.5 Days Till We Are 5th Graders Mom and Dad!

Well, the last blog is here. What will you do without it? I guess you will have to go back to reading the newspaper with your coffee in the morning. :0) Please know in advance that I am an overachiever when it comes to blogging. Not everyone does their blog to my extent. I sure hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I never delete it, so the kids can have it even when they are 60 and at a reunion and want to go back in time. It will be there.

We had a great day today on our Spinner's Bike Trip. What an awesome company that does sooooo much for Arrowhead Elementary School's kids! It felt great to give back to them, and the kids loved it. yum!

There is no homework tonight. Kids may take off the rest of the year. :0)

Liam and Adelaide will be our All Star Players in the Staff vs. Kids game tomorrow. It was SOOOOO difficult to choose. I ended up with 8 kids left on the list for the week. So, I put them in a hat and drew two. All 22 kids did so awesome. It was fun to see them catch themselves and correct their character. What a fun way to end the week!

We will have one last meal together tomorrow thanks to Chase and Casasha's parents. (And possibly others that I don't know about!) Rootbeer will be served with the lunch. If your child doesn't like that, they may bring a drink of their choice. Jimmy John's lunch will be served.

It has been my absolute privilege to be your child's teacher this year. When I was doing report card comments, I teared up thinking about each child. What an amazing year. This has been the first year in my teaching career where I have become friends with parents, actual friends. I felt like I was teaching kids that I have known for years.

Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for sharing your child with me. I have enjoyed every single minute. I hope that I am forever in their lives now. Please, please invite me in. I would love to continue to watch each of these students grow up, play ball, come to recitals, graduations, weddings, etc…

Please know that I am always here for you or your child. If next year, you need something or they need help on something, just stop in or give me a call. I am not a one year teacher, and I will always make time for any of you.

I am so grateful and blessed to have each of you in my life. So blessed!

Have an amazing and fun summer making a million new memories!

Love,
Ms. Erickson

1.5 Days...

Customize your own slideshow

Hello there. Sorry this is so late. I had a meeting right after school. Today was a great day. It started with a  double header in wiffle ball. The kids did great. They need to remember to play different positions each time though. Some kids are hogging the bases, pitcher's mound, and catcher's box. There are many kids that have not played them at all. We will talk about this tomorrow: fairness trait.

Homework tonight is a ladder sheet. Again, many used their no homework coupons. 

We had the final auction today. Every kiddo got to buy something fun! Thanks for all the donations. The bit hit items were the Duck Dynasty and Minecraft posters and the stuffed bears. The kids got to raise their paddles and bid what they wanted. Fun times! 

Kids did accelerated math one last time today as well. Those that didn't finish also have that for homework tonight. 

We cleaned house today. Thanks for all the donated items. We are fully stocked for next year. This is awesome, as kids are always needing to borrow items and we have got them. Backpacks were pretty heavy tonight. Please have them empty them out before bringing them tomorrow. 

Tomorrow is our Spinners Bike ride. Hopefully Mother Nature is nice to us. The storm today was quite a surprise, and a big one! Kids need to bring their helmets, bike, and $5 tomorrow. Max and Spencer's mom, along with Riley's Grandma and Coewyn's dad we sure appreciate you helping out tomorrow. If you could arrive at 12:30 that would be awesome. We will all go over the route and expectations together in the classroom before we go. EXCITING and YUM!

If you read this tonight, write BLOG in the planner for a Jolly Rancher tomorrow. 

Well, I think that about does it for today! Have a wonderful night. Tomorrow will be my last and final blog. :0( 

Ms. Erickson

2.5 Days Left!

Hello there. What a GREAT day! The weather was nice and cool in the morning and sunny just in time to climb the pillar! I have so many fun pictures to share. I will have them up tomorrow. Zach bought a new Harley this weekend, and tonight is the night to go pick it up in Powell, Wy so I got scoot out.

Tomorrow is the auction. I have bought some items for the kids to bid on. Mrs. Moore shared an awesome idea for the rest. She has kids bring in one item from home. I can be anything, as long as they want to part with it and it is something they think others would want to bid on. The sky is the limit. They may only bring in ONE item. Otherwise the auction will last forever. We will spend, spend, spend all of our hard earned cash tomorrow. WooHoo!

Homework tonight is a ladder sheet. Kids know how to do these. They may use a homework coupon on it, and many have. :0)

Tomorrow, we will be bringing most of our items home. Kids will have heavy backpacks. You may want to pick them up at school if you can. We will keep a few things here for some last minute learning, but for the most part all will go home. Thanks for all the donations!!!

Have a wonderful, wonderful night. Wiffle ball continues tomorrow with a double header in the morning. Shoes are a good idea. :0)

Have a great night!
Ms. Erickson

Hello there.

Wiffle Ball was a HOOT!!!! The Montana Conservation Corps were in the house and were so fun to play with. We also played Mr. Marquis's 5th graders this morning. I saw a TON of great character happening on and off the field.

Tonight's homework is to read the Sacajawea book page 76-79.

Tomorrow is the field trip to Pompey's Pillar. We leave right away. A BIG HUGE thank you to Max's mom for coming along. The kids are ready! We watched a film this morning that reviewed the entire journey along with one about the pillar. They will learn so much more tomorrow! Kids may bring their electronics for the bus again. Because of the rain lately, the mosquitos are out down there. Bug spray BEFORE school will be a good idea. Sunscreen, walking shoes, and a hat will also be a smart choice. Don't forget that Sack Lunch. :0)

We will go through supplies soon. Do you want your child to bring them home or donate them to the classroom tubs for next year. I am talking about markers, calculators, notebooks, etc. Please write DONATE in the planner if you want them to donate them to my classroom buckets or NO DONATE if you want them to bring it all home. Write it in the planner for $10 tomorrow. Thanks.

Have a wonderful night!
Ms. Erickson

4.5 Days and Counting...

Hi there. Rain, rain, rain! Gotta love that noise when you wake up as a farmer/rancher. That noise means…take the day off! So, what does one do when they take a day off? We drive to the Top of the World! It was soooo beautiful up there. Green valleys mixed with HUGE snow piles was paradise. There were also some pretty good storms brewing in. Tons of lightning and loud, booming thunder kept us all on our toes. Awesome!



Well, the last week of 4th grade is upon us. Heavy sigh! Many may be excited, and don't get me wrong I am excited for summer activities, but I am also sad. This class has been so amazing and so fun to teach. I will see many over the summer in activities and study sessions, but it doesn't match the every day hellos and smiles. Every student is so unique and I will miss those exact character traits the most.

We will finish up the week strong. In between all the activities, we will finish up Montana History. Grades will be finalized by Tuesday and submitted to Mrs. Meier for a final review. Report Cards will be distributed on the last day, but you can always get a sneak peak online. All students did great!

This week, we will partake in the 4th and 5th grade Character Building Wiffle Ball Tournament. This is NOT a competitive event. It is designed to have kids see how all 6 character traits relate to sports. Not one of the traits encourages competitiveness. We will focus on cheering all players on, even on the opposing team. We will work on being respectful by not moving in or out when a particular batter comes up. We will also work on playing in our position only. Sometimes we know that we may be able to catch a ball or throw a ball better than someone else so we are tempted to step in and take over. In this tournament, we will stand firm and watch that person try their best to do it themselves. Not only that, but we will also work on encouraging them with kind words no matter what the outcome is. We all know that some kids are more blessed athletically than others, but here we give everyone their fair chance to at least try in these games. It is all about having fun and building character. Daily, kids will reflect on their character on the field by using a character rubric and set a goal on what they can do better tomorrow during the next game. We will play all week, including a game against our friends at Montana Conservation Corps, like Tauzha, Squatch, and Kevin. Please feel free to drop by and watch any game you want. Just remember to check in at the office and then meet us on the actual baseball fields. You can't miss us. :0)

Then on Friday, each teacher will select two kids that have had amazing character in all games without a lot of direction or guidance. Those two kids will then play the Arrowhead Staff in the all star game. Everyone will get to have fun watching the game too. :0) It will be a difficult decision for me, as I know all my students have awesome character on and off the field! I loved this event at Bitterroot every year, and I am excited to now bring it to Arrowhead! It was inspired after I watched this video. It didn't have a share/embed code, so you will have to just click the link and go there. Enjoy and be inspired as well!http://liftbump.ijreview.com/2014/05/11248-hit-homerun-career-got-injured-thats-team-really-hit-outta-park/

Monday, we have the 5th grade black light presentation. I LOVED this show at Bitterroot when Mrs. Waddell taught music there. I am excited to see it once again!

Tuesday, we have our field trip to Pompey's Pillar. The kids are soooooo ready for this field trip. They are going to learn even more while we are there. It is time for it all to come to life now. Please remember that they need a sack lunch this day. Bug spray and sunscreen BEFORE leaving home is also a good idea along with a hat. Ticks are always found on the bus ride home. I recommend girls wear their hair tied up. We often go on a nature walk around the pillar in tall grass, so I always wear long pants and layered tops. It is up to the kids though.

Wednesday day is our last money buy in. We will have a classroom auction. Kids get to have a paddle to raise when they want to bid on an item. Items will include treats, small toys, and other fun things for summer. Kids will be encouraged to spend all of their money. Extra money will be donated back to the bank. This is my treat to them.

Thursday is our bike trip to Spinners for their yogurt treat. Kids have already picked their flavors and they have been ordered. I will send in Liam and Tyler's on Monday if they are back at school. We will make sure everyone has one, including the volunteers! We have lots of volunteers, but please feel free to still join in on the riding fun. We will leave at 12:45 and be back around 2. Coewyn's dad will follow in the truck just in case someone ends up needing a ride due to a breakdown that we can't fix. Mr. Pertuit will be in the lead. He rides to school often and knows a safe path. He also knows where we need to get off and walk our bikes across roads or rough gravel. Safety first all the way! All kids and adults need to have helmets. Kids need to also remember their $5. I am not collecting the money, so they need to bring it that day to give to the cashier after receiving their treat. Fun, fun, fun!

Friday is a half day. We will be outside at 11:45 to line the building and high five the 5th graders on their way to Will James Middle School. After that, kids are free to go one last time.

On Friday, we will also have our Jimmy John Lunch at 11. Chase's mom along with others are providing party platters to make sandwiches. Kids just need to bring their own drink. If you are wanting to help provide this, please call Chase's mom. Her number is in the directory. A HUGE thank you for helping make our last day special.

Well, that about does it for the week. Have a wonderful Sunday!

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. John E. Southard

Hi there. I am beginning to actually FEEL like Lewis and Clark! This journey is taking FOREVER!!!!!  We made it to the Bitterroot Mountains today. Yay!!! Tomorrow, we will cross them and head down to the Pacific Ocean. Down Stream from here folks! :0)

Homework tonight is to continue reading the Sacajawea book. They need to read the Chapter entitled, Little Bird Returns. The quizzes were better today for some, but not all. We talked about how in 5th grade, the teacher is going to expect their students to be able to read ALONE and comprehend what they are reading. If they need to read aloud, they need to find a way that that strategy will work for them. These will be our last grades in reading this year.

Tomorrow is World Water Day. Kids are encouraged to bring a dollar donation and wear as much blue as they can. (No hair coloring). This is Arrowhead's last spirit day for 2013-2014 school year. Thanks for all your support.

Final Essays were written today. Kids published them in pen today in their best handwriting. They will be graded and added into the language grades and then placed in their files for their 5th grade teachers to see. What a great 1st impression so many of them are making. So proud!

Two kiddos used their show and tell coupons today. Chase brought in a very cool project he helped do. He created a lego model of the app game, Flappy Bird. So, so creative!



Jen brought in some magic little bead things. I am so out of date on what is in these days. I have never even heard of these before. When added to water, they grow in size! They are also room air fresheners. Who knew???? Crazy! Thanks for sharing Chase and Jen!



It was Ty's early birthday today! He brought in some delicious crepes for us to eat filled with strawberries. Many kids went back for seconds! Yummy! Thanks Ty and I hope you have a great birthday this weekend!



That about does it. Have a great evening!
Ms. Erickson

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you. Princess Diana

Hi there. 7.5 days left till we become 5th graders (well, not me…I am being held back and will have to repeat 4th again. :0))

It was another busy day in room E5. We went further up the Lewis and Clark trail, tested out on tile pulling probability, edited our rough draft essays, took a quiz on what we read last night about Sacajawea, read more about Sacajawea, and all ate a Dilly Bar thanks to Dairy Queen! Wowzers!

For homework tonight, kids need to read the next chapter in the Sacajawea book, pages 44-51. They again can chose the way they read. However, some found out the hard way today that I wasn't kidding when I said there would be a quiz to hold them accountable for their reading. There will be a quiz again tomorrow on tonight's information. Discussing and connecting to the information is key to remembering facts and details.

Tomorrow is the 4th grade celebration. I mentioned before that my class is not a part of this. It is similar to what we did when you came for MLK, Jr night. Please disregard notices that came home or are posted on the Arrowhead website.

The class lost two privileges today. Due to the amount of kids getting up in the middle of a lesson to fill water bottles from the faucet, we will not be doing it anymore. The procedure is to fill it up right when we come in from lunch if need be. Once one kid does it, they all do it. So, they will need to fill it up at home before school and make it last throughout the day, which should not be a problem. We are in an air conditioned school and should only need a small drink when we come in from outside. The other one is 4 square. While watching today, I heard so many unkind words being spoken. "Your out!" You cheat!" "Nooooo, they played on it. We changed the rules!" It actually hurt my CC Meeting heart to watch and listen to it. All those meetings about being kind to one another and showing grace and gratitude??? What happened??? So, my class is no longer having that activity as an option at recess. They will need to find a different game to play and be kind when doing so. Choices….consequences.

A very cool shout out to Adelaide's family! They made the Gazette! Her entire family (mom, dad, and 8 kiddos) are running in the Heart and Soul Run coming up. The article was a great reminder of just how important exercise is. It also reminded me just how important family time is. What a great example for all of us to follow. Awesome job Adelaide and family!!!!

I had dinner with Rusty last night. He is such an inspiration to me. He is so positive and so understanding of what kids are going through in the real world. He gave me all the shirts. He didn't have any youth large, but said that the adult smalls were just a tad bit bigger. I said that was perfect. So, I have them. I will give them out on Monday before our first wiffle ball game. That way they are all clean and pretty for our team picture to send to him! :0)

A HUGE thank you to all that have volunteered to chaperone the bike trip: Riley's grandma, Max's mom, Spencer's mom, Coewyn's dad, and possibly Trevor's dad. The more the merrier. Just remember, adults need to wear helmets too. I will be happy to pick up your tab for your yogurt as a thank you! :0)

Chase's mom emailed me with an awesome act of kindness. Some parents would like to celebrate the end of the year with a Jimmy John's lunch. We will have this on the last day at 11:00. They will provide the stuff, kids just need to bring a drink. It is a half day, so that is a perfect way to end the year/day. Thank you so much for this amazing treat! Wow!

I leave you with a "Fill My Bucket" that happened to me after school today. Arrowhead staff had a little get together for me for my upcoming wedding. That's right…I am getting hitched this summer. When you see me in the halls next year, I will be Mrs. Grewell. It is pronounced as Mrs. Grew well. It was so nice of them to show me such love and kindness. What a great place to work! Thanks Arrowhead!



Respectfully and Kindly,
Ms. Erickson

Let the Wrap Up Begin!

Hi there. Your child will be a 5th grader in less than 8 days!!!!! How is that for a scary entrance into today's blog post???

Today was a busy, busy day. We spent a large chunk of it doing MT History. Lewis and Clark sure are facing a ton of crazy animals in Montana these days. Ask your child what the White Bear is! If they can tell you what and why then write WHITE in the planner for $10. They should say it is the Grizzly Bear and that the Native Americans called it that because it has a grayish white color on the tips of it's fur, making it look whitish.

For homework tonight, each child brought home a copy of the Sacajawea book that I am reading aloud. They need to read the chapter entitled, On the Missouri River, starting on page 27. They can read it alone, to you, with you, or listen to you read it to them. They will have a quiz on it tomorrow, so discussing it as they go would probably be best. It is their choice however. Please do not have them read on.

In the Tuesday folders, you will find two permission slips. One is for the Spinner's Bike Ride and one is for Pompey's Pillar. Thank you so much for helping me determine needs by writing in the planner yesterday. We only have one need. Does someone have an extra bike that a girl could ride comfortably and safely? If you do, could you write BIKE in the planner too so I know who to contact for it next week. Thanks! Please sign the folder and permission slips and return them tomorrow. Thanks!

We began to test out on our Probability skills in math today. We did probability with spinners today. Tomorrow, we will do pulling tiles. This will be our final unit in math. Grades will be complete on Friday.

In language arts, we began our rough draft essays. These are the final writing assessments we will do for this year. They will be placed in the 5th grade folders as an example for the next teacher to use to see the needs of each student. I will NOT be editing them. They will be allowed time to edit and use resources themselves to make corrections. I don't want to give the next teacher false data.

Alternate Spellers took their last test today. I will grade them tonight and get them back to kids tomorrow. Final test will be on Friday. Book kiddos will test on our last unit on Friday. Words are posted to the right.

Well, I think that about covers it. Have a fantastic night!

Ms. Erickson

There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.

Hello there. Happy Memorial Day! I hope all of you were able to be outside doing something patriotic. Wishing great thoughts to all those in Denver playing in the big baseball tournament. Now, baseball is so American! Or, maybe you took a long hike or had a family BBQ! In the slideshow below, I shared what our family did. Zach's dad and nephew always march in the Joliet parade that also tours the neighboring towns. We caught up with them in Fromberg. It sure makes me proud to be an American when I see this tradition every year! Awesome!

The rest of the slideshow is of Field Day and our Ranch Field Trip. Two awesome adventures! Enjoy!

This free slideshow design generated with Smilebox

Caden was our star of the week last week. He shared some fun things with us. I never knew he was a Viking Fan. All this time, I thought he was a Bronco fan. Who knew! Thanks for sharing with us Caden.

We have two weeks of the 4th grade left. I can't believe it! Where did the year go? We will wrap up our academics this week. This is the last week of spelling. We will focus a lot on Montana History and finish up the Lewis and Clark Journey. We will be ready for our field trip to Pompey's Pillar the last week. I can't wait! I heard from our Pen-Pal teacher that they have new activities this year too. Awesome!

Since we were on our Field Trip to Hardin when the school did their school wide bike trip, we will be doing one on our own the last week of school. On the last Thursday, after lunch, we will travel down the bike trail and backroads to Spinners Yogurt shop to have some treats. We will have plenty of chaperones and Coewyn's dad has agreed to follow us with his truck in case anyone needs picked up or fixed up along the way. He will also transport the two students that shared that they would rather not ride to the shop. Please make sure your child's bike is ready to go and that they have a safe helmet by that day. If you need help doing this, please let me know BEFORE that day. We do have some kids with extra helmets and bikes. Please think ahead to next week, and let me know your child's situation by writing one of three things please for $50 tomorrow...
GOOD-Meaning your child will have a working bike and a helmet.
BIKE-If your child has a helmet but will need a working bike.
HELMET-If your child has a working bike, but will need a helmet.
NONE-Your child will need both a working bike and a helmet.

Permission slips will come home in the Tuesday folder. If you would like to ride along with us as well, please write me a note in the planner. We will be gone from 12:30 to 2:00ish. I am in the works with figuring out the cost of yogurt for each child. They will need to bring their money that day. Please see the permission slip tomorrow with those details.

As the school year winds down, I will be finishing up 4th quarter grades and report cards. Please check to see that your child has NO missing assignments online. They know that I will not chase them down on these. It is their responsibility. Missing assignments are the fastest way to drop a grade.

FANTASTIC FIELD TRIP!

To steal a line from one of my very favorite movies, European Vacation…Sorry Folks, Park's Closed!

What an AMAZING day, and I could NOT have done it without the help of Haylee and Spencer's moms! THANK YOU for making today smooth sailing. That being said, this teacher is pooped! Let's catch up on the blog this weekend (Monday).

Homework tonight is to check for ticks (especially in hair) and take a shower.

If your child can tell you their favorite part of today, write RANCH in the planner.

Enjoy your Memorial Day!
Ms. Erickson

Field Trip Tomorrow!

Hello there!

Tomorrow is the field trip to the Ranch! Kids need to bring a drink for their lunch. Lunch will be a hot dog, chips, watermelon, a deviled egg, and a homemade chocolate chip cookie. If your child doesn’t want that lunch, they will need to bring their own. Hats, sunscreen, and old shoes are a GREAT idea. Kids may wear shorts, but I recommend pants. It is tick season, and the branding will be done out in the taller grass and corrals.

We will leave right away and be back around 2 or 2:30. I will have my cell phone on the entire time, however there are places on the ranch that I don’t get service. Please feel free to call/leave a message/text if you need anything. Of course you can always call the school office as well and they know how to get ahold of me.

Kids MAY and are encouraged to bring electronics for the bus. They will be left on the bus during the actual trip.

This afternoon, the kids had a sub. I had court once again. Boy, can’t we all just get along? :0) Homework is a language sheet. Still having some kiddos leaving out those basic capitalization and punctuation marks. Please feel free to check them and have a discussion if you can.

We took the final states and capitals test today. I LOVED how excited they all were to take it. Awesome. I should have them graded/posted by Friday at the latest. Some kids even took on the bonus of labeling all 50 states on a map. Those that get a 100% will earn 10 points added to their lowest SS grade. Those that miss one or two will earn 5 points. So proud of them for taking the risk. It does not hurt their grade at all. It can only help! There will be no more units or regional studies for this year.

Just a reminder for the Rusty shirts for the wiffle ball tournament. Many brought in their orders today. This is going to be sooooo fun! I will collect orders through Friday and then place the order.

I decided to save all the field day pictures to combine them with the ranch ones. Stay tuned…

Have a wonderful evening!

Ms. Erickson

Awesome Fun in the Sun!

Oh my goodness I am so tired from field day that I can't even think, much less type. Ask your child to tell you their favorite station. If they do, write FIELD DAY in the planner for $50 (since I have forgotten all week). Pictures will be posted tomorrow.

Homework: Spelling Book Work. Page 212, 1-7 and 215, 1-8. Those that will be gone Friday have their spelling test tomorrow. (Everyone is doing book test). Everyone else will test Friday. The 50 states and capitals match test is tomorrow. Last chance studying tonight.

I showed the kids the Rusty shirts today. They thought they would be fun to get as a uniform shirt when we play wiffle ball the last week of school. Awesome! I certainly can't make it mandatory, but if they want one I will sure order them. $15, size, and color diamond they want by Friday please. Rusty will be here next week so he will bring them with him. :0) Yay!

Tuesday folders came home today. Please empty, sign, and return tomorrow for $50.

Have a great night!

Bye!
Ms. Erickson

Being a Teacher is Like Playing in a Sandbox All Day. Sometimes We Build, and Sometimes We Bury Our Heads.

Hello there.

Last week, Taryn was our star of the week. She is sooooo crafty! I always enjoy listening to her talk about how she did this or that. Loved the picture of her and Grandpa that she made. So cool Taryn. Thanks for sharing with us. This week, we will learn more about Caden. We will do this on Wednesday, as he will not be here on Friday.



Tomorrow is Field Day. I am for sure this time. Mr. Pertuit only has 4 parent volunteers for the afternoon. Yikes! Please call him in the morning if you can do this. He needs help from 12:45 to 3. It is difficult to have it run smoothly without all the adult help. Thanks.

ALL Library books are due THIS Friday. Please remind your child to turn them in as soon as they are done reading them this week.

This weekend, Amanda and her mom ran in the Run for Heaven's Sake race. This is a race that raises money to help families with funeral costs when they lose a child that is less than a year old. She shared it with me because they named their team The BELIEVE Team. What an honor! I am so proud of them for running for such an amazing cause that makes a true difference in the world! Great job Believe Team!



Homework tonight is some language skills. Feel free to check them over. Many are still having troubles with quotations and commas. We will go over them tomorrow. Many kids also didn't finish their MT History today. We learned all about branding today in preparation of the big trip on Thursday. They now know why and how ranchers brand. Ask them to bellow for you. It is different then just the moo. It is when the calf yells for their moms in a straight moo that is continuous.

The kids enjoyed the band concert today. All the different instruments were shown and heard. It was fun to watch their faces when they heard the trombone and trumpets. :0)

Lastly, Rusty posted this on his Facebook page this weekend. Of course I ordered mine immediately. If your child would like one too, let me know the color and send in the cash. They are $15 and come in all sizes. Rusty will be in Billings next week, so he will bring them with him. Pretty cool diamonds!


Have a wonderful evening.
Ms. Erickson

Do More of What Makes You Awesome!

Happy Birthday to Taylor! I hope that you had a great day on Saturday! The cupcakes you brought were super delicious and sooooo colorful. Thank you!

The week we have been waiting for is upon us. The Grewell Ranch field trip week. We finished the Riding Freedom novel, and we are ready to see it all come to life. We will begin the trip with Cousin Cole. He will show us everything there is to know about horses and more. Then we will swing up to the corals and watch three calves get branded. Kids either like this part or they don't, but either way they can cross it off their bucket list. This week, before we go, we will learn all about the whys and hows of branding. That way kids are ready and prepared. The smell is usually the worst part. :0) Then we will zip across the tracks to see the pigs. Finally, we will stop at my house and eat a branding lunch. This will consist of hot dogs, chips, deviled eggs, watermelon, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Kids will need to bring their own drink. Here, we will also visit the same chickens I brought to class awhile back (they are HUGE now) and the lambs, Dumb and Dumber. Lots of pictures will be taken and shared. Don't forget, this is a pen pal trip. Bitterroot will load first and then swing by to get us. Kids may bring electronics, but will sit with their pen pals on the bus that day. Fun! A BIG thank you to Haylee and Spencer's moms for joining us. We will be busy, busy, busy. :0)

I told the kids that field day was Monday. I have a serious case of what teacher's call May Brain. It is not tomorrow. Instead, it is on Tuesday. So, kids don't need to wear their hats or sunscreen tomorrow. Please do have them wear them on Tuesday though. Also, please avoid the white t-shirts as their will be water stations and have had some issues with this in the past.

Monday, we do have the band concert though. This is great, as it will be them next year.

On Friday, the kids and I sat down at CC Meeting and had a pretty serious talk. It was brought to my attention that some kids flat out lied to my face on the field trip the other day. They know who they are and what it was about. We reviewed what should be done when this happens (4 step apology). No one came up to me that day. Maybe they needed the weekend to figure out what they were going to say. If kids want to attend future field trips or just be good citizens in the future, they need to be trustworthy. Again, they know who they are.

We also talked about finishing up strong. We are on third base and headed for home plate, but we are not there yet. We need to keep our heads in the game until the last pitch is pitched. Please continue to remind kids of this daily. Thanks.

It is a normal work week. We will have spelling and homework. We will be doing a final test for Riding Freedom. It will be an essay of what they learned. This will be copied and put into their school file for their 5th grade teacher to see. It is time to shine once again. In math, we will be doing our last unit of study: probability. I would love to take them all to Vegas and show them how this really applies to life, but I think we will stick to spinners, tile pulling, cards, and rolling dice. :0) In MT History, we will continue down the trail with Lewis and Clark's crew. The 50 states and capitals test is this Wednesday. Kids will only need to match them. They will not need to identify them on a map, however I will offer the challenge. Those that get a 100% on that, will add 10 points to their lowest SS grade. There are TONS of online games and songs to help with these.

This weekend the kids and I had a great time at the Boulder/Arrowhead BBQ. That blow up toy rocked! I also enjoyed watching Miss. Casasha in her dance recital. She performed four dances, and one of them was Foot Loose. Awesome! Well done little lady! I am hoping that Chase and Max had a great tournament this weekend in lacrosse. We missed you on Friday! This week, it is my goal to hit some softball games. Hoping for nice weather to enjoy while watching them.

This Wednesday, Mr. Casey has invited you to take a look at all the new books he was able to purchase with part of the funds raised in the Read A Thon. I am very, very excited. If that doesn't entice you…how about some treats made by Mrs. Meier??? :0)

I think that about covers it for the week. Have a wonderful weekend and work week. Cya tomorrow.
Ms. Erickson

WHAT A FUN DAY IN HISTORY!

Hello there. We survived the long bus ride and had an AMAZING time traveling back in time. I have sooooooooo many videos and pictures that I want to share with you. Please enjoy the smile box slideshow below. A HUGE thank you to Riley's grandma, Peggy, for coming along. She took a group of her own and they had a great time learning so many things. We didn't quite make it on time so we missed some the stations (like churning butter :0(). Drats. The ones we did go to were awesome though. Many of the kids said their favorite one was the sewing and quilting with the creepy dolls upstairs (ask them) and the church. They loved to sing an Amercian song out of an old hymnal. Sooooo cool! Please note, I was only able to take pictures of my group's happenings. I snuck over to the other group when they were near us, but they all experienced the same things plus more!

Make a free slideshow design

We were not in tall grass, but we were out in grass. A tick check before bed or showers might be a great idea.

Homework tonight is to write a thank you card. I am not sure who to write it to yet, so I told them to leave it blank until tomorrow. They MUST be at least a half page long and have a picture of something they learned on the bottom. YES, it has to be colored.

Tomorrow is a normal day. We will have spelling tests and our West Regional states and capital's test.

Lastly, it was brought to my attention on the bus ride home that some kids have yet to see the Lego movie. I was shocked! This movie is all about BELIEVING! I think it should be homework this weekend to check it out. :0) I also heard that some parents think the new park over by Faith E church is only for people that go to that church. That couldn't be farther from the truth. It is open to the public anytime, and it is FUN, FUN, FUN! (There Adelaide, Abi, Nolan, and Taryn…I told your parents just like I said I would.) :0)

Have an awesome night! I get to go home and snuggle with Beau Beau. He came home from school sick. Poor guy needs his mom. :0)

Ms. Erickson

Field Trip Tomorrow.

Hi there. What a weird day. The minute we walked in from recess, which was almost HOT, it started raining. Once again, gotta love Montana.

Speaking of Montana, the states and capitals test for the west is this Friday. That is in two days. Students will need to match them and also know where they are located on a map. The 50 states and capital's test was going to be on Monday, but I have moved it to Wednesday. There are a few more review things I want to do first. A study sheet will come home this weekend.

Tomorrow is our field trip for the History Day. We will travel to Hardin first thing, so please have kids on time. We will not wait, as we have a tight schedule to keep once we are there. All kids are going. Kids MUST have on walking shoes (NO FLIPFLOPS or SANDALS). Hats are great and some sunscreen might also be wise. Kids also MUST have their sack lunch and drink. Kids are encouraged to being an electronic devise for the bus ride. Please make sure they are fully charged tonight. We will not be able to charge them midday. All electronics are the responsibility of the owner and need to be kept in backpacks while on the actual field trip.

A BIG thank you to Caden, McLean, Haylee, Jen, and Max's mom and dads for volunteering to help out with field day. HOWEVER, when Mr. Pertuit called you today, I think he roped you into helping tomorrow for the walk/run day. This is GREAT, and he needs your help, but that is not what I told you. He DOES need help on field day as well, next Monday, for field day. Remember, we will NOT be participating with you tomorrow. Please call or email Mr. Pertuit in the morning if you need to clarify. I told him at lunch today, that I had it right! :0) At any rate….thank you!

Homework tonight is Accelerated Math. Most kids scanned in class today so they do not have any homework tonight. However, there were a few that need to get it done and ready to scan tomorrow morning BEFORE we leave on the trip.

Tuesday folders came home again tonight. There were two important things that needed to reach you. One is the orchestra/band class I was telling you about awhile ago. For $40 bucks you get 3 weeks of lessons. That is awesome. Kids can come in and learn the basics of the instrument they want to play next year and be ahead of the game. Kids do need to have their instruments ready to go, and the class starts the Monday after school is let out. Eckroth and Hansens both have programs to get those. Just stop in and they will get it all set up. I know you can buy out right or rent to own. The other paper is for this weekend. The baseball association is having a Saturday fun day. For $5 you can have lunch and support a great cause. There is also games and bouncy houses to entertain the kids. I am very curious as to what is being built over here in the fields. Could it be a restroom????? There have been many times I was glad that I was a teacher here when I needed one. :0) Please sign folders again and return tomorrow.

I think that about covers it. Have a wonderful night!
Ms. Erickson

Fun Day At Arrowhead!

Make a slideshow design

Hello there. As you can see from above we had a great time learning about 4 different animals and some special adaptations they each have in order to survive. From unlocking jaws, to camouflage, to webbed feet it was awesome! A HUGE thank you to PTA for bringing this to us, and a HUGE thank you to all those that donated to help the tigers have a new home at Zoo Montana. Jeff the Zoo Guy was blown away! Nice work Arrowhead! 

Homework tonight is to study spelling words and states and capitals. The West regional test is this Friday and the 50 states and capitals one is this coming Monday. The last test (all 50) will not have the map portion. They only have to be able to match the state with the correct capital. There are MANY online games and free apps to help accomplish this. 

In Montana History we took off down the trail with Lewis and Clark. They reported seeing some new animals. One was the coyote. Another was the American badger. The final one was the Pelican. Ask your child how many gallons of water this bird can hold in its mouth at one time. If they can tell you, write the answer in the planner for $10 tomorrow. 

We are reading the last chapter of Riding Freedom tomorrow. Yay!!!!! Charlotte now has her ranch and  Hayward came for a visit. She was also able to vote for the president of the United States of America. Does this make her the first woman to vote???? Awesome! 

Mr. Pertuit has a request. He is in need of some parent volunteers for field day. He needs help setting up, manning stations, and cleaning up. The hours are from 12:40-3:15. Can you help out the entire time, part of the time, or not at all. Please write one of the above in the planner for $10 tomorrow. If you can help, I will pass your name onto him and he will get in touch with you. Thanks! 

Just a reminder that the Lottery Extended Studies meeting is tonight at 7:00 at Poly Drive Elementary. This is only if you are interested in your child being selected for the all day gifted program. It is not at Arrowhead, so if selected, your child would attend a different school. It is an amazing opportunity and great program. Check it out if you want more information. (This includes all the students that just qualified for extended studies). If they are not chosen or you do not attend, your child will continue to be in the one day a week, pull out program we offer here at Arrowhead. 

Tuesday folders came home tonight. Inside you will find a lot of summer opportunities for your child. There is also the field trip permission slip for our Ranch field trip on May 22nd. Please fill out and return tomorrow. Those that do, will earn $50. There is no charge (real money) for this trip. A HUGE thank you to Indian Education For All for picking up the $300 tab! 

I sure enjoyed seeing all those You Are What You Eat pictures today. Too funny! You can tell it is summer time! Baseball, soccer, and all the other sports put a limit on what we can fix for kids. It is often a drive through run through and out the door they go. It is awesome how many people have healthy snacks and fruit with it though. Great job to everyone! I think I forgot to put the fun video on the blog yesterday. So, here it is. :0)

Lastly, Mr. Pertuit challenged the kids today in health class. They had to come up with one bad habit they have and design a plan to help break it. I know Spencer is trying not to pop his knuckles. BELIEVE Spencer! What did your child decide to do? Ask them. If they can tell you, write PERTUIT in the planner for $10 tomorrow. 

Have a fantastic night! 

Ms. Erickson

A healthy outside starts from the inside. Robert Urich

Hi there. Nothing like a fast flying Monday!

It is Healthy Habits Week at Arrowhead Elementary. During CC Meeting today, we watched a little video about we are what we eat. You can preview it as well down below. Chase wanted me to post it. For homework tonight, kids need to take note of what they eat for dinner and a snack. They then need to draw themselves with the body of what they ate. We did this today in class, so they know what I mean. However, these ones will be for display so they need to be colored and take up the entire space. Please have your child share their's with you. If they do, write EAT in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

The second part of homework for tonight is to find a flower or a plant. We will press these to put into our MT History notebook just as Lewis and Clark did to send back to Jefferson. If you could put them in some wax paper that would be great. Don't have any? No worries! I will have some here for the morning. Flowers work best. Nature, nature, nature.

Tomorrow is our zoo assembly at 2:00. Please feel free to join us. The drawing for the stuffed tigers will happen then.

In math today, we reviewed median, mean, mode and range. I taught them a little song to help them remember it. I have posted it below. If your child can sing it without looking, then write DIDDLE in the planner for another $10. They had it down pretty good today!



Everyone has turned in their permission slips for our field trip on Thursday except Tyler. Both Tyler and Emily still need to return their $7 as well in order to go. If we could do this by Wednesday that would be great! Kids MAY bring electronics to busy themselves on the bus. Cameras are not allowed on the actual trip.

Casasha was our star of the week today. She shared some fun crafts she had done. She knits and she also sews. What a talented young lady! Thanks for sharing with us Casahsa.



Tyler went to a competition for Judo again this past weekend. He took first place again! Way to go Tyler.



I leave you with a  short video of two funny fellows. I told them they should both try out for the next American Idol. Oh my!

Well, that brings us up to speed. Have a fantastic night!
Ms. Erickson

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust

Picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

Happy Mother's Day! I hope yours was as enjoyable as mine. I woke up to breakfast and then church. Before the actual service began, they played a video that was really interesting. In the beginning, it was moms talking about what kind of mom they thought they were. Then, the little ones came on and talked about what kind of moms they were. It is funny how we are so critical of our parenting ways and skills. Not once, did the kids ever mention what the moms had said on screen. There are so many times I question myself as a parent and wonder what my kids will grow up to be like. It is even more important that I remember that my kids think I am a great mom and they remember all the little things we do together. What a great message for our special day! Keep being the amazing moms and dads that all of you are!

Baby Egg day was a HUGE success! The kids were so excited and they did such a great job. So many of them really took it seriously. They were rocking their eggs and singing lullabies to them. So dang cute! I had them write letters of empathy at the end of the day. Hopefully, you received those with your cards. So many of them learned just how difficult it is to put another person before yourself. Many little eggs were left alone and were kidnapped. Through this lesson, they learned how responsible parents have to be and how expensive kids are. Some kids totaled out the day around $600 or more. Wow! I asked them how it felt to have to get into their wallet every few minutes. :0) I hope you enjoyed your letters and your "about mom" letters. Hopefully, you also received your flower that they planted and grew in Mrs. Auch's Science class. They took them home last week. If you did see your card/letter, write MOTHER in the planner for $10 on Monday. Below I have a picture of a pretty creative babysitting service at recess. However, it ended up being shut down and all the babies were kidnapped. A lesson on whom to trust was had. :0)

Thank you to everyone for supporting Stripes for Cents for Zoo Montana. Arrowhead raised over $1000 for the new tigers. We will present that to them at the Assembly on Tuesday at 2:00. You are all welcome to join us. All kids that donated were given a ticket for the drawing for the two stuffed tigers. 

On Thursday, the school is doing a school wide walk/bike for Healthy Habits week. Unfortunately, this is the day we will be on our field trip to Hardin. So, please ignore any notices sent home about participating in it. Please remember to send a packed lunch with your child on Thursday for the field trip. A BIG thank you to Riley's grandma for agreeing to be our chaperone for the day. We will leave right away in the morning. 

On Wednesday, we will attend the 5th grade orchestra/band concert. Seeing how this will be these kiddos next year, it is important that they experience it. 

If you have kiddos in the 3rd grade, their music concert is this Friday at 1:30. We may or may not attend the school one in the morning. It depends on the library teacher as that is our library time. However, if you have a sibling in my class and want them to attend, just write me a note in the planner. We already missed library class last week, so it is important that we don't miss again. This is the last week to check out books. 

Just a heads up…next year my name will be Mrs. Grewell. Zach and I are getting married this July. There will be notices going home in 3rd grade report cards, like supply lists, and it says that name. It is not a new teacher. It is just me with a different name. :0) 

To finish up Teacher's Appreciation Week, Chase's mom organized a little surprise for me. Each kiddo had written a note telling me how I was a super hero. It was fun to go down memory lane. I love how they didn't thank me for teaching them math and reading. I know that is a weird for a teacher to say, but I love that they thanked me for helping them become better people, and how I helped them learn in a fun way. That is what touched my heart. Then, each kiddo decorated a rock for me. They wrote their name and put a symbol of something that would remind me of them on it. Finally, they all placed it in a glass jar for me to keep. It is now on my BELIEVE shelf. I will treasure it forever! A HUGE thank you to Chase's mom for doing this for me. I felt so special all week, but even more on this day! Thank you for that.

To show my appreciation for teachers, I asked my 6th grade teacher to come in and meet the class on Friday. Mrs. Laird (now Mrs. Robinson) was my favorite teacher. She was the one that made me who I am today. She took the time to connect with me and often would let me stay after school or in at recess to just talk to her. My parents were divorced and I had to take on the role of being a mom at an early age. I missed out on my childhood. However, one day, she pulled me aside and she said to me, "Tammie, if you don't want the same life as you have right now then sit down, be quiet, and get to work changing it! " From that day on, I did just that. This amazing lady has been at every single one of my important life events, and she will be at my wedding this summer as well. She is the one I call upon when I need to know what to do when life throws me a curve. She has always made time for me on the phone or to have lunch or coffee. She is and always will be my forever role model of what a teacher is and what a teacher does. I so appreciated her coming in and answering all the kids questions about what I was like as a student. (And yes, it wasn't always good!) I am so very fortunate to have her in my life. Thanks Mrs. Robinson!!! I will forever look up to you!

A HUGE thank you to everyone for making my week special. From the breakfasts, to lunches, to gift cards for dinners and dessert, believe signs, candy and snacks, flowers and plants,  jewelry, and all the other fun stuff in between, I felt sooooo appreciated. However, this is nothing new from this group. I feel special every day! You have all allowed me into to your lives and to be a part of your child's life inside our four walls and out. You have welcomed and invited me to be a part of their lives outside of school. In many cards, you have thanked me for going above and beyond, and in a way that makes me sad as a teacher. It seems odd to me that all teachers aren't like that. I am a relationship teacher, and I am not sure how one can connect without connecting. I don't feel like I do anything above my calling, but apparently I do. My only hope is that I get to continue to do so. I hope that when the last bell rings, I still get to be in these 22 lives. Please continue to invite me to their events. I will come!  I have always felt there was a higher purpose to teaching. I am happy that I have shown you that and that you have accepted it so willingly. Thank you for trusting me with your most precious gifts.

Spencer was our star of the week last week. He shared many favorites. He loves sports and collecting cards. He also loves to build things with Legos. The helicopter he brought in was awesome! I am sure he sat down and built it from start to finish in one setting. Spencer is so dedicated to a task! What a great kiddo! 

During our talks about Mother's Day and Egg Day this week, I shared a bunch of pictures from my past. I also shared a shirt that for some reason I have saved for years. It is my soccer shirt from when I was little. I was number 7! It is pretty little. Adelaide wanted to put it on and see if it would fit. Looks like it fits her perfect! Too funny! Max also talked me into allowing him to try it. He came back out laughing and said nope! :0)

Midterms came home on Friday. Please sign and return the top page. If your child has missing assignments, I stapled them onto the midterm. They need to get those turned in ASAP for a better grade. I am very proud of all kids!

Well, that about covers all our happenings past, present, and future. This week will be a normal week academically. We will have both book and alternate testing this week. The new words are already posted to the right. 

Have a wonderful week, and thanks again for everything! 

Ms. Erickson