Have I told you lately how much I love my 5th graders????

They "surprised" me with a 5th Grade Memories scrapbook today, I did remind them our year isn't over yet! HA! Inside was a page for each student, including Nate! It was so sweet! We went through each page and giggled at the things they wrote! I certainly won't forget them and I will dread May 26 when I have to see them move on! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, 5th graders! You have a special place in my heart! 

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

  This week the 5th graders started learning how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators! They were given fraction strips to work out their problems. This was a great way for them to "see" it happening. They had so much fun! They will be learning the traditional way to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators, but not just yet. They are first going to work on estimating fraction sums and differences using Benchmark numbers and fractions--0,1/2,1! 

The problem was 7/8- 1/4= 5/8

The problem was 5/6-1/2 =1/3

Hi Parents, 
I hope you are having a great week!  At the time of my writing this blog, your kids are watching the "video". :)  They were so funny before lunch! They were sure they should have seen it BEFORE they ate today! 

Dollars for Scholars- They wrote their essays this week. I had completely forgotten about it. Thanks to Macy for reminding me! The 3 that will go on to be judged for the $50 certificate are: Macy, Megan, and Halle. I had 3 other teachers read the essays to choose the three they think answered the question. 5th graders are given 6 traits and have to choose one. Then they have to explain how that trait is important to their education. Some of the traits are respect, caring, citizenship, and responsibility. I am really happy I didn't have to choose the 3 because I thought they were a lot of good ones! 

Book Report- I have given them the outline for their book report. It will be due on May 8. That gives them about 6 weeks. Many have already chosen their person. If they need help picking, let me know. Remember they are to read a book about this person. The internet is only to be used to find extra information or if they couldn't find something in their book. I told them for their costume to please not go out and buy anything unless absolutely necessary. I told them to look in their closets, your closets, grandparents, or ask friend first to borrow something. If they choose to type the report and don't have access to a computer, let me know. We can make arrangements to work in the library before or after school. 

Reading- This week we read a story called Rachel's Journal.  This story is a young girl's journal about her family moving across America in the 1850's. We talked a lot about how difficult it was for them and the different challenges they had to face. In grammar we are talking about comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs.  For example, we are talking about when to use good, better, best or bad, worse, worst as adjectives. This also means when do we add -er or -est to the adjective? On Wednesday, we talked about adverbs and putting more or most in front of them.  The adverbs we dealt with all ended in -ly. Their spelling this week was about working with prefixes. That also worked into our decoding this week. We broke the word into the prefix and the base or root word.  They are testing today over spelling and the story since we don't have school tomorrow. 

Math-- Okay we had to do a few days of corrections with adding our fractions with like denominators and ordering them.  Last week they did have a couple of problems with VERY LARGE denominators! Luckily the computer gave me a website just to type the numbers in to find it! It still required a lot of work for them. They had to go back to multiplying and dividing! Next week we are going to start back in our book with adding and subtracting with unlike denominators. 

Religion- This week they finished up their chapter. Next week we have mass to prepare for and I will be showing them the movie The Ten Commandments. I usually show it this week, but I wanted to finish up our chapter. Today we will be going to the chapel for the Stations of the Cross. 

Young Writers- Mrs. Burg will be sending home information on this trip. Just a reminder, I will give them their homework on Tuesday that they will be needing for what we do on Wednesday while they are gone. They will need a sack lunch and a drink. I told them I hope they have GREAT weather! I usually end up going on the days we have rain or thunderstorms! 

FYI-- Iowa Assessment Week is April 13-17.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter! I am heading to Doon...once again! :)  I am celebrating it with my mom and my oldest sister and her family. 
God Bless, Miss Surma

Hello Parents! I hope everyone is having a great week! Did you have a nice spring break? I hope so!!! Your kids sounded like they enjoyed themselves!!! This means our days are really numbered! Lots to do!!!

Reminder: Next week we don't have school on Friday. The teachers will have professional development.

Reading-- This week we read a story called Vaqueros. This is a story about the history of the "cowboys"! The Spanish name is Vaqueros or cow-men. It can be brought all the way back to Christopher Columbus! It also told us about how the invention of barbed-wire was the beginning of the decline for the need of cowboys. In grammar we talked about easily confused verbs and words such as: their, there, and they're, good, well, effect, affect, lie and lay, rise and raise. Hopefully through our discussion they are a little less confusing now! We also talked about adages and proverbs on Wednesday. It was fun to discuss with the kids because they were telling me adages and proverbs as ways to explain the ones I was giving them in class! They were also telling me ones that you say at home!
Book Reports-- The kids are telling me they are coming up with their ideas for their biography or autobiography for the book reports. I will be going over that with them next week.
Book Order-- I am sending home a book order! Sorry I haven't done this in awhile, but there doesn't seem to be any interest. If you are going to order, please have it in by next Thursday! Thanks!

Math- We are working through those fractions! This week they are learning to find the common denominator of the 2 or 3 fractions. They could then compare them as well as list them from least to greatest. I would think next week some time we will be able to start back in the book. That is my hope anyway.

Religion- We are finishing up our chapter this week. They will be testing over it next week. My plan is to take them to the chapel on Thursday so we can say the Stations of the Cross. They will also be helping Mr. Walsh and myself with setting up for the Seder Meal on Thursday. It's become a 5th grade tradition! :)  The week after Easter I plan on showing them the movie Ten Commandments. I usually show it before we do the Seder Meal, but I just ran out of time.

Video-- Just a reminder the Puberty Video will be next Wednesday!!! :)

Friday will be the final day they can wear sweats and hats, have their electronics and a water bottle. Don't forget your quarters! We will be doing one more Noisy Change Collection next Wednesday at mass!

Young Writer's Conference-- This is held each year in Lamoni on Graceland's campus. Mrs. Burg will be taking the students from 3-5 that are going. Macy, Mallory, and Rowan will be going from our classroom. It was great to hear from the 5th graders that have gone already tell them about what a great time they had there!!!  I told those that haven't gone not to worry--they would get the chance in middle school as well!

Read Aloud-- April is the Holocaust Remembrance month. I read the book The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen every year. Just to let you know, this story is historical fiction. Your children will get some idea of what it was like in the concentration camps through Chaya's eyes, but it is not a gruesome description. The beginning is kind of hard for them to get into and understand, but I know they will be amazed and touched by it. As sad as the story is, it is one of my all-time favorites!

Have a great weekend ! I hope those warmer temps return! I am heading back to Doon for the weekend because my sister cannot make it down to help out Mom.

God Bless, Miss Surma

Today the 5th graders talked about Bucket Lists during our class meeting. I gave them three buckets to fill out. They were making goals for the remainder of the year. We did talk about how people make bucket lists of things they want to do before they die. We kept it to things we want to do by the end of May. They had to create a goal for at home, at school, and their faith life. 

Hello Parents! I hope you are doing well this week!

Conferences-- Make sure you get on the school's website to check your conference times for next week! If there is a problem, let me or Sarah know. Thanks!!


Reading- We are back in our books! This week we are reading an excerpt from Tuck's Travels by Gary Paulsen. We our working on sequencing the story as well identifying the problem, events, the climax of the story, and the resolution. It is about 3 kids who are on the run from some Comancheros. They are having to walk and search for a safe place from them and the coming storm.  In grammar they are working on choosing the correct form of the verbs be and have. They will have a weekly test on Friday along with a spelling test. I plan on getting in another story next week even though we are only 4 days. 

Math-- Their next chapter was supposed to be working with adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, but I have had to do some background work. This series is assuming they had this last year already. The 5th graders have some knowledge of fractions, but they need more before they can even begin to work with unlike denominators. So, I am trying to work on this until spring break. I will see how far we get, but I would really like to get into that next chapter when we return from break. I will see how things go.

Religion- We have been working on our Lent chapter.  On Wednesday they had to reenact the story of Jesus going to the marketplace and getting upset.  The extra part in their play is that a reporter will be there "covering" the story! Next week they will do reconciliation with Father as part of our Lenten activities. 

Spring Ahead- Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend! I don't like losing an hour of sleep, but if it means the sun is out longer... I can handle it! :)

I will not be putting out a blog next week since I will see you at conferences! I hope everyone has a great Spring Break!!!! I will be taking Mom back to Doon and spending my week there! 

God Bless, Miss Surma