Hello Parents! I hope you are having a great week! I am so looking forward to the warmer weather they keep talking about this weekend! I know it won't feel like winter, but I will suffer through just fine!

Reconciliation- Next week Thursday we will have students receive this sacrament. We try to do this during Advent and Lent. So, I will be talking to them about examining their conscience and the things they want to share with Father.  In religion we are working on a chapter that covers the Advent season.

Geography Bee- The final round will be next Friday, December 19 at 10:15 in the morning. We will be in the gym. If your child is in the final round you are welcome to come watch! If your child didn't make it that far, but you love geography, you are more than welcome to come watch! If you just want to get out of the house for a little while, come and watch! I have 3 of my 5th graders in it this year! Good luck Aliyah, Megan, and Rowan! We will be cheering you on!

Reading- This week we are reading a nonfiction piece about Molly Pitcher. She actually helped the soldiers during the Revolutionary War alongside her husband William Hays. She took care of the injured and  helped the sick, but she  is most known for carrying a pitcher of water to the soldiers during the battle! They would yell out, "MOLLY---PITCHER!"  That is how she got her name! The day was very hot and humid! She ran around giving them drinks of water from a nearby spring. At one point, she was helping load a cannon. She was remarkable! I think the 5th graders enjoyed this story! We are also working more with verbs- specifically irregular verbs. These verbs don't add -ed or -d to form the past tense of the verb. For example: go:went, buy:bought, and leave:left.

Math- We are finishing up our chapter on adding and subtracting decimals today. Tomorrow we will review for the test. The test will be on Monday. I will tell them to take the sample review home tomorrow to do some more practicing over the weekend. I know they have the adding and subtracting down. The key things they need to remember are to drop the decimal into their answer and pay attention to the addition and subtraction signs. An area that may need practice is estimating by rounding and using benchmark numbers. I create a number line for them to compare benchmark numbers.   I will make a copy for them to use over the weekend. The last thing they need to work on is reading the story problems and trying to focus on what is being asked of them. Do they need to add or subtract? Many of them in the end of our chapter have been multi-step problems.          

Music- The 4th and 5th graders will be singing at the Congregate Meal Site at the depot on Monday, December 22. We are just planning to walk there. Mrs. Mullin will be sending out a permission form I believe. We will be back in time to eat lunch here at school.

Christmas Program-- We will be going to the YMCA next Friday as a school to do a dress rehearsal. The program is on Sunday, December 21 at 2:00. If you are not able to make it, please let Mrs. Mullin know ASAP. There will be a permission form going home for that today I believe.

December 23- It is an hour early out. Students will need a sack lunch that day. Milk will be provided. We will be caroling in the gym before we leave for break, if you'd like to come and join us from 1:30-2:00.      

I hope you have a great weekend! God Bless, Miss Surma