Hello Parents, I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend! I did!  I was able to get some work done at school and home. I spent a day shopping in Des Moines with Mrs. Levine. We always have a good time!

Safety- On Tuesday afternoon I took the 5th graders on a walk to our safety location at the O'Riley Center. I explained to them we would do this if for some reason we had to evacuate the building. We did talk a little about intruders in the building, but we also talked about if there was an accident with the train. They already know two ways to get there due to working at the Food Pantry. I took them on another route by the post office. I told them that we now have 3 ways to get there. They were really good about it. They did come up with their own ways of handling a school shooter, but I told them we are going to pray that that never has to happen! I told them I didn't want them scared, but we also know this is becoming a part of life, sadly.

Math- On Tuesday we learned to take a number and multiply it by 10 but also to divide it by 10. They figured out that by multiplying they were adding another 0 on to the number. We we divide a number loses a 0. My examples were like this... "Rhett, you go the bank with $200 and they tell you they will multiply your money by 10! How much do you walk out with? $2000.  Donald, you walked in with $200 too. They told you they had to divide it by 10. How much do you walk out with ? $20.

Reading- We read the story last Friday and again on Tuesday. This story cracks me up! It made them laugh too. Ask them to tell you about it. We talked about irony and how sometimes there are really two meanings. They have a vocabulary packet that is due on Thursday. Their spelling test and the test over the story will be on Friday. In grammar they are writing complete sentence with a subject and a predicate ( a noun and a verb) .

FAST testing begins next week. This week they are doing a practice run each day with a partner to see how many words they can read correctly in one minute. The Fall goal for 5th graders is 133 words. Many of them were over that on the first run! That is a great sign! This information we use to see if kids need any reading interventions done during the week with me.

Religion- we start our year going over the Bible and finding passages in it just to remind ourselves how we locate readings.  Our first chapter deals with the story of creation, but also the Holy Trinity. There will be pictures displayed on the wall to show this next week. Check them out if you are in the school. Our first mass is on the 18th. I will give them their parts next week so they know what they are doing and can practice any reading parts

Travis Morgan benefit- There is a letter going home in folders on Thursday. Check it out. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Sorry it isn't three days this time! I hope to see some of you at the benefit on Saturday. 
God Bless, 
Miss Surma