Dear Parents,

     Happy Thursday!   I almost forgot it was Thursday and I needed to type a blog.   Thank goodness the track meet for tonight was cancelled so I have plenty of time to get this done.  This was a great week up until today weather wise!  I was enjoying the warm weather and not wearing a coat.  Then the rain had to come and the chilly temps are back.  Recess duty today was okay but it could be better.  We have had a pretty good week in the classroom except the ISASP practice tests we took and the kids being a little too chatty.  I am sure it is the weather causing it.  Please be sure to see the not in their folder about the ISASP tests that we will be taking next week.

Language Arts - This week we read a story called I could Do That!  It is a story about women getting the right to vote in Wyoming.  This was the first state to give women voting rights. They gave them rights well before the amendment was added to the Constitution.  Esther Morris was the women who brought about the change.  She also became a judge in the state of Wyoming and had no educational background for it.  This is why Wyoming is nicknamed the Equality State.  We talked about negative sentences and what words make a sentence negative. We also talked about sentences using a double negative and worked on making changes to them so their was only one negative word in them.  The vocab strategy was on Adages and Proverbs which can sometimes be difficult.  They need to study their spelling words and their vocabulary packet for their test tomorrow.

Math - This week we have focused on the Distributive Property in Division.  We spent a couple of days on that.  Then we used Math time to work on the practice tests for ISASP tests.  The next thing on our agenda is to do a Mid chapter checkpoint.  That will happen tomorrow for class.  It will be due on Monday.

Social Studies - We finished up and tested over Chapter 7.  You should see the tests come home tonight. Please sign them so the kids can return them to me.  We will also end the week with another Southeast States Map Test.  I gave them each 4 practice sheets to practice tonight at home.  They must label all 12 states and capitals.  We will also be putting another state into their notebooks tomorrow.  That will only leave one more state to get put in there before we move on to the Midwest!  We will start that region next week

ISASP -  We will begin taking the ISASP tests next week.  This is the new acronym for Iowa Test of Basic Skills.  It stand for Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress.  The practice tests we did this week were pretty challenging.  They are learning they have to slow down and really think about what it is asking.  Please be sure your student gets a good night's sleep and breakfast next week.  Brain food would be best!

Spirit Day - Tomorrow is a spirit day!  You can pay $1.00 to wear sweats or a hat all day.  This week we used the money for Mrs. Levine who had a fall.  She has stitches and had a concussion.  We are thankful she is back at school and doing well.

There will not be regular spelling test or end of the week test next week.  The ISASP will take up a lot of our time in the mornings. We are trying to have normal afternoons for the students.  All testing will be in the morning only.   I am sure your student will come home frustrated because of all the testing. I feel their pain but I will make is as relaxed as I can for them.  

It is Prom Weekend at our house.  Senior Prom is already here!  WOW I can't believe it.  Saturday will be a very busy day.  Also my father-in-law is still hanging on.  Please continue to pray for comfort and peace for him.

God Bless, 

Mrs. Sickels