Week of 10/3/16 - 10/7/16

Can you believe today is the last day of September?  The year feels like it is already flying by.  Thank you to all the parents who sent in juice, bowls, and spoons for our Johnny Appleseed birthday party.  The applesauce was delicious!

Coming up next week:

Spelling:   Spelling homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) will be due on or before 10/14.  A test will also occur on that day.  

Reading & Language Arts:  This week, we’ll talk about Author’s Purpose.  We use the acronym PIE: P=Persuade, I=Inform, E=Entertain to talk about the reasons a writer writes.  

October reading logs are going home today!   

Social Studies:  We’re taking a break from Social Studies as we explore Science.

Science:   We continue Chapter 9, “The Water Cycle.”  Our second lesson is about the water cycle.  The Lesson 2 Graded Review will occur on Friday, 10/7.  

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  Welcome to Unit 1, Introduction to Multiplication.  The students will be taking a pre-assessment on Tuesday to see what they know about this topic so far. We’ll then work on various methods of multiplication.

Important Dates:  

10/4 - Picture Day

10/10 - Columbus Day (day off)

Have a great weekend!!

Week of 9/26/16 - 9/30/16

Check out the District 66 website tweets; we have been featured by Mrs. Warkentien!!   These kids love to read :)

On Monday, we celebrate Johnny Appleseed’s birthday.  Please remember to send in 1 peeled, cored, sliced apple with your child on Monday.  I already have bowls and spoons.  If anyone wants to send in apple juice boxes, that would be great!  

This week, we start our WIN classes.  We’ll be working on the foundations of writing.  

Coming up next week:

Spelling:   Spelling homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) will be due on or before 9/30.  A test will also occur on that day.  

Reading & Language Arts:  This week, we’ll continue studying the “moral” of the story.  We’ll be using other fables to help us.  Fairy tales will be introduced and studied as well.  

The September reading logs are due on or before October 3.  A new one (for October) will be going home on that day.

Social Studies:  We’re taking a break from Social Studies as we explore Science.

Science:   We start our year of Science with Chapter 9, “The Water Cycle.”  Our first lesson is about where water is found on Earth.  We typically start each lesson by creating slides in google slides for the vocabulary words.  The lesson is then read and notes are taken on a worksheet called “Quick Study.”  The lesson ends with an open book, open notes Graded Review (quiz.)   The Lesson 1 Graded Review will occur on Friday, 9/30.  There are 3 lessons in this chapter and it ends with a chapter test.  

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We’ll finish up Unit 1 with 2-digit subtraction problems. Our first post test of the year will be on Thursday.  I’ll be sending home a pretest for the students to complete on Monday.  It will be due on Wednesday.  We’ll grade it together in class, just to see how they would do if this were actually the test.  

Important Dates:  

9/26 - Johnny Appleseed's birthday

9/27 - Early Dismissal

10/4 - Picture Day

Have a great weekend!!

Week of 9/19/16 - 9/23/16

Happy Friday everyone!   I just want to remind you all to check your child’s assignment notebook (planner) every night and sign it.  We still have some students who are not handing in homework, yet the assignments are all clearly written in the planner.  If you need to jot me a quick note, write it in the planner; I check it every day :)

A note is coming home on Monday regarding Johnny Appleseed’s birthday on September 26.  If you are willing to send in some apple juice boxes, bowls, or spoons for our applesauce, please email me.  We love celebrating in room 105!

Coming up next week:

Spelling:   The students are taking their first spelling test today.  They will need to spell 15 words and write 2 sentences using any 2 of their words.  A new “sort” list is coming home on Monday.  Homework (3 items on the menu, 1 from each column) will be due on or before 9/30.  A test will also occur on that day.

Reading & Language Arts:  This week, our focus will be on the “moral” of the story.  We’ll learn about this using the fable The Tortoise and the Hare.  

The students have enjoyed our station time in Reading class.  We’ve just added Lexia to our day, which is a wonderful program to help build phonics skills.  Your child can certainly show it to you on their chromebook!

Social Studies:  Our continents and oceans quiz will take place on Wednesday.  There is a study guide in the homework pocket.  Students will need to be able to identify where each continent and ocean is on a map.  There will be a word bank.  

Science:   We’ll be starting science the week of 9/26.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We’ll be focusing on 2 digit addition problems this week.  I’m looking at 9/29 as the test date for Unit 1.

Important Dates:  

9/26 - Johnny Appleseed's birthday

9/27 - Early Dismissal

Have a great weekend!!

Week of 9/12/16 - 9/16/16

Happy Friday everyone!   I just want to remind you all to check your child’s assignment notebook (planner) every night and sign it.  This is a handy form of communication and also a way for your child to get a punch in their punch card!

Coming up next week:

Spelling:   We are continuing the spelling series Words Their Way.  The homework (pink) menu is due on or before Friday 9/16.  All work should be stapled to the menu.  Also, there will be a spelling test on Friday.  

Reading & Language Arts:  We’ll be focusing on writing (writer’s workshop) and reading (reader’s workshop) throughout the school year.  The genre of fairy tales will be discussed this week. In writer’s workshop, we will be editing our current writing.  

Social Studies:  This week we’ll focus on continents and oceans.  

Science:   We won’t start science yet.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  There will be a checkpoint quiz on Monday.  Today the students practiced a problem that is similar to the problems that will be on the quiz Monday.  They are in the math pocket if you want to take a look.  Student workbooks are a good study resource tool also.  Next week we’ll be starting the measuring and adding of length.

Important Dates:  

9/26 - Johnny Appleseed's birthday

9/27 - Early Dismissal

Have a great weekend!!

Week of 9/5/16 - 9/9/16

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!  Thank you to all the parents who came out for Curriculum Night yesterday.  If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit our third grade slide presentation, here is the link:  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1l_n3sKS5JbBnEGyHQwQFxQbimiarA5KCvDKO9Ds0t8E/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=5000&slide=id.p

Coming up next week:

Spelling:   We are continuing the spelling series Words Their Way.  Fortunately, the students have worked with this program in 2nd grade.  Students will receive their “word sorts” on Tuesday.  Homework will also be assigned on Tuesday and will be due on or before Friday, 9/16.  A letter will be included describing what is expected from our students.

Reading & Language Arts:  We’ll be focusing on writing (writer’s workshop) and reading (reader’s workshop) throughout the school year.  The genre of folktales will be continued this week as we close read Rumpelstiltskin.  

I loved the stories the children wrote today about the trouble their twins got into after Curriculum Night!!   

Social Studies:  There will be a quiz on Wednesday on directions.  A study guide is going home today.  It will be in their Homework pocket.  

Science:   We are on hiatus until Social Studies is finished.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:  We had a great first week of Math!  This week we’ll be focusing on the addition table and the subtraction table.  Our first checkpoint quiz is tentatively scheduled for Monday, September 12.  It will be on addition and subtraction.  

Important Dates:  

9/5 - Labor Day (no school)

9/27 - Early Dismissal

Have a great 3-day weekend!!