Hello Parents, Did everyone enjoy Easter?? I hope so! The weather was perfect! I hope you are having a great week! I hope the sun shows up soon! 

Reading- This week we are reading a nonfiction piece called Lewis and Clark. It is about the expedition west in the 1800s. We also read a short book called The History of the Fur Trade. I think I learned quite a bit about that business that I had not known before. This week in grammar we are working on contractions with verbs and pronouns. Their spelling has been covering the suffix -ion. This is the last story in this unit. I do not want to test them over this unit next week when they are already doing the Iowa Assessments. I decided that the following week will be Unit 5 testing. I am not sure what this will do to scores, but I just am not comfortable trying to get it into next week as well. 

"The Baker's Neighbor"- I plan on them working on this play the week of April 20-24 too. We will do some testing each day on our unit and then work on practicing the play. I will give them the scripts next week. I will hold try-outs on Friday of next week. That way they can start memorizing their lines over the weekend. The play will be performed at 2:15 on Friday, April 24 in the gym. The play lasts only about 10 minutes, if you can take off work to come and watch--please do! We only do the one performance! I don't want to mess with schedules. 

Math- Please look at the blog I posted on Wednesday! That will show you in pictures what they have been working on!!! They are loving the fraction strips! 

Deborah Pope- Please keep her in your prayers. Most of you probably know her heart was not in good shape. She needed a heart transplant.  I was notified on Wednesday that they had a heart for her.  As of Wednesday morning, she was in Omaha at the hospital waiting for the heart to arrive. She is in surgery this morning (Thursday).  We pray for her and Rowan that things would go well for the surgery and that recovery will be smooth. 

Iowa Assessments-- They will be testing on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. At this point I don't have any testing being done on Wednesday or Friday. We plan on still having our afternoon classes. I will get math in when I am able. The best thing you can do is make sure they get plenty of sleep and a good breakfast each morning. Probably the most important they can do??? Just do your best! That is all I ask of them!  The PTO will be supplying snacks.  I also provide "brain food" during the tests-- suckers, mints, Jolly Ranchers,etc. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am actually staying in Creston! ;)
God Bless, Miss Surma