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

Welcome to Trimester 2!!   This blog will cover the 2 days next week and also the following full week.  We’ll be going on our field trip to learn more about Downers Grove on Tuesday.  The forecast looks sunny but cold.  Some of the tour is outdoors so please make sure your child is dressed accordingly.  A winter coat, good shoes, hat, and gloves are a must!   

Happy Thanksgiving a little early!  May this time with your family and friends be joyful and filling :)

Coming up this week:

Spelling:    Big news!!!  The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is changed.  Please check it out on Monday, 11/30, when your child brings it home.  I am requiring only 6 activities over the 2 week time period, but they are lengthier.   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.” The next due date for homework is 12/11.  The test will also take place on that date.   NO SPELLING NEXT WEEK!!

Reading & Language Arts:  Monday our students will be presenting their "Biography Person Pouch" presentation to the class.  They will be reading their information from the trading card we made yesterday.  The directions were given out a few days ago.  Students should be practicing their reading and should also bring in artifacts (in a pouch/bag) and, perhaps, wear some type of costume to represent their bio person.  It should be fun!   I will be grading the children on how they present their trading card and how well they “become” their person.  

The week of 11/30 we're on to our new unit, What is Culture? We'll introduce the unit with a close read of the song "Circle of Life" from the Lion King.

Biography book contracts are due on or before 11/30.   Please remember students only have to do 2 tasks in each column.  Next month, we'll be reading non-fiction books.

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!

Social Studies: We will finish our Downers Grove unit the week of 11/30.  There will be a short test on DG history and modern day DG on Thursday, 12/3.  There will be a study guide coming home on 11/30, but they may not use it for the test. It's strictly to help the children study at home.

Science:   We’re on hiatus!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We continue Unit 3 this week, focusing on 3 digit subtraction story problems.  There will be a  short checkpoint quiz on Monday, 11/23.  A study guide (with practice problems) is going home today.  We’ll then continue the unit the week of 11/30 with expanded notation and algorithm addition and subtraction.  I’m looking at Wednesday, 12/9, as the test date for Unit 3.  

Important Dates:

11/22 - Downers Grove Field Trip (Klacza/Lopez)

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

12/17 - 3rd grade bowling trip

12/18 - Last day before holiday break!

Have a great weekend!

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

We are coming very close to the end of Trimester one.  This year is truly flying by.  Our Downers Grove field trip is a week from Tuesday.  Please make sure your child dresses for the weather.   It should be fun!

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on or before Friday 11/20.   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.”  Next trimester we will be using a new menu of tasks.

Reading & Language Arts:  This week we will work on our biographies unit. Students have been using a planning packet to eventually create a trading card.  Explicit directions are in your child’s homework pocket.  They will be presenting as their “biography person” on Monday, 11/23.  This does not have to be memorized, simply read from their final product, the trading card.  However, a costume and/or artifacts are necessary.  Most of this work will be done at school, but practice will be necessary at home :)

Next week we will also be working on a very quick writing project pertaining to Thanksgiving.  Today you will see a bare turkey coming home.  Students need to “disguise” him so the farmer leaves him alone!!!   These will be due on or before Tuesday.  Students will then write a short persuasive writing piece convincing the farmer that they are not really turkeys!!   I will explain this project to the children today.  It’s not necessary to buy any crafty items, just use what you have at home.  I’ve seen feathers, beads, googly eyes, cloth, construction paper, and just plain old crayons used.  

Biography book contracts are due by 11/30.   Please remember students only have to do 2 tasks in each column.  

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!

Social Studies: We continue our Downers Grove unit this week.  A quiz will cover Downers Grove history on Tuesday.  I’ve told the students that they may use their study guides (with notes on it) during the quiz but NOT the packets.  

Science:   We’re on hiatus!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We continue Unit 3 this week, focusing on 3 digit subtraction story problems.  There will be a  checkpoint quiz on Monday, 11/23.

Important Dates:

11/22 - Downers Grove Field Trip (Klacza/Lopez)

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

Have a great weekend!

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

Thank you, parents, for meeting with me this week.  I loved sitting down and having honest conversations about your children.  Please remember that if there is anything you have a question or concern about, I’m only an email away.

Remember, if you have a veteran in your family or friend circle, please refer him/her to Mr. Pagel. Enjoy your long weekend everyone!

Coming up this week:

Spelling:   The pink “Words Their Way” spelling menu/spelling work is due on Friday 11/20.   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:  This week we will begin our biographies unit.  This goes along nicely with the book your child picked out for their contract work.  There will be a project and presentation coming up.  I’ll keep you posted!

Keep reading for 20 minutes a night!  November logs have gone home.

Social Studies: 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.  

Science:   We’re on hiatus!

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We continue Unit 3 this week, focusing on 3 digit story problems, both addition and subtraction.   Our first checkpoint quiz for this new unit will be on Thursday, November 12.

Important Dates:

11/6 - Conferences (no school)

11/9 - Teacher Institute (no school)

11/24 - Downers Grove Field Trip (Klacza/Lopez)

11/25-27 - Days off for Thanksgiving

Have a great LONG weekend!