March Newsletter

Pleasant Hill Intermediate School

1204 E. 163rd Street

Pleasant Hill, MO  64080

816-540-3156

March 2012

Important Dates March 2-3 Hr. Early Release-Professional Development March 8-End of Quarter March 9-3 Hr. Early Release-Teacher Workday March 11-Daylight Savings Time March 13-6th Grade Enrollment for Middle School March 15-Spring Pictures Mar. 16-IS Band Performance, at PAC, 6:30-7:30pm March 21 -High School Band Preforms 8:15am March 22-5th Grade Elective Enrollment Sent Home. April 6-10-Spring Break

5B TEAM NEWSLETTER     Students participating in the Roving Chef program at the Intermediate School

Please have your students dress appropriately for recess time.  We do go out before noon, and the playground is a “windy” spot.  Therefore, hoodies and shorts aren’t warm enough for this crazy, March weather!  We use discretion when it is below freezing or too muddy!  Please help us with this so ALL STUDENTS can go outside for fresh air and have a brain break!!!
Planners:  Planners are a great organizational tool for students and a great communication tool for parents. Students are expected to fill out their planner in each core class daily (listing assignments, due dates etc.) and take them home daily. Teachers will sign planners for each class and sometimes may write an important note. We will do periodic planner checks throughout the year spot checking to see if planners are being utilized in this manner. Students may receive a small reward for having a filled out and signed planner (signed by the teacher). Parents are not required to sign planners.

AR/AM Students will need 10 AR points for the quarter and 5 AM tests.  To help your student pace these out, we suggest 1-2 points a week and 1 AM test a week to get the points at an even pace, instead of rushing at the very end of the quarter.  This helps promote good planning ahead skills.  The students may do AM practice at home at the Renaissance Learning website.  If you still need more information about this, contact Mrs. Murray.  She is heading up this information.

Science-Social Studies--Mr. Haight

Social Studies

We are testing on the Revolutionary War on Thursday, March 1st.  Next we will be studying the United States Constitution and how our government works.  

Science

We are studying the water cycle.  After that, we will be looking at weather.  

Math--Mrs. Lucht
The big news in math is layered curriculum.  This is our first attempt
so we are all learning
about it.  The students get to choose activities that will help them
learn measurement.  The biggest struggle is getting the definitions
for 32 terms.  Some math books have definitions and the regular
dictionary has great definitions.  The internet definitions are
sometimes not specific enough.  They will take a test on Monday to see
if they know the terms.  It will be a matching so they don't have to
write out all the definitions.  The packet is due on Monday, March
5th.
Also, remember that March 8th is the end of the quarter so the
students need to have 5 AM tests completed.  Again we have math club
Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 7:25 a.m.
Also, homework club is Thursday at 3:30 p.m.  Thanks so much for all
you.  Sincerely, Joy Lucht

Communication Arts--Mrs. Murray
The students are getting ready to begin back to back units of layered curriculum.   In layered curriculum,  students will continue to receive direct instruction but they will have choices in some if their assignments.  We will be traveling to the North and South Pole and creating a new civilization the following week.  Students will have time to work in class and will have over the weekend to complete any of their mini-projects.  I am very excited for the students to participate!  

Ms. Love’s News--
Math:
 Students will be finishing their work with decimals, fractions, and percents.  Focus will turn to Geometry.  Students will learn to classify angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals.  They will define the polygon.  They will compare and contrast congruent and similar figures. Finally, they will locate lines of symmetry.  

Communication Arts:
 Students will recognize and appreciate drama as a literary genre.  They will read and analyze a variety of plays.  They will use their reading skills to summarize the main idea and compare and contrast the action.  Students will analyze literary elements such as: dialogue and stage direction.   Finally, students will develop vocabulary skills by identifying roots.  

Mrs. Meyer’s News--
Mrs. Meyer's class is working on layered curriculum for a reading/writing unit on the Revolutionary War. Students have choices of assignments that are due for the project.  The quarter ends March 8th. All AR tests and Bloom's reports must be turned in by March 8.  We are working on drawing conclusions and cause/effect in reading. In our writing, we are focusing on proofreading skills. In math, we are working on multiplication of larger numbers, division, multiples, fractions, and probability.