Hello Parents! WOWZA! I am only wishing for the Christmas break so your kids have some time to really get better! This seems early. This stuff usually breaks out in January during Catholic Schools Week! I hope everyone stays well! 

Calendar Dates: 

Dec. 19- Hawaiian Shirt Day

Dec. 20- Sack Lunch Needed/ Christmas Sweater Day/ Spirit Day

Dec. 21- Jan. 5 -Christmas Vacation

Jan. 6- Classes Resume

Reading- This week they have been fixing and typing the stories they have created. The plan is to share them on Friday morning! We will wait to start a new story after we get back from Christmas. They did take their spelling tests and weekly module tests on Monday. I am trying to get the sick kids to get theirs done. 

Book It- I gave them their January calendars today! They have 5 days of reading before we get back. They can return their December ones when they get back after our  break! This is the usual time of kids losing minutes because they are busy at home so they might want to stock up on minutes to be safe! 

Take Home Folders- I see a couple of kids are now using their "back up folders". Please check at home to see if it is there so they can return it! Thanks!!! 

Math- We started working on multiplying decimals times whole numbers. We did an activity with Base 10 blocks on Tuesday. I think we will continue that on Thursday. I don't want to start teaching a skill with so many gone. We will just start again when we get back! 

Religion- They did a GREAT job with mass! I am glad the kids were so flexible! With kids missing I had to change some jobs around! They were willing to step up to help out! We are going to finish our Advent chapter before we leave. 

Spirit Day on Friday! They can wear sweats with their ugly Christmas sweaters! 

Sack Lunch- They will need a sack lunch on Friday. Milk will be provided! They will be eating with their angels. 

If they are getting a gift for their angel- please try to keep it to $5. They do not have to buy them a gift! Caroling will be from 12:30-1:00...you are welcome to join us! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! May 2025 bring you health, happiness, and some fun! I am heading to Waverly on Monday to spend Christmas with my sister and my brother and their kids. 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents, I hope you're having a great week! I think the cough is being passed around the room. I am trying to remind them to cover their mouths when they cough! I am also reminding them to use Germ-X or wash their hands anytime they cough or blow their nose. I have four kids gone today. Please don't hesitate to keep them home. They can make up whatever homework they miss! 

Calendar Dates: 

Dec. 12- 5th Grade sings at Holy Spirit/ Wear Blue

Dec. 13- Spirit Day/ Grinch Day

Dec. 18- 5th grade mass 

Dec. 20- Sack Lunch Needed

Dec. 21- Jan. 5 -Christmas Vacation

Jan. 6- Classes Resume

Friday, December 20- They will be eating lunch with their Advent Angels. They need a sack lunch that day. Milk will be provided. Caroling is from 12:30-1:00. You are welcome to join us in the gym! 

Reading- We are in our Eruption story this week. We read a story about a volcano that erupted in the Philippines in 1991. They talk about the different levels of warnings. We discussed how we have similar warnings for hurricanes. We have different levels of tornadoes based on the damage. There were people evacuating on a water buffalo! Can you imagine?? I did show them video footage of that volcano as well as Mt. Saint Helen's volcano. The footage from that one was amazing. 

The grammar this week is harder because they are trying to find the direct and indirect objects in a sentence. We've been doing it together because there are questions I ask them to help them pick it out! 

They will have their spelling test on Monday. They will also do their weekly module test then too. 

Religion- We are working on our Advent chapter. The other day we discussed all the holy days the church has in its calendar. We also read the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah being visited by the angel Gabriel. He told them they were to have a baby. Zechariah didn't believe it was possible because they were old. He was unable to speak until their child was born. He named him John. John was a prophet that told others to prepare the way. 

Mass- They have their parts. Those who have a reading part should be practicing at home! Please join us if you can next Wednesday! 

The 5th graders helped me out today (Wednesday) pass out the new song books for mass. Many hands make it so much easier! 

Math- We tested over the chapter on Tuesday. They will be taking their tests home to you to get signed. I did talk to them about making careless mistakes --some problems just not done. Not following directions on some even though I circled them.  We just need to make sure we've looked over the test before we hand it in. 

Spirit Day- Friday is a Spirit Day! They can wear sweats for $1 along with Grinch Day! If they have Grinch pajamas, they may wear them. They just need to make sure they have appropriate clothes for recess. 

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend! I still haven't put up my Christmas tree- so that is the goal for me! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I had a great time in Colorado with my nieces! It was so nice to see those mountains in the distance each morning! 

Calendar Dates: 

Dec. 6- Spirit Day/ St. Nick's Day / Wear a bow or ribbon day

Dec. 12- 5th Grade sings at Holy Spirit

Dec. 18- 5th grade mass 

Dec. 21- Jan. 5 -Christmas Vacation

Jan. 6- Classes Resume

Mass- The 5th graders will lead mass on the 18th! I will hand out jobs next week. 

Religion- We are finishing our chapter on the Beatitudes. They will have a test tomorrow (Friday). Afterwards we will move into the chapter that covers Advent and our liturgical year. 

Permission Slip- I am sending home another slip! The 5th graders are just so busy. Next Thursday, they will be going to Holy Spirit to sing for the CDA. They serve us lunch as a thank you! The ladies love to hear their singing. They also provide a wonderful lunch! The kids will not go hungry! Please sign and return by next Tuesday. Thank you! There is a small cost because we are taking the trolley. 

Reading- You will see their module test scores in their folders.They all did GREAT! I did take out the written response question. In my opinion it was unrealistic to ask a 5th grader that question. It was very difficult. I am not sure a middle schooler would have like it either! They finished their stories and I will begin the editing process. They took a spelling pretest on Tuesday. 

Our new unit is nonfiction. It covers natural disasters. The story we are currently reading is about a volcano that erupted in the Philippines. We have been talking about how we prepare for thunderstorms, tornadoes,and snow storms compared to what they have to do to prepare for a volcano. There is a lot of hard vocabulary in this story. Volcanologist is one of the words! That's just fun to say! The story also includes footnotes. I explained what they were and what the mean. They are learning even more terminology that has to do with volcanoes. 

The grammar in this story has to do with direct objects. These can be tough, but I will be teaching them some helpful questions they can ask when they are trying to locate them in the sentence. 

Math- We are finishing our chapter. The practice test will begin on Thursday. They will most likely have a test over this chapter on Monday or Tuesday next week. 

12 Days of Christmas- we are going to have some fun dress up days to celebrate the season of Christmas. Each day I will remind the kids what the next day will be. I will also post it on my Facebook page to remind you. This is for fun! It is NOT a requirement! 

Friday is a Spirit Day! Sweats for $1! They can also wear a bow or ribbon! 

Don't forget we are helping buy gifts for the nursing homes. If you can help out, that would be great! We will have another noisy change collection next week! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Are you going to Merry Marketplace? Looks like there will be a lot happening in town! Have a great weekend, no matter what you do! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

Hello Parents,

I hope you're having a great week and are staying warm! I think winter is near!  

Calendar Dates: 

Nov. 21- PTO Meeting 

Nov. 22- Spirit Day

Nov. 27-Dec. 1 - Thanksgiving break

Dec. 4- Christmas Concert

Dec, 6- Spirit Day/ St. Nick's Day 

Dec. 12- 5th Grade sings at Holy Spirit

Dec. 18- 5th grade mass 

Reading- They took their spelling test on Wednesday as well as their weekly module test. On Thursday they will take their module/unit test.  We aren't going to start a new story before Thanksgiving. I am going to have them write a narrative story. I use the book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick  by Chris Van Allsburg. He is the author of Polar Express and Jumangi.  In it are 14 different titles and each one has its own drawing and caption. They have to use the title for their story. The caption will be used somewhere in their story. It can be in the opening, the middle, or the end. We will work on this in class every day until Thanksgiving break. So... no spelling tests until after break! 

I finished the book I was reading out loud to them- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! It has been made into a movie and is in theaters now! It looks great! The kids told me it was a great book and that I should read it next year! 

Spirit Day on Friday, November 22!! 

Math- This week we worked on multiplying numbers in the hundreds and thousands by two digits. We are also working on some story problems dealing with multiplication. When we get back from Thanksgiving break, we will be finishing up our chapter with reviews and a test. 

Religion- We are working on learning about the Beatitudes- God's plan for us to find true happiness. We have had some great discussions on them too. They were introduced to Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati as well. He lived in Italy, but dedicated much of his life to God and helping others. For graduation he was offered a car or money from his father. He chose the money and then gave it away to help others. He is a such a great example to them, but really to all of us especially as we get close to the Advent season. 

Biz Town- What a GREAT day! The kids had a great time and wish they could go again next year! I told them they will go in 8th grade to the Financial Center. We did have a good discussion about the importance of why they were told to spend their money so that the businesses could pay back their loans and stay open. Thank you to all the parents that went with us! I love that you get to help them and see what a wonderful opportunity it is for them! 

Lots of information sheets in the take home folder today! Don't forget about the Read-A-Thon! The kids can wear pajamas on Tuesday! I said they can wear slippers and a robe as well, but need to have shoes for recess. Sweatpants are fine too. I know some wear that to bed! 

I hope you have a great weekend! I plan on watching Loras Soccer in the Sweet Sixteen from my warm house while I do report cards! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you're traveling, please have a safe trip! I am heading to Windsor, Colorado with my brother and his family to go see my niece Grace! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Families! I hope you're having a  great week! Temperatures are changing. Please make sure your child comes to school with at least a sweatshirt to wear at recess! 

Calendar Dates: 

Nov. 18- Field Trip to Biz Town

Nov. 20- Advent Activity Night

Nov. 21- PTO Meeting 

Nov. 22- Spirit Day

Nov. 27-Dec. 1 - Thanksgiving break

Dec. 4- Christmas Concert

Monday- The 5th graders will need a sack lunch with a drink on Monday. No POP.  They also need to dress in mass day attire. They can bring things to do on the car ride.  We are leaving at 7:30 AM! They will not get breakfast at school that day.  Parents- please remember your own lunch with a drink! Please be here before 7:30 on Monday. Thank you!!! This is such a fun day! The kids will be tired after their day at work! 

Religion- They finished up their chapter on the 7 sacraments. We also took some time to learn a little bit about Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini before Wednesday's mass which was her memorial.  Our next chapter will be learning about the Beatitudes. 

Math- We spent a couple of days working on Biz Town- remembering how to fill out our checkbooks and trackers. We have also moved on to multiplying three digits by two digits. 

Reading- We are continuing to work on our story which is actually a poem. This week the kids had to go through and find rhyming words. They had to find a poem that depicts imagery. They had to find a repeated verse as well as identify a stanza.  in grammar they are working on action, helping, and linking verbs. They have got a list of examples in their composition book that they can refer to! They will most likely test over this next week sometime. This is also the last story in our module. They will be  taking module test as well. 

Read-A-Thon- in your child's folder is the information on one of the PTO's fundraiser. They can use the minutes  they do for this on their Book-IT Calendar as well. I know one of the days is Double the Minutes!  There is also a pajama day on the 26th! 

Advent Activity Night- On November 20th, if it fits your schedule, come to St. Malachy for a fun night along with families from the RE Program. STM teachers will be there providing games and activities! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I will probably be cleaning! I am trying to get rid of a mouse in my house! UGH! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents, I hope everyone enjoyed the 4 day weekend. I know I did. I did some cleaning,but also made a trip to Winterset and was able to do some Christmas shopping!  I went to the craft show in Corning with Mrs. Levine and Mrs. Simmons and her daughter. Mrs. Levine and I bought some new towels. I was able to read my book and start a new one! I enjoyed my time. 

Calendar Dates: 

Nov. 8- Spirit Day

Nov. 13- All School Mass

Nov. 18- Field Trip to Biz Town

Nov. 22- Spirit Day

Nov. 27-Dec. 1 - Thanksgiving break

Dec. 4- Christmas Concert

All School Mass- Next Wednesday is our first all school mass. A few kids from 5th grade have a part. I gave it to them on Tuesday. If they have a reading part, they should be practicing at home. This is good practice for our Catholic Schools Week mass in January! 

Religion- We are in a new chapter about the seven sacraments. The other day we read about how Jesus started his ministry at the age of 30 by reading from Isaiah in the temple. He basically told them that he was the Messiah at this point. Many of the listeners weren't happy hearing this. I did show them this particular scene from The Chosen. They were a little worried for Jesus in the scene. I had to remind them that they already know the ending of his story so they didn't have to worry. We did talk about how this was the beginning of his 3 years of public ministry. 

Reading- They took their module test and I am grading those. The scores will probably not go home until next week. We did read it out loud two times before going over the questions. On Wednesday, we started our last story in this module, which is probably our longest. It is actually a collection of different poem styles.  They had their spelling pretest as well. This list is r-controlled vowels. We did have to pause during the test because a few of the words are homophones, so I told them to listen to how the word is being used in the sentence. 

Book Reports are due on Friday. My plan is for them to share that day. I think we will get all of them done, unless something else comes up! 

Math- We are working on multiplying two digits times two digits.  For the most part, they are doing fine. I have a few who are forgetting to carry over the number and then adding it on. We will be focusing on Biz Town the rest of the week. 

Field Trip- In your child's Take Home Folder is a permission slip you need to fill out. I need those back before the 18th. They will also have to pay $10.50. A few have already paid that.  If you send a check, make it out to St. Malachy School. They will need a sack lunch and drink that day. Nothing carbonated. If you said yes to driving or helping us out that day, there is a letter in there for you as well. It is just some basic info for you. WE are leaving at 7:30 that morning so kids will not be getting breakfast at school. They will need to eat at home. We will be back in time for the bus! 

Spirit Day on Friday- the temps look perfect for wearing some sweatpants and/or a hat! 

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend! I don't really have any plans yet, but we shall see what happens! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Families! I hope you're having a good week! 

Calendar Dates: 

Oct. 28-31 Parent Teacher Conferences

Oct. 30- Halloween Parade @ 2:30

Oct. 31- No School/PTC

Nov. 1- No School / Holy Day of Obligation

Book Report Project Due on Friday, November 8! Some of the kids have been doing their project work here at school, but not everyone. 

Ala Carte at Lunch- We made a decision with our grade band of 3-5 when it comes to buying ala carte. We decided that they can buy for themselves, they can buy for one friend, or their entire class. They can no longer bring in money and buy for a larger random group of kids. We know they are being generous and sharing, but kids get left out that way. Kids start to feel bad because they aren't getting chosen. This goes into effect immediately.  

Reading- We started a new story this week. The second week always has two stories. The first story is just an excerpt from The Secret Garden. I wish we could read more of it!  The second story is actually a play. We are going to be talking about personification in this story because there are animals and plants that can talk like humans. It is a cute little play with lots of characters. It will be fun to read with the 5th graders. It's called The Miracle of Spring.  The grammar this week will be working on writing nouns in the plural form. I tell them that spelling will count on this because sometimes we have to change the spelling of a word to make it plural. 

I will not be sending home the latest reading test scores because I see you next week at conferences. I will show you then. 

Math- Multiplication begins! On Tuesday we worked on estimating the two factors and then finding the product. I heard lots of "Oh this is easy! I like this!" I hope they feel that way when we start to actually multiply three digits times two digits! I know they learned the partial product method with Mrs. Sickels last year. I stick with the standard algorithm so this is stuff you know how to do! 

Religion- We finished with the Mysteries of the Rosary. Check out their posters next week during conferences.  We are in a new chapter that covers all 7 sacraments. They are back in their religion books. 

Social Studies- Mrs. Sickels told me their Iowa History is wrapping up this week. They will be back in their regular textbooks on Friday. This will mean they will now have homework once in a while and chapter tests. 

Halloween Parade is next Wednesday at 2:30! You are welcome to come and take your child home afterwards. They should pack their costumes that day! They still have to dress up for mass. Bishop Joensen will be here for our mass. He is also doing the Catholic Radio Show here afterwards. I believe some of the 5th graders will be on it!

November 1- there is no school , but I wanted to remind you that it is a Holy Day of Obligation because it is All Saints Day. We typically have mass at school that day. Check the church's calendar to find the time to attend mass. 

Biz Town- Please check your child's folder for information on our field trip in November. We are looking for parents to go and drive! This will be first come, first serve. We need a lot of parents this year because our kids will be running a majority of the businesses.  It is such a great experience! A permission form will be coming home later. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am going to lay low at home since next week is so busy with conferences. I see some book reading in my future! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Happy Thursday Everyone! I hope you are having a good week! I am enjoying the cool temps! 

Calendar Dates: 

Oct. 18- Spirit Day

Oct. 28-31 Parent Teacher Conferences

Oct. 30- Halloween Parade @ 2:30

Oct. 31- No School/PTC

Nov. 1- No School

Conferences- Make sure you sign up for a time for conferences on JMC. They start on October 28 and go through the 31st. I can't believe we are already doing this! Where has the time gone?  I sent out an email earlier this week to the people I am missing. 

October 30- The Halloween Parade will be at 2:30. Kids should pack their Halloween costumes in their bags that day. You are welcome to come! Kids can go home with their parents after the parade. 

November 1- Dress Code change- no more shorts until March. 

Reading- This week we are continuing to work on our story Airborn.  The spelling posttest was today! Sorry, I forgot to send out an email yesterday to let you know so they could practice with you!  They will probably be testing over the story next week. After that I'd like to start working on Halloween stories. 

Math- We are finishing up our adding and subtracting of decimals and moving into multiplication. That will actually start on Friday! There may be times I allow them to use a calculator or do the multiplication mentally, but most times they will show their work. I will also be giving them a multiplication table to use when they are working their problems out. I still want them to learn their facts, but when we are working the problems- they need to work at solving it. I don't want them wasting their time trying to figure it out. The faster they get at knowing them automatically, the easier it will be in the future for them. 

Religion- They are working on their posters for the Mysteries of the Rosary. They will be hung in the halls for you to see during conferences!

Class Meeting- Today we had an impromptu class meeting. The end of recess was busy for Mrs. Sickels with the 5th graders. I won't go into those details, but we had a conversation about our class rules and expectations. Mainly we treat each other with kindness and respect. We include others. We don't judge others because they aren't like us. We accept each other for who we are.  It's typical at this time of year that we start to get bossy or a little short with our classmates because we've been with each other now for a while. We also tend to forget that not everyone likes the same things or has the same abilities or talents. That's okay! We are all different, but made in God's image. We need to remember that.  It's easy to judge others , but wouldn't it be nicer if we could just accept everyone for who they are and not for what they wear, how they look, or things they say? I told them that they are my kids during the day at school. Mine! I want them to be able to come into my room and know that they are loved and accepted by me and their classmates. They can be free to be who they are in my room! I won't put up with the other stuff. I LOVE your kids! This is a TERRIFIC bunch! I love that they can make me laugh or smile at any moment! I love how they will try anything new! They will do their best even if it means they don't always like it! They make coming to work each day a joy and not really "work" at all. So hopefully tomorrow at recess when I am on duty- I won't see the issues they had today! Please know it didn't involve everyone, but I just thought it was time to have a Come to Jesus meeting. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am going to Indianola on Saturday. My niece's soccer team is playing against Simpson. I know Olivia probably won't see any playing time, but I just want to see her face! 

God Bless, 

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents! I hope you had a great weekend and were able to enjoy the parade last Friday. I had a great time in Waterloo. I loved watching the soccer game at Loras even though my niece never saw any play time. We had fun celebrating her birthday! 

Calendar Dates: 

Oct. 14- No School/ PD Day

Oct. 16- Noisy Change Collection at Mass

Oct. 18- Spirit Day

Oct. 28-31 Parent Teacher Conferences

Oct. 31- No School/PTC

Nov. 1- No School

Noisy Change Collection- The 3rd graders are having a Noisy change collection at their mass on the 16th. They are donating their money to two organizations. There is a flyer in your child's take home folder explaining all the details. 

Math- We completed the first test. Our next chapter is on adding and subtracting decimals. I am not going to do every lesson in the chapter. We will hit on doing those two things as well as estimating decimals because that is just a harder concept for some kids to do. 

They are working on their X-tra math too! You will see certificates in their folders as they pass each one. 

Reading- This unit is about different genres in reading. Our first story is called Airborn. It is a longer story than we have had in the past. I have learned we cannot read it all in one day.  This story is fantasy. It is about a boy reading the journal of someone who took a ride in a hot air balloon and discovered a new animal. The animal flies in the air like a bird, but it looks like a bat and a panther mixed together! 

Grammar- We are working on identifying common and proper nouns. This is harder than you think. Sometimes proper nouns can really be used as an adjective. In the sentence- The American soldier returned home. American is an adjective describing the soldier.  Even some common nouns are so simple that we overthink it and miss it. For example: boys, girls, triangles steps. 

Spelling- The list this week has words sounding like oo or yoo. 

Book Reports- A number of them are finishing their books and working on their reports! Some of the projects can be done here at school. Some of the kids are using their free time to work on them. 

Religion- Most of the kids have passed their prayer tests. I have a few that only have one more to pass. I keep telling them they need to practice at home too, not just wait until religion class. On Friday, I will take them to the chapel and we will say a rosary there. 

Current Events- your kids have really been paying attention to the news and Hurricane Milton! Lots of prayers are being said each day for the people in Florida and surrounding areas.  Keep it up! 

They started working on their fire posters for the contest again. This is something they will work on at school. Lots of great ideas are happening! I am excited to see the posters! 

No school on Monday! PD day for the teachers! Enjoy your long weekend! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am heading to Sioux Falls to have a sisters weekend. My oldest sister had back surgery in August. My sister Penny and I are going to see her and hang out! 

God Bless, 

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents. 

 I hope you're having a great week! Lots of information in my blog today! 

Calendar Dates: 

Oct. 4- Homecoming/3 hour early out/Spirit Day

Oct. 14- No School/ PD Day

Oct. 18- Spirit Day

Oct. 28-31 Parent Teacher Conferences

Reading- They are taking their spelling posttest on Thursday. They will also take their weekly computer test then too. On Friday, they will take their first Module test. It's like a  unit test. I do let them use any notes they've taken through this unit . They have them in their composition notebook. Scores on weekly tests haven't been great, but I want to see how they do with the fiction stories in the next module. I still think some of them aren't going back to the story to look up the possible answers. Next week we will start our next unit. It has some fiction stories, which can be easier to read. 

Book Reports-Some have already finished their book report books and are starting to work on their projects. Some of those can be done at school. I have a few that I'm not sure they are really reading much of their book yet. They tell me their page numbers. They should be further along by now. They have had their books for a couple of weeks now. 

Book It- They have their Book It calendar for October. The goal is 600 minutes. That comes to about 20 minutes a day. I told them that if they read in their free time at school, they can keep track of those minutes and count them. 

Math- We are at the end of our chapter. They will most likely have a math test on Tuesday of next week. The next chapter is on adding and subtracting decimals. I think they will like this one a lot better. I don't know that I will test them in that chapter. I want to give them the practice of doing those things,  but we also need to be moving into multiplication and division. 

X-tra Math- This week we also started working on X-tra math to work on our basic facts. The time tests are good, but I think they need more daily practice with these skills.  Many of them did this in 3rd grade and at their old schools so it really isn't anything new. 

On Wednesday, we had extra time due to the rosary. I had them work in groups to play Kaboom. It is working on their multiplication facts. Ask them about the game! I think they had some fun! 

Religion- We are going to step away from the book for a bit. A couple of the standards they have to know in 5th grade deal with the Rosary. The first part will be memorizing two prayers we say in it. They have a purple sheet with those on it. Starting on Thursday they will work with a partner to practice memorizing it. They choose one prayer to focus on at a time. They have to say it to me in order to pass. They should also be taking that prayer home at night and practicing with you. The first chance to pass a prayer will be on Monday! They keep practicing and testing with me until they have it passed! 

The second thing they will be working on are the Mysteries of the Rosary. They don't memorize those, but there will be some posters being created on them. We also talk about what was happening at the time of each mystery with Jesus and Mary.

They did a FABULOUS job with the Rosary today!!! 

Spirit Day on Friday- wear your red and black to support the Panthers!  It is also a 3 hour early out! No lunch that day. 

The Parent Teacher Conference Sign-up will be happening soon. Don't forget to pick your day and time .

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy the parade if you're going. I am heading to Waterloo and Dubuque. My niece Olivia has a birthday on Friday and a soccer game at Loras on Saturday. I want to see her play. Most likely she won't see any playing time- she is a freshman, but I will get to see her with her team! Plus, I love the Loras campus. 

God Bless, 

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents, 

I hope everyone is having a great week! I am loving these fall temps! Did you enjoy Balloon Days? I am glad the rain held off for a little while! 

Calendar Dates: 

Oct. 2- Rosary led by 5th grade

Oct. 4- Homecoming/3 hour early out/Spirit Day

Oct. 14- No School/ PD Day]

Oct. 18- Spirit Day

Mass- 5th graders did a GREAT job at mass today! I was so proud. Next week they will be doing the Rosary. You're welcome to join us then too. We will be working on the rosary during  class in religion too. 

Rosary parts were handed out on Thursday! They should be practicing at home with you!!!! Not everyone has a part. 

Math- We have been working on rounding decimals this week. They are also problem solving with decimals. We are at the end of our chapter. They will most likely be taking a test  over this chapter sometime next week. 

We do time tests on Wednesdays- I am starting to see some scores going home each week, but I think some of them need to work on them at home too. If you have flashcards or just want to ask them facts for multiplication or division up to 10...that would be good too. Math is a lot easier for them when they know their facts quickly. 

Reading -This week we read a fantasy story called Captain Arsenio. He had many jobs, but wasn't able to really do any of them well. He decided he was going  to create a way to fly. We read three of his attempts. He tried really hard, but none of them worked. It was kind of funny to read and then look at the pictures of his journeys into the sky. I told the kids that reading a fantasy is different than reading a nonfiction story like the past two were. We are going to talk about the problems he faced each time and how he attempted to solve them with the next try. 

Grammar- This week is about finding the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence. 

Spelling- the list has words with a long I or a long O sound. They do have lists so you quiz them at home if you'd like. 

October 1 - Pep Rally in the gym for homecoming! Kids can wear their Black and Red or Panther gear that day if they want to. 

October 4 is a 3 hour early out for the Homecoming parade. No lunch that day at school. Kids can dress up in their Panther gear or their black and red to support the Panthers! It is also a Spirit Day! They can wear sweats and/or hats for $1. 

Have a great weekend! I am going to the Christ Your Life Convention at Wells Fargo on Sunday. 

God Bless, 

Miss Surma

 Dear Parents, I hope you're having a good week! Monday was weird with K-4 gone to Green Valley, but we enjoyed the day! 

Calendar Dates: 

Sept. 20- Spirit Day

Sept. 20-22 Balloon Days

Sept. 25- 5th grade mass

Oct. 2- Rosary led by 5th grade

Oct. 4- Homecoming/3 hour early out/Spirit Day

Religion- They have a test on Thursday. I have given out mass parts for next week. The people with reading parts should practice at home. I hope you can join us next week at mass.

Father will be gone on October 2 so we are doing a rosary instead of mass. I am having some of the 5th graders lead it. Not everyone will have a part. This leads us into our next part in religion class rather well. October is the month of the Rosary. In 5th grade they have to memorize 2 of the prayers of  the rosary. I will give them a paper with both prayers on it. They should work on this at home as well as at school. They also work on learning more about each mystery of the Rosary. 

Reading- They will take their next reading test on Friday. On that day I am also going to assign their first book report. They will have 6 weeks to complete the book and project. I give them a packet with a bunch of ideas for what kind of project they want to create. They can only choose one. They will keep that packet in their homework folder to look back at it when they need more information. You can find it there if you want to check it out. 

In our story this week they learned about a young girl who was paralyzed in a hang gliding accident. She hated her wheelchair because it was big and ugly. She talked to her friends who built hang gliders. They used their materials to build a better wheelchair. These wheelchairs can be seen being used by Paralympians! That's so cool that she made that happen! 

Math- This week we have been working on writing decimals in expanded and standard form. This has been harder because they have to figure out the decimal value.  Today (Wednesday) they had to read the decimals to me how you say them. I have taught them to say "and" in place of the word  "point".  For example, the decimal might be 12.345. They have to say it to me as twelve and three hundred forty-five thousandths.  We worked on comparing decimals and writing them from least to greatest. They thought today's lesson was  easy! 

Computers- This week I did have an incident where two of the 5th graders were trying to use the camera on their Chromebook to take pictures of themselves when they were supposed to be working on Successmaker. I told them they signed a technology contract on the appropriate way to handle them  and this wasn't part of that. I also warned them that if they continue to sneak to do things on their Chromes... I can and will take them away. I am just letting you all know this so you are aware. 

Spirit Day is this Friday, September 20. Hats and or sweats for $1.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy Balloon Days! I hope the rain doesn't stop activities! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents, I hope you're having a good week! We sure had a great time at Green Valley State Park! It was such a beautiful day! I hope grades K-4 have a great time on Monday!

Calendar Dates: 

Sept. 20- Spirit Day

Sept. 20-22 Balloon Days

Sept. 25- 5th grade mass

Oct. 4- Rosary led by 5th grade

Reading- They took their first test this week. Scores were not that good. First, I am not surprised. They need to get back into these and remember how they work. Second, they need to take more time. I am stressing that they read or listen and read the stories more than one time before they answer questions. Third, they need to remember to go back and look up things in the story or ask me questions if they don't understand what it being asked. I can sometimes reword it in a way that makes sense. 

Spelling- they took their next pretest on Wednesday.  We will start our new story this week. Week 2 is always two short stories. We will read both of them, but I will focus more on one than the other.  The grammar this week will focus more on identifying the four kinds of sentences.  They do DOL every week to work on fixing sentences, so my hope is that this will help with the grammar lessons too. 

Math- We are working on decimals and their place values now. This gets a little bit trickier for them to understand. Tenths and Hundredths are easier to relate to because I can talk about money -- dimes and pennies. Thousandths is harder to understand. They are learning how to write it as a decimal and as a fraction. 0.25 = 25/100   0.6= 6/10   0.874= 874/1000.

I see scores rising for the most part on our weekly time tests. If there is something you want to do to help- quiz your child on their facts when you're riding in the car, hanging out, doing chores, etc. I think some of them need some more regular practice. 

Religion- We have been talking about the Incarnation - God being made flesh by sending us Jesus.  We also talked about the Blessed Trinity. They had to draw a picture of one thing and then label the parts Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Once I have them all, I will post a picture on my Facebook page. (If you're on Facebook, remember to sign up for my page so you can see the pictures I post of different things they do. St. Malachy Fabulous Fifth Grade is what you want to search up!  This week they learned about Saint Damien. He was missionary priest who volunteered to go to Molokai, Hawaii to teach and help the lepers that were forced to move there so they wouldn't spread the disease. He is one of my favorites. We are nearing the end of our chapter. They will be getting a study guide soon! 

Next week I will hand out their mass parts for September 25. I was able to give everyone a job! They will also be leading the Rosary for the school on October 4. We don't have mass that day because Father will be gone.  Not everyone will have a part for that service. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I plan on cleaning my house! I know...so exciting! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Families! I hope everyone had a great weekend! My sister and I made it to 12 different book stores in eastern Iowa. I really loved seeing towns like Bellevue and Fort Madison. They are right on the Mississippi River! So so pretty. 

Calendar Dates

Sept. 6- Spirit Day Hats and/or Sweats for $1

Sept. 9-FAST Testing begins /Field Trip to Green Valley

Sept. 25- 5th grade mass

Field Trip- Please make sure you return the green and white permission slips for the field trip to Green Valley by Friday. If you haven't paid the $5, please do so. Thank you!   Don't forget they will need a sack lunch that day with a drink. They also need to wear clothes and shoes they can get dirty. I am saying no sandals. I think tennis shoes will be easier for them to get around and safer. 

Reading- We have read the story about Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. It is a narrative nonfiction story about Henry and Thomas' inventions, but also the things that didn't work! The lesson Henry learns from Thomas is to never give up on his ideas! Due to our field trip on Monday, they will test over this story on Tuesday. They will also have their spelling post test on Tuesday. 

Grammar- this week they are learning about writing complete sentences.  On Tuesday, we picked apart sentences to figure out if they were complete, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splice sentences. 

Math- we are working on writing numbers in standard, written, and expanded form through the millions.  Standard- 8,879   Written- eight thousand, eight hundred seventy-eight  Expanded- (8 x 1,000) + (8 x 100) + (7 x 10) + (9 x 1). I find that the kids can say the number or read it to me, but when they have to break down the number by place value that is where they stumble. We will get there! 

Religion- They are working on the first story in the Bible. Genesis tells us the story of Creation. We work on learning about that and what God truly wanted for us. He created all things and thought of them as  "good". 

Spirit Day- Tomorrow is our celebration of the Cy-Hawk Game this weekend! They can wear their gear and a hat and or sweatpants for $1. They don't have to wear Cy-Hawk gear.  I won't be wearing that! I'm a UNI girl.  If they want to wear their Creston Panther gear- they can ! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! My sister and I are meeting in Des Moines  on Friday night to meet the author Jodi Picoult! I am so excited! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents! We are into our first week! Things are going pretty well, I think! The kids are slowly learning how things might be a little different in my room. I think we will all be tired by Friday from our busy week and this heat! 

Calendar Dates

Sept.2- No School/ Labor Day

Sept. 4- Back to School Picnic 5:30 pm

Sept. 6- Spirit Day Hats and/or Sweats for $1

Sept. 9-FAST Testing begins 

Sept. 25- 5th grade mass

Car-line Pick up- I know this is a slower process this year. That is due to two things. We don't have the trolley in town right now. We also have new sod that has been put down so the kids have been instructed they cannot walk or stand on it.  Please remember that if you're picking up your child or a grandparent is that you cannot leave the car line until all the cars in front of you move. Once your child is in the car, you wait for the cars ahead of you to get theirs. Once the first car starts to move away and back on to the road, the cars behind it can follow suit. It is for the safety of the other cars and the children still loading into other cars . Please be patient. In a few weeks it will run more smoothly. 

Reading- We started our first story this week. We haven't really gotten our routine down yet because some days I am still teaching something new to them and the process takes longer than I remember! Once we get our groove going, things will flow more smoothly. 

They had their first spelling test on Tuesday. I gave them a copy of their words to study for the post test. I don't know exactly when that will be yet because we are out of sink. Some kids got a shortened list- I highlighted their words. Those are the ones they need to study. I really suggest having them practice with you at home and writing them in cursive. Writing in cursive is what takes them the most time because they aren't used to it. The list is in print, but I rewrite their words in cursive on the pretest if they want to see how to connect letters. I also explained I get picky. N's should have 2 humps, M's have 3. T's should be crossed. Your E's and L's shouldn't be the same size. All words are written in lowercase. 

Math- our first chapter is working with decimals and learning the place value names of those. We work with tenths, hundredths, and thousandths. We also learn how to say those fun words! One of the first lessons I let them use calculators... so there will be a little instruction on that too if needed. 

We will do time tests. I do those on Wednesdays because then I don't have to worry about switching classes or specials.  You will see their tests in their folders. They will color in a bar graph for me so they can see their progress. 

Assignment Books- I told the kids we aren't going to worry and stress about NOT having one just yet. For now those who don't , can write on scratch paper. I will still sign it. I told them they don't need to worry about returning that to me unless we have a lot of homework one day. I just want you to see it, so you know what they did. I do really work to give them time to work in class so they don't have much to take home. If they are choosing to do other things like look around the room or visit or go to the bathroom during that work time...they might have stuff to take home at night. 

Religion- Mrs. Ramsey and I met with the Catholic kids in grades 4-8 to train them to be servers at our school masses. Father Patrick also allows non-Catholics to do this job! We had a full chapel! I was excited to see so many kids. I am proud of the non-Catholics who want to help out! We are just in our books. The beginning of the year is all about locating Bible verses in the Bible. That will be their first activity. 

Welcome Back Picnic is set for Wednesday, September 4 at 5:30. Even Classrooms bring a cold dish. Odd Classrooms bring a hot dish. If you have one of each- choose one! 

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend! Enjoy the extra day! I am planning on going to my sister's house in Waverly. We are  trying to collect our stickers for the Iowa Independent Book Store tour. We plan on hitting the ones on the Eastern side of Iowa. Safe travels to any of you who are traveling this weekend! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 

Dear Parents,

It's my last blog! I cannot believe our year is almost over. Where did the time go??

Just a few reminders at first. 

Tonight the concert starts at 6. Band kids should be there by 5:30 and non-band by 5:45. Wear mass Day attire. 

Thursday- They should have an empty book bag with them to school so they can clean out their desks and lockers. 

Friday is  Field Day. You are welcome to come and watch. We are doing a clap out for the 8th graders around noon. It is a 3 hour early out so the kids will not get lunch here . Make sure they wear tennis shoes for the field day events! 

Okay, so now I am going to be a little mushy. I have truly enjoyed every minute with this group of kids. I am really not ready to let them go, but I can tell they are ready for summer and 6th grade. I don't think there hasn't been a day when they haven't made me chuckle or laugh out loud for some reason. They are just such great supporters for each other. They are willing to help and try new things out! They have buckets of energy. I think they will do well in middle school. I know I will miss walking into the music room to pick them up and hearing their beautiful voices sing! I hope all of you have a wonderful summer! Do something fun! I don't have major plans but to read the books that are piling up on my bookshelves. I do have plans for a weekend at Okoboji with my sisters in August.  

I love your kids! I will miss them!! Enjoy your summer!!! 

Love,

Miss Surma

 Hello Families! We had a busy week! They did such a great job at mass!!! Can't wait for everyone to hear the bells next week! 

Calendar Dates: 

May 17- 8th grade graduation/Spirit Day

May 22- Spring Concert/ Last School Mass for the year

May 24-Last Day of School/ Field Day/ 3 hour early out

Reading- I decided we would end our year writing another story. Every year I read the book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg. It is a series of pictures, a title and sentence to go with the picture. The kids then have to choose one! They write their story based on that. The one sentence that is given has to be used somewhere in their story. It is a lot of fun to see what they come up with for their stories. 

They did a great job on their book reports! I think everyone learned something they didn't know! The costumes were great! I will be grading those as quickly as I can, but right now I am without internet at home- hopefully fixed tomorrow! It's been a quiet week at my house! I don't think I could have handled life on the prairie. I need noise in the background! 

Silent Book Club Day- On Wednesday, May 22, we are going to have a silent book club day! There is a flyer in your child's folder with the details! This will be similar to Mrs. Sickels' Cuddle Up and Read Day.  

Math- We have been doing our math FAST testing this week so we haven't done much in the classroom. We will be getting to subtract mixed numbers! They will learn how to borrow with fractions before they can subtract their numerators. 

Religion- Our last chapter covers the Sacraments of Healing -- Penance and Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. We will probably get in one more test before the year ends. 

Spirit Day on Friday, May 17! Hats and/or sweats for $1. This is the last one for the year! 

All library books need to be returned by May 22.

Permission Slip- In your child's folder is a permission slip for an afternoon at Rainbow Park for the 4th and 5th graders. Unfortunately we didn't make enough money at last year's auction to take them to the Boone Scenic Valley Railroad like we had hoped. We are going to use some of that money next week to buy snacks and drinks for them to enjoy at the park.  We are going to walk over and let them play! We will need someone with a car over there in case we have an emergency, as well as have them cart over some play equipment and the snacks and drinks.  We have looked at the weather forecast and we do see rain. If we need to cancel, we decided we will do a movie afternoon in our rooms. They will need a water bottle that day to take with them! Make sure to wear shoes that are easy to walk in! 

If you would like to join us on the walk and hang out with us at the park, you are more than welcome.  You can also drive over there if that is easier. Just let me know! We plan on leaving here at 12:45. We will be back at school by 2:45 or 2:5o.  We know this is really short notice, sorry about that! We just kind of threw this idea together!  Please return the permission slip by Monday. 

Thursday, May 23- Clean out Desks and Lockers- Make sure they have an empty book bag or two  for school that day!! 

Congrats to Harper for winning the Dollars for Scholars Essay Contest for 5th grade!!! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am heading to Waterloo on Friday for my niece Olivia's graduation. I will miss out on the 8th grade graduation. 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents, I had a great weekend last week. I got to watch my niece play soccer and score the first goal for her team! I also enjoyed every minute of helping her get ready for prom. She was beautiful! I might be biased! She also named won Prom Queen!!! I was able to watch Grace graduate in Colorado via livestream. I saw part of Emily's graduation too, but prom activities got busy! It was a great fun! 

Calendar Dates: 

May 8-12  Archery Nationals

May 15-  Final Book Report Due/ 5th Mass Day

May 17- 8th grade graduation/Spirit Day

May 24-Last Day of School/ Field Day/ 3 hour early out

Reading- This week we finished up our story on Phillis Wheatley, an African American slave who wrote poetry. She wanted to get it published, but the publishers didn't believe she was the one who wrote it. She had to go in front of 18 men in the Bay Colony and sit through an examination to prove herself! She is the first African American slave to get her poetry published. Their spelling test will be on Thursday as well as their weekly module test. On Friday, they will take their Module Test( unit test). 

Book Reports are due on Wednesday. They should bring their costume to school that day. I think I will be able to get through most, if not all of them that day! 

Math- We are working through our fractions! This week we are adding mixed numbers with unlike denominators and simplifying them!!! There are lots of steps to go through along with lots of sighing and complaints, but they are doing it!!! I told them I wasn't going to stop teaching and pushing them to do more even though they are sighing and complaining. I don't know if we will test over this chapter before the year is out, but I am going to get us as close to the end of it as possible. 

Religion- We started a new chapter. This one covers the Sacraments of Healing which are Penance and Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. We dive into what the receive when they go to confession and the kinds of things they should confess. 

They are doing mass next week with kindergarten. They are also playing their hand bells at mass! I am excited to listen to that! You're more than welcome to come!

Last Day of School is a 3 hour early out! They will need a big bag or two on that Thursday, May 23 because I will have them clean out their desks and lockers then. No lunch at school on the last day. 

Good Luck to Ava, Finn, Leo and Quentin at Archery Nationals! 

Congrats to the 5th grade class! They got 1st place in the Glow-A-Thon for laps! They will get a Dilly Bar party next week!!! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Are you going to Market on Maple?  I am planning on it! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Families, I hope everyone is safe and sound after last Friday's storms and tornado. I had just arrived at my brother's house in Waterloo when the text messages started coming in! I was praying for all! We continue to pray for those affected by the storms. 

Calendar Dates: 

May 2- Glow Run Lap-A-Thon

May 3- Public School Band Experience/ Spirit Day

May 8-12  Archery Nationals

May 15-  Final Book Report Due/ 5th Mass Day

May 17- 8th grade graduation

May 24-Last Day of School

Reading- They took their test on Tuesday  along with the spelling test. On Wednesday, we will start our last story in this module. That means they will have a new spelling test on Wednesday. I have it planned out that next week we will wrap up this story. I plan on the next spelling post test to be on Thursday, May 9. By next Friday, they will be taking a Module (unit test). The kids that are gone for archery will take them on the Monday they return.  

Book Reports are due on May 15. They should pack their costume in their bag that day. I think I will be able to get through most of them, if not all! 

Religion- They will test over our most recent chapter on Thursday. This one covered the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Last Friday, we started our Guidance books. I think we will get into more of that next week. 

Math-This week we worked on adding and subtracting of fractions with unlike denominators making sure to use the lowest common denominator possible. It became slightly more challenging when they had to add and subtract 3 different fractions within the same problem. For example: (1/2 + 3/30) - 2/20.  I haven't focused on simplifying yet. I wanted them to understand what the process to rename them before they add or subtract. I think we are there now so that is our next step!  They will also be adding mixed numbers with unlike denominators. 

Glow Run on Thursday!!! Wear bright colors, white, or neon so you glow in the dark while you run. Make sure to return your  fundraiser forms!!! 

Friday- They need to be at school EARLY! They will load the trolley at 7:55 am. Mrs. Warner will be in charge. Make sure to eat breakfast at home! They will be back at 9:00. I know some of them are excited! 

I am going to be gone on Friday. I am taking a personal day and heading to Waterloo. My niece Olivia is a senior and has a soccer game that night. This is my chance to see her play. It is also her senior prom weekend! My brother and sister-in-law are going to go to Dubuque on Friday because Olivia's older sister graduates on Saturday from Loras College. To top it all off their oldest child is graduating from her college in Colorado on Friday! Talk about needing to be in more than one place at a time! Sadly, they knew they couldn't do it all. I am going to take care of all the prom activities with Olivia while they celebrate Emily in Dubuque all weekend! WE will all celebrate Gracelyn when she comes back to Iowa for Olivia's graduation. 

Mary Brown will be my sub. She will go with Mrs. Warner to the public school. If you have any messages or concerns on Friday, contact the office. They will let the kids know. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

Hello Parents! I hope you're having a GREAT week! We are down to 4 Mondays! I cannot believe that! 

Calendar Dates: 

April 26- Spirit Day/ Earth Day

April 30 Back Up Day for Clean Up Day

May 2- Glow Run Lap-A-Thon

May 3- Public School Band Experience/ Spirit Day

May 8-12  Archery Nationals

May 15-  Final Book Report Due/ 5th Mass Day

May 17- 8th grade graduation

May 24-Last Day of School

Glow Run- The kids will have their lap-a-thon on May 2 during their PE time. If they have shorts or T-shirts that glow in the dark have them wear them! Extra fun! They should return their donation papers that went home in their take home folders before May 2. Remember for every $50 they raise, they get a can of Silly String

Reading- This week they read 2 stories. One was on Rita Moreno. She had to deal with a lot of discrimination in her acting and singing career. I did show them a scene of her singing and dancing in West Side Story.  I gave them a short little explanation of that movie. Some wanted to watch it.  Then we read about Louis Armstrong. His story was told from the point of view of his cornet. His start was in New Orleans, but then later moved to Chicago.  We did listen to a couple of his songs. In grammar they are working on adverbs. Words that describe the verb in the sentence. They can answer the questions - how? when? where? and how often? They are trickier because normally the kids want to pick out the verbs. They will test over this story next week. The spelling post test will be on Tuesday, April 30. 

They will need to bring their book report costumes on May 15! 

Math- They are adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators this week.  I have shown them about simplifying, but that isn't our focus just yet. The focus right now is to pick the smallest common denominator and renaming before they can add and subtract. We will also be getting into adding and subtracting mixed numbers! 

Religion- We are working on understanding the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as it pertains to when they get confirmed. We are also talking about the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. We talked a lot about Fortitude (courage) and our saints who became martyrs. They showed lots of courage because they were willing to die for their faith.  We did talk on Tuesday about the 4 steps the Catholic church takes to name someone a saint. 

Spirit Day on Friday! Sweats for $1. It is also Clean Up Day. Bring rakes and gloves! Donate $1 to the school for us to purchase flowers for outside our doors. The rain delay date is set for Tuesday, April 30.

Permission Slips- If you have not returned the permission slip that was sent home last week about going to the public school for band...please do so as soon as possible. Thank you! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am heading to Waterloo. My niece Olivia is in her high school's  spring musical so I am going to go watch her perform! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 

Hello Parents! What a wild week of weather! We did enjoy listening to the thunder on Tuesday morning ! 

Calendar Dates: 

April 18- Spend It or Save It Assembly for 5th-8th graders

April 19- No School / PD Day

April 24- Puberty Video 

April 26- Spirit Day/ Earth Day

May 2- Glow Run Lap-A-Thon

May 3- Public School Band Experience/ Spirit Day

May 15-  Final Book Report Due

May 17- 8th grade graduation

Reading- This week we finished up our story on The Gates. They had their spelling test and weekly test on Wednesday.  On Thursday, we have our spelling pretest and start our next story. This one is about two artists. They will read a short biography on Rita Moreno, the singer and actress. You may know her from West Side Story.  We will also be reading a fictionalized biography on Louis Armstrong.  That is a biography about a person's life, but it has some made up parts in it. I plan on showing the kids some of their performances.  I am excited to read about them. I know their work, but not a lot about their journey. In grammar we are moving on to adverbs. 

Religion- We finished up our Easter chapter with the focus being on The Road to Emmaus story. We are in a new chapter now. We read about the story of Saul and how he was against Christianity. We read a little about St. Stephen and how he taught about Jesus, but then was stoned to death for this. We learned that Saul was there at the time. He didn't participate in the death of Stephen, but he agreed with the people who were against Stephen. It wasn't until Saul lost his sight after his conversation with Jesus and then healed by Ananias that he had his conversion and later became Paul. I was so excited  when I asked the kids who Paul was and they told me...he wrote the Letter to the Corinthians and wrote letters from jail! YES! YES! YES!!! 

Math- We are working on FRACTIONS!! We started by estimating fractions to the nearest 0, 1/2 or 1. Next we are renaming fractions so they have the same denominator. Our next step will be to rename these fractions and then add them.  On Tuesday, we talked about always writing fraction in the simplest form which means one of those numbers has to be a prime number. So, I started the process of teaching them how to simplify using division. As always some get it quickly while others take a little longer, but I think they are happy we aren't doing long division!!! 

Permission Slip- In your child's folder is a permission slip from Mrs. Warner. She would like to take the 5th graders on Friday, May 3, to the public school so they can watch and listen to their 6th grade band. We talked and decided to take all the kids- not just the band kids. I figured the others would enjoy the experience as well! They will need to be at school early that morning and will travel over on the trolley. They will be back by 9 am. They should definitely eat breakfast at home! They won't be able to eat it at school. Please return the papers as soon as you can. Thank you!!! 

Friday, April 19- No School! It is a PD Day for us! We usually take a PD day to do some act of service. This year we are helping out Mark O'Riley fill the food bags at the Food Shelf. Then we are coming back to school and cleaning certain rooms.  Enjoy the extra day on your weekend! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  Mrs. Sickels, Mrs. Burg, and I finished our LETRs class on Tuesday night so I won't have that homework! I may actually be able to read for fun! 

I plan on going to mass on Sunday so I can listen to the children's choir!

God Bless, 

Miss Surma

Dear Parents, I hope this week has been a good one! Watching the eclipse on Monday was really cool. I can't imagine the total blackout that some people were able to experience. My sister in Maine and my nephew in Ohio had quite the show ! 

Calendar Dates: 

April 18- Spend It or Save It Assembly for 5th-8th graders

April 19- No School / PD Day

April 26- Spirit Day/ Earth Day

Reading- We have been mostly testing this week so we haven't had a lot of reading class time. We are continuing to work on our story called The Gates when we get the opportunity. 

Math- We are starting our fractions chapter. 

Religion- we are working through our Easter chapter. Soon we will be adding our Guidance book to our religion class time. Just a reminder- the guidance book focuses more on relationships with family, friends, and God.  We will do this alongside religion classes. I won't replace it. 

April 19- No School! It is a PD day for the teachers! Enjoy your longer weekend! 

Permission Slip- There will be a form in your child's folder. I will be showing a puberty video to the boys and one to the girls on April 24. Before Covid the public school nurses would do this for me. Since Covid, I show the video in class. We separate the boys and girls so no one is uncomfortable! It really doesn't go into major details. Its a video of kids explaining how their bodies are changing and will change in the next few years. The girls' video does talk to them about their periods.  Please sign the slip and return as soon as possible.  When your child isn't watching the video, they will be in the kindergarten room helping kindergartners with whatever they are working on. Mrs. Chesling said she would be happy for the extra help! I plan on showing one video in the morning and the other in the afternoon on April 24.

ISASP- We will be done with testing on Thursday!  Then we can back to some normalcy with our schedule! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy the beautiful weather!!! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Parents, I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I had a great time with my family in Waterloo and Waverly. 

Calendar Dates

April 5- Spirit Day

April 8- Eclipse Day

Apr. 8-12 ISASP Week

Apr. 19- No School/  PD Day

Apr.26- Earth Day Cleanup/ Spirit Day

Reading- We started a new module on Monday. This unit will be all about different kinds of art.  On Tuesday, we read the story The Gates.  It is a story about a couple of artists that worked for 26 years to get New York City to say "yes" to their art construction idea for Central Park. They finally agreed to it and made them sign a 43 page contract! It cost them 26 million dollars to create the art piece and erect it throughout Central Park! Then it was only up for 2 weeks in 2005.  We were all in shock by the the persistence of them to not give up! The 5th graders couldn't understand why it was up for only 2 weeks, but we inferred it was part of the contract deal they signed! https://images.app.goo.gl/4d6DxsqpxAugu8Cg8  Click here if you want to see a picture of the art piece! It went all throughout the park.  The grammar for this story will be adjectives. On Tuesday, we found adjectives in sentences and then figured out if they answered- how many? what kind? or origin?  Their spelling list this week is covering words that drop the final-y before adding their endings....-ier -ies  -ied  -iest

Math- On Tuesday, they started their practice test which was finished on Wednesday. They will go over it on Thursday with me. The real test will be on Friday. 

Religion- We are finishing up the movie we started last week. Once that is done we will work on the Easter chapter in our book. 

Spirit Day is this Friday! Sweats and/or a hat for $1!!! 

ISASPs- On Wednesday, I started giving the 5th graders practice tests for the ISASPs. This year they will have one extra test to take. They will take a test in science. That is a test for the 5th and 8th graders.  Next Monday we will start testing. My plan is to do one a day. They will have their tests in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday, we will do one after their recess. I think our morning time will be too short after practicing mass and then going to  it.  I always tell the kids to try to get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast ( if they are breakfast people, and then just do their best). They aren't really timed anymore so they don't have that added pressure. I will try to keep the room quiet and relaxed during the tests. 

Dollars for Scholars Essays- The 3 winners from our class are Presley, Harlow, and Harper! One of these three will win the scholarship. We usually don't know who that is until May. Congrats!!! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Hopefully there will be some nice temperatures so that we can all be outside! I see tulips blooming in my yard! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma