Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!!  I am glad it warmed back up for us.  Hopefully it will carry through the weekend!!  Things are going well in 4th grade.  We are busy all day working hard.  Our group work is becoming more and more routine. I think working is smaller groups on skills is very helpful for our students.  They have more opportunity to ask questions and share their ideas.  

Book Orders - I sent two book orders home today with your child.  Please look them over.  Your child must have a chapter book to read at all times.  I don't accept picture type books like Dairy of Wimpy Kid or Bones.  If you are interested in ordering a book, fill out the form, send it back with payment.  If you write a check please make it out to Melissa Sickels.  The company requests one check.  I place order online and books are usually here within a week.  The book orders are due Sept. 25.  You have one week to look it over.  I told the kids Oct. 1, but I was looking at the calendar wrong!  So the actual due date is Sept. 25.  Any books you purchase earns the classroom points and that is how I supply the books on the bookshelves in my room.  Thank you in advance for anyone who orders.

Language Arts -  We are reading the story The Power of W.O.W this week. The W.O.W. stands for Words On Wheels which is a van that brings books from the public library to a neighborhood that is too far away. Kids are unable to get to the real library so this van brings the library to them.  The program is a pilot program and the funds have been exhausted, so the kids come up with ways to raise money to donate to the program.  It's theme is that when a community pulls together they can make good things happen.  The smaller books we read in groups also had stories based on similar story lines.  They were focused on communities coming together for one purpose and it being successful.  We spent the week focusing on sentence fragments, run-on sentences and how to fix them.  In decoding we reviewed the 3 strategies or rules we have learned so far.  One is V/CV pattern when first vowel has long sound.  The second is VC/V pattern when first vowel has short sound, and last is VC/CV patter when first vowel has short sound.  End of the week assessment and post test for spelling are tomorrow. STUDY!! STUDY!!

Social Studies -  We took our first test on Tuesday.  I gave them back today so that they could make corrections.  Overall I thought we did pretty well.  There were a few that didn't do so hot, but I also heard them say they didn't study at all.  It really does pay to get into a good habit of studying!  We will be starting chapter 2 tomorrow.  Your child will bring home their tests tomorrow night for a signature.  Please, sign it and return it to me.  Thank you.

Math - We are finishing up our first chapter in Math.  We will finish up the last lesson tomorrow.  Next week we will begin reviewing for the test.  I am not sure exactly which day we will test but it will be later next week.  It will also depend on whether I decide their are some problem areas that we need to clear up.  This has been a great chapter to begin the year with.  It is good to review. 

I want to thank all of you for filling out the Highlights form! I received all of them back and have it in the mail so I can get my gift for the room.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!!  I will be helping Mrs. Cline celebrate the marriage of her son, Brandon to a former student, Rachel Griffith.  

As always, any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at msickels@crestonstmalachy.com or call before school, after school, or between 8:30 and 9 in morning.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels