Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!   I am very happy to see Thursday.  Things begin to slow down a bit.  I have had a better week this week.  I have not spent as much time at my computer as I did last week.  BUT I am still making mistakes!  I have to drill into my head that when I want to assign a reading I have to send it as a PDF and not a google doc.  The google doc requires you to ask permission to get on it.  A PDF bypasses all that.  I am sorry. I sent all my Social Studies readings that way this morning.  Finally a 3rd grade parent texted me and asked if I would grant permission so his son could work.  The light bulb that appeared above my head with an angry face would have been funny.  I took me less than 10 minutes to take all of them down and put them back up the correct way. Hopefully I don't make that mistake again, but I am not making any guarantees.  

Language Arts -  The kids are still reading their Charlie and Chocolate Factory book.  I don't want to overwhelm them so a chapter a day is just fine.  Some may be reading ahead cause they want to read more.  The downfall to that is they have not done the vocabulary for all the chapters.  I am still trying to pull their assignments from their packets.  We only have about 6 chapters to go.  Then I will have them work on a writing project.  I hope to get another book in on Epic.  We will see how that goes.

Math - We finished up with Geography.  The kids learned 13 new things in Geometry.  They did a great job.  The standard that they covered was Standard 1 of Geometry: Draw points, lines, segments, rays and angles.  We are now moving into a new standard.  This is a standard in measurement. It is number 1:  Know relative sizes of Units within a measurement system.  They learned a few customer units of measure today and tomorrow they will learn customary units in liquids.  This is where any cooking or baking comes in. If you have the things in the home they are talking about maybe show your child. Also I would pause the screen with the chart of items.  Then go to the assignment and use the chart to help answer the questions.  You do this by having more than one tab open.  If you don't know how let me know and I can help you.  You will also talk about weight soon.  It is important for them to have an understanding of what these things look like.

Social Studies -  In Social Studies I am giving them the lessons in the book. I am typing in the lessons then adding pictures that are similar to what the book had.  Sometimes I add in some extra ones.  Assignments are based off of the worksheets they would have completed.  I am giving them a couple lessons a week.  This will continue until the end. I have it mapped out until the end of the school year.  I am covering the same things I would have if we were in the classroom.  

Remember on google form assignments I do not allow the computer to check your written answers.  It will show up as wrong when you turn it in. There will be a big red X.  I will check that one myself and give the appropriate points.  So when I return the assignment please focus no the points and not each question and that big red X

We have been given a last day of school. Right now it looks to be May 22nd. It is subject to change.  That will be the last day we will give work.  They will need to be sure all homework is complete and turned in that following week so that we can do report cards.  

This has been an interesting year so far.  I will be honest I don't miss the discipline part of being in a classroom but I miss the kids interacting with one another and asking questions.  Their questions is what guides all of our instruction. We would have read a story at the end of the year about a "teacher" being a computer.  It was fun for us to read and discuss what we would miss about a classroom.  Well, we are living it! That story is no longer futuristic.  

I hope all of you are still enjoying family time.  I am finding it harder to work during the day because the sun is shining. I want to be outside with my kids enjoying the sun.  I have gone out for a  while then just work in the evening. It is a fair trade to me.  I hope if you are still working that you are staying safe at work.  I pray this ends soon.  As I am sure all of you do also.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels