I hope you all able to enjoy the absolute gorgeous day given to us yesterday!  Moms – I also hope your day was filled with beauty and special moments!  We have a short week here in school as there is NO SCHOOL Friday for next year’s planning day!  We will begin review units in Spelling.  In Reading we will discuss Floating Home and  the plot of a story.  We continue talking about the history of Chicago in Social Studies and adverbs in English.   We will continue working on division in Math. Division with remainders is on the agenda. Again – there are a few kids that struggle with their basic facts, nightly practice is a must to become better.  Chicago reports are due next Monday – please be sure to follow the outline for full points. Thank you for the birthday wishes!  I truly have the best kids in the school, but please don’t tell that to anyone else!  Have a wonderful week!

HAPPY SPIRIT WEEK!  We rolled into school today looking very comfy in our pajamas!  Despite the relaxed look, we have a busy week!  We will complete our final unit of NEW words in Spelling.  The remainder of the year will focus on review.  In Reading we are reading a chapter from Ramona Quimby, Age 8.  Our skill lesson is on visualizing – creating pictures in our minds.  In Math we will wrap up chapter 7.  A test will be given, and we will continue division with remainders.  The kids really enjoy learning about the city of Chicago.  This week we will learn about Marquette, Joliet, DuSable, and possibly the great fire of Chicago.  Part of this unit requires the students to research a famous Chicagoan and a favorite place to visit in the city. Look for instructions coming home today.  The final project is due May 21st.  Adverb will happily continue in English.  Please note the Spirit week schedule below:

Tuesday – Support your favorite sports team – over your uniform, NOT out of uniform.

Wednesday– Charity Day – For $1.00, you may support the following charity of your choice and be out of uniform.  Wear the “color” to show your support for that charity!

*pink – breast cancer                *blue/white -  U.S. Veterans  

*yellow – childhood cancer     *orange – childhood hunger

*red – heart disease                  *any color –  Misericordia        

*Teacher Appreciation Day – Teachers in Tiaras!  Student Council will be coming around to take a picture of your teacher in the tiara your class has designed!

Thursday – Student Appreciation Day – All School Bingo (1:45) – Wear your favorite SJF shirt or royal blue – over uniform, not out of uniform!

Friday – Live Mathletics! -  “Sum” Fun in the parking lot – Out of uniform in our new t-shirts! – Spirit Banner winners will be chosen.

 ****There might be a few surprises sprinkled in during the week.

Happy Mother’s day to All you mamas!  Have a wonderful week!:-)

I cannot believe today is the last day in April!  Happy May days and the final full month of the year!  I know the next few weeks are busy and full. There are a lot of things on our calendars at this time of year, but please continue to make school and homework a priority.  We have much to accomplish! Our Reading story is Mailing May!  We will continue with division in Math. Please don’t let the year go by with your child not knowing the basic multiplication and division facts. We begin our Chicago unit as well! It’s always a favorite among the kids! Part of this unit requires the students to research a famous Chicagoan and a favorite place to visit in the city. Look for instructions coming home soon. In English we will be taking a test on Tuesday (Unit 11) and will continue with grammar lessons with our focus being on adverbs! Wednesday is special lunch and Friday is May Crowning with an early dismissal (11:30).  Congratulations to Danny G. who will be representing Room 218 in the Live Mathletics competion on May 11th!  Way to go Danny!  Please encourage your child to continue working on Mathletics as we can all win a homeroom prize!  Thanks for your support in this fundraiser.  Have a fantastic week!

Happy Belated Earth Day!  I cannot believe we are in the final stretch of third grade!  The third semester progress reports will be sent home on Wednesday.  We were VERY excited today to learn that Room 218 was the top class not only in the school but in the entire country this morning!:-)  I hope we can maintain our enthusiasm and work!  This week we are reading a story about a pinata maker with our skill lesson focusing on steps in a process.  We will continue working on division in Math.  Multiplication timed tests will continue as well!  We are wrapping up our forces and motion unit in Science.  A study guide will be sent home tomorrow with a test scheduled for Friday.  Pronous and homonyms will be discussed in English.  Chapter books for Accelerated Reading continue to be expected each week.  The field trip note will also be sent home this week, so please be on the look out for that.  THANK YOU for supporting the Mathletic fundraiser!  Have a wonderful week!

Welcome Back from Spring Break!    I hope you all enjoyed the time off and the time with your families!    This will be a busy week. In Math, we will begin division concepts. By no means can we stop practicing our multiplication facts though. We definitely want to make the connection between multiplication and division. Continue to check your child’s progress and realize some kids need more practice than others.  We will wrap up reading Leah’s Pony in Reading.  This will conclude Unit 5.  We will prepare for a unit test to be given at the end of the week.  We will begin learning about pronouns in English and simple machines in Science.  Accelerated Reading is due by Friday morning!  Just a reminder that chapter books are required.  Friday is an out of uniform day for $1.00.  We have several weeks left of school, I know it’s toward the end of the school year, but it’s also the time to put our best foot forward and to show all that we know and are capable of!  Have a wonderful week!  Please support the math fundraiser for our school!!  Thanks!

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend and are ready for Easter Break!  Only three FULL school days remain!  We will be working in all subject areas with special attention given to Religion as we are in Holy Week.  A Social Studies test is scheduled for Wednesday!  Study guides went home last week!  A monument in your child’s honor is also due on Wednsday.  We will have a prayer service at 1:15 on Wednesday as well!  Wishing you all a safe and happy Easter Holiday and Break!  I will see the kids back here in school on April 16th!  Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful weather yesterday!  Only 8 more school days until Easter Break!  We will be reading More Than Anything Else in Reading with our skill lesson focusing on author’s purpose.  We continue working on multiplication skills in Math.  2 and 3 digit numbers multiplied by 1 factor is the main skill, and we will also have word problems to solve.  Governments keep us busy in Social Studies – the kids seem to have a lot of questions in this area . . . me too actually:-)  We will wrap up our English unit on adjectives this week.  The test is sceduled for Thursday.  We enjoyed the Book Fair today – kids may still bring in money if they forgot today.  We will have reconciliation services on Wednesday.  That’s it for now!  Enjoy the week!

Wow!  The last weekend of winter was amazingly beautiful!  The kids seemed to enjoy the weekend even though there were some mosquito bites and even a bee sting!  Unbelievable!  Happy first day of SPRING tomorrow!  We have a full and busy week in class as usuual!  In Reading we will be reading and discussing Brave Irene with our skill lesson focusing on predicting outcomes.  This week we will begin working on multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers with regrouping in Math - not knowing the basic facts only hinders the advancement of future lessons.  I feel like a broken record, but the basic facts ARE that important to math success!  I wish you could hear some of the students’ testimonials about practicing the math facts at home. One boy said he practices 15 minutes a night with his mom and can’t believe how good he’s getting at our math fact competitions and timed tests.  A study guide went home last week for the Science test scheduled for tomorrow!  The kids seem to have a good grasp of the lessons but should practice their replies for the short answer questions.  We will pick up with Social Studies again on Wednesday with “Communities have Government”.  Adjectives will be continued in English.    Way to go on reading chapter books! I’m impressed!  Friday is an out of uniform for $1.00.  Sunday kicks off the book fair with a grandparents’ mass at 10:00.  Hope you can make it!  That’s it for now!  Have a glorious week!

Happy Monday! We are a little bit drowsy this morning due to the time change, parade, and beautiful weather over the weekend!  Again – I was incredibly proud to be a Falcon on Friday.  The kids were amazing as they stood so quietly and reverently for Conner and his family.  I know they felt our love and compassion.   Last week’s Terra Nova testing seemed to go well. Results will be sent to us sometime in May and will be passed along to you. I am always anxious to see how the kids did. We return to our normal routine this week.  Our reading story this week is Chibi, A True Story from Japan.  Our skill lesson will focus on fact and opinion.  We will be wrapping up basic multiplication this week also. If you haven’t heard me the first few hundred times, PLEASE assist your child in mastering the basic facts. The time investment now will be worth it!  We will continue working on the states of matter in Science. The adjective unit in English will becontinued as well along with a writing assignment about lucky leprechauns.  The kids are working on the St. Patrick presentation and song set for Tuesday night. Please have the kids here in the school foyer at 7:15 on Tuesday night if they are participating. They should wear their school uniforms along with anything Irish. Happy St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday – don’t forget a touch of green on Friday!  Have a magical week!

Happy Monday! Today we begin the third and final trimester of third grade! It’s unbelievable how fast the year is going! As I already told the students, we start fresh again today with grades. In this final trimester, it’s important to put forth our best selves and our best work! Report cards will be distributed on Friday.  Welcome to Terra Nova week as well and the first days of March! The schedule for the week is completely changed to accommodate testing for the third, fifth, and seventh graders. In third grade the In View test, a cognitive test, will be given today. Reading and Language Arts will be given on Tuesday, Math is scheduled for Wednesday, Science and Social Studies will be given on Thursday. Friday will be used in case we have anything to finish. Please encourage the kids to simply do their best and be their best. They are all capable of doing a good job, they just need to listen to and follow directions and read very carefully! We will have limited class time this week due to testing, but I am planning on fitting in Math, Spelling and a wee bit of Science. I am expecting that nightly reading and multiplication facts continue to be practiced at home! Thanks to all who make sure that the kids meet these expectations on a nightly basis. It truly makes a difference in your child’s confidence and classroom performance. Special lunch is on Wednesday!   The kids are aware that in the third trimester chapter books are to be taken for accelerated reading. Horrible Harry, Junie B. Jones, and Magic Treehouse books are perfect for weekly reading. If your child is struggling with this, please let me know. Otherwise I will be expecting a chapter book to be read each week. Thanks for your help with this. Have a wonderful week!