Dear Parents,
 Happy Thursday!!  Next week we have conferences!! I only have one family not signed up.  Please be sure to sign up and double check your times.  I apologize that my schedule has changed a couple of times.  I have been trying to set up my own at the High School and that takes some work.  I look forward to seeing all of you and discussing how your children are doing.  See you all next week.

Math - We have been discussing division in math.  We have used manipulatives to show what division looks like, we talked about multiplication and division being related using fact families,  we have also spent some time writing multiplication and division story problems.  We will be working our way towards a test very soon.

Language Arts -  This week we read a story called Me and Uncle Romie, it was a good story.  The story was around centered on art and so the vocabulary words were also related to the artist world.  We discussed syllables in words and how some sounds are stressed and others are not.  We have been working on the sounds /ou/ and /o^/ in spelling.  We talked today about figurative language.  This is one of my favorites.  We compared if you took the words literally what they would look like and what they look like as figurative language.  Some of the phrases used were familiar and some were not.  Tomorrow we will read the story the last time, hold discussion then take the end of the week test.  I think I am seeing these scores get better.  I will share them at conferences.

Social Studies - In social studies we are finishing up the chapter on economy.  The students will be testing tomorrow.  We went over the study guide today and they have the answers they need to study for tomorrow.  Next week we begin Unit 2 which starts talking about one specific region which is the Northeast.  We will also begin practicing our states and capitals song.  This is one way to learn all the states and their capitals. It is a fun song. You can find it on youtube.  It is sung by Macho Nacho and is called the States and Capitals song.  Please get it so they can practice at home.  Projects for social studies will also begin soon.  I will hand out a packet and discuss at conferences.

Thank you for all you do for your kids at home to help them be better students.  I am seeing some improvements in their use of study hall and working hard to get things done.  I am also seeing some getting into a routine and being organized.  Those who are still struggling, we will get there.  I have no doubt about that.  Have a great weekend.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels

Dear Parents:

     Happy Thursday!!!  I am on my second week back and feel great!!  I am really keeping on top of the kids using their time wisely.  During work time they really want to visit, play with things, or just stare around the room.  I am pushing  for them to work hard so they are not bringing homework home. These students have the capability to work hard if they would focus and work.  A few more weeks and I will have them trained.  I will look forward to conferences to discuss your child's progress and behaviors specifically during that work time.  Remember conference schedule is online, please sign up.  I have first 2 times crossed off so that I can go to the High School and have my own conferences for my older two.  There are still 20 slots to fit all of you in.  Please find a time that works.

Math - This week we reviewed the distributive property.  After students completed the diagnostic checkpoint on Monday, there were students who didn't show their work.  What I found was they didn't understand it enough to show the work.  I retaught the lesson and gave them a few more problems to practice.  We are now starting to work on Division. We used manipulatives to show how to work division problems and today we discussed how multiplication and division are related and practiced fact families.  I feel like these topics are easy for them right now.  It will get harder as we go along.  

Language Arts - This was my first week actually teaching the weekly lessons.  WOW!! It is busy and has  a lot of material to cover.  I covered what I thought was important for he students to learn.  I felt like the week was a success. Reading the story everyday is new to me and hard!!  We read everyday but one.  I read it to them first day, they read with partner second day, third day on their own, and Friday we will read as whole group and discuss.  We have had spelling lessons, grammar lessons, vocabulary lessons and decoding lessons mixed in.  WHEW  Thats a lot.  Your kids are really learning a great deal more now in this new series!  Your child is also writing a Halloween Story.  It is due tomorrow.  

Social Studies - We are learning about the economy of the United States.  Pretty difficult stuff!  We know our economy is called  a free enterprise system and is based on supply and demand.  We learned what producers and consumers are and how to make a profit.  There are a lot of "big" words in this chapter.  We will focus on globalization, and interdependence next week.  Have your kids talk to you about these items.

I am very happy to  be back, and I am enjoying being with the kids everyday.  Thank you for all your patience!!  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your child.  I have a prep period from 8:30 - 9;00 everyday but Wed. and  on Tuesday it is 8:30 - 9:30.  I am usually at school til 3:45 every night.  Have a great weekend!!

God Bless,

Melissa Sickels

I really want to apologize about the Coming Events section or Important Dates.  I have been trying to change them since Thursday.  There must be a problem somewhere.  I am not the only one experiencing technical difficulty.  I will change them as soon as I can get it to work.  Sorry that it is all September dates.  Have a great week!!!

Dear Parents,

     I Am Back!!!!   I am here and doing great!!  I am enjoying being back with the students and getting into a routine with them.  I do go home right after school each night and am very tired.  I try to take it easy all evening, but even that has gotten better since the beginning of the week.  I have more energy than I thought I would.  I bet I can blame the students smiles on my energy level!!  It truly has been a great week back.  I will admit only thing I miss is my "coffee ladies" and "lunch ladies".  We did coffee more than lunch.  

Mrs. Gammell did a great job!  She did everything I would have done.  I walked in and my plans are right on track.  What an awesome feeling for a teacher.  I know that the kids learned while I was gone and that was the important thing.  Things won't change much, except she did a lot of worksheets together that I consider homework for the students to do on their own. So students will be kept busier and learn the importance of a study hall and working hard. 

Language Arts - Students have been taking the Unit 1 test this week.  It is good for me to come back and look at how much they learned and talk to Mrs. G to hear where they struggled.  We will finish this test today.  Next week we will dig into Unit 2, which will be new to me.  From what I can see in the text, we will be busy, busy, busy!!

Math - They are doing well in Math.  Again it was great to see them right on track!!  We have discussed the distributive property this week and used it to help us work on multiples of 10, 11, and 12.  We worked with flash cards to practice our facts too.  I know they did a lot of work out of the book while I was away which is great, but I do more work using  worksheets.  We will use the problems in the book for guided practice, or if I can see we are struggling with the skill I will start by having them complete work out of the book and spend a couple days on that lesson.

Social Studies -  This week we begin talking about how the Economic System of the United States began.  We begin by discussing trade and what it was like then and now.  We will move on to learn what our economic system is called and what it is primarily based on.  It is a free enterprise system, which says we can produce and sell whatever we want.  It is based on supply and demand.  How much something is needed and how much we have of it.  Great lesson for kids to learn but for some it may be a lot to grasp. Chapter 3 is the last chapter over the United States as whole.  In Chapter 4 we begin discussing the regions separately.

I would like to say thank you to all of you for being patient during unfortunate time.  It did put me at ease knowing that my classroom was covered very well, by someone who I knew would teach the kids.  I appreciate you working with her.  I would like to point out I will still be missing half days here and there because I have to continue to see a neurologist for the seizure I had.  He will decide if the tumor was the actual reason for the seizure, which we are pretty sure it was.  He will decide when to take me off the medicine and when I can drive again, which still looks to be January 21st.  

God Bless,

Mrs. Sickels

 

Dear Parents,
       Hello!!!  I am feeling good about getting on here and letting you know some updates.  Things have been progressing at school just as I would expect them to.  I am in contact with Mrs. Gammell and know what is going on in classroom.  I am proud of the students and how they are moving forward just like the should even though Mrs. Sickels is not there.  I hope to visit on Monday during the mass in my Iowa State gear!!!

I just want to share that my surgery went very well.  I think even better than expected.  The Dr. gave a time frame and he was finished earlier than he had thought which made my family a little nervous, but it was due to everything going smoothly.  I asked up front how much hair would be taken, they told me all of it, so yes, I have very little hair.  It is growing back quickly though.  The only surprise to me was the size of the incision, but I didn't openly ask about it.  It is exactly what the Dr. expected it to be.  I just didn't want to know that going in.  It was a shock to me, but normal for this procedure.  I will say "God works in mysterious ways" because finding this and getting it taken care of now was a great blessing.  The relief of a "benign" tumor also is a blessing.  I have been thanking God every day since surgery for all the true blessings I have in life.

Math seems to moving along as it should be.  Place value is the first chapter of the year and is one that takes some time getting the students back into a routine with school and thinking about Math.  Mrs. Gammell did some assessing and is doing some reviewing in areas where there are weaknesses.  We really reach up into those higher numbers.  Some of the lessons seem so simple and others are very time consuming.  Keep up the good work.

Social Studies is moving right along also.  Your child should be seeing a test very soon in this area.  I didn't visit with Mrs. G today to know if they are reviewing yet or not.  If plans are on schedule they should begin a study guide today or tomorrow.   Study skills will be a topic of discussion too.  Your sub is a pro and teaching great study strategies.

I hope all of you are doing well.  Again, I hope to stop by or a visit on Monday for Mass.  Please, I guess, warn your student that I have no hair and will be wearing a hat/scarf.  I don't want to shock them.  I hope all of you had a great Labor Day weekend and are looking forward to the Food Fair.  I know I am!!

God Bless
Mrs. Sickels

Dear Parents,
     It has been a nice 3 days. (Half days for me).  We have accomplished a lot.  Students are adjusting to 4th grade quite nicely.  When the homework really kicks in, things might fall apart a little but we expect that.  Once they learn the routine, and have a better feel of what is expected of them it will get better!

Math - We took a diagnostic test this week.  This test tells me what the students know coming into 4th grade.  It shows me areas of concern as whole class, it shows me areas that might not require as much attention.  It also shows me individually how students are doing and what we need to focus on for them.  
     We start the year covering place value.  We will learn to write numbers in standard form (1,582), written form ( one thousand, five hundred eighty-two), and expanded form ( 1,000 + 500 + 80 + 2).  We will work with numbers up to the hundred millions place.  We will work on ordering and comparing numbers.  We will also work on properly counting money and properly counting back change.

Language Arts - We have a brand new series this year!!  We are very excited about the new series and what it has to offer.  I will miss a lot of my stories in my old text because there were some really good ones, but I intend on sharing some of those anyways.  This year will be a learning year for me as well, to find my way around the teachers guide and pick the best way to present the lessons to the students.  There is a lesson plan in the book but doesn't give us any idea how much time to spend in each area, so we will be doing that ourselves.  I feel this series will truly benefit student learning, and in looking it over it also some great stories in it.  Our first story is Because of Winn Dixie.  This is a story the kids are familiar with so will be a good one to start with.

Social Studies -  This year we focus on the United States.  In the first 3 chapters we discuss the United States as a whole nation.  We will focus some on Government.  After that the book divides the states into 5 major regions, and we will study a region at a time.  We learn about Native Americans, natural resources, and other interesting facts from each region.  We will also begin to work on Social Studies projects.  I will explain more of this around conference time because that is when we normally begin the separate regions.  I know projects don't sound fun to the parents but this class usually ends up being the favorite of the year.

Science is taught by Mrs. Burg and Religion by Ms. Surma, I recommend you use the links on this page to their blog to keep up with what is going on with your child in those classrooms.

This concludes the first week!!  I am off to surgery tomorrow!  I am sure all will go as planned and I will be back before we know it!!  Again, I hope you all feel blesses that Mrs. Gammell has taken over because she will give 100% to teaching your little ones and making sure they are learning in a safe environment.

God Bless,
Melissa Sickels

Hello Parents!!!

      I am very excited about the upcoming year.  I hope all the students have had a great summer and are ready to come back and be ready to learn.  This year is going to quite different for the students in the beginning and here is why:

     On July 21st I had a seizure and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.  I ended up being admitted to spend the night.  In the ER they ran a CT scan and the next morning an MRI on my head.  They found a small lesion (tumor) on the frontal lobe of my brain.  Wednesday the 24th, I visited a Neural surgeon in Des Moines to discuss the lesion.  He has decided it is in my best interest to remove it.  It is very small, so they can not tell 100% what it is.  They are pretty certain due to calcification around the lesion that it will be benign but won't know until the tumor is removed.  Which is why it is important for it to be removed.  This has been a lot for me to process, but  I will be moving forward with surgery.  My surgery date is Friday, Aug. 23rd.  I will be present for the first three days of school for half days.  I am allowed 4 hours of work a day right now, because I have had a couple more minor seizures since the first one.  After the surgery, depending on how well I do, I will need 30 days of recovery time.  Unless I am doing very well, then it could be less. soooooo.....

     I will have a substitute teacher during the time that I am gone and that will be Mrs. Margy Gammell.  She has spent some time with me discussing the room and how I run the class.  You may need to be patient with her when it comes to this blog, we have looked at it and I have told her this is where the parent letters will need to be.  I also intend to update the blog on my progress maybe once a week to keep you informed about when my return will be.  Mrs. Gammell will be an excellent substitute for me, and will do an excellent job with your children. She is a very caring person who has a talent and love for educating youth and doing what is best for them. 

     Please discuss this with your child and tell them whatever you feel comfortable with.  Please feel free to ask any questions you have for me or for Mrs. Gammell.  She will be present at the open house also.  I understand this is quite a disruption to the classroom and believe me, wish it was not happening.  Timing is definitely not perfect but it never is.  Please pray with your children for a successful surgery and easy recovery for me.  I in turn will pray for Mrs. Gammell and all the students while I am away, anxiously awaiting my return.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels