Week of 1/3-1/7

ODDS AND ENDS:

*Welcome Back and Happy 2011! I hope everyone had a wonderful, restful, and happy holiday break. Happy New Year!

* Thank you to everyone for the generous classroom gift of the digital camera! It will be great to take photos of the students so easily as well as use the camera for the new baby! What a thoughtful and generous gift. I was so surprised! Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 1/3: Classes Resume

*Tues. 1/4: No Reading: AIMSWEB Benchmarking tests

* Fri. 1/7: Spelling: List 12 test
Math: 10's multiplication test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

* Spelling - We are on list 12: words with the vowel sounds plus r. A pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be given Monday and due Friday. The final test will be on Friday.

*Reading - We will start working on the strategy of monitoring and clarifying as we read using the story "Nights of the Pufflings". We will then extend our strategy use while working on a novel study. All the while, we will also be distinguishing fact and opinion. As always, we will continue to utilize strategies from previous weeks.

*English: We will continue to work on narrative writing as we complete our final drafts.

*Social Studies: We will begin our unit on Ancient Egypt! If you have any books, videos, or objects about Egypt your child would like to share with the class, please feel free to send them in at any time.

*Science: We will begin ch. 11: matter.

*Math: We will continue to work on multiplication facts. We will be on 10's this week. The test will be on Friday. We will begin ch. 6: data and graphing.

Thank you for checking out my blog!
Mrs. Olsen

Week of 12/13

*Odds and Ends:*

* Bowling Field Trip: We will go on our bowling field trip Wed. 12/15 from 9-11 am. You can send your child with money if they would like to buy one treat at the bowling alley. We will still have lunch when we return.

* Tivoli Field Trip: We will go the How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Fri. 12/17 in lieu of classroom holiday parties. If you have not sent in the permission slip and $3 please do so by Monday, 12/13.

*Don't forget about our Holiday Service Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. All donations are due on Monday, December 13. Thank you for opening up your hearts to help make the holidays a happy one for those who are less fortunate. Thank you to those families who have already sent in a donation. It is very appreciated!

*UPCOMING EVENTS:*

* Tues. 12/14: Social Studies: Culture Day Presentations

*Wed. 12/15: Bowling 9-11 am

Math: Ch. 5 Time Checkpoint

*Thurs. 12/16: Social Studies: Ch. 3 Test

*Fri. 12/17: Spelling: List 11

Science: Ch. 4 Test

Tivoli: Field Trip

*A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK: *

* Spelling: We are on list 11: words with the vowel sounds in "clown" and "lawn". A pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be given Monday and due Friday. The final test will be on Friday.

*Reading: We will continue to learn about evaluating text and visualizing as we read. We will continue to use the story Dogzilla as well as other novels and text as we apply these skills. We will also work on strategies from previous weeks.

* English: We will continue to work on narrative writing. We will work on revising and editing our papers and writing final drafts.

*Science: We will be finishing up chapter 4. We will take our final, cumulative chapter test on Fri. 12/17. We will review in class. A study guide was sent home today.

*Social Studies: The students will be finishing ch. 3 this week. We will share our culture day presentations on Tues. 12/14. The final chapter test will be on Thurs. 12/16. A study guide was sent home today.

*Math: We will work on ch. 5 time this week. We will take a graded review on Wed. 12/15 or Thurs. 12/16. I will announce this next week and your child will write the date in their assignment notebook. We will also work on 5's multiplication. The timed test on 5's multiplication will be on Thurs. 12/16. We will not have math on Fri. due to the field trip.

Thank you for checking my blog. Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 12/6-12/10

Odds and Ends:

* Paper Retriever Bins: Please remember there is NO CARDBOARD allowed in this bin. We have to go in and remove any cardboard placed in the bin as the company will not collect the paper and we won't get our fundraising money if cardboard is in the bin. Please help us out and only place PAPER products in the bin. Thank-you!

*Remember to send in any toys, toiletries, and non perishable food items in for our winter holiday drive. We will be collecting items until December 13th. Thank-you for your help this holiday season!

*Fall Conferences: Thank-you to all of the parents for meeting with me to discuss their child's progress at conferences this week. It is always nice to talk about the successes of our children! I am looking forward to meeting with the rest of the parents next week. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns that come up, please do not hesitate to email or call. Thanks!

*Bowling Permission Slips: Please turn in your child's bowling permission slip if you have not already done so. We will be bowling Wed. 12/15. There is no charge, however, if your child wants to purchase one treat at the bowling alley, you may send in money to do so. Keep in mind we go from 9-11 and then have lunch when we return, so we don't want them to fill up on treats at the bowling alley. Thank you!

*Thank you to Mrs. Vanni for coming into school on Wed. and doing a fabulous presentation on quilting for all of the third grade students. Her work is beautiful and she did a fantastic job explaining the history and importance of quilts and how they are made. Thank you so much!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Fri. 12/3: No School

*Mon. 12/6: Math: Ch. 5 Money Checkpoint (changed from Thurs. 12/2

*Fri. 12/10: Miss Galloway's Last Day

Spelling: List 10 Test

Math: 2's multiplication test

Reading: Wordmaster Meet #1

*Wed. 12/15: Bowling 9-11

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will begin a new strategy focus as we learn about evaluating text and visualizing as we read. We will use the story Dogzilla as well as other novels and text as we apply these skills. We will also work on strategies from previous weeks.

Also, Mrs. Olsen's reading class will compete in their first "wordmaster" meet on December 10th.

*Spelling: We are on list 10: words with the vowel sound in "join". A pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be given Monday and due Friday. The final test will be on Friday.

*English: The students will continue to work on narrative writing, focusing on showing, not telling about their feelings, transitions, organization, and word choice. Ask them about their chosen topic!

*Science: We are working on ch 4: animal habitats and ecosystems.

*Social Studies: The students are learning about culture and immigration. A culture day project was given to the students this week. Their idea sheet is due Mon. 12/6. The presentations will be on Tues. 12/14. Please refer to the packet for more information. Please email or call with any questions! This is a great opportunity for students to share their culture with their classmates!

*Math: The students spent an extra day practicing counting back change, so our math checkpoint was moved to Mon. 12/6. We spent Thurs. reviewing for this graded review. We will begin ch. 5 Time on Tues. 12/7. We will also work on 2's multiplication next week. Expect a ch. 5 homework assignment as well as multiplication each night. The graded test for 2's multiplication will be on Fri. 12/10.

Thank you for checking out the blog this week. Stay warm this long weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of 11/29

Odds and Ends:

* Fall conferences will be held the week of 11/29-12/1. Please be on time for your conference...they are only 15 minutes long and it is very easy to get off schedule! Thank you in advance for your cooperation! I am looking forward to meeting with parents and discussing your child's progress thus far in 3rd grade!

*Paper recycling: Don't forget to take advantage our our Paper Retriever recycling bin in Lakeview's parking lot. This is a great way to recycle and help our schools earn money. Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Wed. 11/24-Fri. 11/26: No School: Happy Turkey Day!

* Mon. 11/29-Wed. 12/1: Conferences after school

* Thurs. 12/2: Spelling: List 9 Test

Reading: The Keeping Quilt vocabulary and comprehension test

Math: Ch. 5 Math Checkpoint

*Fri. 12/3: No School

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be focusing on author's point of view and purpose next week as we read The Keeping Quilt. If you have a quilt at home you can send it in with your child. If you would like to share your knowledge about quilting, please contact me via email. We would love to have someone come talk to the students about quilts. Thank you!

*Spelling: We will work on list 9: long i sound. A pretest will be given Monday. Homework will be sent home Monday as well. The final test and homework is on Thurs.

* English: We will begin a unit on narrative writing.

*Science: We will begin a new unit on ch. 4: ecosystems.

*Social Studies: We will begin a new chapter on culture and immigration (ch. 3).

* Math: We will continue to work on ch. 5 money. We will focus on counting back change ( up to $10) and adding and subtracting money. Please continue to reinforce these skills at home and over break. We will have a money checkpoint for a grade on Thurs. 12/2. We will also go over multiplication this week. A testing schedule for multiplication facts will be sent home on Monday.

Thank you for reading our blog this week. We wish you all a safe, healthy, and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of 11/22

*Odds and Ends*

*Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

*White Envelopes: Please remember to turn in the special white envelopes by Mon. 11/22. Thank you!

*The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season. PLEASE DONATE!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 11/23: Social Studies: Modern Day Downers Grove Graded Review

Picture Retakes

Report Cards sent home!

*Wed. 11/24-Fri. 11/26: No School: Happy Thanksgiving!

*Mon. 11/29-Wed. 12/1: Conferences After School: Please be on time for your scheduled conference...they only last 15 minutes and we can easily get off schedule. Thank you for your cooperation! I look forward to meeting with each of you!

*Thurs. 12/2: Spelling: List 9 Test

Reading: The Keeping Quilt vocab and comprehension test

Math: ch 5 Money Checkpoint

*Fri. 12/3: No School

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading:We will be doing some reading activities with a Thanksgiving theme. These activities review the different skills and strategies we've been working on this year. We will also be discussing Word Masters, an extra curricular activity that works on building vocabulary through analogies. Please look over the note and word list coming home. Please email with any questions!

*Spelling: There will be no spelling this week. The week we return we will work on list 9: words with the long I sound. There will be a pretest Monday and a final test Thursday. Homework will be sent home Monday and due Thursday.

*English: We will work on writing a point of view story. We will write about Thanksgiving through the eyes of a turkey! Next unit....narrative writing.

*Social Studies: We are wrapping up our Downers Grove unit. We will take a graded review on modern day Downers Grove on Tues. 11/23. A study guide was sent home this week.

*Science: We are finishing up ch. 10: Space. We will work on some more planet activities in the upcoming days. Next unit...ch 4: ecosystems and animal habitats.

*Math: We are working on ch. 5: Money and Time. We will focus on money for the next few weeks. One of the hardest concepts in this chapter is counting back change. Please practice this at home as much as possible! We will take a money graded review (checkpoint) on Thurs. 12/1 if all goes as planned!

We will also begin our multiplication unit. We will work on this at the same time as ch. 5, so each night there will be two homework assignments: one on money/time and one on multiplication. Please study multiplication flashcards each night...a testing schedule will be sent home Mon. 11/29. Thank you!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Nov. 15-19

Odds and Ends:

*Scholastic Book Order: Remember our November book order is due Friday, Nov. 19th. If you place your order online, you can help our classroom earn free classroom books. Thanks!

*Thank you to the following chaperons for coming along on our Downers Grove Field trip: Mrs. Singh, Mrs. Topp, Mrs. Vanni, Mrs. Edwards, and Mrs. Kling. We all had a great time and learned so much about Downers Grove history! It was fantastic to see our history lessons come alive!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 11/15: PBIS Assembly 1:45pm

*Tues. 11/16: Math: Problem Solving Graded Review

English: DOL #5 graded review

*Thurs. 11/18: Book Check Out

* Fri. 11/19: Synonym/Antonym Analogies Review

English: Unit 3 Verb Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to focus on our reading strategies as we apply them to our reading. We will focus on making inferences, summarizing, predicting, using background knowledge, and applying our knowledge about synonyms and antonyms. We will also continue to work on identifying character traits, setting, and problem/solution.

*Spelling: We will continue to focus on synonyms and antonyms and analogies this week. There will be a graded review on Friday.

*English: The students are busy working on verbs in unit 3. We will finish up this unit on Friday, 11/19. A study guide will be sent home next week. The test will be on Fri. 11/19. Please refer to the pretest in your child's English folder to focus on what your child needs to focus on.

*Science: The students are learning about the planets and solar system in ch. 10 lesson 3.

*Social Studies: We had a great time on our Downers Grove field trip. We will continue to learn about modern day Downers Grove.

*Math: We are finishing up our problem solving unit. We will discuss t-charts this week and take a graded review on problem solving on Tues. We will begin ch. 5 (time and money) this week.

Thank you for checking our our blog this week. Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Nov. 8-12

Odds and Ends:

*Picture Retakes: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 will be picture retake day. Any student that did not have their picture taken prior to this date may do so. They will be required to have a picture envelope with money to have a picture taken. Any student wishing to have a picture retaken will have to return the original picture packet for a retake.

*Field Trip: We will be taking our Downers Grove field trip on Tues. 11/9. If your child did not order pizza, please remember to send them with a sack lunch. Also, please check the weather the night before...we do walk around downtown and students will need to be dressed appropriately. Wear comfortable walking shoes! If you were not chosen as a chaperon but would like to meet us for lunch at Giordano's Pizza on Main St. in downtown Downers Grove, please meet us there around 12:15pm. We should be arriving there at that time or shortly after. All students will need to take the bus back to school. Thank you for your understanding.

*Roller Skating Party: Students attending the roller skating party on Monday, November 8th will need to report to school at 3:45 p.m. to check in and have their hands stamped before boarding the buses. Students should bring their fast pass with them at check in which will go home with them on Monday. Please remember to not park in the bus lanes when dropping your student off and for pick up. Thank you

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 11/8: Roller Skating Party: After School

*Tues. 11/9: Downers Grove Field Trip

*Wed. 11/10: PE Net Games Test

*Thurs. 11/11: No School: Veteran's Day

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue with our novel study while focusing on character traits, problem/resolution, and setting as well as predicting, summarizing, and making inferences as we read!

*Spelling: We will continue our study of analogies. This week and next, we will focus on synonym and antonym analogies. Therefore, we will not have a spelling test this week nor next week. We will have a graded assessment on analogies the following week.

*English: We are working on ch. 3: Verbs. You can find your child's pretest and learning contract for this chapter in his/her English folder. Please keep this packet in their English folder since we refer to it each day in class. This pretest can be used as a reference on what to study and focus on for the end of the unit test.

*Science: Chapter 10 is OUT OF THIS WORLD! We are continuing to study the moon phases (lesson 2) and will start to learn about the planets (lesson 3) next week.

*Social Studies: We are gearing up for our Downers Grove field trip on Tues. 11/9. We are learning about local government (ch. 12) and we will continue to learn about modern day Downers Grove.

*Math: We are going to take a short break from the textbook as we focus on problem solving skills. We will focus on word problems where students have to make a table to solve the problem. We will also be introducing the concepts of t-charts. Look for a pink packet of information explaining t-charts coming home Monday.

Thank you and enjoy the weekend~

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Nov. 1-Nov. 5

Happy Halloween!

*Thank you to Mrs. Leatherwood, Mrs. Burrows, Mrs. Stanley, Mrs. Singh, and Mrs. Wagner for making our Halloween classroom celebration SPOOK-tacular! The students and teachers had a great time!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 11/2:No School: Teacher Institute

*Thurs. 11/4: Math: Ch. 4 Subtraction Test

*Fri. 11/5: Spelling: Analogies: Part/whole graded review

Math: Subtraction Fast Facts 0-18 Graded Review

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be focusing on the following skills and strategies as we read novels this week: identifying character traits, setting, and problem/solution, summarizing, predicting, and making inferences.

*Spelling: This week the students will focus on solving part/whole analogies. We will work on this skill every day. A packet will be given to the students on Monday. We will work on the packet in class and some pages will be homework. This packet can be studied and reviewed for Friday's graded review on part/whole analogies.

*English: We will begin Verbs (ch. 3) on Monday. We will pretest the chapter to determine student's prior knowledge.

*Science: We will continue to work on ch. 10 space.

*Social Studies: The students will continue to work on Downers Grove, focusing on modern day Downers Grove as well as local government. We will use the social studies textbook ch. 12 to learn about local government. Our field trip to visit the places we have learned about in class will take place Tues. 11/9.

*Math: We are finishing up ch. 4: subtraction. The test is scheduled for Thurs. 11/4. Please review subtracting with borrowing and subtracting across zeros (example 5,001- 398) with your child. Remember the "Triple B" saying: Is the Bottom number Bigger? Borrow! We will also continue to practice our 0-18 subtraction fast facts all week. They will begin to count as a grade on Fri. 11/5.

Have a safe, fun, and spooky Halloween weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Oct. 25-29

Odds and Ends:

* Halloween Classroom Party: Our classroom Halloween parties will take place on Friday, October 29th in the afternoon. The all school parade will be at 1pm and the classroom parties will take place from 1:30-2:20pm. If your child would like to dress up for this holiday, please send their costume to school with them on Friday. We will give the students time to get into their costume before the parade. They should be able to get ready and dressed in their costume on their own.

* Maps Testing: The students have been doing a great job during Maps testing. Our last Maps test will take place on Monday, 10/25.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 10/26: Social Studies: History of Downers Grove Graded Review

*Fri. 10/29: Halloween Parade and Classroom Celebration

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

* Reading: We will be focusing on predicting, making inferences, and cause and effect as we continue to work with Cliffhanger and other stories. The students will be applying the above comprehension strategies as they read.

*Spelling: This week we will work on Halloween words. There will be a homework packet given to the students on Monday. The homework packet is due Friday. There will be no pretest or final test this week.

*English: The students will continue to work on descriptive writing. They will work on applying all they have learned about descriptive writing as they write a haunted house story.

* Science: We will start ch. 10 lesson 2: The Moon.

*Social Studies: We will be finishing up learning about the history of Downers Grove. We are gaining background knowledge to prepare us for our upcoming field trip. We will move to learn about modern day Downers Grove as well as local government, using ch. 12 in our textbooks. The DG history graded review will be on Tues. 10/26.

*Math: The students will continue to work on ch. 4: subtraction. They are working hard to subtract greater numbers with borrowing. They are also going to be working with subtracting across zeros. Please practice these skills at home. Also, keep practicing subtraction fast facts 0-18. Thank you for your help!

Enjoy the weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Oct. 18-22

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 10/19: MAPS Testing #2

*Wed. 10/20: Early Dismissal 11 am

*Fri. 10/22: Spelling: List 8 Test

Bus Driver Appreciation Day!

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on cause and effect, as well as making predictions and inferences as we read Cliffhanger.

*Spelling: We will work on list 8 this week. The rule for the week is three-letter clusters and unexpected consonant patterns. The pretest will be Monday and the graded test will be Friday.

*English: We will continue descriptive writing focusing on sensory words, similes, and color words.

* Social Studies: We are busy learning about the history of Downers Grove. We will learn about some important places and people in Downers Grove history to prepare us for our November field trip.

*Science: The students will continue to learn about space this week.

* Math: The students are working on ch. 4. We will be focusing on subtracting greater numbers with borrowing and subtracting across zeros. Please review these concepts at home. Also, we are working on subtraction fast facts. Please practice subtraction facts 0-18 at home whenever possible..flashcards and computer games are a great, fun way to practice these facts!

Thank you and have a great fall weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Oct. 11-15

Odds and Ends:

* Magazine Drive Pizza Lunch Winners! Thank you for participating in this years magazine drive. We had the greatest number of students participating in our class for the magazine drive-so we won a pizza party! Way to go! We will enjoy pizza, treats, and juice boxes compliments of the PTO on Tuesday, October 12th. If your child would not like to have pizza, please send them with a sack lunch or they can get hot lunch and enjoy it in our classroom. Thank you!

*Downers Grove Field Trip: A permission slip was sent home today about an upcoming field trip to Downers Grove on Tues. Nov. 9th. Please sign and return the slip no later than Fri. 10/29. Please email or call with any questions. I will contact the interested chaperon parents...first come, first serve! Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Mon. 10/11: No School: Columbus Day

* Tues. 10/12: Pizza Luncheon Provided by the PTO

*Fri. 10/15: Spelling: List 7 Test

English: DOL #3 Quiz

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We start learning about cause and effect while reading the story, Cliff Hanger.

*Spelling: We are on list 7 this week: the long o sound. We will take a pretest on Tuesday. Homework will be sent home on Tuesday and due Friday. The test will be Friday.

*English: We will begin a new writing unit: descriptive writing.

*Science: We will begin a new unit: chapter 10: Space!

*Social Studies: We will continue to learn about the history of Downers Grove.

*Math: We will begin ch. 4: Subtraction. We will work with subtracting greater numbers, fact families, and subtracting across zeros. We will also begin our fast facts for subtraction. We will have two weeks of practice before they begin counting for a grade.

Thank you and enjoy the beautiful weather this long weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Oct. 4-8

Odds and Ends:

* Magazine Drive: Thank you for participating in this year's fundraiser! Our class was one of the top four classes at Prairieview School. Miss Galloway (our student teacher) and Peter Burrows got to compete against the other 3 top classes in our Mario Kart assembly on Friday. What fun!

* Box Tops: Please continue to turn in box tops for our school collection. You can turn them in at any time.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Fri. 10/8: Spelling: List 6 Test

Nouns: Chapter 2 Test

Math: Chapter 3 Test and Addition Fast Fact Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on the comprehension strategy of making inferences.

*English: The students are working on ch. 2 nouns. We will tentatively take our test on Fri. Oct. 8th. A review guide will be sent home.

*Spelling: We are on list 6 this week: more long vowel words. We will take a pretest on Monday and homework will be sent home Monday. On Friday, homework packets are due and students will take the final test.

* Science: The students are busy learning about weather and clouds in lesson 3 of chapter 9.

*Social Studies: We will begin our next unit-Communities: History of Downers Grove! We will learn about the early days of Downers Grove. This will prepare us for our upcoming field trip to Downers Grove...more information coming soon!

*Math: We are working on ch. 3: addition. We are working on addition up to 4 digits with regrouping. Our test is tentatively scheduled for Friday, October 8th.

We are also working on our addition facts 0-18. We will continue to practice each day. On Friday, October 8th, the tests will count for a grade. On the first day, your child can earn 10 points if they get 100%. If they do not pass, they will retake the test on Monday. If they pass on Monday , they will earn 9/10 points. If they do not pass, they will retake the test on Tuesday for 8/10 points for a passing grade. We will continue this schedule of retaking until Friday, when they will earn a 6/10 regardless of passing or not.

Enjoy your fall weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Sept. 27-Oct. 1

Odds and Ends:

* Third graders are invited to sign up for a free intramural program. During this program, students would stay after school and play games in the gym. Permission slips are available this week and due back to Mrs. Cushing by Friday. The program will start some time in October. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Cushing at tcushing@ccsd66.org

*Thank you to everyone who sent in cups, spoons, bowls, juice, and apples to help in our Johnny Appleseed celebration! We had a great time!

*Smile! Picture Day is Thurs. September 30th.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 9/28: Math: Ch. 2 Test

Science: Ch. 9 L2 open book review

DOL Review #2

* Wed. 9/29: Social Studies: Hemisphere Quiz

* Thurs. 9/30: Picture Day

*Fri. 10/1: Spelling: List 5 Test

Reading: Mulan Vocab Review

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will begin working on making inferences this week. We will be using the story Mulan.

*English: We will share our ME bags and 5 paragraph essays next week. We will begin unit 2: nouns.

*Spelling: We will work on list 5: more long and short vowels. We will have a pretest Monday and the students will be given their homework on Monday. The test will be on Friday and homework will be due Friday.

*Science: We are busy learning about the water cycle and weather. The students will take a graded review (open book: a skill we are practicing and learning in class) on ch. 9 lesson 2 on Tues. 9/28. We will begin ch. 9 lesson 3: what is weather?

*Social Studies: Our map unit is coming to an end. We are learning about hemispheres and the prime meridian and equator. The hemisphere quiz will be on Wed. 9/29. Our next unit will be Downers Grove.

*Math: We will be finishing ch. 2 this week. We will spend Monday reviewing for our test on Tuesday. A study guide was sent home today. Please have your child complete and return to school on Monday. Our next unit will be ch. 3: Addition.

Thank you and have enjoy the long weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of 9/20- 9/24

Odds and Ends:

*The PE study guide for the soccer test went home Friday. Have you seen it yet? If not, please ask your child about it. The PE soccer test will be Wednesday. Please help your child review for this test.

*The PTO would like you to know about this great rebate program through Ultra Foods! Ultra Foods is inviting you to take part in the Ultra's Smart Shopper Program, and educational rebate program that generates CASH BACK to your school for educational needs. It's EASY! Shop your local Ultra Foods store from SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 through DECEMBER 31, 2010. Save your receipts and have your child turn them in to their teacher. At the end of this program, your school will submit a grand total of receipts collected and Ultra will remit a check for 5% of that total back to your school! WOW!!!!!!

*Johnny Appleseed's birthday falls on a Sunday this year. We will be celebrating his birthday on Thursday, 9/23. Information about our celebration will come home this week. One of the things we will be doing on Thursday is making homemade applesauce! Please send your child in with an apple that has been cored, cut, and peeled!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 9/20: Spelling: Pretest List 4

*Wed. 9/22: PE: Soccer Test

*Thurs: 9/23: Spelling: List 4 Test

*Fri. 9/24: No School: Teacher Institute

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to focus on summarizing and sequencing this week. We will work on applying this strategy to different texts.

*Spelling: This week we will work with words that have vowel-consonant-e pattern. Homework will be sent home Monday and due Thursday. The test will also be on Thursday.

*English: We will begin our first writing unit. Students will have homework Monday night. They will be making a "ME BAG" to bring to school. Information about this assignment will come home Monday. They will be using their Me Bags to help write a 5 paragraph paper in class.

*Science: We are learning about the water cycle (ch. 9 lesson 2). Ask your child to show you the movements we learned in class.

*Social Studies: We are busy learning about hemispheres, the equator, and the prime meridian. We will be doing many fun activities this week to learn more about our world.

*Math: We are focusing on rounding this week (ch. 2) . We will learn to round to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000. We will learn a rounding song and rounding tip on Monday. Ask your child to show you these things!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week Sept. 13-17

Odds and Ends:

* Prize Bin: My classroom prize bin can always use some new items! Any small, new or gently used items are appreciated! Some ideas...stickers, stamps, bouncy balls, pencil grips, jewelry, beanie babies/stuffed animals, book marks, small toys, etc. Thank you!

*A PE soccer test is scheduled for Wednesday, September 22nd. A study guide will go home on Friday. Please help your child review for this test.

Upcoming Events:

*Mon. 9/13: Magazine Drive Kick-Off

Spelling: List 3 Pretest

English: DOL #1 Quiz

*Wed. 9/15: English: Unit 1 Test: The Sentence

*Fri. 9/17: Spelling: List 3 Test

Social Studies: Continents and Oceans Quiz

Reading: Lost and Found Vocabulary Quiz

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: This is an exciting week! Third grade will start switching for reading! We will be reading The Lost and Found by Mark Teague as we focus on the summarizing strategy and our sequencing skills.

*Spelling: In spelling, the new lesson focuses on more short vowels. The pretest is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 13. If a student gets a 90% or higher (two or less wrong) they will be in the challenge group and will not be required to take the final test. Students with three or more wrong on the pretest will take the final test on Friday, Sept. 17.

*English: We will be finishing up ch. 1: The Sentence. We will have our unit test on Wed. 9/15. A study guide will be sent home on Monday. Next, we will be working on chapter 2: Nouns.

*Social Studies: We will be learning about continents and oceans. We will focus on where they are located and how to spell the names correctly. There will be a graded review on Fri. 9/17. A study guide will be sent home.

*Science: We will continue to learn about weather in ch. 9. We will work on lesson 2: the water cycle.

*Math: We will begin ch. 2: compare and ordering greater numbers.

Thanks for checking out our blog this week! Have a fabulous weekend!
Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of Sept. 6-10

Odds and Ends:

*Curriculum Night: Thank you! It was so great to see so many of you at this year's Curriculum Night. If you ever have any questions or comments, please feel free to email or call me. I am looking forward to a wonderful year together with you and your child!

* Late Slips:
Third grade will begin using late slips for homework that is not complete or handed in at the time it is due. Each student will receive 3 "breaks" for Trimester 1. Upon the fourth time they have not completed homework, one point will be taken away from their homework bank in the appropriate subject. You will notice that each subject has a "homework bank" comprised of 5 points. Late slips will be sent home with students for a parent signature which is due back the very next school day with the completed homework assignment. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 9/6: No School: Labor Day

Spelling List 2 Pretest

* Thurs. 9/9: Social Studies: Directions Quiz

* Fri. 9/10: Spelling: List 2 Test

Math: Chapter 1 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

* Reading: This week we will continue introducing the reading strategies that we will be utilizing throughout the rest of the year using picture books. The strategies are predicting, inferencing, visualizing, monitoring/clarifying, phonics/decoding, summarizing (fiction and non-fiction), questioning, connecting, and evaluating.

*Spelling: This week in spelling we will work on Lesson 2. This lesson will focus on words with short vowels. We will pretest on Tuesday and pass out a homework packet due Friday. We will be taking one of the homework sheets for a grade. On Friday we will have a test worth 20 points.

*English: We will continue to work through Unit 1: The Sentence. We took a pretest on this chapter so I will be able to cover the material that was new to the students. We will focus on run-on sentences next week. The chapter test will be tentatively scheduled for Wed. 9/15. A review guide will be sent home closer to that date.

* Science: We will begin ch. 9 weather.

*Social Studies: We are working on map skills. We began with the compass rose and directions. A directions quiz will be given on Thurs. 9/9. A study guide will be sent home on Tues.

*Math: We will continue working on Chapter 1: Place Value. The students need to understand numbers and place value up to 6 digits and know how to write in standard and expanded form. We will take a checkpoint (graded) on Wed. to check the student's progress so far in the chapter. If all goes as planned, we will have our first test on Fri. 9/10. Otherwise, the test will be the following Tues. 9/14. A study guide will be sent home either way.

Thank you for checking out our blog this week! Enjoy the long weekend!

~Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of August 30-September 3

Welcome to 3rd Grade!

It has been a pleasure to get to know your children this week! We have had a busy week of getting to know each other and learning about Prairieview School. They have been fantastic! I am really looking forward to a great year with your child!

* Weekly Blog: Each week, I will email you the link to check my blog. I will update what we are learning and upcoming important dates and events. You should also check your child's math teacher's blog. Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments about the blog. This a great way to keep open communication between school and home.

* Curriculum Night: Third Grade curriculum night will be on Tuesday, August 31st at 6:30 pm. Please meet in the multipurpose/lunch room. This will be an informative night to learn more about third grade. Hope to see you there!

*Introducing Miss Galloway: Miss Galloway will be joining us from Benedictine University where she is an Elementary Education major. She will be in our classroom until December. We are so happy to have her in our class!

Important Dates:

Tues. 8/31: Curriculum Night 6: 30pm
Fri. 9/3: Spelling Test List 1

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

Reading: This week we will start introducing the reading strategies that we will be utilizing throughout the rest of the year using picture books. The strategies are predicting, inferencing, visualizing, monitoring/clarifying, phonics/decoding, summarizing (fiction and non-fiction), questioning, connecting, and evaluating.

English: We will begin with Unit 1, which covers the four types of sentences. We will do daily work with various punctuation lessons as we work on our D.O.L. (Daily Oral Language).

Spelling: This week in spelling we will start with Lesson 1. These are "Back to School" words. We will pretest on Monday and pass out a homework packet due Friday. We will be taking one of the homework sheets for a grade. On Friday we will have our first test worth 20 points.

Social Studies: We will begin our maps unit. We will start with directions and the compass rose.

THIS IS FOR MRS. OLSEN'S MATH STUDENTS ONLY!

Math: We will begin with chapter 1. We will work on place value, even and odd numbers, and 3,4,5 digit numbers.

Thank you for visiting my blog! Check here every Friday for updates.
~Mrs. Olsen and Miss Galloway

Week of June 2: Last week of 3rd Grade

Dear Parents and Families of 3rd Graders,

It has been a wonderful year with your child and I am so grateful to have shared 3rd grade with them. Thank you for all of the support this year! I have learned so much from your children. I wish you all a relaxing, fun summer full of laughter, family, friends, and good books=)
Keep in touch!

Mrs. Olsen

Odds and Ends:

Yearbooks: Will be handed out to students on June 2nd. Any students who did not purchase a yearbook may do so on a first-come-first-serve basis on June 2nd; they will go on sale after morning announcements. The cost will be $10.00 and children wishing to purchase should have exact amount. Checks can be made out to Prairieview. There is a limited supply. Prairieview yearbook orders were not paid for at registration. A flyer was sent out on November 12, 2009 and orders were due by Tuesday, December 9, 2009.


UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 5/31: No School: Memorial Day

*Tues. 6/1: Field Day
All School Picnic

*Wed. 6/2: Last Day of School: Dismissal at 9:30. Reports cards will be sent home.

*Thurs. 6/3: First Day of Summer: Enjoy!! =)

Week of 5/24-5/28

Odds and Ends:

*Chicago Field Trip: We will be going to Chicago on Friday, May 28th, rain or shine. We have been on the boat in the rain before. It can get quite chilly, so please make sure your child in prepared with a hoodie, rain jacket, and dress in layers-it is always colder downtown than in the suburbs. The following parents will be meeting us at Navy Pier (Thank you!): I will be sending home a packet of information to review before the trip on Monday.

Mrs. Thiel

Mrs. Crandell

Mr. Burne

Mrs. Meyers

Mrs. McCallion

Mrs. Williams

Mrs. Hougaard

Mrs. Lukacik

Mrs. Peloso

*IMC Materials: All IMC materials were due Friday, May 21st. If you have any at home, please return asap! Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 5/24: Lakeview Band Concert

Social Studies: Chicago History Quiz

*Tues. 5/25: Bowling Field Trip Am

Last Day of Math

* Thurs. 5/27: 2nd Grade Pen Pals Visit

*Fri. 5/28: Chicago Field Trip

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

* Reading: We will continue to work on summarizing and making inferences as we work in literature groups and read mysteries.

*English: We will work on writing personal narratives.

*Spelling: We are done for the year.

*Science: We will work on chapter 5 (how living things depend on each other).

*Social Studies: Sweet home, Chicago! We will take a quiz on the history of Chicago on Monday. We will continue to talk about present day Chicago and discuss some of the neat things we will see on Friday.

*Math: We will have our last day of math on Tues. 5/25. It has been a great year with your students! Remember to keep those math facts sharp over the summer...studying multiplication and division facts to be ready for 4th grade in the fall!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 5/17-5/21

Odds and Ends:

*Chicago Field Trip: Money and permission slips were due on Fri. 5/14. Please send this in if you have not already. The following parents will be meeting us in the city as chaperons (Thanks!):

Mrs. Thiel

Mrs. Hougaard

Mrs. Peloso

Mrs. Williams

Mrs. Crandell

Mrs. McCallion

Mrs. Meyers

Mrs. Lukacik

Mr. Burne

Chaperons, if you have not already sent in $7 for your boat ride, please do so asap.

THANK YOU !

Upcoming Events:

* Mon. 4/17: Choir Students: Field Trip

Woodridge Library Talk

*Thurs. 4/20: LV Band Concert 1-2

* Fri. 4/21: Spelling: List 32 Test

Choir Students: Field Trip

A LOOK AHEAD:

*Reading: We will begin a unit on mysteries. We will focus on summarizing and making inferences. The students will work in literature groups to read and discuss their mystery books. This will be our last reading unit of 3rd grade!

*English: We will work on narrative writing. This will be our last writing unit for the year.

*Spelling: We will work on list 32. There will be a test on Friday. This will be the last spelling test of the year!

* Science: We will begin ch. 5, how living things interact with each other.

*Social Studies: We will continue to learn about Chicago. We will focus on the rebuilding of the city after the fire and modern day Chicago as we prepare for our field trip.

*Math: We will continue to work on multiplication with 2 and 3 digit numbers, as well as division with remainders. The final division timed test will be given on Fri. 5/21. Our last day of math will be Tues. 5/25.

Thanks for checking in!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 5/10-5/14

Odds and Ends:

*Thank you: Thank you to everyone for making Teacher Appreciation Week so wonderful! Each one of you make this the best job in the world! Thanks!

* Chicago Field Trip: A permission slip was sent home this week for our end of the year Chicago field trip, taking place on Friday, May 28th. I already have the following parents as chaperons: Mrs. McCallion, Mrs. Meyers, Mrs. Thiel, Mrs. Hougaard, and Mrs. Crandell. We have room for 5 more. Remember, due to limited space, all chaperons need to provide their own transportation. In the past, parents have carpooled to the city. If you are chosen as a chaperon, please send in $7 to cover the cost of the boat ride. Thanks!


* All this week Prairieview is collecting gym shoes in any shape and all other shoes that still have some life in them. We want to help cut down on the amount going into landfills. The shoes will be either donated to places that help people or will be sent to Nike's recycling center where they recycle gym shoes into a variety of objects including floor mats. Please tie the shoes together or put them in plastic grocery bags so that they do not become separated. Thank you for your support. At Prairieview School – Character Counts!

*Supplies Needed: We are out of glue sticks and we need some more to get us through to the end of the year. Please send in 1-2 glue sticks with your child on Monday. Thank you!


* Thank you: Thank you to the following families for sending in Cinco De Mayo treats at the last minute: Lukacik Family, Peloso Family, Meyers family, and Williams family. Muchos Gracias!

*Summer School: Summer school enrollment is closing on May 10th. Hurry soon to sign up for some fun, summer classes with your friends! I am teaching "Center Cass on Stage" where we will work on acting with puppets, readers theater, and other fun games. We will even preform a play at the end of the three weeks. Hope you can join! See http://www.ccsdd66.org/ for more information.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Tues. 5/11: Bubble Wonder Assembly

*Thurs. 5/13: Spelling Test List 31

*Fri. 5/14: Early Dismissal

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

* Reading: We are focusing on making inferences and summarizing this week.

We will begin a unit on mysteries!

*English: We are working on persuasive writing in class.

* Spelling: This week we will work on List 31: contractions. Due to early dismissal, the test will be on Thursday.

*Science: The students began studying ecosystems in ch. 4. We will continue to learn about ecosystems this week.

*Social Studies: We will focus on the Great Chicago fire this week.

*Math: Students will be working on ch. 23: extending multiplication. We will work on multiplying by 2 and 3 digit numbers. We will also take a mixed multiplication timed test each day to practice. They will begin counting for a grade on Fri. 5/21.



Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Olsen