Miss Pellin's Post
December 13th to December 17th

Winter break begins on Monday, December 17th! Have a great holiday.

Our class will go on a bowling field trip on Wednesday, December 15th. You can send your child with money if they would like to buy a snack at the bowling alley. We will still have lunch when we return.


On Friday, December 17th, the students will go to the Tivoli movie theater to see the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This trip will be in place of a holiday party.

Don't forget about our Holiday Service Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. All donations are due on Monday, December 13. Thank you for opening up your hearts to help make the holidays a happy one for those who are less fortunate.

The Sixteenth Week of 2010 at School:

Science: We will finish the study of space. A study guide was sent home on Friday, December 10th.  There will be a chapter 10 test on Thursday, December 16th.

Social Studies: We will begin the study of chapter 3 titled People Move From Place to Place.  Students will learn about different customs. 

Math: This week we will begin chapter 6 on graphing.  This week students will study multiplying by 5. There will be a test on "*5" on Thursday, December 16th. Students will receive two and a half minutes to complete 26 multiplication by 5 questions. Practice sheets will be coming home throughout the week. 

Spelling: We are on list 11: words with the vowel sounds in "clown" and "lawn". A pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be given Monday and due Friday. The final test will be on Friday.

Reading: We will continue to learn about evaluating text and visualizing as we read. We will continue to use the story Dogzilla as well as other novels and text as we apply these skills. We will also work on strategies from previous weeks. Students will have a vocabulary quiz on The Chocolate Touch on Thursday, December 16th.

English: We will continue the study of narratives. Students will write their own narrative about their favorite vacation or their favorite place to visit.

 

Things to Remember:

Tuesday 12/14: There will be a D.O.L. quiz.

Wednesday 12/15:  We will go bowling.

Thursday 12/16: There will be a multiplication by 4 test and a vocabulary quiz.  There will also be a chapter 10 science test.

Friday 12/17: We will have a spelling test. Students will go to the Tivoli theater.

Contact Information:

E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org

Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
December 6th to December 10th

Thank you so much for coming to conferences!  I enjoyed meeting with all of you!

Please send an empty Lay's or Pringles cylinder can with your child by Thursday, December 9th.  We will be making a constellation viewer.  Thank you for your help!

The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season.
PLEASE DONATE!

Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

The Fifteenth Week of 2010 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of space. Students will continue to learn about the planets and make a planet book.

Social Studies: We begin studying local government in chapter 12 of the social studies textbook.

Math: This week we will continue chapter 5. Students will learn about time.  Students will study a.m. and p.m.  They will also learn about elapsed time.  In addition, they will study calendars.  Look for a study guide to come home.  Students will be tested on chapter 5 on Friday, December 10th.  This week students will study multiplying by 4. There will be a test on "*4" on Friday, December 10th. Students will receive two and a half minutes to complete 26 multiplication by 4 questions. Practice sheets will be coming home throughout the week.

Spelling: We are on list 10: words with the vowel sound in "join". A pretest will be on Monday. Homework will be given Monday and due Friday. The final test will be on Friday.

Reading: We will have a vocabulary quiz on The Keeping Quilt word list on Tuesday, December 7th.  We will also begin a new strategy focus as we learn about evaluating text and visualizing as we read. We will use the story Dogzilla as well as other novels and text as we apply these skills. We will also work on strategies from previous weeks.

English: We will continue the study of narratives. Students will write their own narrative about their favorite vacation or their favorite place to visit.

Things to Remember:

Tuesday 12/7: There will be a vocabulary quiz.

Friday 12/10: There will be a chapter 5 math test and a multiplication by 4 test.

Contact Information:

E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org

Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
November 29th to December 3rd

I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, November 29th and Tuesday, November 30th for conferences. Remember there will be no school on Friday, December 3rd.

Please make sure to take your child's report card out of the envelop that was sent home with your child, sign the envelop, and send the envelop back to school with your child. Keep the report card at home.

The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season.
PLEASE DONATE!

Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

The Fourteenth Week of 2010 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of space. Students will continue to learn about the planets and make a planet book.

Social Studies: We will finish our study of modern day Downers Grove. There will be a modern day Downers Grove quiz on Thursday, December 3rd. Look for a study guide to come home.

Math: This week we will begin chapter 5. Students will learn how to add and subtract money amounts.

This week students will study multiplying by 3. There will be a test on "*3" on Thursday, December 2nd. Students will receive two and a half minutes to complete 26 multiplication by 3 questions. Practice sheets will be coming home throughout the week.

Spelling: We will work on list 9: long i sound. A pretest will be given Monday. Homework will be sent home on Monday as well. The final test will be on Thursday.

Reading: We will focus on author's point of view and purpose next week as we read The Keeping Quilt. If you have a quilt at home you can send it in with your child. If you would like to share your knowledge about quilting, please contact me via email. We would love to have someone come talk to the students about quilts. Thank you!

English: We will continue the study of narratives. Students will write their own narrative about their favorite vacation or their favorite place to visit.




Things to Remember:
Monday 11/29: Parent/Teacher conferences.
Tuesday 11/30: Parent/Teacher conferences.
Thursday 12/2: There will be a multiplication "x3" test. There will be a Spelling test. There will be a modern day Downers Grove quiz.
Friday 12/3: There will be no school.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
November 22nd to November 26th

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Remember we will not have school beginning on Wednesday, November 24th. I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, November 29th and Tuesday, November 30th for conferences.

The students of Project Challenge grades 3-5 are participating in a Lion's Club Holiday Drive. We are looking for donations such as new toys, new games, toiletries, and food for the needy families in the Darien area. If you wish to participate you will need to bring the donations in by December 13. Remember that some of these families live right here in Darien. So let's help these families have a happy holiday season.
PLEASE DONATE!

Paper Recycling Fundraiser Comes to Prairieview: We are happy to announce we can now raise money for our district by recycling paper! You can help us out, too! Please collect any paper you are going to throw away or recycle (office and school paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, and construction paper---no cardboard!) and send it in with your child to school or drop it off at the green and yellow Paper Retriever bin in the Lakeview parking lot (near the fence by the Prairieview playground). The bin is available for drop offs 24/7. The more paper we recycle, the more money we can make! Do something good for our schools AND the environment! Thank you!

The Thirteenth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of space. Students will learn about the planets and make a planet book.

Social Studies: We will continue to study present day Downers Grove and learn about bussinesses in the area.

Math: This week we will begin chapter 5. Students will learn how to add and subtract money amounts. There will be no multiplication test this week.

Spelling: There will not be a Spelling test this week.

Reading: We will study the author's purpose. Students will learn why it is important to know the author's purpose when reading.

English: We will continue the study of narratives.

Things to Remember:
Wednesday 11/24 - Friday 11/26: Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
November 15th to November 19th

This past week, our class had the opportunity to go on the Downers Grove field trip. We had lots of fun visiting historical sites in Downers Grove! Thank you, chaperons, for your help! Also, it was great having parents met us for lunch at Giordanos! Above is a picture of Pierce Downer's home and well.

Just a reminder that our local Jr. Girl Scout Troop 724 is collecting socks, gloves, hats and scarves for the DuPage County Shelter. There are collection boxes in each of the grade levels. The last day to bring in any items will be Monday, November 15, 2010. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Wiseman at chrisina.wiseman@comcast.net

The Twelfth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of space. Students will learn about the sun and begin to learn about the inner planets.

Social Studies: We will begin the study of present day Downers Grove and the local government. Students will learn about the medical, health, and education centers in present day Downers Grove.

Math: This week we will finsh our study of t-charts. There will be a quiz on t-charts on Friday, November 19th. Students will be allowed to use one example t-chart as a guide for the quiz.

We will begin working on multiplication this week. Please look for a packet coming home on Monday, November 15th on multiplication. This week students will study multiplying by 2. There will be a test on "*2" on Thursday, November 18th. Students will receive two minutes to complete 20 multiplication by 2 questions. Practice sheets will be coming home throughout the week.

Spelling: We will continue to focus on synonyms and antonyms and analogies this week. There will be a graded review on Friday.

Reading: We will continue to focus on our reading strategies as we apply them to our reading. We will focus on making inferences, summarizing, predicting, using background knowledge, and applying our knowledge about synonyms and antonyms.

English: We will continue our unit on narratives.

Things to Remember:
Thursday 11/18: There will be a multiplication by 2 test.
Friday 11/19: There will be a t-chart test. There will be a graded review on synonyms and antonyms and analogies.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
November 8th to November 12th

Thursday, November 11th is Veterans' Day. There will be no school. Please plan accordingly.

Picture Retakes: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 will be picture retake day. Any student that did not have their picture taken prior to this date may do so. They will be required to have a picture envelope with money to have a picture taken. Any student wishing to have a picture retaken will have to return the original picture packet for a retake.

Roller Skating Party: Students attending the roller skating party on Monday, November 8th will need to report to school at 3:45 p.m. to check in and have their hands stamped before boarding the buses. Students should bring their fast pass with them at check in which will go home with them on Monday. Please remember to not park in the bus lanes when dropping your student off and for pick up. Thank you!

We will be taking a field trip to Downers Grove as part of our Social Studies unit about our city on Wednesday, November 10th from 9:30 am to 2 pm. Everyone will eat at Giordano's restaurant (please send a cold lunch if your child did not sign up for a pizza lunch). If you would like, though it is not necessary, students can also bring $5-$8 in cash on the day of the field trip. Your student can spend this money at any of the downtown Downers Grove shops. Each student will be responsible for their own money. I have all my volunteers to come on the field trip with me. I will be sending more information to my chaperons on Monday. Thank you!

The Eleventh Week of 2009 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of space. Students will learn about the sun.

Social Studies: We will finish the study of the history of Downers Grove. Students will learn about the tivoli theater.

Math: We will begin the study of "T" charts. We did not have time to start T-charts this past week. This Make-a-Table problem solving is one strategy for solving math story problems. We will be learning the strategy by solving problems together in class. This type of strategy is one area of emphasis on the coming ISAT tests. Look for a packet and a letter of explanation in your students to be left at home folder.

Spelling: We will continue our study of analogies. This week and next, we will focus on synonym and antonym analogies. Therefore, we will not have a spelling test this week nor next week.

Reading: We will continue with our novel study while focusing on character traits, problem/resolution, and setting as well as predicting, summarizing, and making inferences as we read!

English: There will be a unit 2 noun test on Monday, November 8th. We will then begin the study of narrative writing.

Things to Remember:

Monday 11/8: We will have a unit 2 noun test.

Wednesday 11/10: We will go on the Downers Grove field trip.
Thursday 11/11: There will be no school for Veterans' Day.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
November 1st to November 5th

We had a boo-tiful time at our Halloween Party and Halloween Parade. Thank-you to all the volunteers who helped make it possible.

There will be no school on Tuesday, November 2nd. Please plan accordingly.

The picture above is Pierce Downer the founder of Downers Grove! We will be taking a field trip to Downers Grove as part of our Social Studies unit about our city on Wednesday, November 10th! I do not need any more volunteers due to the overhwhelming previous response! You still are welcome to come and meet the class at Giordanos for lunch at 12:15 pm. If you would like to meet the class for lunch and eat the pizza we are ordering, please send in $7.00 by Monday, November 1st. Otherwise, you can buy a separate lunch or bring a sack lunch.

The Tenth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of space. Students will learn about the lunar cycle. They will also learn about solar and lunar eclipses.

Social Studies: We will continue learning about the history of Downers Grove.

Math: We will finish the study of chapter 4. There will be a chapter 4 test on Wednesday, November 3rd. Students have already received a study guide. Then we will begin the study of "T" charts. This Make-a-Table problem solving is one strategy for solving math story problems. We will be learning the strategy by solving problems together in class. This type of strategy is one area of emphasis on the coming ISAT tests. Look for a packet and a letter of explanation in your students to be left at home folder.

Spelling: This week the students will focus on solving part/whole analogies. We will work on this skill every day. A packet will be given to the students on Monday. We will work on the packet in class and some pages will be homework. This packet can be studied and reviewed for Friday's graded review on part/whole analogies.

Reading: We will be focusing on the following skills and strategies as we read novels this week: identifying character traits, setting, and problem/solution, summarizing, predicting, and making inferences.

English: This week we will finish the study of nouns. There will be a test on nouns (unit 2) on Monday, November 8th. Students will receive a study guide on Wednesday.

Things to Remember:
Tuesday 11/2: There will not be school today.
Wednesday 11/3: There will be a chapter 4 math test.
Friday 11/5: There will be a spelling test.

Monday 11/8: We will have an English unit 2 noun test.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
October 18th - October 22nd

We will be taking a field trip to Downers Grove as part of our social studies unit about our city on Wednesday, November 10th. The signed permission slip is due on Friday, October 29th. You may also send $7.00 along with the signed permission slip to cover the cost of a Giordano's pizza lunch. If you do not wish to have your child participate, they may bring a sack lunch on the day of the field trip (no money required). I do not need any more volunteers due to the overhwhelming previous response!

There will be an early dismissal day on Wednesday, October 20th. Please plan accordingly.

Please keep in mind the following guidelines when helping your child pick out a Halloween costume:

1. We only have 15 minutes for costume changes. Please make sure your child can change into his/her costume easily and by themselves. If the costume can be worn over their clothes, then both the time to change and the chances of losing any clothes is minimized.

2. If the costume involves make up, please apply it before your child comes to school. If you send your child in with make up then your child has to be able to apply it themselves.

3. Please do not send any weapons (guns, swords, etc.) as part of the costume. Save those for trick-or-treating.

4. We will not have time to change back into our clothes for dimissal. Your child will wear their costume home.

The Eighth Week of 2009 at School:
Science: We will begin the study of space.

Social Studies: We will continue the study of Downers Grove. Students will learn about how Downers Grove played a part in the underground railroad.

Math: This week we will continue the study of Chapter 4 which deals with subtracting large numbers, borrowing, and story problems.

Spelling: We are on list 8 this week. The rule for the week is three-letter clusters and unexpected consonant patterns. The pretest will be Monday and the graded test will be Friday.

Reading: We continue to work on cause and effect, as well as making predictions and inferences, as we read Cliff Hanger.

English: This week we will continue descriptive writing unit. Students will write a descriptive story about a haunted house.

Things to Remember:
Wednesday 10/20: This is an early dismissal day.
Thursday 10/21: There will be a book fair.
Friday 10/22: This is bus driver's appreciation day.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
October 4th - October 8th
I learned a lot about my reading class this week! Each of them made an excellent presentation of their "Me" bag.

Remember Monday, October 11th is Columbus Day and there will be no school.

The Seventh Week of 2009 at School:
Science: We will continue to study weather. Students will learn about different kinds of storms.

Social Studies: We will study the continents and oceans. There will be a continents and ocean test on Thursday, October 7th. Look for a study guide to come home at the beginning of the week. Then we will begin to study Downers Grove. Students will learn about our town's location and history. This is an opportunity for students to relate to their studies.

Math: This week we will continue the study of Chapter 3 which deals with estimating and problem solving. There will be a Chapter 3 test on Friday, October 8th. Students will receive a study guide at the beginning of the week.

Spelling: We are on list 6 this week: more long vowels words. We will take a pretest on Monday and homework will be sent home on Monday. On Friday, homework packets are due and students will take the final test.

Reading: We will continue to work on the comprehension strategy of making inferences.

English: We will work on descriptive writing.

Things to Remember:
Thursday 10/7: There will be continents and oceans test.
Friday 10/8: There will be a chapter 3 math test.

Monday 10/11: There will be no school. It is Columbus Day.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
September 27th - October 1st

Thank-you to all the parents who donated items for Johny Appleseed Day. Everyone enjoyed making applesauce this Friday! This week students enjoyed writing the rough draft of their "Me" bag paper.

Third graders are invited to sign up for a free intramural program. During this program, students would stay after school and play games in the gym. Permission slips are available this week and due back to Mrs. Cushing by Friday. The program will start some time in October. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Cushing at tcushing@ccsd66.org

Picture day is Thursday, September 30th.

The Sixth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of weather. This week we will focus on the types of clouds.

Social Studies: We will begin the study of continents and oceans.

Math: This week we will begin the study of Chapter 3 which deals with different addition properties and adding large numbers. Students will be preparing note cards identifying the new addition properties. The basic math subtraction facts test has been pushed back to Friday, October 1st. Students will need to complete 40 subtraction problems in 3 minutes. Students will take practice subtraction tests in the days leading up to the test.

Spelling: We will work on list 5: more long and short vowels. We will have a pretest Monday and the students will be given their homework on Monday. The test will be on Friday and homework will be due Friday.

Reading: We will begin working on making inferences this week. We will be using the story Mulan.

English: Students will write the final copy of their "Me" bag paper. Students will present the items in their "Me" bag to the class on September 29th and 30th. Then we will begin a descriptive writing unit.

Things to Remember:
Tuesday 9/28: It is the last magazine turn in day.
Wednesday 9/29: "Me" bag papers will be presented.
Thursday 9/30: This is Picture Day at Prairieview. "Me" bag papers will be presented.
Friday 10/1: There will be a Spelling "list #5" test. There will be a subtraction test.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
September 20th - September 24th

Sunday, September 26th is Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. We will be having a celebration on Thursday, September 23rd! A note will be sent home as a reminder on Monday, September 20th. Your child will be asked to bring in a peeled, cored, and sliced apple to school on Thursday, September 23rd to be used to make applesauce for the class. We are looking for donations of small bowls and plastic spoons. If this is something you are interested in helping with, please email me or send the items in any day before Thursday. Thank you in advance for your help!

There will not be school on Friday, September 24th! Please plan accordingly.

The PTO would like you to know about this great rebate program through Ultra Foods! Ultra Foods is inviting you to take part in the Ultra's Smart Shopper Program, and educational rebate program that generates CASH BACK to your school for educational needs. It's EASY! Shop your local Ultra Foods store from SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 through DECEMBER 31, 2010. Save your receipts and have your child turn them in to their teacher. At the end of this program, your school will submit a grand total of receipts collected and Ultra will remit a check for %5 of that total back to your school! WOW!!!!!!

The Fifth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: This week we will continue to study weather. Students will learn about three different types of clouds (cirrus, culumus, and stratus). Students will also learn about ways you can gather weather data. For example, you can use an anemometer to measure wind.

Social Studies: This week we will focus on Science.

Math: This week we will finish chapter 2. There will be a test on chapter 2 on Thursday, September 23rd. Students will receive a study guide for the test on Monday, September 20th. On Wednesday, September 22nd students will be tested on their basic math addition facts. Students will need to complete 40 addition problems (adding numbers ranging from 1 to 10) in 3 minutes. On Wednesday, September 29th students will be tested on their basic math subtraction facts. Students will need to complete 40 subtraction problems in 3 minutes. Students will take practice subtraction tests in the days leading up to September 29th.

Spelling: This week we will work with words that have vowel-consonant-e pattern. Homework will be sent home Monday and due Thursday. The test will also be on Thursday.

Reading: We will continue to focus on summarizing and sequencing this week. We will work on applying this strategy to different texts.

English: This week students will write a "me bag" paper. On Monday, September 20th students will receive a letter asking them to bring to class three items that are important to them that will fit into a provided paper lunch bag. They will write a paper in class explaining the items importance and will present the items to the class on September 27th and 28th.

P.E.: There will be a soccer test on Wednesday, September 22nd. Students received a study guide on Friday, September 17th.

Things to Remember:
Tuesday 9/22: There will be a Mulan comprehension check.
Wednesday 9/23: There will be a soccer test in P.E. There will be an addition math facts test.
Thursday 9/23: There will be a Spelling "list #4" test. It's Johny Appleseed's birthday celebration!

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
September 13th - September 17th

This week my social studies class went on a savenger hunt around the school using their cardinal directions. Each student did a great job finding their treasure!

The Prairieview magazine drive will kicked off on Monday, September 15th! Check in your child's binder for more information on the magazine drive on this day.

The Fourth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: This week we will continue chapter 9. Students will build their own terrarium in order to learn about condensation. They will also learn about the states of matter.

Social Studies: This week we will focus on Science.

Math: We will begin Chapter 2. Students will work on comparing and rounding numbers . Chapter 2 is a short chapter; be aware that there will be a test sometime during the week of September 20th. Look for a study guide to come home with your child sometime this week. On Wednesday, September 22nd students will be tested on their basic math addition facts. Students will need to complete 40 addition problems (adding numbers ranging from 1 to 10) in 3 minutes. Students will be given practice addition tests starting next week up until the test date.

Spelling: In spelling, the new lesson focuses on more short vowels. The pretest is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 13. If a student gets a 90% or higher (two or less wrong) they will be in the challenge group and will not be required to take the final test. Students with three or more wrong on the pretest will take the final test on Friday, Sept. 17.

Reading: This is an exciting week! Third grade will start switching for reading! We will be reading The Lost and Found by Mark Teague as we focus on the summarizing strategy and our sequencing skills.

English: This week we will learn about the dangers of "run on" sentences. By the end of the week we will have completed chapter 1 in our English textbooks. A study guide will be sent home on Monday, September 13th. We will have a chapter 1 test on Friday, September 17th.

P.E. A P.E. soccer test is scheduled for Wednesday, September 22nd. A study guide will go home on Friday. Please help your child review for this test.

Things to Remember:
Friday 9/19/10: There will be a Spelling "list #3" test.

Wednesday 9/22/10: There will be an addition test. There will be a P.E. test.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
September 6th - September 12th

It was great to meet each of you at curriculum night. Everyone had a great week in class. I have been very pleased with the effort!

This week we will have not have school on Monday, September 6th due to Labor Day. I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend! Classes resume on Tuesday, September 7th.

Here is some information about the policy for late homework:
Third grade will begin using late slips for homework that is not complete or handed in at the time it is due. Each student will receive 3 "breaks" for Trimester 1. On the fourth time homework is incomplete, one point in the appropriate subject will be taken away from their homework bank. You will notice that each subject has a "homework bank" comprised of 5 points. Late slips will be sent home with students for a parent signature. These are due back the very next school day with the completed homework assignment. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

The Third Week of 2009 at School:

Science: This week we will begin a unit on weather.

Students can use their new Science textbook online from the website https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do to help understand the subject. This website is different than the one I posted last week. If you were not able to access the book last week, please try this website instead. The user name is your parent connect number. The password is ccsd66. Make sure to select the state, district (Center Cass 66), and school (Prairieview) as well.

Social Studies: There will be a direction quiz on Wednesday, September 8th. Students should review the material on their study guide to prepare fo the quiz.

Math: We will study place value for 5 and 6 digit numbers. We will also study problem solving using logical reasoning. There will be a quiz on chapter 1 on Thursday, September 9th. Students will prepare for the quiz by completing their study guide.

Spelling: This week in spelling we will work on Lesson 2. This lesson will focus on words with short vowels. We will pretest on Tuesday and pass out a homework packet due Friday. We will be taking one of the homework sheets for a grade. On Friday we will have a test worth 20 points.

Reading: This week we will continue introducing the reading strategies that we will be utilizing throughout the rest of the year using picture books. The strategies are predicting, inferencing, visualizing, monitoring/clarifying, phonics/decoding, summarizing (fiction and non-fiction), questioning, connecting, and evaluating.

English: This week we will finish our study of commands, statements, exclamations, and questions. We will then study subjects and predicates. We will also continue editing sentences for Daily Oral Language (D.O.L.) Look for a D.O.L. study guide to come home in your student's binder next week. There will be a quiz coming up at the end of next week or in the beginning of the following week.

Things to Remember:
Monday 9/6:There will be no school. Enjoy a safe and happy Labor Day.
Wednesday 9/7: There will be a social studies quiz.
Thursday 9/8: There will be a math quiz.
Friday 9/9: There will be a spelling "list 2" test.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post

August 30th - September 3rd

I am looking forward to seeing each of you at curriculum night at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, August 31st. At curriculum night you will have the chance to sign up for conferences and will be given information about the school year.

I really enjoyed getting to know both my homeroom and my math classes this week. I am pleased with the effort shown by each of my classes!

The Second Week of 2009 at School:

Science: This week students will learn how the Science textbook is organized. Then we will begin the study of weather in chapter 9. Students can use their new Science textbook online from the website http://www.thinkcentral.com/ to help understand the subject. In order to access the Science textbook at home go to the same website. The user name is your parent connect number. The password is ccsd66.

Math: We will study patterns and place value this week. Students will learn many different ways to write one number (standard, expanded, and word form). Students will also be practicing problem solving.

Social Studies: We will study directions. We will learn about cardinal and intermediate directions. This week we will go on a scavenger hunt throughout the building using our directions to navigate where we are going. On Wednesday, September 8th there will be a quiz on directions. Students can use their Map Essentials book (pg.12-15) and their study guide, which they will receive on September 2nd, to help prepare for the quiz.

Spelling: This week in spelling we will start with Lesson 1. These are "Back to School" words. We will pretest on Monday and pass out a homework packet due Friday. We will be taking one of the homework sheets for a grade. On Friday we will have our first test worth 20 points.

Reading: This week we will start introducing the reading strategies that we will be utilizing throughout the rest of the year using picture books. The strategies are predicting, inferencing, visualizing, monitoring/clarifying, phonics/decoding, summarizing (fiction and non-fiction), questioning, connecting, and evaluating.

English: We will begin to study sentences. Students will be able to tell the differences between statements, questions, commands, and exclamation sentences. We will also begin Daily Oral Language. Each day students will correct sentences from the board. This week students will be correcting end marks and capitalizing proper nouns.

Things to Remember:
Tuesday 8/31: Curriculum Night will begin at 6:30 P.M.
Friday 9/3: There will be a Spelling "list 1" test.

Wednesday 9/8: There will be a directions quiz.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin’s Post!
August 23rd – August 29th

Welcome to 3rd grade at Prairieview Elementary School! I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer and is ready for a fun and exciting school year. I am looking forward to a great year! Each week you can find out what is happening in the classroom by viewing my blog. My blog will always have a "Things to Remember" section to let you know the important events for the upcoming week.

I look forward to meeting you at the District Open House on Monday, August 23rd from 9-11 am. This is a great time to come in and get organized for the new school year.

Things to Remember:
Monday 9/23: District Open House (9-11 am)
Tuesday 9/24: This is the first full day of school!

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
June 1st to June 2nd

I have enjoyed all my students so much this year!! Thanks to all the parents who have helped make the 2009/2010 school year such a great one! Remember Tuesday, June 2nd is an early dismissal day, please plan accordingly. Students will be dismissed at 9:30 am.

On Tuesday, June 1st we will have our school picnic! Each child will receive a hot dog, bag of chips and a bottle of water. If they do not eat hot dogs, they will need to bring their own lunch.

We will not have school on Monday, May 31st. It is Memorial Day!

YEARBOOKS: Yearbooks will be handed out to students on June 2nd. Any students who did not purchase a yearbook may do so on a first-come-first-serve basis on June 2nd; they will go on sale after morning announcements. The cost will be $10.00 and children wishing to purchase should have exact amount. Checks can be made out to Prairieview. There is a limited supply. Prairieview yearbook orders were not paid for at registration. A note was sent out on November 12, 2009 and orders were due by Tuesday, December 9, 2009.

Things to Remember:

Monday 5/31: This is Memorial Day! There will be no school.
Tuesday 6/1: We will have our school picnic!
Wednesday 6/2: Students will be dismissed at 9:30 a.m.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
May 24th to May 28th

Students will be going on a bowling field trip on Tuesday, May 25th. Students can bring up to $7.00 for snacks. Please send your child with a sack lunch on this day. We may not be back in time for hot lunch.

On Friday, May 28th the third grade will be taking a field trip to Chicago as an extension of our Chicago unit. Students can bring $8- $10 to Navy Pier for ice cream or a souvenir. This is optional! The weather by Lake Michigan can be unpredictable. The students should dress in layers with comfortable walking shoes. Please send your child with a sack lunch.

The Sixteenth Week of 2010 at School:
Science: There will be a chapter 4 Science test on Monday, May 24th. Then we will begin chapter 5. We will learn about how living things depend on one another.

Social Studies: We will continue the study of our city, Chicago, this week. We will learn about Chicago in the present.

Spelling: There will be a Spelling test #33 on Friday, May 28th. Students will be expected to learn these words since they are part of our third grade curriculum. Their score on this test will not be counted for their final Spelling grade, since grades are due beforehand.

Reading: This week we will continue to focus on the reading strategies of inferring and summarizing while reading mystery books. For our mystery study, students have divided into detective clubs to solve mysteries. Students will discover the elements of a mystery including the typical characters, the common plot structure, and vocabulary they will come across in mystery writing. Students will also be given a new poem on Monday, May 24th. They should practice reading it every night. They will read it to the class on Friday, May 28th. This poem will not count on their grade.

English: We will finish our persausive writing unit.

Math: The last day of Math is Tuesday, May 25th. We will finish our study of decimals.

Things to Remember:

Monday 5/24: There will be a chapter 4 Science test.
Tuesday 5/25: Students will go bowling. Please send your child with a sack lunch.

Friday 5/25: We will go on our Chicago boat trip. There will be a Spelling test.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
May 10th to May 14th

On Friday, May 28th the third grade will be taking a field trip to Chicago as an extension of our Chicago unit. We will be taking a boat tour. Please make sure your children has their permission slip and money turned in by Friday, May 14th. If you are interested in chaperoning please email me at mpellin@ccsd66.org or fill out the bottom of your child's permission slip. Due to limited space on the buses, chaperones will need to meet us at Navy Pier by 10:00a.m. I will send out the list of chaperones, so that parents can car pool.

Friday, May 14th will be an early dismissal day - please plan accordingly.

All this week Prairieview is collecting gym shoes in any shape and all other shoes that still have some life in them. We want to help cut down on the amount going into landfills. The shoes will be either donated to places that help people or will be sent to Nike's recycling center where they recycle gym shoes into a variety of objects including floor mats. Please tie the shoes together or put them in plastic grocery bags so that they do not become separated. Thank you for your support. At Prairieview School – Character Counts!

The Fifteenth Week of 2010 at School:
Science: We will continue to study ecosystems. Students will learn about how animals survive in different ecosystems.

Social Studies: We will begin the study of our city, Chicago, this week. We did not have a chance to begin this unit last week. We will learn how Chicago go its name and who founded it.

Spelling: There will be a Spelling test #31 on Friday, May 14th.

Reading: This week we will focus on the reading strategies of inferring and summarizing while reading persuasive writing. Students will also be given a new poem on Monday, May 10th. They should practice reading it every night. They will read it to the class on Friday, May 14th.

English: We will continue our persausive writing unit. Students will write a paper convincing the class that either cats are better than dogs or dogs are better than cats.

Math: We will continue "Mad Minute" division. This week students will study division by 10's and 11's. There will be tests on division by 10's and 11's on Friday, May 14th. Students will be tested on Chapter 18 (fractions) on Tuesday, May 11th. Students received a study guide on Thursday, May 6th and it should be completed by Monday, May 10th. Then we will begin the study of decimals.

Things to Remember:
Tuesday 5/11: There will be a chapter 18 Math test.
Friday 5/14: There will be a Spelling and "Mad Minute" division tests. Students will be dismissed at 11:05a.m. today.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
May 3rd to May 7th

My students have really enjoyed writing poems and making a poetry book. Writing helps students to recognize rhyming patterns!

The Fifteenth Week of 2010 at School:
Science: We will continue to study ecosystems. We have learned about populations, habitats, and environments so far. Students have studied fresh water, salt water, forests, deserts, and grassland ecosystems.

Social Studies: We will begin the study of our city, Chicago. We will learn how Chicago go its name and who founded it.

Spelling: There will be a Spelling test #30 on Friday, May 7th.

Reading: This week we will focus on the reading strategies of inferring and summarizing while reading poems. Students will receive a new poem on Monday, May 3rd that they should practice reading every night. On Friday, May 7th they will read their poem to the class.

English: We will work on writing poems. We will also finish writing pen pal letters to second grade students at Elizabeth Ide. As we finish our poetry unit, we will begin a persuasive writing unit. This week students will write a persuasive letter to me explaining why they should have an extra recess!

Math: We will continue "Mad Minute" division. This week students will study division by 9's. There will be a test on division by 9's on Friday, May 7th. Students will receive two minutes to complete 20 division by 9's questions. We will continue the study of fractions.
Things to Remember:
Friday 5/7: There will be a Spelling and a "Mad Minute" division test.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
April 26th to April 30th




This week on Friday, April 30th we will have an in class field trip on weather called "Meteor Madness!"

The Fourteenth Week of 2010 at School:
Science: We will continue to study ecosystems.

Social Studies: This week we will focus on Science.

Spelling: There will be a Spelling test #28 on Friday, April 30th.

Reading: This week we will continue to focus on the reading strategies monitoring and questioning. We will work on these strategies while reading poems. Students will be given a poem on Monday, April 26th. They should practice reading the poem every night of the week. They will read the poem to the class on Friday, April 30th. This is a great way for students to practice reading fluency.

English: We will work on writing poems. We will also write pen pal letters to second grade students at Elizabeth Ide.

Math: We will continue "Mad Minute" division. This week students will study division by 8's. There will be a test on division by 8's on Friday, Apri l 30th. Students will receive two minutes to complete 20 division by 8's questions. We will continue the study of fractions.

Things to Remember:
Friday 4/30: There will be a Spelling and a "Mad Minute" division test. We will have an in class field trip on weather.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065