MPS & MIS Newsletter

Dear Families,

Over the past few weeks, students in grades 1-5 at MPS and MIS have been diligently working on their Reading and Math MAP assessments. Additionally, our English Learner students have been taking the ACCESS assessment. Teachers are carefully analyzing student growth and achievement to ensure they continue providing the best possible education for every student. We are incredibly proud of our students for their hard work, perseverance, and dedication to reaching their personal goals!

Teachers are looking forward to discussing your child’s mid-year progress with you during parent-teacher conferences on Tuesday, February 11, and Thursday, February 13. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for collaboration between home and school, which plays a vital role in student success.

Looking ahead, Medinah Intermediate School students and staff are preparing for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) for grades 3-5, which will take place on March 24, 25 and 26. Practice Tests can be found at https://il.digitalitemlibrary.com/home.

More details about this assessment will be shared in the coming weeks and at Parent-Teacher Conferences.

With winter in full swing, students may be spending more time indoors. This is a great opportunity to continue reinforcing their reading and math skills using programs like IXL, Reflex, and Raz-Kids. As we move into February, we remain focused on supporting both the academic and social-emotional growth of every student at MPS and MIS.

We are excited for our PTO-sponsored Valentine's Day parties on the afternoon of February 13! A big thank you to all the families who help make these celebrations special for our students. Your support and involvement are truly appreciated!

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We appreciate your continued partnership in your child’s education!

Erin Berwick
Medinah Primary School

Natalie Czarnecki
Medinah Intermediate School

This month in Preschool we learned about signs. We talked about sign we see around us when we are outside while driving, inside our school building and also signs we can make using sign language. We discussed the importance of signs and what information they give us.

In Literacy, we focused on the different letters in our names as well as our friends' names. The students also identified the letter they saw in the signs we talked about.

In Math, we learned about shapes. Specifically how to differentiate similar shapes such as rectangle and square as well as circle & oval.

In SEL, we began the Child Protection Unit with our preschoolers. In this unit we talk about safe choices at home and how to deal with unexpected things. If we aren't sure it is best to ask or talk to a trusted adult.

--Mrs. Cespedes and Ms. Laskewich

Reading: We have enjoyed reading many different folktales and fun winter stories. We read different versions of the story, The Mitten and did a lot of retelling, comparing and contrasting of the stories.

Writing: We are making winter scenes, practicing labeling and writing sentences about things you can do in the winter.

Math: We have been measuring in a variety of ways. The students used non-standard measurement like shoes, string and connecting cubes to measure objects around the classroom. We compared objects using the vocabulary taller than and shorter than. We really practiced making sure we were lining up the objects when measuring to make sure they were being measured correctly.

Please be sure to sign up for a conference time online, if you haven’t already. We look forward to seeing everyone and discussing your child’s progress then!

-Mrs. Cermak, Mrs. Fazio, and Ms. Maciulewicz

Literacy: We have been diving into nonfiction texts and focusing on nonfiction text features to help us understand what the author wants us to learn. We are always looking for clues to help prove if a text is fiction or nonfiction.

Writing: We are working on adding details to help bring our writing to life while still using our 3-part narrative planners. The students have been given word walls to support their writing and help them build the confidence to either sound out or find words themselves. We will begin working on using research from books and websites to help us write informative nonfiction pieces very soon!

Math: The first grade students began Module 4 which focuses on measuring using centimeter units. The students have been working to accurately measure and compare lengths using centimeter cubes and other measurement tools. We are continuing to build fluency in addition and subtraction as well as dissecting word problems as the module continue.

Social Science: The students investigated different animals and plant traits and learned how the traits are inherited from the parents.

SEL: The students have been engaged in the Child Protection Unit using the Second Step curriculum. We are learning the ways to stay safe and rules that help to keep us safe.

Please remember to sign up for conferences. We look forward to discussing your child’s progress at PTC in February!

-Mrs. Besancenez, Ms. Fasso, and Ms. Palaci

Literacy: We wrapped up our biography project. The kids did a fabulous job with their presentations. We enjoyed seeing all of their hard work. Next up is an author study on Steve Jenkins, an author known for writing nonfiction.

Writing: Second graders are starting to write an informative paper on animals. Students will be researching the animal of their choice. This will come together as a book.

Math: We are in the middle of our geometry module. Students are learning about 2-D and 3-D shapes, partitioning shapes, fractions *and* telling time! You can start working with your child on telling time now so they are that much farther ahead. Second graders are expected to be able to tell time on an anaolog clock to the closest five minutes.

SEL: January has been dedicated to the Child Protection Unit. We have had wonderful discussions about making safe choices as well as continuing to review the Never-Never Rules.

We are looking forward to meeting with you in a couple of weeks during conferences to talk about your child's progress.

-Ms. Ohlson, Ms. Shay, and Ms. Ferguson

Reading: “Advancements in Technology”—non-fiction based unit; recount key details and determine main idea; describe the logical connection between parts of a text; use information gained from illustrations and words; compare and contrast important points in two texts on the same topic.

Writing: Opinion Writing–fact vs. opinion, strong arguments, developing reasons and examples to support opinions from assigned texts, organizing opinion paragraphs, using appropriate linking words.

Math: Multiplication and Area: Foundations for Understanding Area; Concepts of Area Measurement; Applying Properties of Operations to Area; Applications of Area.

Science: Plant and Animal Extinction & Fossils—using fossils as evidence of past life and environments.

Social Science: History–creating chronological sequence of related events to compare technological developments happening at the same time.

As always, if there are any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher!

-Miss Koth, Mrs. Stromberg (Mrs. Garcia-Substitute), Ms. Wilkes, Miss Warner

Reading: Unit 5- “Technology for a Green Future” In this unit, students will continue to identify main ideas using key details, identify text structure, and analyze an opinion using text evidence.

Writing: Big Cheese Shared Writing, Capitalization and Punctuation Rules, and using Correct Conventions (C.U.P.S.) to edit our writing. Opinion process paper: Should plastic straws be banned?

Math: Module 4- Foundations for fraction operations

Social Science: Civics; U.S. Government

Please feel free to contact your child's teacher if you have any questions!

-Mrs. Akert, Miss Kusmierz, Mrs. Stern

Reading: Unit 5 Technology's Impact on Society

Writing: Invention Research and Invention Project

Social Studies: Chapters 5 and 6 Routes of Exploration to the New World and Early English Settlements

Science: Earth's Systems Interactions

SEL: Child Protection Unit

Math: Module 4-Place Value Concepts of Decimal Operations

Conferences are 2/11 and 2/13 Sign up is now available

-Miss Geraci, Mrs. Hoffmann, Mr. Leli, Miss Spencer

The MPS library is bustling with new books and fun activities! The most popular books on our shelves this month are Dog Man, There's A Ghost In This House, The Book With No Pictures, Lou, and The Wild Robot!

Kinder - Media literacy and wordless picture books
1st grade - Facts vs Opinions
2nd grade - Biography projects and nonfiction organization/Dewey Decimal system

We are still reading our Monarch Award nominee books and we are looking forward to voting for our favorites next month. We're looking forward to seeing you all at parent teacher conferences in February!

-Mrs. Iadanza

Brrrrrrr It’s cold out there, but it’s heating up in the library. Many hot new books have been added to our collection. Some of the most popular so far are Dogman, Cat Ninja, Goosebumps, the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid and I Survived. The students have been steaming since they found out how long each of the waitlists are for these hot books.

Library classes are fully heated as well. Third graders are busy exploring a variety of fiction genres. They are learning about the different traits of each genre, listening to books of each genre and searching for examples found in our library. Along the way, they are creating a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of each genre while also practicing some technology skills on Google Slides.

4th grade library classes are beginning a research unit. They began by brainstorming possible topics of interest then used Destiny Discover to locate nonfiction books in our library that could be used as a resource for their research. Next, they will be learning more valuable research skills while reading, and taking notes, about their chosen topic. Each student will use their researching knowledge to create a project to present to their classmates at the end of the unit.

5th grade is learning about the “human footprint” and what it means to be a Global Citizen. The students will be using articles and online resources to learn about, and take notes on, how humans are impacting the environment and what can be done to lessen our negative impact. This unit connects with the fifth grade science standards. Ask your child what changes your family can make to lessen your “footprint” on Earth.
The Bluestem Challenge will be ending February 21. Check in with your child to see if they have turned in their Bluestem Forms. We hope to see many of the students completing the challenge. The voting for the Reader’s Choice Award aka the Bluestem 2025 Winner will take place the week of February 24. Ask your child what book they will be voting for.

In December, the school celebrated the One Book, One School program with an author visit from Monica Roe. She was the author who wrote Air. It was so exciting to see the students interacting with Mrs. Roe to gain an understanding of an author’s career and mindset while writing. They especially loved the overview of how and why Air was written because lastly we celebrated this program with a visit from Synergy Adaptive Athletics where the students gained an appreciation for handicapped athletes by playing wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

-Mrs. Jasper and Mrs. Mouser

Kindergarten
-Challenged ourselve by narrowing the distance between our high and low pitches.

1st Grade
-Discovered that our high and low pitches are actually called so and mi and are a skip away from each other on the music staff.
-Labeled our “long” and “short” rhythms as quarter notes and a pair of eighth notes!

2nd Grade
-Read, composed, and improvised melodies using our newest pitch, do.
-Analyzed our “long” rhythm and found that it is 2-beats long.

3rd Grade
-Discovered a new 1-beat rhythm, currently called “blueberry.”
-Performed and composed melodies using our newest pitch, low la.
-Began learning about the String Family of instruments.

4th Grade
-Learned about the instruments in the Brass Family and how to aurally identify them using their pitch and timbre.
-Worked to master the extended do-pentatonic scale, including low la and low so.
-Composed and identified complicated patterns using our ti-tika and tika-ti rhythms.

5th Grade
-Began learning how to read our many rhythms using a more complex system– rhythm counting!
-Discovered that the pitch between so and mi is only a half-step away from mi.

-Mrs. Bender

Art is looking for yarn donations at MIS! Students are weaving with yarn creating coasters, placemats, mini blankets etc.. The yarn donated will be greatly appreciated by students for their projects.

(K,1,2)
Drew snow globes that included their favorite things!
Quilt drawings inspired by artist Faith Ringold.
Heart drawings inspired by artist Jim Dine.
Learned how to weave using construction paper!

(3,4,5)
Explored symmetry and how to draw a reflection.
Practiced drawing their interests and hobbies.
Currently weaving with yarn to create their own items!

-Mrs. Juan Diego (Miss Paszternak- Substitute)

As we return from the break and kick off the new year, PE has been all about easing back in with some fun games and new units. At MIS, students got into team-building games, including a fun activity called "Master," where they worked together to figure out different patterns.

We've also started our first unit back from break—basketball—which will continue for the next few weeks. After that, we'll move on to tumbling, volleyball, and hockey units. At MPS, students came back to a variety of fun activities, including cup stacking, scarf juggling, and some brain break videos. Up next, we'll be starting our kickball unit.

-Mr. Friedman

It's that time of year: Flu and Cold season. With the weather changing and the temperatures dropping it is important to remember when to keep your child home and how to stay healthy If you have any questions, please reach out to the health office!

KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME IF THEY HAVE:
1. A fever of 100 degrees or greater--they can return to school after being fever-free for 24 hours WITHOUT the use of any fever reducing medication (such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen)
2. Vomited or had diarrhea--they can return to school after 24 hours illness-free
3. An earache--they can return to school after an MD evaluation/treatment
4. A persistent sore throat/cough--they can return to school after MD evaluation/treatment
5. Body aches/fatigue/paleness--they can return to school when rested/stronger
6. Itchy, draining eyes--they can return to school after MD evaluation/treatment after 24 hours WITH a physician's note to the Nurse
7. A skin rash--they can return to school after MD evaluation/treatment WITH a physician's note to the Nurse If you have any questions, please reach out to our district nurse, Renee Wesley at rewesley@medinah11.org or our Health office assistant, Ewelina Korzeniewski at ewkorzeniewski@medinah11.org. We look forward to seeing all of our students at school and ready to learn and be the most successful person they can be.

-Nurse Renee and Nurse Ewelina