Hi there.
Some grade reports were returned today, and some were not. I am curious...do you like the weekly report. It is a little extra work for me, but I don't mind because I like to communicate with you. However, sometimes I write a comment to you and then it comes back blank. Communication is key between home and school. If you all don't like it weekly, I also wouldn't mind just doing the midterm and report card. Please write YES WEEKLY in the planner if you want me to continue and you agree to communicate back to me, or NO WEEKLY in the planner if you don't want me to send home a weekly report. It will be either yes or no for the entire class. Thanks.
Speaking of comments, I did get one today asking about spelling in classes other than spelling. The reason I don't grade your child's spelling in every subject area is two-fold. One, they are at times spelling things that are above their grade level. Two, if I did, it would take me three times as long to grade a paper (x by 22) and students grades would go way, way down (not because they didn't know it but simply because they couldn't spell it). Everything in spelling class is graded for spelling. If I give them a word bank on a skill sheet, I count spelling because it is right there for them! I usually mark half wrong for this. I do try to write correct spelling for kids if I catch them just to model the correct spelling. I hope that this explains that question for everyone. GREAT question!!!
This Thursday is a half day. Kids are dismissed at noon. Please make sure your child knows how they are getting home on that day, as they are not allowed to call home to find out.
HOMEWORK-It is a little different tonight. EVERYONE has a Montana History Study Guide coming home. They filled it out in class. They will have the same questions tomorrow on a quiz. They will not be allowed to use their notebooks or review sheet. Here are the answers (also for those kids that were absent today).
Montana is found in the WEST U.S. Region
Montana became a state on NOVEMBER 8, 1889.
Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota border Montana. (Also need to identify on map)
The capital of Montana is HELENA
Nicknames: Treasure State-because it has so many riches in its ground.
Big Sky Country-becasue no matter which way you look you can see a huge big sky.
Flower-Bitterroot
Tree-Ponderosa
Butterfly-Mourning Cloak
Fish-Cutthroat Trout
Bird-Meadowlark
Animal-Grizzly Bear
The Pick, shovel, and plow represent all the MINING AND FARMING IN MONTANA
Oro-Y-Plata-SILVER AND GOLD
Four Major Cities-Billings, Helena, Butte, and Bozeman (need to find on map too)
How to spell MONTANA
How to spell BILLINGS
The test is tomorrow. It is pretty cool that our flower, tree, and bird are all names of schools in Billings.
Have a great night!
Ms. Erickson
