Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!!  The weather has been one to lift the spirits this week! YAY!!  I think we all needed a little sunshine in our lives.  Spring break is just around the corner and I think we all need it.  The kids definitely need a break from each other.  I hope they will come back refreshed and ready to finish out the year.  I am looking forward to break.  I think I may get a little trip with Mrs. Lane to Lake Okoboji with our kids.  We did the trip several years ago to take them to a concert. It will be fun taking them again.  I also get to attend 2 track meets over break.  One at Iowa State and one at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville.  It will be busy but a nice break from school work.  I am looking forward to talking to all you you next week.  Again if you have not signed up for a conference time, please be sure to do that.  Here is the link.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0544a5a72ca1fe3-4thgrade7

Language Arts -  We read the story Hercules'Quest this week.  This has been a fun story to read.  It is very different from the Disney movie version.  Some kids say they have never seen the Disney movie.  I would like to show them the movie, but will not have time this week. I may fit it in next week, but not 100% sure it will work.  We worked on Prepositions and prepositional phrases this week. Very hard topic to teach and explain to 4th graders.  I hope they got the general idea.  Our spelling list was on the prefixes re-, -un- dis.  The decoding skill also focused on those prefixes and how they change the meaning of the base word.  The vocabulary strategy was on adages and proverbs this week.  These are short little sayings that have meaning or teach a lesson: examples Practice makes perfect, look before you leap, the early bird gets the worm.  

Next week we will also have short week.  So just like this week we will be doing all our testing on Thursday morning before the kids leave for break.   So spelling pretest on Monday and Post test on Thursday.

Math - We have learned about perimeter and area and also how to find area of joined rectangles.  I plan on giving them their dress rehearsal today, go over the dress rehearsal on Monday and they will take their final test on Tuesday.  This was a quick 3 lessons but it is a benchmark that appears on the report card that I need to teach and since we just finished multiplication it is the perfect place to put it.  We will do a basic math fact test sometime next week also.  I do not plan on starting chapter 4 on division until after Spring Break.

Social Studies -  We are working through our chapter on the Southeast.  The students worked on a map skill where they had to follow directions and place things on a map.  Some still need to work on using a compass and knowing their directions.  They struggled with this task.  We went over them today. They are making corrections on them for tomorrow.  We only have one more state to enter into our interactive notebooks.  They will also take  one more map test over the Southeast.  Please be sure they are continuing to study.

Field Trip -  Tomorrow is our field trip to the Civic Center and to Pappajohn Sculpture Park.  We will be leaving right at 8:30 so please be sure your student is here by 8:10 when we let the students inside.  We will be walking from the Civic Center to the Pappajohn Park.  Please be sure your child has on appropriate walking shoes.  It is about a mile walk.  I also ask that your child not wear shorts  tomorrow. Mainly I ask so that they are not cold on our walk and we plan to eat outside.  I will worry about them being comfortable if in shorts. The temp is to be around 50 degrees but that will seem chilly when we are outside for a long length of time.  Tomorrow they also need a sack lunch with a drink.  Because it is Friday and we are respecting the no meat on Friday for Lent, we are asking that all sack lunches be meatless.  I have talked to the students about this.  They may bring whatever drink they choose.  We will be returning to the building by bus time so everyone can still have the same end of the day plans. This field trip includes all grades 3-8 so I think it will be super fun.  I look forward to a great day.

Electronics -  The students are welcome to use electronics on the bus.  They need to be able to turn the volumes off so not to disturb others.  We also request no devices that require internet access.  This is to deter any texting or use of social media on the bus.  Thank you. 

Conferences are next week!  I will not have a blog since I will be meeting with all of you. May all of you have a safe enjoyable spring break with your family and friends.  I will be anxious to have the kiddos back on March 23rd!!

God Bless, 
Mrs. Sickels