Thursday, April 16, 2020

Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!!  It has been so long since I have written a blog!  What a crazy week!!  I hope everyone is getting familiar with their Google Classrooms.  I know there really is a lot to navigate through.  I have never learned so much new stuff in two weeks. I feel like a college student all over again.  I hope colleges are teaching this, but my daughter that is going to be a teacher says yes/no.  She is to student teach in the fall and she does not want to do it with Online Learning.  She wants to learn classroom management and observe discipline with other teachers.  I am wondering what kind of an experience she will end up with.

Language Arts -  We are working through the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  I am not too concerned about the students completing the packets I gave them,unless you as parents want them to.  The assignments we will focus on are the ones I create for them to turn in.  So far I have been able to keep up and send the corrected work back to them with comments.  I think that is why I am working long days. I want to get it back to them quickly.  I may need to relax on that a little bit.  When we are done with this book I have asked the kids about a second book to read. I am only missing 2 responses from that.   Will and Logan didn't respond.  You will need to look in their emails for an email about "Which Book to Read on Epic".  I sent 2-3 weeks ago.  I need to get some writing lessons in.  I will be working those and maybe recording myself.  The main things left this year is are writing.  I will have them writing something after we finish the book we are reading now.

Math - We have moved into geometry for Math.  I have found a teacher who has recorded lessons for all the 4th grade Math standards.  I will be using his videos for math.  I am trying to break them up so they are not so overwhelming.  I just want the kids to learn a little something everyday then prove that to me in their assignments.  Division was to be our next topic.  In talking with Algebra teacher, Mr. Dunphy and collaborating with Ms. Surma we made the decision that division needs to be taught in the classroom.  Ms. Surma does a lot with division so she is going to be teaching all of division next year.  I am covering geometry and hopefully covering enough to help her out.  I also hope to get into fractions so that helps her out.  

Social studies -  Well, this first week they are actually reading from their textbooks exactly where we left off. I have them finishing up the Southeast and moving right into the Midwest.  I hope to continue in the book...but it may change.  I was taking pictures of the book and found a way for the computer to convert it to a document.  At the end of the Midwest chapter it decided to quit allowing me to do that. I am not sure why. but I typed in the last 2-3 pages. Actually that wasn't that big of a deal. My typing skills came back and might have taken just as much time as the conversion process.   I think yesterday was so busy because I added 3 more subjects to the day to create.   We will keep chugging away.  Be sure to have your kids sing the states and capitals song and practice their regions.

Here are questions I have had to answer or fires to put out with homework.

*On Google classroom you will find a lot of things on "stream" and some things in "Classwork". Those are tabs at the top of the Google Classroom page under the purple picture.

* It is VERY important the student follow the work in order on their checklist under the subject.  They can choose to do Math first just do those things in the order I wrote them.  Some are trying to do the homework assignment without reading anything or watching any videos first.  This can not happen.

*  Create a schedule. Your children thrive on a scheduled day.  Make sure they know when they are to do their work.  When they can play. When they need to sleep! ( my body has forgotten about a sleep pattern)

* The students may need to play with new websites or programs on their computers.  They are eager to learn a new video game, so why not a new educational tool.  Kami is the one they will need to play with and learn to use the drawing tool, or can they use another program in Kami that helps them.

*  We are all learning, we are all in this together. 

* I am going to make mistakes!  Maybe lots of them.

* Things are not going to be smooth in the beginning.

* Things may be hard.

* Your kids are not going to want to do their work.

*  I do not give the students anything they can't handle.  You as a parent should not have to sit by them and be sure they are doing things. I am trying to make it easier for you.  

* Please enjoy this extra time as a family.  You get to teach the fun things.  Help them learn to bake or cook their favorite meal.  Teach them to write old-fashioned letters to send to their classmates they are missing.  Teach them proper way to dust or vacuum. Organize their rooms.  Purge things to donate to the Rerun when it opens back up.

* Please know just how much I truly miss your kids.  I miss them all day!  My favorite time of the week is the two days I have 30 minutes with them.

We have to find the positive in all this.  The world is changing as we know it.  We have to move with it.  Maybe God was speaking to us that we needed to slow down and come back together and really find what is important again.

I have enjoyed having all my kids at home with me.  The conversations the laughter.  The serious discussions.  No more selfishness.  We have family members to think about.  Really seeing how our actions can effect others has been an eye-opener.  Maybe we take it too seriously, maybe not seriously enough.  It is super hard not to hug my mom when we take her groceries but we know it's best we don't.  We do it for her.

Keep Safe and as always God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels

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