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Well, as you can see above, the baby eggs arrived just in time for Mother's Day. This is always one of my favorite days. It is sooooo fun to watch the kids in a different role...the one of their mom or dad! The kids were so careful and sweet. We did have some "Humpty Dumpty" moments that needed some bandaid medical attention, but overall this group of moms and dads did a GREAT job! Ask your child how their baby egg faired throughout the day. If they can tell you, write the word EGG in the planner for $20.
I sure hope that you have a wonderful Mother's Day tomorrow! The kids really enjoyed creating your gifts. They wrote their letters after they were a mom or dad for the day. They had such empathy for all of you. Many realized how expensive kids were, why you have insurance on them, and how much you have to give up to be a parent. Constant, constant care!!!!! Especially, when Ms. Erickson is just waiting for you to walk away from your desk without your child so she can kidnap it! "But, I was only gone for one second," they would say! Yep! That is all it takes. Being a parent is tough! I sure hope they all say thank you more often now. :0)
Last week, we had a little incident in our classroom. As you know, kids were required to do some homework to get into Hawaii Day. Two students decided to pull a fast one on Ms. Erickson. They turned in their work, but it was not done. I am so disappointed that they did not come tell me that they should not participate when they knew that it was required. Since it was too late to take away Hawaii day (because they already did it) I brought it to CC Meeting. I asked the class to put themselves in my shoes. What would they do if they were the teacher? As you can see in the above picture, they came up with some pretty solid consequences. Before we voted as a class, I asked if the two guilty parties wanted to stand up and take accountability for their actions. They did not. So, we voted. The class decided that these kids should have to become an island for the rest of the year (Sit outside a class group of desks) and lose all their money. Alyssa made the connection that sitting off by themselves as an island is like being Hawaii (cuz Hawaii is an island). I then asked them if they would have picked a less harsh consequence if they kids would have stood up and been accountable. They said they would have voted for just a $500 fine or loss of movie. This was a tough lesson. At the end of the day, I asked once again if the kids wanted to stand up and say something in their defense. They declined again. Therefore, all their money was taken and on Monday they will be islands. I was proud of the class for working through this process and realizing once again that choices have consequences. It is tough to be a teacher at times. This is one of those times. However, it is important for kids to know that trustworthiness is so important in life.
Tuesday afternoon is our first movie day. We will watch Soul Surfer. We have cracker jacks, fruit snacks, fun snacks, and four different types of soda in the concession stand right now. Please feel free to add to our selections. Kids will be able to buy one drink and one snack for each show. Thank you to all those that have donated!
Friday night was the PTA movie night. If your child attended, please write the name of the movie in the planner so they may collect their $300 reward.
I still have some kiddos that have not bought into some of our end of the year events. Is your child one of them? If they are in need of some cash, you could help them out. Just write me an end of the year letter letting me know your thoughts on how it went. I LOVE this feedback! I really do listen, reflect, and put into action your suggestions. I also love hearing all that your kiddos learned. I especially love to hear that they didn't just learn academics, but also character! That is my goal each year! Did I achieve it for your kiddo? Feel free to email me your letter at ericksont@billingsschools.org or just send it in with your kiddo. Thank you!!!!
Wednesday is our Pompey's Pillar field trip. Please remember those sack lunches.
Thursday is field day. Sunscreen, a hat, and tennis shoes are a must for this day. There is usually a water relay, so we ask that girls avoid wearing a white t-shirt. Please make sure if your child is wearing shorts to school that they are longer than their fingertips when hands are down by their sides. Tank tops need to be at least two fingers wide. Thanks.
I will be gone on Tuesday morning. Beau has his end of the year play in his 1st grade class. I will be back after lunch. Katherine's mom is our sub. Yay!!!!!
Lastly, I wanted to be the first to let you know that I have put in for a transfer next year. Bitterroot has been my home for ten years now. The drive is starting to wear on me and my kids. So, I have asked to move to a west end school. I do not know yet if it has been granted, but there is a chance and I wanted you to know. I will miss Bitterroot horribly. I love the families here, and the staff is like a second family to me. It was a hard decision, but as we all know, our kids come first. As they are getting older, they are doing more things outside of school and time is a huge factor when you have a long commute. I know some of you wanted me to be your other children's teacher, but you will LOVE any teacher here at Bitterroot! I hope your kids never forget to come find me and say hello in the future. I love to be in their lives forever!
Well, have a wonderful weekend!
