Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!  I hope all of you are having a great week!  this week, to me, has gone by quickly.  If this is how fast they all go it will be over before we know it.  Today was Lap-a-thon.  Thank goodness the rain stayed away so we could get it in.  The students got a treat from the Little Green Trailer today.  All were treated to a small tropical sno!  I had took the afternoon off to head to Molly's Hawkeye 10 Conference track meet in Harlan today but it was postponed until Monday! Which was a bummer, but I did go get a pedicure!  Now I have pretty toes!! 

Language Arts - We are working on a story called The Fun They Had.  This is a pretty cool story about the future.  Kids don't go to school they have a computer in their home programmed to match the child's ability and learning.  They read books on a TV screen or computer screen and the words scroll across it.  They are always moving.  The kids find a real "book" and they talk about how the words don't move and how kids went to a school to learn.  It is fun to read about their thoughts of the past, which is our reality.  We have been reviewing in grammar.  We talked about Commas in compound sentences, ending punctuation, and capitalization in titles.  We also discussed some latin and greek words parts; therm, fac, meter, aud.  Learning these help the kids to decipher meaning of the words they are a part of.  Tomorrow is our end of  week testing.  Please be sure to study the vocabulary words and spelling words for tomorrow.

Math - We began learning the standard algorithm for division.  The kids are not liking it!  They like the partial product strategy better.  I am not surprised.  The partial product way make so much more sense to them then the  long division.  Some have really struggled.  We are still working on it and will work on it for the a few more days.  I am trying to get them to master this since it is a basic function of math.  Funny that some of the new things we are learning kids are really choosing and wanting to use over what we were taught as kids.  I hope you are doing the best you can helping them at home.  I am trying to be sure they are done with homework so it is me or the aid Mrs Kendrick helping them here at school.  I am always happy when this chapter is over!

Social Studies- We just took a test over the first chapter of the Midwest States. We will begin the next chapter and read through it quickly and not cover all areas.  I will focus on people of the region and any historical things.  We will have one more map test over the Midwest then we will move on to the Southwest.  Trying to fit everything in is gong to be pushing it.  We will do what we can do but I will get to all the regions.

Field Trip -  You have a form in the student's folder for our field trip.  The trip is Tuesday, May 15th, we are headed to Boone to ride the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad.  The fee for the day is $10.  This will cover the train and bus ride.  We are going on this trip with the 5th grade.  We can have 5 adults from each class attend with us.  So 5 of you can go with us.  The train fee for you will be $18.  You are welcome to ride the bus with us.  This will be a first come first serve basis.  Students will need a sack lunch with a drink.  Also please watch weather and dress accordingly.

I can believe we are nearing the end of the year!  I have enjoyed helping your students learn and always wonder what will I do without them!  Have a great weekend!  Enjoy the sun!

God Bless, 
Mrs. Sickels