Happy Hearts Month

Happy Hearts month!  February is a great month to remember how special people are in our lives.  I would like to start by thanking all the wonderful parents who have helped to make 3BA the fabulous class it is.  We just finished our amazing Rainforest unit and much fun and learning was had by all.  A special thank you to..

The parents who helped decorate our rainforest hallway 

Mrs. Culkeen, Mrs. Overman, Mrs. Ruden, Mrs. Simonich and Mrs. Strojny

The parents who helped create our Rainforests in a bottle

Mrs. Sriram and Mrs. Umare

The parents who helped with the rainforest party

Mrs. Ganumpally, Mrs. Mekapati  and  Mrs. Strojny

To all the parents who donated the delicious food items for the rainforest party.  The students enjoyed the various foods grown in the rainforest. 

 To everyone in the 3BA community, students and parents alike.  The children had a wonderful time learning about the rainforest and how we all need to preserve this precious land. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Valentine's Day

The last classroom party of the year is on Wednesday, February 14th.

Students that wish to exchange Valentine's with their classmates must be sure to provide a valentine for each class member.  There are 25 students in 3BA and one teacher :).  I have included a list of student names on a tab at the top of the blog.  Please remember, you may NOT include food of any kind with your valentine. 

ISATS ARE COMING - ISATS ARE COMING - ISATS ARE COMING

     The week of March 5-9 is the week of ISAT testing. Each state gives a test once a year to evaluate how well students are learning the state learning standards.  The ISAT (Illinois Standards Achievement Test) is given to students in grades 3-8. The learning focus is in reading and math.  Third graders feel more anxiety than students in the older grades because this is the first year they take the test.  The teachers try to calm their nerves and remind them that the test does not affect their grade in any way and that they will indeed go on to fourth grade.  We have been learning how to write an extended response in reading and math since the beginning of the year.  As a matter of fact, they have been learning how to write these responses throughout their school career, just not as in depth.  During the month of February we will be focusing on reading passages instead of stories in our reading book.  The students will be expected to ... 


1) read a passage
2) answer comprehension questions about the passage 
3) answer an open-ended question about the passage.  This response usually involves answering the question with the student's opinion and supporting the answer with facts pulled from the text and their our background knowledge. 




     On the tab at the top of the blog labeled ISATS  are some websites that provide practice for the students so they feel more prepared for the test.  Please encourage your student to browse the websites and practice.  It will help them feel more confident taking the test. 

"I think what’s important for kids to know is that your decisions here on earth matter, your behavior matters and how you treat other people matters."

-Matt Damon; American actor