Classroom Issue 15

Happy Holidays!

I want to thank everyone for being so thoughtful and generous this holiday season. Thank you for thinking of me for the holidays. I wish you all a safe, fun, and relaxing holiday and we see you next year to start the second half of 3rd grade =)

Lunch Reminder: FORGOTTEN LUNCHES: Starting in January, 2008 students who do not have a lunch ticket or money will be able to borrow from the office providing there is not an outstanding balance due for lunch tickets. If your child forgets his/her hot lunch ticket or has used them all, he/she may bring $2.25 to school and purchase a ticket that day from the office staff. Students must have exact change to purchase a ticket; no change will be given. If a child has no lunch, no money and the parent cannot be contacted, he/she may borrow from school office, but only twice per trimester. Students will no longer be able to borrow lunch tickets from the lunchroom staff.

Upcoming Events:

We will be celebrating respect in the month of January. Please wear yellow on Friday!

Also, our December reading party will be held on the Thursday of the week we return to school. Please remember to keep track of any reading you do over break so you can join us for our classroom reading party! Thanks!

A Look at Our First Week Back to School in 2008

*Math: We will spend a week in problem solving when we return from break. We will be working with logical reasoning, as well as revisiting t-charts. We will work on 3's multiplication when we return. It's always a good idea to practice your multiplication facts over the long break.

*Science: We will continue with the remaining activities covering the states of matter. We will work on condensation, the water cycle, and physical and chemical changes.

*Social Studies: We will be starting Chapter 3 of the textbook when we return. We will explore the traditions and cultures of people around the country and world.

*Spelling; We will be on list 15 when we return from break. There will be a pretest on Monday and the final test will be on Friday.

*Reading: We will start of the year with another story from our basal reader. This story will focus on the sequencing strategy and summarizing.

*English: When we return from beak we will revisit narrative writing. Your child will be asked to write about a special event that happened over winter break. Have fun thinking of a topic to write about! We will then begin unit 3 on verbs.

Thank you for visiting our website. I hope you enjoy the snow and the time you spend with your family and friends! I will see you next year!!!

Miss Carlstrom =)

Classroom Issue 14

*Odds and Ends*

*Field Trips: Thank you to everyone for sending in their field trip forms for the Polar Express and bowling. Both of these fun trips will take place next week. Please ask your child if they have not yet turned in the forms so you can do so by early next week.

*Roller Skating in Gym: The students will be roller skating in gym class following winter break. Ms. Stainman is looking for parent volunteers to help tie skates. The dates are 1/8-1/22. You can come in as many or as few times as you'd like and you may help in your child's class or any other class. Please email Ms. Stainman or myself if you can help out. Thank you!

*Thank you! Thank you to any parents who baked the delicious cookies enjoyed by all of the staff at this years cookie exchange! I always look forward to this day and love all of the home baked goodies. Thanks!

Upcoming Events!!

We have a busy week ahead =)

*Mon. 12/17: Choir and Band Holiday Concert at 1:15

*Tues. 12/18: Science: Bring in insulator for in class science experiment (ask your child for the cup and note explaining assignment given to them today in class)

*Wed. 12/19: Science: Matter Quiz covering activities 1-5

*Thurs. 12/20: Reading: Egypt Vocab. Test

Math: Chap 4 Time Test

BOWLING in the afternoon

*Fri. 12/21: Reading: Egypt Test

Math: 5's and 10's multiplication timed tests

No spelling test this week!

Polar Express at Tivoli in the afternoon (please pack a sack lunch!)

A LOOK AT OUR WEEK:

*Math: We are continuing to work in chapter 4, focusing on time. We will spend most of next week working with elapsed time, a tricky concept for the students. We will test out of time on Thursday, 12/20. We will continue chapter 4 following break, focusing on measurement. They will not be tested on time at the end of chapter 4, only measurement. We will also work on 5's and 10's in multiplication. These are easier facts for the students and we are learning all of the tricks in class =) Please see the note and schedule sent home with your child today about multiplication. The timed test for both the 5's and 10's will be on Friday, 12/21. Thanks!

*Science: We are having a blast learning about the states of matter. We worked on melting ice quickly and next week we will see if we can melt the ice slowly (using insulators), look at gases and liquids, and talk about evaporation. We will do activities 1-5 in class and there will be a short quiz covering the concepts learned in these activities, as well as the steps to an experiment. We will be reviewing a lot in class, playing games, and doing various assignments to help the students understand these areas better. The quiz covering this material will be on Wed. 12/19. A study guide has been sent home to be used to help your child prepare for the quiz. Also, please ask your child about the insulator they will be creating at home using the cup I provided for an experiment on Tuesday. Thanks!

*Spelling: This week we will focus on Egyptian words. There will be no pretest and no final test on Friday. We will work with these words as we work on alphabetical order, cursive writing, and grammar lessons.

*Reading: The students are enjoying reading about the discovery of King Tut's tomb in the book Tut's Mummy. We will focus on Egypt a lot next week as we finish up our Ancient Egypt unit. There will be a short vocabulary graded review on Thurs. 12/20 ( a list of words to know is in their reading folder) and a final test on Fri. 12/21. A study guide will be sent home on Monday. We will spend next week learning more about this fascinating civilization.

*English: The students did a wonderful job on their personal narratives. They loved sharing them in our "Author's Chair" on Friday and I was very impressed with their stories. We will take a short break from English this week as we focus on Egypt.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Miss Carlstrom

Classroom Issue 13

Odds and Ends

* THANK YOU to all of the families who brought in gifts for Lutherbrook and our adopted family. Your kindness and generosity helped to make many childrens' holidays bright! We were able to collect an overwhelming amount of gifts and gift cards...we filled 5 boxes/bags! Thank you again for making this service project such a huge success!!

*Box Tops: We are continuing to collect box tops. Please send them in...perhaps our class can keep the lead in having the most collected!

*Winter Weather: Now that the snow and cold winds are here, please remind your child to dress appropriately for school and outdoor recess. We will continue to go out as long as it is not too chilly, wet, or windy. For your child to be allowed to play and roll in the snow, they must have snow pants and boots. They may walk in the snow if they have boots. If they do not have boots on, they must stay on the blacktop during recess. Don't forget to send in mittens, scarves, and hats to keep them toasty and warm! Also, please send in a bag large enough to carry their snow gear. Thanks for your help!

*Japan Day was a fun filled day as we learned about another culture. Thank you to those who sent in treats to share. They were enjoyed by all!

*Friendly Reminder: If you have not already sent in permission slips for bowling and Polar Express, please do so as soon as possible! Thanks!

Upcoming Dates:

*Tues. 12/11: Miss Carlstrom's Math Class: Chapter 3 Test

*Thurs. 12/13: English: Final Draft of Personal Narrative Due (we will do most of the work in class, but if not done in class, will have it for homework)

*Fri. 12/14: Spelling: List 14 Test

Miss Carlstrom's Math Class: 2's Multiplication Timed Test

English: Author's Chair: Share Narratives

Spirit Day: Friday, 12/14 is Prairieview Spirit Day. Show pride in your school by wearing Prairieview gear or our school colors, green and gold!

~A Look At Our Week~

*Math: We are finishing up Chapter 3 this week (adding and subtracting greater numbers). A study guide was sent home on Thursday. The final test will be on Tuesday, 12/11. Our next unit will be chapter 4, time and measurement. We will finish time before winter break.

We have also started multiplication. I sent home a packet of the times tables. We will work on a times table each day, starting with the 2's next week. We practice each day in class, starting on Monday. Every Friday there will be a timed test (for a grade-10 pts). The timed test is 26 problems in 2 minutes. Each week I send home a practice page full of sample problems for that week's number. Please use this sheet to practice timing your child. I can always send additional sheets home for practice. Flashcards also work great! Your child will pass on Fridays if the miss 0 or 1. If they miss more than 1, they will retake the next week (Mon-Thurs), deducting a point each day they retake. Remember if they are retaking the test, they still need to be practicing the new facts for that week. Before break we will work on the 2's and 5's. Thank you for your help and cooperation at home.

*Science: We will be starting a new hands-on unit on the States of Matter next week. This unit involves a lot of experiments where the students will learn the steps of a scientific experiment as we explore the different states of matter.

*Social Studies: We will be taking a break from Social Studies as we focus on Science. The chap 2 test has been graded and will be passed back next week. They did a fantastic job learning about different types of communities!

*Reading: We are continuing to explore Ancient Egypt. We have learned about some important people from Ancient Egypt, including Cleopatra. We will begin reading about one of the most well known Egyptians, King Tut, in a book called Tut's Mummy. This book will allow the students to practice their reading strategies as they learn about a fascinating part of history. The students will also be receiving Egypt vocabulary words they will be responsible for knowing.

*English: The students are doing a fantastic job on their personal narratives. We are almost done with our rough drafts and will begin editing our papers. We will edit and peer edit next week, revise our papers, and have our final drafts done by Thursday so we are ready to share them in the Author's Chair on Friday. This is an exciting time to show off our hard work and great writing!

*Spelling: Next week we will be on List 14, irregular past tense words. There will be a pretest on Monday and the final test on Friday. Keep up the wonderful work studying your words!

Thank you for checking out our classroom blog and keeping updated on our classroom happenings! Have a safe and fun weekend in the snow!

Happy Winter~

Miss Carlstrom

Classroom Issue 12

Odds and Ends:

*Parent-Teacher Conferences: Thank you all for your time and support during last week's conferences. It was great to see you all and have a chance to discuss the most important little people in our lives...the students! If you have any questions or comments regarding your child's progress in school, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or voicemail. Thank you!

*Service Project: We are still collecting gifts and gift cards for our school wide service project. Our "adopted" family for the holiday season includes 3 year old Madison (a cancer patient), her 14 year old sister, Jozelyn, and her parents. So far we have collected the following items:


Madison:
Dora Memory Game

Candyland

Jozelyn:

journal

candle holder

Mom:

lotion

bracelet

slipper socks

Dad:

no gifts have been received

Family:

Christmas tree lights
Target gift card

Lutherbrook Foundation:

Target gift card

Please remember to send in any gifts by Wednesday, December 5th. Let's work to be caring and make the holidays bright for our family and the children at Lutherbrook! Thank you!

*Bowling: A permission slip has been sent home about our gym field trip to the bowling alley. We will be going bowling in the afternoon on Thursday, December 20th. There is no cost for this trip, but you may send a little money for your child to purchase a drink or snack from the snack bar. Please send the permission slips as soon as possible. Thank you!

*All Aboard! In lieu of classroom holiday parties this winter, we will be going to see The Polar Express movie at the Tivoli theater in downtown Downers Grove on Friday, December 21st. We

are excited about this special holiday event! If you signed up to bring a snack for that party, I will be contacting you about bringing a snack to share with the class during lunch that day.

Upcoming Events:

*Wed. 12/5: Social Studies Chapter 2 Communities Test

*Thurs. 12/6: Japan Day: Please bring in your pillow, dress in a robe, Kimono, or any other Asian apparel, and bring an Asian dish to share (if you would like) as we explore another urban community today.

Reading Party: Those students who have completed reading 28 days for the month of November are invited to attend this reading party. Look for more details to be sent home regarding lunch for the party. Thank you!

*Fri. 12/7: Spelling: List 13 test

A Look at Next Week:

*Math: We are continuing on in Chapter 3 this week as we subtract greater numbers. We will be working on subtracting across zeros as well as problem solving with greater numbers. The final chapter 3 test is scheduled for Tuesday, 12/11.

*Science: There has been a change of plans...instead of starting space, we will begin our unit on states of matter in the upcoming week.

*Social Studies: We are finishing up Chapter 2 on the types of communities this week. Your child has learned about rural (Bridgewater, VA), suburban (Levittown, NY), and urban (sweet home Chicago) communities. The final test will be taken on Wednesday, 12/5. The study guide format has changed and now consists of a list of things your child should know for the test. We will spend Monday and Tuesday reviewing in class, but your child can use any papers in their social studies binder, textbook, and workbook to study. In class I showed the students how to take notes, make flashcards, or make a study t-chart to help them prepare for the test. These important study skills will help them with the rest of their academic careers!

Japan Day: As a fun culminating activity, we will be exploring another urban community by learning about Tokyo, Japan. We will learn about the Japanese culture and celebrate their traditions on Thursday, 12/6. If your child would like, they can come to school with a pillow (we will use that in place of our desks and chairs), a robe, Kimono, or other Asian apparel, and an Asian dish to share (fortune cookies, egg rolls, etc). This a fun day of learning for all!

*Reading: Walk like an Egyptian! We are continuing to work on our Ancient Egypt unit. The students have read and learned about the importance of the Nile River, the Egyptian afterlife, and more. We are continuing to practice various reading skills as we find facts and opinions, compare and contract present day and ancient Egypt, and find the main idea and details within the book.

Monthy Reading Project: The project for the months of November and December is to read a non-fiction book and design a new book cover for the book. I shared a fantastic sample with the students so they have an idea of what they could do for their project. This is due on December 14th. Thank you!

*English: We have started on our new writing unit, Personal Narratives. We are focusing on the organization of this 4-5 paragraph narrative and using our voice as we tell stories about ourselves. Your child should come to school on Monday with a great topic to write about for or first narrative.

*Spelling: We will work on List 13 this week. There will be a pretest on Monday and a final test on Friday. Keep up the good work studying!

Also, I will be looking for the student's application of the weekly spelling words in their everyday writing. I will have them be more aware of their spelling, especially the "word wall" high frequency words in their narratives. I will encourage the students to circle the words they are unsure of and go back and fix the spelling by the final draft.

Thank you for checking out our classroom blog. Have a great 3 day weekend!

~Miss Carlstrom