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