Dear Parents,

     Happy Thursday!  I hope everyone is having a great week!   Boy the numbers for COVID are sure on the rise. I hope all of you are doing your part in keeping everyone safe.  I am very thankful we are still in school face-to-face.  If for any reason that changes we have made a plan.  We will shorten the hours of the school day.  The students will get the same amount of lessons and instruction but we will just be online a limited amount of time.  We are prepared if the need arises to go online.  It is getting tiring not going places and seeing people.  One of the twins has had it.  She was pretty sick actually for being young.  Definitely not asymptomatic.  The other twin was exposed, has had to quarantine, no symptoms and tested negative but still could not go back to student teaching.  I am wearing a mask in the room all the time. I take small breaks at my desk or remove it if the kids can't understand what I am trying to get across, which depends on what mask I am wearing that day.  Sometimes I even forget to take it off for a break when the kids are not in the room.  Crazy the things we just adjust to.

Language Arts -  This week we are reading a very funny story called Dear Mr. Winston.  It is about a girl who takes a snake into a library cause she wants to know what kind of a snake it is.  The book she needs is a reference book and can not be taken out of the library.  She sneaks the snake in.  The librarian is petrified of snakes. He catches her with the snake and faints and breaks out in a rash.  He taken by ambulance to hospital.  The girls is writing an apology but is sure to point out her parents are making her and she always makes it out to be the librarian's own fault.  It is fun to read.  We are working on compound and complex sentences this week in grammar.  It is kind of hard stuff. I had to teach what a dependent clause is.  The vocabulary strategy is over antonyms which they are pretty good at since we do them weekly with the vocabulary words.  Please be sure they study for their spelling post test and vocabulary packet.

Math -  We have completed half the chapter!  The kids worked on a Mid-Chapter Checkpoint.  This is a long chapter!  We are actually about 10 days ahead of where I normally am, so that is good. The kids do a very good job of listening and really trying to understand the concept.  I try to really pump them up before the lesson starts so I have their attention. I think they think that is fun.  Then we go to work.  The second half of the chapter does not seem so bad but I will teach them the standard algorithm of multiplication. Yes that is what you learned but they will not find it as easy as the strategies we are using now.  I may have to take 3 days to teach this concept, which is normal and just fine.  I hope to be testing over chapter 2 either right before Thanksgiving or right after.

Social Studies - They began learning their States and Capitals song today. I apologize now, they will drive you crazy singing it.  Especially this class because they sing all the time!!  They have a copy of the words so they can practice at home.  Again I am sorry.  You can find the song on Youtube.  It is called the States and Capital song by Macho Nacho.   We will practice it everyday now.  They will also be starting a study guide on Thursday.  I plan to check it on Friday and then the test will be Monday.  They can start practicing their vocabulary words now.  They have notecards in their expanded file they can use to study.  We will soon begin to work on Map tests.  This is where they have to take a test over the Northeast Region.  I will give them a blank map of the region and they have to label it with the states and capitals.  We will learn the geography of the U.S. a region at a time and then at the end of the year they take an end of the year test over all 50 states and capitals.

Christmas Program -  The filming for the Christmas program will be held on Monday, November 23rd.  We would like your child to come dressed in their Christmas best!  Whatever they would have worn to a normal Christmas program. Thanks!  I will remind you next week also!  Just wanted you to have time to find those Christmas dresses!

Spirit Day!-  Tomorrow the 13th is a spirit day.  The weather is just right for wearing sweatpants!  Get out those dollars and participate.

Absent - I will be absent Thursday afternoon.  I am attending a college visit with Molly.  We are visiting Iowa State!  We have had it planned then cancelled and almost cancelled this one.  We are going to get it done and over with.  It is just a half day thing.  There is not much contact and masks are required.  The main thing is the tour of campus.  Let's see I attended there, plus I toured with both the other girls separately and now I am doing it again.  Sometimes I think I could give a better tour!   I will also be absent next Wednesday all day due to Molly competing at State Dance with the Peppers.  I don't like to be gone at all but I also can't miss my lasts with my youngest!  Believe it when people say "Time Flies"!

I hope everyone stays safe and healthy!

God Bless,

Mrs. Sickels