Ready to be a Grandma or a Grandpa????

Happy Thursday! Oh my goodness the kids were CRAZY today. I partly blame myself because at this time of year we have bonded and it is not really their fault that they get excited. However, we need to make sure that we are still respectful and calm throughout the last day. I keep telling them that we can and will have fun learning, but we have to be able to bring it back into focus when we have to. Please chat with your kiddos about this tonight. If you do, write CHAT in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Baby Egg Day. Please have kids CALMLY bring their cribs to school. We will have a great time learning what it is like to have to be responsible for a kid all day long. Empathy time for mom and dad for sure! Kids also know that if the egg consumes their world and they are not able to do their regular work, then their egg will just sit the rest of the day on my desk so they can focus. It is a fun day, but still a learning day.

I spent last night scanning in baby pictures and making a fun Kahoot for the kids to play. If kids want to bring their own iPhones, iPods, iPads, or whatever to play on they can. Kids will see the picture and then have to guess who it is out of four players. They chime in on their devises and it keeps score for them. Fun!

Tomorrow is Stripes for Cents Day. Please remind kids to wear something with stripes and bring a dollar or more for a zoo donation. What a great cause!

All kids have the book spelling test tomorrow. We played a review game today. Some kids really need to do some studying tonight. Those er, or, ar endings are tricky.

Homework tonight is an RLJ entry. They need to write at least a half of a page.

You guys are totally spoiling me rotten! A HUGE thank you to Tyler's family for my new BELIEVE Bling! The card totally touched my heart. I love that you all get me! Thank you. Another thank you to Coewyn's family for bringing me lunch from one of my favorite places, Jimmy Johns! And a cookie to top it off! My favorite part…little Braizen (sorry for spelling). If you have never met this kiddo, you are missing out in life. What a little spitfire that is adorable on top of it. A big, big thank you to him for my beautiful red flowers! What a doll! PTA spoiled us by giving us some Super Hero Snacks. I am glad I have some x-ray vision drops, Hero Vitamin Pellets, a secret identity bar, and some energy bursts! How would I get through the day without them. WE have the BEST PTA ever!!!! Lastly, Miss. Casasha made me into Super Woman! I loved the poster listing all my powers and traits! Awesome!



Cya tomorrow mommies and daddies! :0)
Ms. Erickson

There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one. Jill Churchill

WE ARE DONE TESTING!!!!!!!! WooHoo! The kids did great. As they finished up, I placed them in other classrooms to help little kids. Those that didn't get a chance to do this will get a chance this week. I was so proud of all of them for sitting up tall, showing their work, typing their little fingers off, and shining like the stars they are. Now, we are done with testing for the year. Yay!

Only in Montana do kids play outside in the snow in May! My goodness, will it ever end this year? We were glad when we went out this afternoon and the sun was shining down. It is supposed to get warmer now. Yay!



After testing, we read a little bit of Riding Freedom. Charlotte is now in California. We stopped with a HUGE cliffhanger! Charlotte got kicked in the face by a wild Mustang. Oh My! We will find out what happens next tomorrow!

Hopefully kids are studying their spelling words for Friday's test. Not this Friday, but the next is the Western Region States and Capital's test.

Kids have earned iPods for Art class again tomorrow. They may bring them in for this.

The recorder concert was so amazing. It is always fun to see how much they grow. They actually get pretty complex, which seems odd on a recorder. Enjoy the slideshow below.

Customize a slideshow

Once again, I was spoiled rotten today. A HUGE thank you to Spencer's family for feeding me breakfast. The lemon blueberry cake was fantastic! And, to wash it down with some hot mint tea…perfect! Thank you so much for surprising me. I loved seeing the entire family this morning. What a great way to start off the day! If that wasn't enough, Miss Abi and her family snuck in a beautiful pot of flowers and a card that brought tears to my eyes! How did you know that I loved purple flowers? Miss Casasha and family spoiled me again with another card and gift to Amazon.com. I am going to LOVE shopping this weekend. There has been some things in my wish box for awhile now! I so appreciate all that all of you do every day. Allowing me to be a part of your kiddo's lives is the best gift you could ever give me. So, thank you so much!



Moms…I leave you with one of my all time favorite songs to sing to both Emma and Beau! I often sing it at the top of my lungs. Can you picture it??? If you make your child listen to this and then get them to say the golden phrase to you, write MOTHER KNOWS BEST in the planner for $50! They have to say it to you to get the code word!!!!!! Hee Hee!

Have a wonderful night!

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. Mark Twain

Ok moms, this one is hilarious! Another mom shared it with me, so now I shall pay it forward. Classic!



Testing went great today. Almost all kids got done with all of the reading sections. Tomorrow, we will knock out the math and then we are DONE! Kids are doing a great job. It is a lot different then any test we have taken before, but it is fun that way sometimes. Many kids enjoyed it more than the MONTCas testing, so that was positive. You can definitely see why in reading we are always making kids give evidence for their thinking! Every question on on section had kids siting their sources. Awesome!

Kids earned $300 today for perfect attendance. I only planned on $200, but then Riley surprised us and was back from his trip to San Francisco. So, I tripled it. Kids can earn $100 tomorrow for being here on time, and if we have perfect attendance again, then I will gladly double it again. I appreciate your kids being here during this time. :0)

There is no homework tonight. Enjoy the night off.

The recorder concert is tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. in the gym. Mrs. Waddell has respectfully asked kids to dress up. They don't need anything too fancy, but a nice pair of pants and a nice top would be showing a great amount of respect for their music teacher. Mrs. Waddell has worked very hard to make this happen, and we talked about how this simple gesture is a way to say thank you. Kids may bring more comfortable clothes to change into afterward if they want to. If your child picks out a special outfit tonight, write OUTFIT in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Tuesday folders came home today. If your child has younger siblings at Arrowhead, your envelope is empty. Please just sign and return. If your child is the youngest at Arrowhead, they have a couple of things to look at.

Midterms come home Friday. Please check online to make sure your child's grades are up to date and that there are no missing assignments.

Just a friendly reminder that I still need permission slips from Nolan, Tyler and Riley for the upcoming field trip in Hardin on the 15th. I also still need $7 from Nolan, Tyler, Caden, McLean, Emily, Riley, and Jennifer for the field trip. Please send it in when you can. Thanks!

A HUGE celebration for a few kids in E4. Extended Studies testing has been completed. Mrs. Hetland will be welcoming Ty, McLean, Haylee, Jen, and Chase to her roster next year. Caden, of course, will continue on from this year. Congratulations! It takes a lot of work to into this class. I was tested many times as a child and never made it in. So, I guess that now means that you are all smarter than me. :0) Congrats. Letters will come home tomorrow. (I forgot to send them today).

I leave you tonight with a heart felt thank you. This morning I was gifted with a bagel and cram cheese and a strawberry smoothie! What an amazing way to start my day. Thank you Haylee's family. I was also spoiled with a gift card to get my nails done (perfect for my upcoming wedding date this summer!) and an Amazon gift card. I will have fun with that! Thank you Casasha's family! What I loved most though was the cards. When kids and parents take the time to write down a thank you note to me and share with me how I have impacted their kid's lives that is what matters the most to me. I love to save them in my little happy file and take them out when I need a reminder of why I love my job! :0) Thank you all so much for doing this on a daily basis!



Enjoy the rain!
Ms. Erickson

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” ― James Baldwin

Happy Monday! I was welcomed this morning with breakfast from Mrs. Meier and a beautiful plant from the Chase's family! I love pink and butterflies always make me feel relaxed and happy!  I feel so appreciated!!! Thank you!

To continue the Mother's Day week theme, here is another one of my favorites. It circled around on Facebook for a few weeks, and now it has hit again. Love it! I can picture so many of us moms (and there is one for dads too!) singing it at the top of our lungs. I especially love the part where you should NEVER flush the toilet in the morning or they know you are up!!!! Ahhhhhh!!! :0) Enjoy!


Today, we read on in our Riding Freedom novel. We are well on our way to finishing it on time before the ranch field trip. Yay. Today, Charlotte got revenge for some wrongs that happened to her in her past. Even though it was not justice and correct, it was a great chapter and we were all happy to see Mr. Millshark finally get his share of yuck in life. Kids had to write an opinion proof paper. Ask them for one of their favorite Revenge parts in the chapter. If they can tell you, write REVENGE in the planner for $10.

Tomorrow we start the Smarter Balance testing. We will go to PE and then we will be testing the rest of the day. I would rather just get it all over with in two long days than spread it out all week. I have to teach a lesson in between so it is not solid computer testing all day. They will do great. Please, please, please have your child here tomorrow and Wednesday. You know how I dislike make up testing. We know we are down one already, and that is fine. Let's just try to have the rest getter done. :0) Kids that are here tomorrow will earn $100. If we have perfect attendance minus the one we know is out of town, then I will double it to $200. Kids can also earn $50 if they bring back their little testing diamond that I told them to hang onto for life. We shall see who listened. :0)

Our recorder concert is this Wednesday at 8:30 in the gym. Please plan to join us. They do amazing things! Kids need to wear nice clothing for this presentation.

Rain and cooler weather are projected for the next two days. Please make sure kids come to school in appropriate clothing. Thanks.

Just a reminder that next year music is different for 5th graders. They get to choose band, orchestra, or general choir. I know that Eckroth has a program where kids can go in and try out different instruments to see what they are like. A few weeks back, kids went to a presentation here of all the different instruments they can play. There are some AMAZING music camps put on by BPS in the summer to give kids a head start. Emma and Beau will both be going to these for sure. They are pretty cheap too! Bonus! Watch for information coming home.

As we near the end of the year, we are asked to remind you that if your child will be gone the last day of school you need to provide a self addressed stamped LARGE envelope to receive the last report card in. NO report cards will be given out early.

We are done with the Big Sky Fit Kids campaign. Kids no longer need to record their exercise and fruit and veggie intake. Thanks for helping our team do amazing!!! Way to go Buff Believers!

This Friday is a spirit day. It is a special one to me as I LOVE Zoo Montana. Jeff Ewalt is a great friend of mine and we go back to the days of him working in Red Lodge. Every year he helps kids understand  animals and all their connections to environments come to life. He is a the most energetic person I know and he LOVES kids!!! This Friday is Stripes for Cents Day. Kids can bring a dollar to donate and then show their united love for animals by wearing stripes. The zoo recently lost their tiger named Prince. So sad. They are planning on getting two new ones soon. All the money raised will got to helping those two new tigers love their new home. We will have an assembly the following week. We get to see animals and learn more about them. Each child that donates a dollar or more will be entered into a drawing to win one of two stuffed animal tigers. Please start planning those outfits now. Roar!!!

Everyone will take the book spelling test this week. With testing, there is not time to do an alternate test.

Have a fantastic evening! Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.
Ms. Erickson

“To be in your children's memories tomorrow, You have to be in their lives today.” ― Barbara Johnson

Happy Mother's Day Week! Being a mom or a dad is the absolute best paying job in the world. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and it is a passion that never gets old. One thing that does get old however, is the fact that our kids are getting old, which in turn makes us really old. If only they could stay little for longer. We blink, and they are taller than us. We blink and they are smarter than us (or so they think). All I want to do sometimes is just blink and be back in my rocking chair holding two tiny bundles of joy that look at me like I am the only person in their world. Instead, I wake up to go, go, go. Soccer games, farming, school functions, soccer practice, playdates and more. Love it, but where does all the time go? When I find myself being an overwhelmed mom, I love to listen to this song. It reminds me to just stop and listen to them giggle. Our big kids are just like those tiny bundles of joy. They just have to be told to stop, live, and be little! Enjoy!




To celebrate Mother's and Father's Day, kids will become a parent to a hard boiled egg for a day. We will do this "Baby Egg Day" on Friday. I have already told the class a little bit about this day, but will explain more this week. This will be a real world activity along with a full day of regular academics. As parents, we know that the regular world doesn't stop when we have kids. Kids will have to use their fake money on this day. There will be doctor's visits, medical insurance, babysitting fees, and even a ransom fee if they are not watchful over their baby at all times. Wherever the parent goes, so does the kid. I have asked kids to look around home for a small something that they could use for a crib. The baby egg will stay in here when a child is at their desk. If they move away from their desk, even for a second, they will have to take little jr along with them. Otherwise, mean ole Ms. Erickson just might kidnap it. Kids will bring their egg to life during CC meeting on Friday. They will put a face on it, name it, weigh it, find its circumference, and add any other item they may have brought from home, such as a hair ribbon or a bow tie. Don't worry, I will take plenty of pictures that day! It never fails though that at least one egg rolls off a desk within the first minute that I distribute them. That doesn't make for a very pretty family picture, but as I tell them…accidents happen all the time in the world of kids. Recess and lunch are always a fun time. :0) There is always one that thinks a hard boiled egg can survive a ride down a slide. :0( You will get to meet your child that night. I do allow them to bring them home to share with you. Please don't allow little jr to be eaten. Yuck!  I guess that means you are a grandma or a grandpa for a day. Yikes!

On Friday, we will also play the guess who baby picture game. I will show a baby picture, and the kids will have to guess who it is. Your children are soooooo adorable! If you still need to send one in, no worries. We won't do it until Friday.

This Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be taking our last standardized test of the year, Smarter Balance. As I have stated before, this is a pilot test this year. It is a test to test the test. I think it is such an honor to be a part of making a standardized test for all future 4th graders. Kids need to do their very best on the test, as they always do. We will test all day with many break in between. Kids that are absent will have to make it up with a group of other kids. Last one….woohoo!

This week, we will also be putting a heavy emphasis on reading our Riding Freedom novel, and on the Lewis and Clark expedition. While resting on my couch this weekend, I created a very cool unit for this subject.We will be  exploring the trail with a strong American Indian Influence, and we will take a look at just how important MT Natives and Sacagawea were to putting Montana on the map.  Kids will have a novel that they will be periodically assigned to read parts of to re-enforce the topics we covered in class. There will be many hands on activities along the way. This will end our MT History unit for the year. We will celebrate by going to Pompey's Pillar in June. Everything we learn, will come to life there. The museum is sooooooo cool. It is totally interactive, so kids can actually see, touch, and wear history! I have chaperones for History Day in Huntley, for the Grewell Ranch, but I still need one for Pompey's Pillar. Please write me a note in the planner if you can do this trip. Dates are written off to the side of blog. Or text me.

I do have some pictures to share with you, but I believe my camera is on my desk at school. I am going to Nicolas's piano recital today, so I will swing by and see if I can't find it. I know it has some cool pictures of Spencer sharing some really neat things for his star of the week presentation.

As for my health, I am doing sooooooo much better. I probably should have listened to EVERYONE and taken a few days off last week to just rest, but I am stubborn when it comes to getting a sub. I just thought I could do it, and I did. However, now after resting for three days straight, I am kicking myself at how much better I could have felt earlier. Oh well, live and learn. It is rare for me to get sick, so when I do I turn into Super Ms. Erickson! Thank you all so much for all your encouragement and well wishes. They meant a lot to me.

Speaking of Super Heroes….on Thursday kids get to dress up as their favorite super hero. It is in honor of all the amazing staff that work at Arrowhead. I am continually amazed at the length teachers here go to help kids be the best they can be. I am so proud to work along side them. I know it will be hard to find a costume for Ms. Erickson, but I am sure your kiddo will come up with something. :0) Hee Hee.

On Friday, our room mom has requested a half hour of time for a little something she has up her sleeve. I am not a big fan of being the center of attention, but I have agreed. So, we will take time out to do a fun little activity that she has planned with the kids. I will tell you, I was so petrified to come to Arrowhead. On my transfer slip from Bitterroot, I actually wrote I would go anywhere on the west end EXCEPT Arrowhead. And where did my path take me? To Arrowhead. I am a big believer in things happen for a reason, and now I know why. Arrowhead has been such a wonderful fit for me. All of the things I was afraid of have now become major blessings in my life. Teaching with professionals in an atmosphere that demands high expectations, working with kids that absolutely love to learn, and making new friends with their parents has been such a blessing in my life. Such a blessing. I have grown as a teacher and my passion for my profession is stronger than ever. Since I was a little girl, I knew I was born to teach. I absolutely love it, and I hope that I have shared that passion for learning with your child as well. Thank you for inspiring me to be a better me!

I hope that you enjoy your Sunday! We actually have a full week of school this week. Yay!
Ms. Erickson

Birthdays Galore!

Happy Birthday to Liam and Casasha this week! Two in one week, can you say sugar high! :0) Liam started us off this week with delicious donuts and Casasha raked in the money selling cupcakes and juice. I hope they both had a grLieat birthday at school!



I put a list of upcoming events off to the right of the blog. Please take a minute to update your calendar. The recorder concert date was changed at some time. I can't remember what I told you last. This is the for sure one though.

Thanks for finding those baby pictures. They are adorable! This will be a fun game. I had to look on a couple of them myself. I will send them back home as soon as I finish scanning them into the slideshow. :0)

Thanks also for sending in the $7 for the field trip. If you didn't, no worries. Just send it in anytime before we go.

There is no homework tonight. Play outside. :0)

Tomorrow is our last day of school for the week. There is no school on Friday. Even teacher's get the day off. Yay! Finally a day to sleep and get better. Only alternate spellers have a test tomorrow.

Some kids didn't finish their reading assignment in class. It was board work to go with Ch. 4. So, here is a picture of it if they need to finish up.



Library books are due back tomorrow if they are done with them.

It was so nice having lunch with all the volunteers today. As I have said a million times before, WOW! This school is so supported and it makes a HUGE difference!

Have a wonderful evening. I will be spending mine in a doctors office. I am pretty sure I have added walking pneumonia to my list of sicknesses this week. Good grief. Just want to get better. Soon, soon, soon. :0) I refuse to take a day off to sit home. As long as I am not contagious…I am here. :0) Crazy Ms. Erickson!

Happy Days!

Hello there. Day two without a voice…yuck! It is funny how the kids want me to continue to read the Riding Freedom book out loud to them though, even though I sound horrible! Love it. (By the way, kids are telling on you for reading ahead! Ha Ha!) Just make sure you keep a lid on the events that come up. It is a great book and it moves very fast. Kids feel as if every chapter is a cliffhanger!

Tuesday Folders came home tonight. They are packed with stuff. Things for this summer, PTA news, and their upcoming field trip permission form. I am pretty excited about this field trip as it will be new to me as well. Love when I get to learn too. Please empty and return signed folders and permission slips tomorrow. Please have the $7 turned in starting tomorrow, but not due till the day we go. This trip will not have a fake money buy in cost with it. Everyone will be invited to go. Thanks.

PTA is asking for people to step up for next year. Mr. Pertuit and I have agreed to take on the Back to School Night. When working together, we find it is very easy to organize a fun event for kids. Please consider taking on an event so that it doesn't have to be cancelled. :0( Halloween….NOOOOOOO! You just can't allow them to cancel my birthday! :0) See the green sheet in the Tuesday folder for details.

Homework tonight is to find a baby picture of themselves. We need these for egg day next week on Friday, but I need time to put them into a slideshow. So, I would like them tomorrow. Please have kids send them in a sealed envelope with their name on it to keep them a secret. We will all try to guess who is who on that day. Shhhhhh. :0) Taylor brought hers in today so she has no homework tonight. Yay.

Haylee used her show n tell coupon today. She shared her cheer competition video with us. How fun to see her in action. Yesterday, Tyler also shared his passion with us. He is a Judo champion! We watched his matches on youtube in class as well. How cool! Thank you so much for sharing kid's lives with me!
I am looking forward to Nicolas's piano recital and Casasha's dance performances coming up soon. Keep inviting me. If I can swing it, I will be there. Love, love, love it!

With so many after school activities now, I have had a few kids say that they just no longer have time for homework. My response to them is, "I am so sorry to hear that. " Kids that can't do their homework at home will have plenty of time to catch up on them when they are sitting at school instead of going to the Ranch or Pompey's Pillar. Homework is and has never been optional, and there is always a standard $50 fine. If kids can't fit in a half hour to devote to their homework, then it may be time to rethink the activities that start right after school and don't end until bed time. I have a feeling that there is time, but it is not being used wisely. I find this odd, as part of homework is to learn how to prioritize and organize one's time. Please encourage kids to put their studies first and to find time right after school to finish up their homework. I also talked to the class about this one, so they know the consequences as well.  Thanks for your support on this one.

Speaking of class discussions, I had a parent call last night. Apparently there is a boyfriend girlfriend issue going on. I have not seen this with my own eyes, but that doesn't mean it is not happening. We had a pretty serious talk about what age we should start to think about this. It is NOT at age 10 or anywhere near that! It is inappropriate to be thinking, talking, or writing about specific boys at this age. Right now, it is all about friendships. Please make sure that kids are not writing this stuff in journals or on notebooks at home. I advised them to throw it away if they are. There brains need to focus on school and having fun with friends right now. People are now living to be 90 or 100 years old. They should not be worry about this stuff when they have 80 to 90 years left to do so. Please follow up at home with a quick talk about what 10 year old and 11 year olds and so on are supposed to be focussed on and why. If you do write, TALK in the planner for $50 tomorrow. As I tell my Emma and Beau all the time, I will find two giant bricks and tape them to their heads in order to slow their lives down! They just grow up faster and faster each day, don't they?

On that note, I think that is about it. Have a wonderful evening.
Ms. Erickson