January 17, 2026
Good morning!!! We have had a lot of kids out the past 2 weeks. Between strep throat, fever, and the stomach bug, I am hoping that this long weekend will be the end of it. I am going in this weekend to deep clean with Lysol. Maintenance has also come in and sprayed our room down more than once.
Because of all the students out, we have had to move the schedule around quite a bit. I don’t want to get further behind, but I also understand that we need everyone on the same page. I did not give the math assessment on area. That is rescheduled for this Thursday. The spelling test for this past week will be on Wednesday. There will be no spelling list this coming week.
For morning math this week we will review chapter 6 area chapter, but we will also be doing mini lessons to review math skills. I introduced the center on counting coins, a second grade skill, only to find that over half the room didn’t know which coins were which, nor what their value was. It is hard to move ahead on new skills when I keep having to go backwards to review second grade skills. On a positive note, we now have 8 students who have completed their multiplication sweets through 12x. Congratulations!!! We have 4 students who have completed the multiplication level of Xtra math. Those who have met goals will have their achievements posted for open house. There are a few students who were a bit behind, but many have made amazing progress since our return. I am proud of their consistent effort to do better.
In social studies we spent time this week learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. I wanted the students to understand why we have a day off on Monday. Our focus has been on treating others fairly and with kindness. It has led to many deep discussions. I plan on showing the video, My Friend Martin, on Tuesday if we get through our other work.
The highlight of our week has been science. The excitement in our room is invigorating. We learned how to create a simple circuit that lit up a miniature light bulb. We also learned how to make a simple motor run. This week we will be continuing making and testing circuits. The materials will be out during open house for students to demonstrate to their families.
We continue our novena this week. Each day we placed a baby in Mary’s arms. We said a Hail Mary and offered our prayers for all mothers and babies.
We started the iReady diagnostic in reading. We will continue this week.
The other favorite of the week was working on the Author Research Project. Students completed the research portion and will begin on typing their information. We will work Tuesday - Thursday on typing documents. On Friday we will put the display boards together. Each team will need a poster board by Wednesday. (Some students will be ready to start early.)
This week will be busy in preparation for the beginning of Catholic Schools Week. Open house is next Sunday, January 25. We start with 9:30 Mass. Open house immediately follows. There are many activities planned during the week. I will post all of that next weekend. It will also be included in the charger check-in.
I hope that you have a happy and healthy weekend! GO BEARS!!!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
January 9, 2026
I left work happy that we had such a good week back! I hope that all the positive things that happened this week continue into the next.
We did have 5 people out today. Headache, stomach ache, and sore throat seemed to be a complaint from several students. I hope this weekend allows many to get rest and recoup before they return to school.
We started the Author Research Project. I asked students to get a parent signature on the rubric sent home Thursday for homework. If you didn’t see the sheet - make sure that you sign it over the weekend. Students started their research notes. We will work on that most of next week. I think all but 2 students have a copy of a book to read by their author. I am expecting everyone to read their chapter book every night so that they have at least 1 chapter book read by January 23.
Spelling for this week will be another r-controlled word list. Because of students out on Friday, we will take the grammar test on concrete and abstract nouns on Monday. We will also start possessive nouns on Monday. Vocabulary Unit 7 will continue throughout the week.
In math we have been working hard on determining the area of different figures. There was a little confusion on composite figures, but most could handle the easier problems. I’ve scheduled the test for Friday.
We had 2 more students complete their multiplication sweets!!! Many more are so close. In Xtra math I am hearing daily about the amazing streaks of correct answers. I am proud of the students that are still in addition and subtraction that have been practicing daily at home. The hard work has really made a difference. The best part about all of this is that students are taking pride in their hard work. They are pushing themselves to be their best.
We do not have a start date scheduled for the iReady diagnostic. I’ll let you know when we do. I’m guessing it will be sometime next week.
It was fun starting cursive. I will still be doing instruction before we start in the actual cursive workbook.
We had our first electricity science lab today. The whole first half of the lab was spent going over the rules for “how to do science”. The whole unit is hands-on labs. When you come for the open house, your child will be able to demonstrate several of the labs.
Third grade did an amazing job hosting Mass on Wednesday. I was so proud! I have been sharing stories from the Bible for religion. Most of the stories have been about the prophets - We discussed Solomon, Daniel, Elijah, and Nehemiah. I will continue with stories, and we will be starting a novena for mothers and babies.
I have to bring my Olivia back to Marquette in the morning. I will miss her so much! My father-in-law was moved out of the ICU today and into a regular room. It is also my weekend to care for my mom, so it will be busy at the Bucko house. Thank you for your continued prayers.
I hope you have a nice weekend! GO BEARS!!!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
January 3, 2026
I can hardly believe that Christmas break is almost over. I went into school yesterday to put all the furniture back, today I corrected all the work that was turned in before we left, and tomorrow I will finish switching everything from Christmas to New Year. All the desk materials are in the lockers, so everything will need to be put back when the students first enter the building.
I will be starting to teach cursive writing. This first week the focus will be on stroke formation. Our language arts instruction will come from Scholastic News and the Storyworks3 magazine. The grammar skill will be concrete and abstract nouns. Spelling will be words with r-controlled vowels. In vocabulary we will be working on Unit 7.
In math we will be determining the area of different figures. Students will learn different strategies to solve problems. Each day students will test on multiplication facts and Xtra math. (I’d like everyone to pass by January 23.)
I hope that students found time to read for the winter reading challenge. That is not due until January 12. We will start one of our largest projects of the year this week - Author Research Project. Details will come home later in the week with a complete explanation.
We will also be starting our new science unit on electricity. It is hands-on labs a majority of the week.
I’m excited for all the new things that will be starting. We will be setting goals for the remainder of the year- both academic and social.
After entering scores today, I noticed that several students have work they didn’t turn in before break. I also noticed that there are still some missing assignments. I’ll check in with everyone on Monday and make sure that everything is in balance by Friday.
Many of you know that my father-in-law has been in the hospital since early November. The past two months feel like a blur outside of school. He is now in the ICU. Please keep him in your prayers.
I’m so excited to see everyone on Monday!!! I have so many fun things planned.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
December 20, 2025
It’s officially Christmas break!!! I want to say a big thank you to everyone for the cards and gifts. You were very generous. I feel blessed to get to go to a job every day that I love. I am thankful for your support and partnership.
I wanted to make sure that you were aware of my expectations over break. Students brought home a winter reading challenge on Tuesday. They have until January 12 to complete that. (That’s a week after we go back to school.) Every time they read 20 minutes they can add a marshmallow to their reading mug. I’m expecting everyone to have 10 marshmallows in their cup by January 12.
Secondly, I would like students to practice their multiplication facts when they have down time. Sheppard Software and Arcademic Skill Builders have many 1 - 2 minute practice games. On epic there are fun videos to sing along with to practice the facts. I’m hoping that everyone passes their multiplication sweets by January 23. Students who have met goals will have their work hanging for open house on the 25th. We already have 3 students who have completed their 12’s!!! The same 3 students have already passed their multiplication level on Xtra math.
Students can have you sign squares on their 67 acts of kindness over break. We will be working on this throughout January. Maybe you’ll get some extra help preparing for Christmas.
I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas. I am trying to slow down and find the beauty and blessings in the small things. It’s not easy being a parent - sometimes we feel that we have to do it all. My favorite Christmas memories are all simple - spending time with friends and family, good food, and lots of laughing. Be good to yourself!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
December 14, 2025
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It’s cold outside! My heart was quickly warmed when I saw so many third graders at Mass this morning. What a great job they did with the readings and singing after communion! I hope you enjoyed fellowship afterwards.
The special dress downs for this week are listed below.
We also have special activities. On Tuesday students can pack a stuffed animal or special blanket on pj day. We are watching a movie that goes along with a story from our Jesse Tree. On Wednesday it is the Christmas program with our music teacher. They will practice in front of school in the afternoon. The big performance is at 7:00. Arrive at 6:45 wearing nice Christmas wear. On Thursday we have Christmas fun in the afternoon with parents. On Friday the student council is playing Christmas games in our classroom.
Even though we have a lot going on, I expect that students are ready to learn. This past week both third grades needed constant reminders about listening and following directions. Transitioning from subject to subject seems to be when they struggle the most. I appreciate a reminder at home that there is still learning going on and grades given.
Thank you for all the delicious sandwiches!! We packed a large box.We included labels of love. They were delivered to Catholic Charities sites on the southside Saturday morning.
We will read the final chapters of The Mouse and the Motorcycle this week. The spelling test from last week’s words will be on Monday. There will be no new list until after break. The vocabulary Unit 6 test was rescheduled for this Wednesday. The grammar skill will be common and proper nouns.
Students should be practicing their multiplication facts each night - even when it’s not part of regular homework. There are practice games on Sheppard Software and Arcademic Skill Builders. I gave the distributive property of multiplication test last Thursday. Daily I give timed tests on multiplication facts. Students are trying to pass 2 - 12x fact tests to complete their multiplication sweets challenge. They are also continuing to work on Xtra math. I do have a few students who can’t do the multiplication level yet, because they never completed the addition and subtraction levels by November 1. Part of our math work this week will be trying to solve “The Case of the Selfish Elf”.
In religion, we will continue the study of the Jesse Tree. Each night I am asking students to do a kind deed. They can color in a square on the 67 acts of kindness form. I’m hoping that the form will be complete by the start of Catholic Schools Week at the end of January.
Many students could use supplies for stocking stuffers. Pencils, dry erase markers, crayons, markers, colored pencils - are all in short supply.
Thank you for making sure your child is dressed for the cold weather! There have been a few students who are coming to school without their chromebook charged, missing a snack, or forgetting a sweatshirt/sweater. There are 5 days before break. We can do this!!!
I will not be at school on Monday. After almost 5 weeks in the hospital, my father in law is home. My husband and I are meeting with home health and OT/PT tomorrow morning.
I hope that you are blessed with time to slow down and appreciate the lights on the Christmas tree, the wonder of your child, Christmas music, and doing something you love with your family. I’ve been trying to look for the beauty in simple things - and appreciate the blessings that I’ve been given. I can’t wait to read the book I got for my birthday!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
December 6, 2025
Happy St. Nicholas Day!!! The students put out shoes at school for St. Nick yesterday. It will be fun to walk in on Monday and see if he left anything.
We are not really following our normal schedule these next two weeks. There have been so many interruptions and special projects this past week. Looking ahead, I see that will continue.
Humphrey seems to be having a lot of fun going home with students on the weekend. Remember to take a picture and send it to my email when it is your child’s turn.
We will continue reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle. If your child is absent, make sure they read what they missed before they return to school. I will post read alouds on google classroom for the remaining chapters. I am noticing that many students aren’t going back and rereading to find answers to comprehension questions. This is a struggle I face every year. In third grade students may need to read something two or three times before they understand a concept or follow a story line. I have noticed that some of my students in third grade lessons on iReady are failing multiple lessons because they don’t focus in or go back and reread a passage. I will have your child conference with you this week so that you can see what I mean. If I gave a grade for iReady reading - several of my top readers would be getting below C grades.
I am so proud of the work students have been doing in math. We have been spending over 2 hours each day submerging ourselves in multiplication and division. Students are testing facts daily. Everyone has passed their 2’s. We go up to 12. We also started the Xtra math multiplication level. We already have 2 students that have passed this week - and 1 who passed the fourth grade division level. I hope that all students return from Christmas break knowing their facts - well.
We are studying the Jesse Tree in religion. This week we covered the stories from Creation, Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham & Sarah, and Isaac. Each day we hang a new ornament on our tree and read the story from scripture. Ask your child about what they’re learning. We will be adding acts of kindness to this week’s homework.
Part of our acts of kindness this Advent season is making a sandwich for the homeless. Third and fourth graders are being asked to make an extra sandwich to bring to school on Friday. The student should make the sandwich. It can be peanut butter and jelly, meat and cheese, or whatever you have. Mr. John Chesna volunteers with Catholic Charities on Saturday mornings. He will deliver our sandwiches to the needy on the south side.
Monday, December 8, is a holy day of obligation - the immaculate conception. We will have church at 8:30. The feast of Juan Diego is December 9. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12.
Wednesday is an early dismissal at 1:45.
We did not take the spelling test on Friday. Several students said they weren’t ready. We will take it Monday morning. We will have the Unit 6 vocabulary test on Friday. Our grammar skills are common and proper nouns.
Let’s make this last 10 days amazing! You can help me by making sure that your student is coming to school ready to learn. We had too many reminders on respectful behaviors and good listening skills this past week.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
November 28, 2025
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!! I hope that you all got to spend time enjoying life with family and friends. I can hardly believe that it will be December when we return on Monday!
Students were sent home with a math game called Gobble Bump on Tuesday. I asked that they play it at some point over the 5 day weekend. Please sign their assignment book if you were able to play with your child. We will be totally submerged with multiplication and division when we return. Students will be working on a different fact family each day. Multiplication Sweets will start this week. Students will be tested on each fact family for speed and accuracy. There will be sites they can visit on their chromebook to help with practice at home.
We will be starting our new literature unit with The Mouse and the Motorcycle on Monday. This unit will last the three weeks of December. Students will be reading each night, answering comprehension questions, and completing skill activities. I will be posting read alouds in google classroom for those that need the reading help. The book and packet will remain in the bookbag throughout all of December. If a student is home sick, make sure that they listen to the read aloud.
The first candle on the Advent wreath will be lit this Sunday. All our Thanksgiving materials went home on Tuesday because our room will be changing for the Advent season. In our classroom we study the Jesse Tree, the family tree of Jesus, during this month. We read scripture, discuss stories, and put up ornaments to symbolize the stories of the people that are part of the Jesse Tree. We will be completing acts of kindness. Students will be keeping a calendar of the extra kind deeds they do during this holy season. On Wednesday grades 3 - 8 will be going to reconciliation.
Spelling words will be three letter blends. We will finish up on irregular plural nouns. We will be starting Unit 6 in vocabulary.
Our class is scheduled to visit the Santa Store on Thursday, December 4 morning.
On Thursday there will be a Fire Buddies assembly. On Friday there will be a $1 dress down to support the program.
With the colder weather please make sure your child is dressed warmly for recess. It is no longer appropriate for just a sweatshirt to be worn outdoors for a long period of time. I appreciate your help with adhering to our uniform policy. Girls have been wearing the proper leggings, tights, and socks under their jumpers.
There will be reading, spelling, and math homework each night during December. It would be beneficial to establish a routine so that your child comes prepared for school each day.
December gets so busy. I hope that it can be a time that we all grow closer to Jesus and prepare our hearts for his coming. The simple things we do for others can really make a difference. I’m going to savor these last two days with my family under one roof. I count you in my blessings!
Come Lord Jesus, Come Quickly!
Mrs. Bucko
November 27, 2025
November 21, 2025
Our first week of the trimester is complete. We ended up needing to review more than I had expected for tests. I was so happy that the entire class had a C or higher on the math test. When we went over it today, everyone was able to correct their simple mistakes. We started a new chapter today. We spent an hour learning the distributive property of multiplication. We will review again on Monday. My hope is that they show you what they’ve learned for homework on Monday night.
A very packed work folder came home today. Please take time to look it over with your child. There are still a few more things coming home on Monday. Thank you for the prompt response returning report card envelopes. Those who didn’t should put in the back pack so that it is returned on Monday.
If you are planning on not being in attendance on Monday or Tuesday - please let me know. Just a reminder from open house: I do not give homework in advance of a vacation scheduled during regular school hours. If we are reading a chapter book, I will give a copy to take so that students aren’t behind when they return. There have been a few times that students have been out for more than a day and the class knows they will be out, but I haven’t gotten an email from a parent. I appreciate your open communication with me.
Students worked really hard on Monday and Tuesday typing their paragraphs for their Life in Pilgrim Times report. They’ve been busy adding pictures and getting the report organized. I’m hoping that they will visit other classrooms on Tuesday to share what they’ve learned. Everyone will take turns bringing the report home to share after break.
We started bringing Humphrey home this weekend. Students will take turns having Humphrey at their house. They will write in his little notebook - detailing the adventures they had with him. If you could take a picture or two while Humphrey is at your house - please send the pictures to my email. We will be creating a book about Humphrey’s adventures after everyone has had a chance to have him.
Our classroom schedule will run differently the next two school days. I have special projects and activities planned for the days leading to break.
You are welcome to join us for Mass on Tuesday morning at 8:30. It is the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria.
Enjoy the weekend!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
November 15, 2025
Yesterday marked the end of our first trimester together. I will be entering final grades over the weekend. Report cards will go home with students on Thursday, November 20. There will be a social/emotional growth report included. Please sign and have your child return the report card envelope the following day.
Students will complete a self evaluation in class. The focus is both academic and behavioral. I do self evaluation several times a month. I know that I can always improve upon something. I want them to be proud of areas they worked hard at. I also want them to set goals for areas they can continue to improve upon.
The students really enjoyed going to the theater on Thursday! Chicken Little was a hit!
We completed part 1 of our math review on Friday. We will continue with reviewing Unit 4 on Monday. The test will be on Tuesday. The unit covers 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 multiplication and division facts. It also includes reading through word problems, finding out what the question is asking, using different strategies to get the answer, understanding vocabulary, and showing work to help explain how they got to the answer. On Wednesday and Thursday we will be spending time understanding the distributive property of multiplication. On Friday we will start covering the remaining multiplication and division facts. That will carry into the next week. Homework on Thursday will be explaining to you how to work through harder problems with the distributive property.
Spelling words will be words with silent letters. Our grammar skill will be irregular plural nouns. We will complete the Unit 5 vocabulary assessment on Wednesday.
Students have been reading and taking notes for their Life in Pilgrim Times report. Monday - Wednesday students will be organizing the information they’ve gathered and creating good paragraph(s). My hope is that they will start typing on Thursday. They are not writing these paragraphs at home. Part of our language arts block will be dedicated to working on our project.
Another part of our language arts block will be reading a play entitled “Look Up”. It is the story (and artist) behind the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Students will practice parts. We will also be doing several activities on this subject throughout the week and following week.
Fr. John will be visiting our classroom on Monday afternoon. He will be sharing a bit more about himself and his vocation. We will be working on breaking up the prayer “Our Father” and better understanding the meaning of what we pray each day. We will also start our work on the different forms of prayer. On Tuesday morning we will be working with some of our PreK buddies on a Thanksgiving project for their classroom. We’ve been partnered with PreK-3 this year. We will be meeting with them monthly.
Before we left on Friday our entire class cleaned out folders, cleaned desks, lockers, and even backpacks. On Monday it is the start of the new trimester. Everyone starts with a clean slate. We will be going over routines, transitions, and expectations. The bar will be set higher. We will self evaluate and set goals. My three big words ORGANIZATION, RESPONSIBILITY, INDEPENDENCE will be put into practice.
I ask that you keep my father-in-law in your prayers. He fell last weekend and has been in the hospital. He had neck and spinal surgery on Thursday. He’s doing okay, but it will be a long recovery.
We will be taking down our ofrenda at the end of the week. Thank you for sharing your pictures and momentos. Pictures will be returned in their homework folder with their report cards.
Enjoy your weekend!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
November 7, 2025
I just finished my morning session of professional development. I am collaborating with other teachers in the archdiocese to go over religion curriculum in second and third grade. I got a lot of new ideas this morning that I will be adding to our curriculum in the coming weeks. My afternoon session is mindfulness and building a culture of empathy and kindness in the classroom.
We are entering the final week of the first trimester. It will be busy. We are also starting on new projects. Report cards and social/emotional growth reports will go home on Thursday, November 20.
We will continue in our Storyworks3 magazine during the week. On Thursday and Friday we will be reading and practicing a play about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Spelling words will be long e. We will start Unit 5 in vocabulary. In grammar we will test on plural nouns. We have spent two weeks working on this unit - since there are so many different spelling rules. Students have really been participating in discussions.
There will also be reading and note taking during social studies. I passed out our new project guidelines for the Life in Pilgrim Times report. Students were asked to take that home on Thursday and get your signature. I encourage a trip to the library so that students have other resources to use for note taking on their subject. We will be reading and taking notes throughout the week. I will also have online resources they can go to that are posted on google classroom.
There will be a math assessment on multiplication facts; 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10’s on Wednesday. The big chapter test will be the following week. There will be a grade for Xtra math subtraction level on Friday.
Thursday is our field trip to the Beverly Arts Center. Thank you for turning in all your forms on time. Students will wear their gym uniforms. They need to be in gym sweatpants - no shorts. We will be back for lunch at school. I believe that we will be doing a short bus evacuation drill that same day.
In religion students will be choosing a saint to create a banner that will be hanging in our hallway. Both third grades will be creating these banners. It is not an extensive report. They will be looking up specific facts on their saint. We will be making cards for Veterans on Monday. Tuesday we will learn the background of this holiday. On Wednesday our school mass will be dedicated to veterans.
Our ofrenda is filled with family. In the morning we turn on the candles and offer our morning prayers to those included on our altar. I’ve included a few pictures in our classroom learning photos. We’ll keep the altar up until the week of Thanksgiving. Students can still bring in pictures.
Tuesday is a $1 dress in red, white, and blue to celebrate Veterans Day. There is also a $1 dress down on Friday.
The temperatures will be dropping soon. Make sure students are dressed to be outside in the colder temperatures for recess.
Enjoy your weekend!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
November 1, 2025
Wow! What a week! I’m glad we’ll be going back to our normal routine.
On Thursday both third grades combined for Halloween themed activities. Mrs. Loewe held a science lab and in my room we did language arts activities and word puzzles. We played Boo Bump for math.
It is only a four day week. Friday is archdiocese professional development for teachers.
In reading we will be working with our Storyworks3 magazine. We will start the week with the nonfiction story “Monster Mystery”. We will read a fiction story “The Girl and the Ghost”. We’ll end the week with a play “Look Up”. There will not be a spelling list this week. Our grammar skill will be plural nouns. In vocabulary we will start Unit 5.
We will start Unit 4 in math. This will also be the start to memorizing multiplication facts. We will be working on 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, 0’s, and 1’s. All students have been practicing these facts since kindergarten. Now we will be practicing them out of order. I was happy with the base they formed in our last chapter. Now we will build on that base. I will not be starting the multiplication level of Xtra math until the start of the second trimester. I need students who are still in subtraction to practice each night. I am giving students two more weeks to pass this level.
Our ofrenda looks so nice. If you still have pictures of loved ones that you’d like to be included - have your child bring in this week. Daily prayers will be offered. We also started talking about our numerous blessings. We will start our saint research this week. This week they will be finding out basic facts of a saint they may not be familiar with. The prayers we said regularly during October will be tested on before the end of the trimester; Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Map skills will be the focus of social studies this week. Latitude and longitude and using a grid map will be the main skills covered.
On Monday we will join the Loewes for the viewing of Coco. It will help deepen understanding of our ofrenda. Students are also allowed to wear pjs. This will be the last day of special activities from Booster. They should wear their gym shoes.
I hope you have a great weekend! Remember to change your clocks.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
October 24, 2025
I hope everyone is having fun at trunk-or-treat! I walked 3 miles home today. It felt great, but now I am in for the night.
We finished reading The World According to Humphrey. Today, Monday, and Tuesday we will be finishing up on activities and tests associated with the book. Starting next Friday, two students will be bringing home Humphrey for the weekend. (Don’t worry! It is a stuffed hamster.) Humphrey keeps a little notebook in his cage. Students are asked to write a little about what Humphrey experienced at their house over the weekend. If possible, please take a picture or two and send to my email: [email protected]. We create a book with all of Humphrey’s experiences after everyone has had him for the weekend. I will be sharing Humphrey pictures from past classes so they fully understand what to do when it is their weekend.
Most of this week in language arts we will be reading and participating in Halloween themed activities. We will take the long o spelling test on Monday. The remainder of the week will be spelling words with long i and long u. We will take that test on Friday. Yesterday students took a short practice test for Unit 4 vocabulary. On Monday we will take the actual test that was scheduled for this past Thursday. In grammar we will be working on plural nouns.
In math we completed chapter 3 review part 1. We will work on review part 2 on Monday and Tuesday. The test is scheduled for Wednesday. I am so happy with the participation during math class. Students are really showing what they know. If you noticed, there is a lot more reading with math in third grade. That is why we are working on strategies to help us figure out what the problem is asking. We will be making math posters to show the different strategies we can use when working with multiplication. Students that finish their work early have been able to go on Prodigy or iReady math games. Many students have been working with perimeter, area, time, puzzles, and missing numbers in equations. They are already practicing material we will cover in later chapters.
We finished our science lab - going batty. Students created skeletal pictures of their hand and arm. The finished product looks like an xray picture. They are hanging in our windows. We then compared our bones to that of a bat - a lot of similarities. Ask them to tell you about the lab. Science is always more fun when it is hands-on. We will be working on our research and writing our final paragraphs on bats.
Our new counselor will be coming in to read and do an activity with both third grades this week. We are so fortunate to have a counselor in our building. Our religion lessons this week focus on ways we can show respect for our neighbors. Her lesson will incorporate that same message.
This week is a little crazy with all the special activities going on. There are dress downs each day. (Look back at the Charger Check-In) We have bingo on Wednesday afternoon. Our room moms have been planning fun for Halloween. We have the parade and assembly. With all these distractions I still need students to come focused and ready to learn. The expectations in our classroom will remain the same - even with all the fun.
Our class had 15 minutes of extra “indoor recess” today. Students will not have homework on Monday. They earned that from the walk-a-thon.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
October 18, 2025
I had to care for my mom yesterday. My friend and old teaching partner, Mrs. Cavanaugh was the sub. When I texted and asked if she needed anything, she responded back: GREAT CLASS!!! It made my heart happy that in the first hour they had shown her their positive spirit.
Our first week of literature circles went well. Our St. Xavier student was observing on Wednesday and was impressed by the discussion when we came back together as a whole class. This week we will continue with The World According to Humphrey. I have read alouds posted on google classroom. There will be comprehension questions for homework each night.
We will be reading and researching more about bats this week. We will have our Going Batty Mystery Science lab later in the week. National Geographic Kids, epic books, and classroom informational texts will be used. We got a little behind last week on the informational texts, but I’ve included them in this weeks’ plans.
How was the iReady conference? I hope you learned a little more about where your child is at. They can show you any day what lessons they are working on at school.
The new multiplication and division chapter has been fun. We got halfway through it. It is only 7 lessons. We will finish this week. Strategies are a big part of learning facts. Understanding multiplication and division will make it easier for memorizing facts in the next chapters.
We will have our long a spelling test tomorrow. This week’s list will be long o words. We continue with pronouns in grammar. Our Unit 4 vocabulary test is scheduled for Thursday.
It’s our walk-a-thon on Tuesday. We are so close to meeting our classroom goal. We will be choosing our team name for our flag. We will be using that same flag for field days.
Our Mass was so nice! Students spent some time with Fr. Matt on Thursday in the adoration chapel. I know we all need to slow down sometimes and have quiet time with Jesus.
This week our school counselor will be visiting our classroom and getting to know the third graders a little better.
This week will be busy. Homework will be math, spelling, and reading each night.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
October 11, 2025
Good morning! Thank you for perfect attendance at parent/teacher conferences! Working together as a team will make a difference in the year your child has in third grade. No need to sign assignment books every night. That will only apply to students who aren’t following directions when we pack our backpacks. Organization, independence, and responsibility - my big 3- are showing so much growth since the beginning of the year.
Since we are starting our new chapter book with literature circles, your child will have reading every night from me. I will be posting a read aloud for the chapter on google classroom. If your child is absent, they will want to read the chapters we complete in class. The book and the literature packet will stay in the homework folder so that students have materials at home if they get sick. We will also have a spelling and math page each night. Make sure that you have established a time and place for your child to do homework.
As I mentioned at conferences, we are moving into new material in all subjects. We will still be working on Xtra math every morning. I would like the entire class to be done with subtraction by October 31. That is when I will enter a subtraction fact grade in Powerschool. Our science lessons will incorporate nonfiction texts, research skills, and formulating good paragraphs. Students will come home on Wednesday to conference with you about what they’ve accomplished so far in iReady. I will ask you to sign the assignment book that night to show that they shared with you.
On Tuesday morning our class leads our hallway in the rosary. We will also be going to church to practice for Mass. Third grade leads Mass on Wednesday. We would love you to join us if you are able. On Thursday students will join Fr. Matt in the adoration chapel for quiet prayer and reflection. We will complete our chapter on sacraments of Christian Initiation.
Our spelling words this week will be words with long a. In grammar we will finish with adverbs and work on pronouns. We will start vocabulary unit 4.
Our first multiplication chapter is about understanding multiplication. It is a short chapter. The students have already been practicing many of the skills in their iReady lessons or Prodigy. We will be working on memorizing multiplication facts 0 - 5 first - while we are working on this chapter.
A few parents asked if they could get the paid version of Prodigy. I would wait on that. I usually get a discount code before the holidays that I can share with parents. I will let you know once that is offered to me. Students have been asking about changing backgrounds on their chromebooks, establishing blooket accounts outside of school, etc. My reminder is that the chromebook is for school use. It is not their own personal device. They should not be altering things on their chromebooks if they have not been directed by Ms. Soch or myself.
We have almost filled our classroom behavior jar. We will vote this week on what we want to do to celebrate.
I forgot to mention - Congratulations to the Boss family!!! Brayden is a new big brother to Jack.
Enjoy this beautiful weekend!!!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
October 4, 2025
Hello! I can’t believe it is still warm outside! Our classroom gets hot, so I am looking forward to the temperatures dropping just a bit. Students need to wear their uniforms on Monday. We have gym on Wednesday and Thursday. This is a short week, but we have a lot going on.
We will continue in our Storyworks3 magazine this next week. The Popsicle Stick Bridge story provided great discussion on how we treat others in our classroom. We don’t always get along with everyone, but we have to show respect. Sometimes getting to know someone we don’t spend time with - might be surprising! We will also dive deeper into my growth mindset unit. We will be reading stories and watching videos. Students will refer back to Fantastic Elastic Brain when we do some brain activities. I want to stress the importance of having a growth mindset for success.
We complete Unit 3 in vocabulary on Monday. The test will be the week of the 14th. There will be no spelling test this week. Our grammar skill will be adverbs.
We have spent far more time on this math unit than I would have liked, but this week we will have our unit test on Wednesday. We started going through the practice test. We will continue to work on that on Monday. Tuesday we will review again - then the test on Wednesday. I want to start our new unit on the 14th. I will be giving a math grade for Xtra math addition level on Wednesday. At the end of the month I will be giving a math grade for the subtraction level. Everyone that is in multiplication is on hold until we complete unit 3. 17 people have passed the addition level of Xtra math. 10 people have passed the subtraction level. Remember that students should do a practice round of Xtra math every night so that they can increase their score. I love those that have a growth mindset and are excited that their score goes up - or they can complete more consecutive problems with accuracy.
This Tuesday we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We will start our decade of the rosary with our third and fourth grade friends in the morning. Students can bring rosaries from home. We will be using them frequently this month. I have a whole basket full of rosaries at school that students can use. I know that some are too special to have at school. We are working on the sacraments of Christian initiation. We will be memorizing Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be during the month.
On Thursday students will bring home a green sheet that you sign after you look at grades on Powerschool. Remember we are exactly half way through the trimester. If your child has lower grades, there is plenty of time to pull up those scores. There is an 11:30 dismissal Thursday. There is no aftercare. It looks like almost everyone has signed up for a conference slot. Conferences only last 10 minutes - and they are back to back. I want to answer your questions, but I also want to share iReady diagnostic scores and strengths/concerns that I see in the classroom. Thank you for all the pre-conference sheets that were turned in on Friday.
We are helping out our PreK 3 buddies on Tuesday morning.
Our classroom’s Wednesday Mass is on October 15. We’d love you to join us.
Remember that this Tuesday, October 7 is the Living Rosary in church at 7:00 P.M. You can still call Phil Caffee if you’d like to join us. What a great way to celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary.
Have a great week! I’ll see you on Thursday!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
September 27, 2025
What a fun week! We learned so much, and we also had so much fun! Our homemade applesauce was our best batch since I’ve been at SCA!. You might be asked to make another batch at home this weekend. It is so easy once you peel and core the apples. We filled our crockpot with peeled, cored, and diced apples. I added 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. We cooked it on high for 5 hours. Thursday night I made another batch. My family always expects that I make extra when I get home. It also makes your house smell amazing!!!
This last week of September we will be reading from our new Storyworks3 magazine. We’ll read a nonfiction story “A Dog’s Daring Journey” on Monday and Tuesday. The skill will be main idea and supporting details. On Thursday and Friday we’ll read the fiction story “The Popsicle Stick Bridge”. The skill will be how a character changes. There are amazing videos and activities that go along with our magazine.
Spelling will be words with final e. We will take the vocabulary unit 2 assessment on Monday - the one that was originally scheduled for last Thursday. Our grammar skill will be adverbs.
We did a lot of review of addition and subtraction this past week. By Thursday we only had a few that were making silly errors. We will finish up the chapter on Tuesday. The final assessment will be on Friday. Starting October 1, students who still need to pass Xtra math addition or subtraction levels will have an extra practice session for homework at night.
In social studies we are going to start in our Communities book.The first chapter is very short. If we have time I still have some science activities that we never got to last week.
This week is filled with feast days. Tuesday is the feast day of the Archangels. Wednesday is the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux. Thursday is the feast day of guardian angels. We will celebrate these special days and learn about the sacraments of initiation.
Mark October 7 if you are able to join in a living rosary. There was a flyer posted in the Charger Check-in. It is a really beautiful way to come together to pray. Each person is a “bead” of the rosary. They lead a “Hail Mary” or “Our Father”. Then they pass on the light of their candle to the next “bead”. My whole family went together when we had our last living rosary this past spring. My kids looked forward to participating when they were younger. Phil Caffee is in charge. It is less than an hour, and Phil always has an ice cream treat when we exit church.
In the Charger Check-in there was the sign up for parent/teacher conferences. They are held on Thursday, October 9. I expect to see someone from each family. Our partnership is important in the success of your child.
Our class will be going to the book fair on Tuesday, September 30.
See you at church!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
September 20, 2025
Good morning! It is so beautiful outside - it can’t help but be a good day. I hope you are all able to get outdoors. The weather looks like it will rain most of next week.
Students presented their Wayside School character paragraphs. It was fun recalling all the silly characters Louis Sachar created. There are two other books in his series about Wayside School if you make a trip to the library.
BUCKO BINGO is complete! We ended up with 3 students who had double bingo. It’s been fun marking the boards in the morning and getting our “book worms”. Our next reading incentive will start October 1. Information will come home that first week of October.
Students have completed their first slide deck in google classroom. They practiced how to turn in assignments. I know we will need to review that for the next few items that are on the classwork tab.
We spent a few extra days reviewing addition and subtraction before moving on to the next lessons. These are second grade skills. I need to make sure that everyone has mastery. 13 students have passed the addition level of Xtra math. 6 students have already passed the subtraction level. My hope is that the majority of the class has passed both levels by October 1.
We celebrated International Dot Day on Monday. Both third grades have their dot masterpieces posted in the hallway.
We didn’t have time to take our test on Yoon and the Jade Bracelet. We will take that on Monday morning.
This coming week we will be reviewing Unit 2 vocabulary words for our next test. Our spelling words this week will be those same 10 vocabulary words. Our grammar focus is on adjectives.
We will be celebrating Johnny Appleseed all week. We will be reading several tales of his life. The genre is tall tales. We will be reading, sequencing, fact finding, comparing and contrasting - just to name a few of the skills covered during the week. We will change our back bulletin board to display our guided draw of Johnny Appleseed. Our science will be all about apples. We will watch videos on apples and find out the name of the world’s largest apple. Students will work in teams to create an apple trapper. On Thursday we will be making homemade applesauce in our classroom. I have asked all students to bring in one apple by Wednesday to add to our applesauce. I have also asked them to name their favorite kind of apple. We will be using that information for graphing during math.
We will practice a tornado drill this week. On Thursday students can donate $1 or more to childhood cancer and dress out of uniform. We will also attend a safety assembly on Thursday afternoon. On Friday teachers will be participating in professional development with the entire archdiocese. There will be no school on Friday.
We switched table groups on Friday in hopes that the few students who continue to get their name in my behavior book daily make a fresh start with their new table team.
We will have a student from St. Xavier in our classroom for the next 2 months. She is training to be a teacher and completing education observation hours in room 211.
Even though this is a shorter week, we will be packing in a lot of learning! I hope you enjoy these last days of September!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
September 12, 2025
Homecoming Week was a hit! I’m sure you’ll see third grade hair, legs, and feet in pictures on social media. Today’s pep rally brought our large community together. This year they played new games in between team announcements. So much fun! Even so - It will be nice to get back into our routine again on Monday.
I understand that many students have been struggling with math. I know that there are missing pieces that have to be filled. It was confirmed after looking at the iReady diagnostic results. On a positive note, today we practiced the lessons we’ve covered so far. By the time we were done, EVERYONE was able to complete the practice problems with accuracy. We invited Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Zerth in to show how amazing their work was. They were very impressed. I am not leaving anyone behind. This year all students should feel confident in their math skills. Being an active participant in learning will make a big difference. I am giving a quiz on Monday to check in again with what was covered today. The chapter is 12 lessons - I thought I’d break it into 3 parts.
BUCKO BINGO is now in its final week. The last bingo reports accepted will be on September 19. On Monday students will go home with the number of reports they owe me by the end of the week. Those that already have bingo can continue to get extra credit points.
Monday, September 15, we will be celebrating International Dot Day. The Dot is a book by Peter H. Reynolds. We will read and discuss how we can make our mark on the world. Our day will be filled with all sorts of activities based on the book.
The remainder of the week we will be reading from Wonders. Our main story is Yoon and the Jade Bracelet. It has a beautiful message on friendship and treating others with kindness. Spelling words will be short vowels with e, o, and u. We will start vocabulary unit 2. The grammar subject will move from verbs to adjectives.
This year students will be learning cursive writing. Before we get to that, I need students to practice better penmanship. Over half the room used capital letters on their spelling test. Next week words will be marked incorrect if that happens again. Spacing and neatness in written assignments has been forgotten by many. I encourage students to take pride in their work. (Also, I’d like to be able to read what they’ve written.)
In social studies, students will work on completing the geography slide deck in google classroom.
For religion, students completed their beautiful monstrance art work to honor the canonization of St. Carlo Acutis. Fr. Matt spent time in adoration with small groups on Wednesday - getting students comfortable with spending time with Jesus. I want this to be a year that they look back on and say this was when they really started a strong relationship with Jesus.
We had several more students finish addition and subtraction levels in Xtra math. Way to go!
Beyond the books starts on Tuesday! A scholastic book order is coming home on Monday. If you choose to order, our class code is GTRHH.
Independence, organization, responsibility… Practicing these skills is something that is worked on every week. They are life skills. Continue to help me reinforce these skills at home. The majority of the class has been doing an amazing job listening, following directions, getting materials ready right away, working quietly, etc. It makes my heart happy that I’m having difficulty choosing a Charger of the Month - too many candidates to choose from. I hope the few that are still needing daily reminders on proper behaviors look to them as examples and turn things around this week.
I hope this homecoming weekend brings many wins home to SCA. Enjoy the time outside in this beautiful weather. See you at church!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
September 5, 2025
"Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love." St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
What a week! We completed the reading of Sideways Stories from Wayside School today. Students chose a favorite character that we will complete a project on next week. We started in our Wonders reading program. Students will continue working with Wolf! and conclude with Jennie and the Wolf on Monday. The test on Wolf! Will be on Tuesday. I am so excited about Bucko Bingo! I love how many students got a head start on their bingo board. The due date for a completed bingo is 2 weeks from today - September 19.
I moved our vocabulary Unit 1 test from today to Tuesday. I wanted to make sure that we have an extra day to practice. Our spelling test from this past week’s list will be on Monday. That is the short a and short i list. We will not have a spelling list the remainder of the week. Our grammar concept will be verbs this coming week.
In math we worked on rounding and estimation, addition properties, and patterns in addition. We will continue with addition and subtraction lessons. We had 5 more students pass the Xtra math addition level. We have 1 student that has already passed the subtraction level. Students can practice on Xtra math each night. Every morning we take the daily quiz to try and fill in more green squares on our 100 problem chart. Speed in addition and subtraction facts on Xtra math are second grade skills.
Students will be working on their first assigned slide deck on google classroom. Each day during social studies students will go on google classroom to complete the assigned slides. They will learn how to navigate, complete, and turn in assignments.
We were busy today celebrating the feast day of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This Sunday the Pope will be canonizing 2 new saints. Our focus in religion next week will be centered around these two amazing young men. (more information to come)
We completed the reading diagnostic in iReady. About ⅓ of the class completed the math.
This week several students did not turn in their homework on time. I will repeat what I said at parent night. I don’t give a lot of homework. So, what I do give for homework I expect it to be done well and on time. There have also been several students needing reminders on listening the first time directions are given - and then following those directions quickly. I hope next week the focus will be better.
On the opposite side of that. A majority of the room has been doing amazing!!! The potential for growth this year makes me very happy. I appreciate your partnership in making this a great year.
This week there are all sorts of special activities for homecoming week. We have an early dismissal on Wednesday. It will also be our first hot lunch of the year. Don’t forget to order this weekend. We end the week with our first pep rally.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
August 30, 2025
Hello third grade family! I was so impressed that we almost had perfect attendance for parent night on Tuesday. Creating a partnership will make a big difference in the growth of your child this year.
We switched seats yesterday so that we will have a fresh start for September. Students are in smaller groups of 4. Listening, following directions, getting materials out and putting away, transitioning between subjects will continue to be expected. I gave warnings this past week. Starting on Tuesday - there will be consequences if a student needs too many reminders on proper behaviors in our classroom.
Several students got to choose a behavior reward on Friday because they got 20 or more punches on their behavior card. I love seeing all the leadership in the room!
Three students completed the addition level of Xtra math this week!!
We started our BUCKO BINGO. Students don’t have homework over the weekend, but they did bring the bingo board and reading response sheet home - just in case they feel like doing a little reading over the weekend. They have 3 weeks to complete this reading goal.
We started the iReady reading diagnostic on Wednesday. I’m hoping that we’ll be done with reading on Wednesday so that we can start the math diagnostic on Thursday. Students will conference with me regularly - and they will conference with you to share their scores and progress. After the diagnostic is complete, students will be given their own individual learning plan. This is another way of filling in any missing pieces. I will be sharing scores with you when we have our parent teacher conference this fall.
Students have enjoyed reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School. For each chapter students have been expected to write 2 facts about the main character in each chapter. We will continue reading this week, but we will also start in our Wonders book. We will be reading different genres each week. Week 1 will be fantasy.
Our spelling list will be words with short a and short i sounds. There will be a spelling packet this week. Students will complete a page each night as part of homework. Our grammar skill will be verbs. We will complete our first vocabulary unit on Tuesday. The test will be on Friday.
In math we reviewed place value and rounding. This week we will be covering properties of addition, finding patterns in addition, strategies to add horizontally and vertically, and decomposing numbers to subtract. Mrs. Tesmond joins us on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She takes a small group in her room to teach the lesson while I have the rest of the group. She and I team teach throughout the year.
In science, table groups will work together on a team STEM challenge. We will also be viewing science videos from Mystery Science. In social studies, teams have been reading maps to answer questions. We will have a quiz on labeling a compass rose later in the week.
In religion we will complete our first chapter on spreading the Good News. One of my favorite saints has a feast day on Friday. We will celebrate and learn more about St. Teresa of Calcutta.
Mark your calendars. Third grade will be planning 8:30 school masses on 10/25, 1/7, 2/25, and 5/27. Our family mass will be Sunday, December 14 at 9:30.
I know that the beginning of the year can be overwhelming until everyone gets back into a routine. I appreciate you developing good habits with your child. Everyone has come with their chromebook fully charged. YEAH!
Students have learned how to sign in to many programs on their chromebook this past week. They have usernames and passwords taped in their assignment books. We have a few more to add on Tuesday.
Our first hot lunch is this Wednesday. Remember to go on my hot lunchbox if you plan on ordering.
I started adding grades to powerschool. I will finish up on Monday so that work folders can come home on Tuesday. If your child did not do well on our first spelling test, their grade will be low. Remember what I said at parent night - one poor grade will not ruin the whole trimester grade.
I hope that you are doing something fun this weekend with your family. It is always reclaiming my house and yard weekend because I have been at school so many hours the past few weeks. We do have a lot of good meals planned.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
August 22, 2025
What a great first week of school! I was so impressed with the listening and following directions of a majority of the class.
Today we celebrated the third day of third grade. It was an action packed day. We started with a packet for third graders on the third day for morning work. We read the first 2 chapters of our literature unit on Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. Table groups started the Jungle Jam back to school math escape challenge. (We’ll finish on Tuesday.) We worked on a scrabble word building activity. The class was introduced to how I run math centers. Teams tried to “Save Fred” from drowning in a white water rafting accident. (Fred is a worm.) We went to music class. We got our new chromebooks. We even got to try a Kahoot challenge before we left for the day. You’ll find that third grade is always busy learning.
I look forward to meeting everyone on Tuesday night, August 26. Parent night runs from 6:30 - 8:00. If you have more than 2 kids at SCA, make sure to stop by our room to pick up a condensed version of my presentation. I expect that someone from each family is present that night. This is a night for parents only - no kids.
Reminder that PE classes will be on Wednesdays and Thursdays this year. Students are able to walk directly into the building at 7:50 now.
Hopefully I’ll see some of you at Mass on Sunday. If not, I’ll see you all on Tuesday.
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko
Hello third grade family!
My name is Patricia Bucko. I am excited to start my sixth year at St. Catherine of Alexandria in third grade. I am originally from Stillwater, Minnesota. I moved to Illinois to marry my husband, Jon, of 33 years. We have 3 incredible children. Thirty-three of my thirty-five years in teaching have been in third grade.
I love my job! Teaching is my passion. I try to create a classroom space where students love to learn and strive to grow to their true potential. My classroom has always been faith based. I hope to create this same learning environment this year. I look forward to meeting you soon!
Blessings,
Mrs. Bucko