Hello Parents, I hope you are having a good week. Our weather is much more like fall. I have tried to remind your kids that they will want jackets for recess this week due to the colder temperatures. I did see some brought out their winter coats and gloves! That isn't a bad idea!!

Math- This week we are working on the standard algorithm for multiplication.  They are multiplying 3 digit and 2 digit numbers by 1 or 2 digit numbers. I see two common errors for some kids.  Some are forgetting to drop that 0 down in the second row when they start multiplying by the tens.  Other kids are skipping either the number in the tens or hundreds place when they multiply.  (That is really hard to describe here...I can explain better during conferences).  Some are really using their fingers to figure out their facts instead of the table. I am trying to break them of that habit, because it does take them longer.  Last week we worked on estimating to find a product. They seemed to like doing that. This week we used that estimation to help us answer the question, "Is this product reasonable?" I am trying to get them to explain why or why not without doing all the work of multiplication. 

Language Arts-  This week they read an excerpt from Old Yeller.  It made me think I may have to read that entire story aloud to them at some point. We are also working on direct and indirect objects in our grammar. I told them that this is new for me!!! I haven't ever taught this in 5th grade. The Iowa Core is pushing us all! We really broke sentences down on Wednesday to pick those out.  We also worked on Adages and Proverbs! YIKES! We created some standard ones together on  a worksheet and then we figured out what they meant. Some are common ones, but there were some I had never heard before.  "Misery loves company" and "A penny saved is a penny earned" were a couple of the ones I grew up hearing. This will most likely be on their test on Friday.
I have edited some Halloween stories. I attach a sticky note to their paper with the next step and a due date. The due dates won't be the same for everyone. I base it on when I give them back. They should get about a week to type it up, and they can return the finished product as soon as they are done. They don't need to wait. 

Social Studies- Projects due Monday. You can drop them off that morning in Mrs. Sickels room. 

The Truth about Truman School-  We started reading this last Friday. I think we got through about 12 pages of reading and discussion. I think they are already hooked by the way they were upset when I had to stop. I think we are having good discussion. When we finish the book, they will be able to keep it. I really recommend you taking some time to read it.  

I won't blog next week due to conferences. There will be a book fair during those nights. I don't plan on sending home a book order form this month due to the book fair.

Have a great weekend!!! God Bless, Miss Surma