Dear Parents,

    Happy Thursday!  It is hard to believe I have 3 more blogs to write before we are done with the year.  As long as this year has seemed it also seems short now that we are near the end!  I can't say enough how grateful I am that we have been face-to-face all year.  We have accomplished so much!  Three more weeks or 15 more days!  

Language Arts - This is our last week in the textbook!  Last week for spelling tests and all the worksheets!  The kids are excited!  They think we are just done with language arts.  Next week we will take a Unit test and then do a writing project on informative writing.  The last two weeks we will read Charlie and Chocolate Factory.  This week we read a story called "The Fun They Had".  It is a science fiction story about school in the future. The year is 2157.  They school at home with a mechanical teacher.  The teacher is set to parameters that fit that kid.  So each student is learning at their own pace.  The kids find a real book and are amazed by it.  It is a book about school now.  They do some comparing.  It is very interesting.  It caused some good conversation.  The grammar for this week was reviewing sentences, writing book and movie titles using proper capitalization, and commas in compound sentences.  Lots of different content to review is mainly what we have done. The vocabulary strategy today is on Greek and Latin word parts: meter, therm, aud, and fac.  They learn what these parts mean and how they change the meaning of the word.  I think these are fun little facts to learn.    Last time to ask you to have your students study their spelling words and vocab packets for tomorrow!

Math -  We are practicing division like crazy.  This is definitely a strategy where "practice makes perfect" is true!   The only thing you can do is practice it and follow the steps.  I know this is the only strategy we learned and its the one we think is best but I disagree.  There is another strategy that helps the kids see better what they are doing.  I have a couple students who are struggling and want to go back to that strategy.  On the test I will allow them to use whatever strategy they choose to use.  We will be finishing up the chapter next week and testing.  This will be our last math test of the year.  We will still do lessons and worksheets but I will not have them test. I am trying to decide which route I want to go.  I am thinking it will be fractions.  But I love to teach geometry.  

Social Studies - We are now reading the lessons and doing worksheets but will move quickly and not take another test.  We are almost done with the Midwest already.  We will do the Southwest and then the West. We will still have map tests in there because we have to take the "big" one at the end of the year.  We will also try working on getting our states in our notebooks.  We have a lot to do in this subject and little time to do it unless I require them to do a little bit more work.  They would not be happy with me about that. Once the book  report is turned in I just might though.

Spirit Day - Tomorrow is a spirit day! You may pay $1.00 to wear a hat or sweats!  The weather is perfect for sweats!

PE -  Next week our PE time changes.  We are getting to do a special activity.  The activity is archery.  We will be doing this with the 5th graders from 1:00-1:45 on both Monday and Thursday.

Mass - Yesterday was our last Mass of the year!  They will not lead a mass again until next year. Hopefully we can all be back in the gym together.  On the 21st we have been asked to join Mass in the gym that day because this class is such good singers they want the kids to really lead it that day.

Friday, May 7th -  I am here for only half a day tomorrow.    I am taking a personal.  There is an engagement party for Josie tomorrow night so I am going to help get ready for it.  I look forward to an enjoyable day.  Wish the weather would be a little bit warmer.

Well, I am off to a track meet today!  It is in Carroll! It is a long haul and a long night due to it being Co-ed.  I hate cold and late nights. I am sad about my last child graduating but I am happy to be at the end of my sports mom days!

God Bless,

Mrs. Sickels