April 18, 2024

Dear Parents,

Happy Thursday!! I am really working my brain today. I just counted and we have 25 more days together. ONLY 25!!! I am getting sad about it. I also am starting my panic mode and can't sleep at night worrying about what I want to be sure to get done by the end of the year. Again only 25 school days. This year, I feel, has gone quite fast. They have all really grown since the beginning of the year. I am proud of all of them. Proud and sad to send them on.

Language Arts

We finished up Module 6 this week. They took the Module 6 test. You will find 3 score sheets in their folder. One of them is Week 2 test, week 3 test, and then the Module test. I really feel like we had many improve their scores on these. Some are still struggling but I feel like it is a "hurry up " and get done problem. Also some just need to ask more questions. This is also the time where I have to make some decisions. The new curriculum wants us to get through Module 9. There is no way we are going to be able to do that in 5 weeks. I would only be able to get one more module completed. I have made the decision to not do that either. I usually always do a ":whole" book activity with the kids at the end of the year. We will begin reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Monday. I have enough books for all students BUT if your child has their own copy have them bring it to school. I have a packet of things we do with this book. We work with adjectives, adverbs, Prepositional phrases, and other comprehension skills throughout. So we are still learning we are just applying them to a fun book.

We will also be writing our personal narrative next week. So we will start a new book and work on a writing activity. They have chosen a topic to write about. On Monday we will start putting some details together and begin writing. The rest of the year will be a little bit more fun but with homework still.

Math

We have been working this whole week on Partial Quotient. We have finished that up today. Monday I plan to begin teaching the standard algorithm that you have been taught. So you will now be able to help them with their math. Now, it is not easy to teach them and they will struggle. Try not to just walk them through and give them answers. Please make them find their way with your guidance. They will get stuck and wonder what to do next, yes help them with what to do, but make sure they are figuring the Math work involved. We all find this easy because we know how to do it and have been doing it for years. It is the one area of math that is more difficult to grasp all of what we are doing and why we are doing it.

Social Studies

We are working our way through this chapter. I was looking and last year it took the whole month of April to cover this chapter. We are not doing that this time. I am moving through it a little faster. Today we spent an hour doing social Studies so we could keep moving but also have meaningful discussions to help with the learning. When we test over this chapter it will be the last test that we have over Social Studies. The only remaining test will be the 50 states and capitals at the end of the year. The remaining regions will still be covered. We will read and still do homework it just takes too long to test over them. They are still interesting regions. We will focus on the climate, landforms and the people who lived there long ago.

No School

There is NO School Friday, April 19th. This is a professional development day for teachers. It is more like our "service" day. We will be volunteering at the Food Shelf in the morning then teaming up to do some cleaning in the building and in our own rooms. I hope to get a few things cleaned up in my room. It seems easier to get done when given time specifically for it.

Glow-a-thon

The PTO is having the Glow-a-thon fundraiser on May 2nd! The forms for raising money are coming home today. Please take note of when to return your contributions. I look forward to this day. It is a lot of fun. You can also see if there are volunteer opportunities.

The end of the year is my favorite time just because of the fun things we do at the end of the year. This weather this week has been crazy. The thunderstorm on Tuesday had them our of sorts. It was the first one of the year, so I get it. Some of them could not stop talking and it got worse every time it thundered. I never told them we were in a severe thunderstorm warning nor did I tell them we were in a tornado watch. I do not want to make any of them uncomfortable or nervous. I guess some kids had it show up on their watches and they shared the news. I would appreciate you making that not work on their watches from here on out. Technically they are to not receive anything from their watches or they are not to wear them. Some kids are really scared when it comes to severe weather events and I would prefer to try to keep them calm by not knowing. I personally enjoyed the thunder but wished I was home in my chair reading. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

God Bless,

Mrs. Sickels