Thursday, March 26, 2015

Hello Parents! I hope everyone is having a great week! Did you have a nice spring break? I hope so!!! Your kids sounded like they enjoyed themselves!!! This means our days are really numbered! Lots to do!!!

Reminder: Next week we don't have school on Friday. The teachers will have professional development.

Reading-- This week we read a story called Vaqueros. This is a story about the history of the "cowboys"! The Spanish name is Vaqueros or cow-men. It can be brought all the way back to Christopher Columbus! It also told us about how the invention of barbed-wire was the beginning of the decline for the need of cowboys. In grammar we talked about easily confused verbs and words such as: their, there, and they're, good, well, effect, affect, lie and lay, rise and raise. Hopefully through our discussion they are a little less confusing now! We also talked about adages and proverbs on Wednesday. It was fun to discuss with the kids because they were telling me adages and proverbs as ways to explain the ones I was giving them in class! They were also telling me ones that you say at home!
Book Reports-- The kids are telling me they are coming up with their ideas for their biography or autobiography for the book reports. I will be going over that with them next week.
Book Order-- I am sending home a book order! Sorry I haven't done this in awhile, but there doesn't seem to be any interest. If you are going to order, please have it in by next Thursday! Thanks!

Math- We are working through those fractions! This week they are learning to find the common denominator of the 2 or 3 fractions. They could then compare them as well as list them from least to greatest. I would think next week some time we will be able to start back in the book. That is my hope anyway.

Religion- We are finishing up our chapter this week. They will be testing over it next week. My plan is to take them to the chapel on Thursday so we can say the Stations of the Cross. They will also be helping Mr. Walsh and myself with setting up for the Seder Meal on Thursday. It's become a 5th grade tradition! :)  The week after Easter I plan on showing them the movie Ten Commandments. I usually show it before we do the Seder Meal, but I just ran out of time.

Video-- Just a reminder the Puberty Video will be next Wednesday!!! :)

Friday will be the final day they can wear sweats and hats, have their electronics and a water bottle. Don't forget your quarters! We will be doing one more Noisy Change Collection next Wednesday at mass!

Young Writer's Conference-- This is held each year in Lamoni on Graceland's campus. Mrs. Burg will be taking the students from 3-5 that are going. Macy, Mallory, and Rowan will be going from our classroom. It was great to hear from the 5th graders that have gone already tell them about what a great time they had there!!!  I told those that haven't gone not to worry--they would get the chance in middle school as well!

Read Aloud-- April is the Holocaust Remembrance month. I read the book The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen every year. Just to let you know, this story is historical fiction. Your children will get some idea of what it was like in the concentration camps through Chaya's eyes, but it is not a gruesome description. The beginning is kind of hard for them to get into and understand, but I know they will be amazed and touched by it. As sad as the story is, it is one of my all-time favorites!

Have a great weekend ! I hope those warmer temps return! I am heading back to Doon for the weekend because my sister cannot make it down to help out Mom.

God Bless, Miss Surma

Wednesday, March 25, 2015



Today the 5th graders talked about Bucket Lists during our class meeting. I gave them three buckets to fill out. They were making goals for the remainder of the year. We did talk about how people make bucket lists of things they want to do before they die. We kept it to things we want to do by the end of May. They had to create a goal for at home, at school, and their faith life. 

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Hello Parents! I hope you are doing well this week!

Conferences-- Make sure you get on the school's website to check your conference times for next week! If there is a problem, let me or Sarah know. Thanks!!


Reading- We are back in our books! This week we are reading an excerpt from Tuck's Travels by Gary Paulsen. We our working on sequencing the story as well identifying the problem, events, the climax of the story, and the resolution. It is about 3 kids who are on the run from some Comancheros. They are having to walk and search for a safe place from them and the coming storm.  In grammar they are working on choosing the correct form of the verbs be and have. They will have a weekly test on Friday along with a spelling test. I plan on getting in another story next week even though we are only 4 days. 

Math-- Their next chapter was supposed to be working with adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, but I have had to do some background work. This series is assuming they had this last year already. The 5th graders have some knowledge of fractions, but they need more before they can even begin to work with unlike denominators. So, I am trying to work on this until spring break. I will see how far we get, but I would really like to get into that next chapter when we return from break. I will see how things go.

Religion- We have been working on our Lent chapter.  On Wednesday they had to reenact the story of Jesus going to the marketplace and getting upset.  The extra part in their play is that a reporter will be there "covering" the story! Next week they will do reconciliation with Father as part of our Lenten activities. 

Spring Ahead- Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend! I don't like losing an hour of sleep, but if it means the sun is out longer... I can handle it! :)

I will not be putting out a blog next week since I will see you at conferences! I hope everyone has a great Spring Break!!!! I will be taking Mom back to Doon and spending my week there! 

God Bless, Miss Surma