Week of 3/15-3/19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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