Friday, May 26th, 2017

Happy Friday Families!

It is so hard to believe that this will be our final blog for the year. It has been an amazing year with your children. Thank you for all you have done to make it such a success. Here is what's happening the last few days of school:

Transition Day

The students really enjoyed our time at Twin Groves on Wednesday. They were able to hear all about next year and everything Twin Groves has to offer. They were given quite an informative presentation by Twin's principal, assistant principal, and teachers. They were also given a tour of the building by former Ivy Hall Students. Our students left Twin Groves with a lot of excitement for next year!

Trade Fair
Students used their negotiation skills and their knowledge of supply and demand to trade items at our trade fair! See our students in action below:

 



 





 

 





 


Museum of Science and Industry

Our field trip is next Wednesday, May 31st. Please send your child with a sack lunch. Please not send money with your child and we are also asking that they do not bring any electronics on the trip. We are so looking forward to a day of exploring!

A Note From Our Tech Department Regarding iPad Collection

As the end of the year is quickly approaching, we are beginning to prepare collection of learning tools and materials.  Collection this year for 4th and 5th graders includes the iPads, iPad cases, the charging brick, and the lightning/charging cable.

Each grade level is scheduled for an "iPad Collection Day."  4th Grade is scheduled for June 2 and 5th grade is scheduled for June 1.  Please make sure your child has their iPad, iPad case, charging brick, and lightning/charging cable on the appropriate day.  If a student is missing an item or it's damaged, this will result in a fine.  If there is a fine, parents will be notified with a note that is sent home.  Checks can be made out to Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96 and sent to the Business Office at Ivy Hall or returned to your teacher before the end of the school year.   Please see below for more specific information regarding fines.

Damage to Hardware

• Students WILL NOT be charged for damage to iPads.
• Students WILL NOT be charged for missing or damaged lightning/charging cables. 
• Students WILL BE charged for missing or damaged charging bricks. The fine is $19.00.
• Students WILL BE charged for missing or damaged (beyond normal wear and tear) cases.  Tearing, chunks missing, etc, are pretty good examples of beyond normal wear and tear.  The fine is $35.00.

A Note From Our P.E. Teachers

Fifth grade students participated in fitness testing this Spring. The following tests were given:

Pacer Test, Curl-ups, Push-ups , and Sit and Reach. FitnessGram Student results will be handed out to the students to bring home on Tuesday, May, 30. 

Important Dates:
**Monday, May 29th - No School (Memorial Day)
**Thursday, June 1st - 5th Grade Celebration (More info to come)
**Friday, June 2nd - Field Day / Spring Fling
**Tuesday, June 6th - Last Day of School (Students will be dismissed at 2:00)

Enjoy a wonderful, restful, fun-filled summer!! Again, thank you for such a wonderful school year with your children.

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, April 7th, 2017

Happy Friday Families!

We are refreshed from Spring Break and are using our renewed energy to work hard on our Trimester 3 learning targets!  Here are the current concepts we will focus on over the next couple of weeks as well as a couple messages regarding PARCC testing and our classroom project next week:

***Please Note: PARCC testing for 5th grade takes place Monday through Thursday of next week. All testing will take place in the morning.  Please avoid taking your student out of school for doctor’s appointments if at all possible.  Also, please be sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a good breakfast each day!  And finally, please remind your child to charge his or her iPad each night - all testing will be done on their iPads.  The two week schedule for PARCC testing, as well as two English / LA placement tests, are listed at the bottom of the blog.

***If possible, please send the Sunday paper comics with your child on Monday.  We will start to introduce proportions by creating proportional drawings of the comics.

Literature

We finished reading Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles  and Pedro’s Journal which both focused on the theme of exploration.  We compared and contrasted each book's text structure, as well as the information contained in both texts.   In writing, we completed an opinion essay about Christopher Columbus.  Through our extensive research, we learned that although Columbus's impact on America was significant,  his explorations and discoveries came with many negatives as well.  The students argued whether they thought Columbus was the hero we grew up learning about or if he was a villain based on some of his actions and other opinions.  

Math

Today we ended Unit 5 with a post test which encompassed three learning targets.  Students were required to demonstrate their skills in the areas of measurement conversions, finding volume of rectangular prisms and finding volume of composite shapes where rectangular prisms have been joined together.  Students who do not demonstrate mastery of the targets on the post test will continue to receive small group instruction next week.

Science

We will continue to discuss changes in the different states of matter.

Social Studies

Our conversations continue to revolve around supply and demand and its impact on trade.

PARCC / Placement Schedule:

Week of 4/10

**4/10 - Monday: English / LA 1 (10:00-12:00)

**4/11 - Tuesday: MATH 1 (10:30-:12:00)

**4/12 - Wednesday: MATH 2 (10:30 - 12:00)

**4/13 - Thursday: MATH 3

(10:30 - 12:00)

Week of 4/17

**4/17 - Monday: English / LA 2

(10:00 - 12:00)

**4/18 - Tuesday: English / LA 3

(10:00 - 12:00)

**4/19 - Wednesday: MATH 4 (10:00 - 11:30)

**4/20 - Thursday: English / LA Placement Writing Assessment

**4/21 - Friday: English / LA Placement Comprehension Assessment

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Sunday, February 26th, 2017

Happy Sunday Families!

We enjoyed studying the topic of space in science, as well as exploring science fiction in literature!  The students were truly interested in space exploration and wrote science journal articles to go along with the topic. We learned that there are new discoveries everyday!

Here are the targets we will focus on as we start the third grading period as well as a note regarding 5th GRADE GUYS NIGHT OUT:

Literacy

We finished our last book, Our Mysterious Universe, in this unit and will start to turn our focus to explorers and the effects and historical implications of early of early exploration.

Writing

Students will turn their focus to opinion writing.  Students' strong opinions typically lead to many interesting discussions and debates!

Math

The focus of Unit 5 is Measurement Conversions and Volume.   We will start to work on three main targets:

** 5MD.1:   Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system, and use these conversions in solving multi-step real world problems.

** 5.MD.4   Measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised units.

** MD.5  Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition and solve real world and mathematical problems involving volume.

**Please click on the parent letter link to see a more detailed description of the Unit 5: Unit 5 Parent Letter

Social Studies

We will begin the third trimester studying supply & demand and trade. We will be looking at the difference between goods and services and the importance in our lives. 

Science

We will start to study matter and work on investigations to help us determine what causes substances to change. 

Friendly Reminders and Upcoming Events

** Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.  Nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!
** Please continue to have your child practice their multiplication facts up to 12.

** The Six Flags reading program has been extended to Monday. The forms are available on the Ivy Website. 

5th Grade Guys Night Out

This is a great event to get to know their incoming peers from Prairie and learn more about Twin Groves.  Please click on the Guys Night Out link to find out more: 5th Grade Guys Night Out Flyer

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you and enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, January 27th, 2017

Happy Friday Families!

Our students are continuing to settle back into their routines and have their batteries recharged!  Here are the targets and concepts we will focus on as we move on to the month of February:

Literacy* Next week, we will start to read a science fiction story called Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Adventure.  The two main characters of the story travel back in time and meet many of history’s famous philosophers and scientists!  Throughout the reading we will work on skills such as understanding text structure, using context clues to understand word meaning, compare and contrast characters—-just to name a few.

Writing* This week, our students completed a writing assessment which required students to plan and compose a science fiction story in one session.  It was especially good practice for the PARCC assessments in the Spring!  Next week, we will start to conduct research for a new informative essay.  Students will be asked to select a historical discovery in the area of space and write a their version of a science journal entry.  The essay will include facts presented in an organized format, as well as visuals to support their topic.  Students will also be asked to evaluate and cite their sources.  

Spelling* We are continuing our work with the Words Their Way program.  New homework boggle sheets were sent home on Monday.  Just a friendly reminder that each boggle choice sheet is due on Friday with three completed activities.  Please encourage your child to start working on these assignments earlier in the week rather than waiting until the night before they are due.

Math* Last week we finished a short math target that involved interpreting the size of a product of a fractional multiplication problem based on the size of each factor.  We are currently working on solving real-world problems involving the multiplication of fractions.

Social Studies* This week we started to discuss and read about the liberties that we are fortunate to have, living in our country.  Throughout the unit, we will also contrast our liberties with various countries who may not have some of the same freedoms that we are fortunate to have.

Science* This week we continued to learn about how a star's brightness correlates to a star's distance from the earth.

Friendly Reminders and Upcoming Events
** Valentine's Day Parties - From Mrs. Gluck's Newsletter:

If you choose to include an item with your child's Valentines, please note that only non-food items are permissible.  Candy, snacks, or any sort of food item will be sent back home with your child on Valentine's day if sent to school.  Non-food items are permitted, and there are many pre-packaged Valentines that can be purchased that include a trinket (i.e., pencil, erasers, book mark, etc.). Card and party stores are a great place to look for these types of items.  Here are some ideas of non-food items if you choose to include something:  pencils, erasers, stickers, plastic or rubber figurines, mini deck of cards, spinning top, or crazy straws to name a few.

Many of our students have medically based dietary restrictions and this does not include students on specific diets of family choice such as vegetarian, low cal/sugar, religious, and so on.  Monitoring the individual needs and requests is not feasible, thus not safe. In addition it is frequently reported that several children eat Valentine's treats on the bus, as evidenced by an abundance of wrappers found.  This poses a choking risk, as well as exposure for students with specific health restrictions. Thank you for your assistance in helping us maintain the health, safety, and personal family preferences of our students.

** Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.  Nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

** Please continue to have your child practice their multiplication facts up to 12.


Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.  Thank you and have a fantastic weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, November 18th, 2016

Good Afternoon Families!

I hope you have all been enjoying this beautiful fall weather! It looks as if winter weather is going to be here before we know it.  Please be sure your child is wearing a coat and appropriate articles of clothing (gloves, hats, etc.) to school.  We want all students to stay warm during outdoor recess. 

Our class won the WIldcat Wow award for outstanding behavior.  Our students are constantly thinking about, not what I expect from them but, what they expect from themselves.  I am extremely proud of this group of children and the example they set for all students in our school on a daily basis.  We were awarded a trophy which is proudly displayed along the ledge just outside of our classrom door.  Please feel free to check it out at conferences...Pics to come soon!

I am excited to meet with you during Parent-Teacher Conferences. There is so much to cover, and so little time (15 minutes), so in order to stay on schedule, we want to make sure that everyone is on time. You can log onto Sign-Up Genius to check your conference time.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. 

School Progress Reports

***Your child’s progress report will be available online after 3:00 pm this afternoon.  

Parents, please note:
Your child’s progress report indicates his or her current progress toward an expectation. When a standard repeats in more than one trimester–as is typical in literacy instruction, for example–we do not expect students will master the knowledge and skills indicated until the completion of the last trimester in which the standard is reported on. In fact, it’s likely that many students will earn a score of Developing.

For example, we assess students using text we expect they will be able to master by the end of the school year. For a literacy course standard that repeats, we report each trimester based on your child’s progress toward those end-of-year expectations. This practice gives you consistent information regarding where your child is performing currently, compared to where he or she should be later in the school year or at the year’s end. 

What should you expect to see for a standard that repeats in more than one trimester? You should expect to see a steady progression, such as Not Mastering (1) or Developing (2) in Trimester 1; Developing (2) in Trimester 2; and Mastering (3) in Trimester 3.

Access your KCSD96 student’s progress report online next Friday, Nov. 18, after 3 p.m. Need assistance? CLICK HERE for instructions to view your student’s progress report, to switch between more than one student’s progress reports, and more.

CONNECTING…
Our District 96 community is richly diverse: We differ in race, ethnicity, culture, customs, and more. Our District 96 community is deeply committed: We share a goal as parents to equip our children to grow academically and emotionally to excel as learners and in their future careers.

Join us Mon., Dec. 5 @ 7 p.m., Twin Groves Middle School, 2600 N. Buffalo Grove Rd
We invite all interested D96 parents to the Twin Groves Learning Center to listen, learn, and participate in leader-led interactive activities with parents who want the best for their children. Learn about current efforts to build cultural awareness in teachers and administrators, talk about the new parents' group that adds access points for constructive involvement, and share expectations for our diverse community.

Your RSVP is not required, but helps us plan. Please CLICK HERE to indicate you will attend. Questions? Please call 847.459.4260, ext. 8022.

Take a peek into our class! Here are the targets we have been working on as well as what is ahead…

Literacy

This week we wrapped up two texts, Real-Life Superheroes and The Great Migration.  As students read and discussed these texts, they focused on the understanding that real historical figures made a difference in society by fighting for their beliefs.  Students continue to identify the main ideas in a text, and explain how they are related. We have had some great discussions in class. Take a moment to ask your child to reflect on what they have learned from these discussions/lessons and to share their ideas with you. 

Writing

We just finished our real-life superhero essays. Students chose a real-life superhero to research. They found facts and used details to develop an informative/explanatory essay. Throughout this process, students worked on carefully choosing quotes to support or explain their topic, writing topic sentences that hold the reader’s attention, and using specialized vocabulary to make their ideas clearer and easier to understand. During parent-teacher conferences, please take a moment to read their essays. They are located in the hallway outside of our class. 

Math

Fractions! Fractions! Fractions!  We are entering the fifth grade world of adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, simplifying fractions, solving fraction word problems, and creating equivalent fractions.  For many students, this is a tough target to grasp.  We will continue to work on these skills for the next couple of weeks. 

Social Studies

Last week we wrapped up our learning about slavery and how it affected the growth of Colonial America. We will be diving into Government/Civics in Trimester 2. Students will be able to describe how a citizen can show patriotism, explain why liberty is an important thing, and also explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Science

We have been studying the four main systems of Earth: the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. We’ve been learning about the attributes and characteristics of each, as well as how they interact with each other. We are now focusing on determining which of Earth’s systems interact to produce weather and climate. Students will be creating a diagram and giving a weather report about one of their examples. Stay tuned for weather news you can use. J

Upcoming Events

**Monday, November 21: Early Release--2;00 PM

**Monday, November 21 & Tuesday, November 22: Parent-Teacher Conferences

**Tuesday, November 22-Friday, November 25: No School

Friendly Reminders

**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.  Nothing feeds the brain better than something healthy!
**Please continue to have your child practice his or her multiplication facts up to 12.

Important Links:

November Lunch Menu

District 96 Safe Snack List


Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.  Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!

Enzie Pangilinan

Sunday, October 6th, 2016

Happy November Families! 

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving will be upon us in just a few short weeks!  I am looking forward to meeting with all of you for our Fall conferences coming up on the 21st and 22nd!  I am excited to share all of the progress that your child has made throughout the last few months!

Here are the concepts our students are currently working to master:

Literacy

This week we wrapped up the first half of a unit with the theme of “finding courage”.  We read several books that revolved around issues such as slavery, women’s rights, and the rights of workers.  Throughout this unit we had some great discussions about injustice, equality, and the perseverance demonstrated by individuals when overcoming obstacles.

Writing

Our focus over the last several weeks has been on opinion writing. After reading The Road to Freedom, students identified an issue related to slavery that resonated with them. They went on to compose an opinion paper to express their specific evidence and views in support of their topic.  

Math

It has been all about decimals over the last few weeks!  With addition and subtraction of decimals “under our belts” we are currently working on multiplication and division of decimals.  This target requires students to use visual models as well as paper and pencil strategies to solve decimal problems.  We have learned that it is very important to estimate our answer first so that we can know whether the placement of our decimal is correct.  We will finish up this unit towards the end of next week, culminating with a unit test encompassing all four operations with decimals.

Social Studies

Last week we wrapped up our learning about indentured servitude. We are now going to shift our focus towards slavery and how it affected the growth of Colonial America.

Science

We are studying the four main systems of Earth: the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.  We are been learning about the attributes and characteristics of each system, as well as how they interact with each other.  We made a clay model of the earth which included a representation of each system!

Upcoming Events

**Tuesday, November 8—No School/Teacher Institute/Voting Day

**Friday, November 11—Report Period ends

**Thursday, November 17—Family Reading Night

Friendly Reminders

**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.  Nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

**Please continue to have your child practice their multiplication facts up to 12.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.  Thank you and enjoy the extended weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan