Hello Parents, 
I hope you are all having a great week! I can't believe next week is conferences! Thank you all for getting a time signed up! I will see you either Tuesday or Thursday. 

Fire Poster Contest- Congrats to our winners! 1st Place- Kenna Ford, 2nd Place- Kadley Bailey, 3rd Place- Kaycie Britten. The first place winners in 3-5 grades will get sent on to compete in the state level. This is the last year the 5th graders will participate in this contest. We have the kids in 6-8 grades vote for us. 

Social Studies- Their Iowa history papers and 3D models are due on Monday. They will be on display during the conferences. Please drop off the projects on Monday morning before school. Just bring them on down to Mrs. Sickels' room. 

Halloween- We will celebrate on Halloween. The kids should have their costumes packed with them that day. We will not have mass that day. The parade will be at 2:30. You are welcome to join us! If you come and want to take your child home after the parade, just find me and let me know you are leaving with them. Thanks! I don't do any kind of class party. They usually get some kind of treat or snack when they visit the Civics Club!

Reading- This week they are reading a story called Everglades Forever. It is a nonfiction informational reading. It teaches the kids about the plants and animals that live in the Everglades. We are focusing on the purpose the author had in writing it this week. On Tuesday, we focused on the different purposes there are for writing. This author really focuses on two things: informing and persuading. They are giving us information about the Everglades and what lives there. They are also persuading us to help take care of them. The Everglades is main source of water for the people in Florida. It does read a little bit like a story, but also like a science textbook. 

In grammar they are working on conjunctions (and, but, or). We are also writing sentences that can be joined by using a conjunction. 

Our spelling list this week is homophones. They have to spell words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Some of their words are : ring and wring, allowed and aloud, steel and steal. 

Math- They started the math test today. Not everyone finished. They will be able to do that tomorrow. I hope to be able to show you the tests on Friday or Monday at the latest. I give them a "cheat sheet" for this test because there is so much for them to remember. They also were able to use their cue cards for the order of operations.  Our next chapter covers long division. We do a lot of dividing! 

Religion- Everyone has passed their prayers. Now they are working on the mysteries. I broke them into groups to draw one of the Luminous Mysteries. They had to include the quote from the Bible of that mystery. Then I made them think about Mary. What would she have said in that situation...either about it or about Jesus. The rosary is the life of Jesus but through her eyes. These will be hung in the hallway as we get them done. They will share their posters on Friday. 

Book-It Calendars- The last day is coming up next week. Please sign your child's calendar and have them return it on Thursday, November 1. I would like to see them even if they didn't make the goal. The goal this month was 600 minutes. They usually get 10 minutes for sure during our DEAR time. I will give them the next calendar on that same date- November 1. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I am heading to Sioux Falls to my sister and spend some time with her and her family. 

God Bless, 
Miss Surma