Friday, September 26, 2008

Happy Birthday, Johnny Appleseed! We enjoyed learning about him today. Enjoy these pictures of us in our "apple" glasses.

Mrs. Spakausky's class at the computer lab, practicing rounding, addition and subtration!

Spakausky Scoop September 29-October 3

Mrs. Spakausky's Class had fun with Glob, Goo and Guts this week!

Check out these AWESOME picture!

Tomorrow-Friday-Johnny Appleseed's birthday! Send in a peeled, cored, cut up apple for our applesauce. We need this on Friday, 9/26!

Lunch Program-
Starting 10/23 will be the Nutri Kids (ticketless lunch system). Stay tuned for details!

Again-I have updated my e-mail list, so if you aren't getting reminders of when I've updated my blog, please contact me and let me add you to my e-mail address. If you gave me your e-mail address and still aren't getting weekly reminders, e-mail your address to me again. I can e-mail you any updated materials, etc. Thanks!

Website of the week:”Mapman” http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/games_quizzes/mapman/index.asp?sa_campaign=internal_ads/CHB/Just_For_You/mapman

Applesauce-
THANKS to all the parents who sent items in for our applesauce!

You are an awesome group!

Book Orders:
The October orders are due on October 15! Place them on-line, if possible. THANKS!
To order on line, go to the Web address below and enter our class’s personalized user name and password. www.scholastic.com/parentordering

Class User Name: spakausky
Password: Books

Goody Basket-
The Goody Basket is used as a reward system. If the student receives 5 tickets, they get to pick out of the special basket at the end of the day!
Donations for toys, pencils, and other items of interest are always appreciated.
Thanks to:
NATALIE
For donating to the basket this week!

Student of the Week
Steven K.
Each week there will be a student picked to be student of the week. This student will bring in photos, magazine picture, or drawings/descriptions about themselves. The categories that they will cover are:
Me
My Family
Special Friends
My Favorite Foods
Where I Live
Thing I Like to Do
When I Grow Up I’d like to
My Favorite Toys
How the special week works for your child:
Monday-put pictures up
Tuesday-share your board
Wed.-Read a favorite book (practice at home first)
Thursday-Show and Tell
Friday-Take board down

Handwriting Book-
We will work on this in homeroom after lunch.

Spelling
We took the Lesson 4 test Thursday.
We also took the pretest for Lesson 5.
I will hand back the lesson 5 pretest on Friday. I will also pass back the assignment that will be due on Friday, 10/3.

English/Writing
Chapter 1-
*complete and incomplete sentences
*Statements and Questions
*Commands and Exclamations
*Subjects of the Sentence
*predicate of a sentence
Chapter 1 Test scheduled for Tuesday, 10/7.

Reading
The third grade teachers have covered the strategy of visualizing and we have discussed the literary elements of a story.
We will continue the strategy of Preview and Predict! We will read a story called, Balto and the Great Race.

Independent Reading Program
The folders are due on Wednesday, October 1st-no late folders, please.
The reading party will be on Thursday, October 2nd during lunch. On this day the students who have read for the month of September, will be invited into our classroom to eat lunch and watch a video. (Please no peanut products for lunch on this day-Thanks)!

Science
Chapter 1-The Human Body-
We wrapping up our human body unit. We will most likely test on Friday, 10/3.

A study guide will come home next week.

Social Studies-Downers Grove
We have started our D.G. Unit. We have learned about the founder of D.G. and about the first D.G. settlers.
We will taking a D.G. field trip on October 17, 2008!
If you would like to be a chaperon, let me know and I will put your name into a “hat.” I will pull 5 chaperon helpers for this trip.

Math
Chapter 2. We have covered:
*comparing numbers
*ordering numbers
*rounding numbers
*problem solve-using a model
Chapter 2 test will be on Monday, 9/29!

Have a SUPER weekend!
Mrs. T. Spakausky

Spakausky's Scoop- SEPTEMBER 22-26

MATH CLASS PLAYING "A NUMBER GAME"

SNACK TIME IN MRS. SPAKAUSKY'S CLASS!

Dear Parents,

Picture Day- Thursday, 9/25!

I have updated my e-mail list, so if you aren't getting reminders of when I've updated my blog, please contact me and let me add you to my e-mail address. If you gave me your
e-mail address and still aren't getting weekly reminders, e-mail your address to me again. I can e-mail you any updated materials, etc. Thanks!

Website of the week: Keyboarding
Dance Mat Typing-http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

Can you lend a hand?
Can you supply our class with any of the following?
*3 ring binder hole reinforces
*24 apple juice boxes (need by 9/24)
*stickers for grading
*plastic spoons (need by 9/24)
Thanks to Eric, Elena, Max, Lucas, Eve and Natalie for sending items to school for me!

Book Orders:
Thanks for your orders. The September book orders should be here next week.
The October orders are due on October 15! Place them on-line, if possible. THANKS!
To order on line, go to the Web address below and enter our class’s personalized user name and password. www.scholastic.com/parentordering
Class User Name: spakausky
Password: Books

Goody Basket-
The Goody Basket is used as a reward system. If the student receives 5 tickets, they get to pick out of the special basket at the end of the day!
Donations for toys, pencils, and other items of interest are always appreciated.
Thanks to:
ERIC
NATALIE
EVE
CHANTALLE
For donating to the basket this week!

Student of the Week
Emily
Each week there will be a student picked to be student of the week. This student will bring in photos, magazine picture, or drawings/descriptions about themselves. The categories that they will cover are:
Me
My Family
Special Friends
My Favorite Foods
Where I Live
Thing I Like to Do
When I Grow Up I’d like to
My Favorite Toys
How the special week works for your child:
Monday-put pictures up
Tuesday-share your board
Wed.-Read a favorite book (practice at home first)
Thursday-Show and Tell
Friday-Take board down

Handwriting Book-
We will work on this in homeroom after lunch.

Spelling
We took the Lesson 3 test Thursday.
We also took the pretest for Lesson 4.
I will hand back the lesson 4 pretest on Friday. I will also pass back the assignment that will be due on Friday, 9/26.

English/Writing
Chapter 1-
*complete and incomplete sentences
*Statements and Questions
*Commands and Exclamations
*Subjects of the Sentence

Reading
The third grade teachers have covered the strategy of visualizing and we have discussed the literary elements of a story.
We have started discussing the strategy of Preview and Predict! We have read, Yanmi and Halmoni's Trip to introduce this strategy. Please reread this story over the weekend. We will continue discussing this strategy while using our leveled readers.

Independent Reading Program
The folders are due on Wednesday, October 1st-no late folders, please.
The reading party will be on Thursday, October 2nd during lunch. On this day the students who have read for the month of September, will be invited into our classroom to eat lunch and watch a video. (Please no peanut products for lunch on this day-Thanks)!

Science
Chapter 1-The Human Body-
We have discussed cells, organs, tissue and systems. We have discussed the skeletal system, muscular system, digestive system and respiratory system. We will finish with the circulatory and nervous systems. The test will be at the end of next week or beginning of the following week. Stay tuned for details!
Wednesday-9/24 is our day for High Touch-High Tech to visit and teach us about the systems of the body in a very cool way. Be sure to ask your child about this neat day on Wednesday night at dinner!

Social Studies-Map Skills-
We have covered :
*compass rose
*directions
*map symbols
*map keys
*oceans and continents
*hemispheres
*landforms
*grids
*longitude and latitude
*scales
We will do a culminating activity of developing our own map using some of the skills we have learned in class. This will be the final grade for map skills!

Math
The students should have shown you their chapter 1 math tests.
They were handed back on Wednesday, 9/17.
We have started Chapter 2. We have covered:
*comparing numbers
*ordering numbers
Next week we will:
*round numbers (large numbers)
*problem solve-using a model

Have a SUPER weekend!
Mrs. T. Spakausky

We had a special visitor on Thursday, 9/18. Ethan found a baby turtle on his driveway after the heavy rains this last weekend. We had fun LOOKING at this neat reptile!

Thanks, Ethan and Ethan's mom

Spakausky's Scoop for September 15-19

Reading students working on visualizing a story through comic strips.

Dear Parents,

Picture day is Thursday, Sept. 25

I have updated my e-mail list, so if you aren't getting reminders of when I've updated my blog, please contact me and let me add you to my e-mail address. If you gave me your
e-mail address and still aren't getting weekly reminders, e-mail your address to me again. I can e-mail you any updated materials, etc. Thanks!

Can you lend a hand?
Can you supply our class with any of the following?
*apple juice boxes by Mon. 9/22
*3 ring binder hole reinforces
*24 juice boxes Capri Sun any flavor
*stickers for grading
*plastic spoons

Book Orders:
Thanks for your orders. Please order on-line by Monday, Sept. 15th.
To order on line, go to the Web address below and enter our class’s personalized user name and password. www.scholastic.com/parentordering
Class User Name: spakausky
Password: Books

Goody Basket-
The Goody Basket is used as a reward system. If the student receives 5 tickets, they get to pick out of the special basket at the end of the day!
Donations for toys, pencils, and other items of interest are always appreciated.
Thanks to:
ERIC
NATALIE
For donating to the basket this week!

Student of the Week
Jonathan
Each week there will be a student picked to be student of the week. This student will bring in photos, magazine picture, or drawings/descriptions about themselves. The categories that they will cover are:
Me
My Family
Special Friends
My Favorite Foods
Where I Live
Thing I Like to Do
When I Grow Up I’d like to
My Favorite Toys
How the special week works for your child:
Monday-put pictures up
Tuesday-share your board
Wed.-Read a favorite book (practice at home first)
Thursday-Show and Tell
Friday-Take board down

Handwriting Book-
We will work on this mostly in homeroom class. There is a packet of handwriting that is due on Monday.

Spelling
We took the Lesson 2 test Thursday.
We also took the pretest for Lesson 3.
I will hand back L. 3 Friday and the assignment that is due Friday, 9/19.

English/Writing
We will start Chapter 1. Next week we will cover:
*complete and incomplete sentences
*Statements and Questions
*Commands and Exclamations
*Subjects of the Sentence

Reading
The third grade teachers have covered the strategy of visualizing and we have discussed the literary elements of a story. My class used Dogzilla and Ten True Animal Rescues to complete this goal.
Next week we will begin studying the strategies of Preview and Predicting! My class will use the story, Yanmi and Halmoni's Trip to introduce this strategy. We will then go into leveled readers the week after next.

Independent Reading Program
The folders are due on Wednesday, October 1st-no late folders, please.
The reading party will be on Thursday, October 2nd.

Science
Chapter 1-The Human Body-
We have discussed:

* cells, organs, tissue and systems

*skeletal system and muscular system

Next week:

*digestive system

*respiratory system

Social Studies-
Map Skills-
We have covered :
*
directions
*map symbols
*map keys
*oceans and continents
*hemispheres
*landforms
Next week we will cover:
*grids
*longitude and latitude
*scales

Math-
***Due to a band concert this Friday afternoon, we won't be having math.

The chapter 1 test will be moved to Monday, 9/15.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Mrs. T. Spakausky

September 8-12

“Spakausky’s Scoop”

Website of the Week

Review math concepts at this website:

http://www.aplusmath.com/

Book Orders:
Thanks for your orders. Order cut off is Sept. 15th.

Goody Basket
The Goody Basket is used as a reward system. If the student receives 5 tickets, they get to pick out of the special basket at the end of the day!
Donations for toys, candy, pencils, and other items of interest are always appreciated.
Thanks to:
For donating to the basket this week!

Student of the Week
Mrs. Spakausky

Each week there will be a student picked to be student of the week. This student will bring in photos, magazine picture, or drawings/descriptions about themselves. The categories that they will cover are:
Me
My Family
Special Friends
My Favorite Foods
Where I Live
Thing I Like to Do
When I Grow Up I’d like to
My Favorite Toys
How the special week works for your child:
Monday-put pictures up
Tuesday-share your board
Wed.-Read a favorite book (practice at home first)
Thursday-Show and Tell

Spelling
Next week we will do Lesson 2 in the spelling book. This week’s schedule will look something like this:

Thursday- Spelling test and pretest for the next lesson.

Friday-Receive list for the week and the assignments for the week. All spelling assignments are due on Friday of the following week!

English/Writing
We will share our “Me” Bags this week during English!

Handwriting

The assigned packet of pages will be sent home on Monday and they are due Friday.

Reading
We have started the year with the reading strategy, Visualizing. We used the story, Dogzilla, to discuss this strategy.

Independent Reading Program
The folders are due on Wednesday, October 1st-no late folders, please.
The reading party will be on Thursday, October 2nd.

Science
Chapter 1-The Human Body-
We have discussed cells, organs, tissue and systems. We have discussed the skeletal system and muscular system.

Social Studies
Map Skills-
We have covered directions, map symbols, map keys, oceans and continents.

Math-CHAPTER 1

We are working on place value, odd and even numbers, finding number patterns and problem solving.

Looks like the Chapter 1 TEST will be on FRIDAY,

Sept. 12th

I sent home the textbooks this weekend for you to study with. Use pages 4-25 to study.

Have a GREAT weekend!
Mrs. T. Spakausky

Downers Grove Flea Market

Looking for something to do this Saturday?

Come visit me at the Downers Grove Flea Market this Saturday, September 6th from 9am to 3pm at Hummer Park. Collectors, buyers, traders, browsers and vendors all gain from the Flea Market. I will be selling my handmade jewelry at this event! Come see me!

Mrs. Spakausky

For more details call: 630.963.1300