May 15, 2025

Dear Parents,

Happy Thursday! We are quickly dwindling with our time together. I will only have one more blog after this one. Time flies when you're having fun! I have some students who want to do the bare minimum and get work done as quickly as they can. I told them the year is not over yet and their scores are reflecting their effort. I also shared that the way it looks it will definitely show on the report card. So if your child's score is not where you want it to be at the end of the year it is because they have decided not to try very hard in the month of May.

Language Arts

We are working through Charlie and Chocolate factory and the packet of things. They have created a Golden ticket this week. I told them they have been asked to design the ticket that would come in their candy bars. The 5th graders will judge them and I will give prizes to winners. I am trying to move quickly through the book to ensure we can get it done and activities in the packet complete by the last week. I would like to show the movies during that week sometime. They all seem to be enjoying the book so far. Some didn't know it was a book before it was a movie. So of course I talked about how lots of movies are books first. We have read up through chapter 14 so far.

Math

We have spent the week working on finishing a math test over division and starting a new topic. I am working with them on factors and multiples right now. It is not in the standards BUT they need to know them in order to work with fractions. I won't spend a ton of time on them. Only enough to know they know what they are. We will finish the week in factors and next week I will introduce multiples.

Social Studies

We have started reading about the West. The first chapter is about rocky mountains and what it has to offer. We will finish that up today and they will have a worksheet to do. We will then talk about the climate in the West. The West is the most interesting because it has the hottest temperature reported and the lowest. It has the highest point in the U.S. and the lowest. It has the wettest and the driest also. The last thing we will discuss is the resources that come from the West.

Iowa State Savings Bank

ISSB came to day to visit the students. They also gave a book to each student in the building. Your child will be coming home today with a book for them to enjoy over the summer. ISSB likes to promote summer reading.

Spring Concert

The Spring Concert is next Wednesday, May 21st. It is being held at the High School Auditorium at 6:00 PM. If you have a band student they need to be there by 5:30 to warm up, other students need to be in their seat by 5:50.

Spirit Day

Friday the 16th is a Spirit day. They can pay $1.00 for sweats or wearing a hat. It's our last Spirit Day of the year!!

Cookie Party

The 4th graders won the Cookie party for 2nd in most laps per student at the Glow-a-Thon. They are so excited! So some day soon we will be treated with cookies. Congratulations to the 4th grade.

Book Reports

Book reports are due tomorrow. We will not begin sharing tomorrow as I will not be in the building. We will just store them until Monday. If they do not turn one in it will be a late slip and a loss in points.

I am gone tomorrow! I will be in Ames for my last daughter's graduation from College. It will be an exciting day. I hope the kids have a great day at school. I have had so much going on this month. Molly also got engaged last weekend. So for Mother's Day I gained a son-in-law. It was very exciting. Now we move on to graduation. I hope all of you have a great weekend.

God Bless,

Mrs. Sickels