Miss Pellin's Post
January 2nd to January 6th

Students made Grinch masks to go along with the Grinch theme for our holiday party!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! There will not be school on Monday, Winter break ends on Tuesday, January 3rd! There will not be school on Monday, January 2nd. 

Matter Presentation:  We are fortunate to invite scientists from "High Touch-High Tech to Prairieview.  They will lead students through many experiments involving the different states of matter on Friday, January 6th.  Please send in $7.25 for this presentation, if you have not already.

Spelling Bee:  We will have a Spelling Bee in our classroom on Thursday, January 12th.  You will find a list of spelling words that will be used for the spelling bee in your child's binder.  The winner will compete against the winners in the other third grade classrooms at a later date. 

The Eighteenth Week at School:

Science: We will begin the study of water cycle in chapter 9.  We will start by discussing the different places water can be found in lesson 1.   

Social Studies: We will focus on science this week.

Math:  We will begin the study of measurement (Chapter 20). We have covered all of the multiplication facts from x2 to x9, but there may be a few your child needs to review and memorize.  Students will be tested on all these facts on Wednesday, January 12th. 

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

Reading: We will start working on the strategy of monitoring and clarifying as we read using the story Nights of the Pufflings.  We will then extend our strategy use while working on a novel study. All the while, we will also be distinguishing fact and opinion. As always, we will continue to utilize strategies from previous weeks.

English: Students will begin the week by writing down their New Year's resolution.  Students will also write an autobiography. 

Things to Remember:
Monday 12/19: Winter Break begins - have a great holiday.
Tuesday 1/3: Classes begin after winter break!
Friday 1/6: There will be a spelling test. 

Wednesday 1/12:  We will have a multiplication test.
Thursday 1/13:  We will have our class Spelling Bee.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
December 12th to December 16th

Winter break begins on Monday, December 19th! Have a great holiday!

Our class will go on a bowling field trip on Monday, December 12th. You can send your child with money if they would like to buy a snack at the bowling alley. Please send your child with a sack lunch.


On Friday, December 16th, the third grade students with watch the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This is a PG movie, so a permission slip was sent home.  Please end this permission slip back by Wednesday, December 14th. 

We have a busy week ahead!  We are wrapping up many different units before the long break!

The Seventeenth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: We will focus on social studies this week. 

Social Studies: We will finish the study of modern day Downers Grove and chapter 12.  Students will be able to use their social studies textbook on the test, but they will not be able to use their Downer's Grove packets.  Study guides have been sent home.  Students have the option of completing their test on Thursday, December 15th or Friday, December 16th.  Students should bring their textbooks back to school everyday.

Math: This week we will finish the study of graphing in chapter 6.  There will be a chapter 6 test on Thursday, December 15th.  This week students will study multiplying by 6, 7, and 8. There will be a multiplication quiz on Thursday, December 15th, since there will not be math class on Friday. Students will be tested on all the facts they have learned so far and the following new facts:

6 X 7 = 42
6 X 8 = 48
6 X 9 = 54
7 X 8 = 56
7 X 9 = 63
8 X 9 = 72

Spelling: This week students will be given a winter spelling list.  Each students will have a winter list packet to complete for homework in order to practice their words.  There will not be a pretest.  The final test will be on Friday, December 16th. 

Reading: Students will be reading various books at their level.  They will then be writing summaries for what happened at the beginning and middle of their story.  Finally, they will write a review evaluating their story without giving away the ending.  The final draft of student summaries and reviews will be written on a snowman!

English: We will finish the study of nouns in unit 2.  There will be a test on Wednesday, December 14th.  Students can leave their textbook at home until the day of the test.

 

Things to Remember:

Monday 12/12: We will go bowling.

Wednesday 12/14:  There will be a noun unit 2 test.
Thursday 12/15: There will be a multiplication test and a math chapter 6 test.  Students have the option to take the social studies test Thursday or Friday.
Friday 12/16: We will have a spelling test. Students have the option to take the social studies test Thursday or Friday.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org

Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
December 5th to December 9th

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

Here is one of the exquisite quilts Mrs. Vanni made for Claire titled Stars for Claire.  The students learned the intricate process of how quilts are made, which went right along with the story the class read The Keeping Quilt.

The Sixteenth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: We will finish the study of matter in chapter 11. The chapter 11 matter test has been moved to Thursday, December 8th. 

Social Studies: We continue the story of modern day Downers Grove.

Math: Students will be tested on the time portion of chapter 5 on Wednesday, December 7th.  This week students will study multiplying by 4. There will be a multiplication quiz on Friday, December 9th.  Students will be tested all the facts they have learned so far and the following new facts:

4 X 5 = 20
4 X 6 = 24
4 X 7 = 28
4 X 8 = 32
4 X 9 = 36

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 focus on the reading strategies evaluating text and visualizing. 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. An activity "Santa Cause" will allow students to come up with funny situations Santa gets into to which shows cause and effect.

English: We will continue the study of nouns.  Look for a study guide to come home.  There will be a chapter 2 noun test in the week of December 12th. 

Things to Remember:

Wednesday 12/7: There will be a chapter 5 math test.
Thursday 12/8:  There will be a chapter 11 science test.

Friday 12/9: There will be a spelling test and a multiplication test.

Contact Information:

E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org

Voice mail: (630)783-5065

Miss Pellin's Post
November 28th to December 2nd

I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday, November 28th, Tuesday, November 29th, and Wednesday, November 30th for conferences. Remember there will be no school on Friday, December 2nd.

Students will go bowling on Monday, December 12th.  Please sign the permission slip and send it back with your child by Thursday, December 1st. 

The Fifteenth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: We will finish the study of matter in chapter 11.  Students will learn the difference between physical and chemical changes.  Look for a study guide to come home.  There will be a test in the week of December 5th. 

Social Studies: We will begin the study of modern day Downers Grove.

Math: This week we will begin the study of time in the second half of chapter 5.  Students will be tested on time in the week of December 5th.  Look for a study guide to come home.  There will be a multiplication quiz on all the facts students have learned so far and the following new facts:

 

3 X 4 = 12

3 X 5 = 15

3 X 6 = 18

3 X 7 = 21

3 X 8 = 24

3 X 9 = 27

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. Ware very fortunate to have Mrs. Vanni come in to teach students the process of making quilts.  This will help provide students with background knowledge.  In addition, we will work on part/whole analogies. 

English: We will continue the study of nouns in chapter 2. 





Things to Remember:
Monday 11/28: Parent/Teacher conferences.
Tuesday 11/29: Parent/Teacher conferences.
Wednesday 11/30: Parent/Teacher conferences.
Thursday 12/1: There will be a multiplication test. 
Friday 12/2: There will be no school.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
November 14th to November 25th

There will be no school on Wednesday, November 23rd, Thursday, November 24th, and Friday, November 25th due to Thanksgiving!



I look forward to seeing you at conferences on Monday, November 28th, Tuesday, November 29th, and Wednesday, November 30th.  Please make sure you have confirmed your conference time. 

We will be taking a field trip to Downers Grove as part of our Social Studies unit about our city on Thursday, November 17th from 9 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. Thank you!

The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of matter in chapter 11.  We will continue to discuss the three states of matter - solid, liquid, and gas.  Then we will study the difference between a physical and chemical change. 

Social Studies: We will continue the study of Downers Grove history.  Students will receive a study guide on Monday, November 14th for the history of Downers Grove quiz.  The quiz will be on Friday, November 18th. 

Math:  Chapter 5 will be broken into two parts - money and time.  First, students will study money (lessons 1-5).  Students will be tested on chapter 5 (lessons 1-5) on Tuesday, November 22nd.  This test grade will be taken for trimester 2. Look for a study guide to come home next week.  There will be a multiplication quiz on Friday, November 18th on the facts from the previous weeks and the following new facts:

5 X 6 = 30
5 X 7 = 35
5 X 8 = 40
5 X 9 = 45

Spelling: In lieu of a typical spelling lesson, students will continue exploring analogies with our focus on synonym analogies. There will be a test on synonym analogies on Tuesday, November 15th.  Then we will begin the study of antonym analogies. 

Reading:   This week, our focus will continue to be on story elements (plot, character, problem and solution). We will be exploring these elements through our Good Fit reading group books.

English: We will pretest on chapter 2, nouns. This will determine which students may be work on enriching activities while others receive necessary additional support.  We will also be working on a story about Thanksgiving from a Turkey's Point of View. 





Things to Remember:
Tuesday 11/15:  There will be a synonym quiz. 
Thursday 11/17:  We will go on our Downers Grove field trip.
Friday 11/18: There will be a multiplication quiz.  There will be a Downers Grove quiz.

Tuesday 11/22:  There will be a math test.
Wednesday 11/23:  There will be no school due to Thanksgiving break.
Thursday 11/24:  There will be no school due to Thanksgiving break.  Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday 11/25:  There will be no school due to Thanksgiving break.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
November 7th to November 11th

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

Roller Skating Party: Students attending the roller skating party on Monday, November 7th 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 Thursday, November 17th from 9 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. Thank you!

The Twelfthth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of matter.  We will discuss the three states of matter - solid, liquid, and gas.

Social Studies: We will continue the study of Downers Grove.  Students will learn about how Pierce Downer's house was part of the underground railroad which lead eventually to Canada.


Math:  There will be a "T" Chart Quiz on Tuesday, November 8th.  Students will complete three problems.  Then they will pick one of the three problems to write a "T" Chart about.  On Wednesday we will begin the study of money in chapter 5.  There will be a multiplication quiz on Thursday, November 10th on the following facts:

2 X 3 = 6
2 X 4 = 8
2 X 5 = 10
2 X 6 = 12
2 X 7 = 14
2 X 8 = 16
2 X 9 = 18

Spelling: In lieu of a typical spelling lesson, students will begin exploring analogies this week with our focus on synonym/antonym analogies this week. There will be a test on synonym/antonym analogies on Tuesday, November 15th.

Reading:  In your child's reading folder you will find a sheet with your child's MAP score and lexile level.  These are two different numbers.  The lexile score is in the top right hand corner of the page.  You can go on www.lexile.com and enter your child's lexile level in order to find books at your child's level.  This lexile level is based off of your child's performance on the MAPs test from the beginning of the year.  Therefore, they should be reading books from the high end of their score.  They will receive a new score in January.  This is another way to determine if students are reading a Good Fit Book. Feel free to let me know if you need some assistance in finding your child a high interest book they will enjoy reading every evening for at least 20 minutes.

This week, our focus will be on story elements (plot, character, problem and solution. We will be exploring these elements through our Good Fit reading group books.

English: Students will edit their Favorite Things paper and write a final draft. They will present their Me Bags on Wednesday and Thursday.  Then, we will pretest on chapter 2, nouns. This will determine which students may be work on enriching activities while others receive necessary additional support.



Things to Remember:
Tuesday 11/8:  There will be a "T" chart quiz. 
Thursday 11/10: There will be a multiplication quiz.
Friday 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
October 31st to November 4th

 

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

Also, thank you to all the parents who helped level books! 

Pictures:  Our retake day is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3rd.

The Eleventh Week of 2011 at School:

Science: We will continue the study of matter in chapter 11.  Students will learn about different ways you can measure matter.


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

Math: We will continue the study of t-charts.  We will also begin the study of multipilication.  The third grade team has adopted a new system for teaching multiplication.  Each Monday I will send home a list of facts I want you to help your child master.  There is limited class time available to practice math facts, so students need to be practicing them each night at home.  Each Friday students will be given four minutes to complete 50 questions.  The questions will only include the facts students need to master.  Therefore, problems will be repeated.  Below are the facts students will need to know next week:

2 X 2 = 4
3 X 3 = 9
4 X 4 = 16
5 X 5 = 25
6 X 6 = 36
7 X 7 = 49
8 X 8 =64
9 X 9 = 81


Spelling: We will be back to working on our regular spelling lists this coming week with List #8. We will have a pre-test on Monday and our final test on Friday.  The homework is due on Friday as well.

Reading: This week we will be practicing the skill of cause and effect and synonyms and antonyms. Also, the October reading calendar is due on Tuesday, November 1st. Your child will receive a November calendar on Tuesday that is due at the end of the month. Remember to sign 20 days that your child reads 20 minutes to receive full credit.




Things to Remember:
Monday 10/31: Happy Halloween!
Tuesday 11/1: The October reading calendar is due. 

Friday 11/4: There will be a spelling test.  There will be multiplication test.

Contact Information:
E-Mail address: mpellin@ccsd66.org
Voice mail: (630)783-5065 English: This week students will write a "me bag" paper. On Monday, October 31st 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 November 7th and November 8th. 

Miss Pellin's Post
October 24th - October 28th

Thank you to the following parents for helping label our classroom books with Lexile scores: Mrs. Ryan, Mrs. Blough, Mrs. Wisdom, and Mrs. Lang. The classroom library is coming along great, but I still have books that need to be labeled.  If you are available at anytime during school hours next week, I would be more than grateful if you could come and help! Please email me and we can set up a date and time for you to come.  Thank you so much!!!

Halloween:

The Halloween parade has been moved to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 28th.  Then we will have our classroom party at 1:30 p.m.

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 dismissal. Your child will wear their costume home.

Pictures:  Our retake day is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3rd.

The Tenth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: This week we will start the study of matter in chapter 11. 

Social Studies: This week we will begin the study of Downers Grove.  Students will learn about Downers Grove's founder, Pierce Downer.

Spelling: This week we will work on Halloween words. There will be a homework packet given to the students on Monday. The homework packet is due Friday. There will be no pretest this week.

Reading: We will begin to focus on cause and effect as we read stories from the basal and other materials such as non fiction articles and chapter books. We will also work on synonyms and antonyms.  There will be a vocabulary quiz Friday, October 28th. 

English: We will finish our descriptive writing unit.  Students will write their final draft of the descriptive haunted house story.

Math: This week we will begin the study of problem solving and t-charts.  Students will be solving word problems and then explaining how they came up with their answer using a t-chart.  Look for a packet and a letter of explanation in your student's binder this week.





Things to Remember:
Friday 10/:24  There will be a vocabulary quiz and a spelling test.  The Halloween Parade begins at 1:00 p.m., followed by the class party at 1:30 p.m.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
October 17th - October 21st


Halloween:

The Halloween parade will begin at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, October 28th.  Then we will have our classroom party.

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 dismissal. Your child will wear their costume home.

Prairieview Weekly Reminders:

Rosemary Smith has been and will continue sending weekly reminders to the parents.  Please take note of the attached documents that she sends.  Movie Night permission slips and other sheets will be sent through the weekly reminders.  Thank you!

Pictures: 

Our picture packets should arrive on Tuesday, October 18th.  Our retake day is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3rd.


The Ninth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: This week we will focus on Social Studies.

Social Studies: This week we will finish the study of hemispheres.  There will be a hemisphere quiz on Thursday, October 20th.  Students received a study guide on Friday, October 14th.

Spelling: We are pretesting with List #8 on Monday of next week. Please remember that if your student receives a 90% or higher they will be working from the "challenge" list of words for their homework. All homework is due on Friday and if your student is taking the posttest, that will be Friday as well.

Reading: Students will continue to infer word meaning, character traits, and author messages with various books at their level.

English: We will continue our descriptive writing unit.  Students will write a descriptive haunted house story.

Math: This week we will study chapter 2.  This is a short chapter that focuses on ordering numbers.  It also reviews rounding.  Since we will be moving through this short chapter quickly, there will be a test on Friday, October 21st.   Students will receive a study guide on Monday, October 17th. 



Things to Remember:
Thursday 10/20:  There will be a hemisphere quiz.
Friday 10/:21  There will be a chapter 2 math test.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
October 10th - October 14th

Remember Monday, October 10th is Columbus Day and there will be no school.  Also, due to an institute day there will not be school on Tuesday, October 11th. Please plan accordingly.


Halloween:

The Halloween parade and party will be on Friday, October 28th. 
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 dismissal. Your child will wear their costume home.

The Eighth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: This week we will focus on Social Studies.

Social Studies: This week we will begin the study of hemispheres.  We will also discuss the north and south pole. 

Spelling: There will be no spelling due to the shortened week. 

Reading: Our continued focus will be on inferring this week as we practice using many reading strategies to improve our reading. The inferences we make will be about text, characters and unfamiliar words. There will be a vocabulary test (from the story Ballad of Mulan) on Thursday.

How are your child's "good fit" books working out? Are they willingly reading at home for 20 minutes each night? If this is a struggle, perhaps I could work with your child to find a book they will be very interested in - let me know!

English: We will continue our descriptive writing unit.  At the end of the week, students will write a "hook" sentence to begin their haunted house story.  The "hook" sentence will grab the reader's attention. 

Math: This week we will finish chapter 1.  The chapter 1 test has been moved to Friday, October 14th.  Students have already received a study guide. 



Things to Remember:
Monday 10/10: This is Columbus Day and there will be no school.
Tuesday 10/11: There is an Institute Day and there will be no school.
Thursday 10/13:  There will be a vocabulary quiz.
Friday 10/14:  There will be a chapter 1 math test.

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

Miss Pellin's Post

October 3rd - October 7th

Thank you so much for sending in apples for Johnny Appleseed's birthday!  Also, thank you to the parents who sent in extra supplies as well!


Scholastic Book Orders:  Book orders are due on October 12th.  There are directions attached to the order forms for purchasing the books online, but this is not a requirement.   Our class code is J9D78.


The Seventh Week of 2011 at School:

Science: We will finish the study of chapter 4 on ecosystems.  There will be a chapter 4 test on Friday, October 7th.  Students will receive a study guide on Monday, October 3rd.

Social Studies: This week we will focus on science. 

Math: We will study place value and problem solving in chapter 1.  

Spelling: We are pretesting with List #6 on Monday of next week. Please remember that if your student receives a 90% or higher they will be working from the "challenge" list of words for their homework. All homework is due on Friday and if your student is taking the posttest, that will be Friday as well.

Reading: We will focus on the reading strategy inferencing.  The students will use basal reading stories, supplemental short stories, and possibly novels to extend their practice of understanding what they read.  Students will learn new vocabulary words from stories they are reading. We will also continue to work on an extended response where we use ideas from the text combined with our own ideas to answer a question.

English: We will continue the study of descriptive writing.
 
Things to Remember:
Friday 10/7: There will be a spelling test and a science test. 

Thursday 10/13: The vocabulary quiz has been moved to 10/13.

Miss Pellin's Post

September 26th - September 30th

Monday, September 26th is Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. We will be having a celebration! Please send your child with a peeled, cored, and sliced apple to school on Monday, September 26th.  We will be making applesauce. 

Magazine Drive:  Students can turn magazine orders on Tues. 9/27 and Thurs. 9/29.

Scholastic Book Orders:  Today I sent home Scholastic book order forms.  There are directions attached to the order forms for purchasing the books online, but this is not a requirement.  Book orders are due on October 12th.  Our class code is J9D78.

Picture Day will be on Thursday, September 29th.

Friday, September 30th will be an early dismissal day.  Students will leave school at 11:00 a.m.  Please plan accordingly. 


The Sixth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: This week we will continue the study of chapter 4 on ecosystems.

Social Studies: This week we will focus on science. 

Math: We will finish the study of large number subtraction in chapter 4.  Students will receive a study guide on Monday and there will be a test on Friday, September 30th. 

On Wednesday, September 28th students will be tested on their basic math subtraction facts. Students will need to complete 40 subtraction problems in 2 minutes. Students will take practice subtraction tests in the days leading up to September 28th.  If students pass the test before September 28th, then they will not need to take it again.

Spelling: We are pretesting with List #5 on Monday of next week. Please remember that if your student receives a 90% or higher they will be working from the "challenge" list of words for their homework. All homework is due on Friday and if your student is taking the posttest, that will be Friday as well.

Reading: Next week we will continue to highlight summarizing and sequencing using materials differentiated for our classroom's various reading levels, and will be extending our knowledge through written responses.  We will also assess our third graders on their ability to sequence events from text.  Students will make their own comic, which involves squencing of events as well. 

English: There will be an English unit 1 test on Tuesday, September 27th.  Then we will begin the study of descriptive writing. 
 
Things to Remember:

Monday 9/26: It's Johny Appleseed's birthday celebration!
Tuesday 9/27: There will be an English unit 1 test. 
Wednesday 9/28:  There will be a subtraction math facts test.  There will be a vocabulary quiz.
Thursday 9/29: It is picture day.
Friday 9/30: There will be a spelling test and chapter 4 math test.  It is an early dismissal day.

Miss Pellin's Post
September 19th - September 23rd

Monday, September 26th is Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. We will be having a celebration! A note will be sent home as a reminder on Monday, September 19th. Your child will be asked to bring in a peeled, cored, and sliced apple to school on Monday, September 26th to be used to make applesauce for the class. We are looking for donations of small bowls, plastic spoons, and apple juice. If this is something you are interested in helping with, please email me or send the items in any day before Monday, September 26th. Thank you in advance for your help!

The Fifth Week of 2011 at School:

Science: This week we will begin chapter 4 on ecosystems.

Social Studies: This week we will have a continents and oceans quiz on Tuesday, September 20th.  Students will need to identify where the 5 oceans and 7 continents are located on a map.

Math: There will be a test on chapter 3 on Tuesday, September 20th.   Then we will begin chapter 4 on subtraction. 

On Monday, September 26th students will be tested on their basic math subtraction facts. Students will need to complete 40 subtraction problems in 2 minutes. Students will take practice subtraction tests in the days leading up to September 26th.  If students pass the test before September 26th, then they will not need to take it again.

Spelling: We are pretesting with List #4 on Monday of next week. Please remember that if your student receives a 90% or higher they will be working from the "challenge" list of words for their homework. All homework is due on Friday and if your student is taking the posttest, that will be Friday as well.

Reading: Now we will start to put the reading strategies we have learned to great use while reading various types of literature. We will always be reviewing/using all of the strategies, but for the coming weeks we will highly focus on the strategies of sequencing and summarizing. The students will use basal reading stories, supplemental short stories, and possibly novels to extend their practice of understanding what they read. As a third grade we are really highlighting oral and written responses to what was read and will integrate this throughout.  We will also work on an extended response where we use ideas from the text combined with our own ideas to answer a question.

English: This week we will finish unit 1.  Look for a study guide to come home this week.  There will be a test on Tuesday, September 27th.  There will be a D.O.L. quiz on Monday, September 19th.

P.E.: There will be a soccer test on Thursday, September 22nd. Study guides will go home on Monday. 

Intramural Games Permission slips will be sent home on Monday. They are due back by Friday. More information can be found on the PE website.
 
Things to Remember:

Monday 9/19: There will be a D.O.L. Quiz.
Tuesday 9/20: There will be a chapter 3 math test.  There will be a continents and oceans quiz. 
Thursday 9/22: There will be a soccer test in P.E.
Friday 9/23: There will be a Spelling "list #4" test.

Monday 9/26:It's Johny Appleseed's birthday celebration! There will be a subtraction math facts test.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
September 12th - September 16th

This week in 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 12th! Check in your child's binder for more information on the magazine
drive on this day.

Prairieview Elementary School is working on a quilt in order to remember and honor September 11th victims.  Take a look at the part of the quilt our class completed.

The Fourth Week of School:

Science:  We will focus on Social Studies.

Social Studies: We will begin the study of the continents.  Students will be assigned a continent and use laptops to find facts about their continent.  There will be a continent quiz on Tuesday, September 20th.  Look for a study guide to come home on Wednesday, September 14th. 

Math: We will finish the study of chapter 3, which deals with different addition properties, adding large numbers, rounding, and estimating.   On Tuesday, September 13th 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 2 minutes. Many students have already passed this test during our practice tests in class and do not have to take it again.  Students will have a chapter 3 test on Tuesday, September 20th.  Look for a study guide to come home on Tuesday, September 13th.

Spelling: This week in spelling we will work on Lesson 3. This lesson will focus on words with more short vowels. We will pretest on Monday and pass out the homework which is due on Friday. On Friday we will have a test worth 20 points.

Reading: Next week we will continue to teach the students how to utilize the essential reading strategies. In our classes we will demonstrate how the application of these strategies will maximize student comprehension of a range of literary materials.

English: This week we will continue to work on unit 1.  We will discuss subjects and predicates.  We will also continue to work on Daily Oral Language (D.O.L.).  Duyring D.O.L. students edit sentences.  There will be a D.O.L. quiz on Monday, September 19th.  Look for a study guide to come home next week. 

Things to Remember:
Friday 9/16/11: There will be a spelling "list #3" test. 

Monday 9/19/11:  There will be a D.O.L. quiz. 
Tuesday 9/20/11:  There will be a chapter 1 math test. There will be a continent quiz. 

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

Miss Pellin's Post
September 5th- September 9th

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 5th due to Labor Day. I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend! Classes resume on Tuesday, September 6th.

The Third Week of 2011 at School:

Science: This week we will focus on Social Studies.

Social Studies: There will be a direction quiz on Friday, September 9th. Students will receive a study guide on Tuesday, September 6th.  They should review the material on their study guide to prepare for the quiz.

Math:  We will study chapter 3, which deals with different addition properties, adding large numbers, rounding, and estimating.   On Tuesday, September 13th 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 2 minutes.

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.  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 work on editing sentences for Daily Oral Language (D.O.L.)

Things to Remember:
Monday 9/5:  There will be no school. Enjoy a safe and happy Labor Day.
Friday 9/8:  There will be a spelling "list 2" test.  There will be a social studies quiz.

Tuesday 9/13:  There will be an addition test.

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

Miss Pellin's Post

August 29th - September 2nd

I really enjoyed getting to know my homeroom this past week and I am excited to meet my math class! 

I am looking forward to seeing each of you at curriculum night at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 1st. At curriculum night you will have the chance to sign up for conferences and will be given information about the school year.

Please send your child to school with one of their T-shirts (it won't get ruined and will be returned by Friday) and a hanger. You will be able to see why I am making such a strange request on Thursday evening at Curriculum Night.

Binders have been organized, so they will be coming home daily with assignment notebooks.

The Second Week of 2011 at School:

Science: This week we will focus on Social Studies.

Math:  Math will not begin until Thursday, 9/1. For math related information, your child's math teacher will provide this on her blog.

Social Studies: We will study directions. Students will learn about cardinal and intermediate directions.

Spelling: This week in spelling we will start with Lesson 1. These are "Back to School" words. We will pretest on Monday and students will receive homework that will be due Friday. Also, on Friday we will have our first test worth 20 points.  A sheet will come home on Monday, August 29th explaining our spelling program more in depth. 

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. Students will have homework every night, which is to read any book of their choice for 20 minutes.

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:
Thursday 9/1: Curriculum Night will begin at 6:30 P.M.
Friday 9/2: There will be a Spelling "list 1" test.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
June 6th to June 7th

I have enjoyed all my students so much this year!! Thanks to all the parents who have helped make the 2010/2011 school year such a great one! Remember Tuesday, June 7th is an early dismissal day, please plan accordingly. Students will be dismissed at 9:30 am.

On Monday, June 6th we will have our school picnic! Each child will receive a hot dog, bag of chips and a bottle of water. They will also receive a dessert. If your child cannot eat a hot dog, they will need to bring their own lunch.


Things to Remember:
Monday 6/6: We will have our school picnic!
Tuesday 6/7: Students will be dismissed at 9:30 a.m.

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