Newsletter

Friday January 23, 2014

Ms. Loneman Language

Arts

melissa.loneman@indianola.k12.ia.us
Students continued their introduction into argumentative writing this week as they practiced
writing topic sentences that stated their claim and presented the issue. They also looked at
examples of arguments that used logical reasoning and relevant and accurate evidence to
support the claims being made. Practice writing argumentative paragraphs will continue
next week.
Lesson 18 tests were this week and those scores have been entered into Infinite Campus.
Next week will be the beginning of our first fictional main selection in quite a while.
Therefore, we will spend some time reviewing fictional elements and story mapping prior to
diving into the target strategies of inferring and predicting.
Lesson 18:
Main selection: The Hero and the Minotaur
Big Idea: The past is full of amazing stories.
Essential Question: How can a mythic hero defeat a monster?
Target Skill: Story Structure Target Strategy: Infer/Predict
Fluency: Expression
Vocabulary Strategies: Suffixes ful, -less, -ly, -ness, -ment, -ship
Target vocabulary: steadfast, somber, labyrinth, rash, unravels, fury, bitterly, massive,
embrace, abandon
Important Note: The latest STAR assessment results were sent home with your child today.
Please check your childs folder for those results and sign your childs planner on todays
date (Friday, 1/23) to indicate that you have seen the results. I will be checking for the
signed planners on Tuesday, January 27th. Also, any work that has received a grade or
feedback from me can be kept at home. Some students folders are becoming quite full, and
taking out those papers that belong at home will help to alleviate that problem.
As always, please contact me at any time with comments, questions, or concerns.
Email: melissa.loneman@indianola.k12.ia.us
Phone: 961-9530 ext. 3134
Twitter: @msloneman (twitter.com/msloneman)
Website: msloneman.weebly.com
Have a great weekend!

Library News-Mrs.Wanamaker
Karma.Wanamaker@indianola.k12.ia.us

Students will be taking a 10 question formative assessment on Tuesday

and Wednesday next week in computer class. It will consist of information
literacy review questions that deal with works cited and vocabulary words
(such as plagiarism) from earlier in the year. After this assessment, we will
review the material in preparation for the taking of the TRAILS assessment
which covers additional material on keyword searching and literacy
standards. Although these assessments are not part of a grade, they are
used to determine if students have mastered the literacy/21 Century standards,
which are part of the Iowa core.

Computers Mrs. Petersen

Kathy.Petersen@indianola.k12.ia.us

In Computers students will be reflecting on their Silk Road report and sharing it with
classmates. They will also be pretesting for the TRAILS test with Mrs. Wannamaker.
It will cover works cited and vocabulary previously learned. Then students will
finish the week with a lesson in key word searching.

Social Studies-Mrs. Larsen

Connee.Larsen@indianola.k12.ia.us

This coming week we will be learning about several people, adults

and students, who have immigrated to the United States, and even
some specifically to Iowa, as we work through our chapter on
immigration. It is very interesting to learn their stories. What made
them leave their homeland and what are their dreams as they move
to our country? Students may be asking you some questions about where their
ancestors might have migrated from.

Math-Mrs. Vetter
alisha.vetter@indianola.k12.ia.us

This week we continued Everyday Math Unit 4: Rational Number

Uses and Operations. . There was a quiz on Wednesday (Day 2) and
Thursday (Day 1). It was over reducing and expanding fractions,
comparing fractions and adding and subtracting fractions and mixed
numbers. Students will get those back today (Friday) or Monday of
next week.
Next week we will continue Unit 4 including more work on adding and
subtracting fractions and mixed numbers and we will also begin multiplying
fractions and mixed numbers. There will be a quiz Thursday (Day 2) and Friday (Day
1) over adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Phone: 961-9530 ext. 3147
Have a fabulous weekend!

Language Arts with Mr. Kotz

Hello all! We have finished lesson 17, The Emperors Silent Army this week. We are
currently writing argumentative paragraphs. This process includes making a claim,
backing it up with logical evidence, and using a concluding sentence to wrap it up.

Lesson 18:
Main Selection: The Hero and The Minotaur
Big Idea: The past is full of amazing stories
Essential Question: How can a mythic hero defeat a monster?
Target Skill: Story Structure
Target Strategy: Infer/Predict
Fluency: Expression
Vocabulary Strategies: suffixes ful, -less, -ly, -ness, -ment, -ship
Target vocabulary: steadfast, somber, labyrinth, rash, unravels, fury, bitterly,
massive, embrace, abandon
This lesson will take approximately 3 weeks to complete. The pacing of each activity and
assessment may vary, depending on our daily progress.
Further Notes:
Book orders will now be recurring throughout the year. If you are interested in purchasing a book
online, please use this class activation code: NW4XW. Otherwise, I will gladly accept cash or check for
payment.
Please feel free to use this link of our text book to have your students our main selection outside of
class:
http://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/content/hsp/reading/journeys/na/gr6/ese_9780547360300_/launch.html#
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns.
Jonathan.kotz@indianola.k12.ia.us
515-961-9530 ext. 3118

Science Mrs. Simpson

Dorisa.Simpson@indianola.k12.ia.us

In Science the students have been reading from the textbook and working on their
reading comprehension skills. Students have been asked to complete a graphic
organizer to help them focus on the main points from the lesson. We have now
completed Lesson 4 which is all about pure substances and mixtures.
This weeks Learning Targets:
I can name the basic building block of all matter and define the 3 ways
matter can be classified.

I can explain the process used to separate a mixture.

I can list the 3 ways a mixture can be classified and give 3 examples of each.

Box Tops

Send to school anytime! Collection tubs are located in

Language Arts rooms
and main office.

Thanks to all of you who have restocked your students supplies of

checking pens, pencils, and colored pencils!! If you did not get a
chance over break if you could that would be much appreciated!
Some students are still running VERY low!

Yearbook!!
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