St. Joseph Catholic School

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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, April 9, 2024 Homework

This week (4/8 to 4/12) is Spirit Week -
Monday - Pajama Day
Tuesday - Hat day
Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday
Thursday - Sports Team Day
Friday - Color Wars (wear Red)
 
Math - None (Today we worked on our Practice test in class again. We will have done the Practice test 3 times before we take the actual test this Wednesday, April 10th. We will be pros at multiplying and dividing fractions for sure!)
 
Science - None- Schiff Only (Today we started the next lesson in our book which asked us the important question, What is Weather? We will go deeper in this topic later this week with a weather packet. The kids were given their observations journals for the process/life cycle of the baby chicks today that I have created for them. We will continuously go in to the Lab to make our observations throughout the process until they hatch. They also received a sheet where they chose one name they would like to see one chick named and why. Once they are all done, I will give to Mr. R to look over and possible pick a name from each class. Miss Bubis's class did this yesterday.)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we went back into reading our Seven Wonders of the Ancient World books and focused on Chapter 2, which was about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This was such a historic and gorgeous wonder that once existed. The students learned so much from it by answering questions from their packet. Ask them to tell you about its history.)
 
Reminders:
- This Thursday, April 11th is our next Food Collection Drive and 5th grade is in charge of donating canned soups. Please donate anything you can as it is much appreciated.
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. It's mixture of Science and Social Studies. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. This will be a great experience for the students to see artifacts and listen to real life soldier stories as we finish the unit on the Civil War at that time. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 24th and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Monday, April 8, 2024 Homework

This week (4/8 to 4/12) is Spirit Week -
Monday - Pajama Day
Tuesday - Hat day
Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday
Thursday - Sports Team Day
Friday - Color Wars (wear Red)
 
Math - None (Today we worked on our Practice test in class. We will have done the Practice test 3 times before we take the actual test this Wednesday, April 10th. We will be pros at multiplying and dividing fractions for sure!)
 
Science - None- Bubis Only (Today we started the next lesson in our book which asked us the important question, What is Weather? We will go deeper in this topic later this week with a weather packet. The kids were given their observations journals for the process/life cycle of the baby chicks today that I have created for them. We will continuously go in to the Lab to make our observations throughout the process until they hatch. They also received a sheet where they chose one name they would like to see one chick named and why. Once they are all done, I will give to Mr. R to look over and possible pick a name from each class. My classroom will be doing this tomorrow.)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we continued to read about the Gold Rush with chapters 6 & 7. These chapters were called Striking it Rich (or Not) and Law & Order.. Some questions to ask.... About how much money did an average miner earn during the gold rush?...$30  What was the first newspaper in San Francisco?...California Star  California was not a US state when the gold rush started - TRUE   What was it called when miner prospected another miner's claim while that miner was not around?...claim jumping)
 
Reminders:
- This Thursday, April 11th is our next Food Collection Drive and 5th grade is in charge of donating canned soups. Please donate anything you can as it is much appreciated.
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. It's mixture of Science and Social Studies. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. This will be a great experience for the students to see artifacts and listen to real life soldier stories as we finish the unit on the Civil War at that time. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 24th and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

4/8/24 to 4/12/24 Week at a Glance

4/8/24 to 4/12/24 Week at a Glance

Math :  Conclusion of Chapter 10 on Multiplying and Dividing Fractions - Start Chapter 11 end of week (one lesson per day)

  • Chapter 10 differentiated Practice test done twice in class on Monday and Tuesday
  • Same Chapter 10 differentiated Practice test done twice as optional homework as well on Monday and Tuesday night ….this gives us 4 times as practice prior to taking real test
  • Chapter 10 differentiated Math Test on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 
  • Chapter 11, Lesson 1 - Hands On: Measuring with a ruler (learning objective: measure length to the nearest half inch and quarter inch)
  • Chapter 11, Lesson 2 - Convert Customary Units of Length (learning objective: Convert measurement of length within the customary system)

Science: Chapter 5 on Water Cycles (one lesson per week)

    • We will read the next lesson asking us to focus on the question, “What is weather?”
      • Learning objective: Students will analyze data and use evidence to identify the factors that determine weather.
    • Key Vocabulary in this lesson: barometric pressure, humidity and weather 
    • We will also continue reading the book, “What is Climate Change?” and fill out comprehension question packets too
  • Learning objectives of “What is Climate Change?” -
      • Explain various causes of climate change.
      • Identify local and global impacts of climate change 
      • Identify ways that climate change impacts people differently according to race, class, nationality, culture, etc.
      • Describe ways that climate change impacts them and their families personally.

Social Studies: The Gold Rush

    • “What was the Gold Rush” books and packets are being read and used this week on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday
      • We will read Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 this week and answer all questions for these chapters as well - specific questions to ask and discuss will be on my nightly Edlio post. This will have us finish the book and turn in our packets on Friday for a final grade.
  • Learning Objective of the Gold Rush:
        • Why and how the Gold Rush began
        • What life was like during the Gold Rush 
        • What lasting effects the Gold Rush had on California's people and land
        • Students will also take away a better understanding of the incredible impact that the Gold Rush had on California history.
  • On Tuesday we will continue reading the book “What are the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World” and answering important questions about the Wonders read about as well. This Tuesday we will be reading Chapters 3 & 4 in the book about The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and The Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
    • Learning Objective of Ancient Wonders of the World: 
      • By completing these lessons, students will be able to demonstrate their reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
  • Weekly D.O.G. (Daily Oral Geography) passed out on Tuesday 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.*

Friday, April 5, 2024 Homework

Next week (4/8 to 4/12) is Spirit Week -
Monday - Pajama Day
Tuesday - Hat day
Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday
Thursday - Sports Team Day
Friday - Color Wars (wear Red)
 
Math - None (Today's lesson was one I truly didn't like because it was a confusing problem solving one with fractions. I really didn't want to confuse the kids with it as we have our test coming next week (on Wednesday, April 10th) and found no value in this lesson. Instead, we read Chapter 2 of our Seven Wonders of the Ancient world book. Today we learned about The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.)
 
Science - None (Today we did our Lesson 2 Check quiz for the week and they were allowed to use their Science textbooks to find the answers on the pages I supplied to them. After that we went into the Science lab and saw the baby chick eggs that arrived the other day to our school. We have 36 eggs. Mr. R (middle school Science teacher) introduced himself to the students and talked to us for a bit about Embryology too. The kids noted their observations in journals I have created for them. We will continuously go in to the Lab to make our observations throughout the process until they hatch.)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we continued to read about the Gold Rush with chapters 4 & 5. These chapters were called Working a Claim and A Miner's Week. Some questions to ask.... What did it mean for a prospector to "Stake a claim"?...A Prospector would hammer stakes at the four corners of the area he thought was a good place to search for gold.  How long did a prospector's claim last before it was up for grabs?...One week.   About how many hours did a prospector work each day?...12 to 16 hours per day.   What disease did many miners get from having a lack of vitamin C in their diet?... Scurvy.   What does the word scarce mean?...hard to find, rare.)
 
Reminders:
- Next Thursday, April 11th is our next Food Collection Drive and 5th grade is in charge of donating canned soups. Please donate anything you can as it is much appreciated.
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. It's mixture of Science and Social Studies. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. This will be a great experience for the students to see artifacts and listen to real life soldier stories as we finish the unit on the Civil War at that time. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 24th and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Thursday, April 4, 2024 Homework

Next week (4/8 to 4/12) is Spirit Week -
Monday - Pajama Day
Tuesday - Hat day
Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday
Thursday - Sports Team Day
Friday - Color Wars (wear Red)
 
Math - None (Today we worked on dividing unit fractions again, along with learning how to get mixed numbers as some of our answers that have remainders when we divide the fractions. They all received an extra worksheet of enrichment on this lesson as well. We're doing great! All work was done in class and turned into me.)
 
Science - None (Today we continued to read about the different spheres of the Earth with an extension and enrichment packet, so we can truly master the lesson of the week.  What spheres did we read about?...atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we continued to read chapters 2 & 3 about the Gold Rush. These chapters were called Gold Fever and Rushing West. Some questions to ask.... How did the news of the gold strike travel in the 1840's?...By word of mouth.  Jewelry made of pure gold has gold consisting of how many karats?...24 karats.  What were wagons pulled by heading west?...Oxen.  How long did it take to travel by land from New York to California?...7 months.  Why was it hard to travel from East coast to California during 1848?...Snow and cold weather made it much harder to travel across the country to California.)
 
Reminders:
- Next Thursday, April 11th is our next Food Collection Drive and 5th grade is in charge of donating canned soups. Please donate anything you can as it is much appreciated.
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. It's mixture of Science and Social Studies. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. This will be a great experience for the students to see artifacts and listen to real life soldier stories as we finish the unit on the Civil War at that time. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 24th and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 Homework

Next week (4/8 to 4/12) is Spirit Week -
Monday - Pajama Day
Tuesday - Hat day
Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday
Thursday - Sports Team Day
Friday - Color Wars (wear Red)
 
Math - None (Today we worked on dividing unit fractions again. I gave all groups today a extra enrichment worksheet to extend on. Group 3 received an extra worksheet that was a harder level extension on this work as a crossword puzzle, but using numbers. You will notice more math work being done from now on as we approach 6th grade. This will be work that is a push for all group levels to excel and stretch their skills. All work was done in class and turned into me.)
 
Science - None - Bubis only (Today we read about the different spheres of the Earth. What are the four major sphere's of Earth's system?....air, water, land and all living things.  What are the two main gases in the Earth's atmosphere?...nitrogen and oxygen  What spheres did we read about?...atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. My class did this yesterday. Both classrooms did a BrainPop lesson on Earth's Atmospheres as well.)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we started our new unit on the Gold Rush. The students were very excited about this! Intro and Chapter 1 was about striking gold. Some questions to ask.... Which mineral is known as Fool's Gold?...pyrite  What were two tests James Marshall performed on the shinny nuggets to prove it was gold?...1- He hit the gold with a hammer and 2- He boiled the gold in a pot of water with lye soap.)
 
Reminders:
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. It's mixture of Science and Social Studies. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. This will be a great experience for the students to see artifacts and listen to real life soldier stories as we finish the unit on the Civil War at that time. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 24th and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024 Homework

Welcome back All! Hoping you all had a relaxing Spring Break and a Happy Easter with your loved ones. It was truly so great to see all the kiddos back at school today.
 
Math - None (Today we worked on dividing unit fractions. The book wanted me to have the students model it, but I taught them a quick shortcut way to get their answers. Their minds were blown...hahah! Have them show you at home! All work was done in class and turned into me.)
 
Science - None - Schiff only (Today we read about the different spheres of the Earth. What are the four major sphere's of Earth's system?....air, water, land and all living things.  What are the two main gases in the Earth's atmosphere?...nitrogen and oxygen  What spheres did we read about?...atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. Miss Bubis's class will read this tomorrow.)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we started reading the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World...chapters 1 & 2. Then we completed questions about these two chapters. We will be focusing on the Wonders of the World on Tuesday's only until we are done. We will have an individual presentation project coming on a Wonder of their choice as well. Each person will have a different Wonder to present. I have a list and instructions of Wonders. This will go home later this month for you all to read. This project will be done in school, so nothing to worry about at home. We will be teaching the students how to use Adobe Express and/or Canva, as they are new programs to the students and how to create an interactive poster board/bulletin board online to present to the class. I'm so excited about this unit and projects coming their way. They will learn a lot from it.)
 
Reminders:
 
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 24th and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Friday, March 22, 2024 Homework

Math - None (Today we continued to watch the Disney movie, National Treasure, which I love so much. It has so many historical mentions throughout the movie. If you haven't seen it, you should watch as a family. They have it streaming on Disney+. The second one is great too, but we will not be watching that at school this year.)
 
Science - None (Today we continued to watch the Disney movie, National Treasure, which I love so much. It has so many historical mentions throughout the movie. If you haven't seen it, you should watch as a family. They have it streaming on Disney+. The second one is great too, but we will not be watching that at school this year.)
 
Social Studies - None (Today we continued to watch the Disney movie, National Treasure, which I love so much. It has so many historical mentions throughout the movie. If you haven't seen it, you should watch as a family. They have it streaming on Disney+. The second one is great too, but we will not be watching that at school this year.)
 
Reminders:
 
- NO SCHOOL from March 25th through April 1st. We return to school on Tuesday, April 2nd. Have a restful Spring Break and a blessed Easter!
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 22nd and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Thursday, March 21st, 2024 Homework

Please take a moment and take the 5 Essential Survey the Archdiocese is requesting. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.  

The 5Essentials Survey will be conducted February 12 through March 22, 2024 and will take about 10 minutes to complete. To take the survey please visit:

 http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/

 
Math - None (With Spring Break coming and how hard we have been working on multiplying all sorts of fractions, I decided to give them a brain break and surprise the students by playing math games today. Some played with decks of cards, some played prodigy on their chromebooks, others played Connect 4 which is all about strategy. They earned the fun day!)
 
Science - None (Today we did our Lesson 1 weekly quiz with the use of our textbooks as guidance and I also gave them an extra credit worksheet for some extra points towards their Science grades.)
 
Social Studies - None, D.O.G. week 19 is due by Friday (Today we started to watch the Disney movie, National Treasure, which I love so much. It has so many historical mentions throughout the movie. If you haven't seen it, you should watch as a family. They have it streaming on Disney+. The second one is great too, but we will not be watching that at school this year.)
 
Reminders:
 
- This Friday is Spirit Wear dress down
 
- NO SCHOOL from March 25th through April 1st. We return to school on Tuesday, April 2nd. Have a restful Spring Break and a blessed Easter!
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 22nd and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 Homework

Please take a moment and take the 5 Essential Survey the Archdiocese is requesting. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.  

The 5Essentials Survey will be conducted February 12 through March 22, 2024 and will take about 10 minutes to complete. To take the survey please visit:

 http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/

 
Math - None (Today we continued to learn how to multiply fractions without models. Example: 4/20 x 1/5= 4/100 = 1/25...we must get in the habitat bringing our fractions down to simplest form. All work and enrichment work was done in class and turned in to me.)
 
Science - None (Today we started a topic that a majority of the class wanted to read about...Climate Change. Perfect time as we enter our Water Cycle and Weather Unit in textbook. I passed out their Climate Change books and comprehension packets. We read chapters 1 - 3 today and answered the questions to these chapters as well. Minds were blown with all the information just read today. Please ask your child to share some facts with you.)
 
Social Studies - None, D.O.G. week 19 is due by Friday (Today we started to learn about the Trail of Tears. We did a Webquest packet on the Trail of Tears....basically the students had to look up the website I provided and answer the questions in the packet from the website given. Then we did a packet on all the different American Indian tribes that were a part of the Trail of Tears. It was an interesting read for them all.)
 
Reminders:
- Tomorrow: Thursday is a $1 dress down for Best Friend's Animal Society
 
- This Friday is Spirit Wear dress down
 
- NO SCHOOL from March 25th through April 1st. We return to school on Tuesday, April 2nd. Have a restful Spring Break and a blessed Easter!
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish on May 22nd and an earthworm on May 15th. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 Homework

Please take a moment and take the 5 Essential Survey the Archdiocese is requesting. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.  

The 5Essentials Survey will be conducted February 12 through March 22, 2024 and will take about 10 minutes to complete. To take the survey please visit:

 http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/

 
Math - None (Today we continued to learn how to multiply fractions without models. Example: 4/20 x 1/5= 4/100 = 1/25...we must get in the habitat bringing our fractions down to simplest form. All work and enrichment work was done in class and turned in to me.)
 
Science - None - Schiff Only (Today we learned what a water cycle is.....evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. What three states can water exist?...ice/solid, water/liquid, or water vapor/gas. We also did a Bill Nye Video WS on Biodiversity...video is in Google Classroom Science. Miss Bubis's class did this yesterday.)
 
Social Studies - None, D.O.G. week 19 is due by Friday (Today in their "What was the Declaration of Independence" books and comprehension packets, they read chapters 9 & 10 and did the corresponding pages in packet to these chapters as well. We are now finished with this book and packet. All work was turned in to me.)
 
Reminders:
- This Thursday is a $1 dress down for Best Friend's Animal Society
 
- This Friday is Spirit Wear dress down
 
- NO SCHOOL from March 25th through April 1st. We return to school on Tuesday, April 2nd. Have a restful Spring Break and a blessed Easter!
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish and an earthworm in May sometime. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Monday, March 18, 2024 Homework

Today, your child will bring home an envelope that is sealed. We have told them all not to open them. They are for parents to open at home. These envelopes contain Family Life literature. An email will be sent from Mrs. Hein or Mrs. Wegener about them as well today. Thank you!
 
Tomorrow is dress down, but wear RED in honor of St. Joseph. Please be mindful that it is a church day, so all clothing must adhere to the handbook.
 
Please take a moment and take the 5 Essential Survey the Archdiocese is requesting. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.  

The 5Essentials Survey will be conducted February 12 through March 22, 2024 and will take about 10 minutes to complete. To take the survey please visit:

 http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/

 
Math - None (Today we learned how to multiply fractions using models to guide us. I'm not as concerned about coloring models as I am if they can just multiply. Example: 3/5 x 1/5 = 3/25. We extended our learning by doing IXL M.18 in class)
 
Science - None - Bubis Only (Today we learned what a water cycle is.....evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. What three states can water exist?...ice/solid, water/liquid, or water vapor/gas. We also did a Bill Nye Video WS on Biodiversity...video is in Google Classroom Science. My classroom will do this tomorrow.)
 
Social Studies - None, D.O.G. week 19 is due by Friday (Today in their  their "What was the Declaration of Independence" books and comprehension packets, they read chapters 7 & 8 and did the corresponding pages in packet to these chapters as well. They already love this book and all the information it shares with us. I hope to finish this book and packet tomorrow.)
 
Reminders:
- This Thursday is a $1 dress down for Best Friend's Animal Society
 
- This Friday is Spirit Wear dress down
 
- NO SCHOOL from March 25th through April 1st. We return to school on Tuesday, April 2nd. Have a restful Spring Break and a blessed Easter!
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish and an earthworm in May sometime. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

3/18/24 to 3/22/24 Week at a Glance

Math :  Chapter 10 on Multiplying and Dividing Fractions (one lesson per day) 

  • Chapter 10, Lesson 5 - Use models to Multiply Fractions (learning objective: Explore using models to multiply a fraction by a fraction)
  • Chapter 10, Lesson 6 - Multiply Fractions (learning objective: We will multiply fraction WITHOUT using models)
  • Chapter 10, Lesson 7 - Multiply Mixed Numbers (We will be using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem...learning strategies to solve)
  • Chapter 10, Lesson 8 - Multiplication as Scaling (learning objective: Comparing the size of a product to the size of one factor on the basis of the size of the other factor, without performing the indicated multiplication)
  • Check My progress from Lesson 5 - Lesson 8 in book on Friday

Science: Chapter 5 on Water Cycles (one lesson per week)

    • Chapter 4 - Lesson 1 
      • What is the Water Cycle?
      • How does water move through the environment?
    • Students will learn and discuss how water changes between solid, liquid, and gas states in the water cycle
    • Vocabulary used in this lesson: condensation, evaporation, and precipitation
    • We will also start reading the book, “What is Climate Change?” and fill out comprehension question packets too
  • Learning objectives of “What is Climate Change?” -
      • Explain various causes of climate change.
      • Identify local and global impacts of climate change 
      • Identify ways that climate change impacts people differently according to race, class, nationality, culture, etc.
      • Describe ways that climate change impacts them and their families personally.

Social Studies: The Declaration of Independence

  • D.O.G. week 19 passed out on Monday - due by Friday
  • Read Chapters 7- 10 (finishing the book and comprehension packet) between Monday and Tuesday of this week
  • Trail of Tears Packet and American Indians Packet on Wednesday
  • Watching the Disney movie, “National Treasure” on Thursday and Friday in class as a treat towards Spring Break…lots of history talked about in this movie. One of my favorites!

Learning Objectives of the Declaration of Independence:

  1. Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights 
  2. Analyze the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution and the success of each in implementing the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. 
  3. Evaluate the major debates that occurred during the development of the Constitution and their ultimate resolutions in such areas as shared power among institutions, divided state-federal power, slavery, the rights of individual states, and the status of American Indian nations under the commerce clause.  
  4. Enumerate the powers of government set forth in the Constitution and the fundamental liberties ensured by the Bill of Rights. 
  5. Describe the basic law-making process and how the Constitution provides numerous opportunities to monitor and influence government. 
  6. Understand the functions and responsibilities of the free press. 

*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, March 15, 2024 Homework

We finished our 3 country's presentations in class and all the students did an excellent job with this project. I'm so proud of them. Ask your child to present it to you at home from the Chromebook. You'll be impressed with the facts they found about each country. Great job!
 
Please take a moment and take the 5 Essential Survey the Archdiocese is requesting. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.  

The 5Essentials Survey will be conducted February 12 through March 22, 2024 and will take about 10 minutes to complete. To take the survey please visit:

 http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/

 
Math - None (Today we did a Check My Progress lesson to see how it is going from lesson 1 to lesson 4. They did the bookwork and worksheet and all work was done in class and turned into me.)
 
Science - None (We had our Chapter 4 Test in Science today and I surprised the students with a slip a of paper that stated where they can find the answer to each question in the textbook page page numbers. This helps with our searching skills too. I personally took the test myself to find where all the answers were. They all did a great job!)
 
Social Studies - None (Today I passed out their "What was the Declaration of Independence" books and comprehension packets. We read chapters 4 - 6 and did the corresponding pages in packet to these chapters as well. They already love this book and all the information it shares with us.)
 
Reminders:
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish and an earthworm in May sometime. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.

Thursday, March 14, 2024 Homework

We finished our 3 country's presentations in class and all the students did an excellent job with this project. I'm so proud of them. Ask your child to present it to you at home from the Chromebook. You'll be impressed with the facts they found about each country. Great job!
 
Great job to all of 5th grade with their performance of the Stations of the Cross today in Church. It was very well done and I thank Mr. Showstead in his lead role of teaching them their lines and putting on the play for us all to watch.
 
Please take a moment and take the 5 Essential Survey the Archdiocese is requesting. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.  

The 5Essentials Survey will be conducted February 12 through March 22, 2024 and will take about 10 minutes to complete. To take the survey please visit:

 http://survey.5-essentials.org/archchicago/survey/parent/

 
Math - None (Today we worked on multiplying fractions again...same concept as yesterday, but just bigger numbers to multiply... example 5/6 x 18 = 90/6 = 15 whole. I gave them another IXL lesson as well and all work was done in class and turned into me.)
 
Science - None (We have our Chapter 4 Test in Science tomorrow, but there is nothing to study for as I have a surprise for the kids to use on the test. It'll be super easy to take. Since we are ahead in pacing for Science we did a packet on the Louisiana Purchase in class. This packet taught them all the key players in the game, as I like to call it...like: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Federalists, Napoleon Bonaparte, etc...lots of great information taught with this packet. )
 
Social Studies - None (Today we worked on a packet about the War of 1812. This helped the students earn some national pride for the American's and learn how we claimed the land now known as the eastern United States. They also learned vocabulary words, like: impressment, nationalism, anthem, and secede.)
 
Reminders:
 
- 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 ENRICHMENT 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:
 
~ Field Trip on May 2nd to Kenosha Public Museum to learn about Native American tribes that lived in Wisconsin and also dissecting Owl Pellets. We also have another Field Trip on May 22nd to the Civil War Museum in Kenosha. More info to come for chaperoning by our Room Parent's. Field Trip forms to come home in April. So excited for these opportunities of enrichment. 
 
~ After much research on my end, I have decided to end this year in Science with a bit of Biology. I surprised the students and told them that we will be dissecting a crayfish and an earthworm in May sometime. I would say 99% of them were so excited about this. A couple were not thrilled with the idea. Please know that this will not be graded, nor would I make any student do something they do not want to do or feel comfortable doing. This is strictly for fun and is totally optional. If they choose to not participate, they can come to the Science lab with us and read a book in the hallway. I'm very excited about this opportunity for the students.