Week of 4/2

Odds and Ends:

Happy Spring Break! I hope you enjoy relaxing during spring break. See you back on Tues.April 2nd.

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

March 25-April 1: No School: Spring Vacation

Tues. 4/2: School Resumes
March Reading Calendar due

Fri. 4/5: Spelling: Test list 22
Math: 3's division test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK: 

*Reading: We will continue to work on our biography unit. We will work on some autobiographical projects. We will begin our poetry unit shortly.

*English: We will continue our friendly letter writing unit as we write to a celebrity of our choice. This could be an author, actor, athlete, musician, etc. We will also work on explanatory writing.

*Spelling: We will work on list 22. There will be no pretest this week. We will have homework due Thurs. and a test on Friday.

*Science:  The students will learn about the relationship between the Earth and the moon as we do ch. 10 lesson 2.

*Social Studies: We will continue our unit of study on Chicago. We will focus on the Great Chicago Fire, rebuilding of the city and the World's Fairs.

*Math: We are working on ch. 19: decimals. We will also focus on 3's division facts. The fact test will be on Fri. 4/5.

Have a great break!
Mrs. Olsen

How to Catch a Leprechaun

Take a peek at these amazing and clever traps!!!

 We can't wait to see if we can catch our very own leprechaun!

Scroll to the bottom to see what I  caught : )

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!!

Look at the leprechaun I caught : )

Sound Stations

The students explored sound with several different tools and instruments. What fun!!

Experimenting how sounds travels through solids better than air. 

Seeing sound waves and vibration in action. 

Week of 3/18

Odds and Ends: 

*Scholastic Book Order: The book order for March was due Friday 3/15. If you still would like to place an order, please do and just send me an email so I know to wait on placing an order. Thanks!

*Thank you to all who made a donation to our Food Drive. We collected a lot of food for a great cause!

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

*Tues. 3/19: Early Dismissal at 11:00 am

*Wed. 3/20: Math: Ch 7 and 18 test

*Thurs. 3/21: English: Friendly letter review

*Fri. 3/22: End of 3rd Quarter
Math: 5's and 10's division test
 Spelling: List 21 Test
Spring Break Begins!!! See you in April

*Tues. 4/2: Classes Resume

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK: 

*Reading: We will continue to work on our biography project this week. Students will be working on making posters about the person's life, as well as a poster and short speech we are going to be presenting very soon! Ask your child about this fun project that will make our biographies come "alive"!

*English: We will continue to work on writing friendly letters and expository/explanatory papers as we write about our leprechaun traps. Please remember to send your child with 2 stamps on Monday. Thank you!

*Spelling: We will be on list 21. Homework, pretest, and tests resumes this week as our normal schedule.

* Social Studies: We will continue to explore the history of Chicago as we go into the industrial revolution and the Great Chicago Fire.

*Science: The students have been officially enrolled in our Space Academy. We will work on several missions before we are ready to launch into space: )

*Math: Due to ISAT testing, I decided to postpone the ch. 7 and 18 test (Probability and Fractions) until Wed. 3/20. We will review these concepts this week. We will also work on 5 and 10 division. The test will be on Fri. 3/22. We will  begin ch. 19: decimals.

Have a great week! Happy St. Patty's Day!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 3/11

Odds and Ends: 

The Prairieview PBIS team is extending a wonderful opportunity to begin the new year with a community service project.  We will be holding a Food Pantry Drive at school for the West Suburban Community Pantry in Woodridge from March 11-15.  Boxes will be provided in each classroom to collect the non-perishable food items.  Girl Scout Troop 50251, comprised of third and fourth grade students from Prairieview, has graciously volunteered to pack up and deliver the donated food on March 16th.  Thank you in advance for your generosity of spirit and deed!

*Thank you to all of the families who sent in healthy ISAT drinks and treats! Thank you to the Ford and Topp Family. Some treats were sent in without names attached, so thank you to everyone who donated that I have not listed!

*ISATs: We will continue ISAT testing next week. The students have been working very hard and doing an outstanding job this week! Keep it up!

Mon: ISAT make ups
Tues: Math II
Wed: Reading III
Thurs: Math III
Fri: Make ups

*Book Order: March book order will be due Fri. 3/15. Please consider ordering online: you earn free book money and we earn points as a classroom that helps me build up our classroom library! Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

*Thurs. 3/14: Reading: Goal to have Biography book read with 6 facts/important dates (if applicable)

*Fri. 3/15: Spelling: List 19 Test
Scholastic Book Orders Due
Math: 2's Division test
Leprechaun Traps due

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK: 

*Reading: We began our unit on biographies this week. We are reading several biographies in class and each child selected a good fit biography book on the famous person of their choice. We are going to work to read the books and have them completed by Thurs. 3/14. The students need to focus on finding 6 "juicy" (rather than dry-ie when they were born, etc) facts that really explain the importance of the person's life and what made them remarkable. They have a recording sheet for 6 facts. The students will be responsible for listing any relevant dates/years that go along with the facts. Separate from these 6 facts, the students need to know when/where the famous person was born and deceased or if still living. We will be working in class to make timelines and a "wearable"  poster about our famous person (ask your child to explain how!). We will end the unit with each students presenting their facts as the famous person. More information coming soon as to when we will present...the unit will be wrapped up before spring break.

*English: We will work on a short friendly letter writing unit as well as expository/explanatory writing unit. We will also work to review the parts of speech with various activities. If anyone has any Mad Lib books they are not using that they would like to send in, we would love to use them as a great review tool!

*Spelling: We will be on list 19. There is a pretest on Mon. and a final test on Fri. There will be one homework assignment this week due Thurs.

* Science: We have completed our ch. 14 unit. Ask your child to see their test. We will begin our next unit: Space!

*Social Studies: We began our unit on the study of Chicago. We will focus on the great city and it's history.

*Math: We will work on problem solving this week and ch. 18 fractions. A test on ch. 7 probability and ch. 18 fractions will be on Mon. 3/18. Your child will received a study guide on Mon. 3/11. We will review the concepts in class. The next unit will be ch. 19: Decimals. Your child will also receive their division packet. We will begin with 2's division facts. We will practice them throughout the week in class and homework will be sent home to practice the facts. A timed test will be given on Friday.  Here is the schedule of facts and test days:

Fri. 3/15: 2's facts
Fri. 3/22: 5's and 10's facts
Fri. 4/5: 3's facts
Thurs. 4/11: 4's facts
Fri. 4/19: 6's facts
Fri. 4/26: 7's facts
Fri. 5/3: 8's facts
Fri. 5/10: 9's facts
Fri. 5/17: 11's/12's facts
Weeks of 5/20 and 5/27: Mixed Division facts review

Thanks for checking out our blog!
Mrs. Olsen

Week of 3/4

Odds and Ends:

*ISAT Week: We will begin ISAT testing this week. Thank you to the following families for sending in treats: Neagu, Qualizza, Motuelle, Leatherwood, and Sains. We have mints, veggie crackers,  and juice boxes.  If you can, please send in a healthy treat or 100% juice box or water bottles to school for the students to enjoy before and after ISAT testing. Some ideas: fresh fruit (oranges, apples, bananas, etc), veggie sticks, individually wrapped healthy snacks. No nuts please!


*ISATs: ISAT testing in 3rd grade will begin the week of 3/4. All tests will take place in the morning.  The schedule is as follows:

Tues. 3/5: Reading I
Wed. 3/6: Math I
Thurs. 3/7: Reading II
Fri. 3/8: Make ups
Mon. 3/11: Make ups
Tues. 3/12: Math II
Wed. 3/13: Reading III
Thurs. 3/14: Math III
Fri. 3/15: Make ups




* Cancer Smasher: We have already raised hundreds of dollars for Cancer Smashers! Thank you for your donations. We will continue to accept donations through Mon. 3/4.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Mon. 3/4: Last turn in day for Cancer Smashers
English: Ch. 4 adjectives test

Tues. 3/5:  Reading ISAT I

Wed: 3/6: Math ISAT I
Science: Ch. 14 test

Thurs. 3/7: Reading ISAT II

Fri. 3/8: Spelling: List 18 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on writing responses to what we read. We will also work on main idea and detail and summarizing. We will begin our biography unit.

*English: We will be wrapping up our adjective unit (ch 4). A study guide was sent home this week. The test is scheduled for Mon. 3/4.  Next up will be a writing unit.

*Spelling: We will work on list 18 next week. There will be a pretest Mon and the homework will be due Thurs. I will only be assigning the cursive page for the week. The test will be on Fri.

* Social Studies: We will begin our next unit on Chicago very soon!

* Science: We are wrapping up our unit on Ch. 14. A study guide was sent home this week. The test will be on Wed. 3/6. Our next unit will be space!

*Math: We have been busy writing extended responses in math (called t-charts) where students have to write what they did and why while solving a word problem. This are tricky and involves thinking in a different way. We will also continue to work on ch. 18 fractions.  A test combining ch. 7 (probability) and ch. 18 (fractions) will be announced soon. We will also be doing a lot of review over all of our math concepts this year as we prepare for ISATs.

Thank you for checking out our blog!
Mrs. Olsen

Week of 2/25

Odds and Ends:

*ISATs: ISAT testing in 3rd grade will begin the week of 3/4. All tests will take place in the morning.  The schedule is as follows:

Tues. 3/5: Reading I
Wed. 3/6: Math I
Thurs. 3/7: Reading II
Fri. 3/8: Make ups
Mon. 3/11: Make ups
Tues. 3/12: Math II
Wed. 3/13: Reading III
Thurs. 3/14: Math III
Fri. 3/15: Make ups

*Cancer Smashers: We are kicking off a fundraiser on Mon. 2/25 called Cancer Smashers. This is a fun way to raise money for cancer research. Ask your child about this fundraiser after school on Mon. Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 2/26: Early Dismissal at 11:00

*Fri. 3/1: Reading: February Calendars Due
Spelling: List 17 test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to work on responding to text using the authors ideas and our own ideas. We will also revisit making inferences and asking think and thin questions while we read. We will practice finding the main idea and details as we summarize stories.

*English: We will be working on ch. 4 adjectives.

*Spelling: We will be back on our spelling lists. There will be a pretest on Monday. The homework will be due Thurs. The test will be on Friday. We are on list 17.

*Science: We are busy in ch. 14 learning about light and sound.  The test will be tentatively scheduled for Wed. 3/6.

*Social Studies: We will begin our unit on Chicago soon!

*Math: We are working on ch. 7 probability. This is a short unit. We will work on ch. 18 fractions next. I will combine both ch 7 and ch 18 for a test to be announced at a later date. We are also working on solving word problems and writing what we did and why for each step.

We will also begin our division facts unit in the upcoming week.  I will send home a packet of all of the facts. We will focus on a fact table a week. The students will practice in class and at home. There will be division homework assigned during the week, as well as the other lesson homework. The students will take a timed fact test every Friday. They are worth 10 points. If they need to retake the test, each retake will result in a point deduction from 10 points. The will be able to retake until Thurs of the next week. We will focus on the relationship between multiplication and division and fact families, so our multiplication fact practice and lessons created a strong foundation for learning our division facts.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 2/19

Odds and Ends:

*Thank you to the wonderful parents who made our Valentine's party so much fun! The students enjoyed all of the treats and games. Happy Valentine's Day to all!
Here's my little Valentine, Liam!

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

* Mon. 2/18:  No School President's Day

*Wed. 2/19: Prefix/Suffix Graded Review
Math: Ch. 16 and ch. 22 Graded Review
Reading: Final non fiction power point presentations due

*Thurs. 2/21: Spring Picture Day

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK: 

*Reading: We have been spending a lot of time in the computer lab learning all about powerpoint, as we turn our non fiction research into a final presentation. The presentation will be due on Wed. 2/20.

* English: We are finishing up our prefix/suffix unit. The graded review will be on Wed. 2/20. Please have your child study the packet and review sheet to help them prepare. They will need to know the meanings of the prefixes and suffixes in the packet, as well as identify prefix, suffix, and root word in a word.

* Spelling: We will take another week off from spelling lists as we work on prefix suffix.

*Social Studies: Next unit: Chicago!

*Science: We are working on ch 14 as we focus on heat, light, and sound.

*Math: We will be reviewing ch. 16 and ch. 22. The following concepts will be tested on: solid figures, faces/edges/vertices (corners) on solid figures, perimeter, area, and volume. The test will be on Wed. 2/20. Look for a study guide that was sent home Friday.
The next unit will be ch. 7 probability.

Have a great, long weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

We had a blast at the party!!! Thank you to all of the parents who helped or sent in food and drinks. We heart our class!

The delicious and beautiful heart and red themed snack! Yummy! 

Week of 2/11

Odds and Ends:

*Valentine's Day Party: Thanks to many of our helpful parents, we have a great party lined up for Thurs. 2/14. The party will begin at 1:30 and go until 2:20, when we get ready for dismissal. If your child chooses to pass out valentines, please have one for each student in the class. We have 25 students. To make distributing the valentines much easier, please have your child sign only their name and please  do not write the name of each of their classmates on the card. Thank you!

*Scholastic Book Order: If you would like to order any books, please have your order turned into the classroom or online by Fri. 2/15.

*Water.org Donation: I am so proud to say we collected and donated $100 to water.org. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this worthy cause. Now several people will have access to clean water for life thanks to our help!

*PBIS: PBIS is our positive behavior incentive system that we work on at school. We practice being safe, responsible, and respectful each and every day. Please visit our social work website created by Mrs. Amedeo for great tips about PBIS behavior!  Click here to check it out:
 http://amedeosocialstars.blogspot.com

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 2/12: Social Studies: Ch 3 Test
Dental Hygiene Presentation for Dental Hygiene Month

*Thurs. 2/14: Valentine's Day Party

*Fri. 2/15: Scholastic Book Order Due

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will be wrapping up our fiction guided reading group. We will continue reviewing non fiction text features and reading non fiction books as part of a research project. We will work in the computer lab as on creating a finished project to share with our class about our research.

*English: We will continue to focus on our prefix and suffix unit. Coming up soon...adjectives and expository/informative writing.

*Spelling: There will be no list this week as we focus on our prefix and suffix unit.

*Science: We will work on ch. 14: heat, light, and sound.

*Social Studies: The students did an outstanding job on their culture day projects! Thank you for all of the hard work at home to complete this activity! I remember doing the same activity when I was in grade school and one of my fondest memories is interviewing my grandpa and having him get down a box of dusty old photographs. He was so proud of telling me about his history and sharing memories through pictures. He told many stories my mom and aunts had never even heard! I hope this activity was a bonding experience that your child will cherish forever.  Our ch. 3 test will be on Tues. 2/12. A study guide was sent home this week.

*Math: We are moving right through geometry. We will work on ch. 16 and 22 together as we learn about solid figures, perimeter, area, and volume. It will be a combined test that is tentatively scheduled for the week of Feb. 19th. More information will be sent home as the date approaches.

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Olsen