Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!! I hope everyone is having a good week.  The students have been a little talkative this week and several have served some time outside on the wall at recess.  I have a few that are struggling to stay in their own seats.  Winter is always a restless time. I ask that you check with your child to see if they are needed some updated supplies. I have several who do not have red checking pens and they need to have them.  I have told the kids to let you know. I appreciate your keeping them supplied with items we need.

Language Arts - This week in language arts we are back to our normal routine.  We read the story Riding Freedom this week.  This is about a woman wanting to do a man's job.  The job is being a stagecoach driver.  This was only a job for men.  I asked the kids in the beginning how do you think she accomplished this?  I had about 6 of them guess that she disguised herself as a man. This prediction was true.  The thing is she in injured in an accident and loses the use of one of her eyes and has to wear a patch.  The story is more about overcoming this obstacle.  She reteaches herself to drive a coach using her other senses.  She ends up proving her abilities by the end of the story.  We did Spelling just a tad bit different on Monday.  We took the pretest and then I read the answers to them so they could check their own work.  I feel like this was pretty successful.  It makes them look at the word and see where they made their mistake.  So instead of just memorizing each word , they may learn from seeing their mistake.  If I checked the test, they would look at the test just to see how many they missed but never really looked at each word to see why.  This requires them to see why.  Next week I may change the way we do Wednesday's words with this same idea in mind. Grammar had us learning about adjectives this week.  Not only did we just spend one day picking out adjectives, we also talked about the correct order of adjectives. I do not remember learning this at all in school.  The kids' worksheet has a chart at the top showing the order adjectives should be in if there is more than one describing a single noun. We went over the chart and they will complete the worksheet but again it is a very quick lesson.  We are working on editing and revising the paragraph on their bedrooms.

Math - Well, chapter 2 is behind us. I have some stragglers still making corrections due to being absent, but otherwise we have moved into chapter 3.  The first lesson took us a bit to refresh their memories but we are not moving through.  Lesson two was on estimation and they seem to enjoy this because it is quick.  They round the numbers or use compatible numbers then use a quick mental math strategy to find the answer.  I am hoping this chapter is not as hard for them.  I am trying to pick up the pace with them a little bit, but I am also very big on mastery and being sure students have a good understanding before moving on.  All that they do builds upon each lesson so they need to understand each one.  We will have completed the first two lesson and starting the 3rd by the end of this week.  Again, this chapter has a lot less in it, I think just 8 lessons.

Social Studies - We have spent his whole week gearing up for the test over Chapter 5 which is Friday.  The biggest thing with this test is labeling a map with the northeast states and being able to name the capitals of the states. We have been singing the song at school this week to help.  I hope the kids have the song at home and are practicing it there also.  Next week we will work on getting our next projects going. The next region of study is the Southeast.

I hope you are all excited about Catholic Schools Week next week and of course a snow storm.  It seems to always happen that way.  Today in your child's folder you may find a mass part.  If you signed them up to participate in Sunday's mass you will find a blue sheet telling what they are doing.  Otherwise your child may have an orange sheet which is showing that they will participate in Grandparent's Day Mass on Friday.  Please be sure they practice their parts and if they are participating in Sunday's mass be sure they are there in the church by 8:30.  Thank you very much.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels