Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!   I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  I know we did.  We traveled to Chicago to my sister-in-law's house.  We had a great meal and then did some Black Friday shopping!  I got a few really good deals.  In Chicago, Black Friday is not as big a deal as it is here.  No lines waiting to get into stores or for certain items.  We always come home with a very full car.  Report cards are finished and will be available online to you soon. You will need to watch for information to come.

Language Arts -  We are reading a story called The Earth Dragon Awakes this week.  It is a historical fiction piece written about the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.  It really is a very detailed story of what happens to a father and son.  I explained it is not true but all other things discussed about the actual earthquake is true.  I also told them they could look up the topic and read more about it or at lease figure out what was truth.  The story kind of scares me talking about buildings burying people alive.  In the end they are rescued but it is pretty nerve wracking.  In grammar this week we have talked about possessive nouns.  We focused on Singular possessives and  plural possessives. Some nouns have to have the spelling changed in order to make them plural like child/children or words that don't change like moose/moose.  We talked about how to make them possessive also!  Remember tomorrow is a spelling post test and end of the week test!  We are back into a full routine!  So happy to have a full week of school and the fact that I am done traveling!  

Math - This week we reviewed partial product and then moved on to the standard algorithm of Multiplication.  Which is the way you learned to do it growing up.  The kids caught on pretty quickly, which could be that they have learned it at home.  We have only worked on 2 digits times a single digit right now.  We will move on to 3 digits times a single digit next week.  We are getting ready to end a chapter which means a test will be coming soon.  I doubt it will be next week.  But it will be the next for sure then I have some fun Christmas math activities the students will do before we start the next chapter.  I will say chapter 3 will go quickly because we are taking strategies we all ready know but applying it to double digit multiplication.

Social Studies -  This week we are working on our interactive notebook and getting some more states in there.  We also started on maps.  The students were given 4 blank maps of the Northeast Region.  They are to make an answer key map where they label each area with correct state and capital.  Then they have 3 practice maps to practice labeling.  We will have a map test next week.   It will be the exact same map that they must label with states and capitals.  I try to get them to memorize a region at a time so at the end of the year the entire 50 states and capitals are not so overwhelming.  Please be sure your child is studying these!

Food Pantry -  From November 30 - December 15th we will be collecting items for the food pantry to help boost their inventory.  The items asked for are toothpaste, toilet paper, kleenex, and Food.  The Food needs to be non-perishable canned fruits and veggies or boxed meals like Hamburger Helper, tuna helper, suddenly salad,ect.  Monetary donations are also accepted.  Please send an item or more than one with your child to help the food pantry provide for our community.  Thank you very much.

Christmas Program - Our Christmas Program is fast approaching!  It is Wednesday, December 6th at 6:30 pm.  This event is being held at the Creston High School.  I love our program, it definitely gets me in the spirit of the season.  I have heard the 4th graders singing and they are fabulous.  I am very proud of them and know they will do a great job!

Class Tree -  I have a classroom tree which is just a tree on a bulletin board but I would like the students to bring in a Christmas ornament and I will hang it on our tree.  Yes, real ornaments but you might send one that is not breakable or totally special to them.  Lots of things can happen in their bags on way to school and if it would fall off the tree it would break.  I have never had any fall of the tree only students dropping them and breaking them.  They will bring the ornament back home with them at Christmas Break.  Thank you!

I hope everyone is getting their shopping done and decorations put up.  Molly and I went and purchased our tree Tuesday night.  It is in a bucket in my garage right now but we hope to get it up tonight or tomorrow.  The decorating of the tree will take place Saturday.  I have a lot of my shopping done.  Have a great weekend!

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels