Hello Parents! I hope your week is going well! The weather is helping so much with good moods! The countdown in on for spring break! I can feel it. 

Math- This week we are working on our checkbooks, deposit slips, and keeping a bank register for our checking account. They have so many questions...which has been GREAT! Each day we fill out a deposit slip or two and sometimes they ask for cash back. Then they have to record it in their bank register. They are busy writing out checks for different things. On Tuesday, they bought a new shirt for a little over $14. They thought that was so expensive! 😂 They  deposited a paycheck for $8. 48--something like that. Again...WHAT??? What is our job??? They are learning words like-- debit and credit. Some of the tasks they do talk about using their debit card. I think they will enjoy our mock Biz Town day. We will get back into our math book and continue our work with decimals. Last week they had to estimate sums and differences using rounding and benchmark numbers. I think many of them liked the benchmark numbers better than rounding. This means they had to round to the nearest 0, 0.25. 0.50, 0.75, or 1.00. 

Religion- We are in our Lenten chapter. On Monday we read about Jesus in the Temple. The only time we really see Jesus get mad in the Bible. I explained that he thought those people were making money the most important thing in the Temple. It would be like us...setting up tables inside the chapel or the church and selling our goods. I showed them a video clip of that scene from a movie. They were shocked. I heard many of them say, "Whoa, he is MAD!" 😁

On Tuesday, they will go through reconciliation with Father. Those that aren't Catholic will receive a blessing from him. 

Food Shelf- We are sending home a flyer this week for our Lenten almsgiving. We are collecting food items for Mark O'Riley's Food Shelf. Please look it over and if you can help...send items with your kids! Thank you!!! 

ACRE Test- I told the 5th graders that on Friday afternoon they will take a religion test on their chrome. Mrs. Simmons will be coming to help me get them on it. This is a multiple choice test that is given to 5th and 8th graders...to see what they have learned about our Catholic religion. I gave them some example questions. It isn't really anything they can study for. 

Reading- This week we read a story called Darnell Rock Reporting. It is a story about a boy named Darnell who is trying to persuade his city council to take a deteriorating basketball court and turn it into a community garden for the homeless in his town. Another girl wants them to turn it into a parking lot for the teachers. She says it will help them with their job. I did tell the kids that where I park my car...doesn't really change how I teach! 😉 Darnell lost to the city council, but another member of the community came up to him afterwards and offered a different plot of land  that they could use for the garden. So...he did win in a way too. 

This week we are working on pronouns. We have focused on indefinite and possessive so far. 

The kids were so excited to NOT wear a coat to recess today. I am trying to get them to take home snow pants, but keeping the boots around. We just have so much mud. Hopefully these warmer temps will dry them up! 

Shorts are back! They can wear them, but they aren't allowed to wear sweats over them or a pair of pants . We aren't taking time to change clothes. Just remind them that they have PE in the morning and it will be outside . The warm temps aren't until they go home typically. I see the 40s in next week's forecast. 

Have a great weekend! Enjoy the spring temps! I have noticed our daylight is lasting longer! YAY! 

God Bless, 

Miss Surma