May 24, 2013

Reading and Language Arts   Next week we will not have spelling homework. We will be reviewing some skills and doing end of the year activities.

Reading Logs  Please continue to read with your child and remind them to log their minutes. May logs are due, Friday, May 31.

Math  Next week we will continue our chapter on multiplication and division. We will model with arrays, discuss multiplying in any order, and multiply with 1 and 0.

Flash Cards  KEEP PRACTICING MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD OVER THE SUMMER!

Science  Next week we will wrap up the Grain food groups. We will review the health benefits and foods in the Five Food Groups. We will do a hands on activity to help understand why we need to eat from all five Food Groups each day. 

Important Dates & Announcement

This was an exciting week for us. We went to Prairieview and Miss Millbrandt gave us a tour. We spent time getting to know our pen pals and asking them questions about 3rd grade. We even got to play on the playground with our new friends. 

Mon, May 27 - No School -  Memorial Day
Tues, May 28 - Team Spirit Day - Wear your favorite team apparel
Fri, May 31 - All School Picnic

Wed, Jun 5 - Last Day of School - Report Cards; 10am dismissal

May 17, 2013

Reading and Language Arts   Next week we will be comparing two selections. Join the Circus is a nonfiction story. Zhang Jin and her friends perform with Cirque du Soleil, an exciting and different kind of circus. Raymond's Best Summer is a realistic fiction story. Raymond is afraid he might not pass his swimming test because he swims differently form everyone else, but he learns that his swimming style reveals a special talent.

Comprehension Strategies:  Evaluate; Making Inferences; Problem Solving; Noting Details
Vocabulary Words: athletic, circus, contraption, performance, pyramid, somersaults, certificate, intermediate, thrashing, paces, process, ability, laps, demonstration, bear, studiously, porpoise
Grammar Skills:  Irregular Verb; Word Families; Adjectives
Phonics:  Vowel Pairs oo, ew, ue, ou; Long i (igh, ie); Base words with -ed,
-ing Endings

Reading Logs  Please continue to read with your child and remind them to log their minutes.

Math  We will finish up the chapter on 3-digit subtraction with estimating differences and then a review and test on Tuesday.  Our next chapter is on multiplication and division concepts. We will begin by skip counting equal groups and then we will connect addition to multiplication.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. KEEP PRACTICING MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD AT HOME!

Science  Next week we will take a closer look at the the Fruit and Grain food groups. Students will identify foods that belong to each of these groups. We will discuss the health benefits of eating food from these groups.

Important Dates & Announcement

OLSAT TEST RESULTS are in. If you want a copy please send in a self-addressed stamped envelope or call the office to arrange to pick up a copy.

All LIBRARY BOOKS are due May 24th.

Tue, May 21 - Pen Pal Field Trip
Fri, May 24 - Wear red, white and blue - Reading Incentive Day
Mon, May 27 - No School -  Memorial Day
Fri, May 31 - All School Picnic

Wed, Jun 5 - Last Day of School - Report Cards; 10am dismissal

May 10, 2013

Reading and Language Arts   Next week we will be reading The School Mural. It is about a group of schoolchildren who celebrate their school's fiftieth anniversary by painting a mural on one wall of the school. Everyone helps:  students, parents, teachers. 

Comprehension Strategies:  Problem Solving; Questioning
Vocabulary Words: mural, event, pride, project, scene, sketches, 
High Frequency Words:  neighbor, below, should
Grammar Skills:  Comparing with adjectives; improving writing
Phonics:  Base words with -ed, -ing endings

Reading Logs  Please continue to read with your child and remind them to log their minutes.

Math  We began our next chapter, 3-Digit Subtraction.  Next week we will subtract multiples of 100, explore 3-digit subtraction with and without regrouping of tens and hundreds, and add and subtract money.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. KEEP PRACTICING MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD AT HOME!

Science  This week we took a closer look at the the Milk Group. Students identified foods that belong to this group and we talked about the health benefits of eating food from the Milk Group. Next week we will learn about the foods in the Meat Group and the Vegetable Group, and why they are important. 

Important Dates & Announcement

THANK YOU for the wonderful week full of candy, cards, flowers and gifts. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. It's your children that make my job rewarding. Thanks for sharing them with me. Thanks to our wonderful PTO for making this a special week. I really enjoyed all the goodies you provided.

OLSAT TEST RESULTS are in. If you want a copy please send in a self-addressed stamped envelope or call the office to arrange to pick up a copy.

Fri, May 17 - Early Dismissal - 12pm - School Improvement Day
Tue, May 21 - Pen Pal Field Trip
Mon, May 27 - No School -  Memorial Day

Wed, Jun 5 - Last Day of School - 10am dismissal

May 3, 2013

Bye, Bye Butterflies

Reading and Language Arts   Next week we will be reading Moses Goes to a Concert. It is a realistic story about a deaf boy named Moses, who goes to a concert. The deaf percussionist helps Moses and his classmates realize they can be anything they want. 

Comprehension Strategies:  Noting Details; Summarize
Vocabulary Words: deaf, hearing, instruments, percussion, signs, vibration, concert, orchestra
High Frequency Words:  heart, mind, alphabet 
Grammar Skills:  Adjectives, a, an and the
Phonics:  Long i (igh and ie)

Pen Pal Letters  Next week we will learn about the 5 parts of a friendly letter. Miss Millbrandt's class at Prairieview wrote us letters telling us about 3rd grade. We will be writing a letter back to our new 3rd grade pen pals. 

Reading Logs  Please continue to read with your child and remind them to log their minutes.

Math  We began Chapter 22, 3-Digit Addition. Next week we will count by hundreds to add multiples of 100, explore 3-digit addition with and without regrouping of ones and tens, and estimate sums for 3-digit addition.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. KEEP PRACTICING MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD AT HOME!

Science  We let our 7 butterflies go this week while it was warm and sunny. Also, this week students met the Royal Food Family. They are learning that in order to grow up healthy, they need food from the Five Food Groups and physical activity. 

Important Dates & Announcement

*I would like to thank our field trip chaperones: Mr. Mertens and Mrs. O'Connell.  I appreciate you taking time out of your day to accompany our class to the museum. We all had so much fun!

*We will be celebrating summer birthdays in May. If your child would like to celebrate their birthday at school, please send me an email with the date.

Fri, May 17 - Early Dismissal - 12pm - School Improvement Day
Mon, May 27 - No School -  Memorial Day

Wed, Jun 5 - Last Day of School - 10am Dismissal

April 26, 2013

Reading and Language Arts   Next week we will be reading The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola. It is about a boy named Tommy who loves to draw pictures. When he is old enough for art classes at school, Tommy is disappointed to learn that he can only have one piece of paper, and only use eight crayons. 

Comprehension Strategies:  Author's Viewpoint
Vocabulary Words: chalk, copy, crayons, powders, practice, smock, copper, violet, turquoise, monitor, ruin
High Frequency Words:  woman, gold, fair
Grammar Skills:  Irregular Verbs
Phonics:  Vowel Pairs oo, ew, ue, ou

Reading Logs  Please continue to read with your child and remind them to log their minutes. April reading logs are due Wednesday, May 1st.

Math  We began our next chapter. We are comparing and ordering greater numbers using >, <, =, and place value. Next week we will use a table to solve problems. We will have a chapter test Wednesday or Thursday. Check your child's planner for the exact date. 

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. KEEP PRACTICING MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD AT HOME!

Science  Next week we will begin a unit on nutrition. Students will learn the basics of good nutrition and the importance of physical activity. 

Important Dates & Announcement

Thank you to Jake, Sydney, Kaiden and Natasa for the book gift certificates! I had fun picking out books for our class!

*Don't forget to pack a sack lunch on Wednesday!
Our field trip to the Du Page Children's Museum is Wednesday. We will be leaving at 9 am and returning between 12:30 and 1 pm. When we return, the lunch room will be closed. We will be eating lunch in our classroom.

Mon-Thurs, Apr 29-May 2 - Maps Testing  Wed, May 1 - Field Trip to the Du Page Children's Museum-Pack a sack lunch!
Wed, May 1 - April Reading Logs due
Fri, May 17 - Early Dismissal - 12pm - School Improvement Day
Mon, May 27 - No School -  Memorial Day

Wed, Jun 5 - Last Day of School

April 19, 2013

Reading and Language Arts   Next week we will read and compare two selections. The first selection, A Curve in the River, is realistic fiction.  We will see what happens when Julian tries to send a message in a bottle. The second selection, Slippery Siblings, in nonfiction. We will find out how a brother and sister win a gold metal. 

Comprehension Strategies:  Generalizing; Making Judgments;  Compare/Contrast; Following Directions; Sequence of Events; Monitor/Clarify
Vocabulary Words: advice, curve, instructions, message, travel, bobsled, catchers, course, run, straightaways  
Grammar Skills:  Verbs that tell about now; Past tense verbs
Phonics:  -er endings in Two Syllable Words; -le; -y at the end of longer words; Prefix un; Base Words and -ed, -ing Endings

Reading Logs  Please continue to read with your children and remind them to log their minutes. 

Math  Next week we will continue the chapter Hundreds. We will solve problems by using the strategy making a model. We will review and have a chapter test on Tuesday. In our next chapter we will be comparing and ordering greater numbers.

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. KEEP PRACTICING MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD AT HOME!

Science  Next week we will be learning about the people of the rain forest. We will also talk about the products of the rain forest. 

Important Dates & Announcement

*Our spring open house at Ide will be Thursday, April 25th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Everyone is invited. Come see what we have been working on in our classroom. 

*The PTO is looking for a chairperson for the end of the year picnic. Please think about volunteering. 

Thurs, Apr 25 - Ide Open House & PTO Book Fair 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Fri, Apr 26 - Rainy Reading Day - Wear your rain boots to school
Wed, May 1 - Field Trip to the Du Page Children's Museum
Fri, May 17 - Early Dismissal - 12pm - School Improvement Day
Mon, May 27 - No School -  Memorial Day

April 12, 2013

Reading and Language Arts   Next week we will be reading a realistic story about a girl who is afraid of thunderstorms. When her grandmother decides to make a cake, they must go outside to get the ingredients. By the time the storm finally arrives, the girl realized she is braver than she thought.

Comprehension Strategies:  Sequence of Events; Monitor/Clarify
Vocabulary Words:  bolt, horizon, lightning, rumbled, thunder, weather, clap, cooed, stammered, lightning, samovar
High Frequency Words:  air, child, heavy, hour
Grammar Skills:  The verbs is/are, was/were
Phonics:  -ed, -ing Endings; Silent Consonants, gh, k(n), b


Reading Logs  Please continue to read with your children and remind them to log their minutes. 

Math  Next week we will begin place value with hundreds. Students will show 100 with ones, tens, and hundreds, use models to identify the number of hundreds, tens and ones of 3-digit numbers, identify the value of each digit in a 3-digit number, and read and write 3 digit numbers in different ways. 

Flash Cards  Students should be working hard to memorize their addition and subtraction facts. KEEP PRACTICING MATH FACTS WITH YOUR CHILD AT HOME!

Science  Next week we will continue learning about the rain forest. Our caterpillars arrived this week and we began learning about the life cycle of the butterfly too. We are recording the growth of our caterpillars in our journals. 

 *Animal Poster - due Wed, April 17th

Important Dates & Announcement

*Our spring open house at Ide will be Thursday, April 25th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Everyone is invited. Come see what we have been working on in our classroom. 

*Please don't forget to send in your child's permission slip and money for our field trip to the Du Page Children's Museum. Thank you to all that have!

Fri, Apr 12 - No School - P/T Conferences
Tues, Apr 16 - Mismatch Day - Where your favorite mismatch clothes 
Wed, Apr 17 - Staley the Bear Assembly
Thurs, Apr 18 - Field trip permission slip and money due
Thurs, Apr 25 - Ide Open House 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Fri, Apr 26 - Rainy Reading Day - Wear your rain boots to school
Wed, May 1 - Field Trip to the Du Page Children's Museum
Fri, May 17 - Early Dismissal - 12pm - School Improvement Day
Mon, May 27 - No School -  Memorial Day