Mrs. Olsen's Outstanding 3rd Grade News!

Week of 1/23

2012-01-21T08:52:00.003-06:00

Odds and Ends

Spelling Bee: Congrats to Matthew and Amogh for winning the 3rd grade spelling bee! They will advance to the district bee, which will take place on Tues, January 24th at 1:00 pm.

Upcoming Events:

*Tues. 1/24: Spelling Bee: District level: 1 pm

*Wed. 1/25: Early Dismissal: 11 am (schedule change: No math, but we have PE and art)

*Fri. 1/27: Spelling: List 14 test
Math: ch 21 checkpoint (metric measurement)

A Look at Next Week:

*Reading: We will work on questioning and review previous strategies this week as we finish up our novel studies. We will also work on extended responses.

*English: We are going to review chapter 5 lessons (punctuation lessons from DOL) and begin an expository writing unit.

*Science: We will continue to work on ch. 9: water cycle and weather. Did your child share his/her water cycle bracelet/key chain with you?

*Social Studies: We began ch 3: a study on culture and immigration. We will be discussing an upcoming culture day project. Information will be coming home soon about this fun project!

*Math: We will be focusing on metric measurement (ch 21) and reviewing multiplication facts. The ch. 21 checkpoint review will take place on Fri. 1/27.

Have a fantastic weekend!
Mrs. Olsen

Week of 12/12

2011-12-09T10:21:00.005-06:00

Odds and Ends:

* A great BIG thank you to all of the families who donated to our food drive. We collected several bags of food! It was awesome! Thank you for helping to make someone's holidays a little brighter this year!

*Another BIG thank you to everyone who donated supplies to the classroom for some upcoming activities. Thank you to the following families: Gustafson, Mantri, Cibulka, Chimino, Padavic, Arce, Fragoso, Kalal, Nichols, Veselak, and Cigrand. Please forgive me if I left someone off of the list. Thank you very much! Your supplies will enrich our lessons!

*Holiday Celebration: We will be watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas in lieu of holiday parties on Friday, December 16th. Since the movie is rated PG, a permission slip was sent home with your child today. Please return the permission slip by Wed. 12/14. Thank you to the following families for providing paper goods, treats, and drinks for our celebration: Hoffman, Cibulka, Messina, Sprandel, and Veselak.

*Paper Recycling Bin: Just a FYI: You can put shredded paper in the bin. It is recommended that you put the shredded paper in a bag, so that it does not blow around when the driver services the bin. Paper or plastic bag is fine.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 12/12: Evening Holiday Concert: PV band and choir

Bowling 9-11 am

*Wed. 12/14: English: ch 3 Verbs test

*Thurs. 12/15: Science: ch 11 Matter test

Math: Multiplication Test (6's, 7's, 8's: see below for facts to study)

*Fri. 12/16: Spelling: Winter Words test

Holiday Celebration

12/19-1/4Winter Break: See you next year in 2012~

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on story elements, visualizing, evaluating, and non fiction text features as we read a variety of materials. We will focus on non fiction books this week.

*English: We are finishing up our chapter on verbs. We will work on a study guide this week. The test will be on Wed. 12/14.

*Spelling: We will work with winter words this week. There will not be a pretest. The homework will be due on Friday. Students will take their test on Friday as well.

*Science: We are having a blast in science learning all about matter. We have been doing various labs and experiments. We will do some more next week as well. The final test will be Thurs. 12/15. A study guide was sent home this week.

*Social Studies: The students are learning about modern day Downers Grove. We will learn more about fun things to do in Downers Grove and businesses that are located here. We will continue learning about Downers Grove and local government when we return from break.

*Math: We began ch. 6: data and graphing. We will study different types of graphs and practice collecting and organizing data. We will also work on week 6 of multiplication: 6's, 7's, and 8's. Your child should study the following facts (as well as review previous facts from weeks 1-5)

6 x 7 = 42, 6 x 8 = 48, 7 x 8 = 56, 7 x 9 = 63, 8 x 9 = 72, and 6 x 9 = 56. Six new facts to learn! What fun!

Enjoy the weekend!
Mrs. Olsen

Week of 12/5

2011-12-01T10:24:00.004-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Thank you for meeting me this week for conferences. It was great to share such positive news with each of you about your child! Please remember you can contact me at any time you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you!

*Quilt Presentation: We were very lucky on Thursday to have Mrs. Vanni present on quilt making and the history of quilt making as an extension to our story this week, The Keeping Quilt. The students enjoyed seeing the book come to life through her samples of quilts.

*Holiday Party: We will be having a Grinch themed holiday party on Fri. 12/16 before we head into winter break. I am looking for parents to volunteer to donate treats and drinks for our afternoon. Please email me if you are interested in helping us out! Thank you! More details about our celebration coming soon!

*Scholastic Book Order: I did not send out paper book order forms for this month, but all of the book orders are available online. If you are interested in ordering any books, please submit your order online by Fri. 12/9. If you would like to order any books as a holiday surprise, please let me know via email and I can hold any books for you to pick up in the office. Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Wed. 12/7: Math: Ch. 5 Telling Time checkpoint

*Fri. 12/9: Spelling: List 10 Test

Math: Multiplication Test: 4's x

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on evaluating and visualizing this week. We will also focus on features of non-fiction text as we apply our reading strategies to various types of non-fiction materials.

*English: We will focus on ch. 3: Verbs. Please look for your child's learning contract in their English folder next week. We will finish this chapter before winter break. The test will be the following week...TBA.

*Spelling: We will work on list 10 this week. There will be a pretest on Monday. The final test and homework will due on Friday.

*Science: We are busy learning about matter. We will focus on the states of matter this week as well as physical and chemical changes.

*Social Studies: We are beginning to study modern day Downers Grove. This unit is in conjunction with ch. 12 of our textbook: local government. We will continue this unit after winter break.

*Math: We are working on the second half of chapter 5: time. We will have a graded checkpoint on Wed. 12/7. We will begin ch. 6: data and graphing. Our multiplication facts for the week are the 4's. A note will be coming home on Monday. We will be making new flashcards for our multiplication facts i-pod! The facts test will be on Friday.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 11/21 and 11/28

2011-11-17T21:36:00.006-06:00

Odds and Ends:

I wish you all a relaxing, fun, and happy Thanksgiving break and holiday!
We all have so much to be thankful for.
I am especially thankful for the fabulous students that I am lucky enough to teach this year! Enjoy your friends, feast, and family this holiday season!

*Thank you to Mr. Hoffman, Mrs. Franchi, Mrs. Moy, Mrs. Veselak, Mrs. Cibulka, and Mrs. Messina for chaperoning our Downers Grove Field trip! Despite the chilly weather, we had a very educational and fun day!

* Conferences: An email was sent regarding conference times and dates. If you have not received your conference time, please email me to confirm if the time is still good for your schedule. I am looking forward to meeting with you all to discuss your child's progress in 3rd grade so far! Please remember the conferences last 15 minutes and are back to back, so please try your best to be on time! Thank you!

*Scholastic Book Order: Book order was due today, Fri. 11/18. Please let me know via email if you have a last minute order and I can add it to the order. Thank you!

*Classroom Volunteers: I am looking for additional parent helpers to come in and use a computer to look up books and then label our classroom books with a Lexile score. Please email me for additional details! Thank you!!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 11/22: Part/Whole Analogies Quiz

*Wed. 11/23- Fri. 11/ 25: No School: Happy Turkey Day!

* Mon. 11/28- Wed. 11/30: Conferences: Please review emailed schedule for time and date.

* Tues. 11/29: Math: Ch. 5 Money checkpoint

*Thurs. 12/1: Spelling: list 9 test

*Fri. 12/2: No School

A LOOK AHEAD:

*Reading: We will focus on character traits and problem solution next week. Beginning 11/28, we will begin to focus on author's purpose and point of view.

*English: We will work on creative writing as we write a short story about Thanksgiving from the turkey's point of view. We will also be starting ch 3. verbs when we return from break.

*Spelling: We will begin list 9 on 11/28. The graded test and homework will due Thurs. 12/1.

*Science: We will continue to work on ch. 11: matter.

*Social Studies: We have finished our Downers Grove history unit. We will focus on present day Downers Grove and ch. 12 on local government.

*Math: We will continue to focus on ch. 5: money. We will take a money checkpoint on Tues. 11/29 and then move onto the second half of ch. 5: Time. Look for a note about our next multiplication facts coming home before break. Thanks for all of your hard work studying the facts. Did your child share their "multiplication" I-pod with you? We will "download" new songs (facts) each week to study and learn! What fun!!

Thanks for checking out our blog this week!

Happy Turkey Day!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 11/14

2011-11-10T15:10:00.004-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*Scholastic Book Order: November book order is due Fri. 11/18. Your online book orders help the classroom earn free books...THANK YOU!

*Downers Grove Field Trip: We are set to go Thurs. Nov. 17th. Please remember to send your child with $5-8 on the day of the trip for downtown DG shopping if you would like to. Watch the weather forecast for the day and dress appropriately! We will walking around outside!

*Conferences: The fall conferences will be held the week after Thanksgiving break for homeroom parents. I sent out an email with the dates and times of the conferences. Please let me know if you have not received this conference confirmation email. Thank you! I am looking forward to meeting with you all to discuss your child's progress.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Fri. 11/11: No school: Veterans Day

*Tues. 11/15: Synonym/Antonym Test

*Wed. 11/16: Social Studies: History of DG review

English: Ch 2 Nouns test

Storyteller Assembly

*Thurs. 11/17: Downers Grove Field Trip

*Fri. 11/18: Math: 5's multiplication test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to look at character traits, identify problems and solutions, and predict, summarize, and make inferences we read our good fit book buddy books! We are will also continue to work on synonym and antonym analogies. The quiz will be on Tues. 11/15. Then we will begin part/whole analogies.

*English: We are completing our ch. 2 nouns unit. We will take the test on Wed. 11/16. Look for a study guide coming home Monday.

*Spelling: There is no spelling this week.

*Science: We are working on ch.11: Matter. Please ask your child about the objects they need for the physical properties posters we will be making.

*Social Studies: We are finishing up our history portion of our Downers Grove unit. We will have a short graded review on Wed. 11/16. Then we will begin to study modern day Downers Grove.

*Math: We are beginning ch. 5: money and time. Please look in your child's binder for a note about what coins they should bring to school to help us practice counting out change. We will also work on 5's this week in multiplication: only 4 new facts to memorize this week!

Have a wonderful, long weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 11/7

2011-11-03T17:11:00.004-05:00

Odds and Ends

*Downers Grove Field Trip: We are all set to go on Thurs. 11/17. I will be contacting those parents who I will need as chaperons. Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered! I wish I could invite you all, but if you are not contacted by me either by email or phone, you can always meet us for lunch at Giordano's.

*Scholastic Book Order: November book order is due 11/18. Thank you for ordering each month...we are earning books for our classroom library with each online order!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Thurs. 11/10: Math: 2's multiplication quiz

*Fri. 11/11: No School: Veterans Day

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be focusing on story elements (plot, setting, problem/solution) and character traits as we read a variety of literature and novels.

*English: We started our new unit: ch 2: Nouns. Please look for your child's pretest and learning contract in their English folder to see what skills we will focus on this unit.

*Spelling: We will take a break from the traditional list for the next few weeks as we focus on analogies. We will begin with synonym/antonym analogies and then move to part/whole analogies. There will be a quiz on each type of analogy to be announced. Look in your child's assignment notebook to see when the quiz will take place.

*Science: We began ch 11: Matter.

*Social Studies: We are busy learning about the history of Downers Grove. We have learned about the early settlers in this area and will learn about how the town grew into what we know today.

*Math: We will be working on problem solving this week. We will focus on the strategy of making a table to solve the problem. We will also introduce writing t-charts, where the students writes what they did and why they did it to solve the problem. We will also start a new week of multiplication: the two's! Look for a note coming home with the facts your child will need to memorize this week.

Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 10/31

2011-10-28T15:47:00.003-05:00

Odds and Ends

*Halloween Party: A great BIG thank you to the following parents for all of their help with our awesome Halloween party: Mr. Hoffman, Mrs. Messina, Mrs. Alvarez, Mrs. Padavic, Mrs. Moy, Mrs. Arce, Mrs. Sprandel, and Mrs. Jablonski. Thank you parents who sent in any treats or supplies for the party. The kids had a "spook-tacular" time!

*Rollerskating permission slips are due by Thurs. There is a limited amount of space, so turn it in ASAP.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 10/31: Happy Halloween! Wear your favorite Halloween t shirt or orange and black!

* Tues. 11/1: Reading: Cliffhanger Vocab Review

*Wed. 11/2: Math: Rounding Review

* Thurs. 11/3: Picture Retakes

*Fri. 11/4: Spelling: List 8 Test

Math: Ch 2 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to discuss cause and effect and synonyms and antonyms. Also, the October Reading calendar is due on Monday. Your child will receive a November calendar on Monday that is due at the end of the month. Remember to sign 20 days that your child read 30 minutes a day to receive full credit. Thank you!

*English: We are finishing up our descriptive writing unit. Your child should be sharing their haunted house descriptions with you this weekend. We will finish our final copies early next week. Next unit: ch 2 Nouns.

*Spelling: We are back to list 8. The pretest is Monday and final test and homework are on Friday.

*Science: We will begin our new unit: ch 11 : Matter.

* Social Studies: We will begin our Downers Grove History study this week. Look for a field trip permission slip coming home this week. If you want to chaperon, it is first come, first serve, so please turn in your permission slips ASAP.

*Math: We will continue to focus on rounding numbers this week. The ch. 2 test will be on Friday, 11/4. Look for a study guide coming home this week. Also, we will begin our multiplication facts. We are going to go through all of the facts in 7 weeks. A note explaining which facts we are focusing on will be sent home at the beginning of each week. Your child will also have nightly multiplication homework in addition to the lesson of the day's homework. The tests will be at the end of every week. The first facts are the "squares" 2x2, 3x3, etc. Thank you for all of your help studying at home!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 10/24

2011-10-21T11:41:00.005-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Thank you to the following parents for helping label our classroom books with Lexile scores: Mrs. Fragoso, Mrs. Alvarez, Mrs. Cibulka, Mrs. Ozgen, Mrs. Sprandel, and Mrs. Kalal. I still have books that need to be labeled, so if you are available, please email me and we can set up a date and time for you to come help. Thank you so much!!!

*Paper Recycling: Did you know that you can help our district earn money by recycling paper here at school? You can bring in any paper (no cardboard please) to the green and yellow bin marked Paper Retriever located in Lakeview's parking lot to be recycled. The more paper we collect, the more money we can earn. The provider of the bin uses the paper to make newsprint, which is then sold to other companies. That is how we are paid to recycle paper. Thank you for your help (and for helping the environment at the same time!)

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 10/24: Spelling: Halloween Words: no pretest

*Wed. 10/26: Science: Ch 4 Test (moved from Tues. 10/25)

*Thurs. 10/27: English: DOL Quiz #3 (moved from Tues. 10/25)

Early Dismissal: 11:00 am

*Fri. 10/28: Spelling: Halloween words Test

Halloween Festivities: Parade at 1:00 pm

Party at 1:30 pm

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will begin to focus on cause and effect as we read stories from the basal and other materials such as non fiction articles and chapter books. We will also work on synonyms and antonyms.

*English: We will be putting our descriptive writing skills to the test as we write our descriptive paragraphs about our haunted houses. We will take our DOL #3 quiz on Thurs. 10/27, which covers book titles and introductory words.

*Spelling: BOO! This week we will focus on Halloween words with a fun spelling week. There will be no pretest, but homework will be assigned Monday that is due Friday. The test will be on Friday.

*Science: We are finishing up ch 4. The final test was scheduled for Tues. 10/25, but it has been moved to Wed. 10/26. Remember, your child can find our textbook online by going to www.thinkcentral.com. The username is the same code that is used for parent connect. I will include the password in an email to you. This saves your child from having to carry home the textbook to study. Next chapter: matter.

*Social Studies: We are done with our first map skills unit. We will focus on communities and learn more about Downers Grove. A field trip during this unit will be scheduled. More information coming soon!

*Math: We will begin ch 2: rounding and comparing numbers. Today in math we cleaned out our math folders and put the worksheets we don't need anymore into the take home folder. Please look through these papers with your child and recycle or keep the papers at home, but please clean them out of the binder. Thank you! You can help our school earn money by bringing the papers to the green and yellow paper recycling bin (marked Paper Retriever) in Lakeview's parking lot to be recycled. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can earn for our district! Thank you!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 10/17

2011-10-14T14:02:00.003-05:00

Odds and Ends

* Scholastic Book Order: I sent home a book order for October. I forgot that this month we have a book fair at school, so if you would like to save your orders for our book fair, that is great! If you still want to order through the classroom order, they are due 10/21. Thank you!

* Weekly Email Reminders: Just a friendly reminder... the office staff will send out a weekly reminder email containing information about upcoming events and happenings here at school. Attached to this email is often the permission slips needed for the events. This is a great tool to use when looking for permission slips or information about school events. Thanks!

*Our picture packets should arrive on Tuesday, October 18th

Our retake day is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3rd

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Mon. 10/17: Spelling: List 7 Pretest

*Fri. 10/21: Spelling: List 7 Test

Math: Ch 1 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on inferencing as we read good fit books. We will work on word, setting, and character inferences.

*English: We are busy working on descriptive writing. We have discussed color words, similes, metaphors, and we will discuss sensory details, sentence starters, and "hook" (good openings) this week. We will also work on DOL #3: book titles and introductory words.

* Spelling: We are back to spelling this week: List 7. As always, pretest on Monday, and final test and homework due on Friday.

*Social Studies: We are wrapping up our map skills unit. The hemispheres quiz is on Thurs. 10/20. Next unit is a closer look at our community: Downers Grove.

*Science: We will work on ch 4 and discuss how ecosystems are changing and being destroyed. The final test will be Tues. 10/25.

*Math: We will be finishing up ch. 1 as we look at 5 and 6 digit numbers. The students will need to know place value up the 6 digits and know the standard, expanded, and word form for 6 digit numbers. We will review these concepts. The final test is Fri. 10/21.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 10/10

2011-10-06T21:12:00.004-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Scholastic Book Order: Thank you to all of those who ordered online last month...our class earned lots of free books! The October order has been sent home and will be due Fri. 10/21.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

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

*Tues. 10/11: No School: Institute Day

*Fri. 10/14: Math: Subtraction Timed Test: Graded

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: Our continued focus will be on inferring this week as we practice using many reading strategies to improve our reading. The inferences we make will be about text, characters and unfamiliar words.

*English: We are working on our descriptive writing unit: color words, similes, metaphors, sensory words..oh my! We are also beginning DOL #3: Book titles and introductory words.

*Spelling: Due to the shortened week, NO spelling this week!

*Social Studies: We will be finishing up our map skills unit as we study hemispheres.

*Science: We are continuing to learn about ecosystems and living things in chapter 4.

*Math: We started ch 1: focusing on place value up to 6 digits. We will continue to practice our subtraction timed tests. We will grade this test on Friday, 10/14.

Enjoy the LONG weekend and the gorgeous weather!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 10/3

2011-09-29T21:31:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Magazine Drive: A BIG thank you to everyone who participated in our fundraiser. Our class was the 3rd top selling classroom! WOW!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 10/3: Spelling:List 6 Pretest

*Wed. 10/5: English: DOL #2 Quiz
Math: Ch. 4 Test

*Fri. 10/7: Spelling: List 6 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading:We will focus on the reading strategy inferencing. The students will use basal reading stories, supplemental short stories, and possibly novels to extend their practice of understanding what they read. Students will learn new vocabulary words from stories they are reading. We will also continue to work on an extended response where we use ideas from the text combined with our own ideas to answer a question.

*English: We will finish our ME essays and share our bags and paper next week. We will begin a new writing unit on descriptive writing.

*Spelling: We will work on list 6. Pretest on Monday and homework and final test on Friday. Keep up the outstanding work!

*Social Studies: We will continue our map skills unit with hemispheres.

*Science: The students worked in cooperative groups to create amazing ecosystem dioramas! We will continue our study of ecosystems this week.

*Math: We are finishing up subtraction in ch. 4. The test is scheduled for Wed. 10/5. Next up: Chapter 1: place value! We will continue to practice our subtraction timed tests next week.

Have a fabulous FALL weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 9/26-9/30

2011-09-20T10:37:00.005-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Johnny Appleseed's Birthday: We will celebrate Johnny Appleseed's birthday on Monday, Sept. 26th. A note was sent home with your child about bringing a PEELED, CORED, and SLICED apple to class in a baggie or container on Monday. We will use it to make homemade applesauce. Thank you to the following families for donating our supplies for Monday's celebration:The Nichols family for spoons, the Messina family for bowls, and the Cigrand family for juice! Thanks!

*Magazine Drive: Turn in dates for this week: Tues. 9/27 and Thurs. 9/30.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 9/26: Johnny Appleseed's Birthday: Send in a peeled, cored, and sliced apple to school!

Spelling: List 5 pretest

*Fri. Spelling: List 5 test

September Reading 30 minutes calendar due: 20 days signed for full credit! You can also turn this in on Monday, 10/3.

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading:Next week we will continue to highlight summarizing and sequencing using materials differentiated for our classroom's various reading levels, and will be extending our knowledge through written responses. We will also assess our third graders on their ability to sequence events from text.

*English: We will work on learning about the 6 traits of writing. We will begin our 5 paragraph essay this week and present the finished product by the end of the week. Your child should be completing the ME bag at home by bringing in 3 items that represent their life and personality to school in their brown paper bag (we started decorating the bags in class on Friday). These items are due on Monday.

*Spelling: This week we will focus on list 5. Pretest will be Monday. Homework and test will be on Friday.

*Social Studies: We will focus on hemispheres, the equator, prime meridian, and poles this week.

*Science: We will continue to work on ch. 4 ecosystems this week.

*Math: We will work on ch. 4 subtraction this week. We will also begin subtraction timed tests. They will be handled in the same way as we did addition. We will spend several days practicing the tests before they are counted as a grade.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 9/19-9/23

2011-09-16T10:28:00.007-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Magazine Drive: Your child received a magazine drive packet this week. If you want to participate in this school fundraiser, the turn in dates are Tues. 9/20, Tues. 9/27, and Thurs. 9/29.

*PE - Soccer test "next" Thursday (study guides will go home Monday)

Intramural Games Permission slips will be sent home on Monday. They are due back by Friday. More information can be found on the PE website.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 9/19: Spelling: List 4 Pretest

*Tues. 9/20: Math: Ch 3 Test

*Thurs. 9/22: Social Studies: Continents and Oceans Quiz

English: DOL #1 Graded Review

*Fri. 9/23: Spelling: List 4 Test

Scholastic Book Orders due: order online or send in check and order to the classroom

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading:Now we will start to put the reading strategies we have learned to great use while reading various types of literature. We will always be reviewing/using all of the strategies, but for the coming weeks we will highly focus on the strategies of sequencing and summarizing. The students will use basal reading stories, supplemental short stories, and possibly novels to extend their practice of understanding what they read. As a third grade we are really highlighting oral and written responses to what was read and will integrate this throughout. We will also work on an extended response where we use ideas from the text combined with our own ideas to answer a question.

*English: We will work on 6 +1 traits of writing this week as we apply it to our own writing. We will work on 5 paragraph essays soon. We have also begun DOL (Daily Oral Language). We practice "editing" incorrect sentences as we learn about convention rules. A study guide will be sent home on Monday for the quiz on Thurs.

*Spelling: We will work on list 4 words this week. There will be a pretest on Monday. The final test will be on Friday and homework will be due on Friday.

*Social Studies: We will continue to work on continents and oceans. The students did research in the computer lab on a specific continent and will be sharing their facts with the group this week. The graded review on the location and spelling of the continents and oceans will be on Thurs. 9/22. We will study hemispheres next.

*Science: We will begin ch 4: ecosystems later this week.

*Math: We will be finishing up ch. 3 this week. We will work on addition word problems and review concepts. The ch. 3 test will be Tuesday. We will continue to practice addition timed tests this week. They will begin to count for a grade on Friday 9/23.

Have a beautiful fall weekend together with your family!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 9/12

2011-09-08T15:44:00.003-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Science textbook now available online: Our class is signed up and ready to go. Please go to www.thinkcentral.com. Click on science and health. Then click HSP science. Choose Illinois and Center Cass District 66 and Prairieview School. The user name is your student's code when using parent connect. I will email you the password to use. Please let me know if you need any additional help viewing our textbook online!

*Thank you to all of the families who have donated items for our classroom! It is much appreciated!

*Scholastic Book Order: September book orders were sent home this week. The order is due online or to the classroom (please send CHECK only if not ordering online..NO CASH) by Friday, 9/23. Our class earns free books when you order safely online. Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 9/12: Magazine Drive Kick off: Look for information packets coming home Monday.

Spelling: List 3 Pretest

*Thurs. 9/15: English: Ch. 1: The Sentence Test

Band Concert

*Fri. 9/16: Spelling: List 3 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: Next week we will continue to teach the students how to utilize the essential reading strategies. In our classes we will demonstrate how the application of these strategies will maximize student comprehension of a range of literary materials.

*English: We will focus on subject and predicate this week, as well as run-on sentences. The final ch. 1 test will be Thurs. 9/15. A study guide was sent home today. Your child can bring home his/her textbook any night before the test to study, as long as they bring the book back each school day.

*Spelling: This week we will work on list 3: more short vowel words. There will be a pretest on Monday and a final test on Friday. Each group will be given 3 homework assignments that will be due on Friday.

*Social Studies: We have finished up our lessons on directions and the compass rose. Ask your child about the fun scavenger hunt we had around school this week. We will begin our study on continents and oceans this week.

*Science: Coming soon!

*Math: We will continue to work on addition, focusing on adding greater numbers and regrouping. We will also continue to work on our addition facts. Keep practicing them at home! The ch. 3 test is tentatively scheduled for Mon. 9/19.

Have a wonderful fall weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of Sept. 6-9

2011-09-02T10:37:00.007-05:00

Odds and Ends

*Curriculum Night: It was so great to see so many of you at Thursday night's Curriculum Night. Thank you for sharing your night with us as we went over 3rd grade with you. If were unable to come, I will send any notes home with your child today. I will also sign you up for a conference time and notify you of that date as is gets closer. If it does not work for you, we can reschedule. Thank you!

*Donations: If you took a hand off of our "Give us a Hand" board at open house or curriculum night, thank you for your donations. You can send in your chosen item at any time. Thank you for "Giving Us A HAND!"

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 9/5: No School: Labor Day

*Tues. 9/6: Spelling: Pretest List 2

* Thurs. 9/8: MAPS testing: Reading

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

Social Studies: Directions Quiz

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: The third grade starts off our reading curriculum by teaching the students to use various reading strategies. We model the use of these strategies while reading high interest picture books to the class. We then will spend the year extending the use of these strategies while reading a variety of literary materials to aid in comprehension. This coming week, we will learn about predicting, inferring, and visualizing.

*English: We will focus on ch 1: The sentence. We will work on subjects and predicates. We will also begin DOL (Daily Oral Language) as we focus on conventions and fixing incorrect sentences.

*Spelling: We will work on list 2: short vowel words. There will be a pretest on Tuesday and the test will be on Friday. Due to the shortened week, your child will have 2 homework assignments due Friday.

*Social Studies: We will continue to work on map skills as we focus on cardinal and intermediate directions and the compass rose. We will have a short quiz on these skills on Friday 9/9. Look for a study guide coming home on Tuesday.

*Science: We will begin our science unit on ecosystems soon!

*Math: We will work on ch 3 Addition. We will begin practicing our addition timed tests (mad minutes). I wanted to make a correction to something I shared with you at curriculum night. For each trimester, homework will be worth 5 points TOTAL (rather than 1o points). After the three "free" late assignments, a late slip will be given for each late assignment, resulting in 1 point deducted per assignment. If your child never has any late slips, they will keep the 5 points. Thank you!

Enjoy the long weekend with your summer as we say good bye to summer and hello to fall!

Mrs. Olsen

Welcome Back Week of 8/29

2011-08-26T10:28:00.007-05:00

Hello and Welcome to 3rd Grade!

We have had a great start to our new year together!

I am enjoying getting to know each student better and

I am looking forward to a wonderful year together!

It was nice to meet so many of you at Open House.
I am looking forward to seeing you again at our Curriculum Night next Thursday.

Please visit here each week to know what's happening in our busy classroom!

*Binders: Your child organized their binder this week at school. The binder, along with an assignment notebook, will come back and forth from home to school each day. Please make it a routine to check and sign the assignment notebook each day and empty out the "take home" folder in the binder. All other papers remain in the designated folders. Homework and important notes that need to be returned to school will be put in the "homework" section of the binder. Thank you for your help and cooperation with this important organization system!

Lunch bags: Please make sure your child has his/her first and last name on his/her lunch bag. This helps us keep track of it during the school year. Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 8/29: Spelling: Pretest List 1

Music Class

*Tues. 8/30: IMC class

*Wed. 8/31: Art Class

*Thurs. 9/1: 3rd Grade Curriculum Night 6:30-7:30 pm

*Fri. 9/2: Spelling: List 1 Graded Test

IMC Book check out

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

* Reading: We will be reading books about great character traits and practicing our reading strategies this week. We will be doing fun activities as we build a recipe for a successful year together!

*English: We will begin ch. 1: The sentence. I will be pretesting the students to gain a better understanding of their prior knowledge that will help me plan the chapter to meet their needs.

*Spelling: List 1: We will focus on back to school words. There will be a pretest on Monday and a graded test on Friday. On Monday, look for a yellow sheet of paper explaining our spelling procedure in your child's binder. Your child will receive homework for the week that is due on Friday.

* Social Studies: We will begin our map skills unit on directions, continents and oceans, and hemispheres.

*Science: We will learn about our textbook with a textbook mapping activity.

*Math: We will meet together with our math students on Thurs. 9/1.

Enjoy your weekend together!
Mrs. Olsen

Last week of 3rd Grade!

2011-06-03T21:09:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe the year is over! What an amazing year we have all had! Thank you all for teaching me many new things this year. As you are my students, you are also my teachers. We learned so much from each other!

This is a bittersweet time of year for us all... bitter because good byes are always hard for me. I will miss you all. I like to say "See you later!" and I hope to see each of you in the future to hear about 4th grade and beyond! Sweet because the summer is a chance to relax, have fun, play with friends and family, and enjoy the sunshine! I wish each of you a safe, fun, and relaxing summer. Don't forget to read lots of good books!

**UPCOMING EVENTS:**

Monday, 6/6: Picnic and Field Day
We will play field games from 8:30-10:00 am.

Lunch will be provided for the students.

12;30: Sky Dogz presentation

1:30 All school assembly

Tuesday, 6/7: Dismissal at 9:30.
Report cards sent home.

Thank you again and have a beautiful summer! I know I will be enjoying every second with my own little ray of "son"shine...Liam =)

Best,
Mrs. Olsen

Week of 5/31-6/3

2011-05-27T12:08:00.004-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*It's hard to believe the last days of third grade are here! I am looking forward to enjoying our last days together and getting ready to send 4th graders out into the world!

*Summer Birthdays: If your child celebrates a summer birthday, she/he can choose any of the remaining school days to celebrate their birthday at school. Please remember, no sugary treats. Thank you!

*The raffle for Japan has just begun. A letter was sent home on Wednesday, with the list of raffle items and raffle tickets. If you wish to participate, just fill in the tickets, put them in an envelope with the money, and return it to your classroom teacher. All tickets must be turned in by June 3rd. We will have the raffle at the all school assembly on June 6th. Thank you so much for your support.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 5/30: No school: Happy Memorial Day!

* Tues. 5/31: Talent Show by 4th and 5th grade students

Science: Inquiry Test

*Fri. 6/3: Last day of reading and math

Raffle tickets due

*Mon. 6/6: Field Day and picnic

*Tues. 6/7: Last day of 3rd grade. Report cards sent home. Dismissal at 9:30 am. HAPPY SUMMER!!!

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be finishing up our novels and doing some activities about the books. Please make sure your child has their literature circle packets completed and ready to be turned in on Tues. and the books completed by Wed. Thank you!

*Spelling: We are all done with spelling for the year.

*English: We will continue to work on descriptive writing as we write our super hero stories.

*Science: We will take our inquiry test on Tues. You can view and study the textbook at www.thinkcentral.com. You need to use the same user name/number as you use for parent connect. Your child should know the password (or you can email me for it!).

*Social Studies: We will work on map making for the end of the year.

*Math: We will focus on revisiting some concepts from earlier in the year such as subtracting across zeros, fractions, and multiplying greater numbers. We will work on mixed division as well.

Thank you and enjoy the warm weather and long weekend together!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 5/23

2011-05-19T10:46:00.005-05:00

Odds and Ends:

Walk for Japan: Join us as we raise money for a great cause and get exercise! The walk will be on Tues. 5/24. Look for a note coming home today with more details about the walk.

*Life Saving Grams: Wed. 5/25 is the last day to send them!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Tues. 5/24: Walk for Japan

*Wed. 5/25: Bowling AM (please send your child with a sack lunch if they would normally get hot lunch-Thanks!)

*Thurs. 5/26: Visit with 2nd Grade Pen Pals

*Fri. 5/27: Social Studies: Ch 9 Test
Spelling: list 26 Test
Book order due

*Mon. 5/30: No School

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be revisiting all of the reading strategies covered this year as we work in literature circles. Ask your child what novel they chose!

*English: We will work with creative writing as we write superhero stories.

*Spelling: We will work on list 26: frequently misspelled words. There will be pretest Monday and a final test on Friday. This will be our last spelling list of the year! Homework will be using all 20 words in sentences (written in cursive) and abc order (also in cursive).

*Social Studies: We will finish up ch 9 on the economy. A study guide was sent home this week. The test is scheduled for Fri. 5/27. We will work on map skills next.

*Science: We will continue to work on inquiry. The test is tentatively scheduled for Tues. 5/31.

*Math: We will work on 7 division next week. We will also work on reviewing some tricky concepts from earlier in the year including rounding, subtracting across zeros, fractions, probability, multiplying greater numbers, and division. There will be a simple long division review on Mon. 5/23.

Thanks and have a SUPER weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 5/16-5/20

2011-05-14T10:08:00.004-05:00

Hello All! I'm back! It's great to be back with the students and see how much they have grown in the last 3 months! I enjoyed my maternity leave with my sweet baby boy Liam and I know Miss Millbrandt did an outstanding job. Thank you all for your support and cooperation during my leave.

* Walk for Japan: Join us as we raise money for an important cause! Tuesday, May 24th, from3:30-5;00 there will be a fundraiser to raise money for the earthquake victims of Japan. The cost is $2 for individuals and $5 for families. Please contact Mrs. Cavoto or Mrs. Sulima with any questions.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Mon. 5/16: Choir Concert 9 am
Jr. Achievement #2

Thurs. 5.19: Jr. Achievement #3

Fri. 5/20: Spelling Test list 25

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to practice fluency and expression with readers' theater. We will also be reviewing all of our reading strategies as we work in literature circles reading new novels.

*English: We will continue to work with creative writing as we combine expository and descriptive writing.

*Spelling: We will be focusing on frequently misspelled words for the rest of the year. Some of these words may be repeated from earlier in the year, but they are the high frequency words for third grade so we want to practice using them. There will be a pretest on Monday and a final test on Friday.

*Social Studies: We will work on ch 9: economy. We are talking about goods and services and making a budget. Ask your child about your classroom budget.

*Science: We will work on the inquiry chapter lesson 2 and 3. We are learning about the skills scientists use and the scientific method.

*Math: The students will work on division (simple long division with and without remainders). We will also work with 6's division with the test on Friday. We will work on solving word problems as well.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

2011-05-06T15:29:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends:
I CAN NOT BELIEVE how fast these 3 months have gone bye! It has been such a pleasure working with these students! I have enjoyed every bit of it, as well as, gained a lot of experience!~ So THANK YOU! Mrs. Olsen will be returning to school on Monday, May 9. her email is eolsen@ccsd66.org

Thank you to all the students and families that donated money for the gift card! I am so exctied to use it! THANK YOU!

Upcoming Events:
MONDAY, MAY 9-Mrs. Olsen comes back!!!!
No Math-Monday, May 9

Reading:

Spelling:
We will be beginning list 24. The pretest will be Monday and the final test will be on Friday.

English:

Science:
The students will continue with chapter 1, but move onto lesson 2!

Social Studies:
We finished our BUDGET GAME! It was sooo cool learning how to save money and making good choices. The students will begin chapter 9: economics in their textbooks next week.

Math:
The students will continue reviewing how to divide. The Test divide by 5 test will be at the end of the week.

GOOD BYE and it has been such a pleasure working with each student!!!!! You can stop by the fourth grade area, that is where I will be!!

Week of May 2-6

2011-04-29T12:23:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends:
This will be my last week of teaching third grade! I am sad to leave after getting to know each student over a course of three months! I look forward to seeing all the students soon! Thank you to the parents for being so supportive and helpful during my time in third grade! You all have such wonderful children and great students! Thank you again and here is our schedule for next week!

Upcoming Events:
Math MAPS Testing Monday
Reading Magic Vocabulary Quiz-Wednesday
Magic Show-Friday, May 6 (please email me if you would like to attend)
Math-Division 4's test Friday
English-Unit 5 Test Thursday

Reading: We are going to continue MAGIC! While learn about magic, we will be focusing on all skills including, fluency. The magic show for our class will be Friday, May 6, 2011 from 8:20 am-9:20am. Please email me if you will be attending! Please join us for some MAGIC!

Spelling:
We will be beginning list 23. The pretest will be Monday and the final test will be on Friday.

English:
We will be finishing up unit 5. The test will be on Thursday. You can be reviewing all lessons in unit 5 and doing the sample test at the end of the unit for extra practice!

Science:
We have started chapter 1 in our Science books. This chapter will teach us about the Scientific Method as well as tools Scientists use.

Social Studies:
We are continuing with Chapter 9: Economics and our budgeting project! The students have received a job and a salary. They have chosen a house and a car. They have also had a few children of their own along the way. The students have been paying bills based on the house and car they have chosen. They are also writing checks for the bills they owe. They LOVE becoming adults!

Math:
We are going to be having our timed tests on dividing by 4's on Friday. We are also working on chapter 24 which is related to division. This week we will cover lessons 1-3. Please be practicing at home!

Have a wonderful weekend! I will see you Monday for our last week together!!!

April 25-29

2011-04-21T16:18:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends:
If you ever need to email me please don't hesitate at: mmillbrandt@ccsd66.org
Arbor Day is Friday, April 29th!
We are doing a special project in school! Please send each child with $1.00 by Friday, 29th.

Upcoming Events:
Friday: No School
Tuesday, April 26th-Chapter 13 Science Test

Reading: We are finishing up Poetry and starting MAGIC!!!! We will be having a class Magic Show on Friday, May 6th from 8:20-9:20 There will be a flier sent home on Monday, April 25. Please email me if you can attend so we have enough seats.

Spelling:
We will be beginning list 22. The pretest will be Monday and the final test will be on Friday.

English:
We will be continuing Unit 5. We have covered lessons 1,2, 3 and 4. You can be reviewing them for extra practice. We will also be writing a pen pal letter to the second graders at Elizabeth Ide!

Science:
We will be finish chapter 13 with a test on Tuesday. We will start chapter 1: Inquiry on Friday.

Social Studies:
We are starting a new chapter in Social Studies! Chapter 9: Economics. In order to have the students fully understand budgeting money and saving money, they will be doing a two week long budget project. The students will get a job and a salary. They will have to pay bills and make choices. They will be putting money into a savings account to save for emergencies or fun. They will also be practicing writing checks!

Math:
We will be beginning chapter 24: Division. We will be covering lessons 1,2,3 and 5. We are also going to continue taking division times test. This week it will be dividing by 3's.

Have a wonderful 3 day weekend and see you all MONDAY!

April 18-21

2011-04-15T12:11:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends: If you ever need to email me please don't hesitate at: mmillbrandt@ccsd66.org It was so great to see everyone at Open House on Thursday! I am so glad you were able to see baby Liam and Mrs. Olsen! I hope you enjoyed all the wonderful projects that each student has worked so hard on!

Upcoming Events:

Thursday is Early Dismissal: 11:00

Friday: No School

Reading: We will start our unit on Poetry. We will practice reading poetry fluently, as well as writing some of our own!

Spelling: There will be no spelling this week due to the short week.

English: We will be continuing Unit 5. We have covered lessons 1,2, and 3. You can be reviewing them for extra practice.

Science: We will continue to study chapter 13: Electricity and magnets. We have read lessons 1 and 2, and we will be reading lesson 3 this week. The chapter test will be on Tuesday April 26th.

Social Studies: We have finished our CHICAGO UNIT!!! We are so happy to have displayed all the wonderful things we learned about. We will be starting chapter 9:Economy after Easter break.

Math: We have finished our chapter on multiplication! We are going to be reviewing some old concepts such as subtraction and multiplication fast facts in stations this week. We are also starting weekly division tests. We are staring on Monday with dividing by 0 and 1.

Enjoy your weekend and see you Monday for a short week of School!!!

April11-15

2011-04-08T16:12:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends: If you ever need to email me please don't hesitate at: mmillbrandt@ccsd66.org Thursday is Open House from 6:30 to 8:00! We have a Chicago Theme and I can't wait to see you there!

Upcoming Events:

OPEN HOUSE THURSDAY!

Chicago Mobile due Monday

Reading: Vocabulary Quiz Monday

Spelling Test Friday Chicago History Quiz Tuesday

Math: Quiz on Chapter 23.5 and 23.6 Friday

Reading: We will be finishing our Novel: The Night the Whole Class Slept Over on Monday. It was a great book! We will be celebrating the end of the book on Wednesday! There is a vocabulary quiz on the last 9 words on Monday.

Spelling: Lesson 21: There will be a pretest on Monday. The test will be Friday.

English: We will be starting Unit 5 on Tuesday. The students will be taking a pre-test. If your child passes out on any lesson they will be doing a challenge activity for that lesson.

Science: We will continue to study chapter 13: Electricity and Magnets. We have some fun experiments to help us learn more.

Social Studies: We are continuing our Chicago unit! We can't wait to share our projects we have been working on at open house!

Math: We will be working on 2 and 3 digit multiplication through out the week. There will be a quiz on Friday over 2 and 3 digit multiplication.

Have a wonderfully warm weekend!

April 4-8

2011-03-25T15:45:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends:
If you ever need to email me please don't hesitate at: mmillbrandt@ccsd66.org
Have a fun and safe SPRING BREAK!!

Upcoming Events:
Math Checkpoint:Wednesday 4/6
Monday 4/4 Classes Resume from Spring BreakTuesday 4/5 No school Teacher Institute

Reading:
We will continue reading our new novel called: The Night the Whole Class Slept Over! We will be reviewing many strategies including: predicting, questioning, and sequencing. Please bring in your favorite recipe by April 13.

Spelling:
Lesson 20: These words are spelled with the vowel sound in sound and bought. There will be a pretest on Monday. The test will be Friday.

English:
We will be doing various activities describing who we are.

Science:
We will start a new chapter! Chapter 13: Electricity. We will be doing experiments and reading lesson 1 this week!

Social Studies:
We are continuing our Chicago unit! We have learned about Immigration. The students have been making wonderful project correlating with what we are learning! We can't wait to let all the parents see our hard work at open house! Please continue to work on your Chicago mobile. It is due April 11th.

Math:
We will be finishing chapter 17 with a checkpoint on Wednesday, April 6. The checkpoint will only cover lesson 3.

Have a beautiful spring break and I can not wait to see everyone's smiling faces Monday!
Miss Millbrandt

Week of March 21- March 25

2011-03-18T14:51:00.002-05:00

Odds and Ends:
If you ever need to email me please don't hesitate at: mmillbrandt@ccsd66.org
The District 66 Fundraiser is Saturday, March 19th. I look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, March 21, 2011-Chess Club - Rooks - 2:25 to 3:25 p.m.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011-Project Challenge

Upcoming Events:
English: Unit 6: Pronoun Test Tuesday, March 22nd
Math: Chapter 19: Decimal Test Tuesday, March 22nd.
Science: Chapter 14: Heat/Light/Sound Test Thursday, March 24th

Reading:
We will continue reading our new novel called: The Night the Whole Class Slept Over! We will be sequencing events and making connections. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Wednesday, March 23rd. The study guide was sent home Friday. The students are only responsible for the top half.

Spelling:
We will have a pretest on Spelling List 19 on Monday, March 21st. The test will be on Friday, March 25th.

English:
There is a unit test on Tuesday, March 22. The test will cover all types of Pronouns. For extra practice your child can do pages 232-235 in their textbook.

Science:
We will finish up the chapter with Lesson 4. Please continue to review lessons 1, 2, and 3 at home. The final test will be on Thursday, March 24th.

Social Studies:
We are continuing our Chicago unit! We have learned about “The Early Years” and the Chicago Fire. It is so interesting! We will be doing many projects covering Chicago. Many grades from this unit will be homework, so please make sure your child is completing the homework to the best of their ability.

Math:
We are finished with Chapter 19: Decimals. There will be a test on Tuesday, March 22nd. Monday, I will send home a chapter review worksheet for homework.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful weather! Go out and PLAY! Have a wonderful Weekend!
Miss Millbrandt

Week of March 14-18

2011-03-11T12:40:00.003-06:00

Odds and Ends:
If you ever need to email me please don't hesitate, me email is: mmillbrandt@ccsd66.org
Please mark your calendars for March 15th for the Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAP scores.

Upcoming Events:
The District 66 Fundraiser is coming up! Saturday, March 19th. I look forward to seeing you there! On the district website you can bid for a silent auction or buy raffle for many exciting things!
Our roller skating party is on Monday, March 14th.

Reading:
We will continue reading our new novel called: The Night the Whole Class Slept Over! We will be focusing on Main Idea and Details along with making connections.

Spelling:
We will have a pretest on Spelling List 18 on Monday, March 14th. The test will be on Friday, March 18th.

English:
We are continuing to learn about pronouns! They are so much fun! We will continue with lessons 5-7. The final test will be on Tuesday, March 22nd.

Science:
Chapter 14: Light/Sound! We have read Lessons 1 and 2 in class. We will continue with lesson 3 this week.

Social Studies:
We have started our Chicago unit! It is so exciting to be learning about a city so close to home! We are reading an in class book about Chicago and we will have many projects to show what we have learned.

Math:
We are working on chapter19:Decimals. The students are so enthusiastic about Math! We will have a Chapter 19 Math test on Tuesday, March 22nd.

Have a wonderful Weekend and Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Miss Millbrandt

Week of March 8-March 11

2011-03-03T13:33:00.002-06:00

Odds and Ends:

No school Friday March 4th and Monday March 7th!
Congratulations to all the students who received straight A's this semester! Hard work pays off!
Thank you to the parents that sent in snacks for ISAT week! The students really enjoyed them.
I had a wonderful time meeting and speaking with so many parents! If at any time you would like to discuss your child's progress further do not hesitate to call or email me!

Upcoming Events:

The District 66 Fundraiser is coming up! Saturday, March 19th. There are raffle tickets for many exciting things, so please get those in!
Our roller skating party is on Monday, March 14th. Please get your permission slip and money in ASAP, it does fill up quickly!
ISAT testing schedule is as follows:
Monday Feb. 28: No testing
Tuesday March 1: Reading I
Wednesday March 2: Reading II, Math I
Thursday March 3: Reading III, Math II
Friday March 4: No school!
Monday March 7: No school!
Tuesday March 8: No Testing
Wednesday March 9: Math III

Please mark your calendars for March 15th for the Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAP scores.

Reading:
We will be starting a new novel called: The Night the Whole Class Slept Over! We will be focusing on Main Idea and Details along with making connections.

Spelling:
We are starting back up with Spelling List 17: Prefix and Suffix. The test will be on Friday, March 11th.

English:
We have started Unit 6: Pronouns! We have covered lessons 1 and 2. We will continue with lesson 3.

Science:
Chapter 14: Light/Sound! We have read Lesson 1 in class and will begin with lesson 2. We will be doing lots of in class experiments to help us understand light, heat, and sound!

Social Studies:
We are going to begin our Chicago unit! This is a big unit that will take us a few weeks!

Math:
We will start with lesson 19:Decimals on Tuesday. We also have one more ISAT on Wednesday, March 9th.

YAY! We are almost done with ISAT's! The students have done a FABULOUS job with them!

Week of February 28- March 4

2011-02-25T12:26:00.002-06:00

Odds and Ends:
We have officially started the third trimester! It has gone by so quickly!
Report cards will be sent home this week.
Parent/Teacher conferences begin this week. If you still want a conference and was not asked by a teacher, you can still request one.
If you have not already, please send a letter of encouragement, for the ISAT tests, sealed in an envelope to school on Monday. The letters will be distributed on Tuesday for the students to read.

Upcoming Events:
Science Test (Chapter 12: Energy) Monday February 28.
Book Orders are Due Monday February 28th!
ISAT testing begins this week. The schedule is as follows:
Monday Feb. 28: No testing
Tuesday March 1: Reading I
Wednesday March 2: Reading II, Math I
Thursday March 3: Reading III, Math II
Friday March 4: No school!
Monday March 7: No school!
Tuesday March 8: No Testing
Wednesday March 9: Math III
Please mark your calendars for March 15th for the Parent Connect meeting to learn more about how to interpret your child's MAPS scores.

Reading:
We will continue reviewing for ISAT's and taking the tests this week.

Spelling:
There will be no Spelling due to ISAT Testing.

English:
We are typing our final copies of the expository essays on laptops! We will also start Unit 6: Pronouns.

Science:
We have a test on Chapter 12: Energy, on Monday.
Later this week will will begin Chapter 14: Light/Sound, Lesson 1.

Social Studies:
We will start a new chapter in Social Studies the following week.

Math:
The class has started learning about probability. There will not be assessment on this chapter. We will also be focusing on reviewing for ISAT testing.

Please get a GREAT night sleep this week! Eat healthy and do your best!
YOU CAN DO IT!

Week of 2/22-2/25

2011-02-18T12:19:00.004-06:00

Odds and Ends:
Don't forget: No school Monday February 21st!

Thank you to all our WONDERFUL Mom's who came to help during our Valentine's Day Party! We had so much fun!

A letter was emailed to families asking that you send in a letter of encouragement for your child. The letter can be sealed in a white envelope and addressed to Miss Millbrandt. I will distribute the letters when ISAT's begin.

Any Scholastic Book Orders are due on Monday February 28th.

We had a great in-class presentation on Matter! We saw things bubbly and change color!
Spring Pictures are Thursday February 24th.
If you did not need a conference and would still like to request a conference with me or any of your child's other teachers, it is on a first come first serve basis!

Upcoming Events:Egypt Test: Wednesday February 24th
Reading Class: African American photo Albums due on Wednesday February 23rd

Math: Chapter 16 and 22 Checkpoint Thursday February 24th.
Science: Chapter 12:Energy Test Monday February 28th.

Reading:This week in reading we will continue to focus on Prefix and suffix. Our photo album project is due Wednesday February 23rd. I can't wait to see how wonderful they turned out! We will also continue working on extended responses and preparing for ISAT's.

Spelling:There will be no spelling words for this week.

English:
We will start writing a rough draft of an expositor essay and finish up with typing the them on the school laptops!

Science:We will be reviewing all lessons in chapter 12:Energy. Our chapter test will be on Monday February 28th.

Social Studies:We are finished with EGYPT! We will play some in class review games to get students ready for the test on Egypt. The test is on Thursday February 24th.

Math:We are starting chapters 16 and 22 this week. We will have a checkpoint on Thursday. We are also working on T-charts!

Have a great THREE DAY Weekend!

Miss Millbrandt

Week of February 14-18

2011-02-11T12:10:00.005-06:00

Odds and Ends:
Valentines Day: We encourage all students to bring in a valentine for each student in the class. We have 23 students. Please do not have candy/tattoos with the valentine. Also, please have your child sign the valentine cards, but do not write any other name on the card.(It will be quicker when passing out)
If you are interested in Six Flags tickets please keep reading and get you sheet in by February 17th.
A letter was emailed to families asking that you send in a letter of encouragement for your child during IAST week. The letter can be sealed in a white envelope and addressed to Miss Millbrandt. I will distribute the letters when ISAT's begin.
Our In-school field trip on Matter is February 14th we can't wait!

Upcoming Events:
Valentines Day/Party on February 14th
Matter Presentation on February 14th
Reading Class: Word Master competition scheduled for February 18th
Math: Graded Checkpoint on Friday February 18th

Reading:
This week in reading we will be focusing on Prefix and suffix. We will continue reading books about Influential African Americans and do a project on the book. We will also be working with extended responses.

Spelling:
There will be no spelling words for this week, instead we will be practicing our Word Masters words for Friday.

English:

We just finished friendly Letter Writing and we mailed our letters out! It was a blast. We hope that many people will write back so we can continue practicing writing. We will move on to expository writing!

Science:
We will be reviewing over CH12 Lessons 1 and 2 and starting Lesson 3 this week. The students have been working hard on categorizing types of Energy!

Social Studies:
We will be finishing up our in class book called Tut's Mummy this week. We will start reviewing all of Egypt.

Math:
We are finished with chapter 14. We are starting chapter 15. There will be a graded checkpoint on Friday February 18th

Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!

Miss Millbrandt

Week of February 7-February 11

2011-02-04T12:10:00.004-06:00

Odds and Ends:

I hope everyone enjoyed their 2 days off!
If you are interested in Six Flags tickets please keep reading and get you sheet in by February 17th.
Due to the snow day, our in class field trip about matter has been moved to Monday February 14th from 9:00-10:00 am. Again the cost of the field trip is covered from last years canceled field trip.

Upcoming Events:
Friendly Letter Test Friday February 11th.
Reading Class: Spelling test Friday February 11th.
Math Students: X8 test Friday February 11th.

Spelling:
We will be working on lesson 16 for this week. The final test will be on Friday February 11th.

Reading:
We are finishing our novel, Snow Treasure early this week. There will not be a final test, instead we have things that have been graded throughout the novel. We will transition from our novel to working on extended responses. We will also be reading several books about influential African Americans in connection to Black History Month. Please continue to read each night for 20 minutes!

English:
We will continue to work on friendly letter writing. There will be a test on friendly letters on Friday February 11th.

Social Studies:
We will continue studying Egypt! We are reading King Tut in class.

Science:
We have finished Lesson 1 of Chapter 12 Energy. We will move on to Chapter 12 Lesson 2 this week.

Math:
We are finished with chapter 21:Metrics. We will begin Chapter 14 Line Segments and Angles. Also, we will be studying X8 this week. Please keep practicing X8 with your child!

Welcome Baby Liam!

2011-01-30T20:55:00.006-06:00

Hello 3rd Graders and Families!

We are overjoyed to announce that Liam Jack Olsen was born on Monday, January 24, 2011 at 5:00 am. He was 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 inches. We are home and doing great! He is even sleeping through the night! What a sweet boy!

Thinking of you!
Mrs. Olsen

Week of January 31st-February 4th

2011-01-28T11:41:00.003-06:00

Odds and Ends
We have had a fantastic first week together!
Congratulations to one of our students for competing in the District Spelling Bee! You did GREAT!
Also, we had a special guest come in and share some awesome hieroglyphics with our class!
If you are interested in the Six flags tickets, please continue to fill out your reading log and get those in by February 17th.
As we finish up our chapter about Matter, we will have an in school "field trip" about matter on Wed. 2/2 about matter. The cost of the presentation will be covered with the money from last years canceled field trip (when your child was in 2nd grade).

Upcoming Events
We have a Chapter 4 English test on Monday January 31st.
Math Students: Chapter 21 Test on February 2nd and x7 test on February 4th.

A Look at Next Week:

Spelling
We will be working on Lesson 15 in Spelling. The pretest will be Monday and we will test on Friday.

Reading
Our focus this week is main idea and supporting details! We will continue with our novel Snow Treasure while focusing on main idea and details.

English
We are done with Chapter 4 in English! We will be stepping away from our textbooks and focus on a writing unit, starting with friendly letter writing.

Science
As we close chapter 11 in our Science books, we will open Chapter 12: Energy! There will be three lessons we will cover in this chapter including; What is Energy, Can energy be Used, and Why is Energy Important?

Social Studies
We are continuing our study on Egypt. We will be focusing on King Tut for awhile. The students will be doing many engaging activities and are having a blast learning about Egypt!

Math
We have started Chapter 21: The Metric System. We will have a mini quiz on Monday January 31st over Metric Length and Metric Capacity. Our Chapter 21 Test will be on February 2nd covering lessons 1, 2,3,4,6. Please be reviewing your X7; the test for x7's will be on February 4th.

Have a WARM weekend!

Week of 1/24-1/28

2011-01-20T15:33:00.005-06:00

Odds and Ends:

* Matter Presentation: We will have an in school "field trip" about matter on Wed. 2/2 about matter. The cost of the presentation will be covered with the money from last years canceled field trip (when your child was in 2nd grade).

*Spelling Bee: Congrats to Emily and Demetri and all of the other fantastic 3rd grade spellers in this year's grade level spelling bee! Congrats to Demetri who advanced to the District level spelling bee, which will take place on Tues. at 10:00 am. Parents and families are welcome to attend!

*Scholastic Book Order: January orders are due online or in the classroom on Jan. 28th. Thank you for helping our classroom earn free books with each of your orders!

*Baby Olsen Update: No news yet! The "official" due date is today, 1/21/11. Now it's a waiting game. I am set to work until 1/28/11 unless my doctor advises otherwise or the baby arrives sooner than that. We are all so excited to meet the baby!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Tues. 1/25: District Spelling Bee 10:00 am

*Wed. 1/26: Math: Ch 20 Customary Measurement Graded Checkpoint

*Fri. 1/28: Spelling: List 14 Test

Reading: Snow Treasure Ch 10-25 Vocab Quiz

Science: Ch 11 Matter Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on our novels as we practice the strategy of making connections.

*Spelling: This week we will focus on List 14: homophones. The homework will be sent home Monday and due Friday. The graded test will be on Friday.

*English: We will continue to study adjectives and adverbs in ch. 4. The test is scheduled for Mon. 1/31.

*Science: We will continue to study matter (ch 11) this week as we focus on lesson 3. The test is scheduled for Fri. 1/28. A study guide was sent home today. Please look through your child's science folder to see quizzes, review guides, and notes which will all help him/her study for the test.

*Social Studies: Pyramids, mummies, Cleopatra...oh my! We are busy learning about Ancient Egypt. We will focus on Cleopatra (and making inferences!), hieroglyphics, and King Tut next week.

*Math: The students began ch. 20 this week: Customary Measurement. We will continue this next week with a graded checkpoint on Wed. 1/26. Then we will begin ch. 21: Metric Measurement. We will also work on 6's multiplication facts. Get a head start and begin practicing them this weekend!

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 1/17-1/21

2011-01-10T14:36:00.005-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*Spelling Bee: We had our classroom spelling bee today. Our classroom winners are: Emily Leatherwood and Demetri Kling! Way to go!

Great job to all of the students on their hard work and dedication! The 3rd grade spelling bee will be Tues. 1/19. The top 2 spellers in 3rd grade will continue onto the district spelling bee on 1/25.

*Maternity Leave: I am happy to share that my maternity sub has been selected. Miss Melissa Millbrandt will be taking over my leave until May 5th. My "official" due date is Jan. 21st. We have met several times to provide a smooth transition. She will do a fabulous job!

*Music Homework: Please have your child practice the following with their recorder in time for their next music class, which is next Friday: breathing, posture, left hand on top, right hand on bottom, and note B. Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 1/17: No School: Martin Luther King, Jr's. Birthday: Do something kind for someone else in honor of this great man!

* Tues. 1/18: Spelling: List 13 Pretest

Math: Ch 6 Test

*Wed. 1/19: Grade Level Spelling Bee

*Thurs. 1/20: Reading: Snow Treasure Vocab Quiz ch 1-9 (date changed: originally set for 1/19)

* Fri. 1/21: Baby Olsen's Due Date =)

Spelling: List 13 Test

Math: 4's multiplication Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Spelling: We are back to our normal spelling routine next week with Lesson #13. We will pre-test on Tuesday and assign the corresponding homework. The spelling challenge students will only have to pick two assignments from the list and all other spelling students will have a shortened assignment as well due to the 4 day week. The homework will be due on Friday and we will have the test that day also!

*Reading: As we begin/continue our novel studies this week we will be targeting the reading strategy of questioning. As always, we will also continue to review and refine our work with the other strategies that we have already introduced, but will highlight questioning this week.

We are reading Snow Treasures. This can be a challenging book. We will work together to read and comprehend the story. Your child will be asked to pre read the chapters or re read the chapters that we discuss in class. We will read the chapters together in class as well. Thank you!

*English: The students did an excellent job on their narrative picture books. I am so proud of their hard work and final products! We began unit 4: adjectives and adverbs. Look in your child's English folder for their pretest on this chapter.

*Science: We are continuing to study matter (ch 11) and lesson 2: states of matter.

* Social Studies: We will continue to study Ancient Egypt this week, focusing on pyramids, mummies, and Cleopatra.

*Math: The students will take the ch. 6 test ( on graphing) on Tues. 1/18. A study guide was sent home. The types of graphs students need to be familiar with are tally charts, bar graphs, pictographs, line graphs, line plots, mode, and ordered pairs. We will begin ch. 20: customary measurement next. We will also work on 4's multiplication this week. Get a head start and begin practicing these facts over the weekend!

Thank you for checking out my blog. Enjoy the long weekend! GO BEARS!!!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 1/10-1/14

2011-01-06T21:32:00.010-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*Spelling Bee: A word list was sent home with your child this week to help them prepare for the spelling bee. We will have a "practice" bee on Tuesday and our classroom spelling bee will be on Friday. The top 2 spellers will advance to the grade level bee, which will take place on Wed. 1/19. The top 2 spellers in the third grade will then move onto the district wide spelling bee which will take place the week of 1/24.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Tues. 1/11: MAPS Testing: Reading

Practice Classroom Spelling Bee

* Wed. 1/12: Juggling Assembly

*Thurs. 1/13: Math: 3's multiplication timed test

* Fri. 1/14: MAPS Testing: Math

Classroom Spelling Bee

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on the reading strategies of monitoring and clarifying what we read as well as distinguishing facts and opinions while concluding our work with the story Nights of the Pufflings or starting a novel study. We will also be reviewing various other reading strategies to comprehend our reading materials.

*Spelling: Due to MAPs testing this week, we are working on synonym practice during spelling. We will not have a test this week or spelling homework. We will be working on a unit of "snowy synonyms". We will be back to working on Lesson #13 the following week.

*English: The students are doing a fantastic job on their personal narratives. We will continue to work on creating our narrative picture books. Our next unit is ch 4: adjectives and adverbs.

*Science: We are learning about matter in ch 11. We will finish up lesson 1 and begin lesson 2.

*Social Studies: The students are busy learning about Ancient Egypt. We will focus on the Nile River and the afterlife this week.

* Math: We are working on ch. 6: Data and Graphs. The test is tentatively set for Tues. 1/18. A study guide will be sent home this week for the test. We will also work on 3's multiplication facts. Please study these facts with your child each night. The test will be on THURS. 1/13 this week due to no math on Friday due to MAPS testing.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 1/3-1/7

2010-12-31T13:35:00.005-06:00

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

2010-12-10T10:24:00.005-06:00

*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

2010-12-02T08:07:00.008-06:00

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

2010-11-23T15:14:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-19T08:54:00.006-06:00

*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

2010-11-12T08:20:00.006-06:00

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

2010-11-03T08:47:00.004-05:00

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

2010-10-29T08:38:00.007-05:00

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

2010-10-21T13:33:00.006-05:00

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

2010-10-15T08:32:00.005-05:00

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

2010-10-07T13:18:00.007-05:00

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

2010-10-01T09:57:00.005-05:00

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

2010-09-23T09:39:00.005-05:00

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

2010-09-16T20:45:00.006-05:00

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

2010-09-09T12:11:00.008-05:00

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

2010-09-03T10:39:00.009-05:00

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

2010-08-27T15:09:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-27T20:42:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

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

Week of 5/3-5/7

2010-04-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Students from Project Challenge have started a fundraiser for the ASPCA, a foundation to stop animal cruelty. The kids will be selling Smencils® (scented pencils) for a 1.00 each. The pencils will be sold each morning in the grade level areas. The sales will start Friday April 30th and go through May 28th. We will track our sales on the bulletin board by the multi-purpose room. For every twenty dollars we raise, one food bowl will go up on the bulletin board. So please help save our animals. Buy Smencils.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Fri. 5/7: Math: 10's division timed test
Spelling: List 30 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on making inferences and summarizing. We will finish our poetry unit. We will begin a novel study next.

*English: We will begin a new unit on persuasive writing.

*Spelling: We will be on list 30, words with the prefix re. We will have a graded test on Friday.

*Science: We will begin our next unit (ch 4) on ecosystems this week!

*Social Studies: Sweet home, Chicago! We will begin our Chicago unit. We will begin by focusing on the history of our great city.

*Math: We will work on patterns (ch. 17) and extend our multiplying skills (ch. 23). We will also focus on 10's multiplication-our timed test will be on Friday.

Have a great weekend! Enjoy the warm weather!

Go Cubs =)

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 4/26-4/30

2010-04-23T10:28:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Meteorology Madness: We will be learning all about weather in our hands-on, in-school field trip on Friday, 4/30. What fun!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Tues. 4/27: Social Studies: Ancient Egypt Test

*Wed. 4/28: Reading: Poetry Vocab. Review

* Fri. 4/30: Meteorology Madness

Math: Ch. 6 Data Test

9's division timed test

Spelling: List 29 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading and English: We will continue to work on monitoring and questioning. We will focus on poetry and Shel Silverstein this week. We will review the vocabulary words for poetry this week and take a short graded review on Wed. We have been discussing these words and using them daily for the last two weeks. We will also be writing our friendly letters to our 2nd grade pen pals this week. They will be coming for a visit the last week in May.

*Spelling: This week we will be on list 29. This list focuses on words with the prefix un. There will be a test on Friday.

*Science: We will take a break from science this week. Our next unit will be Energy.

*Social Studies: We will review Ancient Egypt on Mon. The graded review will be on Tues. Our next unit will be Chicago.

*Math: We are continuing to learn about data and graphing in chapter 6. The students are working in cooperative groups to come up with a survey question, survey the class and make a tally graph, and then turn the information into a bar graph. We will finish these up next week. There will be a short graded review on chapter 6 on Fri. We will also focus on 9's division this week.

Thank you and enjoy the weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 4/19-4/23

2010-04-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Thank you to everyone who attended our Open House! It was a huge success and the students were so proud to so off their classroom and hard work!
It was great to see so many families in our classroom.
Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Thurs. 4/22: Early Dismissal 11:00 am

* Fri. 2/23: Spelling: List 28 Test
Book Orders Due

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on monitoring and questioning this week. We are working on a poetry unit where the students are reading and writing poetry. The students will receive a poem on Monday. They are to practice reading the poem each night, focusing on fluency (good pace, expression, and rhythm) as they read. We will be sharing the poems out loud on Friday during our poetry cafe. Your child will receive a fluency grade based on their reading. A rubric will be attached to the poem on Monday. Thanks!

*English: We will be writing poetry this week.

*Spelling: This week we are on list 28: words with silent letters. There will be a test on Fri.

*Science: We will take a brief break from science this week as we focus on Social Studies.

*Social Studies: We will continue to work on Tut's Mummy. We will read, act out, and discuss the discovery of King Tut's tomb by Howard Carter. The final Egypt test is scheduled for Tues. 4/27. A study guide will be sent home.

*Math: We will begin ch. 6: data and graphing this week. We will learn about the different types of graphs and work in groups to collect data and make a bar graph. We will also work on 8's division this week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 4/12-4/16

2010-04-07T12:07:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Scholastic Book Order: An April book order will be sent home soon. Please make your orders online so our classroom can earn free books! Thanks!

*School Supplies: Many of the children are running out of necessary school supplies- Please ask them what they are short on-pencils, dry erase markers, glue sticks, or scissors. We still have 2 months left of school and we are low on supplies! Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* Mon. 4/12: English: Ch. 6 Pronoun Test

Reading: Biography Presentations Begin (see schedule below)
Chicago Baseball Team Spirit Day: Wear your favorite team-Cubs or Sox?

*Tues. 4/13: Reading: Day 2 of Biography Presentations

*Wed. 4/14: Math: Geometry Projects Due (please turn in rubric with project-Thanks!)

*Thurs. 4/15: Science: Ch 11. Test
Open House 6:30-8:00

*Fri. 4/16: Egypt Unwrapped
Math: 7's Division Timed Test
Ch. 7 Probability Review
Spelling: List 26 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on monitoring and questioning this week as we work on biographies and poetry. The students will present their biography scrapbooks. The scrapbooks are completed and the students will read them to the class. They will need to dress up or bring a prop to represent their biography person. The presentation schedule is listed below: (they will not necessarily present in this order)

Mon. 4/12:

Tommy
Kelcie
Kate
Richie
Frank
Jacob
Esther
Andrew
Elise
Gianna

Tues. 4/13:
Alegria
Nora
Dane
Matthew
Sarah
Bobbi
Hamza
Ranesha
Kristina
Stephanie
Ryan

*English: We will work on a poetry unit. Students will write a variety of different types of poetry.

*Spelling: This week we will work on list 26, a review week. We will review lists 19-25. The review test will be on Friday.

*Science: We are finishing up chapter 11. We will review vocabulary and key concepts in class. The test is schedule for Thurs. 4/15. A study guide (half sheet) was sent home this week. Please study a little each night to prepare for the test.

*Social Studies: The students are learning about King Tut and the discovery of his tomb. Egypt Unwrapped will be a fun in class field trip taking place on Fri. 4/16. We will have many hand's on activities to learn more about Egypt.

*Math: We will begin ch. 7 Probability. This is a quick review of probability. The test will be on Fri. 4/16. We will also work on ch. 6: Data and Graphing. We will also work on 7's division and have a timed test on Friday.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 4/5 - 4/9

2010-03-24T12:30:00.000-05:00

*Odds and Ends:

*Spring Break: Enjoy your spring vacation next week (3/29-4/1). I look forward to seeing you all after a week of rest and relaxation!

*Open House: Mark your calendars for our Spring Open House on Thurs. 4/15.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 3/29-Fri. 4/1: Spring Vacation!

*Thurs. 4/8: Math: Chapter 19 Decimals Test

Social Studies: Egypt Vocabulary Quiz

*Fri. 4/9: Spelling: List 25 Test

Math: 6's division timed test

A LOOK AT THE NEXT SCHOOL WEEK:

*Reading: We will be working on monitoring and questioning as we finish our biography units. We will read about Houdini and learn about magic. The students will sign up for their biography presentations, which will take place the week of 4/12.

*English: The students will continue to learn about pronouns in ch. 6. The test is set for Mon. 4/12. A study guide will be sent home before the test.

*Spelling: We will work on list 25, words spelled with igh. We will take a graded test on Friday.

*Science: The students will continue to learn about matter (ch 11) as we explore mixtures, solutions, physical and chemical change in lesson 3. The final ch. 11 test is tentatively set for Tues. 4/13. A study guide will be sent home the week before the test.

*Social Studies: King Tut discovered! We will continue reading Tut's Mummy: Lost and Found. We will talk about Howard Carter's important discovery. The students will take an Egypt vocabulary quiz on Thurs. 4/8. The words were given to the students this week.

*Math: The students will continue to study decimals (ch. 19). We will take a test on Thurs. 4/8. Our next unit will be chapter 7: Probability. We will work on 6's division. The timed test will be on Friday. 4/9.

Thank you for checking out my blog. Have a great Spring Break! See you in a week!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 3/22 - 3/26

2010-03-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends:

*Spring Break: Spring Vacation will begin Mon. 3/29 through Fri. 4/1. We will be back in school on Mon. 4/5. Enjoy your vacation!

*School supplies: Please ask your child if they are short on any needed supplies such as pencils, scissors, dry erase markers, etc. This is the time of year when their supplies start to run low. Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 3/23: Math: ch 18 Fractions test

*Fri. 3/26: Spelling: List 24 Test

Math: 4's division timed test

Spring Break Begins!

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be focusing on visualizing and predicting as we continue our biography project. Your child should be reading a biography that they chose in class each night for 20 minutes. As they read, they should be keeping track of 6 interesting facts about their person on sticky notes or on a graphic organizer (both given to them in class). This will help them as we prepare to make our biography scrapbooks in class next week. They should aim to have their biographies finished by the middle of next week.

*English: We will begin ch. 6 pronouns this week. We will also work on writing biography poems.

*Spelling: We will be on list 24 this week that focuses on words spelled with ear. The graded test will be on Friday.

*Science: We will work on ch. 11 lesson 2, which focuses on the different states of matter.

*Social Studies: We will begin a new Egypt book, Tut's Mummy: Lost and Found. We will explore the life and discovery of King Tut.

*Math: We will finish up ch. 18 on fractions. We will review on Monday and the test will be on Tuesday. We will begin ch. 19 on decimals. We will also focus on 4's division with a timed test on Friday.

Thank you for checking out my blog. Enjoy the sunny (and possibly snowy!) weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 3/15-3/19

2010-03-09T11:32:00.001-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*Thank you! Thank you to all of the parents whom I meet with for Spring Conferences. It is great to keep in touch about your child's progress in 3rd grade.

*Scholastic Book Order: March book order is due Fri. 3/19. Please place your order online to help our classroom earn free books!

*Thank you to the Burisek family for sending in a healthy treat on our Hawaiian spirit day!

*Three Cheers for the 3rd Graders~ they finished their first ISAT testing! They did a fabulous job and worked hard for the past 2 weeks! Way to go!!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 3/16: After School Roller Skating Party

*Wed. 3/17: Character Counts Assembly

*Fri. 3/18: English: Ch. 5 Open Book Review

Spelling: List 23 Test

Math 3's division timed test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on visualizing and predicting this week. We will use biographies to reinforce these skills.

*English: We will review ch. 5 this week, which is a chapter that we learned earlier this year through DOL. We will take an open book review on this material on Fri. 3/18. After our review, the students will be expected to apply the grammar and punctuation rules in all of their writing.

*Spelling: We will be back to the weekly lists. We will work on list 23: words ending in er and est. There will be a graded test on Friday.

*Science: We will continue to study ch. 11: states of matter. We will focus on buoyancy this week and the different ways to measure matter this week (mass, volume, density).

*Social Studies: The students are busy learning about Ancient Egypt. They will focus on making inferences about Cleopatra this week and learn all about hieroglyphics.

*Math: We will focus on ch. 18: Fractions. Lessons will cover the following:

equivalent fractions

mixed numbers

adding and subtracting fractions

We will also work on 3's division, with the timed test on Friday.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Mrs. Olsen

2010-03-05T08:48:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Look for the flyer that was sent home Friday. It announces a reading incentive program that Prairieview is encouraging called “Raise a Reader.” Parents sign up your child starting Monday the 8th by going to:
http://www.parents.com/reading/prairieviewschooldowil
All students who sign up will get to put their first name and teacher's name up on the bulletin board in the front hallway. So join the fun and keep reading!

*Conferences: Spring conferences have been set up and take place next week. These conferences focus on meeting and discussing progress of math students.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 3/8-Wed. 3/10: ISAT Testing

*Thurs. 3/11: Wheel of Wisdom Assembly 12:30 pm

* Fri. 3/12: No School

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be continuing ISAT testing Monday-Wednesday. Thursday, we will finish up some Ramona activities and complete our unit on inferences.

*English: We will continue to work on expository writing this week.

*Spelling: We will have another week off of spelling due to ISAT's. We will begin List 23 on March 15th.

*Science: We will continue to discuss ch 11: Matter. Please have your child bring in 5 objects (an object for each of the 5 senses) to school on Monday for a in class project about physical properties. A note explaining the assignment in detail was sent home this week. Thanks!

*Social Studies: Our study of Ancient Egypt continues. Next up: mummies and Cleopatra!

*Math: We will begin ch. 18: Fractions. We will also be focusing on 5's division. We are focusing on the relationship between multiplication and division to help learn our new division facts. Practicing fact families at home will help make this connection more clear! Thanks!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the "warm" weather and SUNSHINE! Spring is finally coming!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 3/1- 3/5

2010-02-26T10:30:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*ISAT Testing: ISAT testing begins for the state of Illinois next week. We will be taking one test a day beginning Tues. 3/1 through Wed. 3/10. We will test each morning. Please begin your child's day with a healthy breakfast and send a healthy snack and drink to school each day. If you would like to donate any healthy snacks and drinks for the whole class during the next 2 weeks, we would greatly appreciate it!! Ideas: goldfish crackers, apple or orange slices, bottles of water, pretzels, crackers, etc. Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 3/1: No School: Casmir Pulaski Day

*Tues. 3/2: ISAT Reading Test I

*Wed. 3/3: ISAT Math Test I

*Thurs 3/4: ISAT Reading Test II

*Fri. 3/5: ISAT Math Test II

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be working on ISAT testing during reading this week. We will also work on fluency as we practice readers' theatre.

*English: We will continue to work on expository writing this week. The students are working on their own to write papers with and without the graphic organizer.

They are doing an outstanding job! Way to go!!!

*Spelling: We will not do spelling this week due to testing. Enjoy the week off!

*Science: We will continue to work on Ch. 11: States of Matter.

*Social Studies: We will continue to study Ancient Egypt this week.

We will focus on mummies and pyramids. What fun!

*Math: We will work on problem solving strategies this week.

We will also begin division-starting with the 2's.

A schedule similar to multiplication will be sent home as we begin our division timed tests. Thanks for your hard work studying at home!

Thanks for reading my blog and keeping updated on the happenings in our classroom!

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 2/22 - 2/26

2010-02-17T12:20:00.001-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*Scholastic Books: February book orders are due Fri. 2/26. Please order online to help our classroom earn free books! Thank you!

*ISAT Testing: ISAT tests are just around the corner. We will begin testing on Tues. 3/2 through Wed. 3/10. We will take one test a day. Please complete the yellow ISAT test packet by Fri. 2/26. Thank you!

*Spring Photos: Thursday, February 25, 2010 is Spring Picture Day - Look before you buy. Send no money now - see your portraits first. Your finished portrait package will be sent home for your review. Simply return any un-used portrait sheets with your payment. All students will be photographed. Please notify your student's teacher if you do not want an individual portrait taken of your child. Additional Flyer will be sent home with your child on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Please check their backpacks.

*Cool Website: Check out this great website: http://www.freerice.com/index.php. Here you can play games (choose different subjects along the top options). For every correct answer, the website donates 10 grains of rice to help the hungry. The more you play, the more you can donate! I will link this website to my blog at the bottom for easy access! Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Wed. 2/24: Math: Ch. 15 Review

*Thurs. 2/25: Spring Photos

* Fri. 2/26: Spelling: Prefix/Suffix Graded Review

Math: Ch 16/22 Review

*Mon. 3/1: No School: Casmir Pulaski Day

*Tues. 3/2-Wed. 3/10: ISAT Tests

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to review good test taking strategies as well as review all of the reading strategies. Please remind your students to prove or check their answers. This means going back into the story and finding the correct answer. This can be done for most questions and helps to get correct answers! Thank you! Students will continue to practice reading and responding to questions.

*English: We will continue to work on expository writing. The students will work on a prompt with a partner and by themselves.

*Spelling: We will take a break from the spelling program this week and focus on prefix/suffix. We will send home a packet that we will work from in class, have homework in, and will serve as the study guide for Fri. 2/26 test.

*Science: We will begin ch. 11: States of Matter. Solid, Liquid, and Gases...oh my!

*Social Studies: The students will continue to explore Ancient Egypt. This week we will focus on pyramids, one of the wonders of the world!

*Math: In math, students will work on ch. 15 (symmetry, congruent and similar shapes. They will also work on ch. 16: 3D figures and ch. 22: area, volume, and perimeter. These chapters are short, so we will cover a lot of information in a short period of time. There will be a short graded review on ch. 15 on Wed. and a graded review on ch. 16 and 22 on Fri. We will take a break from multiplication for the week. We will begin division facts soon- TBA!

Thank you for checking out my blog. Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 2/15-2/19

2010-02-12T12:08:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*Scholastic Book Order: A February book order was sent home this week. You can order online to help our classroom earn free books! The order is due Fri. 1/26.

*Party Helpers: Thank you to all of the parents who helped to make our Valentine's Party "love"ly! We had a great time!

*Volunteers: Thank you to the following volunteers who spend time in our class each week during centers: Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Meyers, Mrs. Stock, Mrs. Tshulos, and Mrs. Crandell. If anyone is interested in helping, please email me!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 2/15: No School: President's Day

*Wed. 2/17: Assembly: New Kid on the Block

*Thurs. 2/18: Math: Ch. 14 Test

*Fri. 2/19: Spelling: List 22 Test

Math: Mixed Multiplication Timed Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will spend time this week reviewing several strategies. We will work on our extended responses.

*English: We will continue working on expository writing. The students will write a paper with a partner.

*Spelling: We will work on list 22 this week, words ending in y. There will be a test on Fri. 2/19.

*Science: We will take a short break from science. Next unit: Matter

*Social Studies: The students are busy learning about Ancient Egypt. So far we learned about the importance of the Nile River. Next week we will focus on the afterlife and pyramids.

*Math: We will continue to study geometry in Ch. 14. There will be a test covering ch. 14 on Thurs. 2/18. We will begin ch 15 next: more geometry: plane figures and 3D figures. We will continue to practice mixed multiplication each day this week. The tests will begin to count for a grade on Fri. 2/19 (worth 10 points).

Thank you for checking out this week's blog. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!~Mrs.Olsen

Week of 2/8-2/12

2010-02-05T11:35:00.001-06:00

Odds and Ends:

* Valentine's Day Party: We will have our classroom Valentine's Day Party on Friday, 2/12 from 1:30-2:20. If your child would like to hand out valentines for each student in the class, he/she may bring them on Friday. A class list was sent home this week. There are 22 students in the class. Parent helpers: we are only allowing water to be served as the drink this party. Thank you for your cooperation!

* Change for Haiti: We will continue to collect money for Haiti until Monday. Thank you for your generosity!

*Check out this website for a fun writing contest your child can participate in: http://www.emeraldcitytheatre.com/3pigscontest.pdf What fun!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 2/8: Reading: Ramona vocab test.

*Tues. 2/9: Science: Ch 9 Water Cycle and Weather Test

*Fri: 2/12: Spelling: List 21 Test

Reading: Ramona comprehension quiz

Valentine's Day Party

*Mon. 2/15: No School: President's Day

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on making inferences as we read an excerpt from Ramona Quimby Age 8 by Beverly Cleary. We will also work on other reading strategies as we read and discuss this story. The vocabulary quiz will be on Monday and the comprehension test will be on Friday.

*English: We will work on expository writing.

* Spelling: The students are on list 21. This week's words focus on nouns formed with the suffix er- meaning one who. We will have a test on Friday. Please have your child practice writing the words in cursive, since our weekly tests are done in cursive now. Thanks!

*Science: We will have our end of the unit test on Tuesday, 2/9. The test will cover chapter 9: water cycle. A study guide was sent home last week. Your child can access the textbook online by going to www.thinkcentral.com. The user name is your child's 7 digit ID number. The password is ccsd66.

*Social Studies: We will begin our study of ancient Egypt.

*Math: We will work on chapter 14: types of lines, plane figures, circles, etc. We will also work on mixed multiplication. We will take several practice tests, so be on the look out for samples of the test coming home! We will practice for 2 weeks. The tests will begin "counting" as a grade on Fri. 2/19.

Thanks for checking out my blog! Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 2/1 - 2/5

2010-01-27T12:19:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Change for Haiti: Thank you for all of you who donated to Change for Haiti! We have collected over $1600 for the victims of the earthquake. Way to go! What a caring group of students! We will continue to collect next week.

UPCOMING EVENTS

*Tues. 2/2: No School: Institute Day: Happy Groundhog Day

*Wed. 2/3: Math: Ch 21 Test

*Thurs. 2/4: English: Adjective Test (ch 4)

District Spelling Bee 1 pm

*Fri. 2/5: Spelling: List 20 Test

Math: 9's multiplication test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will begin inferencing with a chapter from the book Ramona Quimby Age 8. We will also continue ISAT preparation.

*English: We will be finishing up ch. 4 on adjectives this week. We will review Mon. and Wed. and test will be on Thursday. Your child will be taking home their textbook and workbook on Mon. They can review the pages in ch. 4 and do any workbook pages we did not do in class to practice for test. There are also study sheets in their binder. Next up: Expository writing!

*Spelling: This week we will be on list 20. We will focus on words spelled with "er". There will be a test on Friday.

*Science: We will continue to focus on weather and talk about the different types of weather. We will review the chapter for the end of the unit test on Tues. 2/9. A study guide will be sent home. We all enjoyed Cosmic Capers- what a fun, hands on way to learn about space!

*Social Studies: We will begin our next unit Ancient Egypt very soon!

*Math: The students will continue to learn and review the metric measurement system. The test will be on Wed. 2/3. We will begin ch. 14: Geometry next. Please practice your 9's multiplication. We will take the 9's timed test on Fri. The next 2 weeks will be devoted to mixed multiplication tests, so keep those facts sharp!

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Mrs. Olsen

week of 1/25-1/29

2010-01-22T12:15:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Congratulations to Bobbi and Andrew who did a FANTASTIC job in our 3rd grade spelling bee! We are all so proud of their hard work! Way to go!!

*Change for Haiti: We are collecting spare change for the victims of the horrible earthquake in Haiti. We will be collecting money until Friday, 1/29. If you would like to send in a cash or check (made out to the Red Cross), please send it in a marked envelope (Change for Haiti). Thank you for your help and support for this wonderful cause!

*Volunteers: Thank you to Mrs. Crandell, Mrs. Williams, and Mrs. Tshulos for volunteering to help in the classroom. I am still looking for any volunteers (parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc) to help read and write in small groups or one on one during our daily center time (Mon-Thurs 2:00-2:20). You can come one day a week, one day a month, or more if you can! Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 1/25: Math: Ch. 20 Customary Measurement Test

* Fri. 1/29: Spelling: List 19 Test

Math: 8's multiplication timed test

Cosmic Capers: 9:30-11:00

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to discuss summarizing and sequencing as we finish reading Lost and Found. We will work on an extended response to this story, as well as other ISAT test preparation.

*English: We will continue to study adjectives (ch 4).

*Spelling: We will work on list 19 this week. This list focuses on words spelled with "or". There will be a test on Friday.

*Science: We will continue to talk about the water cycle and weather this week. We will learn about CLOUDS! The students will enjoy the presentation "Cosmic Capers" on Friday. This will review all that we learned in our space unit!

*Social Studies: We were very impressed with the wonderful culture day presentations this week. It was so interesting to learn about each other's cultures and traditions. Thank you for all of your hard work and effort!

*Math: We are finishing up ch. 20 today. We reviewed the chapter today and the ch. 20 test will be on Monday 1/25. We will begin ch 21 Metric measurement next. We will focus on 8's multiplication next week (be sure to study your facts every night...they are getting harder!)

Thank you for checking out my blog this week! Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 1/18-1/22

2010-01-15T12:22:00.001-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Volunteers: I am still looking for volunteers (moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents) who would like to come read and write with the students in small groups or one-on-one from 2:00-2:20 during our center time Mon-Thurs. Please contact me if you can come once, weekly, or here and there. Thanks!

*Spelling Bee: Congratulations to Bobbi Cole and Andrew Alfini for making it as our classrooms top 2 spellers. They will compete against the other top 2 spellers from each 3rd grade classroom on Fri. 1/22. Great job to all students for their hard work, wonderful spelling, and great support!

Upcoming Events:

*Mon. 1/18: No School: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

*Wed. 1/20-Thurs. 1/21: Social Studies: Culture Day Presentations (your child will present on one of the days-see their packet to see what day they signed up for)

*Fri. 1/22: 3rd grade spelling bee 8:10 am: Bobbi and Andrew will represent our class
Reading: Lost and Found vocab review
Math: 7's multiplication timed test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will begin summarizing as we read the story Lost and Found by Mark Teague. We will also read some of his other fun and silly books. We will introduce the vocabulary words early this week and there will be a graded review over the words on Fri. 1/22.

*English: We will begin our chapter on adjectives (ch 4).

*Spelling: We are on list 17. This is another review week, so there is not a list that goes home to study. Instead, we will focus on the spelling rules from the last 7 lists. Workbook pages will be assigned on Tuesday to be completed by Thurs. The review test will be on Fri.

*Science: Ask your child to show you the 4 movements for the water cycle! We will continue to study the water cycle and weather next week.

*Social Studies: We are coming to the end of chapter 3. Instead of an end of the unit test, we will end the unit with Culture Day! This is an exciting and fun activity that the students and teachers enjoy. Your child is presenting on Wed. 1/20 or Thurs. 1/21 (they have their date written down in their packet). Please send your child to school with any notes, visual aides, and props that they will need on the day of their presentation. I can't wait to learn more about each child and their culture!

*Math: We began chapter 20: Customary Measurement.
We will focus on:

length

weight

capacity

temperature

The ch. 20 test is tentatively set for Mon. 1/25. Then we will begin ch. 21: Metric Measurement. We will also work on 7's multiplication this week. The facts are getting more tricky, so please spend some time each night studying multiplication facts. Thank you!

Thank you for checking out my blog this week. Enjoy the long weekend and "warmer" weather!

~Mrs. Olsen

Week of 1/11-1/15

2010-01-08T12:30:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends:

Happy New Year! I hope that you had a wonderful, relaxing winter break!

I hope 2010 brings you happiness and good health!

*IOWA Testing: We will be taking the IOWA Basic Skills Tests Mon. 1/11-Wed. 1/13. There will be testing every morning during reading and english and every day during math. There is no studying or at home preparation for these tests, but as always, be sure your child gets a full nights rest and eats a healthy breakfast each morning! If you would like to send in healthy "brain" food or drink for the class during the week, that would be much appreciated!

Some ideas are:

pretzels, goldfish crackers, crackers, 100% juice boxes, fruit, veggies.

Thanks!

*Volunteers: I am still looking for parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, etc volunteers to come to the class during our center time. We have centers Mon-Thurs from 2:00-2:20. If you know of anyone that would be interested in coming in once a week or more, please let me know!

* Friendly Letters: The students are learning to write friendly letters this week. If you would like to send a friendly letter to the school (mail or hand delivered), the office will give it to me and I can make a special delivery to your child. This would be a great treat during IOWA's week if you sent in a note wishing him/her good luck on the tests. Thanks for your participation in this fun activity.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 1/11-Wed. 1/13: IOWA Testing

*Fri. 1/15: Math: 6's multiplication timed test

*Mon. 1/18: No School: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

*Wed. 1/20 and Thurs. 1/21: Culture Day Presentations

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be testing during reading Mon-Wed. We will end the week with some ISAT practice on problem/solution, genre, and word work. Our next story will be Lost and Found and focus on summarizing.

*English: We will be testing during english Mon-Wed. We will end the week with a practice extended response while we read Ruby the Copy Cat. Our next unit will begin the following week when we begin chapter 4: adjectives!

*Spelling: There is no spelling this week! We will start with list 17 the following week. This will be a review week.

*Science: We are studying weather (ch. 9). Next lesson: the water cycle.

*Social Studies: We will be finishing up ch. 3 this week when we focus on lesson 4: citizenship. There will not be a chapter test. Instead, your child will present on their culture. The plan sheet for culture day is due Mon. 1/11. Please email me with any questions. Thanks!

*Math: We will be testing during math Mon-Wed. We will still practice multiplication this week as we focus on the 6's. There will be 6's timed test on Friday. We will begin measurement next (ch 20).

Thank you for checking out this week's blog!

Stay warm this weekend and enjoy the snow!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 1/4-1/8 2010

2009-12-18T15:10:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Thank you to everyone for making my holidays merry and bright! I really appreciate the gift cards and will enjoy using them over the break. I wish you all a happy, relaxing, and fun holiday season and see you in 2010!

*Reading Incentive Programs: A note was sent home about the Six Flags Reading program. This is optional, but if your child would like to read for 6 hours by Feb. 19th and record the books and times read, they can earn a free ticket to Six Flags for this summer. There is also another reading program, Ozzie's Reading Club, where you can child can earn a ticket to the Kane County Cougars game. A note will be sent home for this after break. You can use the same reading time for both programs, so READ, READ, READ!

*Spelling Bee: A packet of words to study for this years spelling bee was sent home this week. More information about the dates of the bee will be sent home after break.

UPCOMING EVENTS

*Thurs. 1/7: Math: Ch 5 Time Test

*Fri. 1/8: Spelling: List 16 Test

English: Friendly Letter Graded Review

Math: 4's multiplication timed test

A LOOK AHEAD

*Reading: We will be working on summarizing and sequencing. We will also work on problem/solution, genre, and word work in our ISAT workbooks.

*English: We will be focusing on friendly letter writing. We will learn the 5 parts of a friendly letter, how to address an envelope, and write some letters of our own.

*Spelling: We are going to begin on list 16 when we return from break. These are 1+1+1 words (one vowel, one consonant, and one syllable). There will be a test on Friday.

*Science: We will begin chapter 9 on weather when we return from break. First lesson: the world's water and the water cycle.

*Social Studies: We will continue chapter 3 with lesson 3 on immigration and culture.

*Math: We will continue chapter 5 on time. We will focus on the calendar. There will be a test covering all of the time lessons (6-10) on Thurs. We will also work on 4's multiplication. Keep your multiplication facts sharp by studying them over the break!

Enjoy your family and friends this holiday season. We have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for my great students! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

~Mrs. Olsen

Week of 12/14-12/18

2009-12-10T10:25:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends:

*Scholastic Book Order: December book order is due Monday, 12/14.

*Bowling: We will be bowling for gym class on Tues. 12/15. Thank you all for turning in permission slips-we are all accounted for! You may send $3-5 for your child to purchase a treat at the snack bar. We will be coming back for lunch, so we will allow one treat per child. You may want to send a sack lunch that day since your child may not be as hungry.

*Volunteers Needed: If you are interested in helping tie roller skates for the roller skating unit in gym class the 2 weeks following winter break, please contact Ms. Stainman via email at tstainmain@ccsd66.org. Thank you!

* Tivoli Movie: Again-100% of permission slips have been turned in! Thanks! We will enjoy a movie on the last day of school before winter break. We will be eating lunch in the classrooms on Fri. 12/18. Hot lunch will be available or you can send your child with a sack lunch.

*Thank you: Thank you to everyone for donating gifts to our adopted family! We had quite a pile of gifts to be delivered to the family. What a great feeling to know we helped to make their holidays bright!

*Please be advised that as of January 4, 2010 there will be a price increase in the student hot lunch program. The price of hot lunch will be $2.50 per meal.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

Jr. Achievement #4

*Thurs. 12/17: Jr. Achievement: Last Session

Math: Elapsed Time Graded Review

3x Multiplication

*Fri. 12/18

English: Chapter 3 Verbs Test

Holiday Concert Assembly

Tivoli Movie 12-2 pm

WINTER BREAK BEGINS...See you in 2010 =)

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on The Mysterious Giant of Barletta next week with an extended response question. We will also work on some holiday projects with The Grinch.

*English: We will finish up our verbs unit.

We will focus on irregular verbs and contractions with not.

A study guide will be sent home Wed.

The final test will be Fri.

*Spelling: This week we will work on a special holiday word list.

The list will come home Monday. As a holiday treat, there will not be a test this week. =)

*Science: When we return from break we will begin our unit on weather.

*Social Studies: We will continue to learn about why people move as we read and

study Chapter 3. We will focus on moving to new communities and learning about new cultures.

*Math: We will work on the second half of chapter 5- Time. We will get through most of the lessons before break. We will take a graded review on elapsed time before break and continue studying time when we return in January. We will work on 3's multiplication. The test will be on Thurs. 12/17, since we will not meet for math on Fri. 12/18.

Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!

Mrs.Olsen

Week of 12/7-12/11

2009-12-03T23:23:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Thank you: It was great to meet with everyone during parent teacher conferences this week! I look forward to a great winter and spring with your children!

*Thank you to Miss Millbrandt for a wonderful few months together and a fabulous job of student teaching! We had a wonderful surprise party for her on Thurs. and celebrated together as she begins her next journey.
Thank you to all of the families who made the day possible!
Thank you to Mrs. Peloso, Mrs. Williams,
Mrs. Hougaard, and Mrs. Burisek for attending the party.
Thank you to all of the families who provided good food, supplies, and games for the party.
We will miss Miss Millbrandt very much!

*Volunteers Needed: I am looking for parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, friends who would like to come into the classroom to work with the students as we read and write. I am looking for volunteers Monday-Friday from 2:00-2:20. I would be interested in contacting a senior citizen group, church group, or any interested friends or family to work with us in the classroom. Please email me if you are interested or have any contact information for people or groups that may be interested. Thank you!

*Service Project: Listed below are all of the wonderful gifts we received for our adopted family. If you happen to be holiday shopping this weekend and can donate a gift for the family, it is greatly appreciated. All gifts are due to school by Tuesday 12/8. Thank you in advance for your generosity! Thank you to those of you who have already donated!!!!

4 year old boy:
puzzle
book
pencil
crayons
coloring books
Mr. Potato Head
electronic dog
Candyland

11 year old girl:
craft kit
lip gloss
2 bracelets
scrapbook kit
notebook
pajama bottoms
socks

Mom:
candle
bracelet

Grandma:
picture frame
bag

Dad:
pajama bottoms

Family:
Gift card to Ultra Foods
Yahtzee Game

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK :

*Mon. 12/7: Jr. Achievement Day 2

*Tues. 12/8: Science: Chap 1o Space Test
Service Project Gifts are Due

*Thurs. 12/10: Jr. Achievement Day 3
Math: Math Graded Checkpoint on Money

*Fri. 12/11: Reading: The Mysterious Giant of Barletta Vocab quiz
Spelling: List 14 test
Math: 5's and 10's multiplication timed test

*Mon. 12/14: Book Order Due

WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will begin a new strategy focus: making connections. We will use Tomie dePaola's story The Mysterious Giant of Barletta to introduce this strategy. We will explore many more of his books. A vocab. list will be sent home early in the week and the quiz will be on Friday.

*English: We will continue to work on verbs. We will also begin introducing the 6 traits of writing.

*Spelling: We will be on list 14 this week: irregular words past tense. We will have a test on Friday, 12/11.

*Science: We are finishing up our space chapter. We will play a review game on Monday. The final test will be on Tuesday. The next unit....weather!

*Social Studies: We will begin our the next unit: Chapter 3: People move from place to place.

*Math: We will continue to work on money this week, focusing on counting change (The Olsen Classroom Store will be open on Monday to work on this skills!) and adding and subtracting money. We will take a chapter checkpoint on money on Thurs. We will then begin time. We will also work on 5's and 10's times tables: both will be tested on on Friday.

Thank you for checking out my blog this week. Enjoy your long weekend!
Mrs. Olsen

Weeks of 11/23-12/4

2009-11-20T08:58:00.001-06:00

Odds and Ends

* Thanksgiving Break: We will enjoy friends, family, and good food for the Thanksgiving break Wed. 11/25-11/27. Classes will resume on Mon. 11/30. Happy Turkey Day!

*Conferences: Parent teacher conferences will be held Mon 11/30, Tues. 12/1, and Wed. 12/2. An email was sent to confirm your date and time. If you have not responded to the email, please do so! Thank you!

Also, sent home today was a green note for you to fill out as a pre-conference form. Please look for it in your child's binder. Please send it back before your scheduled conference date. This will help to address the areas you would like to discuss during your 15 minute conference. Thanks!

*White envelopes: Please don't forget to send in the special note if you have not already! Email me if you have any questions about this! Thanks!

*Tivoli Movie: We will be going to see a special holiday movie on Fri. 12/18 at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove. The cost is $3. Please send in $3 and the signed permission slip next week if you have not already. Thank you!

*Character Counts Gives Back! The Prairiview staff and students have a yearly tradition of giving back to the community at this time of year when we have so much to be thankful for. A note was sent home this week about our service project (on green paper). As a class, we have "adopted" a family who has a child with cancer. Due to financial struggles and spending the holidays at the hospital, we are going to help to make their holidays special. Here are the ages of our family:

4 year old boy (cancer patient)
11 year old girl
Mom
Dad

Grandmother

Please send any new, wrapped items (labeled with a sticky note with the name or age of person the gift is for and what it is). We will then collect the items in the classroom and it will be delivered to the family before the holidays. I will keep items we receive posted so we can see what family member needs what and to avoid doubles. Please have your items in by Tuesday, December 8th. Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS

*Tues. 11/24: English: DOL Quiz #5
Science: Chapter 10 Lesson 3 Open Book Review

*Wed. 11/25-Fri. 11/27: No School: Happy Thanksgiving!

*Tues. 12/1: Report Cards Sent Home

Social Studies: Downers Grove/Chapter 12 Test

*Thurs. 12/3: Spelling: List 13 Test

*Fri. 12/4: No School

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will focus on point of view and author's purpose as we look at fairy tales and "fractured fairy tales" (familiar stories with twists). We will work on writing familiar fairy tales from a different point of view.

*English: We will work on point of view stories as we write creative stories about Thanksgiving from the turkeys point of view. We will begin chapter 3 on verbs on Mon. 11/30.

*Spelling: There will be no spelling next week due to the holiday. We will begin list 13 on Mon. 11/30 and test on Thurs. 12/3.

*Science: We are working on finishing our space chapter. We will finish learning about planets and constellations. A study guide will be sent home on Mon. 11/30. The final test will be on Tues. 12/8. Our next unit will be weather.

*Social Studies: We are almost done with our Downers Grove/Ch 12 unit. Below is a picture of our visit with Dr. Tiede. He talked to the students about his job as a superintendent. We learned so much-Thanks, Dr.Tiede!

A study guide was sent home today. The final test will be on Tues. 12/1. We will reviewing for the test in class. Our next unit will be ch. 3: immigration and culture.

*Math: We are done with problem solving and t-charts for the moment! The students did a great job on this concept! Way to go! We will begin chapter 5 on Mon. 11/23. We will work on money and then time.

We will also begin multiplication timed tests, starting with 2's. A packet outlining our schedule will be sent home. We will focus on a times tables each week, working up to 12 and then mixed facts tests. Every Friday will be a timed test for a grade (10 points) . If your child does not pass, retakes will be offered the following week (1 point deducted each day of retake).

Gobble, Gobble!
We are so thankful for each and every student.

You make our days special and bright!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Millbrandt

Yearbook Update

2009-11-16T09:50:00.000-06:00

Yearbook:

Now's the time to place your orders. Yearbooks are $10.00 and the deadline for your orders is Tuesday, December 1, 2009. Please make checks payable to Lifetouch. Please make sure your student's name, teacher's name and grade level are marked on the order form. If you have multiple students, please fill out one for each child. Yearbook order forms went home with your child on November 12th and there are a few extra envelopes available; please try not to lose them. If your child loses it, you can send an envelope with the following information on it: student's name, teacher's name and grade level along with a check made payable to Lifetouch for $10.00. It is very important that you put the information on the envelope; Lifetouch does not know who your child's teacher is.

Prairieview Yearbook orders are not paid for at registration!

Week of 11/16- 11/20

2009-11-13T13:06:00.001-06:00

Odds and Ends

*YEARBOOK: Now’s the time to place your orders. Yearbooks are $10.00 and the deadline for your orders is Tuesday, December 1, 2009. No orders will be accepted after that date. Please make checks payable to Lifetouch. Please make sure your student’s name, teacher’s name and grade level are marked on the order form. If you have multiply students, please fill out one for each child. Yearbook order forms went home with your child on November 12th and there a few extra envelopes available; please try not to lose them. If your child loses it, you can send an envelope with the following information on it: student’s name, teacher’s name and grade level along with a check made payable to Lifetouch for $10.00. It is very important that you put the information on the envelope; Lifetouch does not know who your child’s teacher is.

Prairieview Yearbook orders are not paid at registration!

*Scholastic: November Book order is due Fri. 11/20. Please order online so our classroom can earn free books!

*Special White envelopes: Please remember to have your child complete the activity and return the white envelope by Fri. 11/20. Please email me if you have any questions!

UPCOMING EVENTS

*Tues. 11/17: English: Ch 2 Nouns Test

*Wed. 11/18: Reading: The Keeping Quilt Comprehension and Vocabulary Quiz

*Thurs. 11/19: Picture Retakes

*Fri. 11/20: Spelling: List 12 Test

Math: Problem Solving: Make A Table and t-chart Quiz

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will continue working on our new strategy: self-questioning. We will read The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco and talk about author's viewpoint and how point of view can change the story. There will be a comprehension and vocabulary quiz on this story on Wed. 11/18. Please study the 10 vocabulary words given to your child this week.

*English: We are finishing up ch 2 on nouns. There will be a cumulative graded test on Tuesday, 11/17. We will do some Thanksgiving poetry writing and point of view writing for the next few days. Your child will write a creative story about how Thanksgiving feels from the turkey's point of view!

*Spelling: We will be on list 12 this week. This week's rule is adding ed to make past tense verbs.

There will be a test on Friday.

*Science: We are busy working on planets. Ask your child about the special way remembering the order of the planets: My Very Special Mother Just Served Us Nachos! The end of the unit test is scheduled for Tues. 12/8. This is a lengthy unit, so we will continue to review the topics we talked about earlier in the chapter: moon phases, seasons, etc.

*Social Studies: We had a great trip on our field trip to Downers Grove! It was awesome for the students to see their lessons come alive as we visited the places we talked about in class. We will continue to discuss modern day Downers Grove and talk about local government using chapter 12 in the textbook. The end of the unit test is scheduled for Tues. 12/1.

*Math: The students are busy learning about writing t-charts and solving word problems. This is a tricky concept that we will revisit throughout the year. Please use the in class samples when completing homework each night. The problems and sample t-charts are very similar to the problems sent home for homework and will help out tremendously when working on these at home. The quiz on this unit is on Fri. 11/20. They will have to solve 3 problems (one problem for each type of table discussed in class) and then choose one problem to write a t-chart on. They will be able to use some of their samples done in class to help them.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Millbrandt

Week of 11/9-11/13

2009-11-06T09:20:00.000-06:00

Odds and Ends

*Downers Grove Field Trip: We will take our Downers Grove Field trip on Tuesday, 11/10. Please have your child dress appropriately for walking outside. We will take a bus tour that makes stops where we get off of the bus and walk. We will also be walking around downtown Downers Grove. Please wear gym shoes, long pants, and layers on top in case they get warm/cold. If your child did not want pizza, please remember to send them with a sack lunch! Also, if you would like to send your child to school with $5-8 to buy something downtown, please do so on Tuesday.

Thank you to the following parents for volunteering to join us: Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Burne, Mrs. Crandell, Mrs. Lukacik, Mrs. Hougaard, and Mrs. Burisek. Please be at school by 9:00 am. We will board the buses at 9:15. Thanks!

Any parents would would like to meet us for lunch can meet us at Giordano's Pizza on Main Street in Downers Grove at 11:45.

*Scholastic Book Order: November book order is due Fri. 11/20. If you would like to save any books as gifts, please email me and I won't send the book home. I will keep it for you to pick up in the office. Thanks!

*Special White Envelopes: Please remember to have those turned in by 11/20. Email me if you have any questions!

UPCOMING EVENTS

*Mon. 11/9: English : DOL 4 Quiz

* Tues. 11/10: Downers Grove Field Trip

*Wed. 11/11: NO SCHOOL: Veteran's Day

*Thurs. 11/12: Lakeview Character Counts Assembly

*Thurs. 11/19: Picture Retakes (have a check/order or your photo packet for retakes)

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will begin a new strategy, self-questioning. This skill teaches students the importance of asking "thin" (literal) and "thick" (inferential) questions as they read to monitor their understanding and connect with the text. We will combine this skill with visualizing, clarifying, and predicting-all things great readers do! We will begin with the story The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

*English: Next week in English, we will be continuing our study on nouns. We will do many activities with proper nouns, and common nouns. Monday we will have a D.O.L quiz. The quiz will test the students on abbreviations of Months and titles of names (Mr., Miss, Mrs.). They will also be tested on putting commas where appropriate in a series.

Mrs. Cuzzone says thank you for helping your students with their Proper/Common Nouns picture assignment this week. They turned out great, and really helped the children recognize the difference between proper and common nouns.

*Spelling: Due to the field trip and shortened week, there will be no spelling this week. We will use that time to catch up in science and social studies.

*Science: We are on our last lesson for space! Next week we will be learning about the planets, and what order they are in. We will also learn about the inner and outer planets. Students will be exploring similarities and differences between the planets.

*Social Studies: We are finished learning about the history of Downers Grove, and now we will start looking at modern day Downers Grove and the local government. On Tuesday we will be going to Downers Grove to to see all the fun things we have been learning about!

*Math: We are finished with subtraction! Next week we will begin working on problem solving and T-charts. A pink packet will be sent home on Monday explaining what T-charts are and what we use them for. Each day in class your child will receive worksheets on how to do the problems; they will be stapled to the child's homework for guidance.

Week of 11/2 -11/6

2009-10-29T08:34:00.000-05:00

Enjoy some photos from our Matter Matters Presentation. We were watching dry ice create a witches' brew! Spooky!

Odds and Ends

*Thank you to the following parents for making our Halloween party a blast! We appreciate your time and energy to make our party so much fun!

Mrs. Hougaard

Mrs. Peloso
Mrs. Lukacik

Mrs. McCallion

Mrs. Crandell

*Picture Retakes: The date for picture retakes has changed to November 19th, instead of November 5th. If you would like your child to retake their photo or if you missed ordering photos the first time, please send in the photo packet (coming soon) or check and order with your child on November 19th. Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS

*Fri. 10/30: No School: Teacher Institute

*Tues. 11/3: Math: Chapter 4 Test

*Fri. 11/4: Spelling: List 11 Test

Reading: Cause and Effect Graded Review
Social Studies: Downers Grove History Quiz

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will begin a new skill focus this week as we focus on cause and effect. We will read a variety of books as we discuss cause and effect. There will be a graded review of this skill on Friday.

*English: The student's descriptive writing about haunted houses was "spook-tacular!" The students really enjoyed applying all that they learned about descriptive writing into this creative activity. We will begin a new unit on Nouns next week.

*Spelling: We will work on list 11 next week. The focus is on double consonants in the middle of words. The students will have a test on Friday.

*Science: We will continue to work on space and begin studying the planets in the solar system.

*Social Studies: We will continue our study of Downers Grove as we explore the Underground Railroad and the historic Tivoli Theatre. The quiz covering the history of Downers Grove is scheduled for Friday, November 6th. A study guide was sent home with your child today.

*Math: We will be finishing chapter 4 subtraction this week. The test is Tuesday, 11/3. We will begin problem solving: make a table. This will be an introduction to writing t-charts: a skill that has the students write what they did and why as they solve a word problem. Look for a packet coming home next week explaining this skill. We will also be begin taking subtraction timed tests for a grade on Monday. Any retakes after Monday will result in a one point deduction.

Thank you for checking out our blog. Have a spooky, safe, and FUN Halloween!!

~Mrs. Olsen and Miss Millbrandt

Week of 10/26-10/30

2009-10-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends

*Downers Grove Field Trip: Please send in your child's permission slip and money for this trip, if you have not already. We are set to go on November 10th. I have 6 chaperons, so thank you to Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Hougaard, Mrs. Burisek, Mrs. Burne, Mrs. Lukacik, and Mrs. Crandell for volunteering to help. If you would like to meet us at Giordano's for lunch, you may meet us at the restaurant in Main Street at 11:45.

* Recycling: Our class is helping out the environment and Prairieview School in a very responsible and caring way! We have continued the recycling program that my class started last year. Each Tuesday, we go to each classroom to collect plastic bottles, cans, and other non-paper recyclables that the students and teachers have been putting into special boxes. Then Mrs. Olsen takes the large garbage bags full of recycling home to recycle. Each week we save two huge garbage bags full of recyclables from going into the landfill. Way to go!

*Picture Retakes: If you would like to have your child retake their school photo OR missed ordering photos the first time around, we will have photo retakes on November 5th. If you want to retake, please send a check and order form with your child OR the old photo packet to turn in for retakes. Thanks!

* Blank Books: Please send in $2 if you would like me to purchase a blank book for your child. If you went to Let's Learn or The Chalkboard, please send the book in with your child so I know who has one. Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Thurs. 10/29: Spelling: List 10 Test

Halloween Festivities: Parade 12: 30

Classroom Party/Pumpkin Decorating 1:00-1:30

All School Assembly 1:30-2:15

*Fri. 10/30: No School: Teacher Institute Day

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

*Thurs. 11/5 : Photo Retakes

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

*Reading: We will continue to work on fact and opinion and clarifying this week. We will also so some spooky partner reading activities to build fluency. Also, please send in a 3 ring binder. I still have many students who have not yet brought one in. Thanks!

*English: We will continue to work on descriptive writing as we write our haunted house paragraphs. Next up...nouns!

*Spelling: We will work on list 10. This list focuses on words ending in double consonants. A list will be sent home Monday and the students will take a graded test on Thursday.

*Science: Students will learn about solar and lunar eclipses this week.

*Social Studies: We will continue to explore the history of Downers Grove. Next up...Underground Railroad.

*Math: We will continue to work with ch 4 subtraction. We will focus on subtracting across zeros and problem solving. The test is scheduled for Tues. 11/3. We will also begin taking the subtraction timed test for a grade on Mon. 11/2.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Millbrandt

10/19-10/23

2009-10-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends

*Scholastic Order: October book order is due Friday, October 23rd. Please place your order online so we can earn extra classroom books!

*Binders: Please be sure to help your child clean out the "keep at home" section of the binder each night. Many students are carrying around too many papers, making it hard to keep their binders organized. Thank you for your help!

* 2 Supplies Needed:

1. Blank Book: We will be using blank books for writing. If you would like to purchase one, please go to Let's Learn or the Chalkboard. If you would like me to order one for you, please send in $2 before November 1st. If you have already purchased one, please send it in to school so I can keep track of those students who still need books. Thank you!

2. 3 ring binders: We are still waiting for many students to bring in a new or old 3 ring binder. Any color or design is fine! We will use these to make reading/writing portfolios. Thank you!

*Downers Grove Field Trip: A permission slip will be sent home Monday for our upcoming field trip on Tuesday, November 10th. If you are interested in chaperoning the trip, please email me or fill out the bottom portion of the permission slip. Volunteers will be chosen on a first come, first serve basis. The trip will be from 9 am - 2 pm. Parents who are unable to chaperon can meet us for lunch at Giordano's in downtown Downers Grove at 11:45 am. Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS

*Tues. 10/20: English: DOL #3 Quiz: Book Titles and Introductory Words

* Thurs. 10/22: Reading: Seal Surfer Vocab Quiz

*Fri. 10/23: Spelling: Analogy Test

Scholastic Book Order Due

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK

Reading: Next week the students will be reading Seal Surfer. Monday the students will receive a list of vocabulary words that correspond with the story. On Thursday they will have a quiz over the words.

English: The students will continue working on descriptive writing. Towards the end of the week the students will receive a rubric for a descriptive paragraph they will write. We will be writing the paragraph in class and present them the following week. The students will also take a DOL #3 quiz. The quiz will cover book titles and introductory words. A study guide was sent home Friday.

Spelling: Next week we will be taking a week off of spelling and work on analogies. The students will receive a packet on Monday, and each day we will do an activity in class. On Friday, they will have a quiz on analogies.

Science: The students have been learning about moon phases in Science this week. Next week, we will continue with moon phases and learn about solar/lunar eclipses.

Social Studies: We started learning about Downers Grove this week and who founded Downers Grove. We will continue learning about the history/government next week and the weeks following.

Math: In Math, the students began subtraction. We will continue with estimating, regrouping, and subtracting across zeros. The students will start practicing subtraction mad minutes next week.

Enjoy the weekend and sunshine (hopefully!) =)

Mrs. Olsen and Miss Millbrandt