Dear Parents, Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a good week. I was just outside and I wish that temperature was going to stick around! I am ready for spring!

January Blues- I am not sure but in the last 3 days, I have handed out 6 late slips and given 2 detentions due to not getting those kinds of things done. I don't know if we are just in a funk, or if the extra day off just made kids forget that they had work to do. I have talked to them about this. I just don't want this to be the  start of a pattern. They have been doing so well! 

Reading- This week we are doing the story in 4 days due to our snow day last week. They will have a test on Friday. This week we read a story called James Forten. He was an African American who did his part for the Revolutionary War. He worked on a ship during some of the battles. For him there was the danger of their ship being taken over because he could have easily been taken captive and sent back to be a slave, even though he was actually a free man. In grammar we are working on commas and semicolons. The commas usually aren't too difficult for them. The semicolons are the difficult part. Today we focused on putting semicolons where there are already commas. For example, if there are already commas in the sentences separating cites and states, then we add the semicolons to really separate them out. 

Book Reports- I had planned for the kids to share their reports last Friday because I had a good chunk of time to do so. Well, now I am just getting them in when we have the time. I'm hoping by the end of the day on Friday, they will have all shared! They really did some great work on their projects! 

Math- We are doing the "dress rehearsal" for the test. I have a feeling they won't actually do the test until Monday. It is taking longer than I had planned, but I'd rather they take their time and do well! I did change it so that their test is not going to be 25 word problems. I am using the chapter review/test in their book as the test because it is a nice combination of problems with some word problems. The funny part I have noticed is that when they get to the word problems... I lost count on how many came up to ask me if all the word problems were division. I told them I wouldn't tell them because I figured out they were just looking at the numbers and not the situation being given. Some of those questions are looking for something more specific than the quotient. 

Religion- They did well on their tests! Right now we are working on Valentines cards. I am sending them to my friend back home. She will include them in the care packages she is mailing out to the soldiers working overseas. 

Spirit Day on Friday! Sweats for $1!!!

In your take home folder, you will find two letters from Mrs. Sickels and myself. One is about our basket for the auction. The other is for our kick off mass for Catholic Schools Week. Please take some time to read both and do what you can to help us out! Thanks so much!

I am still looking for a parent to take over the Silent Auction item! Please shoot me an email if you can take charge of this one! 

Have a great weekend! I am seeing more weather in forecast. I really hope not! 

God Bless, 

Miss Surma