Hello Families! I hope you are having a great week! I miss the cool weather from last week! We sure had a great time at Green Valley on Monday! I hope you saw the pictures if you're on my Facebook page. 

Calendar Dates: 

Sept. 9-26- FAST Testing

Sept. 17- One hour early out/ PTO Meeting 6 pm

Sept. 19- Spirit Day $1 

Sept. 24- 5th Grade Mass 

Sept. 26- Homecoming/ Early Out at 12:10

Oct. 1- 5th Grade Leads Rosary /No mass

Reading- They took their post test in spelling on Wednesday.  They also took their weekly assessment after our story. We will be working on FAST tests the rest of the week, but I may also get a spelling pretest in. We will have to see how things go. 

Math- We have worked on place value into the millions. This week we are working on place value with decimals to the thousandths. This is a difficult concept. I try to stick with money as much as I can so it is something they recognize. That doesn't work with the thousandths.  They did work on writing decimals as a standard number, but also a fraction. 0.25 is the same thing as 25/100.  They will also be writing the decimals in standard, written, and expanded form. 

Religion- We are just about done with our chapter so a study guide and test will be happening soon!  On Tuesday we read about Saint Damian. He was a priest who asked to work with the lepers who were sent to Molokai. He built a church and school for them. He also started a choir. He did end up contracting the disease. The 5th graders will watch a short video on his life in class on Thursday. We talked about what it takes to become a missionary like him. 

On September 24- the 5th graders will be in charge of mass. The following week Father is gone so we will be praying the Rosary as a school instead of mass. 5th graders will be in charge of that one as well. I have divided the class up on those 2 days so everyone will get a job in either the mass or the Rosary.  I will send home any reading parts next week so they can practice with you at home. 

Next week the entire kindergarten class will sit with us at mass! Mrs. Chesling has only been sending half the class the last two weeks. The 5th graders have been doing a great job of helping them learn what to do at mass. 

I am probably going to be putting out my blog on Wednesdays. It is just easier for me. I don't know why! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am going with some of my co-workers to the Bishop's Dinner on Saturday night in Des Moines. I am excited that we will be having mass at St. Ambrose...it is such a beautiful church. 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

Hello Parents! Well, the newness is wearing off. LOL  They are still doing well, but there are times where we have a few not paying attention, visiting with friends or messing around that is slowing things down in class. Our afternoons seem to be the hardest. I am hoping that once we get our routine established and they know my expectations...things will run smoother. I did warn them that if I don't see them paying attention in class, I will call on them when I am going over things . They need to get ready for middle school. I feel like I need to start this right away with them. But overall, I think they are doing really well! 

Calendar Dates: 

Sept. 5- Spirit Day

Sept. 8- Green Valley Day

Sept. 10- One hour early out

Sept. 11- Picture Day 

Sept. 9-26- FAST Testing

PE Shoes- Some of the 5th graders are coming to school on PE days with shoes that are NOT made for PE. I talked to them today about it. Crocs, Uggs, Hey Dudes, slip on shoes are NOT going to work. They have to wear tennis shoes. They will start getting late slips for not  having the correct footwear. They can have a pair of tennis shoes in the closet to change into for PE if they want. I have had kids do that over the years. The other ones are just not safe for playing and running in. 

Reading- We are still in our story about Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. This week they reread the story aloud and then worked in small groups to answer some comprehension questions. In grammar we are working on what makes a complete sentence. We need a subject and predicate. We also have some who write sentence fragments, run on sentences, or comma splice sentences.  They will have a test over spelling words and this story next week some time. I don't have it mapped out yet in my plans. I will email you to let you all know. 

Math-we are working on place value and exponents. We did some more review of exponents today based on things I was seeing in homework and in class. When I ask what is 10 x 10 x 10? I still get some saying 30. They are quick to add and not multiply. We did time tests this week. You will see their papers in their take home folders We will do that once a week. 

Math interventions- some kids qualify for this service. Their papers are in their Take Home Folders.  For those who received one- please sign and return ASAP. Thanks. 

FAST Testing- We will start our Fast Testing next week. I will do the reading first and then the math. I don't plan on getting a sub to the do the testing. The kids will have to be quiet while I am working with someone. The goal this fall is to get 132 words correct in one minute.  We do use these scores in reading and math to see who needs intervention work. 

Green Valley-  Don't forget the kids need a sack lunch and drink on Monday.

I told them they have to wear tennis shoes! No sandals, Crocs, or slip on shoes.  They will get dirty! 

Religion- We worked on locating verses in the Bible. Now we are in our chapter on creation. We talked today about how we are created in His image.  We also discussed how we should treat others with dignity  and respect. When we hurt someone's feelings we are also hurting him. That seemed to register a little bit with them. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I plan on being here. 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

Hello Parents- We are having a great first week in my opinion!!! I hope the kids agree! We are slowly getting into our routine and starting real work.  

Calendar Dates: 

Sept. 1- No School/ Labor Day

Sept. 3- Mass/ 1 hour early out

Sept. 5- Spirit Day

Sept. 8- Green Valley Day

Sept. 11- Picture Day

On Tuesday- I will be leaving work around 2:50 pm so that I can get a tooth pulled. (YAY-😔)Mrs. Mitchell will help with dismissal. I will be back on Wednesday. 

Picture Day- I put your child's picture form in their Take Home Folder. IF you are ordering, please return ASAP. You can also do it online. You can return that form and write online purchase so we know for sure. 

Early Outs- Next Wednesday will be our first Wednesday early out. We get out one hour early. Please make sure your child knows that after school plan if it is different from our regular days! 

Computers- On Tuesday, I had them get into their Xtra Math accounts. This is site that will work on their math fluency with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. We will do this along with time tests each week. I know they did this in 3rd grade, but it is a great tool to do again! Once they have passed each kind of math- they will be done! 

I also had them create an account in Prodigy. They will work on math problems and it also has some video games they can play in between the problems they solve. 

Field Trip- In your child's folder is a permission slip for our trip to Green Valley on Sept. 8. There is a form attached that you need to fill out for the DNR. Please fill out both and return  ASAP. They will need a sack lunch and drink that day. They need to wear tennis shoes that day due to the ground and where we are walking. Mr. McCabe is in charge of the day, so if you have questions, I would email him. 

Reading- I gave them their first spelling pretest on Wednesday. I always give them a list of the words afterwards to take home and study- unless they happen to get 100% on the pretest. If they do that, they don't take the post test. With our new series I cannot get them covered in a week. So don't expect a Monday pretest and Friday post test. My stories are longer than the  K-3 stories. I will always let the kids know when their post test is as time gets closer to the end of our story. We will start working on our first story on Thursday. 

Math- On Wednesday, they worked on a worksheet that is really like a "pretest", but it's not a test. They worked on problems to show me what they already know. Our first chapter focuses on place value of numbers and then taking them apart and writing them in word form, expanded form, and standard form. We also will be working on understanding what an exponent is and what it can tell the kids. 

Religion- They made bookmarks to use with their religion books this year. I had them search up a Bible verse of their choosing and then decorate it. I then laminated it for them. We will start our year working on learning about the Bible and how to locate certain Bible verses. In the spring they will take the ACRE test. It is a standardized religion test. Students in 2nd, 5th, and 8th take it. This year I am having them keep a composition book with information that we discuss throughout the year. I am not teaching to the test- I  am trying to make sure the material is being covered. 

Spirit Day- Our first one will be on Friday, Sept. 5. The kids can wear sweats and/or a hat for $1. 

School Shooting- The horrible news on Wednesday about the school shooting in Minneapolis at a Catholic School during mass hits home a little harder. We took a moment of silence on Wednesday and prayed for all those students, families, teachers, and staff. Please know I do not like having to talk about this with your kids, but I also know we have to have a plan in case. It breaks my heart. Please know that every day your kids are with me- I am looking out for them! 

Mass- Thank you to my volunteers ( Chase, Zayn, Ryleigh, Estella, and Jude)  for stepping up and leading us in the Sanctuary song on Wednesday! 

PE- There is a form Mr. McCabe gave the 5th graders for his class. Please read it over with your child and both of you need to sign. Return as soon as possible. 

I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend! I plan on going to my sister Penny's house in Waverly to stay with her and help out. Have a safe and fun weekend! 

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hello Families- Here is the last blog for the year! 

Calendar Dates:

May 26- No School / Memorial Day

May 28- 5th grade plays bells  at mass

May 30- Last Day of School/Early Out 

May 30th- 9:00- Field Day

10:30 Bathroom Break

10:45 Silly String (in courtyard)

11:00  PTO All School Grilled Burger Lunch (courtyard)

12:00- 8th Grade Clap Out! 

12:10- Dismissal

5th graders should wear tennis shoes for field day events...no sandals. 

Reading- In their take home folders are their scores from last week's module test. They did really well! I was very pleased. Even the lower scores were higher than they have been in the past!!! 

I did start a new story. I don't know that we will finish it all, but I wanted to continue some normalcy.  On Monday I read them and excerpt  from a biography on Rita Moreno. She is a singer, actress, and dancer. She had to deal with racist issues while trying to find her place in Hollywood. I showed them one of the songs she sings in the musical West Side Story.   I gave them a little background of what the movie is about and then showed them the same song in the newest movie version. I think they were more impressed to see the women dancing in heels and having to wear dresses. I had to remind them that that was the norm back then. 🤣 We are also going to read about Louis Armstrong. He is a famous jazz musician. I thought these would be great ways to end our year since they did their biography reports last week. 

Book Reports- I am slowly getting them graded. I try to do a handful a night among the other papers and tests I am checking. 

Math- I gave them math problems the other day with adding and subtracting fractions. Some of the problems had three fractions. For example : 

(1/5+ 2/5) - 1/10. That threw a few of them off. They had a hard time grasping that they were doing the same thing only with one more fraction. We also did some estimating with mixed numbers and then adding or subtracting. 

Religion- We are going to be finishing up this chapter before we leave for the summer. They will have a test on  Tuesday since we don't have school on Monday. 

5th graders will play bells at mass on Wednesday! 

Desks/ Lockers- I plan on having them clean out their desks and lockers on Thursday afternoon. They should have a big and empty book bag to put their stuff in! 

Did you see that PTO is providing us grilled hamburgers on the last day of school?? The kids will get to eat before leaving for the summer! 

This will be my final blog to you! I still can't believe we are near the end! This year seemed to go faster than others in the past! I have enjoyed your kids immensely! Thank you for allowing me to be with them this year. I know they are going to love middle school! While it may bring on more homework and projects- they will love the atmosphere and getting to share their specials with kids from 7th and 8th grade. They better remember to say hi to me in the hallways next year! This is a great group of kids! I will miss them!  I also know that for some of you this is the last child I will have of yours. 😞 I hope everyone has a great summer! I don't really have any set plans.  I think I will be here walking, reading books, and taking care of my flowers for the most part, but I will probably spend time with my sister Penny in Waverly.  We hope to have more answers for her in June. Whatever you do- have fun and  enjoy the summer temps!!! 

God Bless you and your families! Have a wonderful summer! 🌞🏖🔉

Miss Surma

Hello Parents! I hope all the moms were spoiled on Sunday!!! I had a nice trip back home! Next week will probably be my last blog for the year. Seriously, where did the time go?? 

Calendar Dates:

May 16- Spirit Day

May 19- All Library Books Due

May 21- Kindergarten mass/5th grade helpers/ Spring Concert 

May 26- No School / Memorial Day

May 28- 5th grade plays bells  at mass

May 30- Last Day of School/Early Out 

Permission Slip- Please sign the form for our practice at the high school next week for the concert. It is in your child's take home folder. The concert is at 6 pm at the Creston High School. 

Puberty Video- The girls will be watching the video next Wednesday after mass. While they are doing that, the boys will go to the kindergarten room and hang out with them and maybe even get a recess with them! We will do the switch the next day with the boys watching the video and the girls going to the kindergarten room. 

Reading- We are finishing up our last story in this module this week. They will take the weekly test on Friday. They will also have the spelling test on Friday.  Next Monday they will take their Module/Unit test. I will start a new unit on Tuesday. That story may take us to the end of the year. 

Book Reports are today! I am excited!!! It will take me a few days most likely to grade them! 

Math- They are now adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. The hardest part is remembering that some answers have to be simplified. I don't plan on giving them a chapter test on this one. I may just give them a worksheet and we will call that the test. I'd like to get into multiplying fractions before we end our year! 

Religion- This week we worked on the Corporal Works of Mercy. We created lists of different things they can do to live them out. They also had to draw and color a picture of themselves living out one of their ideas. This week they are going to learn about one of my favorite saints- Maria Goretti. She was killed as a young girl by a man who attacked her. She forgave him before she died.  She lived out one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy. 

Spirit Day on Friday! They can wear sweats and/or a hat for $1. I know the weather has been so warm this week that sweats are probably not something they want to wear. 

Congrats to Mary Keller for winning the front cover of this year's yearbook! Sawyer Clinton's picture will be on the back cover! 

Glow-A-Thon- Our class was surprised at mass today! 5th grade won the pizza party for the class with the most money raised! We also won the Dilly bars for the most laps run! I was shocked! We will probably do those next week! 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I am heading to Waverly to see my sister Penny. I am going to do some odd jobs around the house for her and we plan on spending time checking papers! She is a 7-8 language arts teacher. She went back to work this week. We still don't have a definitive answer. She will go back to Mayo in June. 

God Bless, 

Miss Surma

Hello Parents, What a gorgeous week!  I hope everyone is enjoying it. Thank you to the PTO and school board for all the fun gifts this week for teacher appreciation! 

Calendar Dates:

May 8- Glow-A-Thon/ Lap-A-Thon

May 11- Mother's Day

May 14- Book Reports Due

May 16- Spirit Day

May 19- All Library Books Due

May 21- Kindergarten mass/5th grade helpers/ Spring Concert 

May 26- No School / Memorial Day

May 28- 5th grade plays bells  at mass

May 30- Last Day of School/Early Out

Religion- We are focusing on the Corporal Works of Mercy in this chapter. These focus on things we can do to help others in a physical way. For example, you might donate clothes to the Rerun. That would fit under -- Clothe the Naked. We are coming up with ways to live each of them out in real life. I told them I heard on my podcast on Monday that in order to get closer to Jesus, we should be doing these in our daily lives. Many of them are so simple that there really isn't a good excuse not to do it.  We did talk about the one that says visit the imprisoned. I told them many priests, nuns, and laypeople do go to prisons to teach them about God. That is a little harder for them to do, but they can go visit the people that are home bound. I talked to them about how some people at church bring communion to those who can't get out of their house due to age or illness.  We are also praying for the cardinals in Rome as they meet in the conclave to choose our next pope. 

I found a live link of the Vatican today. We are watching for the smoke from the chimney! It was really cool because when we first found it, the Cardinals were inside the Sistine Chapel and then they ordered everyone else to leave. We were able to watch them  close the doors to the public. Those doors are heavy! 

Glow-A-Thon- This is happening on Thursday! The kids should wear some white or neon colors if they have them to glow in the dark as they run! 

Math- We are working on fractions! They learned to estimate fractions to the nearest benchmark number- 0, 1/2, or 1. Now we are working on renaming fractions so they have a common denominator. I told them to always choose the smallest number they have in common so it is simplified. I'm going to keep us moving quickly so we can get more done. 

Reading- We started our final story in this module. It is about the parrots in  Puerto Rico and how they nearly went extinct. They told us  what they did to increase the population as well. We watched a short video on them. We found out that in 2017 there was another hurricane that went through and killed all but one! So, now they are working again to increase the population. 

Grammar- we are working on using transition words as well as they right way to punctuate when we use them. 

Spelling- their list is similar to last week's. It has words ending in -ed and -ing. This time they have to look for the root word of them. Many of them forget that the root word might end in an -e! 

Mass on May 21- the kindergarten class will be in charge of mass, but some of the 5th graders will have jobs to help them out. I gave them their parts today. 

Mass on May 28- the 5th graders will be playing their bells during mass on the 28th. That will be our last mass of the year. You're welcome to  join us and listen to them!

I hope all the moms have a great Mother's Day!!! You deserve it. I am heading home this weekend to put flowers out in the cemetery for my parents and then hang out with my sister Mary in Sioux Falls.  

God Bless,

Miss Surma

 Hi Families, Thank you for the prayers for my sister. Right now we still don't know for sure what is going on. They are looking at ALS, but some of her symptoms don't align with that. They are also thinking it could be an autoimmune issue. We are praying for that one. 

Calendar Dates:

May 2- Spirit Day 

May 8- Glow-A-Thon/ Lap-A-Thon

May 11- Mother's Day

May 14- Book Reports Due

May 21- Kindergarten mass/5th grade helpers

May 26- No School / Memorial Day

May 28- 5th grade plays bells  at mass

May 30- Last Day of School/Early Out

Dance at the Creston Middle School- there is a dance tomorrow from 5:30-8:30 for grades 5-8. The cost is $5. I emailed you a link they want you to fill out before going to the dance. 

Spirit Day on Friday! Hats and/or Sweats for $1.

Glow- A-Thon- Please return your fundraiser forms for this event! It will happen next Thursday, May 8  during their PE class! 

Reading- They took their spelling test today and the selection quiz. Tomorrow they will take their weekly module test. I am doing this one on paper because it is a play. I figured they would rather read it aloud as a class before answering the questions! 

Book Reports Due on Wednesday, May 14. They will have to come to school that day with a costume to change into. I know many of them are done, but some still have quite a bit of work to do. 

Math- Everyone has finished  the test. I plan on checking them tonight. Sorry- I didn't get any papers checked yesterday in Minnesota! Our next chapter will be on fractions. That is my plan to keep working on those until the end of the year. 

Religion- We are working on our Easter chapter. We also took some time out to make cards for Sam. 

Dollars for Scholars Essays- Congrats to Brandy, Mary, and Norah! Their essays were chosen to move on to see who becomes the winner. The 5th graders had to choose a characteristic trait from a list and explain why that was important to their education. They chose words such as: caring, respect, responsibility. The winner receives $50 from the Dollars for Scholars Committee. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! We will continue to lift Sam and his family up in our prayers during this difficult time. 

Eternal rest grants unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

God Bless, 

Miss Surma