Miss Pellin's Post
November 9th to November 13th

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

The Eleventh Week of 2009 at School:

Science: We will begin the study of weather.

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.

Social Studies: We will continue to study present day Downers Grove and the local government.

Math: This week we will continue to work on t-charts.

We will begin working on multiplication this week. Please look for a packet coming home on Monday, November 9th on multiplication. This week students will study multiplying by 2. There will be a test on "*2" on Friday, November 13th. Students will receive two minutes to complete 20 multiplication by 2 questions. Practice sheets will be coming home throughout the week.

Spelling: This week we will study Spelling “list 13.” This list will be handed out on Monday, November 9th. Students will be tested on this list on Friday, November 13th.

Reading: We will We will start to work on the new reading strategy of "self questioning." We will work on this strategy while reading The Keeping Quilt. There will be a vocabulary quiz on words from The Keeping Quilt on Friday, November 13th.

English: We will begin the study of verbs. We will begin to look for action verbs in sentences. Then we will work on plural and singular verbs. Finally, we will look at past and future tense.



Things to Remember:
Wednesday 11/11: There will be no school for Veterans Day.
Friday 11/13: There will be a Spelling test. There will be a x2 multplication test.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
November 2nd to November 6th We had a boo-tiful time at our Halloween Party and Halloween Parade last week. Thank-you to all the volunteers who helped make it possible.

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 4th from 9 am to 2 pm. Everyone will eat at Giordano's restaurant (please send a cold lunch if you did not sign up for a pizza lunch). If you would like, though it is not necessary, you can also send $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. Thank you!

The Tenth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: The matter test has been changed to Friday, November 6th. Students will receive a study guide on Monday, November 2nd.

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.

Social Studies: Expect a quiz on the history of Downers Grove on Tuesday, November 3rd. Then we will begin to study present day Downers Grove and local governments.

Math: 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 we will study Spelling “list 12.” This list will be handed out on Monday, November 2nd. Students will be tested on this list on Friday, November 6th.

Reading: This week we will begin studying cause and effect. Students will make a class book of their own version of Give a Mouse a Cookie.

English: This week we will finish our final draft of our Haunted House paper. Then we will begin the study of verbs.

Things to Remember:

Tuesday 11/3: There will be a Downers Grove history quiz.

Wednesday 11/4: There will be a field trip to Downers Grove!
Friday 11/6: There will be a Spelling test. We will have a Science test on Chapter 11 (matter).

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

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

There will be no school on Friday, October 30th. Please plan accordingly.

It's our Halloween week. Please keep in mind the following guidelines when helping your child pick out a Halloween costume for our Halloween party and parade (parents may come at 12:30 pm to watch our school parade) on Thursday, October 29th:

1. As part of the Halloween party, the students will be decorating their own pumpkins. Students will not be allowed to carve the pumpkins or use paint. They can use things like permanent markers, pipe cleaners, hats, clay, stickers, etc. Please send decorating supplies with your child. The picture at left is an example of what can be done!

2. 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.


3. 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.

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

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

We will be taking a field trip to Downers Grove as part of our Social Studies unit about our city on Wednesday, November 4th from 9 am to 2 pm. Everyone will eat at Giordano's restaurant (please send a cold lunch if you did not sign up for a pizza lunch). If you would like, though it is not necessary, you can also send $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. Thank you!

The Ninth Week of 2009 at School:

Science: We will study physical changes that are mixtures and solutions. On Thursday, October 29th we will have our "What's the Matter?" in class presentations.

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.

Social Studies: We will finish learning about the history of Downers Grove. Students will receive a study guide on Tuesday, October 29th for the history of Downers Grove quiz. Expect a test on this unit on Tuesday, November 3rd.

Math: This week we will finish Chapter 4. There will be a test Wednesday, October 28th. Students will receive a study guide on Monday, October 26th. For extra practice students can complete page 98 & 101 in their textbook.

Spelling: This week we will study Spelling “list 11.” This list will be handed out on Monday, October 26th. Students will be tested on this list on Thursday, October 29th.

Reading: We will be focusing on English this week (our Halloween descriptive writing piece).

English: This week we will continue descriptive writing. Students will work on using sensory words in their writing They will also learn different types of "hooks."




Things to Remember:
Wednesday 10/28: There will be a math quiz.
Thursday 10/29: We will have our Halloween party and parade. There will also be a Spelling test.
Friday 10/30: There will be no school.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
October 19th to October 23rd

Our class was in the local section of the Chicago Tribune on October 15th! The newspaper shared the following:



The Rotary Club donated dictionaries to all third grade students at Prairieview Elementary School on September 30th. Bob Tostrowski, Brian Andersen, and Robert Carlo came to each class to deliver dictionaries and to stress the importance of reading.

Wednesday, October 21st will be an early dismissal day (11 am) please plan accordingly.

We will be taking a field trip to Downers Grove as part of our Social Studies unit about our city. On Thursday, October 15th a permission slip for the Downers Grove field trip will be sent home. The signed permission slip is due on Friday, October 23rd. You may also send $7.50 along with the signed permission slip to cover the cost of a Giordano's (Downers Grove) pizza lunch. If you do not wish to have your child participate, please send a cold lunch on the day of the field trip (no money is necessary). Everyone will eat at Giordano's restaurant (cold or pizza). If you would like, though it is not necessary, you can also send $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 need four more volunteers to come on the field trip with me. The first four parents to email me are welcome to come. Please email me at mpellin@ccsd66.org if you are interested. Thank you!

Please keep in mind the following guidelines when helping your child pick out a Halloween costume for our Halloween party and parade:

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 2009 at School:

Science: We will continue to study matter. This week we will work on Lesson 2. We will learn more about the water cycle.

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.

Social Studies: We will continue to study the history of Downers Grove. We 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 and borrowing. On Friday, October 23rd students will be tested on their basic math subtraction facts. Students will need to complete 40 subtraction problems (subtracting numbers ranging from 1 to 10) in two and a half minutes. Students will be given practice subtraction tests on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Spelling: This week we will study Spelling “list 10.” This list will be handed out on Monday, October 19th. Students will be tested on this list on Friday, October 23rd.

Reading: We will use the strategy of comparing and contrasting when reading the story Surfer Seal. There will be a vocabulary quiz on words in Surfer Seal on Tuesday, October 20th.

English: This week we will begin descriptive writing. Students will make a haunted house out of construction paper and write a paper about their haunted house. Before we begin this we will do a series of descriptive activities to help prepare students for their paper.



Things to Remember:
Tuesday 10/20: There will be a vocabulary quiz.
Wednesday 10/21: This will be an early dismissal day.
Friday 10/23: There will be a Spelling "list #10" test.

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

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

Remember Monday, October 12th is Columbus Day and there will be no school. Please plan accordingly.

On Thursday, October 29th we will have an "in class" field trip. Scientists from “High Touch-High Tech” will be coming to present "What's the matter!" - a presentation all about matter. An informational sheet was sent home on Friday, October 2nd. Please send $6.50 in a labeled envelope by Tuesday, October 13th.

Third Grade Intramural Games will be starting for all third graders in November. Permission slips are available through the PE department this week. If your child is interested in this before school program, please have your child bring home a permission slip. Thanks!

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 continue to study matter. This week we will work on Lesson 2.

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.

Social Studies: We will continue to study the history of Downers Grove. The original inhabitants of Downers Grove were the Pottawatomie Indians. The first pioneer was Pierce Downer.

Math: This week we will begin the study of Chapter 4 which deals with subtracting large numbers. On Friday, October 16th 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 two and a half minutes. Students will be given practice addition tests on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Spelling: This week we will study Spelling “list 9.” This list will be handed out on Tuesday, October 13th. Students will be tested on this list on Friday, October 16th.

Reading: We will continue reading the story The Night of the Pufflings. We will write an extended response on this story. We will begin the strategy of comparing and contrasting.

English: We will continue the study of nouns. This week we will work on possessive nouns. Students will have a noun quiz on Thursday, October 15th. Students will fill out a study guide in class on Wednesday, October 14th.

Things to Remember:
Monday 10/12: This is Columbus Day and there will be no school.
Thursday 10/15: There will be a noun quiz.
Friday 10/16: There will be a Spelling "list #9" test. There will also be a math addition facts test.

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

Miss Pellin's Post
October 5th - October 9th
I learned a lot about my reading class this week! Each of them made an excellent presentation of their "Me" bag. This week we will read about pufflings. Isn't the picture adorable!

Remember Monday, October 12th is Columbus Day and there will be no school. On Thursday, October 29th we will have an "in class" field trip. Scientists from “High Touch-High Tech” will be coming to present "What's the matter!" - a presentation all about matter. An informational sheet will go home on Friday, October 2nd. Please send $6.50 in a labeled envelope by Tuesday, October 13th.

The Seventh Week of 2009 at School:
Science: We will continue to study matter. Students will study mass, density, and volume this week. These are the three crucial measures of matter (the stuff that things are made of).

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.

Social Studies: 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. Walking around town and visiting the historic sites would be a fun thing to do on the week end!

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 Wednesday, October 7th. Students will receive a study guide on Monday, October 5th.

Spelling: This week we wil study Spelling “list 8.” This list will be handed out on Monday, October 5th. Students will be tested on this list on Friday, October 9th.

Reading: We will begin the new reading strategy of clarifying. This week we will focus on telling the difference between facts and opinions. We will be applying this strategy to the story The Night of the Pufflings. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Thursday, October 8th on words from this book. Students will receive a study guide on Monday, October 5th.

English: We will continue the study of nouns. This week we will work on common and proper nouns. We will also study singular and plural nouns.

Things to Remember:
Wednesday 10/7: There will be a Chapter 3 Math test.
Thursday 10/8: There will be a vocabulary quiz.
Friday 10/9: There will be a Spelling "list #8" test.

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