Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday and welcome back!!!  I had a great time in Chicago!  I attended some great sessions! I am very thankful we have the privilege to attend.  We were able to eat Chicago Style deep dish pizza and visit Lake Michigan.  Some of our best Professional development might have been in the car on the way home sharing things that we got out of our sessions.  It was great therapy, my stomach still hurts from laughing!  I am very happy and exhausted to be back in the classroom today.  

Language Arts this week will focus on reading time for our book report books, some practice in handwriting and read aloud. I am trying to finish one book to start another.  I don't find time to read to the students as often as I would like or even they would like.  Next week we will be back to a regular week. We only have a couple more weeks left in our books. I hope to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the kids this year.  We do some fun projects with this book and most classes enjoy it.  That is the plan for the rest of the year. We will also spend today and tomorrow practicing for our FAST (Fluency) testing that we will be doing in next couple of week!

Math -  We will be starting division!  Chapter 4. It is a rough chapter and very long.  My intention is to sit with Ms. Surma and figure out the lessons she would like me to hit that will help her next year and kind of shorten the chapter up a bit.  One of the classes I attended in Chicago was on 3-5 Math.  It was good.  I have ordered a new set of manipulatives to help me teach division and they should be here Friday.  I am kind of excited about that.  They will be easier to use then base ten blocks.  So I really did learn something to bring home and try.

Friday, April 26th Earth Day -  Tomorrow is our annual Spring cleaning day!  The kids are asked to bring a rake with them to school and a pair of gloves.  They are to dress according to weather and work outside.  They can pay $1.00 to wear a hat.  We also ask that they bring $1.00 to donate to our Earth Day Fund to buy flower pots, soil and flowers to put in front of the school to make it look more welcoming to visitors. Thank you in advance for all your support!

April is quickly coming to an end!  I can't believe it! I am shocked at how quickly the year has gone by!  I appreciate you sharing your child with me.  I have enjoyed all of them every day!  They are sweet and hard workers for sure!  Be proud of them and what they have accomplished this year.  They have really grown and are learning to be good students.  

Have a great weekend!  It is confirmation weekend and Molly will be confirmed on Sunday.  It will be a nice celebration at our house.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels