Hello Parents, I hope your week is going well. It's hard to believe that next week is Christmas break! We will have some busy days before break! 


Religion- We finished up our chapter on the Beatitudes this week. They will be taking a test on Monday. We will also be going to confession on Friday with Father Halbur. 

Math- We have finished our chapter on division! I can hear the cheer now! They are testing over it on Thursday and Friday, if needed. I won't start a new chapter until we get back from break! Their next chapter will be covering decimals. 


Reading- This week we read a story about Molly Pitcher. Her real is name is Mary Hays. She worked alongside her husband in a battle during the Revolutionary War. I think we all really loved this story. They gave us an idea of what the conditions were like for the soldiers during the winter and the summer. We found out that wives and children were often on the war front with their husbands. Mary was called Molly. She ended up running back and forth to the streams to fill a pitcher of water. She would then run through the battle front and serve the men in the Continental Army a drink of water. Pretty soon the men would yell,
Molly--PITCHER!"  We also read about another woman who was a Patriot spy and was able to get information to General Washington that ended up helping them in a battle. We had some great discussions on how these ordinary women did extraordinary things. In grammar this week we are learning more about regular and irregular verbs.

This week is our 3rd week in this unit. This will mean they get a cold read in their test on Friday.  We will not be doing a story next week or spelling words. 

Next Wednesday, they will need a sack lunch,but milk will be provided. They will be eating with their Advent Angels. We will be caroling after lunch. Then we will go back to our rooms for afternoon activities. I believe we will be showing a movie to 3-5.  They will have to dress up on Wednesday because it is a mass day. 

Spirit Day- This Friday is Spirit Day! Sweats for $1

I don't know if I will write a blog next week. So, let me wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope everyone's holidays are bright and cheery. If you are traveling, please have a safe trip there and back home!  I will see you in 2017! 

God Bless,
Miss Surma

Good Morning Parents,
I just realized I forgot to put in my blog that in your child's folder is a permission slip. They have been invited to go sing for the Catholic Daughter's on Monday at Holy Spirit. They will have lunch there with the ladies as well! I told them they will really love all the home cooking! 

Have a great weekend! 
God Bless, 
Miss Surma

Hello Parents, I hope you are having a good week! I believe we are seeing the signs of winter approaching! I know I felt it during recess duty on Wednesday! Brrrrr!

Food Pantry- There was a mix up in the scheduling. They are getting their shipment on Thursday instead of Friday. So the 5th graders won't be helping this week. Thank you to those who have donated shampoo and conditioner! If you can help us out, please do! Donations need to be brought to the school by December 16. 

Reading- So last week they took their first weekly test on their Chromebooks. After a few glitches it went smoothly! They seemed to like it a lot too! The first I've ever heard about test taking!  Even though their tests are on paper, I will continue to fill out the forms I send to you. You will find them in your Take Home Folder. I did talk to them again this week about the difficult topic with this unit. Every story deals with the Revolutionary War and that isn't always the easiest of topics. I talked to them about how we all need to make sure we stay focused. This week's story is about King George. He just couldn't seem to understand why the American Colonists wouldn't pay his taxes. He thought since he was a good king, he should be treated as such. This is the story of the Boston Tea Party as well. King George has all the perks, but can't make any real rules because it is the monarchy that does that, the king no longer holds that power. He seems kind of like he is a little crazy which is what they thought back in that time period. Today he would be diagnosed with porphyria. We also read a short nonfiction piece on the events of the Boston Tea Party. We read of two accounts of men that actually took part in the event. We did talk about how this really was a quieter version of a protest versus some of those we see today. They will test over this on Friday. In grammar we are working on present, past, and future tense verbs. There is some figurative language in our story this week. We focused on idioms on Wednesday. They each chose one and then had to draw the literal version of what it said. We discussed what each one really means. For example: It's raining cats and dogs. They will share their pictures on Friday. You will be able to see them outside our room. 

Math- We are continuing our division work. This week we worked on story problems together and then had to figure out how we can use that remainder. For example: if the problem dealt with food we took that remainder and made a fraction out of it. If it was something like kids going on a camping trip and splitting up into cabins..sometimes you have to get another cabin to take care of the leftover kids. Some of the questions just asked them what was the remainder or those left out. Some asked how many were full. They had to really pay attention to what the question is asking. We might be nearing a test next week!

Religion- They made an 8-page booklet this week. In it we listed ways we could live out the Beatitudes. We had some really GREAT discussions! It also led us into talking about our Bully program. We discussed the bucket fillers and how they should be looking out for kind acts within our room and our school. I told them to keep this booklet. They will be able to use it when we test over this chapter. 

Dec. 16- It is an optional sack lunch day! 

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

Dear Parents, I hope this finds everyone doing well! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!!! First, congratulations to Heidi and Matt Rohrig on the birth of their daughter! We are all excited for you and your family!!! 👶

Reading- This week we started Unit 3. This unit is all about the Revolutionary War. The story they read is about John Adams and his son sailing to England to have some "talks" before the war starts. It is historical fiction.  This unit is great for history, but probably not that exciting all the time. I know they will be ready for social studies after this unit!!! In grammar we are discussing subject and object pronouns.

This Friday we are testing differently! They will be taking the same test, but doing it online! They will be using their Chromebooks for this test. Once they are done, they check the test right away! I will also be able to get more data on what is being covered by the questions. I will still send home that scoresheet, but you will also be able to see their scores online.

Math- We worked on estimating quotients by finding compatible numbers. That doesn't mean rounding. They only round the divisor to the nearest ten. Once they do that, they are to figure out what compatible number on their multiplication table would be a reasonable choice. For example: 832➗ 24=?  They would change it to 800 ➗20=40 0r 1000➗20=50. 
2x5=10 and 2x4=8 are all compatible numbers and there would be no remainder. 

They are now learning to divide with a two digit number. There are some that are getting a little lost, but overall they are all doing really well! 

Religion- This week we started going over each of the 8 Beatitudes. They will also be doing a class activity on this to show ways to LIVE those Beatitudes. 

Advent Angels- This started on Wednesday. Most of the 5th graders said they had a good time, but their angel is really quiet. I am betting for some that will change! 

Advent Season- One of the things we are doing for this Advent Season is purchasing items to donate to our local Food Pantry (where 3-5 donate their time). The 5th graders are being asked to donate shampoo and conditioner. They would like to get all donations collected by December 16. Please do what you can to help out. 

Christmas Concert- This is set for next Wednesday, December 7 at 6:30 at the Creston High School. The kids should find their teachers no sooner than 6:15. The 5th graders will be sitting on chairs on the stage during the concert-- much like they did last spring. 


Art- On Wednesday, I showed the kids what I wanted to do for our door for December! They made it! They created a tree made from paper chains! There are presents below it! That just wasn't enough! They went to town and decorated any available space in our room. It looks very festive! They had such fun!!! They did a great job of working together as well! Super proud of them!!!

Have a great weekend!
God Bless,
Miss Surma

Yesterday the winners were announced for the Fire Prevention Poster Contest.  Last week I had each grade's posters voted on by a middle school classroom. The older kids came into my room to view the posters. They were to choose their top 3 posters. Each poster was assigned a number for voting. At no time did they see the names of the kids who designed the poster. After that was done, I tallied the votes and got the ribbons for the winners. There was a tie in 4th grade for 2nd place.  All the posters were great! I am glad I didn't have to help choose!  Congrats to our winners! 

I will send the first place posters on to Jewell for voting. If they win there, the students will be notified by mail. 

Happy Thursday Everyone! I hope you are having a great week! It seems to be flying by! I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving already...didn't we just have Halloween?


Reading- This week they are taking their unit 2 test. I will be able to send scores home next week. They are also doing their first book reports on Thursday. We will finish them up on Friday if we need to do so. Next week with only 2 days-- we won't do another story. I will have other things planned for that time.

Math- This week they used Base 10 blocks to solve division problems with 2 digit divisors. They worked in groups to solve them. It was a fun couple of days. On Wednesday, I started teaching them the strategy of Partial Quotients. We did take the long route, but on Thursday we will learn to shorten that up. I like this strategy. I learned it about 5 years ago in a math class I was taking. I know this isn't something you will know how to do and I did tell your children that. :) Having said that, this is a great 2nd option for the kids to use if the original strategy is too difficult. With partial quotients I can easily multiply by 10s, 20s, 100s and do it all mentally. It also allows me to take out more of the dividend at one time. They will learn the strategy you and I were both raised with, but this will give them two options to solve a division problem. They will be able to choose what works for them and that is what is key here. It needs to work for them, not me or you, I'm afraid. Most of them will most likely choose the strategy we know, but if they really like partial quotients, I won't stop them from using it. Division is division and as long as they are comfortable with it and can do it--go for it! 

Religion- They have all finished the quizzes over the mysteries! We will be heading back into the book now! 

Geography Bee- We will hold the first round on Monday! We will let you know when the 2nd round will be held. You will be invited to that round!

Advent - This will begin right after Thanksgiving. The kids will do activities with an Advent Angel again this year! They are already asking me about it! I think they are excited!

Mass- They did a GREAT job with mass today. I had two adults guests come up and tell me they did a wonderful job! They were really impressed. I shared that with the kids. It's always good to hear! I thought they did an amazing job too, but I might be a little biased! 

Food Pantry- I just wanted to say that the kids did a GREAT job last week helping out at the Food Pantry. They unloaded the truck and then unpacked all the groceries. Another set of kids were separating frozen food items and breads into smaller bags. There was a moment that I got to just stand back and watch and I was near tears. It was just such a sweet moment watching your kids do their jobs with such kindness and excitement. Moments like those are extra perks for my job! They make my heart melt. Love love love your kids! 

Have a great weekend! Don't forget the Vendor Fair at STM on Saturday!!! Get some of your Christmas shopping done and support the STM PTO! 


Let me also add-- I won't do a blog next week, so please let me wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving. I know I am adding your kids to my list of things I am thankful for this year! 

God Bless,
Miss Surma

Dear Parents, Happy Thursday! I hope this week has been going well for you! We have two full weeks of school! I'm not sure we know how to act! :)

Book Reports- Just a reminder that the first book report is due on Thursday, November 17. I think there are about 5-6 kids are still reading their books. They need to get going on that. If they lost the packet I gave them with the report ideas, just have them ask me for another one. That isn't a problem. 

Reading- This week we read an informative piece called Cougars. This is a nonfiction piece, but I think it keeps the kids pretty interested in the different facts about cougars. On Tuesday they worked in pairs or small groups and were assigned a topic from the story. They had to jot down the important details on a piece of paper. They then had to report back to the class what they felt were things they should all know. I have turned their notes into packets for them. They can always use this to review the story before the test on Friday. 
On Wednesday, we tried something different. We reread the story together (in unison). I talked about fast readers will need to slow down to stay at the pace, slower readers will have to work to keep up. This is supposed to help build their comprehension of the story while it keeps all of them involved. They are forced to follow along. Plus it doesn't give any one student added pressure of having to read aloud or to keep track because they should be! We stopped at certain points to go over facts as well. We had a good discussion on our senses. The cougars strongest ones were hearing and seeing. I asked them if they had to live without one---which one would it be? Many said touch because then pain would no longer be a factor even if they grabbed onto something HOT! We didn't quite finish it, but we will on Thursday. Our grammar this week is putting in quotation marks around things people say, to cite a quote from a book, or when we use interjections. There wasn't much of a clue for spelling. This week is the final schwa sound +r. We did figure out that the final letter in every word is an R and the letter before it is a vowel! 

Next week they will be taking Unit 2 test. There will not be any spelling. They will also share their book reports.

Religion- They have taken quizzes over the Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. On Thursday, they will take the quiz on Joyful Mysteries. They are also working on cards. I wanted the kids to do something for the police departments in Des Moines and Urbandale just to let them know we are thinking of them. The kids have been praying for the two officers and their families since the shootings last week.  The kids in 3-5 are making cards and I will send them to each police department this weekend. It is a small gesture, but as Catholics  we are called to Bury the Dead in the Corporal Works of Mercy.  This is our step towards that. Plus, a past student, Luke Eblen, works for the Des Moines Police Department and worked with Sgt. Tony Bemino. I thought it might do him some good as well to see his hometown is thinking of him and his work family. 

Math- We are working on that division! This week they learned how to check their division by multiplying! I told them that this will eliminate the question, "Miss Surma, did I do this right?" Now they can check their work!!! This should also help eliminate corrections because they will know if they have it right or not! Next up? Double digit divisors! 

Food Pantry- This Friday will be our first time walking down and helping the Food Pantry unload their items! You signed a permission slip quite a while ago! We will go down around 1:15 to help out! I told them to wear tennis shoes for the walk that day. 

STEM Night- Don't forget tonight is STEM Night! It is a come and go! You don't have to be there at 5:30! Come any time and leave when you are ready! Enjoy the fun night that some of the staff and Mrs. Simmons have planned! 

Muffins with Mom is on Tuesday, November 15!!! Can't wait to see you then! 

Have a great weekend!
 God Bless, Miss Surma

Hi Parents- A couple things I forgot to mention:

Mass will be on Tuesday, November 1 for the holy day of obligation- All Saints Day. You are more than welcome to attend.


Next Wednesday will be the Iowa History Fair!  Look in your child's folder for a flyer with the details. The kids can invite their grandparents as well!

Dear Parents, 
Happy Thursday! I hope you are having a good week. We have a busy week next week...so please check out the calendar. 

Monday/Halloween- We will celebrate Halloween on Monday afternoon. The Civics Club will provide activities and treats for the K-5 in the afternoon. The 5th graders should bring their costume to school on Monday. They will change into them after the activities. The parade will take place in the gym around 2:30. You are invited to attend the parade! If you want to take your child home afterwards, please just let me know before you leave. I am not going to ask for any treats or drinks because I know they will receive that from the activities. I am sure that will be enough. 

Reading- This week we are reading a nonfiction piece on the Everglades. It is story about a 5th grade class that goes there for a field trip. They are also learning about what is happening to the Everglades and the work that is in place to restore the water system. On Tuesday we had a lesson on figuring out the purpose of the story. I broke the class up into 3 groups and assigned each a page to reread. They had to pick a reason as to why it was important to save the Everglades. They then shared their example with the entire class. We are going to discuss that on Thursday. I also showed them a short 7 minute video clip of the Everglades so they could get a better idea of what that park is like. 

Grammar this week is covering the conjunctions (and, but, or or). We worked on writing complex sentences on Wednesday using subordinating conjunctions. This means one sentence or clause is dependent on the other.  We use words such as: when, because, although, and since.  For example: Because I didn't study for my test, I didn't do very well. Although it rained last night, we can still have recess outside. 

Spelling this week is covering homophones: steal, steel, ring, wring, lesson, lessen. I did tell them that on Friday I would mix them up for the posttest. They will have to know the meaning of the word so they know which one to write down. 

Math- We have spent much of the week correcting math tests. This takes time for me because I really want to work them individually to see what they understood of the problem and what was confusing them. We will start our new chapter today. Chapter 2 is division. It will kick off with long division right away with single digit divisors. Some of them are already doing that on our ST Math. I think many of them will move quickly. It may change though when we hit the double digit divisors, but let's not jump to that yet! 

Religion- They have passed their prayers! Now we are going to begin learning every decade of the rosary. They won't learn them all in one shot. I have them focus on one mystery at a time. 

Halloween Stories- During the conferences you can take time to read some of their stories. They are outside my room. They did a great job! 

Friday- Free Spirit Day! Wear your black and red to support the Panther football team. The students may wear their sweats if they want to--for FREE! 

Have a great weekend! I am heading to Doon to do some yardwork at Mom's house...getting it ready for winter. 
God Bless, 
Miss Surma

Dear Parents,
The weather is changing off and on. Some of the kids are wearing only a sweatshirt to school, which is fine, but that isn't a coat/jacket. Many of them choose to wear that all day in the classroom, which is fine as well. A coat is needed these days. A coat/jacket is something they will take off and hang in their locker. They may need it in the morning, but by after school time they won't.  I am having that discussion with them today because many didn't dress appropriately for the cold temperatures. We don't go out if it is below freezing or raining. 

Thanks, 
Miss Surma

Dear Parents, 
I hope you enjoyed your long weekend! I know I did! I was in Doon with most of my siblings. We are having to go through Mom's stuff. It wasn't exactly fun,but spending time with them is always good. Below is a link for the conference sign-up. I added some extra time slots on Tuesday and Wednesday because I can't get all of you in on Thursday. Check your calendars and pick your time ASAP. Thanks!
 "http://www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0544A5AA23A2FF2-miss1


Social Studies- I just wanted to put out there that their Iowa History reports (rough draft) are due on Friday to Mrs. Sickels. She said if you can have it typed that would be easier for her, but I don't believe it's  a requirement until the final copy. She likes to look them over and then she make some final suggestions before the final is due. The kids have a list of questions they should be able to answer. If the information isn't in the stuff they received in the mail, they may be able to find it online. 

Science- Their test is on Friday. Mrs. Burg told me that they should be studying their vocabulary for sure because that is a more difficult piece on the test. I reminded them of that on Wednesday. 

Math- The test is tomorrow (Thursday). If they need extra time-- we will use Friday as well. You will see their test once I am done grading and if any corrections need to be made. They will make those corrections with me. I like to sit with them and figure out what they missed and how we can fix it. 

Reading- This week we read a short excerpt from Old Yeller. (Not the sad part-- I didn't tell them) This is about how the main character has to rescue his little brother Arliss from a bear cub and its mom. We are working on direct objects in grammar. So we are finding the verb and then trying to figure how who or what received that action. I ask them a lot of questions to help them pick it out. On Wednesday, we spent time going over adages and proverbs. I did tell them-- these are little phrases that they may not hear of much these days, but that there is always some meaning or lesson behind them. For example: It's better to be safe than sorry. They were able to give me lots of examples for this one. We also used it when talking about studying for their science test starting tonight (Wednesday) because we know the vocabulary piece is going to be a challenge. It is better to be safe than sorry and wait until the last possible minute to study. A penny saved is a penny earned was another one. We also talked about how we can't always take them literally...it's raining cats and dogs. They told me that just means it is raining really hard. It's not REALLY raining cats and dogs. :) This is a tricky part of the test on Friday. 

Halloween stories- I am handing them back as fast as I can edit them. I have some already returned with the final copy. I am trying to give them at least 5 days to type it up. If you can't print it-- email the story and I will print it for you. I will have some of them posted on the wall in the hallway by the Spaghetti Supper! 

Religion- Many of them have already memorized both prayers. I have a few that are still working on one, but they are so close. We will move to the different decades of the rosary next! 

Spirit Day is on Friday! $1 for sweats! 

Spaghetti Supper is this Saturday! I know spots to help work it are still open! Please check your calendar and do what you can to help out! I will probably see you there. 

Have a great weekend! 
God Bless,
Miss Surma

Hi Parents, 
I just created a sign-up for our Parent Teacher Conferences. Please check the schedule and pick your day and time! I can't believe we are already doing this! Time is flying by!!!

Miss Surma

Happy Thursday Everyone! I hope you are having a good week. It looks like you get a long weekend too. I hope you are able to take some time and enjoy it!

Just a reminder-- No School on Friday. We will be attending the 21st Century Learning at the high school. The public school is also off on Friday. We also don't have school on Monday. We (staff) will be going to Des Moines for some faith professional development as well as some meetings with the other teachers in the diocese. The public school will be holding classes on Monday. 


Math- I feel like every time I tell you what we are going to do be doing, I can't follow through with it! So this week we are working with the Order of Operations. That took a bit longer. On Tuesday and Wednesday we added more to that by calling it Grouping Symbols. They were given expressions to solve that were within parentheses and then brackets and finally braces. They seemed to like this a lot more! I did hear a student say more than once,"This is fun! It is liking solving a puzzle!" YES!!!!! We will be doing a little more work with that today. Next week we will be working on a chapter review. I have the test set for Thursday at the moment. If we need to finish it up on Friday-- we will do that. One day at a time. :)

Reading- This week we read an information piece on tree kangaroos. We read about a team that goes to Papa New Guinea to locate them and then put a tracking device on them so they can do more research on the animals. We learned the word "elusive" because that is what they consider these animals!  We also discussed some aspects in the story to identify the cause and effect. On Tuesday, I worked with a small group on different situations and they had to create the cause and the effect. For example, "Sharon's mom buys cookies, but hides them."  The causes were many, but the one I enjoyed the most was that she was hiding them for herself! We then had to come up with what the possible effect would be from hiding them. They will be testing over the story and the spelling words today.

Unit test scores are in your child's take home folder. I don't need that copy back. I made that one for you. This was a Benchmark test which means there were more stories to read and only about 7 questions to answer per story.  They only did about 2 stories a day and were given about an hour to do them in, but many were finished much sooner. I do think the questions can be challenging, but I also believe they can go back and find the answers. I have done that when I look them over while checking. I can show you the actual test at conferences in November.

Religion- They have been doing the rosary as well as learning their prayers. Some have already passed both the Apostle's Creed and Hail Holy Queen. You might ask your child over the long weekend if they have passed. They could practice it with you at home,

All School Mass- Next week is an All School Mass. Your child might have a part. IF they do, they will have a note in their take home folder telling you what the job is and if they have a speaking part, that will be attached to practice.

Service- The 5th graders helped out during their recess on Wednesday at the Rectory Rerun. A truck arrived that needed to be loaded. Usually the middle school kids help out with this, but they were eating lunch at the time. The 5th graders were more than willing to help out! They were most excited to tell me they loaded a Christmas tree! I was proud of them for stepping in during their recess time!

I sure love your kids! They are a great bunch! Have a great weekend! Enjoy your extra couple of days. I am heading to Doon on Friday after our meetings.
God Bless,
Miss Surma

Hello Parents, I hope you are having a great week! We have been busy!

Reading- They are still working through their first unit test. I don't think I will have scores done for you until next week. Sorry about that. They finished up the comprehension section on Wednesday. They are working on the revision piece on Thursday and Friday. 

We have also been working on creating Halloween stories. On Tuesday they worked on a Halloween mad-lib. This was to give them an idea of what a Halloween story could be about...it doesn't have to be scary. This was silly and funny. This was also a good way for them to work on some parts of speech. On Thursday, they will begin creating their own idea of their Halloween story. I have told them that their story cannot be gross or violent. It can still be a scary story without so much description. We have enough violence in our world these days, I don't want that in their stories. It can be about a Halloween party, a haunted house, trick-or-treating, or just a scary story. They will write their rough draft out for me to edit. Their final draft will have to be typed. If you don't have a computer at home, let me know. We can make a plan for them to use one here. They can come in early or stay after school with me to work on it. If you don't have a printer, you can always email me your child's paper, and I will print it off here. I usually give them different due dates on the final draft only because I don't sit down and edit them all in one night. They will all get the same amount of time to type it up-- I just base it on when I am able to hand it back to them. 

Book Report- I assigned their first book report as well. It has to be a chapter book they haven't read before or had read to them. It should also be over 100 pages. I know they like these I Survive books and they are great, but I want them to try something a little more challenging. They were also given a handout with about 8 different options for their report. They only choose 1. They have plenty of time to do this--about 7 weeks. They will need to let me know their book once they have it picked out. The due date is Thursday, November 17. I chose that day because I know we won't be able to get through all of them in one day. It will also be another unit test week, so it will be good to break up the testing. 

Math- This week we did some more work with division using the Distributive Property. We are also stepping into the world of writing algebraic expressions. They seem to enjoy this because they are making up word problems to go with the expression, but are finding that it isn't so easy. We will also be going into that a little further working with the order of operations. I have made them little cards to keep that will remind them of the steps. We are nearing the end of our chapter. They could be taking a test next week, but we will see how these final lessons go. The fun part for me this week was that in doing a "review" problem on their worksheet, I heard many say, " I can't do this, I don't know how to divide." I reminded them they learned two ways to divide a problem using multiplication and division with the Distributive Property! They said, "We can do it that way?" I said, "Why not? It's division isn't it?" They were so excited to remember that and not worry about doing long division. 

Religion- They will take their test on Thursday. On Friday we start our work with the Rosary. If they want to have their own rosary with them, I am fine with that, but I will tell them they are responsible for taking care of it. If it is a special gift from someone... I suggest they keep it at home. I have plenty of rosaries they can use. 

Friday Lunch- This Friday is the optional sack lunch day again. If they want to eat the school's menu they are more than welcome to! We will supply the milk. No drinks are needed. 

Spirit Day- Friday is also Spirit Day! They may want the sweats because I hear the weather will be cooler! $1. 

Have a great weekend! 
God Bless,
Miss Surma

Book-IT-- I forgot to mention this in my blog! This starts on Saturday. I will give the kids their calendars on Friday. They should keep track of their minutes on there. For the month of October they are to read 600 minutes. If they read during the school day, I let them count that. It's about 20 minutes every day. At the end of the month, you sign it and have them return it. Please mark the box for which pizza place they would like. LET'S GET READING!!!!

Happy Thursday Parents! I hope you are having a great week! It feels like fall now! :)


Math- This week we have been working on finding the quotient by using the Distributive Property and multiplication. It took a couple of days to really get them to see the process. On Wednesday they had their first assignment-- 6 problems! We did one together as a reminder. As I walked around the room I was watching them work. It made me SMILE! They were finally "getting" it and working the problems with very little assistance from me! I even heard things like, "I finally get this!!" and "This is so easy, I don't want to go back to division!"  I have to say-- that just made my heart melt a little! This is one strategy they could use when we get into division if they find the long division too hard. Now, that will be awhile, but it is there! We will continue to do more of this today before we move on to something else. 

Art- I don't talk about art much, but on Wednesday I gave them each a sheet that had a different design on each side. They were in a book of Optical Illusions. They had to choose which side to color. Their expressions when they saw the different designs were so fun! I have to say I could not really look at them. They hurt my eyes and some made my stomach flip! They are having a great time with them. If you are in our hallway-- check out last week's art. They had to draw themself with some sunglasses on. In the lense of the glasses they had to draw a picture of whatever they were looking at. They turned out really cute! 

Reading- We are reading our last story this week in this unit. It is called Elisa's Diary.  Elisa has just moved to the USA and is having a hard time with the English language. She can write it okay, but speaking it is very difficult. Her brother is more outgoing and is picking it up much easier. Elisa meets Jose. He moved here from Guatemala. He can speak English better than he can write it. They make a pact to help each other out. 

In grammar we are continuing our work with nouns, but this week we are working on making them plural. We are also talking about collective nouns-- audience, class, committees, etc. Even when you can see them as a group, they can still be identified as singular or plural. 

We will test over the story and spelling words on Friday. Next week Monday we will start our first unit test. I will break this down over the week so they aren't doing it all in one sitting. Towards the end of the week, I will start their first writing assignment,  a Halloween story. 

Religion- Our focus in this chapter has been the Paschal Mystery-- the suffering, death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus. We are also talking about the grace we receive when we receive a sacrament.  Once we are done with this chapter-- I will be focusing on the Rosary. In 5th grade they learn the decades and two of the other prayers we say during the Rosary. While they are doing this, we step away from the book. 

PTO- A big shoutout to our PTO! They have been so generous! We have a set of 26 Chromebooks in our wing that  are in a transportable cart. At this time they are for grades K-5 to share, but the PTO just bought another set for K-2!!! Once Father has those up and running we will have a set in each wing. The 5th graders get on them about 3 times a week for ST Math, but I know they have also used them in social studies for their county project. They each know how to login and can check their  emails. They did this last week to vote on the new STM gear design. It is always a little scary for me because I am not tech savy, but they are doing great with them! They really enjoy their ST Math time. The PTO is also having a contest that deals more with YOU! They are taking attendance at each PTO meeting of the parents or teachers that attend and then you can pick which grade you want. They are keeping track of those and the grade with the most attendance will get a pizza party at the end of the year! I realize you are really busy, but we all know it takes a village. Plus this way you know what they are planning and if you're interested, you could help out! The PTO does a lot of fundraising for our school and you are part of that organization whether you are there or not. They did a fantastic job with the Color Run! It was perfect weather and so much fun! I loved it! I loved seeing so many of my kiddos there too! They poured on the color at the end! Please just take a minute to consider coming to the next meeting. The Spaghetti Supper is around the corner! 

Have a great weekend! I am heading back to Waterloo. My niece Mara is getting married this Saturday.  I did see plenty of flooding last weekend in Cedar Falls and surrounding towns. :( 
God Bless,
Miss Surma 

Service Work -  The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be participating once a month in some community service.  They will be walking down to The Food Bank of Iowa and helping to unload the truck that comes in on Fridays.  It usually arrives around 1:15 or 1:30 and may take about 20-30 minutes to unload.  The Food Bank provides supplemental food to those in need.  The students will providing a great service to those who volunteer their time to unload the truck, shelve the products and help the day it is distributed to families.  We are excited that they are being given this opportunity to help others in the community.  I have provided a permission form in today's folder for you to sign regarding this opportunity.  It lists the dates the student will walk down to the food pantry, which is on Wyoming Street.  It is on the corner of Division and Wyoming.  Of course this will always be weather permitting.  We will not walk in the rain or when the weather is too cold.  The teacher in charge will make the decision.  The 5th grade will be going the 2nd Friday of every month.  Please return the permission form as soon as possible.

Happy Thursday Parents! I hope you are having a good week! It has certainly flown by!


FRIDAY- Just a reminder that we get out early on Friday for the Homecoming Parade. It is also Spirit Day. They can wear sweats for $1. They can also wear their black and red for the Panthers. We will have a Pep Rally on Friday morning. 

Lunch- On Friday the students may also bring a sack lunch to school if they don't want to eat what our cooks will be providing. They will drink milk, so no other drink is needed. Remember it is an option: school lunch or sack lunch. 

Reading- This week we are reading a story called Double Dutch.  This week's story is nonfiction. This is a story about how Coach Rockett decided to start a jump rope team at the school he worked at in Harlem. The story includes some short jump rope rhymes. 
In grammar we are working on identifying common and proper nouns in a sentence. On Tuesday they were in teams and I gave them 2 minutes to name as many of each as possible. Their team would score a point if no other team named the same noun. (It's actually a version of my Scattergories game I play). We also discussed what makes it a word a proper noun. On Wednesday we talked about how we capitalize titles, abbreviations, initials, and acronyms.
Spelling- This week we started doing bonus words on the pretest. Not everyone is getting them. I based it off their spelling inventory test and their past pretest scores. 
They will take a test on Friday over the story and the spelling words. This also means next week is our last story in this unit. The following week will be a unit test week. 

Math- This week we are continuing our multiplication, but I have slowed us down a bit. They have the process down, but some are missing too many due to their multiplying or adding. We are just slowing down to get those things ironed out. 

Mass- Thank you for coming to our first mass and staying for the reception! It was so great to see all of you there!!! The 5th graders did such a great job! Our next mass is November 16. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy homecoming! I am headed to Waterloo after work on Friday. My nieces' homecoming is this week as well. My niece Grace is a homecoming queen candidate. They will crown their queen at the football game! I should make it in time! 

God Bless,
Miss Surma

Hello Parents, I hope you are all having a great week! We actually have a full week!  We have been busy!!!

Reading- This week we read a story about two 5th graders running for office for their grade. Each child had to give a speech before the students voted. We focused on the similarities and differences between the two speeches and how they acted afterwards. Miata spoke more formally and wanted to do things that would better their education and the looks of their school. Rudy spoke informally and promised more recess time and more days to have ice cream! The frustrating part for the students is that the story ends and we don't know who won!  We are also working on subject and predicate parts of a sentence and writing compound sentences using the words and, but, so, or or to connect them. We are also working using context clues in the sentences to figure out what a word means, especially if that word has more than one possible meaning.  On Friday, they will take the test. This is Week 3 , which means there will be an extra story they have to read and 10 more questions to answer. 

Math- This week we have been working on Powers of Ten and Exponents. That's right! Exponents. We have only used them with the number 10. They have been working on addition problems and multiplication problems with them. I am trying to get them to figure out they can do this mentally with just their basic facts. One day they said they got it, but when it came to working them out in their assignment, I wasn't seeing that. We hit it again the next day and the lightbulbs went on! I was actually hearing some of them say, "This is easy!" and "This is fun!" We will be getting into regular multiplication now. We will start out reviewing double digits times a single digit, but then we will work on bigger numbers. 

Religion- They are finishing up their first chapter on creation. This week they had to draw pictures that represented 3 in 1-- like the Trinity. They did a great job! If you are ever in our hallway, check out their work! It is on our walls!  They will be doing a study guide on Thursday. We will look it over on Friday. They will have a test on Tuesday, since we don't have school on Monday. 

Chromebooks- We have started working with the Chromebooks!!! They have learned their password for the ST Math. It is made up of a combination of 13 pictures, letters, and numbers. Once they have passed the training for that, they are set to go! They are working on math problems. We are doing this in addition to our Go Math series. There are different levels they have to work through. The hardest part might be that I can't help them. They have to sit and try to solve the problem and then try again. I am not sure if it is harder for them or me! :) 

Mass- Our first mass is next week. The 5th graders will get their parts on Friday. Just remember I can't give all of them a job. So those who don't have a part in this mass, will have one in our next mass. We are also having a reception afterwards for any parents or grandparents that can join us! Stay for some refreshments and some visiting with your children! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy the nice weather and Balloon Days festivities! 
God Bless,
Miss Surma

I had a parent request a copy of the 5th graders' schedule. I decided I would just make copies for all of you! They are in your child's Take Home Folder. 

Hello Parents, Happy Thursday! I hope you had a great long weekend! I was able to get ALL of my papers checked in Doon--so it was very productive for me.  I do want to explain something about my trips to Doon. Most of you might remember that my mom passed away this past April. My siblings and I haven't sold my parents' home yet and we don't plan to until next fall...unless something changes. Anyway, I do go home to check on the house, keep it clean, do yard work, and just spend time there. It was a great home for six kids to get brought up in, and I plan to enjoy it while we still have it. :)

Reading- This week we read a mystery based on the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. It was also written as a play. So the 5th graders had a little opportunity to read the play and some great acting skills! We also discussed the makeup of a play. It is divided into scenes. Those scenes are numbered in Roman numerals. They know those! There is also a little mystery about one of the main characters-- Rena.  We also discussed the possible themes-- that you can't judge a book by its cover and that while you may seem really different from someone at first,  you may find that you have a lot in common. Rena and Althea did just that in the story!  In grammar this week we are discussing the four kinds of sentences: declarative, exclamatory, imperative, and interrogative. We focus on the job of each and how we punctuate each one.  They will have their spelling test on Friday. In your child's take home folder you will find their scores from last week's test over the story. I will send home a copy of the score sheet each Thursday. I don't need those back. 

Math- This week we have spent time on the properties of addition and multiplication. Commutative, Associative, and Identity Property. We also are spending a greater amount of time learning the Distributive Property. In my room, if I feel that the topic is a difficult one, we may do a lot together in class to practice the procedure. We have been doing that a lot this week. Now they know this may not be the fastest way to add or multiply, but it does allow them to do it mentally versus having to work out a big problem. What I love about it is your children's faces from beginning to end!!! At first, I can see the confusion, but as we practice and discuss more...that look begins to go away until I see the "I GOT THIS"!!! That is just the best sight to see! I know that feeling of being overwhelmed with math and believing I am not good at it! I hated feeling like that! Believe me, I will do what I can to appease your child feeling like that in my room! 

Religion- On Tuesday, I showed them a short little biography video on the life of Saint Teresa. We talked about how she was named a saint this last weekend. In mass, the 6th graders and Father also talked about her. She was a remarkable woman. She is definitely someone we could all strive to be more like.  In class we will be focusing on the Holy Trinity.

Our first mass will be on September 21. I will do as other teachers have done in the past and only use half of the class for this mass. Today, we made a list on the chalkboard of all the jobs they do during mass. They were each given a recipe card and wrote their top 4 choices of jobs they would like to have in our masses. I will do as best I can with those! After our mass, is our 5th grade reception for you the parents and grandparents. You can stay after mass to have coffee or juice and donuts with your child and visit with us! 

Food Fair is this Sunday if you can't decide what to make for dinner! Come to St. Malachy!!! 

The Creston Color Run is set for September 25. If you haven't signed up, please do so! There are forms in the office or you can enter online! There is also a route for the kids!  The PTO is doing this as their fall fundraiser. The kids won't be selling cookie dough or wrapping paper this year. I will be participating, but I will be walking! :)

Book Orders are due Friday! 

Friday is our first Spirit Day! The kids can wear sweatpants for $1. It is also our ISU/IOWA game day-- kids can wear their favorite team jersey or t-shirt !!!! I will be in purple and gold! GO UNI!!!! 

Have a great weekend!  God Bless, Miss Surma

I forgot to mention I am putting a book order in your child's folder. If you are interested in ordering please return it by next Friday, September 9. If you are sending a check, you can write it to me or Scholastic Books.  Thank you!!!

Hello Parents- We are in with a week down! I think it is going well. We are very busy! Last week they took some pretests in reading, spelling, and math. This week we are going at it! 


Reading- We read a short part from The Wayside School book. We had to discuss what was Louis' problem in the story and then how it was resolved. We will do more of that on Thursday. This is a funny story with an ending that isn't really expected (unless you've read the book). We will take a test over this on Friday. They will also have their spelling posttest on Friday.  Since we don't have school on Monday, they will have their pretest on  Tuesday.  In grammar we are working on what makes up a complete sentence and a fragment. We also identify the two parts of a sentence: subject and predicate. I did talk to them about picking out the who or what (noun) and the action or linking verbs. This is usually a difficult task. We will get more specific with those parts of speech as we go on. 

Mrs. Mitchell is doing the BRI tests right now. Once she is done, we will have small group time with her.

Vocabulary- I want to give you a heads-up on this!  We are doing the Frayer Model with our definitions in reading. They did this last year in social studies, but I am tweaking it for reading.  We did it this week together in class so I could show them how it would look.  They will have a big box for each word. They will write the word, a short definition, use the word in a sentence, and then they need to find two antonyms and two synonyms.  Now, if you have a thesaurus at home they can certainly use that, but some words are located in there. We used the internet. I went to www.thesaurus.com  and was able to type in their vocabulary word and a list came up! It does take some time.  They can do most everything here, but they may need the internet at home to do that research. We will do what we can in class, but I can't promise this won't be homework. They will have most of the week to do it. I would like them to have it done on Thursdays so we can go over the words. 

Math- We are starting with place value positions of numbers and learning how to write a number in word, standard, and expanded form. For example: If the number is 1,234. That is standard form. Word form- one thousand,two hundred thirty-four.  Expanded form- (1 x 1.000) + (2 x 100) + (3 x 10)+ (4 x 1).  This is a little new compared to how I taught it before, but it makes much more sense to them when I ask--how many 100s does it take to equal 200?  We started this today (Wednesday).  We will do more together tomorrow.  One thing I have noticed is that some need to refresh themselves on their multiplication facts. They can use the chart in their assignment book, but those basic facts should be a little quicker. Maybe quiz them in the car when you drive to practice, a game, or Des Moines. 

Religion- They have been working with the Bible this week. I always start the year by reviewing how we look up verses in the Bible. This coming Sunday Mother Teresa will be canonized (named a saint). We will celebrate this at mass next week. I also have some information on her that I will share with them in class next week. 

We don't have really any study halls except on band days and that is first thing in the morning. Right now they have some extra time with our mornings because we haven't been on the computers yet, but we will be.  I have been trying to stress that if they have homework they need to make use of any free chance they get to work on it, especially if they have signed up for other things outside of school. I can tell you this... I don't give homework for major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break. I can't guarantee that your child won't have something to do on Halloween. I also remind them their job right now is school. So that has to come first. I am not going to work around their extra activities outside of school.  If they use their time, they really shouldn't have much to do, but with a lot of the core classes in the afternoon, they will have to be smart about not wasting time. They can do this! 

Any questions or concerns please email me or call the school! 

I hope everyone has a great long weekend. Please be safe! I am planning on heading home to Doon. Take Care!!!

God Bless, 
Miss Surma

I made a mistake about our website! 

Go to www.crestonstmalachy.org  


Thanks!

Hello Parents!  We are on Day 2 and everyone returned! Woo hoo!!! 

In your child's folder is a  letter from me that describes a little bit more about 5th grade and the subjects. From this point on I will put things on my blog unless it is a last minute thing I need you to know about. You can get to my blog through our new school website. Just visit www.stmalachy.org!  



As of right now we are at 25 in my room. Aydan White didn't return.  I will have a para with us during some points in our day. We will most of the time have Mrs. Kendrick, but Miss Ashton may see us too. 


Please feel free to email me if you have questions or concerns. 

This week we aren't doing much in the textbooks. There is some pretesting going on in math, reading, and spelling, but they won't have real homework this week. 

Next week we will start with the signing of assignment books. 

Have a great weekend! I plan to head to Waverly for my great-niece's birthday party! 

God Bless,
Miss Surma

The first day of school for 5th grade!!!! 2016-2017 here we come!!!! 

Happy Thursday Parents! I hope your week is going well! The humidity is making it feel like summer!

Friday-- Pray for sun!  We will plan on Field Day fun around 10:30. The afternoon will most likely be a movie for 3-5. IF it does rain, Mrs. Sickels, Mrs. Burg, and myself have been making a Plan B. 

They will need to wear tennis shoes for the field day. No sandals. They will need a sack lunch with drink that day. No soda bottles bigger than 20 oz. No ala carte that day. 


 I would like to take a moment to just say thank you! Thank you for allowing me to be your child's teacher this year and the past two years as well. Thank you for entrusting them to me each day. They have made me laugh (almost) every day! They are a terrific group of kids and work so well together. I know I will miss them next year-- there is no doubt. I know they will do great things in middle school!!!! Thank you for your continued support. Thank you for choosing STM!!! I love my job and  I love these kids!!!! This has been a great year even with the sadness. I hope you have a wonderful summer!  I will be back to help with Ragbrai, and  I am taking a class. Most of my summer will be in Doon at Mom's. There is a lot of stuff to sort through. Thanks again! God Bless you and your family!
Love, Miss Surma

Hello Parents! I hope you are having a great week! I can't believe the end is so near for our year together!! 

Reading- This week they read a short little mystery story about some missing deer. They had the mystery solved before we even finished reading it! We have been working more with commas in grammar. They will have a spelling test on Friday as well as a test over the story. 
Next week we will read the final story in this unit. I will have a spelling test and a test over the story on Thursday, May 26. We will be working right until the end!!!

Math- We have been working on adding and subtracting mixed fractions. With the subtracting of fractions I have shown them two possible ways to come up with their answer. One is much quicker to do, but it does make them stop and think. They still have to borrow from their whole numbers, but now the value of that 1 is based on the denominator of the other mixed number. Some were opting for the other way until they really tried option #1 (as I called it in class). They did realize option #2 did take them longer and wasn't always fun to turn that improper fraction back into a mixed number.  The way we are heading we will be testing over this chapter next Thursday. I was hoping it would be sooner, but this subtraction kind of stumped them. I hate to give a test on that day, but I don't have much choice. 

Religion- They are taking an ACRE test right now. It is a standardized religion test-- kind of like Iowa Assessments, but not as long. I also read this one aloud because I know some of the words can trip them up. This is basically a test to see what they know in religion. It is taken in 5th and 8th grades.  It isn't timed. 

The 4th and 5th graders have mass next Wednesday. I believe every 5th grader has a part, but not every 4th grader was able to. Please join us if you can. It will be the last school mass of the year.

Thursday, May 26- They will clean out their desks in the afternoon before going home. They will need their book bag!

Friday, May 27-- Field Day will be in the morning. I will send out a schedule next week. It isn't an early out. We will gather in the gym around 2:30 for our final send off. They will need a sack lunch on that day.  They should wear tennis shoes for sure--no sandals! They won't need their book bag that day, just their lunch!


Book Reports-- I am trying to get through grading them, but every night it seems there is something! As I get them done they will be able to take their posters home. Sorry it is taking so long! I get pretty detailed in my note taking!

Thank you so much for coming to the play last week! I hope you enjoyed it! They did an AWESOME job!!!!

Have a great weekend! I have a couple graduation parties to hit on Saturday and my nieces will be in Des Moines on Sunday to play some soccer! God Bless, Miss Surma

Happy Thursday Parents! I hope you are having a great week!

Reading-- We have been running lines and practicing for the play with every spare minute! I think you will enjoy it! It is only about 10 minutes long once it starts!  The kids will celebrate afterwards in the room with the pink frosted cake! They will have a spelling posttest on Friday. There is no weekly test! They should bring their costumes to school on Friday morning. 

Book Reports-- These are due on Monday! They should have their project and costume with them when they come to school. I believe we will be able to get through all of them on Monday, but if not we will finish them up on Tuesday. 

Math- This week they are working on renaming fractions with common denominators and then adding and subtracting them. They will be getting to add and subtract mixed numbers as well. If everything goes as planned, they will finish this chapter and test over it before our year ends. 

Library Books-- All library books must be returned by May 19. The 5th graders will still need to have something to read during free time in the classroom. They can get a book off of my shelf or something from home. I don't mind if it is a magazine either. 

Middle School Day- I believe the 5th graders will be spending part of a Wednesday with the middle school kids to get a feel of what that will look like next year. I don't have an exact date yet, but I will let you know. 

Iowa Assessments-- The scores are back. We will be sending home their scores soon. 

I hope you have a great weekend!  I can't believe our year is ending soon. Where did it go??? 

God Bless, 
Miss Surma

Hello Parents, It is so nice to see the sun again!!! I hope you are all having a great week!

Math- We are working on our fractions. This week we focused on estimating fractions to the nearest Benchmark number (0, 1/2, and 1). Once they estimated the fractions they had to add or subtract them. We are also going to start working on finding the common denominator and creating an equivalent fractions.


Reading- This week they read a story called Mysteries at Cliff Palace . This is located in the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  Their spelling list this week is dealing with suffixes. The words are more difficult because the suffixes sound similar. I told them they would really need to study for their post test on Friday. In Grammar we are covering the rules for creating abbreviations for places and titles. 

On Wednesday, we read our play The Baker's Neighbor aloud together. I wanted them to get a feel for the play and their lines. They are trying out on Thursday with me and possibly Mrs. Mitchell. I will tell them which part they got on Friday. I have to do some switching because I have more kids then parts. They will be practicing with me all week next week. They will perform it for you on Friday, May 13 at 2:15 in the gym. Afterwards we will celebrate with the pink frosted cake and some juice or water.  They will also perform for 1st grade. They might be with you or we will do a dress rehearsal on Friday morning with them. They will be needing costumes, but it isn't anything you should have to shop for. IF they get the part of Manuel, Pablo, or the Judge-- mass clothes. Pablo could wear a hat. If they are Carlos or one of his sisters-- their own clothes. They are supposed to look like kids! One of the women or villagers-- be creative! They are to look older! I've had kids dress up as cowboys or wear hats. I have had girls raid their grandma's closet and find a dress. I have seen wigs, mustaches, hats, scarves, canes, or walker

Their book reports will be due on Monday, May 16. I will do as many as we can that day, but we may have to run into Tuesday as well. We will see.  They should come to school on Monday with their costume and report or poster.  

In their folder is a score sheet of the Unit 5 test they took while I was gone. You will notice that on the revising section I had to adjust the scoring. I guess they didn't copy a page of the test. I am not going to give that to them now. This was a benchmark test which means more stories to read. I believe this was also given the week after Iowa Assessments. 

I know these weeks are going to fly by! I keep reminding them we have a lot to cover before it is over! 

Have  a great weekend! To all the mothers-- I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day! From this daughter-- there was no greater gift from God, then my mom. You do more and mean more than you will ever know!  I am heading to Waterloo to see my niece Gracelyn get ready for her prom.

God Bless, Miss Surma

I have moved the book report due date. It is now Monday, May 16. It will give them an extra weekend to get it done. 

Hello Parents, 
I am back. I am still trying to figure out what they have done while I have been gone. Next week we will for sure be on a more regular plan. I am glad that Mrs. Bearden was here to be with the 5th graders. I know she loves them! She had great things to say! It also sounded like Biztown went really well! I loved seeing the pictures on Facebook. They looked so professional! Thank you to my parents for going along! I hope you had fun too!!!

I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for being supportive of my absence over the last 3 weeks. Thank you for your prayers, your texts, the cards. It has been a very difficult time, but I was also very comforted knowing your kids were okay. I miss my mom more than I can say, but I do think getting back into the routine will be good. I know for sure she would say the same thing! 

Make sure to look at the calendar for upcoming events.
Below are the notes from the music teacher about next week's concert. 

Dress for the concert is: Mass appropriate slacks or skirts and a nice top that is primarily red, white, and/or blue. 

Remember, we are asking each family to bring one personal care item (toothbrush, toothpaste, bath soap, shampoo, etc.,) that will be donated to a shelter in Des Moines as well as locally. 

Have your children arrive at Creston High School no earlier than 6:30 p.m. next Wednesday, May 4.

Preschool-2nd grade children will meet their teachers in the commons area. Grades 3-8 will meet their teachers in the music rooms.

Lap-A-Thon

On Monday, the kids can wear sweats for the lap a thon. I would strongly advise two pairs of tennis shoes and socks. I have a feeling that ground will still be wet and possibly muddy. They can run in shorts as well.  They can have their devices to listen to music as they run. They should also have a water bottle. 5th graders will now be running in the afternoon. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! God Bless, Miss Surma