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

Happy Halloween everyone!   I look forward to our party and parade later today.  Thank you to all the moms/dads who worked so hard to put together our classroom party: from food, beverages, and paper goods to games!!  The children are very excited!!  Enjoy the actual day trick or treating tomorrow.  I hear rain is in the forecast.   Booooooo….

Conferences will be held this coming week November 2 - 4.  I look forward to sitting down with each of you and discussing your fabulous children.  

If anyone has a veteran in their family, we are inviting veterans to come into PV on Veteran's Day, 11/11, to say the Pledge of Allegiance with our students. If you do, please let me or Mr. Pagel know.

We are also looking for a parent representative to help our PBIS team by organizing various charitable events throughout the school year. Let me know if you are interested and I'll connect you with the appropriate people.

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday, November 5.  Student work should be written on a sheet of notebook paper and everything stapled to the pink “menu.”  The students will also be tested on 15 of the words in their “sorts.”  

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing “Tales as Old as Time.”  This week, we’re finishing up myths.

Students will be choosing a new “good fit” book on Monday.  Biographies will be the next genre for the Independent Reading Contract.  Those will be distributed on Tuesday.

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!  October Reading Logs are Due on Monday.  November logs will be going home on Monday as well.   

Social Studies: We continue our Downers Grove unit this week.

Science:   We’re on hiatus!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class: We begin Unit 3 this week.  We’ll focus on rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100.  Our first checkpoint quiz for this new unit will be on November 11.

Important Dates:

10/30 - Halloween parade & party

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute (no school)

11/22 - Downers Grove Field Trip

11/23-11/25 - Days off for Thanksgiving

Have a great SPOOKY weekend!

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

Friday is the Halloween party/parade.  I can’t wait to see what our party moms have in store for us!   The party will begin around 1:10; the parade will follow at 2:10.  Hopefully the weather is nice so we can walk around outside. 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 weapons please!!  

Conferences will be held November 2 - 4.   Most of you have already signed up, yay!   If you haven’t already grabbed a slot, do so quickly!!   

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday, November 5.  Student work should be written on a sheet of notebook paper and everything stapled to the pink “menu.”  The students will also be tested on 15 of the words in their “sorts.”  

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing “Tales as Old as Time.”  This week, we’re focusing on myths.  We’ll also be continuing/finishing our writing project, a “Haunted House for Sale” story.  The children are persuading a movie director to buy their haunted house for a scary movie!!   I’m hoping to see good, descriptive language throughout the piece.  

Students are actively reading their good fit books during Read to Self.  The entire book must be read before continuing the rest of the Independent Reading Contract.  The October contract and activities will be due on Friday, October 30.   Please make sure your child is bringing that book to and from school every day!

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!  October Reading Logs are Due on November 2.

Social Studies: We started our Downers Grove unit this week.  Ask your child about Pierce Downer!

Science:   We’re on hiatus!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  This week, we’ll finish our multiplication chapter, focusing on multiplication strategies.  Our final test for this unit will be on Friday, October 30.   On Monday, a pre assessment will be coming home for students to complete.  On Tuesday, I’ll send home the answer key so students can check their answers.  The test will look very much like the pre-assessment.  

Important Dates:

10/30 - Halloween parade & party

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute (no school)

Have a great weekend!

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

October is flying by and before you know it, Halloween will be here!  I’ve sent emails to those parents who signed up to host our party on the 30th.  I hope the preparations are going well.  Conferences for home room students’ parents will be held the first week of November.  Sign ups will be coming out soon.  Enjoy the brisk Autumn weather this weekend!

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday, October 23.  Student work should be written on a sheet of notebook paper and everything stapled to the pink “menu.”  The students will also be tested on 15 of the words in their “sorts.”  Please refer to the pink letter I am sending home today for more details.  Starting next week, I won’t be sending home the explanation letters.  

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing “Tales as Old as Time.”  This week, we’re focusing on complex text using a short monster piece.  We’ll also be continuing our writing project, a haunted house for sale story.  The children are persuading a movie director to buy their haunted house for a scary movie!!   I’m hoping to see good, descriptive language throughout the piece.

Students are actively reading their good fit books during Read to Self.  The entire book must be read before continuing the rest of the Independent Reading Contract.  The October contract and activities will be due on October 30.  

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!

Social Studies: We’ll be starting our Downers Grove unit this week.  

Science:   The final test for chapter 9 will take place on Tuesday.  On Monday, we’ll play a science review game.  I’ve told the students I take the questions right from the test during the game, so they really need to listen CAREFULLY!!   Hopefully, your child brings his/her textbook home to reread and study. They can stay home til after the test.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We’ll continue our multiplication chapter, focusing on multiplication strategies.  I’ll be grading a work sample Tuesday.  Please make sure you’re checking your child’s grades on line!  

Important Dates:

10/30 - Halloween parade & party

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute (no school)

Have a great weekend!

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

It’s been a great week and I am really looking forward to the 3-day weekend!  Enjoy the beautiful Fall weather with your families!!

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The next pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday, October 23.  Student work should be written on a sheet of notebook paper and everything stapled to the pink “menu.”  The students will also be tested on 15 of the words in their “sorts.”  Please refer to the pink letter I am sending home today for more details.  Starting in 2 weeks, I won’t be sending home the explanation letters.  

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing “Tales as Old as Time.”  This week, we’re continuing fables, particularly focusing on the “moral” of the story.  We’ll also be starting our next writing project, a haunted house for sale story.  The children will have to persuade a movie director to buy their haunted house for a scary movie!!   

Students have all chosen their “good fit” fiction novel for October and are actively reading it during Read to Self.  The entire book must be read before continuing the rest of the Independent Reading Contract.  I graded the September contracts with each individual student, emphasizing how they can rock the October activities!!   These will be due on October 30.  

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!

Social Studies: We’re on hiatus.

Science:   This week, we’ll continue chapter 9 on the water cycle.  We’ll have an open book/open note graded review for lesson 3 on Thursday.  The final test for chapter 9 will take place on October 20.  Notice, this is a change from last week’s blog date.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  Our chapter on multiplication is in full swing.  We’ll continue the whole idea of “groups” this week.  Our short checkpoint quiz will now occur on Tuesday.  This is a change from last week’s blog.  

Important Dates:

10/9 - Early Dismissal (11:35)

10/12 - Columbus Day (no school)

10/30 - Halloween parade & party

Have a great 3-day weekend!

Week of 10/5/15 - 10/9/15

Mr. Pagel reminded us yesterday at our Pride awards that we are almost halfway through the 1st trimester of third grade!  Can you believe it?  Hopefully, grades are being monitored on line.  If you are having problems doing so, please call the office.  Also, make sure your child is wearing his/her jacket to school; it’s chilly outside!!  

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday, October 9.  Student work should be written on a sheet of notebook paper and everything stapled to the pink “menu.”  The students will also be tested on 15 of the words in their “sorts.”  Please refer to the pink letter I sent home last week for more details.  

Reading & Language Arts:  We are continuing our first unit of study, “Tales as Old as Time.”  This week, we’re starting fables, particularly focusing on the “moral” of the story.  We'll be reading The Tortoise and the Hare! We’re also studying point of view; students will be writing their own version of Cinderella from another character’s point of view.  

Students are in the process of choosing their “good fit” fiction novel for October.  Once they’ve chosen their books, students should begin their October Independent Reading Contracts with their predictions.  Then, the entire book must be read before continuing the rest of the contract and activities.  They will be due on November 2. Keep in mind, that students are working on this daily in class during Reading stations!!

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!   October logs went home yesterday.

Social Studies: We’re on hiatus.

Science:   This week, we’ll continue chapter 9 on the water cycle.  We’ll have an open book/open note graded review for lesson 2 on Tuesday.  The final test for chapter 9 will take place on October 15.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  Our chapter on multiplication is in full swing.  We’ll continue the whole idea of “groups” this week and end with a short checkpoint quiz on Friday, 10/9.   

Important Dates:

10/9 - Early Dismissal (11:35)

10/12 - Columbus Day (no school)

10/30 - Halloween parade & party

Have a great weekend!