Weeks of 11/23/15 - 12/4/15

ODDS & ENDS:
Welcome to the 2nd Trimester! This blog post will cover the upcoming next 2 weeks.

Our Downers Grove Field Trip is on Tuesday, 11/24/15: We've been studying all about Downers Grove history; the first settlers, interaction with the Native Americans, the Underground Railroad, and how the community grew. 
Now we get to explore first-hand some of these important places in Downers Grove. We will be going with Mrs. Klacza's 3rd Grade Class. The forecast looks sunny, but cold. Please plan to dress your children in weather-appropriate clothing on that day, since we will be outside for part of the time. A winter coat, warm shoes, hat and gloves are recommended!

Student of the Week: No star student this week. We will choose one for our next full week of school.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Spelling:   No Spelling list this week. Students will get their new lists on Monday, 11/30. Spelling Test #6 and a new homework activities "menu" will be due on Friday, 12/11.

Reading & Language Arts:  We have begun the next Independent Reading Contract #3 - Biography. Students have selected their person/biography to read. Completed contracts will be due by Friday, 12/4 (but students may turn them in earlier than that). There will be a "spin-off" project to this Biography reading, called the Biography Trading Card Presentation. Each student will design a digital Trading Card with facts about their person and then present the information to the class. Directions to come home soon.

We have been learning about Prefix and Suffix meanings in words. Students have completed a related work packet. We will have a Prefix/Suffix Quiz on Tuesday, 11/24.
Students should review the following: PREFIX (dis-, re-, un-) and SUFFIX (-ful, -less, -ly, -ness)

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night! The November Reading Log will be due on Tuesday, December 1st. Completed reading logs are worth 10 points!

Social Science:   We are taking the History of Downers Grove quiz on Monday, 11/23. A study guide was sent home. Students can also review for the quiz by practicing on "Google Classroom Homeroom" taking the Kahoot quiz. If the students write down notes while studying for the quiz, they may use their notes for the quiz. : ) They may not use their History of Downers Grove packet for the quiz.
Next we will learn about Modern Day Downers Grove and Communities.

Mrs. Lopez & Mrs. Forsman's Math Class:  We continue Unit 3 with Multi-Digit Subtraction Story Problems. There will be a short checkpoint quiz on Monday, 11/23. The following week, 11/30, we continue with expanded notation and algorithm addition and subtraction.

IMPORTANT DATES:

11/23 - PV Roller Skating Party
11/24 - 3rd Grade Downers Grove Field Trip (Lopez & Klacza's Classes)
11/25-11/27 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)
12/17 - 3rd Grade Bowling Trip to Brunswick Zone
12/18 - Last school day before Winter Break

May you and your family enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving together!!!

- Mrs. Lopez

Week of 11/16/15 - 11/20/15

ODDS & ENDS:
The end of our 1st Trimester in 3rd Grade is coming up quickly on Friday 11/20/15. The year has flown by so far!

Our Upcoming Downers Grove Field Trip: Thank you for turning in your field trip permission slips and Giordano's Pizza lunch $. Our field trip is on Tuesday, 11/24/15. We will be going with Mrs. Klacza's 3rd Grade Class. Please plan to dress your children in weather-appropriate clothing on that day, since we will be outside for part of the time.

Student of the Week: Nedas is our "Star Student" this week. He will be sharing a poster about himself and his favorite things. We can't wait for him to share! : ) When your child is "Star Student", they will bring home a poster to complete. They can also pick a day to bring in a show-and-tell. We pick a student's name every Thursday.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Spelling:   Spelling test #5 is on Friday, 11/20. The 8 spelling activities "menu" & work are also due on Friday, 11/20. Parents, please remember to check the work and initial the 8 activities your child completes on the menu.

Reading & Language Arts:  We will begin the next Independent Reading Contract #3 - Non-Fiction (a Biography). I am putting together a list of important/historical individuals (based off books we have in our school library) to assist our students in finding a biography. They may also find a biography book at your own local library. They just need to make sure it's at their reading level. Due date to be announced. 

There will be a "spin-off" project to this Biography reading, called the Biography Trading Card Presentation. Each student will design a digital Trading Card with facts about their person and then present the information to the class. Directions to come home soon.

We are also starting our next persuasive writing piece, Turkey in Disguise! The students brought home their "turkey body" to disguise this weekend. Use what you've got at home; no need to go out and buy craft items. I've seen feathers, beads, googly eyes, cloth, construction paper, and just plain old crayons to decorate their turkeys. They need to bring back their disguised turkey by Tuesday, 11/17. We will draft and edit our persuasive letter to the farmer this week in class.

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night! The November Reading Log will be due on Tuesday, December 1st. Completed reading logs are worth 10 points!

Social Science:   We continue learning about The History of Downers Grove, Israel Blodget, The Underground Railroad and other historical sites in Downers Grove. There will be a quiz (TBA) when we finish the packet. Watch for a study guide to come home this week.

Mrs. Lopez & Mrs. Forsman's Math Class:  We continue Unit 3 with Multi-Digit Subtraction. Students use problem strings, investigations, and class forums to explore and analyze different subtraction strategies, focusing on finding the difference and removal. We will be using number lines.

IMPORTANT DATES:

11/17 - Lifetouch Picture retakes

11/20 - End of 1st Trimester
11/23 - PV Roller Skating Party
11/24 - 3rd Grade Downers Grove Field Trip (Lopez & Klacza's Classes)
11/25-11/27 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Have a great weekend!!!

- Mrs. Lopez

Week of 11/9/15 - 11/13/15

ODDS & ENDS:
Thank you, parents, for meeting with me this week!

11/11/15 is Veteran's Day - If you have a veteran in your family or friend circle, please refer him/her to Principal Pagel. We would love to celebrate our Veterans on Wednesday.

Student of the Week: Emily is our "Star Student" this week. She will be sharing a poster about herself and her favorite things. We can't wait for her to share! : ) When your child is "Star Student", they will bring home a poster to complete. They can also pick a day to bring in a show-and-tell. We pick a student's name every Thursday.


COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Spelling:   New spelling lists will be coming home this week. The 8 homework activities' due date and test will be on Friday 11/20.

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.” Students are continuing their Fiction #2 Read to Self books and working on the corresponding Independent Reading Contract. Many have already turned theirs in. The due date is Friday 11/13.

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night! The new November Reading Log has been sent home. Completed reading logs are worth 10 points!

Social Science:   We continue our Downers Grove unit this week. There will be a short quiz when we are done reading, highlighting, and discussing.  We’ll be focusing on modern day Downers Grove very soon.  A test combining the history and modern day will follow once we have wrapped up both packets.

Mrs. Lopez & Mrs. Forsman's Math Class:  We.re continuing Unit 3: Multi-Digit Addition & Subtraction! We will use tools like Base-10 blocks & Number lines and number concepts like Standard form & Expanded form. The checkpoint quiz will be on Thursday 11/12.

IMPORTANT DATES:

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute Day (no school)
11/20 - End of 1st Trimester
11/24 - 3rd Grade Downers Grove Field Trip (Lopez & Klacza's Classes)
11/25-11/27 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Have a great long weekend!!!

- Mrs. Lopez

Week of 11/2/15 - 11/6/15

ODDS & ENDS:
What a fun Halloween Party & Parade we had!!! A HUGE thank you to Mrs. Johnson (Ella's mom & our Room Parent) for putting it all together. Thank you to Ms. Kerrigan (Eli's mom), Mrs. Major (Michael's mom), and Mrs. Jotautas (Nedas' mom) for leading us in all of the spooky activities! And to Ms. Whirl (Sam's mom) and Mrs. Wade (Serenity's mom) thank you for the delicious treats. We gobbled them up!

Parent-Teacher Conferences: They are afternoon/evenings of Monday Nov. 2, Tuesday Nov. 3, and Wednesday Nov. 4. Most of you have already signed up.  If you haven’t, please email me so we can set something up.

ClassDojo: We're trying out the behavior and study skill online program, ClassDojo. Almost everyone is logged in. Your feedback has been fantastic.

Student of the Week: Serenity is our "Star Student" this week. She will be sharing a poster about herself and her favorite things. We can't wait for her to share! : ) When your child is "Star Student", they will bring home a poster to complete. They can also pick a day to bring in a show-and-tell. We pick a student's name every Thursday.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Spelling:   Spelling test #4 is on Thursday, 11/5. The 8 spelling activities "menu" & work are also due on Thursday, 11/5. Parents, please remember to check the work and initial the 8 activities your child completes on the menu.

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.” We're finishing up Myths. Students are continuing their Fiction #2 Read to Self books and working on the corresponding Independent Reading Contract. Many have already turned theirs in. The due date is 11/13, but we may finish up earlier than that... I'll keep you posted.

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night! The new November Reading Log will come home this week. Completed reading logs are worth 10 points!

Social Science:   We begin our new unit, The History of Downers Grove!

Mrs. Lopez & Mrs. Forsman's Math Class:  We start Unit 3: Multi-Digit Addition & Subtraction! The first math module (or chapter) covers Rounding and Multi-Digit Addition. We will start with a pre-assessment on Monday to see what our students already know & areas on which to focus our lessons. We will use tools like Base-10 blocks & Number lines and number concepts like Standard form & Expanded form.

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

11/2-11/4 - Parent-Teacher Conferences

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute Day (no school)
11/20 - End of 1st Trimester
11/24 - 3rd Grade Downers Grove Field Trip (Lopez & Klacza's Classes)
11/25-11/27 - Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Happy Halloween & Have a great weekend!!!

- Mrs. Lopez

Week of 10/26/15 - 10/30/15

ODDS & ENDS:
Our classroom Halloween Party & Parade is this Friday, Oct. 30th from 1:10pm to the end of the day. The school parade starts at 2:10pm. Our Room Parent is working hard with our party volunteers to make it a great celebration! Students will change into costumes at 1:10pm.  Costumes need to be brought in a bag on Friday.  We will change in the classroom (boys and girls will be separated.)   Please make sure your child’s costume can easily be worn over their clothes.  No toy weapons please!!

Parent-Teacher Conferences: They will be afternoon/evenings of Monday Nov. 2, Tuesday Nov. 3, or Wednesday Nov. 4. Most of you have already signed up.  If you haven’t already grabbed a slot, do so quickly!!

ClassDojo: We're trying out the behavior and study skill online program, ClassDojo. Many parents and students have logged in. The kids are so excited to get feedback and to customize their own Dojo character. Once your logged in, not only will you see how your child is doing in class, but you will also receive class reminders & updates (in any language when you access ClassDojo online at www.classdojo.com). The App is also available for iOS and Android.

Student of the Week: Jokubas is our "Star Student" this week. He will be sharing a poster about himself and his favorite things. We can't wait for him to share! : ) When your child is "Star Student", they will bring home a poster to complete. They can also pick a day to bring in a show-and-tell. We pick a student's name every Thursday.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Spelling:   New spelling list #4 is coming home this week. The 8 spelling activities "menu" & work are due on Thursday, 11/5. The spelling test will be that same day (11/5).

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.” This week's focus is Myths. Students are continuing their Fiction #2 Read to Self books and working on the corresponding Independent Reading Contract. Many have already turned theirs in. The due date is 11/13, but we may finish up earlier than that... I'll keep you posted. The next Read to Self/Independent Reading Contract will be a Biography.

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night! October reading logs will be due Mon. 11/2. Completed reading logs are worth 10 points!

Social Science:   In Chapter 9/Lesson 3 we've been learning about Weather. We'll take an open-book quiz on Lesson 3 on Monday 10/26. Then we will take a Chapter 9 Test covering all Lessons 1, 2, and 3 on Thursday 11/29. The study guide came home on Friday. The Chap. 9 Test will not be open-book.

Mrs. Lopez & Mrs. Forsman's Math Class:  We're into Unit 2: Multiplication! This next math module (or chapter) covers multiplication story problems using Graphs & Multiple Operations. Our Unit 2 Test will be this Friday 10/30. The Pre-Assessment Study Guide went home for practice. We encourage students to finish it and bring it back to school by Wednesday 10/28 & then we will send home the answer key to check their work/understanding. The pre-assessments are very similar to the unit tests, so if they understand the problems in the pre-assess, they should do very well on the unit tests.

IMPORTANT DATES:

10/30 - Halloween Parade & Classroom Parties

11/2 - 11/4 - Parent-Teacher Conferences

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute Day (no school)

Have a great weekend!!!

- Mrs. Lopez

Week of 10/19/15 - 10/23/15

ODDS & ENDS:
It's Fall: Can you believe that we're half-way through October? Halloween is almost here! Our classroom Halloween Party & Parade will be Friday, Oct. 30th from 1:10pm to the end of the day. Our Room Parent is working hard with our party volunteers to make it a great celebration! Students will change into costumes at 1:10pm. More info to come. *note: costumes that slip over their regular clothes are best

Parent-Teacher Conferences: They will be afternoon/evenings of Monday Nov. 2, Tuesday Nov. 3, or Wednesday Nov. 4. Watch your emails this week to sign-up online for a conference time with me through Sign-Up Genius.

Student of the Week: Michael is our "Star Student" this week. He will be sharing a poster about himself and his favorite things. We can't wait for him to share! : ) When your child is "Star Student", they will bring home a poster to complete. They can also pick a day to bring in a show-and-tell. We pick a student's name every Thursday.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Spelling:   The 8 spelling activities "menu" & work are due on Friday, 10/23. The spelling test will be that same day (10/23).

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.”  We're focusing on complex text using a short monster story. We began our writing project: descriptive and persuasive writing. The students are "persuading" a pretend movie producer to buy their haunted house for use as a filming location.

We read the book A Girl with a Cape by Amy Logan. It tells the story of how one little girl changed everyone around her just by being kind. I challenged our class to do the same thing. : ) We will have two fifth graders from our school's Ambassadors Club read Amy Logan's sequel book, A Girl with a Cape and Her Jar of Pennies to our class this week.


Students are reading their next "good fit" fictional book #2 and will be completing their 2nd Independent Reading Contract (creative activities based on their book to check for comprehension & understanding of the story, as well as, some vocabulary and word work). These should be completed by 11/13/15 (before Thanksgiving Break).

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night! October reading logs will be due Nov. 1st. Completed reading logs are worth 10 points!

Social Science:   In Chapter 9/Lesson 2 we've been learning about the steps of The Water Cycle. We did an experiment to see how the cycle works. We'll take an open-book quiz on Monday 10/19. We will begin Lesson 3: What is Weather? this week.

Mrs. Lopez & Mrs. Forsman's Math Class:  We're into Unit 2: Multiplication! This next math module (or chapter) covers multiplication strategies & story problems using Ratio Tables and the Multiplication Table.

IMPORTANT DATES:

10/30 - Halloween Parade & Classroom Parties

11/3 - 11/5 - Parent-Teacher Conferences

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute Day (no school)

Have a great weekend!!!

- Mrs. Lopez

Week of 10/12/15 - 10/16/15

ODDS & ENDS:

It's Fall: Enjoy this 3-Day weekend! Happy Columbus Day!

The weather is getting cooler: Please have your child wear a jacket or sweatshirt hoodie to school on these cooler days. They are having PE and Recess outside.

Student of the Week: Alana is our "Star Student" this week. She will be sharing a poster about herself and her favorite things. We can't wait for her to share! : ) When your child is "Star Student", they will bring home a poster to complete. They can also pick a day to bring in a show-and-tell. We pick a student's name every Thursday.

COMING UP THIS WEEK:

Spelling:   The new spelling lists are coming home. The 8 spelling activities "menu" & work are due in two weeks on Friday, 10/23. The spelling test will be that same day (10/23).

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our first unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.”  The Fables focus on the "moral", or lesson, of the story. We will be starting our next writing project: descriptive and persuasive writing. The students will be "persuading" a pretend movie producer to buy their haunted house for use as a filming location.

Students will start reading their next "good fit" fictional book #2 this week and completing their 2nd Independent Reading Contract (creative activities based on their book to check for comprehension & understanding of the story, as well as, some vocabulary and word work). These should be completed by 11/13/15 (before Thanksgiving Break).

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night! October reading logs will be due Nov. 1st. Completed reading logs are worth 10 points!

Social Science:   In Chapter 9/Lesson 2 we've been learning about the steps of The Water Cycle. Check out our Google Classroom Homeroom to watch our video! We'll take an open-book quiz on Monday 10/19.

Mrs. Lopez & Mrs. Forsman's Math Class:  We're into Unit 2: Multiplication! We'll take a Checkpoint Quiz on Tuesday 10/13, to gauge the students' understanding of the skills and concepts presented so far. This next math module (or chapter) covers Multiplying with Arrays & Number Lines.

IMPORTANT DATES:

10/12 - Columbus Day (no school)

10/15 - Fall Book Fair/Taffy Apple Sale

10/30 - Halloween Parade & Classroom Parties

Have a great weekend!!!

- Mrs. Lopez