I offer office hours Monday - Thursday if your child needs me to reteach something in Math, Science or Social Studies. Please email me for assistance and we will meet via google meet link. 
 
- I offer afterschool Math group tutoring on Thursday's of every week until 3:15pm. Some weeks we review and some weeks we go ahead and learn the next lessons. We will also work on strengthening our math facts in multiplication. It is $30 per week if you'd like to join. You can come and go from week to week, but it is very beneficial. Contact me with any questions. 

September 18, 2023 to September 21, 2023 Week at a Glance

Math : Chapter 2 - Multiply Whole Numbers (one lesson per day) 

  • Lesson 1 - Prime Factorization (We will find the prime factorization of numbers) 
  • Lesson 2 -,  Prime Factorization Numbers (We will explore patterns in prime factorization of numbers) 
  • Lesson 3 - Powers and Exponents (We will use powers and exponents in expressions)  
  • Lesson 4 - Multiplication Patterns (We will use basic facts and patterns to multiply multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000 mentally) 
  • We will also do an in-class Check My Progress worksheet to see how everyone is doing thus far on lessons taught

Science: Chapter 1 on the Properties of Matter (one lesson per week)

  • We ask ourselves, What are mixtures and solutions? 
    • What are the properties of matter?
  • Students will investigate properties of solutions and will provide evidence for whether mixtures can be separated based on the properties of their parts.
  • Important vocabulary words for the week: mixture, solubility, and solution
  • We will be doing a Mixture & Solution packet as well this week
  • Thursday, we have our weekly Words to Know Quiz…they are allowed to use their books every week on these quizzes
  • Weekly D.O.S. (Daily Oral Science) will be passed out on Monday as well - due on Thursday

Social Studies: 

    • On Monday, we will do a packet on the Iroquois, Cheyenne and Pocahontas tribes
    • On Tuesday, we will do a packet on the Native American Myths, Customs and Traditions
    • On Wednesday, I will lecture about the test they will be taking on Thursday about Native Americans and their Regions. They get to use their notes on the test from my lecture.
  • Weekly D.O.G. (Daily Oral Geography) will be passed out on Monday as well - due on Thursday

*Please note that The Week at a Glance is very broad. Please check my nightly Edlio posts to read about what we specifically did in class that day.*

Friday, September 15, 2023 Homework

Rosary Launch was so beautiful this morning. We stood with our First grade buddies and did the prayers together. Spirit Run was full of "spirit" and the students had a great time. They enjoyed popsicles at the end of the run too!
 
Math - None (We did not have Math today due to the Rosary Launch and Spirit Run)
 
Science - None (Today we used our Science time to finish iReady Math diagnostic)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we had shortened periods of class due to the Spirit Run and Rosary Launch, so I had them have some fun on Brain Pop with educational videos and questions.)
 

Thursday, September 14, 2023 Homework

Math - None (Today we started our iReady diagnostic testing. Most did not finish and we will find time tomorrow or on Monday to finish it up.)
 
Science - None and our weekly D.O.S. is due by tomorrow (Today we did our weekly lesson check quiz...students are allowed to use their books and I let them know the pages to use)
 
Social Studies - "Back to School" history packet if not finished in class and our weekly D.O.G. is due by tomorrow  (Today we did a packet on the history of what "Back to School" means. This was very interesting, even for me. I learned so many cool and new facts. Please ask your child to tell you what they learned.)
 
Reminders:
~ Curriculum / Open House Night for parents/guardians only is TONIGHT - Thursday, September 14th at 6pm in Koenig Center. Please join us as we have so much information to share for this fabulous year.
 
~ Rosary Launch is tomorrow at 7:45am in the park....please join us

Wednesday, September 13, 2023 Homework

Math - None (Today we took our first Math test. The students did a great job! No homework for tonight. We will be starting iReady Math diagnostic tomorrow, so please ensure a good nights sleep and a great breakfast.)
 
Science - What's the Matter? packet if not finished in class and weekly D.O.S. is due by Friday (This Matter packet went into depth about the states of Matter with many examples. They had to choose if certain items were liquid, gas or a solid. This was a great packet to go along with the lesson of the week.)
 
Social Studies - None, but weekly D.O.G. is due by Friday  (Today we took our first test of the Unit on Native American's and Their Land. I didn't mention this because we took this test together. I wanted the students to learn the format of the test for future. Everyone earned a 100% on this because we went over each question and answer together.)
 
Reminders:
~ Curriculum / Open House Night for parents/guardians only is tomorrow - Thursday, September 14th at 6pm in Koenig Center. Please join us as we have so much information to share for this fabulous year.
 
~ Rosary Launch is this Friday at 7:45am in the park....please join us
 

Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Homework

Math - Practice Test 1A worksheet only ( Today we worked on the Practice Test together in class and then they received another practice test as their homework. The test will be on tomorrow. We will have done the practice test 3  times before the actual test. They will be overly prepared.)
 
Science - only for Schiff homeroom - read pgs 23 - 27 in book and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.S. is due by Friday (I only had my class for Science today and then Miss Bubis' class was yesterday  for this same lesson. Today we learned about the states of Matter again...liquid, gas, and solid... Example: Is butter a solid? What is butter after being placed in microwave?...it goes from solid to liquid)
 
Social Studies - Sioux packet & MesoAmerica packet and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.G. is due by Friday  (Today we continued our journey with Native Americans and learned about the Sioux tribe. Questions to ask: What is the center of the Sioux Religion?...It centers around the Great Spirit called Wakan Tanka. How did the Gold Rush affect the Sioux?...Once gold was found, the region was flooded with people and broke the treaty that the land belonged to the Sioux only.  We also did a packet on MesoAmerica. Here are some questions to ask...Where is MesoAmerica located?...It stretches from present day Mexico to Central America.  What products are indigenous to MesoAmerica?...Avocados and Cocoa Powder to make chocolate are indigenous to MesoAmerica.)
 
Reminders:
~ Open House Night for parents only is on Thursday, September 14 at 6pm. Please join us as we have so much information to share for this fabulous year.
 
~ Rosary Launch is this Friday at 7:45am in the park....please join us
 

Monday, September 11, 2023 Homework

Math - Practice Test 1A worksheet only ( Today we worked on two review pages in class and then they received a practice test as their homework. The test will be on Wednesday. We will be doing the practice test at least 3 to 4 times before the actual test. They will be overly prepared.)
 
Science - only for Bubis homeroom - read pgs 23 - 27 in book and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.S. is due by Friday (I only had my class for Science today and then Miss Bubis' class will be tomorrow for this same lesson. Today we learned about the states of Matter again...liquid, gas, and solid... Example: Is butter a solid? What is butter after being placed in microwave?...it goes from solid to liquid)
 
Social Studies - read September 11th packet and answer all the questions if not finished in class and weekly D.O.G. is due by Friday  (Today we gave honor and respect in learning about September 11th with an age appropriate packet. We also read about the Patriot Act that was established after the attacks. Ask your child to tell you some fun fact's they have learned.)
 
Reminders:
~ Open House Night for parents only is on Thursday, September 14 at 6pm. Please join us as we have so much information to share for this fabulous year.