Odds and Ends:

* Thank you to everyone who sent in ISAT treats for the students. We really appreciate your generosity!

*Spring Conferences: It was great to meet with many of my math students parents this week to discuss your child's progress. Please feel free to contact me any time with questions, concerns, comments, or great news!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Fri. 3/9: No School

*Mon. 3/12: ISAT Make ups

*Tues. 3/13: Math II ISAT test

*Wed. 3/14: Reading III ISAT Test

*Thurs. 3/15: Math III ISAT Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will work on fluency and expression with readers theatre. We will also begin a new novel study.

* English: We will finish up our expository writing unit. We will be "publishing" our research papers on severe weather.

* Spelling: Due to ISATs, there is no spelling this week.

*Science: We will learn about eclipses and the moon this week.

*Social Studies: We will continue our study of Chicago history.

*Math: We will work on problem solving this week and review concepts from previous lessons.

Have a great weekend!

Week of 3/5

*Odds and Ends:

*ISATs are here: We will be taking the ISATS the week of 3/5 and 3/12. The schedule for our class is below:

Wed. 3/7: Math I and Reading I
Thurs. 3/8: Reading II

Tues. 3/13: Math II
Wed. 3/14: Reading III
Thurs. 3/15: Math III
Fri. 3/16: Make Up Tests

*Conferences: Spring conferences will take place Tues. 3/6 and Wed. 3/7 with your child's math teacher. I am looking forward to meeting with parents to discuss their child's progress this year.

*ISAT Snacks: If you would like to send in healthy, prepackaged snacks or 100% juice boxes for the class during ISAT testing, it would be much appreciated! The snacks and juice will be given to the students during testing to "refuel" their brains. Thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Mon. 3/5: No School

*Tues. 3/6: Conferences

*Wed.3/7: Math ISATs
Reading ISATs
Conferences

*Thurs. 3/8: Reading ISATs

*Fri. 3/9: No School

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading; We will work on extended responses this week.

*English: We will continue to work on expository writing this week. Students are researching types of severe weather as a connection to one our science units.

*Spelling: No spelling this week.

*Science: We will learn about the importance of the moon and Earth's relationship with the moon.

*Social Studies: We began our unit on Chicago. We will learn about the history of Chicago next week.

*Math: We will work on problem solving and review concepts throughout the year this week to prepare for ISATs.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs.Olsen

Week of 2/27

Odds and Ends:

*PBIS Food Drive Donation: Gather up your change and help those in need! Please send in $1 to help us raise money for our local food pantry. Each dollar helps us reach our goal to purchase one ton of food to be donated! Thank you!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 2/28: Early Dismissal at 11:00

*Wed. 2/29: Happy Leap Year!!!

*Thurs. 3/1: Feb. Reading Calendars Due

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will focus on reviewing all reading strategies next week as we prepare for the ISATs. We will also practice writing the extended response.

*English: We will work on our expository writing. We will write a paper on our own about severe weather.

*Spelling: We will not have spelling this week. We will work on vocabulary and word building activities this week.

*Science: We are learning about seasons. Ask your child what the reason for the seasons is! (ask to see the cool foldable we made in class!). We will continue our study of space this week.

*Social Studies: We will begin our unit on Chicago.

*Math: We are working on fractions. We will focus on fractions and reviewing concepts from throughout the year this week.

Have a wonderful weekend in the beautiful snow together!
Mrs. Olsen

week of 2/21

Odds and Ends:

*Valentine's Day: Thank you to everyone for helping make our Valentine's Party a hit! Thank you to Mr. Hoffman, Mrs. Messina, Mrs. Sprandel, Mrs. Veselak, Mrs. Cibulka, and Mrs. Harmon for their hard work! We had a LOVEly time =)

* No School: Mon. 2/20: Happy President's Day!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Wed.2/22: Math: Ch 7 Probability Graded Review

* Fri. 2/24: Prefix/Suffix graded review

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will continue to focus on main idea and detail as we finish our African American Scrapbooks. We will also work on extended responses.

*English: We are working on our partner expository paper. We will also begin one on our own.

*Spelling: We are working on prefixes, root words, and suffixes. There will be a graded review on Fri. 2/24.

*Science: 3...2...1...Blast off! We will begin our study of space!

*Social Studies: Sweet Home Chicago...We will begin our Chicago unit soon!

*Math: We are working on ch 7 Probability. We will take a graded review on ch. 7 on Wed. 2/22. We will begin ch 18: Fractions.

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Olsen

Week of 2/13

*Happy Valentine's Day! We will be celebrating Valentine's Day with a classroom party on Tues. 2/14 in the afternoon. We know it will be so much fun thanks to all of the parents who are planning it! If your child would like to pass out Valentine's, there are 24 students in our class.

*Book Order: Feb book order is due 2/20. Every online order helps our classroom earn free books! Thanks for your orders!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Tues. 2/14: Valentine's Day Party 1:30-2:20

*Thurs. 2/16: Social Studies: Ch 3 Test

PE: Floor Hockey Test

*Mon. 2/20: No School: President's Day

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will work on reviewing all of the strategies, focusing on main idea and detail, as we research for our African American scrapbooks. We will work on our scrapbooks in class. We will also be working on writing extended responses.

*English: We are working on expository writing. We wrote one paper as a class and students will work with a partner this week to complete their next paper.

*Spelling: We will work on prefix/suffix this week. There will be no spelling list or test this week. The prefix/suffix unit will last into next week. The test will be announced soon!

*Science: We just finished our unit on water and weather. We will begin our next unit on space soon.

*Social Studies: We are finishing up our studies on culture and immigration. The culture day presentations were outstanding and we learned so much about each other's family and culture. Great job to the students on their hard work and preparation. It was a huge success! The ch 3 test will be Thurs. 2/16.

*Math: We are working on ch 22: area, volume, and perimeter. We will take a graded checkpoint on ch 16 (solid figures, net figures ("unfolded" solid figures), edges, faces, vertices(corners)) and ch 22 on Tues. Students will be able to use their notes on this graded review. Next we will begin probability (ch. 7).

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Olsen

Week of 2/6

Odds and Ends:

Book Order: Feb. book order due 2/20.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Tues. 2/7: Science: Ch 9 Test

Thurs. 2/9: Social Studies: Culture day Presentations

Fri. 2/10: Social Studies: Culture Day Presentations
Spelling: List 16 Test

A LOOK AT NEXT WEEK:

*Reading: We will work on compare and contrast as we read a Seal Surfer. We will also look at main ideas and details as we work on an African American non fiction book project and scrapbook.

*English: We are working on expository writing.

*Spelling: List 16: homework and test Friday!

*Science: We are wrapping up ch. 9. The test will be Tues. 2/7.

*Social Studies: Hope culture day planning is going well. Please email with any questions or comments! I am looking forward to the presentations on Thurs and Fri.

*Math: We are working on geometry topics. We will combine ch 16 and ch 22 looking at solid figures, perimeter,area,and volume.

Have a great weekend!
Mrs.Olsen

week of 1/30

Here is a picture of when Dr. Tiede came and spoke to our class about being a community leader.
Here are the winners of our classroom and grade level spelling bees! Congrats Matthew and Amogh!
Odds and Ends:

*Cancer Smashers: We extended the fundraiser until Monday! Thank you for your contributions! If you would still like to donate, you can send in your money on Monday or donate online. Way to go!

*School Calendar Update:

Friday, February 17, was originally scheduled as a Teacher Institute-- that is not the case any longer. We will be in school that day.

We do have a Teachers' Institute on Tuesday, March 20.

Also, Friday, May 18, (not Thursday, May 17th) is another Early Dismissal/SIP Day

Upcoming Events:

*Mon. 1/30: Reading: Novel vocabulary quizzes

* Fri. 2/3: Spelling: List 15 Test

A Look at Next Week:

*Reading: We will work on reviewing our strategies this week. We will finish up our novel studies. We will work on extended responses and applying our knowledge about reading strategies to a variety of literature.

*English: We will begin our expository writing unit.

* Spelling: We are on list 15 this week. The test and homework will be on Friday.

*Science: We are learning about types of weather this week. Ask your child about the Cloudy Serenade we sang in class this week!

*Social Studies: Culture day information was sent home last week. Your child's idea worksheet is due on Mon. 1/30. The presentations still be on Th. 2/9 and Fri. 2/10 (depending on what date your child chose). We will continue to study immigration and culture in class. We will focus on Ellis Island and Angel Island this week as we discuss early immigration.

*Math: We will study lines, angles, and shapes this week (ch 14). We will also review past concepts and continue to review multiplication.

Enjoy your weekend!
Mrs.Olsen

Week of 1/23

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

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

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