Hello there. Well day 2 was just as successful as day one. This is a great group of kids.
We did a very fun activity with the book The Crayon Box That Talked. Kids had to combine their boring rainbows into a brighter one using nothing by teamwork. We discovered afterward that the key ingredients to a successful team are to think the assignment through, make a plan before starting, assign jobs, give and go, and think outside of the box. The kids also said that they discovered that poor planning, miscommunications, non-cooperation, failing to read directions, and arguing are key ingredients to an unsuccessful team. What a great way to learn this life lesson! Ask your kiddo about this project and how their group did. If they can share with you, write crayon in the planner for an extra $10 bonus. Enjoy the pictures above of the kids doing this activity.
Speaking of crayons, tonight's homework deals with them. Each student received a crayon template. They need to design their crayon to reflect themselves. They can use any materials that are handy to them. They need to have a least 6-7 items on their crayon to share tomorrow with the class. My only two rules for this project are...1. They need to stay away from the center circle and their name and 2. it has to be able to be stapled to the wall and stay there all year. Other than that, the sky is the limit. They can draw items, glue on items, use photographs, magazine clippings, food wrappings, scrapbooking items, stickers, whatever! I can't wait to learn even more about each student tomorrow! If your child is going to be absent tomorrow, they will need to share upon their return. Homework is due tomorrow at the start of class. Have fun!!!!
Many more kids had their water bottles today. Thank you!!!! I did notice that some left them here. Please help remind kids to take them home to get cold, ice water each day.
We started our MT History unit today. We looked into where in the world is Montana anyway. Kids were shocked to see how big Canada really is! Fun stuff!
In math, we started place value. I spent about 20 minutes just discovering what they already knew. I am glad that the 4th grade curriculum will challenge most of them. Those that need a push, will go beyond to numbers in the billions. 4th grade only expects to the millions. When walking around to see their work, I noticed that writing larger numbers is going to need some practice. We will practice, practice, practice this tomorrow and beyond.
We are also still working on our transition time from one thing to the next. We had to sit down again today as a class and talk expectations. We have sooooooo much to do in the 4th grade, and we can't waste a single second. So, we are continuing to work on just doing what is asked and not coming up to Ms. Erickson during this time for one on one conversations. Repeating directions more than once is also an issue we are tackling. Please continue to talk about these at home. I appreciate your support, and I know we will get this under control soon.
We have PE tomorrow, so tennis shoes are a must. I also reminded kids about bringing their healthy snack. Those that didn't have one today got a cheese stick out of my fridge, but I can't supply snacks daily. It is such a long time from 8:15 to noon to eat. Even I get hungry. :0)
Lastly, I will part with these words in honor of the Bobcat game tonight...Go Griz! :0)
Respectfully,
Ms. Erickson
