Welcome Kayla!!!

Hi there. First and foremost, I would love to welcome our new student, Kayla, to Bitterroot. She had a busy and great first day! Welcome to E4!!! We are so glad that you are here!

I think if you asked your kiddos what their favorite part of their day was today it would be a toss up between three things. One-the pizza party from Mr. English for all the lunchroom workers in October, Two-Montana History is back, or Three-the fact that on Wednesday they get to bring a regular sized ziploc sandwich bag full of their Halloween candy and eat it in class. They were like, say what!~! Yeppers, they can bring in their leftover candy this WEDNESDAY and their $1 donation for our Flakesgiving fundraiser. How super cool is that!!!

You might notice that some kids are coming home with more than the normal homework load today.  We started up our small groups again in reading so I am not able to roam and keep kids focussed and on tasks when I am meeting with different groups. So, if they don't stay on top of their to do list they end up with a heavy load going home. All work is due tomorrow at the beginning of class. I know they will get into the swing of things again soon.

In CC meeting today we started Rusty's What Works Week. For the entire week he is going to focus on the topic of working hard every day. After watching his show today, we made a poster of one phrase that really stood out to us. The kiddos today picked, "There are NO shortcuts when working hard!" We also read the book No Excuses, by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. It is a book about a boy that sets a goal to become a Marine Biologist to work and protect his favorite animal, the sea turtle. Upon his journey, his teachers and family point out that he will have to be really smart in science, work very hard for a long time, and it will cost a lot of money to go to college for that. His grandpa even says that his family is farmers and if he doesn't become a farmer it will really disappoint his dad. Ouch! The little boy decides to give up on his dream and quit. He tells the biologist that he can't come and help her anymore at the aquarium. She shows him how to take this list of excuses and turn them into positive statements like it doesn't matter how long it takes and I will find a way to pay for college. The boy once again sets the goal in place. He works hard at the aquarium and saves his money for college. He finally achieves his goal at the end and ends up a Marine Biologist working in HAWAII!!!! Yes!!! So, we talked about how people can influence to not work hard and set goals as kids, and we talked about how those people might be the people that are the closest to us like our Parents. Powerful stuff. So, no excuses...set those goals young! Ask your child what they want to be when they grow up. Talk about the steps they will need to take now in order to achieve that goal. If you do this write GOAL in the planner for $20 tomorrow.

Have a fantastic night!!!

Back to Full Time This Week!

Hi. I hope you are all having a great weekend. I am enjoying time with family and friends celebrating my Halloween birthday a few days late. I have come accustomed to this as my birthday generally consists of a quick dinner out, and then off to trick or treat. :0) I was glad to hear and see that everyone had fun trick or treating and was safe and sound.

We had the auction/sale on Friday. The kids used up all their money. Those that made good choices all year long ended up taking the loot. It was a great way for kids to see that making positive choices each and every day adds up and the consequences for doing so are awesome! I was glad that everyone was able to go home with at least something from the store/auction. I am so proud of this group as a whole, and they have come so far since day one.

On Monday, they will start with a fresh wallet with $100 start up money. They will be able to buy into some fun days throughout the quarter. There will not be an auction/store this quarter, so kids are encouraged to buy into things rather than save for an end celebration.

I tried to stay away from candy at this auction as I figured they had enough of that at home. We will have a "eat your leftover Halloween candy day" as a school coming up sometime this week. Kids that want to participate in this will need to donate $1 to the Bitterroot Flakesgiving Fund. All money collected will be donated to the Morning Flakes on 102.9 for their fundraiser they do to provide thanksgiving dinners to those in need in OUR area. I have worked this event before, and I have seen our own Bitterroot families be served when in need. Awesome! I will post the date when I get it.

The owls are no longer flying in our classroom either. Now, when kiddos make a negative choice I will just ask for the money directly at that time. Kids that don't lose any money will earn money at the end of each day as always. It was time for the transition.

Next week we will be moving forward in all subject areas. Here is what is up and coming....

Math: Multiplying money and three factors. We will also have our Ch. 5 Test on Friday. Then we will move into 2 digit by 2 digit multiplying and graphing.

Reading: Nonfiction small groups on NE regions and on Thursday we will start novel small groups as well. We will continue to focus on all the skills modeled in 1st quarter in our whole group lessons.

Language: Articles (a, an and the), Verb tenses, Subject-Verb Agreement, and other skills in our DOL (Daily Oral Language) practice.

SS-MONTANA HISTORY!! We have missed it and are going to hit it hard. Now that we know the basics, we will move to the people in Montana from past to present.

Science-Wolves. We will be taking an in depth look into this animal. We will be studying the huge debate over wolves in Montana and how they effects places like Yellowstone National Park. We will also dive into the food chain, ecosystems, family structure, carnivore, omnivore, and herbivores, and much much more!

CC Meeting-Rusty will be back in full swing with our daily one minute messages. You will see much more on this as the week progresses. I presented five classes at our Montana Educators Association conference (MEA) this past October with Rusty. We had A LOT of people attend our sessions! Many wanted to see more action shots and topics. So, my blog is now linked to his show, and teachers can see into our classroom as well to get ideas on how I am using Rusty's amazing shows to teach your kiddos! So, I will be posting daily about this in my blog updates as well. Yay!

Lastly, with the holiday season coming up, I just wanted to remind you about my make up work policy. It is easy really, I do NOT do make up work. I strongly believe that my job is important to your child's future. I take a lot of time into preparing fun, creative, and stimulating lesson plans each week. I don't know how I could ever expect your child to do work that he/she has not been in class to learn. I don't hand out a lot of just do it work. Actually, I don't ever do that. If you want to read the blog while your child is away and try to have them do work that is assigned, that is definitely fine with me. However, it is never required. I also strongly believe, that when kids go places with parents there is a balance between book learning and real world learning. I don't want your kiddo tied down with homework when they could be talking to you in the car about life or what they are seeing out the airplane window. I always, always recommend hitting up a Barnes and Noble and getting a book on CD and listening to it together as you travel from here to there. So, bottom line on this one is, your child will be excused from all learning/assignments when they are out of school. Upon their return, they will pick right back up where we are. They will not have to make up any work that they did not learn how to do from me. Hopefully, that eases your mind on this topic. I know it is different from teacher to teacher, so I just wanted to clarify it once again. If you have read this please write MAKEUP in the planner for a $10 bonus on Monday.

Have a splendid Saturday and Sunday! :0)

Quarters Needed Tomorrow!

Well hello there!

Whew...finally down time to blog. I have felt rushed the past couple of days. I LOVE visiting with all of you, but I miss teaching and blogging about our days!

I wanted to take a minute and blog a little more about our trip to jail and take you through it. Upon our arrival, the kids were very, very quiet and nervous. Sgt. Metzger immediately put them at ease. They began in the gym/training room just asking him some questions that they were wondering about. He took us through an inmate's day from sleeping and eating to what do they do all day. The answer to that one, which he made very clear, was NOTHING. It is super boring in jail, so much so that inmates actually want to go to prison because they have more to do (cuz people are there longer so they have more programs). In jail, people can get their GED but not college courses. I never knew that!

Then, we split into two groups. We stayed in the gym and watched a presentation on how the officers do their jobs. They showed us the weapons they have in order to keep themselves and others safe if need be. Tyson went in the restraining chair. They said that they put people in there for at least an hour or two to give them time to calm down and be safe. I ordered one for the classroom...KIDDING!!!! :0) The only weapon an inmate has at that point is spitting at an officer. That explains why they put the cap on Tyson's head that covered his mouth. It really didn't look fun, and Tyson said it was pretty uncomfortable and tight. They also showed us their paintball/pepper gun system. The officers actually shot it at each other and showed us the wound that it makes. OMG!!! It looked like a bullet wound. They did this to show the kids that they are not messing around when it comes to this point. In order to get shot by an officer by this weapon, the inmate has had at least 3-4 hours of negotiating. It is the last straw. And the kids think it is bad if I take $50. OUCH!!! Lastly, they showed us the tazer. They shared that this is another last resort weapon.

Finally, we took the tour of the actual jail. Kids saw EVERY THING!!! They saw inmates in their cells and outside areas. They saw the skype in courtroom, the visiting station with the phone on both sides of the glass. They saw both men and women. Lastly, they saw pedifiles. We were behind glass where they couldn't see us but we could see them. This is always the eye opener for me because these are the most normal looking people in the place. They are NOT scary looking. They are regular Joes that prey on children. The officer stressed that kids should not have facebook or any other social networking site. These are the guys that read their information (safe settings or not) and then find children. They look at their pictures they post and find those locations. This is heart-braking to see. I would have never guessed these guys would prey on kids. They look like you and me!!!

Overall, the trip was a super success! The kids all said they NEVER EVER wanted to go back. They were able to see what life would be like if they made bad choices, starting NOW!

We had many parents join us, which was fantastic!!!! Olivia's mom chaperoned as did Robby's grandfather. A HUGE thank you to them. When asking Olivia's mom what she thought about the trip this is what she texted me, "The field trip was an awesome experience for everyone. The officers were very informative and did a great job of answering the kids' questions appropriately. The kids in my group all said they would NEVER make bad choices...they did NOT want to be on the other side of the glass. I can't wait to go back next year with my now 3rd grader." Thanks for sharing that with us!!!

I hope that knowing all that we did that your child, when put into a drug/alcohol situation, remembers just how important it is to JUST SAY NO!

Today, we packed a ton of learning into our half day. We spent the morning finishing up our hands on water cycle testing. The kids were asked to show what they know in many different ways. We spent a good three-four weeks doing all sorts of activities revolving around the four major stages of the cycle. I am hoping to see proof of their learning in these tests. Next week we will move onto a new topic!

In reading, we have been working on all sorts of reading strategies revolving around a Halloween theme. Today, we read Happy Haunting Amelia Bedilia. Then we did an activity with all the idioms used in the story. Fun! They are really getting good at finding and identifying idioms in text. We also quizzed out on Personification and Similes today.

Tomorrow is the Unit 9 spelling test. Please review those words one last time.

Tomorrow morning we will spend, spend, spend our fake money. Kids MUST spend ALL of their hard earned cash. We will have a little store where they can bid on items. I will also bring back out the coupons that they can buy to do fun things in the school/class. They will start fresh on Monday with a new wallet with $100 start up money. The money system will stay the same and will continue on as usual. It is working in here. We will not have field trips this next quarter (at least none planned thus far) but we will have some fun days to buy into. So, it will be just as important to make good choices and be involved in school happenings this coming quarter. The owls will come down tomorrow. From this point on, students will be asked to just pay a fine directly to me at the time the infraction happens rather than moving their owl and paying at the end of the day. They are past the point of needing to hold, touch, and see the consequence. We can now just deal with it and move on from the moment. Yay!

Lastly, the bake sale will happen tomorrow at dismissal. Items are now 25 cents each. This should help push them out the door. We are making some bank so thanks again for all your help!

Have a wonderful evening!!!

BOO!

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Hi there. Happy Halloween!!! Be safe out there tonight! 

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes and gifts. How sweet! 

Thanks also for all the holy cow creative treats for the bake sale!!!! We sold a ton, but still have some left over. We will sell the rest on Friday after dismissal. No need to make more, we just want to sell the rest! 

The fun jail, NE guest speakers, and dry ice science pictures are above. 

Today, we played many games in class that made us practice using that inferential reading skill. We also played one for main idea and supporting details. Ask your child who they had on their back at the end of the day that they had to ask yes or no questions for. Write their costume in the planner for $20 tomorrow. 

Tomorrow is another 1/2 day due to conferences. So far, all have been attended so that is awesome! I enjoy sitting and just listening to you talk about your kiddos. They are fantastic! 

Have a wonderful evening. 

Halloween Tomorrow Night! Normal Day In Here!

Hi there. Boy was a FANTASTIC day!!!!! I want to blog all about it, but have conferences right away today so this will be quick, quick.

The jail was super fantastic!!!! Pictures to come, but ask your kiddos to share!

We had a TON of fun experimenting with dry ice in our witches brew (apple juice). Pictures to come, but ask your kiddos to share. So much fun! So much learning!

We had two guest speakers today from our NE region!!! Pictures to come, but ask your kiddos to share. Ask which states they were from and write them in the planner for $20 tomorrow.

Bake sale is tomorrow!!!!! Please bring in items before school or to school. We will sell at our early out dismissal at 12:05! Yep that is right we are out at noon tomorrow. 4th graders can shop too. Real money needed (fake school money will not be accepted). :0) I can't wait to see all the fun treats everyone has planned!! Do I get a free treat (one of each) since it is my birthday????? :0)

Have a super night and I will blog so much more tomorrow!! What a day!!!

Off to Jail We Go!

Hi there. What a great and very busy Monday. We packed it to the max!!!

In Reading today we finished up our studies on Wildfire and practiced some old and new skills like fact and opinion, compound or simple sentences, words with multiple meanings, synonyms and antonyms, Proper nouns, and vocabulary. Wowzers! All from one little picture book. It was a cool book though!

We also worked on idioms today, with a Halloween twist. Kids were all given an idiom ghost and then had to find the matching monster that told what the idiom means. It was so fun, they asked to play it again. Awesome!!

In language, I put a picture of a very frightened little girl on the screen. Each student had to write a declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentence about the picture. What they came up lead to some great discussions and laughter!

Spelling this week will be pretty much study only. We are going to do some Halloween things instead of book work this week. So, please study, study at home. There will still be the weekly test on Friday.

In math, we went over all the practice 3 by 1 multiplication problems we did last week. Then, we took a quiz. We discovered that kids were messing up with forgetting to regroup, not ADDing when regrouping, and/or not knowing our basic facts. Each student was given a multiplication chart at the start of this chapter. Some have lost it, and are now struggling with the basics. Urg. Organization pays off. Ms. Erickson said to put it on our clipboard for safe keeping. Idiom: I can lead you to water, but I can't make you drink.

We wrapped up the day with science. We began our water cycle tests. Kids were doing pretty well all around. However, when it came to the fill in the blank one with the science terms I can sure tell who read it over and over again at home from practice. It was the exact same test as we filled out together in the beginning of the unit. Kids will finish the test tomorrow if time allows.

For homework tonight, kids need to finish up their final draft of their raindrop story. We started them in class, and now they just need to finish it up. They should also read you the final copy aloud. If they do, write the word READ in the planner for $20 tomorrow. They also need to color their border on their fun weather front page. If kids need to go beyond the paper given, they know to use regular paper for that. You and I should see SIX clear paragraphs all indented. I modeled this in class, and it should not be new to them, as paragraph writing is a third grade writing skill. Some kids also needed to finish up their math coordinate graphing sheet.

Tomorrow is the field trip to the jail. We will leave right away. Those that have bought in need to be here on time tomorrow in order to not miss the bus. Those that did not buy in will have an alternate placement for the morning. We talked again today that they only have themselves to blame for not having the money to buy in. Some tried to blame their parents for not going to the pumpkin patch party on Friday. I put a quick stop to that discussion as I always tell them they should NEVER EVER rely on money outside of this classroom that they can earn themselves. ALL kids can earn more than enough inside these four walls without the blog or outside activities to buy into field trips. The money that you help them earn should all be EXTRA!!!! I know that they will make better choices next time.

Don't forget that bake sale on Wednesday. We have some fun field trips planned for the spring that will be funded partially from this. Please send in your yummy Halloween treats on Wednesday morning with your child. Thanks so much!

Lastly, our box top collection is going great. It is not needing to be rewarded anymore with fake money. Kids are bringing them in daily because they see them making a difference at school. That is awesome. So the $50 reward is no longer necessary. Keep sending them in though! They buy a TON of playground equipment for kids!!! Thanks!

Have a great night!

It's Halloween Week!!!!!

.png" width="320" /> width="244" /> Hi there. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Sorry to blog so late. My Uncle had a stroke this weekend and is now in ICU so my mind has been elsewhere. They are running tests, so please keep he and I in your thoughts and prayers if you do so. Thanks.

We had a great week last week. Our field trip to the Alberta Bair was awesome. In all my years, I have never been so proud of a group of kids as I was of both Bitterroot 4th grade classes. The kids even commented on how ill behaved some other schools were. They also learned why Mrs. Hankins and I preach and preach and preach why we put our hands down when a guest speaker is answering a question. Kids were literally jumping up and down and we were unable to see the actors much less pay attention to them. I was so proud of how well behaved our classes were. Way to go Bitterroot!!!! The show was also awesome! We learned a lot about doing our part to help Mother Nature save and protect our planet. It was a perfect tie into our Fallen Rock book.

It was fun to listen to Austin's Star of the Week this week. He had some great things to share and the kids were really into his presentation! Great job Austin!!

This week is conference week. I am looking forward to visiting with all of you. If you have not returned your final slip confirming your time please do so tomorrow. In order to fit all of you in, we will have half days on Wed, Thurs, and Friday this week. Kids will be dismissed at noon. The book fair will also be going on at this time. What a great way to reward your kiddo for doing such an awesome job in class. :0) Or, you could get some early Christmas shopping done!!!

Fun Friday this week was a blast! We played Jenga in honor of Red Ribbon Week. How you might say??? Well, we tied it all together. When playing Jenga we told kids that every time they pulled out a block and stacked it on top it signified a choice to do drugs, tobacco, or alcohol. It made their life wobbly and unstable. Then when enough poor decisions were made, life tumbled over and broke. The kids were really able to see how dangerous a life that was not built on stable and positive decisions was.

It was time to nominate kids for the Purple Hand Cookie award this past Friday. The kids nominated their classmates. Natalie, Collin, Tyson, and McKenzy were nominated by their peers for going above and beyond with their acts of kindness this month. The votes were tallied, and Mr. Collin was selected as the winner for helping Mr. English clean up a HUGE mess in the boys bathroom one day. If you could have seen the smile on Collin's face when we gave him a standing ovation!!!! Priceless. He was so thrilled to win the cookie! Great job Collin, and what an honor for all the nominees to be nominated by their classmates. I would also like to take a minute and recognize three students that went above and beyond to show kindness to me as well this month. Brayden was kind by emailing a picture of his shield hanging in his bedroom to me. Made my day!!! Alyssa brought me hot tea on Friday morning when she knew I had a sore throat on Thursday. How super sweet!!! Finally, Natalie emailed me pictures of her giving her brand new nephew a bath in the hospital. Thank you for sharing that special moment with me!!! I am so honored to work with such a great group of kids!!!

This Tuesday we will be heading to the Jail. We will leave right away at 8:40 and return before lunch. Please feel free to meet us there.

This week is Halloween week. We will be doing fun activities around this subject area all week long, including nightly homework. What is your child going to be this year for Halloween? Write it in the planner for $20 bonus tomorrow. Love, love, love this holiday!!!!  If you attended the PTA Pumpkin Patch Party last Friday night, write that in the planner as well and I will give your child the $300 reward money for participating in a family function night at Bitterroot! Thanks for supporting that. I heard it was a great success!

Have a great, great night! Cya tomorrow kiddos!