Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!  Well we are having 4 day weeks.  That seems to be the pattern this winter.  I don't know what it is like to teach a full week!!  I am not sure kids know how to be students 5 days a week either.  I am happy we are here today and school was on time.  I told the kids that we are working hard when we are here.  Today they will not get much of a study hall due to needing to get some important things done.  So most likely they will be bringing home some work.

Language Arts -  This week they are reading the story of Hercules.  The class always loves reading this story.  It is very different from the Disney movie.  We talk a little about the differences.  I hoped to show them the video but snow days are truly messing with us.  We are learning prepositions this week in grammar.  This topic is very hard to teach.  Sometimes I refer back to a very old grammar book I have but it didn't teach this topic at this age.  I will see how they do today with it.  The vocabulary strategy this week is on adages and proverbs.  These are a little complicated for the students to learn but we practice them.  The small story this week is called Zomo's Friends and it is a really good story.  It is longer than most but it has a moral to it.  We will be reading and sharing that today also.  Tomorrow they will have a spelling test and end of week test.  The end of week test will be based on the things we were able to go over well this week.  

Math -  We have been working on Biztown items in Math.  The students are learning to fill our deposit slips, write checks and keep a check register.  These are great life skills for them to learn.  Today we will be going over the jobs we have to fill in Biztown and having them finish their job application.  Ms. Surma and I will sit down and place them into jobs and start the work preparing for the day.  We will spend our religion/Social time and Math time to do this.  

Social Studies -  We have barely had this class due to the late starts.  Today we are checking a study guide and will have a test tomorrow.  They need to be studying for their test tonight.  On Monday they will take their first Southeast region map test.  They will need to work on learning the locations of the states in that region.  Reminder, I had a few students who did not do well on the Northeast States and so I would like to see them do better on this region.  At the end of the year they will be taking a test over the entire 50 states.  The benchmark is that they will be able to name and locate all 50 states and capitals.  Please work with them on learning them.  

Biztown- This field trip is next week Wednesday.  If you are volunteering please make sure you have gone to the link I sent you and taken the training.  Also Volunteers need to arrive 30 minutes before the kids.  So 8:30.  I have talked to the Bob at the Bus barn and if there would be a 2 hour delay we can still plan on going. Because the students need to be there by 9:00 we need to be pulling away from the school at 7:45.  Students will need to be here before then and have their sack lunch.  I know that might be inconvenient for our Greenfield people but for the kids to get the full experience we need to get there as soon as we can.  I only asked the Bus barn about a 2 hour delay because you just never know with this weather and I wanted to be prepared. Please fill out the permission form in today's folder.

I hope you all try in some way to enjoy the weekend!  Not sure a weekend of rain, freezing rain, ice and snow is what I want but I will read my book and be quiet.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels