Hello there. The weather is turning...and it is showing. Somehow the talking from point A to point B has blown back into our classroom like the leaves falling from the trees. Urg! It only takes ONE student to start talking for it to easily trickle down through a domino effect and all of a sudden, everyone is talking again. So, again, I will be cracking down on this. Just when I thought we had this under control. Please talk to your kiddo tonight once again about how important it is for Ms. Erickson to be able to teach a lesson without having to regroup the class to a calm, quiet, and respectful environment. There are absolutely times to talk and have fun, but when they are over, we need to slip right back into that controlled environment. If you chat about this, please write TALK in the planner for $10 tomorrow.
I totally forgot about handing out Tuesday folders. No excuses, I just forgot. I am sorry for that. The good news is that I received more information that needed to go inside the folders so it turned out to be a good thing. So, this week we will have Wednesday folders instead. :0) Thanks for understanding.
Air pressure labs are due to Mrs. Auch for Science this Friday. Please help encourage kids to bring those in complete.
Today in CC Meeting, we had a lengthy and serious talk about homework again. I again stressed that homework is NOT optional. If time runs out at home, then kids need to come in before school or stay in at recess to complete it. We also discussed that homework is not new material and that they should NOT need to wait for a parent to help them. They need to crack the books as soon as they get home, get on a bus, or reach their after school care location. If they need to skip a problem or two for help..great. But, they need to stop using the excuse of my parents couldn't help me until it was too late. If they need help, they should be asking for it before it even comes home. I NEVER EVER give an assignment without fully explaining the directions and doing at least one model problem in class.
A friendly reminder that water bottles need to be the regular cylinder shape. If they are supposed to have a straw in order to drink them, then they need to have a straw. If they are just the squeeze kind, they no straw is fine. We have had some issues with slurping like it is a baby bottle and/or tipping them way above our heads and allowing them to drip into our mouths. We even stopped class the other day and practiced drinking them like a 4th grader. I was surprised that this was not just a know fact. Possibly have your child demonstrate how to drink water from a water bottle and make sure that this is just common knowledge from now. A little silly, but this is sadly happening daily and becoming a distraction. Thanks!
Another friendly reminder that snacks are perfectly welcome in the classroom. We bring them out right after recess and eat them quietly and quickly WHILE we are working. We do NOT stop what we are doing and sit and eat our snack in the 4th grade. Kids need to be able to multi-task. I have noticed that kids are bringing a large amount for snack. ONE pack/scoop of crackers , granola bar, or piece of fruit is enough to tide a 4th grader over until lunch. I have some kids eating two to three snacks a day. Not sure they are even hungry for their lunch???? Also, please make sure your child is only bringing in enough snack for ONE day. Huge bags or boxes of crackers that are meant for a week are not ok. Kids need to take a scoop out at home and put it in an individual container. When large things are brought, we have kids sharing (a big, big no no in Mrs. Meier's book and first day assembly speech) along with snacks ending up on the floor and smashed into the carpet. The only time it is ok to share is when a snack is brought for the entire class...like on a birthday or special occasion. Thanks!
Students needing continuous reminders on snack or water bottle procedures will lose the privilege.
I will go over this one more time with kids tomorrow at CC Meeting. If you talk about these two items tonight as well, please write REMINDERS in the planner for another $10.
Homework tonight is to write a "check in" letter to Ms. Erickson in their RLJ. This is where kids can just write to me about anything. It can be about something that is bothering them at home or at school, it can be celebrations for their accomplishments, it can be about issues they are having socially or academically in class, it can be an apology for a behavior they are showing that is out of character, or whatever. It needs to be at least a half of a page in their journal. Forgot their journal???? A piece of paper will also work.
There is NO cross country tomorrow after school. The weather is projected to be cold and rainy. We talked about a need for sweatshirts and warm pants tomorrow. Brrr!!! That feels weird to say! :0)
I hope that you have a great night, and that a better day is had by all tomorrow.
Respectfully,
Ms. Erickson
