Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday and welcome to Advent!!   Today being the first day of December gets us all in the mood for Christmas.  We are back to having full weeks of school which we have not had for a while.  For the students this will be a very long 3 weeks but for the teachers it seems to go quickly.  I have goals I want to reach academically by the time Christmas Break gets here and sometimes it is difficult to get those things done due to all of our activities we have going on.  I plan to work them hard and have fun this month!

Language Arts - This week we are reading a story called Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms.  It is not the most entertaining story to read.  It is non fiction and full of information.  I have had the kids read it everyday this week just because it is a difficult one.  Tuesday and Thursday they read with partners. Monday I read to them.  Wednesday they read silently to themselves.  On Friday we will read it together and have a discussion as a large group.  I am hoping hearing it 5 times will help them with the end of week assessment.  In grammar this week we talked about those fun easily confused words that people like to blast each other about on Facebook.  Their, there, and they're,  to, too, and two, and its and it's.  We have spent a day discussing each group.  They seem to understand the difference but they don't pay attention in their writing and put the correct one.  Spelling words this week were on compound words.  These words can be two words joined together into one work like fireplace or classmate, they can be joined with a hyphen like make-believe and twenty-two, and they can be two separate words like all right and alarm clock.  Tomorrow they will take a post test so be sure they are studying!!

Math -  We finished up chapter 2 took a test.  They have completed their chapter 3 pretest online (which was very difficult and some were just plain mad at me for not helping). I kept telling them it is pretest do the best they can.  They will see a huge jump when they take the test at the end of the chapter and they learn a ton of new stuff!!  Chapter 3 is kind of an extension of chapter 2.  It is multiplication but with double digits.  Most lessons they will catch on to pretty quickly.  Some we may need to spend a couple days on.  I hope to have chapter 3 complete by Christmas break since it is only 7 lessons long.  It will take some hard work on all our parts to make this happen, but I have faith in us.  Keep working on multiplication flash cards at home! It helps tremendously.

Social Studies -  We have begun talking about the Northeast Region.  We are learning new vocabulary words.  Today we talked about Niagara Falls and its beauty.  We also talked about how important it is to the state of New York because the hydropower plants at Niagara Falls supplies the state with electricity or hydroelectricity.    We will be using a cross cross-cut diagram to learn how a hydropower plant works.  I will soon be going over  the Social Studies projects with the kids and assigning the first one which will be due after Christmas break.  We will also begin putting together an interactive notebook on the Northeast states and learning how to label a map with the states.  I will also begin using the song to help them memorize states and capitals.  What a busy time we have!!!!

Two important things:

Tomorrow is a Spirit day!!  We are trying to raise a little extra money for our adopt-a-family so we are upping the Spirit!  You can pay $1.00 to wear sweats and you can pay an extra $1.00 to wear a hat for the day.

The second item is a reminder that tomorrow we walk to the Food Pantry so make sure your child comes prepared for the walk.  They will want a coat, hat and mittens.  Thank you!

Christmas Tree - I have a Christmas tree on the bulletin board in my room.  We want to get into the holiday spirit so if you could send an ornament with your student, we will hang them on the tree and have a class tree.  Please do not send breakable ornaments, because if they fall on floor they will break. Otherwise any ornament works.  I will send them back home with the kids when they leave for Christmas Break.

Report Cards -  They will be coming available soon.  I think next week.  Nothing on the report card should be a surprise to you.  We talked at conferences and if you follow on Power School you can see how your child is doing.  Please be sure to take a look at them!!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! My family and I had a great time in Chicago.  I got a lot of my shopping taken care of while I was there.  It was a fun relaxing weekend.  I am thankful we are able to go and the weather cooperated!!  I am praying for snow!  In my eyes it is not Christmas without snow!  

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels