Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!!!  I really wish this weather would make up its mind!!  I hate have nice warm days then back to the cold.  I know the kids wish it would also.  It is hard to know how to dress each day.  Plus, the forecast changes every 4-5 hours.  Yesterday was great except for the wind.  I am ready for 70's and no wind.  I want nice sunny days.  AMEN!!

Good Friday Spring Clean-up-  Tomorrow is our annual Clean-up day.  Now that your child is in 4th grade they need to bring in a rake.  We will be raking out the fence line around the property.  Mainly on the north side by alley.  We do this with the 5th grade.  We will spend an hour or so outside doing clean up.  It is a way to get rid of the dirt and let spring shine through.  The trash and dirt accumulated over winter needs to be taken away.  We usually go outside mid-morning after it warms up a bit.  Please, send work gloves with students also.  They will be picking up trash, using a rake, lots of dirty outdoor work.  Gloves will help protect hands from blisters, and germs.  Thank you in advance for the rakes and hard work.

Language Arts -  We have started Unit 6 this week.  I am finding that most of it is review.  The only topic that has moved up and maybe gotten harder is spelling.  This unit is not even in our large textbook. It is a separate book with just the stories in it.  I am trying to learn to teach without all the things we had in the book before.  I am still covering vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and reading the story 5 times.  We will still have Friday assessments.  This story was called The Girl Who Loved Spiders.  It is a story about a boy who moves to different place and has a fear of spiders.  In his new house his new neighbor had a love for spiders. He learns a few things about spiders from her and it helps his fear.  The story also contains facts hidden in the story.  That is what makes it interesting.  You think you are just reading a story yet there a interesting facts embedded into it.  Some students have found this story more interesting than others. (haha)

Math -  We are working on reviewing for a Chapter test.  Today they are working on a review.  I hope to check that review tomorrow and test on Monday.  If our clean-up takes up more time than we will check the review on Monday and take a test on Tuesday.  I plan on teaching them a couple more geometry lessons after this test.  They will focus on perimeter, area, and volume.  Now that we know how to multiply we can do area and volume.  I save perimeter just because I think to teach them all three together is better and give them a better understanding.  We will not test over these topics.  I just want you to know we are covering them.  The next chapter will focus on division.  I really think this class will not have a problem catching on to this topic since they caught on to multiplication so quickly.  

Social Studies -  We finished up the Midwest this week.  Projects are all shared, and the test is today.  We will move onto the Southwest next.  This only involves 4 states.  I combine these 4 with the West when we pick our last projects.  Which we will do very soon.  These will be due mid May.  The students are used to the social studies book, how it is set up, how I teach it and what homework is expected of them, so I tend to move more quickly through the Southwest than normal.  I need to be sure we get to the West Region.  It contains more states and more information.  It's my favorite region to study.

Sedar Meal - I just want to share that today is the Sedar Meal.  It is one of the best activities we hold her at St. Malachy.  I love that we all are in the gym at once sharing a meal.  This is the only time in a year it happens.  Yes, I know there are a couple days all the kids are in there with their angels sharing a meal, but it is normally a meal you have provided.  I like this one because it is family style and we are all eating the same thing.  What a great way to celebrate all that Jesus did for us!!

I hope all of you have a very Happy Easter!!

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels