Hello Parents, The days are counting down!!! Christmas break is getting closer! This will be the final letter for 2014!!!! WOW! Time is flying by quickly!

Reading-- We read a story this week on James Forten. He was a free African American who fought during the Revolutionary War.  We helped on a ship. His job was to help load the cannons with the gun powder. Their ship had chosen to surrender instead of the possibility of being sunk. He was then captured. He and other prisoners were held on an old ship that they turned into a prison. James was worried that once he was captured, he would be sent to Africa and be made a slave, which was a real possibility. He didn't. By the end of his life he had become a wealthy businessman and then he fought for the rights of women to vote and the equal rights of all African Americans. His story is pretty remarkable. We had a pretty good discussion on the topic. This unit has created great discussions on how they fought in the Revolutionary War and how much has changed since that time. In grammar we are working on when to use commas and semi-colons as well as quotation marks. We did most of this together in class because I really think that this area of punctuation is difficult. There are so many rules are where these things need to be placed. Now, the worksheets made it pretty easy for us because they left us a gap where the punctuation was to go! I'm afraid that gap won't be there on the test! I did tell the kids that! Our test is going to be today due to the busy schedule we have on Friday.
When we return in January we will have one more story in the unit before we have to take the unit test.

 I will also be assigning the next book report when we return in January. It won't be due until late February.

Math-- I thought they did GREAT on their tests. The most missed questions dealt with estimating. The reason they missed might have been the wrong answer, but most missed them because they didn't show me their estimating. They just chose one of the answers. I told them throughout the chapter and before they took the test, they had to show me their estimating or I would just assume they guessed.  I also told them that it is NOT estimating when we add or subtract a problem and then just round that up.  I taught them to round or use benchmark numbers first and then do the adding and subtracting. Scores would have been even better if they had just taken the time to do that, and they had plenty of time. I am just doing some more decimal work with them before we go on break. When we return we we will work on multiplying decimals. 

Christmas Program-- Don't forget the Christmas program is on Sunday at the YMCA at 2:00. Make sure you let Mrs. Mullin know if your child won't be there. I am excited to see the 5th grade perform. They come in singing after music! We head to the YMCA on Friday to practice. 

December 23, 2014-- The students will need a sack lunch on Tuesday. No drink needed. Remember it is now a 2 hour early out!!!! 

Advent Angels- The students will eat with their Angels on Tuesday. I know some kids like to get their Angels a Christmas present, which is very kind. I do want to suggest that it be reasonable in price and size. These little kids have to be able to get it home on Tuesday and that may mean the bus. I know last year some bought these huge stuffed animals for their little Angel and while it was a sweet gift, it made it hard for them to carry on the bus. Remember you don't have to buy a gift at all.! That is not a requirement, and I don't expect you to. 

January 7-8- I am planning to be gone on these dates. My mom is having 2 teeth removed. With her Alzheimers and being on a blood thinner, I want to be there just in case she needs something..unless the weather stops me from going. I will be back with the kids on the 9th. The 7th is a 3 hour early out day. 

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!!! May you have a wonderful holiday with friends and family. If you are traveling, I pray for a safe trip. I am heading to Doon as soon as we get out on Tuesday.  Merry Christmas! God Bless, Miss Surma

Hello Parents! I hope you are having a great week! I am so looking forward to the warmer weather they keep talking about this weekend! I know it won't feel like winter, but I will suffer through just fine!

Reconciliation- Next week Thursday we will have students receive this sacrament. We try to do this during Advent and Lent. So, I will be talking to them about examining their conscience and the things they want to share with Father.  In religion we are working on a chapter that covers the Advent season.

Geography Bee- The final round will be next Friday, December 19 at 10:15 in the morning. We will be in the gym. If your child is in the final round you are welcome to come watch! If your child didn't make it that far, but you love geography, you are more than welcome to come watch! If you just want to get out of the house for a little while, come and watch! I have 3 of my 5th graders in it this year! Good luck Aliyah, Megan, and Rowan! We will be cheering you on!

Reading- This week we are reading a nonfiction piece about Molly Pitcher. She actually helped the soldiers during the Revolutionary War alongside her husband William Hays. She took care of the injured and  helped the sick, but she  is most known for carrying a pitcher of water to the soldiers during the battle! They would yell out, "MOLLY---PITCHER!"  That is how she got her name! The day was very hot and humid! She ran around giving them drinks of water from a nearby spring. At one point, she was helping load a cannon. She was remarkable! I think the 5th graders enjoyed this story! We are also working more with verbs- specifically irregular verbs. These verbs don't add -ed or -d to form the past tense of the verb. For example: go:went, buy:bought, and leave:left.

Math- We are finishing up our chapter on adding and subtracting decimals today. Tomorrow we will review for the test. The test will be on Monday. I will tell them to take the sample review home tomorrow to do some more practicing over the weekend. I know they have the adding and subtracting down. The key things they need to remember are to drop the decimal into their answer and pay attention to the addition and subtraction signs. An area that may need practice is estimating by rounding and using benchmark numbers. I create a number line for them to compare benchmark numbers.   I will make a copy for them to use over the weekend. The last thing they need to work on is reading the story problems and trying to focus on what is being asked of them. Do they need to add or subtract? Many of them in the end of our chapter have been multi-step problems.          

Music- The 4th and 5th graders will be singing at the Congregate Meal Site at the depot on Monday, December 22. We are just planning to walk there. Mrs. Mullin will be sending out a permission form I believe. We will be back in time to eat lunch here at school.

Christmas Program-- We will be going to the YMCA next Friday as a school to do a dress rehearsal. The program is on Sunday, December 21 at 2:00. If you are not able to make it, please let Mrs. Mullin know ASAP. There will be a permission form going home for that today I believe.

December 23- It is an hour early out. Students will need a sack lunch that day. Milk will be provided. We will be caroling in the gym before we leave for break, if you'd like to come and join us from 1:30-2:00.      

I hope you have a great weekend! God Bless, Miss Surma                                               

                                                   
              

Just a reminder:  We have mass on Monday. Students are to dress up for mass! We also have mass on Friday. 

Hello Parents! Happy Advent Season!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did! I think the prayer service and pizza party we had in memory of TJ and Nate on Monday went very well. It was good to sit and share some happy memories, but they are always in our thoughts and prayers. We will never forget. 

St. Nicholas Project- Once again we are donating items for this project from the Des Moines Diocese. Students in 5th grade are asked to donate bars of soap or diapers. Please help out if you are able to!

Mass- Next week we are having masses on Monday and Friday. Monday is a holy day of obligation  with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. On Friday we are celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The students are expected to dress up on both days. There will be no mass on Wednesday.

Christmas Program- This year's Christmas Program is Sunday, December 21 at the YMCA at 2:00 p.m. We realize the lateness of this year's program, so if you are going to be celebrating a family Christmas that day and unable to attend, please have your child let Mrs. Mullin know as soon as possible. Thank you!

December 23- Students will need a sack lunch. Milk will be provided. 

Reading- This week's story deals with King George during the Revolutionary War. He thought since he was king and told people he was making decisions that he thought were good for everyone, they would all just agree with him. He couldn't understand why the Americans were unhappy with being taxed. Go figure! We are also talking about figurative language. Today we discussed similes, metaphors, and idioms.  Similes and metaphors are 2 things being compared, but a simile will use the words  like or as. Metaphors use words to say one thing "is" another. Idioms were fun! We discussed ,"It's raining cats and dogs!" I told them that in Africa they have a similar one. They say," It's raining old women and clubs!" We all thought that was pretty funny. Idioms are sentences that cannot be taken literally. Another example would be telling an actor or singer to "break a leg". 

Math- They were busy this week with estimating decimals by rounding and using benchmark numbers such as: 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1. Of course that could go on to 1.25, 1.50,etc. They also worked on adding and subtracting decimals. We should be finishing up this chapter next week. As of right now, they will be having a test on Monday, Dec. 15, but we will see if things change next week. 

Religion- They did fantastic on their last test. We are now discussing the liturgical calendar and the Advent Season. 

I have a book order in your child's folder. Please make sure your order is in by next Friday. That way you should be able to get them before Christmas break. If your order is a surprise for Christmas, let me know. That way I will email you instead of giving them the book! 

Have a great weekend! God Bless, Miss Surma