Dear Parents!
     Happy Thursday!  I am crazy today.  It is Lap-a-thon Day which throws me for a loop!  I almost forgot to post a blog! Of course, that wouldn't be the first time.  We ran the sidewalks this morning.  Your child might be a little sore.  Some of them did not have appropriate running shoes for the event.  The kids all ran their hearts out.  I am super proud of all of them.  I have a track meet to attend tonight so I wore my track clothes to school.  I told them it was to support their running today!  They were all very genuinely thankful, even though I was trying to be funny.  They were rewarded with freeze pops when they were finished running. I feel very successful!

Language Arts-  This week we are reading a nonfiction story called Owen and Mzee.  You can look them up and find their story online and see videos of the two animals on youtube.  The kids have watched some of the videos.  The story is about Owen, a hippo who was left alone after his entire pod of hippos was wiped out due to a tsunami.  Owen was left stranded on a dry strip of land.  He was taken to an animal refuge where he was put into an area with an aldabra Tortoise named Mzee.  They are two animals who in normal conditions would not be friends.  Becauase the hippo was alone and scared, the two animals bonded and are still together today.  It is a cool story and the kids enjoyed it.  The grammar we worked on this week was on comma rules.  We reviewed when and where we use commas in a sentence.  The vocabulary strategy this week was the suffixes -ed, and -ly.  Tomorrow is a normal Friday. Please be sure the students are studying their vocabulary packet at home.  Spelling post test is also tomorrow.   There is more good news, our online system is up and running again so the kids will be able to take the test online and have instant feedback!

Math -  We started division this week.  We began with a lesson on estimation.  I taught them how to use multiples to find estimates.  I showed them how to use a multiplication chart to help them and if the chart wasn't big enough, what they needed to do to locate an answer.  They seem to like this lesson and understand it.  We had an observer in class that day so the students were totally in tune to me and what was going on.  Today we began work on division with remainders.  I started them using counters to help them to see what they were doing.  Then I tried to move them to doing the problems without counters.  They have a few problems they need to complete in their books.

Social Studies -  We will be checking a study guide tomorrow.  The test over chapter 8 will be on Monday.  I then plan to give them the map of the Midwest to begin work on memorizing where those states are located.  I also will quickly cover a lesson or two in chapter 9 but we will not test over this chapter.  I will then move on into Southwest.  We will test over one of those chapters but not the other.  Then it is a quick move  into the West.  We will be hurrying to finish up the interactive notebooks and map tests so we can have one giant map test at the end of the year.  Hard to believe I am making all my plans until the end but here we are!!

Spirit Day -  Tomorrow is a spirit day  Bring a $1.00 and wear your sweats or a hat!  Yes just one dollar gets you both items.  Lucky you!!  The money goes to a great cause.  We have had several teachers out with surgery this year! They have had a hip, knee and shoulder fixed!  With this fund we were able to give them a care package from the staff and students to brighten their day and help with a few meals at home.  

Last Day - Just a reminder that our last day of school will be Friday, May 31st!  Since we are not ending the same day as the public school, I feel like I need to keep putting a reminder out there, so there is no confusion.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  Graduation is upon us, and the parties are starting.  One of my children will be home Monday for the summer and the other one on Wednesday!  Definitely makes my heart happy!!  Jami will be home all summer but Josie is once again, working on staff at CYC camp. IF your child is attending they will see here there!  

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels