Pleasant Hill Intermediate School

                                               1204 E. 163rd Street                  

                                            Pleasant Hill, MO  64080

                                                    816-540-3156                 

                                                     April 2014

Important Dates 4/17/14 - 3 HR Early Release/Professional Development 4/17-22/14 - Spring Break Reading Challenge 4/18-22/14 - No School - Spring Break 4/28/14-5/7/14 - MAP Testing

5B TEAM NEWSLETTER

PLEASE MAKE SURE OUR WARMER WEATHER CLOTHES ARE FOLLOWING THE SCHOOL DRESS CODE.

MAP testing will begin on April 28 and end on May 7.  Please make sure that your student gets adequate sleep, eats a healthy breakfast and lunch, and is on time and not being dismissed early.  We begin testing at 12:45.  We have the block of time from 12:45pm until the end of the day to finish testing.  Most students are finished well before 3:00pm.  We will provide a daily snack after MAP testing.  

Communication Arts--Mrs. Murray, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer

We will be finishing the Gates test on April 15.  After this, we will begin our review before MAP testing.  My two favorite days of the year are incorporating song with figurative language.  We will be doing this on Wednesday and Thursday (April 16/17).  After MAP testing, we will continue to work on Treasures and we have a layered curriculum unit called “Fantastic Foods”.  I will be sending home an email after MAP week and will also send a Unit sheet that has all of the requirements in advance.  This is my favorite week for Treasures.  We will end the year with creating our memory books.  This year we will use book creator to do so.  Thank you so much for all of your support this year.  I have appreciated all of the kindness!!!

Becky Murray

Math--Mrs. Lucht, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer  

Parents, I cannot believe how quickly this year is slipping by,  Its been a privilege to have your students in my math

class.  We are just now finishing a unit on measurement and will begin a unit on geometry on Monday.  Please

let your students play math games on their commuter for math facts, adding and subtracting fractions, long

division, etc.  Cool Math 4 Kids is a great site.  This would be a fabulous review for the

Map Test.  We have some amazing mathematicians in this fifth grade.  Please encourage your child to come

to math club on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 7:25a.m.  Also, there is homework club after school

on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m.  We are sending a math packet challenge for spring

break for the kids to complete.  The ones who complete will get an electronics party to be announced.

Have a great spring break and Easter!!  Sincerely, Joy Lucht

Science-Social Studies--Mr. Haight, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer

Science-We will be spending the next few weeks reviewing for the MAP test.  We are tested over third and fourth grade objectives as well as fifth grade.

Social Studies-We will be spending the next two weeks looking at the organization of our national government.  After that we will be starting our layered curriculum on the events leading to the Civil War.

  Pleasant Hill, MO  64080

                                                    816-540-3156                 

                                                     February 2014

Important Dates 2/17/14 - SNOW MAKE UP DAY 2/18/14 - SNOW MAKE UP DAY 2/26/14 - PHIS to watch the MS Musical at the HS PAC 3/9/14 - Daylight Savings Time 3/12/14 - Spring Pictures 3/13/14 - End of 3rd Quarter 3/15/14 - 3 HR Early Release - Teacher Workday 3/27-29/14 - IS Musical @ PAC

5B TEAM NEWSLETTER

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR STUDENT HAS APPROPRIATE WARM CLOTHING FOR RECESS.  OUR RECESS TIME IS 11:30A.M. AND OUR PLAYGROUND IS VERY COLD!!!  

Communication Arts--Mrs. Murray, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer

We will be taking our Unit 2 assessment on Wednesday, February 19, 2014-Friday, February 21, 2014.  This assessment is being spread out over the days because it is very long.  It however is very good practice for the up and coming MAP testing.  We will be working on a common writing assessment on Monday, February 24 and 25, 2014.  The students will be getting the same writing prompt.  Communication Arts teachers on both teams will be collaboratively grading these.  We still need to work on reading every night and recording on the students’ reading logs.  This is beneficial for the students to read every night.  We have been working on writing reviews on books, movies, and television shows.  The students will also be required to complete a book review this quarter on a book they are reading.  I have also thrown out a weekly challenge that if the students read ⅘ nights this week, and record it, they will earn a “treat” on Friday.  Again thank you for being so supportive for your student.  We greatly appreciate it at school.  I also wanted to extend that I have a small group that meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 3:20-4:15.  We work on reading strategies, catch up on small projects, and work on comprehension.  If you would like your student to attend, please let me know either via email or call.  This way I know who I am looking for after school.  Thanks so much.  Rebecca Murray  

Math--Mrs. Lucht, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer  

We are studying fractions big time right now.  We are learning how to simplify or reduce fractions, add and

subtract fractions, and apply fractions to the real world.  We are also doing a performance event called

Fractions with Pizza-zzzz.  This is a real world fractions using pizzas.  We use numbers, words, and pictures to

solve our problems.  We are also doing a 5th grade math review booklet together in class.  This is so helpful to the

students to see what they need to make sure they have mastered.  Please remember that there is math club on

Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 7:25 a.m.-7:55 a.m. Also, there is study buddies on Wednesday night from

3:30-4:30 p.m.  Please take advantage of this extra help for math!!  Please let me know how I can help your child

better succeed.  Thanks for all your support!  Mrs. Lucht

Science-Social Studies--Mr. Haight, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer

Science - We are finishing up body systems.  This week we will look at the digestive system.  There will be a study guide filled out Monday for a test on Wednesday or Thursday.

Social Studies - We are finishing up our layered curriculum on Colonial America.  We should be finished by the middle or next week.  After that we will look at the events that led to the Revolutionary War.

Pleasant Hill Intermediate School

                                               1204 E. 163rd Street                  

                                            Pleasant Hill, MO  64080

                                                    816-540-3156                 

                                                     January 2014

Important Dates 1/20/14 - No School - MLK Jr Day 1/28/14 - District Spelling Bee - HS PAC at 5:00 pm 2/6/14 - 3rd Quarter Mid-Term 2/17/14 - No School - President’s Day 2/18/14 - No School - Professional Development 2/26/14 - PHIS to watch the MS Musical at the HS PAC

5B TEAM NEWSLETTER

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR STUDENT HAS APPROPRIATE WARM CLOTHING FOR RECESS.  OUR RECESS TIME IS 11:30A.M. AND OUR PLAYGROUND IS VERY COLD!!!  

Communication Arts--Mrs. Murray, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer

We a getting ready to travel to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands next week in our reading.  It will be a great week to learn more about problem and solution, charts, and suffixes using the Caribbean culture.  I have been sending home weekly parent letters.  Please check with your student as these have the 7 day vocabulary, spelling words, and comprehension activities to support your student with Communication Arts at home.  I will also be sending home a weekly book and homework sheet that has all of the skills we are working on in class.  We are working on 4 homeworks in a row completed and turned in and the students will receive a reward recess!  We are also studying QAR.  We take a look at our questions and decide what kind they are:  right there, think and search, author and you, on your own.  These help the students to find answers and understand what the text is saying.  We will be having a map quiz on Friday, Jan. 17.  We will also begin our MAP prep this month.  I will be hosting an after school reading group starting Tuesday, Jan. 21.  If you would like your student to stay after school until 4:15, please send me an email or call me so I will know who has permission to stay.  Students will be able to read, work on grammar, spelling or other reading/writing skills.  I am hoping to be able to do this on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  Looking forward to a great month!  Don't forget to make sure your student is READING nightly!!!

Math--Mrs. Lucht, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer  

We are presently working on a fraction unit and learning new vocabulary.  Some of the words we are learning are mixed numbers, improper fractions, numerator, denominator, and simplest form.  I want to remind you that Math Club on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings is to help the students succeed in math.  It is at 7:25 a.m. and we eat donuts together.  Please encourage your child to attend.  They can still do Intramurals on Monday and Thursday.  There is also study buddies for help with homework on Wednesday from 3:30-4:30p.m.  Thanks for all of your support.  Mrs. Lucht

Science-Social Studies--Mr. Haight, Ms. Love, Mrs. Dyer

Science -

We are starting a unit on the human body.  We are starting with cells and working our way up to body systems such as the circulatory system.

Social Studies -

We have started our layered curriculum unit on the 13 colonies.  Work will be done in class for the most part.  If a student wishes to do some work at home, they may do so.  The C layer will be done together in class.  The B and A layers involve choice.  Students do not have to do every item.  They will do a certain number of points for each layer.