Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!!!  It's kind of a cold one!!  I had recess duty today and it was very chilly.  I am glad I had all the right gear to bundle up in.  Keep sending the winter stuff to school including boots!  We will still want the students to wear them outside.  The less we track in the better.  We have chances of snow everyday until Monday.  I don't think they are sure what is going to happen.  I guess it will do whatever God wants it to.
     We had a prayer service on Tuesday.  We said the rosary using the Glorious Mysteries in honor of Kirk Levine, his family and the surgery he was to have that  day.  I love these services because we come together as one giant family to prayer someone who is a part of that family. It shows the students how much we care about others.  Our prayers were answered.  Mr. Levine is home doing very well.

Auction -  The St. Malachy Foundation Auction and dinner is fast approaching!  It is Saturday, Feb. 28th at the Supertel.  If you haven't got your ticket you need to do so.  We are still looking for donations for our 4th grade basket and $2 for the student page in scrapbook, which is our silent auction item.  Send basket money by Monday, Feb. 23rd and Scrapbook donation by Wednesday, Feb. 25th.  Thanks again.

Language Arts - We read a story about Sacagawea this week.  It was very interesting to really learn her part on Lewis and Clarke's exploration of the West.  I think the kids got a better understanding of what her role was.  Our skill for the week was focusing on Main Ideas and supporting details.   We have talked about abbreviations in grammar this week. This was our last story in Unit 4 so next week will be a Unit test week.  I will be assigning them their next book report.  Last one of the year.  Hard to believe we are all ready here. 

Math - We finished up chapter 13 in math.  The test has been corrected and recorded on Power School.  The scores may not look the best BUT I know these students can find perimeter and area using the formulas.  They may not do well when finding a missing side or if a story problem provides a challenge in its wording.  If given a rectangle or square and asked to find perimeter and area they can do it!!   Next up is DIVISION!!  We started diving into it today.  We are estimating quotients today.  This is done using multiples.  They know how to find multiples of a number.  They are working on a few problems tonight.  Tomorrow we will check and review then they will have worksheet 4.1 to complete.  This is a very long chapter and I hoped to move a little quicker through it, but the first lesson took longer than I thought.   Hopefully some of the lessons to follow will be ones that we can just spend one day working on.  If not that's okay too.  You can start working on Division facts at home. That would be very helpful!!

Social Studies - We have begun chapter 7 this week.  Projects start coming due at the end of next week.  I plan to finish this chapter quickly and move on to the next region.  It will be exciting because it is the Midwest which our kids are familiar with.  Iowa will not be choice in picking a state because in 5th grade they do an entire Iowa History Unit and get to research Iowa during that time.  This week we have talked about the Cherokee.  We learned about the Trail of Tears and that they had their own written language.  I am excited to see these projects!!

Conferences -  The conference schedule is on the St. Malachy website.  We will go with the time you signed up for originally for last fall.  I messed up that schedule because I chose to attend the football game at the Dome.  If you need to change the times look at what is open and give the school a call.  Thank you!! Looking forward to visiting with you about your child.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels