Happy New Year! Let's Make it Our Best One Yet!

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Welcome to 2014! I hope that your holiday break was full of new memories revolving around family fun! I know Em, Beau, Zach, and I had a blast sledding on our ranch, sledding behind a 4 wheeler, reading good books (not school related!), going to see Frozen, playing dominoes with family and friends, eating way too much, and doing a lot of laughing!!!!

The rest of the world is off until Monday, but we are back in action at Arrowhead tomorrow and Friday. We will be in full swing once again. As the new year is upon us, so are some changes in the classroom appearance and expectations. We will be spending ALL of our hard earned cash tomorrow on reward coupons. I have switched out the green money for purple. Green money will no longer be used after our last buy in. Everyone has start up cash of $100 in their new wallets. Some kids needed a fresh start, and some kids had way too much cash on hand. So, new year...new money. :0)

The classroom itself looks different. I noticed that the flow of things were not flowing like I wanted. So, I did some rearranging and freed up some more space. Even though I don't really like my desk front and center, it is logical to have another corner area free to have kids working in groups or independently. It was kind of annoying having to move the big table every day so we could sit together and fill out our planners at the end of the day. So, we will try it. I moved the CC area to the back by all the BELIEVE signs. What better place to start our day than by surrounding ourselves with that word! Rusty also has a great message to welcome the kids back and to the new year as well!



Academically...

Math: Finish up measurement by doing a fun craft that requires all our skills learned. Then, onto factors and finding the greatest common factor of a given pair.

Lead 21 Reading: We are moving onto Unit 4: Space. We will take a look at what is up there, why it's up there, how we discovered it's up there, and how what is up there and our futures connect. As we journey through the great unknown, we will continue learning and practicing fact and opinion, literal questions vs. inferential, sequencing, and text structures.

Spelling: None this week.

Language: We will finish up with adjectives and articles.

Social Studies: The Southeast region. We will tour the states and stop and visit some well known locations and sites. Quizzes will be given daily over what we discuss, and we will play some fun games  to help bring our learning to life.

MT History: None this week. Notebooks were collected and graded over the break. Many, many kids did not turn them in and their grades are suffering. While the notebooks were better this round, some were not complete. This is an easy grade, but kids need to make sure it is all done BEFORE turning it in. They were given the opportunity and many reminders to do so before turning in this time. This could be why so many are missing, and that is a good thing. :0) Please check the online grade book to see how your child did. There really is no reason to not have 100%s across the board when it comes to MT History. It is all interactive and 90% of it is done together step by step. It is not designed to be done independently.

Science: Electricity with Mrs. Auch. Snowology in my class. I don't normally teach science, but I wanted to throw in a unit about snow, since we seem to be in the midst of it at the moment. It is a fun unit with lots of experiments and hands on learning/crafts.

CC Meeting: Setting goals and dreaming big.

I hope that everyone that took part in the top secret opportunity enjoyed opening their Fallen Rock shirts. Let's all wear them THIS Friday as a class. I will take a picture and send it to the author. My guess is he will put it on his website. :0) Thanks for participating in this!

I am in need of some parent volunteers on Fridays from 10:00-10:30. We do accelerated math at this time. So many kids need my attention at the same time and they often spend a majority of their time waiting in line for me rather than working. Can you help? Please write me a note, text me, call me, email me, or just show up if you are available...starting this Friday. It is pretty basic math, but kids have to work out problems they get wrong before they can move onto their next assignments. Please consider helping. You will make a HUGE difference in such a short time. Can't come this week...come whatever week works for you! Thanks.

I am in need of some parent volunteers daily from 1:00-2:00. I have some kids that need one on one help with language work and reading aloud. Please let me know if you can help or just show up on any given day. There is always a kid that needs your attention. Thanks!

As the month progresses, and we near MLK, Jr's birthday, we will be taking an in depth look into MLK, Jr and civil rights issues in our CC meetings. Kids will learn about MLK, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridges. I will read many books, do many activities, and we will watch an online movie. This area of study has soooooo much character built into it. That is what CC meeting is all about. Then, at the end, each child will build a display board that will showcase all their learning on their selected person. In order to do this, each child will need to purchase and bring in a large science fair tri-fold board. They can be bought just about anywhere and are around $3 at most locations. I will be using three in class to showcase our learning notes about each person, so kids will know exactly what size I am looking for. Please refrain from buying until I have shown kids mine to avoid confusion. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Of course I will communicate this in more detail later.

McLean was our star of the week before break ended. Who knew he was related to a Green Bay Packer? Wowzers! Pretty interesting stuff. I am not surprised that his ability to play football very well was passed down from a past generation! Thanks for sharing McLean!



Nicolas had his birthday before the break as well. He brought in some yummy donuts for a treat. We sure enjoyed those with our hot chocolate on Polar Express morning. I hope you had a wonderful birthday Nicolas, and thanks for the treat!

Hopefully, you all received my thank you cards for the amazing Christmas gifts in the mail this week. I was spoiled rotten!!!! You all made my Christmas so warm and memorable. Thank you very, very much!

Kids did not fill out planners before we left. We did our fun Polar Express trains up to the last minute. Weren't they super cool? So, no code word for tomorrow, and no need for your signature either. :0)

Well, I think that about covers it. Whew...that was a lot to cover! Enjoy your last day and the fresh falling snow! (AGAIN!)

Happy New Year!
Ms. Erickson

Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

We had a wonderful day today celebrating the season. We used geometry and angles to make snowflakes, colored a Santa picture based on types of figurative language, practiced a ton of language skills by playing snowman scoot, read an awesome book called, Santa Comes to Montana!, and completed some Christmas analogies. Whew! That was a ton of fun learning!

We also snuck in our spelling and states and capital's test. Almost everyone did very well on both. I could tell many studied more this time. However, there were a few that clearly needed to study even more. We will move on when we come back.

Lastly, we did some fun activities just to have fun. I treated the kids with a Christmas craft. They made candy cane ornaments. My older sister's name is Candy, so candy canes have always been one of my favorite Christmas decorations. I asked the kids to come home tonight and find a special place on the Christmas tree (or somewhere) for it for homework. That way I could be a part of their Christmas too. I will miss them all while we are on break. :0) The second half of the present was a frosted sugar cookie. Kids got to decorate them themselves. Yum! All kids also got a free homework pass to use upon return when they have a busy night.

Tomorrow, is Polar Express Day. Kids may wear their pajamas, slippers, and robes in class. They may also bring a stuffed animal to snuggle with during the story and morning activities. In the afternoon, we will make those candy trains. Please make sure kids have their supplies and that the board is all ready wrapped with tinfoil. They will come home tomorrow too. Those that cant will have to be thrown away. :0( Kids may also bring their favorite cocoa mug. Please wrap them if they are breakable.

A reminder that our room mom will be providing a pizza lunch for all kids tomorrow. We will eat in the classroom. Kids need to bring a drink of their choice. My only rule is that the drink MUST have a lid and be a regular sized bottle.

This will be my last blog for this year. Don't worry...I just mean 2013. I will post again on January 1, 2014!!!!

I leave you with a special Christmas gift from your child and myself. I am so blessed to be a part of each of your child's lives. Thank you for sharing them with me.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Ms. Erickson

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Family is not an important thing. It's everything. Michael J. Fox

Hello there.

Tomorrow is Holiday day. I will be giving the kiddos their gifts from me. Yay! All of our academics will revolve around the theme of Christmas, including the spelling test for this week. The only thing that won't be Christmas themed will be the states and capitals test. REMEMBER: the test will check for mastery on the location AND the matching of the states with their capitals.

I am not sure about you child, but I am loving math lately. I can't believe how much they are learning at this level. Today, kids were able to make a pretty complex picture using coordinate plane graphing in the positive quadrant. However, some finished that one and were faced with the challenge of graphing in all 4 quadrants (positive and negative). Wow! That is a 6th grade skill!!! And, they are doing it! Yay! We also used rulers today to measure in centimeters and millimeters and write them as decimal numbers. Is it me, or do I just not ever remember learning this stuff in the 4th grade. Wowzers!!!!! The most amazing thing is that they are getting it! :0)

Friday, is an Arrowhead spirit day. It is also Polar Express Day. Since we will be wearing our pjs on Friday, how about we wear the red and green tomorrow. Kids donate a dollar to the school for the spirit day. So, we would love to show our spirit a day early in here. Kids should wear as much red and green tomorrow as possible and bring in a $1 donation to a good cause if they feel they can. Awesome!

Homework tonight is to finish up any unfinished work from today, study for states and capitals and spelling tests, and complete the Christmas Tree multiplication review. Some kids have extra challenge homework too.

I will leave you with an amazing would you rather paragraph written by McLean "Taco" in class yesterday. The topic was would you rather stay home and have a lot of presents or go to Disneyland but have no presents?
       I would rather go to Disneyland and get no presents than stay home and get presents. The first reason is, Christmas isn't about presents. It's about family and BELIEVING in something that is bigger than you and that you can't see. Then, I would rather it because I would have fun on California Screamin! To come to conclusion, I would do it because it is just more fun.

I couldn't have put it better myself McLean. Well done!

Have a great, great night!

Ms. Erickson

Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, and so do you. Thinking of you this holiday season! T.A. Barron

Hi there.

Another busy day in the 4th grade. This morning was a little rough. We tried to go to the computer lab to do some D2 doc work and over half the class was yelling out, "Ms. Erickson, Ms. Erickson." Kids know better than this and know that there is only one of me and 21 of them. They also have done this very thing many times in the computer lab, so shouldn't have needed my help anyway. So, we ended up just coming back and doing some math. We also worked right through recess and snack time as well. Tough morning for choices...consequences. The good news is, no one died from not having morning recess or snack for a day. (They had gym this morning instead of health so they were all exercised up anyway). The point they learned...raise hands to get Ms. Erickson's attention and work independently rather than shouting out and getting everyone around you worked up and confused. We will try again in 2014. :0)

The rest of the day went better.

We spent some time this afternoon creating your Christmas gift. I gotta say I was laughing and near tears many times. Such amazing kids you all have. Please check the blog on Thursday night! It is definitely a gift from the heart! I know you will enjoy it! Please refrain from asking kiddos what it is. :0)

Tuesday folders came home tonight. If you participated in the Top Secret opportunity a few weeks ago, then the "secret stuff" is in the folder. It is wrapped in red paper. Sneaky, sneaky. :0)

In the folder, there is also a note from our room mom (Chase's Mom). She has generously organized a pizza lunch for the entire class on Friday. We will eat at regular time and in the classroom. What an amazingly kind gesture. If kids do not like pizza, they are welcome to bring their own lunch and still eat with us in the classroom. A HUGE thank you to our room mom for doing this! So, so kind.

A gentle reminder to study for spelling and states and capital's tests coming up this Thursday.

Homework tonight is the Tuesday Math Daily Review. WE normally do these for morning work, but there was a lot of issues on the Monday one. So, we did each problem together in class today. The problems on this one are the same format as that one, just different numbers. I grade the ones on Friday, so please check and help out on these ones tonight. If you do, write HOMEWORK in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the last day to donate new hats, gloves, and scarves for the kids at Riverstone Health. It is also the last day for Toys 4 Tots donations. Thanks for all you do!

Have a wonderful evening!

This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays! D.M. Dellinger

Hello there. It is the week before Christmas in here...enough said. Yikes! Santa needs to bless me with extra patience. :0)

Homework tonight is a quick division sheet. It has a Christmas theme. They do need to color it.

Coewyn, Tyler, Amanda, and Abi are still missing their long division crossword puzzle. It was due last Friday. Please encourage them to turn it in soon.

Today in MT History, we took a closer look at the MT flag vs. the Crow Tribe. We made comparisons and contrasted them as well. Ask your child to share one of each with you. If they can, write FLAG in the planner for tomorrow.

Please make sure that the tinfoil is already taped onto the cardboard for the Polar Express Day supplies. Names on the back will also be helpful. Remember, no supplies till Friday. As of right now, everyone is a go and has bought in.

The SE states and capital's test is THIS Thursday. We played many rounds of BINGO today. I was quite obvious who has been studying and who has not. Study, study.

I passed back the math tests we took for our common core standards today. Kids that had lower than a B were given the opportunity to do a mini lesson with myself or our volunteer and redo it for a better grade during recess. I was proud of the 4 that did. :0)

Iron Eagles were awarded by Mr. Pertuit today. I thought it was tomorrow, but he took them out of class today. All participants got a bag, and those that made Iron Eagle got some fun extras in their bag. I will post the names tomorrow. I am proud of all participants and so is Mr. Pertuit! Way to go Eagles! Max, your bag is on your desk. :0)

Well, that about sums it up. Have a wonderful night.

Ms. Erickson

“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here." Neil Gaiman

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Hello there. I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend, and are doing so outside. How long has it been since we drove on safe roads and been able to stay outside for more than 5 minutes. I even cleaned out the car this morning! Wow! As you can see above, we had a great time sledding. Even I went down many times. That hill has some speed! Every time I go sledding, it takes me back to being a kid again. Such fun!

This week will be pretty normal. I say pretty normal because two of the five days will be a little different. Learning will happen all 5 days, but on Thursday we will have a Christmas theme to our learning and on Friday, it is Polar Express Day. 

In Lead 21, we will read about the South Eastern states and do some skill work. We have been working hard on comparing and contrasting, making connections to our reading, clarifying, and making inferences. This week, we will work on identifying generalizations, writing summaries, and more with synonyms and antonyms. 

In language, we will continue to work on all skills learned by doing more Mountain Language. This program is designed to give kids mini lessons and repeat the same type of problems over and over again to help move the skills to long term memory. If you look at the online gradebook, you can see how most kids are getting better and better over time. We did the first one together so they would have a perfect guide to look back on. We have also graded a few in class together since then to review those mini lessons. This week, we will stress even more on adjectives. We will learn that there are two types, ones that answer what kind and ones that answer how many. 

Spelling will be different this week. We will step away from the book and do some Christmas words. We will play some fun spelling games like sparkle, basketball, baseball, and password to help with spelling this week. The test will be on Thursday this week instead of Friday, due to Polar Express day. There is only one list this week. 

In math we will pull out those rulers and learn to measure to different lengths and use different systems. We took our final multiplication test on Friday. Instead of 3 minutes I told the kids to just sit back and relax and do their best. I shared that it would be timed, but that I would not tell them how long it was going to be, but that it would be more time than I normally give. I gave them 5 minutes. I wanted to ease the time factor and just allow them to see success without that added pressure and it worked. It was long enough for most to finish, but still short enough that I could tell if they knew them without fingers or too much thinking. Well done class. Now, keep on practicing. We will use it all year long. 

In SS, we will have our SE states and capitals test on Thursday. I sent home a blank map with all the kids on Friday. Some of you were requesting one so kids could practice the location part of the test. I decided that was a great idea and sent it home with all of them. We will also wrap up or first unit in MT History: The basics. Kids will have an open notebook crossword puzzle test this week. 

All homework this week, will have a Christmas theme. It will mostly consist of math. 

Nolan was our star of the week last week. He sure does enjoy those derby cars in boy scouts. He obviously is very good at it as well. He now took up karate instead, but you can tell that he remembers it fondly. Thanks for sharing Nolan! 

While the class was in library on Friday, I snuck down to the Christmas concert. Boy that Ms. Waddell does some amazing things with those kids. I walked out thinking WOW! So, so cute, and everyone was dressed to the tilt. It made me smile to see so many parents filling every single seat in the gym. Arrowhead rocks, because of parents like you! Nicolas and Spencer were awesome elves as well. They got the props out quickly and picked them up even more quickly. Well done boys!

This Tuesday is the final Fitness Club. The Iron Eagles will also be announced. In order to become an Iron Eagle, students had to attend all fitness club workouts along with have excellent respect and responsibility character traits in and out of the club. That means, that everyone was watching them at all times. Mr. Pertuit emailed me with a list of kids that were eligible for the Iron Eagle Award asking me if they were showing above and beyond levels of respect and responsibility. Sadly, I couldn't say that for all of them. There is a lot of talking out in our classroom and some kids have some issues with turning their work in on time and completing homework. On the other side, I was able to say YES to so many. I was in fitness club the day that Mr. Pertuit explained these expectations and he made them VERY, VERY clear. There was no question as to what was expected of these very honored Iron Eagle members. He will offer another round later in the year. Who made it??? We will have to wait until Tuesday to find out. All students will get a reward for being in fitness club that day as well. 

On Wednesday, the 5th grade band will have their holiday concert. We will attend so that kids can see what they are in for next year. 5th graders have the choice to be in general music, band, or orchestra. The concert will be at 1:30. 

Well, that about sums it all up. I hope that you have an amazing week and that the weather is enjoyable the whole time. 

Ms. Erickson

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. Benjamin Franklin

Hi there. In CC Meeting we talked about his amazing video. What a great display of having a character shield up and defending as an adult. We also tied this in with giving and receiving things that will last a lifetime. I shared with them how every year I give Emma and Beau their own gift card for their favorite restaurant (sit down, not fast food). This is one of their favorites because they know it means a date with just mom and one on one attention. I turn off my phone and just focus on them. Last year, I got a gift certificate for a free play outside and trampoline jump. Not really that great for me as an adult, but as a mom it meant the world to me. Just love when kids figure out that doing good for others feels so, so good to the one giving! Tis the Season!

Tauzha and Kevin were in the house today! They talked to the kids about dressing appropriate in MT and how the weather can seem warm, but exposed skin could still be in danger of damage. They shared some pretty icky pictures of what happens when skin is exposed too long to the winter weather (frostbite). They also shared that kids should help their parents get their car ready in case of an emergency. Water, blanket, food, and warm clothing is best to have in that trunk. Many kids shared that this already is in place. Well done. As much and as far as I drive I need to add blankets and water to my pack. Lastly, they talked about the windchill. They explained why we don't let them go outside even if it is above zero temperatures but below with the windchill. Frostbite could have happened in as fast as 10 minutes in the temperatures we had last week. Exposed skin is so sensitive to cold and numbness sets in quickly so we don't feel that cold. A HUGE thank you to them for taking time out of their busy day to come make a difference in the lives of kids and for the yummy cookies they brought too.


Tonight's homework is to do Dyna Math page 7. They don't have to do page 5, but they can try it if they want.

I told kids they could bring their sleds tomorrow for recess if they want to. They HAVE to have boots and snow pants to go sledding. We can share sleds, so if busses don't allow them it is ok. We will work it out. No worries, just fun!

We graded our listening activity today in class and then analyzed the results. Ask to see your child's activity sheet. They were told to bring it home. Did they listen???? :0) Ask them to share the activity and how they did. This wrapped up our listening unit in CC Meetings. If they do have it and share, write LISTENED in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

The Arrowhead music program is tomorrow. 4th graders do a concert in the spring with recorders. We also do one dealing with MT History later in the year. So, this year we take the year off for the holiday concert. We did go to the dress rehearsal yesterday and it was so darn cute. Enjoy it if you have kids in grades 1-3. Come early...it will be packed! Both shows are in the morning. Spencer and Nicolas, don't forget to year your "Sunday Best" tomorrow, as you are helping out with the props in the show. A HUGE thank you and shout out to Mrs. Waddell for the amazing job she does. I taught with her at Bitterroot before, and I was always amazed at the ideas that come out of her head. Awesome!!!! She really pushes those kids to do their best in that field! Well done Mrs. Waddell!

Tennis shoes and library books tomorrow.

Have a wonderful evening. As for me...I an FINALLY going back home tonight! WooHoo!!!!

Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store. Dr. Seuss

Hi there.

Happy Summer Birthday to Max!!!! We enjoyed those Tipsy Cupcakes a lot!!!!! Yummy!

Homework tonight is to study states and capitals and where the SE states are on a map, study spelling words, and complete page 3 in Dyna Math.

Please remind kids to bring back their library books.

Bonus question? What did the KC club come in and talk to us about today? HINT: It had to do with children that are poor and need our help. If they can tell you and were listening and not hearing the speakers, write the word HATS in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Have a wonderful warm night!

Don't Die Before You are Dead! (Love that one!) Live, live, live!

Hi there. Today was a GREAT day!!!! The kids got to go outside for morning walk and lunch recess. THEN...the grinch hit again! More snow. Oh well, it sure makes it look beautiful out there. Drive safely.

At the beginning of the year, the kids took the MAP NWEA test. We took the winter version today. I told kids their score that they earned at the beginning of the year. Kids are expected to grow 9 points in math in the course of the 4th grade year. So, today we added 5 points to their old score and that was what they were trying to get. And, get they got!!!! Wowzers! I am clearly WAY too good of a math teacher! Ha ha! These kids grew, grew, and grew some more and we are only half way done. When a child starts at a very high number, it is VERY hard to grow even higher. That was the case with a couple of kids. But, that is not a worry. Sometimes they just max out, and I need to work harder at challenging on their level. That is one of the reasons I wanted to take this test now. I now know who to challenge even more and I also know that what we are doing for the those that needed a little bit more is also working. I am soooooo proud of almost every single student. There were a couple that rushed, rushed, rushed and their score showed it. They could have done a lot better had they slowed down, used their white board to show their work, and weren't so quick to just click an answer. They were pretty disappointed in themselves too. That tells me that they will step it up a notch when we take it again at the end of the year. If you want to know how your child did, please text me and I will share their growth score with you! It is pretty darn exciting. Our top growth was 20 points (remember you only need 9 in a year!), and that was Trevor! Ty brought up the second score with 18 growth points. Tyler and Coewyn both had the third highest which was 15 points! Caden and McLean tied for the highest score with a 235. I asked them if they channeled in and used both of their "twin" brains. :0) Again, I am so proud of all kids! Well done! Now....we learn even MORE!!!!

Homework tonight is Dyna Math. Yep, it is back! Kids need to do pages 1 and 2. They also need to study for their multiplication, states and capitals, and spelling tests coming up.

Tauzha and Kevin will be back in the house on Thursday morning. They are coming during our CC meeting time to talk to kids about playing safely in the cold. This will include signs of too cold, how to dress, and what to do if something happens and they are stranded in the cold (car broke down, locked out, etc.) We welcome them back!

Please remember to send in those donations for all the acts of kindness going on. Please see the information sheets in the Tuesday folders. A small act goes a long way. So many of the items can be picked up at the dollar store. (I picked up 5 pairs of gloves there last night.)

I think that about covers it for today. Have a wonderful snowy night. Snowpants in the morning, so we can play in that fresh snow!!!! :0)

Ms. Erickson

I BELIEVE it is 16 days until Christmas!

Hello there. Here are some pictures of those fun magnet labs I shared this weekend! Awesome fun.

Over the weekend, I had the kiddos share with you their would you rather paragraphs. Today, I sat with kids and listened to their stories. We graded them together looking for indentation, a complete topic sentence that had both the would you rather topics in it, three sentences of evidence, and a transition word in the final sentence. I wanted to share Taryn's story with all of you. I am guessing all of you can tell why I enjoyed it so much.

     I would rather be one of Santa's elves than be one of Santa's reindeer. I might fall down from the sky and hurt something or someone. If I were one of Santa's I would get to make stuff for the good kids, and as for the bad kids I would have Santa leave a note that says..."choices...consequences." Finally, Santa's elves get to take care of the reindeer, so I would get to take care of Santa's reindeer.

LOVE it Taryn. I didn't get to meet with all kids, but will meet with the rest tomorrow during our language arts rotations.

Tonight's Homework is to write a new would you rather paragraph. The topic is: Would you rather live in a giant gingerbread house or ride on the Polar Express? They all brought their red writing folders home tonight. They need to look at the list of transition words and use one that is NOT the word finally. Have the kids share them with you. If they do, and they use a creative transition word, write the word TRANSITION in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Tomorrow the multiplication tests will come home in the Tuesday folder. This Friday, we will take our final multiplication test. The score will go in the grade book. I would like to welcome Taryn and Max to our 100% club. Students that have already done a 100% do not have to take the final test on Friday. They will earn their 100% in the grade book.

Tyler was our star of the week last week. He does a type of karate that I have never heard of. It reminded me of wresting. Whatever it may be, he is awesome at it. So awesome that he took the championship against the kid that they predicted to win. Wowzers!!!! Very impressive Tyler.


In SS, we started our new region...The SouthEast! We made our flashcards for in class study. I recommend that they make another set for at home study. They also need to know WHERE the states are on a map. This is the part a lot of kids messed up on last time. Making a puzzle at home will be very helpful. The test for these states and capitals will be not this Thursday but next Thursday the 19th. I want to get it done before the long break.

Tennis shoes are needed for tomorrow. Kids have gym and fitness club tomorrow.

Long division is coming along. Kids have a crossword puzzle due on Friday. I am asking that they do NOT take it home, but rather work on it in class when they have freetime. If they are not done on Thursday night, they can take it home to finish it up.

Lastly, some kids didn't get their Mountain Language finished up today. I told them I would take a picture of it so they could finish up at home. Here it is...


Have a great night! One more day of the cold temps and indoor recess!!! May get to go out tomorrow for lunch???? Come on Mr. Sun, please shine down on us (and our roads!) Be safe out there.

Ms. Erickson

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. --Mary Ellen Chase

Hello there. It feels so good to be home and sitting in a warm house surrounded by Christmas decorations and the smell of a real Christmas tree. After being stuck in Billings for a week, the drive home was slow but worth it. Slick, slick, slick though. Hopefully the ride back on Monday will be a little better, but it doesn't look like Mother Nature will be on my side. It looks as if we are in for another cold week. Funny, because this is how I remember Montana winters as a kid and it is not even winter yet! Be safe out there!

A HUGE thank you to all of you for coming to Barnes and Noble night. Once again, I was amazed at the amount of support for Arrowhead. It is AWESOME to see that kind of support for education. We ended up coming in second in the contest. Mrs. Stevenson's had one more person than we did. The PTA was so impressed with our attendance though that they gave us a second place prize. Each student got a card for Cherry Berry yogurt and  blow up or bouncy ball globe. The theme was Christmas around the world, so how fitting! Thank you again! And a HUGE thank you to Max and Abi's mom for putting it all together, along with all the parents from our class that volunteered to help!



Tyler was our star of the week! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at school. I will post the picture on Monday. :0)

Polar Express Day is upon us. A flyer came home with kids on Friday. Most kids were able to already pay the $200 buy in amount. Some, need a little more time. Kids will need to purchase their candy train items by the 20th. Please do NOT send them to school until that day. I have no room to store them. They will also come back home with them that day. (Might not be the best day to ride a bus home if possible). We will spend the entire day doing many educational activities that revolve around the book and the movie in addition to the candy trains. As the flyer says, kids may also wear their pajamas, robes, and slippers at school that day. They may also bring a stuffed animal to cuddle with during the story and their favorite hot chocolate mug for hot cocoa. Fun! Kids that are not able to buy into the event, will still do all the educational stuff, they just won't get to wear jammies, have cocoa, or build a candy train. On the bottom of the sheet, I marked your child's status as of Friday. They either already paid or need to do so. If they need to do so, please follow up by asking them why they don't have the money. There are only three reasons kids lose money in the classroom: not having their planner signed, having missing work, or not following a classroom behavior expectation. I give out a lot of money in class. A reminder that outside bonus money like code words on a blog are extra. Kids make more than enough money all on their own in class to pay for everything. Blog code words are just a cushion for kids.

This week we will continue on with all our academics. We will also be taking the Winter MAP test. I volunteered our class as the guienna pigs to test out this test. I wanted to see how the kids are doing thus far and what we are still needing to focus on for the rest of the year. I am excited to see their growth already this year! We will start with the math test. I will share the results with you on Friday.

Math: Long division practice will continue. They are doing great!!! We also will continue with measurement. We will dive into perimeter and area along with some more practice with converting measurements. Lastly, we will practice selecting the correct measurement unit for specific situations.

Lead 21: Independent leveled groups. Students are reading about the states in the NE region. They are reading the material independently and completing all different skills that we have already done together in class. Then, in small groups we discuss their findings.

Writing: Would you rather paragraphs. Last week, I modeled this with the Christmas would you rather question: Would you rather have to sing Jingle Bells loudly every time you walk into a room for a week or wear a santa suit to school for a week? We wrote the paragraph together with three statements of evidence to back our opinions. Then kids did one on their own, using ours as a model. Their question was: Would you rather be one of Santa's elves or one of Santa's reindeer for a day? Ask your child which one they selected for both of the above would you fathers. If they can tell you and tell you why they chose those, write RATHER in the planner for $10 on Monday.

Language: We will continue with articles, adjectives and adverbs.

Spelling: Words ending in -ed and -ing. Kids will learn when to double the ending consonant or drop off a final e before adding the two suffixes.

Science: Magnets and magnetism. Last Friday, kids joined with Mrs. Auch's class and did two labs on these very subjects. They investigated the magnetic field and how to make their very own magnets using a nail and a paper clip.

Social Studies: We will start a new region. We will head to the South East. That means a new set of states and capitals. The test will be right before we leave for the break. We will also finish up our basic MT History unit. That way, when we return we will be able to start in on the actual history of our great state.

C.C.: We will finish up our Christmas listening test. Kids will grade them and reflect using a rubric to see if they were actually listening to the directions or just hearing them. We will also continue reading some fun Christmas stories, including my newest one, Santa Comes to Montana! A HUGE thank you to Ty and family for purchasing it for us at Barnes and Noble night. It is a GREAT story and fits perfectly with our MT History studies. Of course, I will have a few that talk about the word BELIEVE!

Quarter 2 midterms came home on Friday. I printed the grades (top of first page) and all the individual assignments. I never know what comes home in the backpacks, so I wanted you to be able to look through the specific assignments and see what needs some review or help at home. I also wanted you to see if they had a missing assignment. Those are the grade killers for sure. We are only half way through, so there is plenty of time for grades to improve. I was pretty impressed with them already though. Well done E4! Please write the word MIDTERM in the planner after you review it. This tells me that you saw it. Those that do will earn $50. Those that don't will be fined $50. They know this as I shared it with them during our planner time on Friday. The copy sent home is for you. Please let me know if you have any concerns with grades. I am always here to talk.

Attached to the midterm, you should see a sticky note. Kids went through their art tubs and desk on Friday. They wrote down any school supplies they were running low on or in need of to be successful in the 4th grade. I have noticed many going to the extra supply bins in the classroom. This is perfectly fine, but it is meant to be a short term solution until they get theirs. I noticed the other day that the extra bins are out of glue sticks. With MT History  and CC meeting, we go through a ton. I will say, that there are quite a few supplies on the floor during clean up time. A conversation about taking care of supplies and putting them back in their art tub might be a useful conversation.

Many kids have asked me what is on my wish list for Christmas. This is always tough for me, as just having this job is a daily gift to me. That being said, I guess I answer them by saying I am a HUGE believer in the gifts of love and time. I tell them that the best gifts are the ones that come from the heart. Gifts with meaning and special words always mean the most to me. I love just knowing that I am making a difference in the lives of children. That is the best gift I could ever ask for! That being said, I know that you will LOVE the ones they have prepared for you!!!!

A reminder that there is NO morning math class this week. It will resume the following Monday.

Well, I think that about wraps it up. Have a wonderful, warm, and safe weekend.

Ms. Erickson

I BELIEVE I Am Hoping To See YOU Tonight!

Hi there.

I hope to see all of you tonight at Barnes and Noble night. I am soooooooo excited! Barnes is one of my very favorite places and kids are one of my very favorite people! Put them together and you get one happy teacher! It is from 4-8 pm. Kids brought home a green scan card today. Please present that when you purchase your items tonight if you do. Also, make sure to stop by the Arrowhead booth and show them your receipt. For every $10 you spend, kids get another raffle ticket to put in for the free nook giveaway. All kids get one ticket when they sign in. And, please do sign in. The class (hopefully ours) with the most attendance will win a free Spinner's Yogurt party. Remember, if you are volunteering then you earn our class another attendance point. Make sure you mention that when you check in.

There is NO homework tonight because of this event! (Your homework is to go and have some Arrowhead fun! :0))

If you attend the Barnes and Noble night, please write the word BARNES in the planner for $50.

Have an amazing night!

Ms. Erickson

PS-Some kids didn't finish their lead 21 assignment. Here were the assignments for each group.

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.

Hi there. Ok, so right off the bat I have two things to share. One, I am sorry I didn't tape the long division process. Just didn't happen...no excuses. :0) Second, I have NEVER laughed so hard while watching an inquiry report. So many of them were hilarious, but not silly hilarious. It was fun learning hilarious. I can't tell you how impressed I am with each and every report. I will finish grading those tonight. Grades will be in by midterms on Friday. I will most likely send home the Tuesday folders on Friday with those midterms so I know they get to ya.

Barnes and Noble night is tomorrow from 4-8 pm. It will be tons of fun. I know the roads are yuck and it will be super cold, but it will be a load of fun! Grab a coffee, look at our art work, and enjoy some fun entertainment all while looking for books. Arrowhead will earn a portion of the sales, so it is a win win for your kiddos! I will be there around 5 until 6:30ish.

Yesterday, the Magic City Fly Fishers sign up form came home in the Tuesday folders. We had this program at Bitterroot last year. It was AWESOME and the kids LOVED it! If your child wants to do it, please sign and send in the needed permission form. It is free and all supplies are provided.

Homework tonight is an RLJ check in. Kids need to write me a half page note in their RLJ notebooks. If they skip lines, then they need to write a full page. Have you ever looked at these? Take a look at what your child and I are writing about. If you do, write RLJ in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Math went much, much better today. Everyone had a look of relief when the class time ended. I showed them a step by step process that works for all conversions. Yay!!!! We will correct today's work and then take a quiz tomorrow to make sure no one is still confused.

We were able to go outside for a bit at first recess this morning. By lunch, it was below zero. Thanks for sending in those warm clothes. May I suggest writing names in snowpants and coats. We had a mix up today. So many kids have the same ones.

Lastly, last night I was honored to attend the Boys and Girls Honor Choir concert at the Lincoln Center. Holy Moly was that amazing. I was blown away at how much they were able to learn and memorize in 5 short weeks. Wow!!! You can just tell that they do it because they want to and it is a passion for them. Well done Trevor, Haylee, and Casasha (and my Emma!). The joined song at the end was by far my favorite! So, so beautiful.



Have a wonderful night.
Ms. Erickson

If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away.

Picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

Hi there. What a fun, snowy day we had today. So much learning happened today, but honestly I am not even sure the kids noticed they were learning. Usually, I try to have at least one move around activity in each day for those that learn best that way, but today we were jam packed with movement. The kids did GREAT! 

As you can see/hear above, we wrote our own versions of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. The kids had to write a narrative short story with humor added in. They had to make sure they had a beginning, middle, and an end. They also had to watch their spelling, grammar, and punctuation as they wrote. The trick...they were only allowed to write one word at a time. They had to get in a line and the first person wrote the first word, then the second added on with their word, and so on. So, they had to do a little bit of planning as they went to gear the story the way they wanted it to go. They were so creative, and it was fun to hear the "voice" in each story. They will be hung at Barnes and Noble along with their adorable reindeer art. Make sure you stop by to see your child's. They are awful proud of them! 

In SS today, I divided the class into groups of two. They were armed with an ipad and a crossword puzzle for an assigned NE state. Each group had a different state. They had to use their ipads to discover some fun and basic facts about each state. Most groups finished in class, but some need to finish up at home. They will share out their findings tomorrow. 

Inquiry Presentations are due tomorrow. From the beginning, kids were told to keep their research report form and grade sheet until tomorrow. They need to have these to turn in tomorrow when presenting. If kids have lost or misplaced these their grades will go down. Many kids brought in their ipads and ipods today to make sure they would work. That was AWESOME and sooooo responsible. Those that did not "test it out" will just have to hope it works. If not, then the presenter will have to come up with a plan B. This was recommended when the rubric was explained. Hopefully no one has to learn the hard way. Urg, that would stink. I can't wait see and learn all about animals that are foreign to me! 

Homework tonight is a spelling skill sheet. It is two-sided. We die examples of each section in class, so help should NOT be needed. 

The cold weather is obviously here! How amazing does Montana look right now? BEAUTIFUL! The wind and the cold is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Please make sure kids are dressed warm. If it is above zero with the wind chill factor they will be outside, and they do get cold, especially those little ears and fingers. Kids also need to avoid rolling around in the snow and getting all wet if they don't have snow pants. Natural consequences of sitting in wet clothes for the rest of the day is no fun! By the 4th grade, we all know that they know. :0)

We converted measurement today in math. The lesson tanked and then sunk and drowned. It was totally my fault. So, we will start from scratch tomorrow with a new lesson plan and I just know it will go better. On an amazing note, I showed long division yesterday. I was not at all expecting them to catch on in the first day. But...they did! So many of them were up and helping others by the 4th problem. I showed them a fun method using the royal family. Have your child take you through daddy, mommy, sister, brother, and a dog named rover tonight by showing you how to solve 765 divided by 6.  They HAVE to talk you through it. If they can, then write the answer in the planner for $10 tomorrow. Too darn cute. I will video one tomorrow too so you can see it in action with me. They really seem to get it this way. Again, the basic multiplication is the hold up for those that don't get it yet. They understand the steps, but they lack the basic skills to keep it going so get lost in the system. All I can do is BEG you to do those flashcards daily. Please, please, please. It will not go away, and it will only get worse. It is so hard to watch a child become frustrated with their basics when they so badly want to get the bigger problem correct. 

In language today, we talked a lot about our three articles in the English language: a, an, and the. We will do more with these on Thursday. We also talked about how adjectives answer two questions: what kind? and how many?. Many of the kids are starting to see the connections between what a word is doing in a sentence and the part of speech it is. Very cool to see happen right before my eyes! 

Lastly, we finished up our listening vs. hearing unit in CC Meeting yesterday. The kids listened to Rusty for five days straight as he explained how listening is very different from hearing. We also read a story about a little boy named RJ. Ask your kiddo what it means to have an RJ moment. It has been interesting to see how many times they say that to themselves and others in class lately. If they can tell you that an RJ moment is when they are hearing what you say, but then do the opposite or not what they are supposed to do at all then they got it. Write RJ in the planner for another $10 tomorrow.

Thanks to all the people that participated in the top secret project. I will keep you posted. Order went out today.

Have a wonderful wintery night. I will be enjoying the Honor Choir concert at the Lincoln Center. Can't wait!

Ms. Erickson

Hi. Leaving early to beat the storm.

Homework tonight: Spelling, page 90, 1-20 Types of Sentences and 91, 26-34. Work on Inquiry reports for endangered animals. (Due Wed).

Have a great night!

Happy Birthday to Haylee!!!!!! What amazing little fish treats you sold us today!