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

Happy Groundhog Day!!  

Spring conferences are coming up the week of February 9.  These are by teacher request only.   I have 16 conferences already scheduled.   If you feel that you would really like to sit down with me and chat, please check out Sign up Genius.  If the spots are all taken, please know that I am always available via email or phone.  Have a great weekend! 


  http://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm?go=s.signupform&urlid=10C0F4AA4AF22A5F85-spring1

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 17.  Cursive homework (for all) will be due on Tuesday.  ABC order will be due on Thursday.  Test will be Friday.   Students that test out of the regular words on Monday will have to choose 2 challenge activities, using the challenge words.  That, too, will be due on Thursday.  No test for those students.

Language Arts: We will continue our Traditions unit.  Our stories for the next couple of weeks will be Throw Your Tooth on the Roof and The Matchbox Diary.

We will continue with our Words of the Week.   Our WOW quiz will be on Friday.  

We’ll also work on prefixes and suffixes for the next few weeks.  

Social Studies: We are continuing chapter 3 this week.  Chapter 3 works very well with our language arts unit since it is about people moving from place to place, bringing their culture and traditions with them.  Look for information on our Culture Day celebration.  It will be in their binders on Monday.  We’ll have the Lesson 1 graded review on Tuesday.  Lesson 2 graded review will take place on Thursday.  Remember, students are allowed to use their books and notes.

Science:  Our final test on chapter 11 will take place on February 3.  Our “Matter Matters” in school field trip will be here on Wednesday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We have started Unit 7, “Meaning of Division.”   This is a short unit; a test will occur on Thursday, ⅖.

Important Dates:

2/4 - “Matter Matters” in school field trip

2/11 - Early Dismissal

2/12 - Valentine’s Day party

2/13 & 2/16 - No School

Have a great weekend!   Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/26/15 - 1/30/15

As much as I complain about Winter, and I do complain, it’s hard to believe we are entering our last full week of January!   Please make sure your children come to school with appropriate cold weather clothing.  We will go out at recess when the weather allows!   Gloves, hats, and scarves are a must!

If you haven’t already filled out the 5Essentials School Survey yet, here’s the link.  We really hope to get a great response from PV and we are on our way to doing just that!    Here’s the link.  https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/login/

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 16.  Cursive homework (for all) will be due on Tuesday.  ABC order will be due on Thursday.  Test will be Friday.   Students that test out of the regular words on Monday will have to choose 2 challenge activities, using the challenge words.  That, too, will be due on Thursday.  No test for those students.

Language Arts: We will continue our Traditions unit.  Our week will begin with the students creating their own square for our “keeping quilt.”   Each child will need to tell about one of their own family traditions and illustrate it.  They may need some reminders from you this weekend!   We’ll then focus on a new story When Lightning Comes in a Jar by Patricia Polacco.  

We will continue with our Words of the Week.   Our WOW quiz will be on Friday.  

We’ll also work on prefixes and suffixes for the next few weeks.  

Social Studies: We are moving on to chapter 3 this week.  Chapter 3 works very well with our language arts unit since it is about people moving from place to place, bringing their traditions with them.  

Science:   Lesson 3, chapter 11 (Matter) graded review (open notes/book) will be on Thursday.  Our final test on chapter 11 will take place on February 3.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: This week we’ll finish Topic 6, More Multiplication Facts.  The final test for this unit will be on Monday.  I’ll also be testing on the 8’s this week.  On Wednesday we’ll start Unit 7, Meanings of Division.  

Some good news!   We’ll be celebrating with a marble party on Tuesday.  The students have earned a cup of marbles and the reward will be some board game time!   I’ll also bring in a yummy treat.  Congratulations math students!    

Important Dates:

1/28 - 3rd grade Spelling Bee

2/4 - “Matter Matters” in school field trip

2/12 - Valentine’s Day party

2/13 & 2/16 - No School

Have a great weekend!   Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/19/15 - 1/23/15

It was an exciting week!   We are finished with our winter maps testing and we had a wonderful marble party!!   Remember today is an early dismissal day and Monday we are off for the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Next week we will be having two practice spelling bees in our classroom.  The top two from the 2nd bee will go to the 3rd grade bee on 1/28.  A list of words is in your child’s binder.  

Weather looks to be improving.  Hopefully our students can get back outside for recess soon!   

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 15.  Cursive homework (for all) will be due on Wednesday.  ABC order will be due on Friday.  Test will be Friday.   Students that test out of the regular words on Tuesday will have to choose 2 challenge activities, using the challenge words.  That, too, will be due on Friday.  No test for those students.

Language Arts: We will continue our Traditions unit.  We’ll focus on the story The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco.  The children have a list of vocabulary words in their writing spirals and we’ve been reviewing regularly.  There will be a quiz on Thursday.  

I've been reading aloud to the students from our anchor text, The Year of the Dog.  It’s an enjoyable story about a family living in America with roots in Taiwan.  Ask your child about it!   Our WOW quiz will be on Friday.  

We’ll work on prefixes and suffixes for the next few weeks.  

Social Studies: An open book, open note graded review of lesson 2, chapter 12, will occur on Wednesday.  There won’t be a “final” test on this chapter.  We’ll be moving on to chapter 3 at the end of the week.  Chapter 3 works very well with our language arts unit since it is about people moving from place to place, bringing their traditions with them.  

Science:   Lesson 2, chapter 11 (Matter) graded review (open notes/book) will be on Tuesday.  

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: This week we’ll continue Topic 6, More Multiplication Facts. We will finish the chapter and work on a pretest on Friday.  The final test for this unit will be on Monday, 1/26.  I’ll also be testing on the 6’s and the 7’s facts this week.

Important Dates:

1/16 - Early Dismissal (11:00)

1/19 - Martin Luther King’s Birthday (no school)

1/28 - 3rd grade Spelling Bee 

2/4 - “Matter Matters” in school field trip

Have a great 3-day weekend!   Mrs. Klacza

Week of 1/12/15 - 1/16/15

Wow, what an interesting week we've had!   I've had to make many changes to the schedule…   Read on!   Stay warm; it’s getting better!!

Our MAP testing has been altered a bit. We're taking the reading portion today and the math on Wednesday.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 14.  Rather than give the test today for this lesson, I’m going to wait until Wednesday.   There will be no new lesson next week!   I will give a homework assignment on Monday using these words.  Be prepared -- I repeat, Lesson 14 (homophones) test will be Wednesday, 1/14.

Language Arts: We will continue our new unit called Traditions.  We’ll focus on the story The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco.  Our WOW quiz will carry over from this week until next week.  We’ll review the 2 words we started on Monday, then learn the 2 new words on Tues/Wed.   The WOW quiz will be on Thursday.   

We’ll be finishing up our Verbs unit this week as well.   A study guide will be going home on Monday.  The test will be on Friday!

Social Studies: An open book, open note graded review of lesson 1, chapter 12, will occur on Tuesday.  

Science:   Lesson 1, chapter 11 graded review (open notes/book) will be on Monday.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: This week we’ll continue Topic 6, More Multiplication facts. We’ll continue our multiplication facts timed tests.  They’re getting more difficult!  Monday I’ll be testing the 3’s and Wednesday the 4’s.   Students will get 2 tries to pass and I will allow 2 errors to be considered a “pass.”  

Important Dates:

1/9 - Klacza MAP testing - Reading

1/14 - Klacza MAP testing - Math

1/16 - Early Dismissal (11:00)

1/19 - Martin Luther King’s Birthday (no school)

Have a great weekend!   Mrs. Klacza