Week of 5/3-5/7

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

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

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

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

*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

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

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