ELL Activities for the Week of 3/14/11

Hello Parents,

Here is a list of the lessons and activities that were presented in ELL class this week.  Many students asked very insightful questions about our topics this week and were very eager to participate in class.

Kindergarten-Neighborhoods/What is a community?/Where can we shop?/Different kinds of homes we live in

First Grade-Maps and Globes-What country do we live in?/What is the name of our state?/What city do we live in?

Second Grade-Economy/Money-What are goods?/Are goods grown or made?/How do goods get to the store?/How do we pay for goods?

Third Grade-Government and Leaders-What is our capital city in the U.S.?/Who is our current President and Vice President?/What are symbols?/Name symbols that represent freedom in this country.

Fourth Grade-SouthWest Region-Identify the four states that make up the SW region./Design a foldable about the SW region including specific details about that region./Saguaro Cactus timeline and semantic web

Fifth Grade-American Revolution/Taxing/Declaration of Independence-Discuss taxing and why it became a problem with the British/Timeline of events leading up to the Revolutionary War/What was significant about the Declaration of Independence?

It was a great week in ELL class!  Let's keep it up!

~Mrs. Bennick

All ELL classes have resumed!

Hello Parents,

ISAT testing has now been completed, therefore, all ELL classes have resumed as of today!  We are all so happy to be back to our normal routine.  I'd like to just give you a brief overview of what all grade levels will be working on this week in ELL class.

K-Magnets, Push/Pull, and Force
1- What are leisure activities?, Play, Storywriting
2-Sounds we hear, Story vocabulary, Matching
3-Gardening needs, Story vocabulary, Graphic organizer
4-Southwest Region (National Geographic books)
5-What are taxes?, Foldables story

Another busy week ahead!  As always, please contact me with any questions.

Thank you!
~Mrs. Bennick

ISAT Testing

Hello Parents,
I hope that you are enjoying your day off!  I just wanted to give you a preview of what to expect this upcoming week.  This week, all ELL students in grades 3, 4, and 5, will be participating in ISAT testing.  Due to this testing, all other grade level ELL classes will be canceled and will resume next week.  The students have been working very hard to prepare for this testing.  Please make sure that your child has a nutritious breakfast and gets plenty of sleep during the week of testing. 
As always, if you have any questions regarding ISAT testing, please call me on my direct line. 
Thank you!
~Mrs. Bennick
630.428.6725

ELL Schedule

Hello Parents,

All ACCESS testing has been completed!  Most grade levels finished a week or two ago, but Kindergarteners just finished on Friday.  All of the students worked very hard and I am anxious to see their scores later in the spring.  We have resumed our normal ELL schedule. 

Also, Parent-Teacher Conferences are next Tuesday, February 22, 2011.  These conferences are optional, but if you'd like to set up an appointment with me, please call my direct line at 630.428.6725. 

Thank you,

~Mrs. Bennick

ACCESS Testing Update/Parent-Teacher Conferences/Open House

Hello Parents,

ACCESS testing continues this week and all of the students have been trying their best.  I am happy and proud of the excellent effort that they have shown while taking the test.  Most students will be finished with testing by the end of this week.

Also, Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Tuesday, February 22nd, from 1:00-8:00p.m.
Your attendance at this conference is optional.  However, if you would like to schedule a time to meet with me on this day, please call me on my direct line at 630.428.6725.  Thank you.

Open House is this Thursday, January 27th, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.  I will be here so please stop by to say hi.  Open House is an informal night for parents to come and visit the many teachers' classrooms that your children visit each week...such as art, music, p.e., ELL, etc. Due to the informal nature of this evening, I will not be able to conduct conferences.  Thank you. 

Hope to see you all at Open House!!

~Mrs. Bennick

Adult ESL Classes and ACCESS testing

Hello Parents,

Indian Prairie School District offers adult ESL classes through the College of Dupage.  Information about these classes is posted on the May Watt's website at http://watts.ipsd.org/.  If you are interested in enrolling in these classes, just fill out the application that is also posted on the school's website.  For those parents who requested information about these classes earlier in the year, the information was sent home last Friday in your child's backpack. 

Also, this week begins ACCESS testing for all grade levels! This is a very comprehensive test which tests your child's ability in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing in the English language.  Test scores will be available toward the end of the school year.  If you have any questions regarding this test, please call or email me. 

Have a wonderful week!
~Mrs. Bennick

Happy New Year!

I hope that all of you enjoyed some time with your families over Winter Break.  It's time to start the second half of the school year.  ACCESS testing will begin shortly.  More information regarding ACCESS testing will be sent home and also posted on my blog within the next week. 
I am looking forward to a very productive second semester of school!  We have a lot of work ahead of us. 
I am sure the students are up to the challenge!
Happy 2011!
~Mrs. Bennick