Dear Parents,
     Happy Last Thursday of the 2013-2014 school year!!!  WOW!! I really can't believe we are at this point all ready!  Time has flown but maybe because I had the first 5 weeks of school off!  I have really enjoyed this time I have spent with your kids.  I thank you for sharing them with me.  Here are just few things that we will be doing in these last days of school.  

Language Arts - We are finishing up out last unit test today.  The students took the first part of it on Tuesday and today they are finishing up the Revising and Editing section which is based on grammar skills.    This is the final test for this subject.  I was very pleased with out last Friday assessment the students took.  All score were 85% or above!!  Half the students missed only 1!  It was exciting.  So far I have checked the first half of the Unit test and I am impressed with how they have done.  It looks better than previous tests.    We have been working on finishing up Author Reports this week.  Today will be peer editing and then they will publish and share with other students on Friday.  I am looking forward to learning about other authors.

Math - We have focused on division problems all week.  I went over division with money amounts and we discussed divisibility rules.  Today they will complete a diagnostic checkpoint which will show me how they are doing on division problems.  I will use this as an assessment because we will not be taking a test over the last chapter.  On Friday we will take the end-of-the-year test.  We took this test at the beginning of the year also, and so I can compare the scores.  It is just a great way to see where kids are still struggling to pass on to the 5th grade teacher.

Social Studies - You should have seen their last test last night and signed.  We are reading in the book about the West.  We will take another practice test for states and capitals on Friday.  Tuesday is their big states and capitals test.  They have to be able to label a map with the correct state and its capital.  Great projects this round!!  Thank you for all the hard work.
Tuesday, May 27th!!  The last day!!  Here are my plans for the last day of school.  We will begin the day with the social studies map test.  When they are finished they will clean out their desks.  When the majority are done with that I will start movie "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".  Usually I read this book with the kids as a unit and we do activities.  This year with the new reading series it didn't work due to time.  I still would like to show the movie.  The movie I show is the 1960's version.  We talk a little about special effects and such.  We may not get to see all of it but will see majority.  The 5th grade may come join us.  We will eat lunch at noon.  We plan to eat lunch with our class either outside or in classroom.  Please remember to send a sack lunch with your child.  You can even send a drink.  NO milk will be provided that day.  We will enjoy lunch, and talk with our friends from other classrooms then we will prepare for field day.  Field day will begin at 12:45.  We will play games and enjoy the outdoors until 2:15.  We will then come back to rooms and prepare for the end of the day prayer.  This will be held in the gym.  We share in prayer and say good-bye to the 8th grade and those people who will be leaving us.  Kids will be dismissed then at normal time.

It has been great working with all of you this year.  It has been one wild ride for us all.  I will have a closeness to this class different from all my others just due to the make-up of our year.  I think 4th grade will be a memory for all the students too.  I will always remember the hard times we went through together and how strong these students are!!  I hope all of you have a great summer!!! See you next year.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels

Dear Parents!!
     I am so sorry!!! I didn't put out a blog last Thursday because we went on the field trip and I totally forgot!!  Here are just a few things to know about this week.

Language Arts - We are taking the Friday assessment today since we missed last Thursday.  Tomorrow we will begin the Unit 6 test.  We will take it off and on for the rest of the week.  I also plan to work on the Author report we started.

Math- We will be finishing up division.  I am focusing on them being able to do division problems comfortably this week.  On Friday we will take the end-of-the-year test.

Social Studies- They have a test over chapter 11 today.  We will begin reading chapter 12.  There will be no homework with this chapter just reading.  We will just enjoy our information on the West Region.  They do need to practice the maps and location of states because they will be tested over that next Tuesday.  Next Tuesday will be their final test in Social Studies over the map.  They will label the states and list it's capital.

Social Studies Projects are due this week.  Please be sure your child's is done on time.  Thanks for all the hard work that has been put into projects.  The kids have enjoyed doing them and sharing with classmates.

I will have a better blog on Thursday!!  It will be the last one!!!!  Enjoy this last full week of school!!!!

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels

Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!!  What a rainy yucky week!!!  I want some sun and warmth!  Please check the folder for a letter about the 4th grade annual field trip.  We will be heading to Boone, Iowa, to ride the Boone Scenic Valley Railroad.  It is a fun trip.  It is great to learn about the history of trains in Iowa and their importance.  We also travel over the "High Bridge"  which in the highest single track bridge.  It is not the Kate Shelley Bridge. That is a different one that is linked to this train line but we don't go over that one. I am in need of a couple of drivers for this trip.  Please email or text me if you are interested and I will send the proper forms home for you to fill out.  This is a first come first serve basis. Please fill out permission form and return.

Math - This week we have been covering a little bit of geometry that I saved until we learned about double-digit multiplication.  We have learned perimeter, area, and volume all this week.  I have given examples and demonstrated its meaning with manipulatives.  We also paid close attention on how to label each one.  This is where "square units", and "cubic units" come into play.  We will begin our division chapter starting tomorrow.  Please work on those division flash cards!!!

Language Arts - This week our story is called Museums Worlds of Wonder.  It is an informational piece telling us about 5 different museums in the United States and what they have to offer.  It is an interesting story because we learned some pretty cool facts about different places we might like to visit.  Spelling words focused on three syllable words and the grammar was on possessive pronouns.  We discussed advertisements and what their purpose is.  The students are working on an advertisement on a museum they have been to or an imaginary museum of their own making.  We also read a photo essay on recycling.

Social Studies -  We picked our last state and project this week.  I will send due dates home with the students today or tomorrow.  They will be due from the 16th through the 23rd.  We are learning about the Southwest rather quickly.  The lessons with these states are not very long.  We have talked about the varied climate the region has.  We also focused on the Grand Canyon and what it had to offer.  They seemed to enjoy the video I showed of the Grand Canyon.  My favorite part is the park ranger that guides you to the bottom while your are riding a burro.  He has a great sense of humor.  It is something I would like to try.

I am amazed that we are all ready in the last month of school.  I know this is a very busy time for all of us.  Please keep in mind this last month is just as important as any other month in their 4th grade year.  Please continue to encourage the importance of getting homework completed neatly and on time!!  As always, thank you for sharing your child with me.  Have a great weekend!!

God Bless, 
Mrs. Sickels

Dear Parents,
     Well, what a wet and yucky day!!!  We did not get to do our lap-a-thon today due to rain.  We are planning on doing it tomorrow.  It looks like the weather can cooperate for us  I am headed to Carroll to a track meet tonight.  I was hoping for it to be cancelled.  Such is the season!!!

Lap-a-thon -  This will take place Friday, April 25th.  We will run with 3rd and 5th grade from 9-10 in the morning.  I recommend you send two pair of shoes if you have them.  It will be damp from today's rain and will trample down into mud quickly.  Extra socks would be a good idea too.  Looks like tomorrow is to be a very nice day.

Language Arts - This week we read a story called Amphibians Alert!  This story is about amphibians and how they need protected from becoming extinct.  We are again reading a non fiction story with informational text.  Our spelling words this week dealt with final syllables ending in -le, -al, -el.  This was a difficult spelling list.  In grammar we have been discussing comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs. We also are covering negatives words.  Both of these topics are review topics.  We read poetry about amphibians and fables that deal with frogs.  We discussed lessons or morals to those fables.  It has been a good week because some of it is review.  Last week's Friday assessment was very good.  The students went up in scores.  Let's hope we maintain that this week.

Math- We finished up chapter 6 and took a test this week.  They did a fairly nice job on the test. I really feel all of them have mastered this topic with only a few basic fact errors.  I was very pleased with the test.  We will now spend  a couple days learning perimeter, area, and volume before we move on to division.  I saved those topics from geometry because I think they all go together and  we needed to know how to multiply to do area and volume.  Hopefully it will be an easy couple of days before we hit is hard again with division,

Social Studies - We have begun the Southwest Region.  We read lesson one on the Grand Canyon.  We are now watching a video on the Grand Canyon.  We will pick our next state next week for projects.  I know students are anxious to get it and get started.  They get excited about the projects.  This lesson focused on the founder and exploration of the Grand Canyon and how it was formed.  The movie focuses on wildlife and a little on the Native Americans there.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels

Dear Parents,
     Happy Thursday!!!  I really wish this weather would make up its mind!!  I hate have nice warm days then back to the cold.  I know the kids wish it would also.  It is hard to know how to dress each day.  Plus, the forecast changes every 4-5 hours.  Yesterday was great except for the wind.  I am ready for 70's and no wind.  I want nice sunny days.  AMEN!!

Good Friday Spring Clean-up-  Tomorrow is our annual Clean-up day.  Now that your child is in 4th grade they need to bring in a rake.  We will be raking out the fence line around the property.  Mainly on the north side by alley.  We do this with the 5th grade.  We will spend an hour or so outside doing clean up.  It is a way to get rid of the dirt and let spring shine through.  The trash and dirt accumulated over winter needs to be taken away.  We usually go outside mid-morning after it warms up a bit.  Please, send work gloves with students also.  They will be picking up trash, using a rake, lots of dirty outdoor work.  Gloves will help protect hands from blisters, and germs.  Thank you in advance for the rakes and hard work.

Language Arts -  We have started Unit 6 this week.  I am finding that most of it is review.  The only topic that has moved up and maybe gotten harder is spelling.  This unit is not even in our large textbook. It is a separate book with just the stories in it.  I am trying to learn to teach without all the things we had in the book before.  I am still covering vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and reading the story 5 times.  We will still have Friday assessments.  This story was called The Girl Who Loved Spiders.  It is a story about a boy who moves to different place and has a fear of spiders.  In his new house his new neighbor had a love for spiders. He learns a few things about spiders from her and it helps his fear.  The story also contains facts hidden in the story.  That is what makes it interesting.  You think you are just reading a story yet there a interesting facts embedded into it.  Some students have found this story more interesting than others. (haha)

Math -  We are working on reviewing for a Chapter test.  Today they are working on a review.  I hope to check that review tomorrow and test on Monday.  If our clean-up takes up more time than we will check the review on Monday and take a test on Tuesday.  I plan on teaching them a couple more geometry lessons after this test.  They will focus on perimeter, area, and volume.  Now that we know how to multiply we can do area and volume.  I save perimeter just because I think to teach them all three together is better and give them a better understanding.  We will not test over these topics.  I just want you to know we are covering them.  The next chapter will focus on division.  I really think this class will not have a problem catching on to this topic since they caught on to multiplication so quickly.  

Social Studies -  We finished up the Midwest this week.  Projects are all shared, and the test is today.  We will move onto the Southwest next.  This only involves 4 states.  I combine these 4 with the West when we pick our last projects.  Which we will do very soon.  These will be due mid May.  The students are used to the social studies book, how it is set up, how I teach it and what homework is expected of them, so I tend to move more quickly through the Southwest than normal.  I need to be sure we get to the West Region.  It contains more states and more information.  It's my favorite region to study.

Sedar Meal - I just want to share that today is the Sedar Meal.  It is one of the best activities we hold her at St. Malachy.  I love that we all are in the gym at once sharing a meal.  This is the only time in a year it happens.  Yes, I know there are a couple days all the kids are in there with their angels sharing a meal, but it is normally a meal you have provided.  I like this one because it is family style and we are all eating the same thing.  What a great way to celebrate all that Jesus did for us!!

I hope all of you have a very Happy Easter!!

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels

Dear Parents.
     Happy Thursday!!  What a nice day yesterday and hopefully today.  I hope we keep moving in the direction of warm temps and good weather and not back to snow or cold.  Track season is under way and I only like to attend if it's nice.  I am not a fan of being cold watching a track meet.  Our big week of testing is OVER!!  The students were well behaved and did what they were suppose do.  I hope they did their very best!!  We will find out in May!!

Language Arts -  We didn't do much with this subject this week.  We are in the middle of working on writing project.  We are creating an Author Report.  The students chose an author and we generated some questions.  They tried to locate the answers to at least 10 questions.  We also talked about an introductory paragraph.  They were to play around with a couple introductory paragraphs for today.  Next week we will get back into the textbook and it will be a normal week.

Math -  We are still working in the double-digit multiplication chapter.  We have learned the standard algorithm.  Students even worked on a 3 digit number times a double-digit number.  They have truly done an excellent job of learning the multiplication strategies.  I voiced to the students how proud I was on them because they were doing a great job!!  There is not too much left in this chapter and then we will test over it.  That will show me what they really know.  I also feel like they have come a long ways with basic facts.  

Social Studies - We have focused on projects this week.  I have been making sure we get those in before we do anything else.  It's just the kind of week we have going on with tests and all.  We have done a little book work also.  I love listening to the projects.  Sometimes we get a project that someone put a lot of hard work into because it is what interests them and sometimes we just get the bare minimum because that's what interests them.  I still love them all no matter if they are over the top or not.  I enjoy them sharing their knowledge with others.  I feel we are really promoting leadership when students get up in front of others and display knowledge of a topic and share their interests.

God Bless,
Mrs. Sickels

I am sorry, I forgot I was going to announce the top 3 Dollars for Scholars essay winners.  These three students will move on to the next level where they will have a chance of winning $50.  

                                           Halle Evans
                               Briley Hayes
                               Megan Pellman

Congratulations to these three students.  The topic of the essay was "What Education Means To Me".  These three talked about how education was important to their future and important to them.  Great Job!!  We will not now the winner until mid-May.