Guest Teacher Monday & Tuesday

Good Morning-
WOW!!  What a great performance on Friday.  All the 3-6th graders did a great job and I can't be any more proud of them.  Great job to the soloists as well.
As you know I am not going to be here on Monday & Tuesday so please take this time to re-visit expectations with your child.  I have Christmas related learning activities set up for them.
On Tuesday, they will be watching the Santa Paws movie so they may bring a drink (with a lid) and a treat to have during the movie.  Also, that day is Pajama Day for the whole school as achieved our "Paws-i-tive" choices goal for the month of November.
Congratulations to Keilah, our Purple Hand recipient for the month of December.  She was nominated for her kindness, caring ways as well as being a helpful, good friend.  Good Job, Keilah.
I hope you and your families have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season.  If you can do that and visit with your child about expectations the next 2 days, write Merry Christmas in the planner for free money.
Cya next year.

Performance Tomorrow

Yes, tomorrow is the Christmas Performance.  Now is the time for them to shine and share all the hard work they have put into memorizing their songs and working on their singing voices.  They sound GREAT!!!  I also can't wait to see them all in their performance clothing.  Always a fun day to see them dressed up more than the ordinary days.
Green Note:  Yes, I sent a note home explaining my absence from school next Monday & Tuesday.  Thank you for your understanding in this and I know you will prepare your child to use even stronger positive character on those days.  I know they will be excited for the holidays, but I have confidence that they will hold it together and do well.  Like I said in the note, most of the curriculum those days is skill based, but centered around holiday activities.
Tomorrow is the last day for the Food Drive.
Library-we will not have Library tomorrow due to the concert, but they will have it on Tuesday, December 23rd so they can get new books for the holiday.
Congratulations to Paige, our student of the week.  We learned a lot about her and her favorites.  Here are just a few:  She likes turquoise, the book "Smile", basketball, pasta, tacos, art and playing LPS.  When she grows up, she hopes to be an Art Teacher and the things she doesn't think we know about her are that she can ride a horse bareback and that she can catch big fish.
Have a great night.

Happy Day

Today was a good day in Room 6.  We got our Unit 3 Selection 2 done in Lead 21 and are ready to write our summaries.  Also, our fun Rudolph stories are almost done too.  Ask your child about what color their Rudolph's nose turned and how it happened.  If your child is not in Lead 21, ask them about what their buddies Rudolph story nose turned to what color.  Write their new color in the planner for free money.
Also, today we finished Part 1 of our SE region test.  Students had to write down 6 locations we visited on the tour and 3 facts they learned about them.  Ask them about 2 of them and if they can tell  you, write SE in the planner.
Tomorrow is the states & capitals test along with the location.
Now that we had lots of good practice measuring things in the classroom today, we are ready to begin perimeter tomorrow.
Reminder:  Food Drive ends Friday as well as Animal Shelter collections.
Have a great night.

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Today, Mrs. Neese had a great lesson to go along with the Rudolph book and our Character Counts meetings.  Ask your child what the lesson was all about and what their homework is for next week.  Unfortunately, I think there are many examples of this happening around us on a daily basis.  If they can tell you about the lesson & next week's assignment, write Rudolph in the planner.
Measurement-today we started measurement in math.  Learning the 3 benchmark fractions really helped us measure lines & things on our desks today.  If your child can tell you the 3 benchmark fractions, write them in the planner.   Tomorrow, they will partner up with someone in the room and measure objects around the room at 13 different stations.
Social Studies-we have finished our tour of the SE region and as we listened to facts & information for 10 different places of this region via a CD, students were to mark the locations on their individual maps along with writing facts about each place.  They will be allowed to use these for Part 1 of the test so hopefully they were paying close attention and marking their maps as I was marking a whole class map.  Sort of like an open book test (kind of like middle & high school) it pays to pay attention and take good notes.  Then on Thursday, they will have Part 2 of the test which is the states & capitals portion along with their location.
Reminder of 2 things on Friday-The Christmas Program at 10:15 & 2:00.
The Christmas Stroll from 6-8.
Also, Friday is the last day for Food Drive collection.  Continue to give generously.
Have a great night.

Happy Monday

Quick post today due to the fact not a lot of happenings since we tested most of the afternoon.  Those not here today, we will need to get you caught up this week.
Today the students were treated to a fun experience in the Star Lab with Mr. English.  Ask them about it and if they can give you some cool facts & things they learned, write Star Lab in the planner for free money.
Just a reminder that our states & capitals test is on Thursday.  We are practicing some at school, but they will need to study at home in order to master them.
Even though this is a busy time of year, make sure your child still takes time to read nightly and practice those spelling words too.
Make sure they dress for the weather this week.  They can have fun in the snow if they are dressed for it.
Have a great night.

Busy Week Ahead

Happy Friday!!!  As we look into next week it is going to be a busy, hectic week.  We are starting Monday off with our MAP (NWEA) Math testing in the afternoon.  Attendance is very important!!!!!!
Also, on Monday during PE time the students will have the opportunity to go into the Star Lab with Mr. English and have an astronomy lesson on star gazing.  This is pretty cool.  I used to facilitate Science lessons in the Star Lab years ago.
Thursday is our states & capitals test for the SE region so make sure you are studying not only them, but their location as well.
Friday of course is the Christmas Program at 10:15 & 2:00.  Choose one performance to attend.
Also on Friday is the Christmas Stroll sponsored by our wonderful PTA.  It is from 6-8.
In math next week we are working on our measurement unit.
In Lead 21, we are continuing with our Atlantic States.
Writing-Rudolph Stories
Language-continuation with verb unit
Spelling -Unit 15 words.
This is the last week for the Food Drive collection as well as donations for the animal shelter.  Have your kids tell you about the Santa Paws book we are reading and how Santa Paws is helping people in the community of Oceanport.
Have a great weekend.

Hat Day Tomorrow for $1.00

Yes, tomorrow students can wear a hat all day for $1.  Donation money will go to Mr. Goodheart and his Jazz Band at Riverside so they can make a trip to Helena to play at the capital.  If you can, have fun, wear a hat, and help out a great cause.
Today in Math we learned some strategies to use to solve 2 digit x 2 digit multiplication problems.  Ask your child what their strategy is and have them do the problem 12 x 25.  If they come up with the correct answer, write the name of their strategy in the planner for free money.
Rylee was our Student of the Week this week.  We learned some of her favorites:  black, scrapbooking, Denver Broncos, dirt bikes & 4 -wheelers, and Math.
Remember Spelling test tomorrow.
Keep practicing those SE states & capitals.  Test will be on Thursday, December 18th.
Have a great night.

Short Post/Staff Meeting Today

Just a quick note to let you know that we had a great day with testing today.  Most students went up with their RIT scores.  I will be letting you know when we get Math done next Monday what the scores were for both of them.  Thank you.  So yes, make sure your child is in attendance Monday to do the Math portion of the testing.
Just a reminder that the 2nd graders are still collecting food for the food bank until Friday, December 19th.  Thank you for your generosity.
Also, we are still filling our stocking for the Animal Shelter animals.  I know it is asking a lot to help with all these donations, but if you can that is great and if not, no worries.
Tomorrow is PE so get those PE shoes here.
One last reminder:  The Christmas Program is on Friday, December 19th at 10:15 & 2:00.  Make plans to attend one of the performances.
In fact, today's blog question is to ask your child their favorite song for the Christmas Program.  Write it in the planner for free money.
Have a great night.

Survival in Social Studies

Yes, today the name of the game was Survival in the Jamestown colony of the Southeast region.  Today we learned about some of the hazards the colonists encountered on their journey over from England along with how their life was once they got here.  Ask them about the game they played with partners as to what happened to them and then what they told John in the letter that they had to write to him either convincing him to stay or to come over to live.  Write either "stay" or "come" in the planner depending on what their advice was.
Tomorrow is MAP testing for the reading portion.  Please make sure your child gets a good night's rest, healthy breakfast, along with bringing a protein filled healthy snack for the morning before testing.
They may bring come to chew to help them relax during the test.
 They will do great and this test is to show the growth they are making so far this year and if any interventions are needed at this time.
Remember to make plans to attend one of the Christmas programs on December 19th.  Due to overcrowding, we are asking you to come to only one of the performances as it will be the same thing both times anyway.
It was great to hear how many of you had a discussion about our word of the week -"greedy" and how it is better to "give" rather than "receive".  I so hope all these Character Counts meeting discussions will make a lasting impression.
Have a great night.

Happy Monday

I hope you were able to see your child's midterm over the weekend.   They are very aware of the fact that there is time to make improvements before the report cards go out around the 3rd week of January.
Thank you to those of you that brought food for the food bank.  Keep it coming as the 2nd graders are collecting it every day and we can see the pile of food grow!!!!  Also, thank you to those of you that brought in items for our shelter animals.  They will love you.  Keep it coming also.  We will be collecting through December 19th.
Also, on December 19th is the Music Program.  I hope you looked at your schedule and have made plans for one of the two performances.
Tomorrow is the holiday lunch.  We have lunch at 12:10 if you are joining your child.
Today, we started our tour of the Southeast Region.  We learned about 2 places in Florida.  Ask your child what they are and if they can tell you, write them in the planner for free money.
Reminder:  We are taking our MAP reading test on Wednesday during our reading block time so please make every effort to have your child here so they don't have to miss class time to make it up.
In math today, we had fun using data to find the range, median, and mode.  This is W3 on IXL if they wish to practice it tonight on computer.
Today our word for SchoolToolsTV/Character Counts meetings is greedy.  We had a great discussion about it this morning and how we can turn that word around especially this holiday season.  Ask your child what we talked about today about # of gifts.
Have a great night.

Happy TGIF & Mid-terms Went Home

Wow!!!  This week went super fast!!!!
Today was a great day from start to finish.  We had a great morning meeting with our topic of discussion being on "how to encourage others".  Lots of insight & good ideas shared.  I am so happy at what a great team this bunch is getting to be.  Then we moved on to graphing ordered pairs in Math which they loved and found quite easy which was a good break from the more difficult skills/tasks we have been working on.  They then went to work on it in IXL and loved that they were able to get through I2 & I4 rather quickly.
Great discussions today by all the groups in Lead 21.  We are learning many fun, new things about the Atlantic States like how coal & rock are formed.  Also a lot about the areas geography, economy, history, and culture.
Buddies today consisted of helping them make some addition flash cards and then to read.  Love watching them all work together and be kind to each other.
Geography Challenge 6A in Social Studies is complete so now on Monday we will start the tour of this region and like I said earlier, the states & capitals test will be sometime the week of December 15th.
Next week's happenings:
First of all, we are actually going to be taking our Winter MAP tests before the Christmas Holiday so we can come back from break and really teach strong without any testing interruptions for a while anyway.  So on Wednesday, December 10th, we will start with the reading test and then on Monday, December 15th, we will take the Math one.  These tests will show the amazing growth they have made in those areas so far this year.  So please see to it that your child is here for sure on those days.  Thank you.
In Math, we will start our Measurement Unit with measuring and finding more area & perimeter.
In Social Studies, our tour of the SE region
In Science, we will begin our Electricity Unit
Spelling-Unit 14 words
Language-helping & linking verbs
Reminders:  Food Drive starts Monday
Collection of $, toys, or food for the Animal Shelter
PTA sponsored movie "Frozen" tonight.  Remember free money if you go.  Just write Frozen in the planner if you attend.
Have a great weekend.

Combination of Math & PE Today

Today we added a little PE to our math lesson on Line plots.  Ask your child what a line plot is and what kinds of things we did to collect & record our data.  Fun & learning was had by all.  I think they were surprised that this "old" teacher of theirs could actually get down on the floor and do a couple of these activities.  HaHa  If they can tell you about it, write line plot in the planner.
Food Drive:  Bitterroot 2nd Graders are sponsoring a Food Drive starting on Monday.  Please send non-perishable items to school with your child.  Thank you for your help in advance.
Speaking of helping out this holiday season, we have had some great discussions during our morning meetings about what it means to "give" during this holiday season.  We know our school & community is great about helping children with the angel trees around town along with "Toys For Tots" and food drives for families, so we are taking another "spin" on it and helping out our animals in needs.  We are reading a book called "Santa Paws" in our class right now.  It is a book about a puppy who gets separated from his family and has to survive on his own.  So to go along with this,  we are going to take on a community project by helping our animal shelter.  Students have discussed & agreed that they will help fill our empty stocking in our room whether it be by donating money, toys, or food for the shelter animals. I don't want students to empty their piggy banks or beg from you, but only if they want to give.  Also talked about how they could do "odd" jobs for extended family or neighbors to raise a few dollars.  Then right before the holidays, the donations will be delivered to the shelter.  Remember this is OPTIONAL!!!!  Thank you again in advance for your help.
Remember spelling test tomorrow.
Also, get those library books back for Library tomorrow.
YAYYYY!!!  Cole did a great job sharing his Student of the Week things today.  We learned lots about him.  Here are some of his favorites:  he likes the color aquamarine, swimming (which is probably why his favorite color is what it is), Science.  After school he likes to talk and when he grows up he wants to be an inventor.  The funny thing we learned about him is that he can't roll his tongue.
We sure liked his Newton's Cradle.  I think he should get a commission from the Happy Days store in the mall after today as we were told by another student that that is where they can be purchased and I think everyone in the class wants one now so surely their sales will increase!!!!!
Have a great night.

Christmas Program Tryouts

Wow!!!  I am sitting here right now as they are having music in our classroom and trying out for solo parts for the Christmas Program.  Mrs. McKinnsey has a very difficult decision in making her choices.  Yikes-so excited to hear all these AMAZING voices!!!!  Guaranteed to have a great performance.
Today in math we learned about area & perimeter.  Ask your child the difference between them and to find the perimeter and area of a rectangle that has dimensions of 6 inches by 4 inches.
Write the P=  and A= in the planner for free money.
In Social Studies we are working on the Geography Challenge for this region.  It consists of port cities & coastal plains. Ask your child what each of these are and if they can tell you write SE in the planner.
IXL practice tonight-please have your child practice the skill they have chosen to work on tonight.
If they do, write IXL in the planner.  They have each received a card of skills they need extra practice & work on so these are the ones they are to work on at home as well as at school.
Remember tomorrow is PE so get those shoes here.
Bitterroot PTA presents FROZEN on Friday December 5th from 6-8:00.  Free money if you go.  Have fun.
Have a great night.

Southeast States & Capitals Map Went Home Today

Yes, we finished making our flash cards for school practice and started our Geography Challenge for the Southeast Region so the maps went home today.  So it is time to start practicing and memorizing these for the test that will be Dec. 18th or 19th.  Remember not only do they need to know the capitals but the locations as well.
We started Lead 21 Unit 3 today too and it is so great that this is all about the Atlantic States which are part of the Southeast Region so we will learn lots of information about this area regarding its' history, culture, geography, and economy.
We are working hard on Elapsed Time in Math yesterday & today.  Have your child show you our we are using timelines to help us master this skill.  It is a great strategy and works every time provided they make & use the timeline correctly.  So have them show you how to do the following problem in the planner.  Start time:  2:53   ---End time:  4:21---What is the elapsed time.  Write it in the planner for free money.
IXL math-when your child is practicing these skills at home, make sure they are using scratch paper to solve the problems before submitting their answers.  Skills for this week to work on at home are:  O5, J1, D5, D6, and U1. Thank you
Holiday meal slips-if you plan to have the holiday dinner with your child here at school, return the form ASAP.  Thank you
Naming the new school, mascot, and colors-remember to get your ideas in to me by December 9th.  Thank you
Have a great night.

Happy Monday

Good day today for the first day back from our wonderful break.   I hope you had a great time with family & friends.  I sure did and got all my Christmas decorating done both inside & out.
Naming the new middle school-yes, the school district is wanting input on naming the new middle school along with a mascot & colors.  Students have an opportunity to come up with their ideas and write them down on the large index cards that they were able to take home tonight if they chose to.  Also, they need to give 1-2 reasons why they chose the name, mascot, and color(s) they did.  Then we will get together as a 4th grade and come up with one idea to enter as the 4th graders from Bitterroot Elementary.  Deadline for this process is on December 12th. Have fun and be creative.  Remember this is optional.
Today we started our Southeast states & capitals.  We didn't quite finish our flash cards today so I didn't send the practice maps yet as they will go home tomorrow.  But see if your child can name at least 2 states in the region-if they can, write them in the planner for free money.
Lead 21-all projects are done and shared so now we are on to Unit 3 which parallels our Southeast region in Social Studies.
Unit 13 spelling list.
Make sure you get your November reading calendars back to me tomorrow if you haven't already done so.  Decembers will go home tomorrow.  They didn't get back from print shop today.
Have a great night.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to each and everyone of you.  May you have a blessed holiday.  We all have so much to be thankful for.  Please take some time this weekend to reflect on our blessings.  Enjoy.
Here are the fun Going Green Projects.

This photo slideshow customized with Smilebox

Lead 21 Projects Due Tomorrow

Happy Monday-
Just a reminder to the students that are in Lead 21 that your projects are due tomorrow.  Big part of your reading grade so make sure they are here.
Finished Endangered Animal Inquiry projects today by taking all our information, getting it typed in Microsoft Word and printing off pictures.  Then mounting it all on poster board.   Great facts learned and we will share those tomorrow morning.
Cumulative Math tests for Chapters 1-3 that we took on Friday went home today.  We went over them today to see where we made our mistakes.  I am so happy to report that these students are retaining previously taught skills.  EXCITING!!!!
Reminder of Early Out tomorrow-12:00 dismissal.  No School on Wed.-Fri.
For free planner money, ask your child what IXL skill they worked on today.
Have a great night.

PHEW!!! CRAZY DAY!!!

Crazy, but FUN day today.  I wonder why??????  Well of course, there is some excitement around the school for the BIG game tomorrow and the fun rivalry attached to it.  I think our very own Mr. English had the most fun today.  He was full of jokes and playing the Bobcat fight song many a time on the PA system.  He did play the GRIZ fight song one time-well I guess it wasn't the fight song as it didn't sound like they had much fight in them.  Anyway, fun day, lots of fun jerseys, and let's just enjoy the game tomorrow and may the BEST team win!!!!  As you know, I am a huge Bobcat fan and I made a deal with Mrs. Neese (GRIZ) that if the Bobcats win, she has to wear my Bobcat jersey all day on Monday and if the Griz win, I need to wear her Griz jersey.  Just sayin-don't think I will look too good in it nor feel to great that day either so it could be a long day.  But I BELIEVE in my team so GO BOBCATS!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Megan, our Purple Hand winner.  She was nominated by her classmates for being a kind, helpful, caring friend, and always there when you need her.  Way to go, Megan.
Today in Montana History, we briefly discussed the 7 reservations and their tribe affiliation.  More on that next week.
Speaking of next week, Lead 21 projects are due on Tuesday.
Also, next week:  Tuesday is Early out and No School on Wed. -Friday.
Our Endangered animal reports are coming along great.  Some of the kids finished today and are ready to put them on poster board for display.  In Library, Mrs. Anderson helped them make a slide for 5 of their cool facts.  I will embed these into the blog when they are complete so you can enjoy them.
No Spelling List next week.
Tonight is Family Fun/Fitness night in the gym.  It is from 6:00-7:30.  If you come with your child, note that in the planner for free money.
Have a great weekend.

CAT/GRIZ DAY TOMORROW

Picture re-takes tomorrow.  So bring those "flashy" smiles if you are planning retakes.
Also, tomorrow is CAT/GRIZ Day so wear your favorite team attire for some free money.  GO CATS!!!!
Tomorrow is also Family Fitness Night in the gym sponsored by PTA.  It is from 6-7:30.  Free money if you attend with an adult.
Today in Math, we finished Chapter 3 so we will test out on it and then move on to time & measurement.
In Montana History, we learned about the hottest/coldest weather extremes in Montana that are record setters.  Ask your child what they are and write them in the planner for free money.  BRRRRR & WHEW!!!!
Congratulations to Mathew, our latest student of the week.  We learned that he likes pink, MT History, football, corn dogs and driving his car after school. (No not a real one-yet)!!!  When he grows up he wants to be an engineer and the amazing thing we learned about him today is that he drove a "quarter midget" race car when he was only 5.  Speaking of cars, look at his cool car and it goes extremely fast too.  Gotta love the snow chains on it!!!!
Have a great night.

Short Post

Staff Meeting tonight so a short post.
Lead 21 kids today started typing their endangered animal research projects in Microsoft Word and we got our Chrome Books hooked up to the wireless printer with Mr. English's help so now we will be ready to print them as we finish typing and then put them on display poster boards.  Then in Library, Mrs. Anderson is going to help them put it into a slide show presentation.
Lead 21 reminder:  Remember your Unit 2 Going Green Projects are due on Tuesday.
Montana History today-we learned the highest peak in MT.  If they can tell you what it is, write it in the planner for free money.
Have a great night.

Sounding Great

Wow-the preparations for the Christmas Program are underway and these kids are sounding fabulous already and it is not even Thanksgiving yet!!!!!  Can you imagine what they will sound like on Friday, December 19th????!!!!   Yes, that is the date for the program.  We will be performing it twice-once at 10:15 and again at 2:00 to help alleviate with the overcrowding of the gym and different grade levels are performing at different times.  Mrs. McKinnsey is sending a note home soon about the grade level times, but these are our times for sure.  So make your plans to attend one of the 2 times.
Today in Math, we learned about in/out boxes.  Have your child make one in the planner to show you their understanding of it.  It can be multiplication or division.
In Montana History, we learned how the Ecological regions of MT.  Ask them how many there are and what they are called.  Write them in the planner.  Also ask them what region Billings is located in.
Lead 21 -we are taking our First Quarter Benchmark test which is given after every 2 units in Lead 21.  The writing project to go with it is on procedural text-ask your child what they are writing about.
Remember Lead 21 projects are due on Tuesday, November 25th.
Picture retake information went home today.
Have a great night.

Happy Monday

Whew!!!  Busy -busy day once again.  Today just flew by even though we were in for recess today at lunch, but we managed to get out this afternoon for some fresh air.
Today in Math, we were working so hard on Pre-algebraic expressions as Mr. English popped in and he could see "smoke" coming out of their brains they were thinking and working so hard.  We had fun solving these  multiplication/division expressions with variables.  Have your child show you how to solve 6x if x=7  and 56/n  if n=8   5 x (6 + e)  for e=2  Write the 3 answers in the planner for free money.
Montana History fun with a rivers/mountains map.  We located many different rivers and mountain ranges in the state.  Ask them the 3 rivers that come together to join the Missouri (the headwaters) in Three Forks, MT.  Write them in the planner.
Reminder for Lead 21 students that your "Going Green"  helping protect the earth is due next Tuesday, November 25th.  I can't wait to see the awesome projects that they have been talking about.
Unit 11 spelling words went home today.  Make sure you study.  65% or higher is expected on the Friday test.
Remember picture retakes are on Friday.
Reminder:  Next Tuesday the 25th is an Early out (12:00 dismissal) and then No School on Wed.-Friday for the Thanksgiving Break.
Have a great night.

Happy Friday

Old Man Winter let up on its' grip today and we were able to go outside for Morning Walk as well as recesses today which was a blessing as we were all tired of being "cooped" up for the week.   Students had lots of fun playing in the snow as well as getting some fresh air.  We didn't go out for Fun Friday today though as we ran short on time so instead of getting all our snow gear on for a short time, we played 4 corners instead which they enjoyed very much.  Ask your child how to play it and if they can tell you, write 4 corners in the planner.
Today in Montana History we learned something cool about Montana's Headwaters.  Ask your child why we are so special in that sense.  If they can tell you, write 3 river systems in the planner.
Buddies today was a great review/practice of our writing/science skills.  They are studying the water cycle so we had to help them with paragraph writing to go along with their model representations.  I was  proud of the 4th graders as they are putting all they have learned about the Stoplight writing process to good work.
Next week the happenings are as follows:  Math-we are getting into multiplication/division algebraic expressions as well as in/out boxes.  IXL skills to work on this week are:  D5, D6, F4.  Please make sure you do them in that order as they build on each other.
Lead 21-we are at the completion of Unit 2 so it is time to take a  Benchmark test which we will take 2 days to do it.  The rest of the week will be working on our Endangered animal research project.  Speaking of project, I am glad that students in Lead 21 have chosen the project they are going to work on for the homework part of this unit.  Remember these are due to share on Tuesday, November 25 right before our Thanksgiving Break.
Language:  We are going to do our 3rd type of writing and that is Procedural Writing-students will write the "how" to do something.  It can be as simple as making a PBJ sandwich.
Spelling -Unit 11 words.
Montana History-map work locating rivers and mountain ranges along with the 3 regions of Montana.
Have a great weekend and we can look forward to some warmer temperatures next week.

Great Job Yesterday

Once again these kids did a great job with the guest teacher.  I actually knew that yesterday as I texted Mrs. Stott at about 2:00 and she said they were doing great.  Then when I came in this morning, there was a great sub note.  I am very proud of these kids.  For those good choices they made, they earned 3 celebration points.  A couple students made a few poor choices, but they admitted it today and that was cool too so the consequence was 1/2 of what it was going to be.  I am proud of them too.  I think our character counts meetings are paying off and we are learning how be responsible members of Team Hankins.
Great day in PE/HE today too earning another compliment from Mrs. Buss.
Today we started writing and solving multiplication story problems along with some fun number talks.  I just love to see how students use different strategies to come up with the same answer.  We are also working on multiplication computation.  So this week's IXL math concepts to work on are:  D5, D6, and F4 so please see that they practice a bit tonight.
We started Montana History once again today and of course the kids love it.  This next section is going to be about the rivers, mountains, and regions of the state.  Ask them what fraction of MT is covered by mountains and what huge mountain range divides the continent and how this divide is significant in terms of the flow of the rivers.  If they can tell you all this, write what that dividing mtn. range is called for free money.
Lead 21-my reading kids today discussed in whole group all the ways to help/protect the earth.  Then we came up with a long list of project ideas.  Students' job tonight is to discuss with you what idea they would like to do and then discuss together if it is doable and then write in their assignment notebook what the idea for the project is and that way I know you are ready to get started.  We came up with ideas such as:  creating an animal habitat and having in it what the animal needs to survive.  Making an art project using recycled materials, making a poster or using a tri-board to display 4 ways to help the earth, making a model of a solar house, a wind farm model, building a model car and explaining how it runs on biofuel, drawing out a map of where you would plant trees, bushes, and plants in the spring, make plastic clothing, invite a guest speaker to the classroom to talk about this topic.  Build a model of a recycling center, make a poster on the topic of "a green camping trip".  As you can see, we came up with lots of ideas and if you think of anything different and it fits the theme/topic then go for it.  I am looking a due date of Tuesday, November 25th right before Thanksgiving Break.  This gives ample time.
Congratulations to Riley as our student of the week.  Riley likes football, Trumpet of the Swans, black, chicken, math and he hopes to be a game developer some day.  He said he is really good at doing front flips on the trampoline.
Outdoor clothing-let's hope we can go outside tomorrow finally so dress appropriately and be prepared.
Have a great night.

Substitute Tomorrow

Yes, I will be gone tomorrow at a Math Number Talks training so Mrs. Stott will be here as the guest teacher.  Please once again remind your child about "expected" behavior.  They have been so good when I have been and I so hope this pattern continues.
Today we took time to honor and celebrate our Veterans.  Students started the day by writing a thank you letter to Mr. English for his service.  They hand delivered them to him with a BIG verbal thank you.
Then we read a book titled:  America's White Table.  This was a touching story how a family always set a place setting at the table for the Veteran that would never return to their family dinner because he lost his life fighting our freedom and our country.  Ask your child to tell you a bit about the book.  If they can, write Veteran's Day in the planner.
Later we watched a You Tube video of the "Changing of the Guard" at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Once again we learned a lot about this ritual.  Ask your child some facts they learned like how many steps are taken, can both men & women guard, how often it changes, etc.  If they can tell you some facts, write 21 steps in the planner.
We worked hard today on Multiplication Computation in Math.  They will practice that more tomorrow with the sub.
Lead 21 kids will finish their Selection 4 reading and web of "ways to help/protect the earth.
Then they will have time to go on the Chrome Books and start researching the endangered animal they choose for the report we are going to do here at school.
Have a great night and again thank you for discussing substitute behavior for tomorrow.

Thank You, Mr. English

Yes, Mr. English came to our classroom today to talk about and show a slide presentation about his tour of duty in Iraq.  We learned a lot of interesting things.  Ask your child 3 new things they learned and if they tell you, write Mr. English in the planner for free money.  Tomorrow we are going to be doing a couple of things here in our classroom to honor veteran's and to celebrate Veteran's Day.
My Lead 21 kids started their selection 4 today in their small readers which is all about "ways to help, care for, and protect our Earth.  Then after we are done reading it, they will decide on a project they want to do at home.  They will be bringing their books home sometime this week so you can look at it together and come up with a feasible plan.
In Math today we learned all the different properties that we are going to be using to solve multiplication problems.  Ask them what the commutative & associative properties are.  If they can tell you, write math in the planner.  Tomorrow we are going to start computation.
Weather attire: Yes, it is definitely much COLDER than it has been so please make sure they come with lots of warm clothing for outdoor recess/play.
Have a great night.

Great Conferences

Thank you so much for taking the time this week to attend your child's Parent/Teacher Conference.  It was so nice to visit about all the great things your child is doing as well as giving ideas/suggestions of how they can work to make things better whether it be academic/behaviorally, or emotionally.  It is important for them to realize how we care about them and want to help them "mold" into great citizens/students with positive character.
Also a thank you to all who participated in the "All for Books" program.  Our class alone brought in $46.50 to spend on books.  Great job!!!!  I will make some great classroom book purchases.
This coming week is now back to normal with regularly scheduled days.  The only thing different this week is I will be gone on Wednesday for a professional day to attend a math training.  More on that to come.
Academically this week the happenings are:
Montana History-yes, we are finally back into that again.  This section is on the rivers, mountains, and the 3 regions of Montana.
Science-we are going to finish up our Matter unit
Math-we are moving ahead into computation of 4 digit x 1 digit and 2 digit x 2 digit numbers along with x and division algebraic equations.  Our problem solving strategy this week is:  Making a Table.
Language:  verb tenses
Spelling-Unit 10 words
Lead 21 Reading-we are finishing selection 4 of the Unit 2-Ways to help/protect Earth.  This will give them ideas of how they can help the earth and they will be doing a mini project at home for this.  In school, we are going to be starting a project where students will be picking an endangered animal to research and make a presentation on.
Writing:  Writing a Procedural paragraph-this means writing in steps "how to do/make something" like making a PBJ sandwich.
Have a great week.

Report Cards Went Home Today

Yes, report cards went home today.  Overall, they were good, but for some students there is room for improvement which we will be talking about at conference time this week.  Please come with questions you may have.  If you saw your child's report card, write a comment about it in the planner for free money.
Agent Dunlap today-yes we were very lucky to have him pay a visit to our classroom today as a culminating activity to Red Ribbon Week.  He had lots of good information for 9-10 year olds, but his most powerful message is the same as what we have been talking about all year long so far in morning/character counts meetings.  Ask your child what his message was and write it in the planner for free money.
All for books-tomorrow is the collection of dimes.
Book Fair is set up in the library.  Students are allowed to purchase books Wed.-Fri at 12:00.
Reminder:  Early Dismissal Wed.-Fri.  (12:00)
Cya some of you tomorrow at conferences.
Have a great night.

Second Quarter is Underway

Happy Monday!  Today was the beginning of our new quarter so we took time at the end of the day to spend our free money.  Now we are starting over tomorrow with new money.  We had a great discussion as we were done on the importance of making good, positive choices as that means there is more money to spend on the fun things that were available for purchase.  I hope this life like experience is a good learning tool for them.
Lots of pennies came in today for "All For Books".  Tomorrow is nickels so let's see our collection can continue to fill & grow.  Thank you for helping this great cause.
Reminder that we have Early Outs (12:00 dismissal Wednesday-Friday) this week to allow for conference times.  I am looking forward to visiting with you about your child and his/her progress.
Today in math we worked on Algebraic Equations.  If your child can solve this problem, put it in the planner for free money.  14 + x= 29   x= __________.
Unit 9 spelling words went home today.
Also new lunch menu went home today.
Remember to get your October Reading calendars back tomorrow if you are in my reading.
Have a great night.

Happy Halloween

Today was a fun, but educational day.  We started off by writing "Drug Free Recipes".  We have some great recipes of all the things we can do instead of drugs.  The best part of this is that many of the students said to "mix all these together for many years to come or for the rest of their lives".  Oh, how I hope they keep this same attitude & insight into the future.
The we did some fun Halloween Math with pumpkin multiplication & word problems.
In Reading, we all listened to the forever funny Jerry Seinfeld Halloween Book.  If you have not heard this, it is a must-absolutely hilarious.  You can find it on YouTube.  We also listened to the good ole "It's a Great Pumpkin" Charlie Brown story.
In Language, we had a fun singular & plural possessives review that had a pumpkin patch theme.
After lunch we had buddies where they had a choice to do Halloween Jingo or make a transformation with a little Halloween symbol.  Most chose to have fun with Jingo.
Since we had electronics day today, they had a free option for Fun Friday.
As you can see, the day was fun filled and went by real fast.
We would like to CONGRATULATE Kaitlynn for being chosen as this month's Purple Hand Cookie recipient.  She was nominated & voted by her classmates.  Great job!
My reading kids:  Remember to get those October Reading calendars back on Monday.
Also Monday starts the "All For Books" program.  Bring in those pennies and help give back.
Parent Teacher Conferences next Wed. & Thursday.  I look forward to seeing each of you on your day/time.
Early Out days on Wed., Thurs, and Friday-12:00 Dismissal
Have a very fun-filled safe Halloween!

Amazing Day Today

We were very fortunate to have 2 students along with the addiction counselor from Rimrock Foundation here to share their stories about drug addiction.  Their individual & family lives along with their education have been changed quite dramatically because of decisions they made when they were in the 8th grade.  Their messages were very powerful to say the least.  Have a little discussion with your child about this and if they can share some helpful information that they will take with them throughout their school years & lives, write a smiley face in the planner.
Tomorrow's dress up/theme day is: "Say Boo to Drugs-wear black & orange (no Halloween costumes).
Tomorrow is also Electronics Day-students who have enough fake money ($500) will be able to bring their IPods, D-S systems, MP3 players, etc. as long as they have school appropriate music & games on them.  They will be allowed to listen to music during independent work time and at morning recess as well as play their game systems & listen to music during Fun Friday.
Tomorrow's day will still be educational related, but there will be Halloween activities provided to make the day more fun.
Tomorrow is Library so get those books back.
Caiden is our Student of the Week and we got to learn all about him.  We learned that he loves Legos and is very good at making models of things with them.  We also learned that he likes: Art, spaghetti, blue, and football.  When he grows up, he wants to be a builder.  How cool is that!!!!
Have a great night.

"PAWS"-I-TIVELY SAYING NO TO DRUGS

Our school spirit and saying no to drugs sure did shine through today in Room 6.  Great job for showing support.  We also made a poster titiled "Hands Off Drugs".  Students each wrote down 5 messages about drugs and saying "NO"!!!  Ask them to tell you one important thing they have learned this week about "being drug free" and write it in the planner for free money.
Tomorrow's  theme day is:  I "mustache" you to say NO to drugs-wear a mustache.
Pink Conference Slips went home today.  Please see the time that has been assigned to you and sign and return the form with your child tomorrow.  I tried really hard to give everyone their 1st choice so let's hope you can make it work as I don't have much room for change as the slots are pretty much filled up with having 25 parents to conference with.  Thank you
Book Fair is next week during conference times.  Flyers went home today.
Also we are participating  in a Books For All program.  As you read the informational letter you will see that it is a Win-Win for all involved.  We will get books for our classroom & library, and disadvantaged kids will also receive books from Scholastic-how AWESOME IS THAT!!!!!!  This starts on Monday so hopefully you are willing to help, but remember this is optional.
States & Capitals test went great.  As you will see, there are 2 grades.  One grade is for knowing the states & capitals themselves and the 2nd one was for the location.  Overall, they did great.
Now we will be getting back into MT History.
Have a great night.

We Put a Cap on Drugs

Terrific Tuesday here in Room 6.  As you can see by the pic, we "put a cap on drugs".  We had a great day in Character Counts meeting this morning talking about values and what is important to us as we think about avoiding peer pressure and making good choices.  Ask your child what 2 of their values are and put them in the planner for free money.
Then Mrs. Neese came in for her regular scheduled time and also presented some great information about Red Ribbon Week.
We were very fortunate to have the Skyview High School SADD group here to discuss what the group stands for and what their roles in the group are.  They gave the kids lots of situations that could have turned negative for them if they would have chosen to go with the kids that tried to get them to use drugs.  Instead they gave examples of how they go and have game & movie nights along with staying active in theater, music, or sports.  Their message was pretty clear that school, family life, and extra curricular activities has no room for drugs/alcohol.  They did an M&M activity about making positive choices and then had a little quiz and gave away some fun t-shirts.  Ask your child what message they got from them that stands out the most and if they can tell you, write SADD in the planner.
Tomorrow's dress up day is:"These PAWS don't touch drugs".  Wear Bitterroot Bobcat colors & clothing.
As you can see our door looks awesome.  Great job to all.
Have a great night.

We Are "RED-Y To Say NO to Drugs!!

Yes, we had lots of red on today to kick off Red Ribbon/Drug Free Week.  I am excited for all the things we have planned in our classroom for the week.  We learned today about how RRW got started. Ask your child who Enrique "Kiki" Camarena is and what he tried to do.  We watched a great You Tube video today titled Kiki's Legacy if you wish to view it.  If they can tell you a little bit about him write Kiki in the planner.
We started to decorate our classroom door today as Student Council is sponsoring a door decorating contest.  The theme is "Say Boo to Drugs".  I will post a pic of our door tomorrow when it is finished.
Tomorrow's theme day is "Put a cap on drugs" -wear a hat.
Also, tomorrow we have some Skyview High students coming in that are part of a school group called SADD-students against destructive decisions.  They will talk about the impact of drugs and how it affects grades and extra curricular activities.
I am happy to report that the students did a great job with the substitute, Ms. Jensen, while I was out celebrating my Dad's 92nd b-day.  We had great family time!!!
NE states & capitals test is on Wednesday.  Remember they need to know the location as well as the states & capitals.
I was happy to see so many of you participated in the Pumpkin Patch Party.  Students who attended earned $200 free money.  Speaking of free money, we are going to have an electronics day on Friday where students can bring in their IPods, DS's or whatever they may have school appropriate music/games loaded on it to use during free work time, recess, and Fun Friday.  The cost of the buy in will be announced tomorrow.  Then any extra money they have left will be used to purchase coupons and items from Mrs, Hankins's store on Friday, November 7th.
Thank you for getting your conference slips back.  We as a staff are having a meeting tomorrow to set those up so you will get a notice of your date/time later this week.
Have a great night.

Guest Teacher Yomorrow

Yes, I will be gone for the next 2 days to go home to be with my wonderful family again in ND to celebrate my Dad's 92nd birthday!!!!!   Yes, and the best thing about it is he is still in great health so we hope the weather cooperates so we can hunt & play some golf.  So please take some time to visit with your child about positive behavior. Thank you
Tomorrow is "pack the place in pink" day so let's show support by wearing pink for free money.
Parent Teacher Conference slips went home today and are due back by Friday so get them filled out & returned so you can hopefully get one of your conference choices.
Red Ribbon Week is next week and we have theme days set.  We get real involved in this in Team Hankins room so let's show spirit and participate.  Again free money will be given.
These are the days:  Monday-Be-Red-y to say no to drugs--wear red
Tuesday-"Put a cap on drugs- wear caps
Wednesday-These "paws don't touch drugs- wear Bitterroot bobcat colors or paws.
Thursday-"We mustache you not to do drugs"- wear a mustache
Friday-"Say Boo to drugs-wear Halloween colors (black & orange) no costumes
Also Student Council is sponsoring a door decorating contest. Students are coming up with ideas so if you choose to help your child come up an idea - we will vote on them on Monday and then start decorating so if you want to help, let me know.  Thank you
Pumpkin Patch Party on Friday, October 24- 6:30-8:00.  Free money if you come with an adult.
Have a great night and  I will look forward to having a good sub report.

Pictures Tomorrow

Yes, it is picture day tomorrow so bring those envelopes if you are ordering or go mylifetouch.com to order on line.
IXL math- please make sure your child is spending some time nightly practicing these skills.  Very important.
Also they should be reading nightly at least 30 minutes. I can not stress the importance of this as our 4th grade curriculum moves so quickly that we can easily fall behind. So please see that these 2 subject areas are practiced.
Substitute teacher on Thursday & Friday this week so please start having the conversation about expected behaviors.  Thank you.
Blog question tonight: what one thing can be all states of matter- a solid, liquid, and a gas.
Have a good night.

Happy Monday

I am going to make this a short post due to the fact that I have to do it from my iPad instead of computer as the computer will not let me post. :(. If you are like me typing lots on the iPad is not easy.
Today we starting estimating with rounding in math. They did awesome so now it is on to under & over estimates.
We started our tour of the NE and learned about what main man. Ranges & rivers are in this area. Ask your child which mans. are the backbone of this area & which river runs through Washington D.C.  It is also the river that George Washington crossed on a rainy cold night when he was a General in the army.  Write them in the planner for free money.
Lead 21 started Unit 2 called A Green Future.  Discuss with your child they are going to help in going green.
Unit 7 spelling went home today.
Remember pictures on Wednesday.
Have a great night and enjoy this beautiful weather.

Full Steam Ahead

Hope you had a great 4 day break.  Mine was very busy- but lots if fun with friends, family & football.
Curriculum happenings for the upcoming week:  Reading- we are starting Unit 2 which is a science unit on Earth's Resources.  Lots of great info. Coming their way.  Spelling-unit 7 words.  Language/writing-capitalization rules and in writing we are going to write personal narratives which will be about an event in their life they choose to write about.  In social studies we are finally going to start our NE tour of the region.  In science we will finish up our unit on matter.   In math we will be working on estimating sums & differences.
Congratulations to our Student Council room reps- they are Kailynn & Jaiden.  They will represent our room well.
Remember pictures are on Wednesday, October 22nd.
For tonight's blog question, write down something fun you did this weekend.
Cya tomorrow

Awesome Field Trip

Yes, we had an awesome field trip.  The students learned so much and their behavior was FABULOUS!!!!  I am so proud of them.  They earned their 25th celebration point today so we will celebrate tomorrow!!!
I would like the kids to tell you something they learned at each of the stations we rotated to.  The stations were as follows:  #1-crops, #2-honey bees, #3-range land, #4-montana ranching, #5-animals, #6-Cedar Salt Trees, and #7-Erosion.  If they can tell you 1-2 cool things they learned at each of these stations, write field trip in the planner for free money.  They might also talk to you about the behavior of some kids from another school.  Our kids were appalled at the disrespect they showed toward the speaker, each other, and their teacher.  I was proud of our kids for recognizing it and seeing how not to act.  We will discuss more of this character tomorrow in character counts meeting.  So once again "kudos" to you parents for instilling the importance of respect not only in school, but wherever you are.
Tomorrow is a 1/2 day so remember the 12:00 dismissal and No School on Thursday & Friday.
Have a great night.

Field Trip Tomorrow

Yes, tomorrow is our field trip to the Metra for the NILE Montana History Lessons.  We will be leaving school at 11:10 so we are going to be having lunch in the classroom at 10:45 so make sure you bring your sack lunch.  The following people opted for school sack lunch:  Megan, Keilah, Cole, Cayden, Jesus, Alexis, Serenity, and Kassidee so you do not have to bring a lunch as one will be provided.  Also, remember to dress for the weather and wear good walking shoes.
Journey of Fallen Rock books-if you wish to order an autographed copy of the book, please send in $4.00 with your child by Wednesday.
Remember Early Out on Wednesday-12:00 dismissal and NO SCHOOL ON Thursday & Friday.
Practice those states & capitals along with IXL math.  If you practice these tonight, write practiced in the planner for free money.
Have a great night.

Heritage Day

Photo slideshow created with Smilebox As you can see we had a great day sharing our culture/heritage with one another.  We learned so many amazing things about each others heritage.  I hope you as a family enjoyed reliving many family memories. Also, Friday was a great day as we got to meet Bill Merical, the author of Journey of Fallen Rock.  We shared so many things about why he wrote the book, where he got the ideas along with a great talk on character and how each of us control's our own character & destination.  Ask your child what the big ah-ha they got from Bill and write it in the planner for free money.  Students are able to purchase a signed copy of his book for $4.00.  If you want to have one in your family, please send the money to school by Wednesday, October 15th.  Thank you. Speaking of Wednesday, we have a 12:00 dismissal and NO SCHOOL on Thursday & Friday this week. Tuesday is our field trip to the NILE.  Remember to bring your sack lunches if you didn't order a school one.  Also, wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes as we do some sitting on the ground and lots of walking. No spelling list this week. Remember PE shoes tomorrow. Have a great rest of the weekend.

Busy Day Tomorrow

Yes, tomorrow is going to be a busy, super exciting day.  First of all, it is Heritage Day where we get to finally connect what we have been studying/learning about heritage here at school into our own lives & families.  I am excited to hear all about your families and to see, play, and/or taste what exciting foods you serve in your houses as a custom/tradition.  Remember I will be supplying the plates, bowls, napkins, forks, spoons, etc. for taste testing.
Also, tomorrow is Bill Merical Day, the author from Journey of Fallen Rock.  We can't wait to hear him and to learn about how he came up with his ideas for his book.
Also, tomorrow is 2nd grade buddies day.  Remember to bring in your leaves for the amazing leaf animals we are going to make.  These are so cool!!!!
For tonight's bonus blog question, ask your child what they are reading about on the ReadAbout computer program.   If they can tell you their topic, write the name of the topic in the planner.
Today, Cayden shared his Student of the Week items.  We also found out that he likes Art, pizza, MindCraft, orange, and football.  He wants to be a football player when he grows up and he said he can build a mansion out of legos.
Have a great night.

Happy Wednesday

Not a lot to report today which doesn't mean we weren't busy, but just a regular day.  So this will be a short post also because I am off to a fun Baby Shower for 2nd Grade Mrs. Miller who had a baby a few weeks ago.  Always fun to hug on babies!!!!
Quick reminders:  Have your heritage project ready for Friday.
Return your field trip permission slips tomorrow if you didn't today.
Remember PE shoes tomorrow.
Also, there is an Early Out next Wednesday, October 15th at 12:00 and there is NO SCHOOL on Thursday & Friday, October 16 & 17.
Have a great night.

Permission Slips Went Home Today

Permission slips for the NILE field trip that is on Tuesday, October 14th went home today.  Please make sure you check in 2 different places as one is for permission to go and the other is a lunch choice.
Also, ask your child if they were able to "buy in" with their fake money for this.  Not all students have as some of them haven't made good choices thus far this year.  Great job to those who have and I hope by Monday next week the rest of you have.  Ask your child if they have or not and write a happy or sad face in the planner depending on where they are at.
Study those states & capitals for the NE region.
Practice those Unit 5 spelling lists.
Make sure you are ready for Heritage Day on Friday.  Kassidee brought in an example of what needs to be written today for everyone to see.
IXL Math-please take time each night to have your child practice.  This is a great program for developing & maintaining those math skills.
Great News from the PTA:  About $11,000 was raised with the coupon book fundraiser.  Way to go Bitterroot Families!!!  You are AWESOME!!
Have a great night.

Maps Went Home Today

Yes, we are starting our tour of the NE region in Social Studies so I sent 2 maps home with students today.  One is a map of just the NE region which has the 11 states & their capitals on it for students to study and the other is a laminated US map with the 5 regions divided for them to practice the location of the states.  Remember even though this map has all 50 states on it, students are to only focus on the NE region.  They can write on/wipe off to practice the location and like I said the paper map is to practice the names of the states & capitals.  The test over this first region won't be for a couple weeks so  a little practice each night will help.  Have your child tell you 3 states in this region and if they can tell you, write NE in the planner.
Unit 5 spelling words came home today.  The unit is on homophones so students not only need to know how to spell the words, but they need to know how to they are used in sentences also.
Collecting leaves-remember to collect, store, and press leaves for buddies on Friday.
Heritage Day is Friday for the Lead 21 reading kids.  Remember to have information to share with whatever you bring also and not just a food, game, or whatever it is but the background and history of some of your family heritage/culture behind it.
I will provide plates, bowls, spoons, forks, napkins, etc. for sampling.  Please have enough for 16 students to taste test or sample.
Have a great night.

Happy TGIF!

What a busy, great week we had with lots of good learning going on.  We are on the mark to have another good week ahead.
The happenings for the upcoming week are:
Math-we will work on making change in different money amounts along with continuing our problem solving skill of patterning, and addition, subtraction, and multiplication computation.
Language-we are going to be moving into writing personal narratives
Spelling-Unit 5 word list on homophones
Science-continuing with our unit on matter
Social Studies-we are going to start our tour of the US with the Northeast Region.  I will be sending home 2 maps next week for students to use to practice learning the states in the region along with their capitals.  They will need to know these.
Buddy stuff-on Friday, October 10th we are going to make leaf animals with our buddies so please encourage your child to collect different sizes, shapes, and colors of leaves.  They are to keep them in a plastic zip lock bag so as to not dry them out and to press them flat.
Also, on Friday, October 10th, we have Bill Merical, the author of Journey of Fallen Rock" coming along with Heritage Day.
Speaking of heritage day-it looks like we are going to have lots of different foods from different countries which is great.  But please not only send the food, but a little bit of background on your family's heritage & culture for them to share with the class so we know how the food you share came to be, when your family celebrates with it, etc.  If any questions, please ask.
PTA Movie Night tonight-Earn $200 of free money.  Put PTA movie in your child's planner if they attend.
Have a great weekend.

BRRRR!!!

First of all, sorry no post yesterday.  I had to leave early for a funeral for a friend of mine and never got into blogging last night after.  Again another reminder to make the most of each day making lasting memories with family & friends.
Great day today in Lead 21 reading as students shared all the cool things they learned from their reading as to how culture/heritage can be shared.  Ask your child to tell you 3 ways and if they can tell you 3 things they learned from another group besides their own, write heritage in the planner.  Those of you in Read 180/System  44, I bet you can tell your parents 3 ways to share your culture.  If you can, write heritage in the planner too.
Speaking of this, our heritage day is coming up on Friday, October 10th.  Thank you to those of you that have gotten your slips in saying what it is you are going to have your child share with us.  Please get these to me tomorrow if you haven't already done so.  Thank you.
There was a question about if parents are invited and it wouldn't be a problem any other time, but on this day, we are also going to be having author, "Bill Merical" coming and not sure about his schedule as to how long he is going to stay and so on so our heritage sharing will happen when it fits without a scheduled time.  But thank you for asking anyway.  I will have pictures and put them into a Smilebox video that day of the busy happenings.
My reading kids:  Remember to get your Sept. reading calendars in.  They are part of your reading grade.  Don't forget to read 30 min./night and mark on your new October calendar.
PTA movie night tomorrow-6-8:00.  Free money if you go.
Library books tomorrow.
Congratulations to Alexis for being our AMAZING student of the week this week.  We learned a lot of great things about her such as:  she likes purple, dinosaurs, soccer, spaghetti, and art.  When she grows up, she wants to be an artist.
Have a great night.

Happy Terrific Tuesday

Thank you for the notes regarding Mid-terms.  I am so glad you are taking an interest in your child's education.  As I talked with the kids, there are 4 1/2 weeks for them to bring their grades up  before report card time.
Heritage Day-I have set Heritage Day for Friday, October 10th.  Students in my reading class are to bring something to share with the class that is a display of their culture/heritage.  Please fill out the note that went home with your child today so I know that you are planning for this activity.  Please return these to me by this Friday, October 3rd.  Thank you.
IXL math computer program-students were given lots of standards to practice today in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, place value, decimals, and patterning.  Please see to it that your child practices some of these skills on a nightly basis for at least 20-30 min.  This is only going to make them more successful at math along with the math instruction in the classroom.
I can tell who is practicing by the reports I get so if you want to impress Mrs. Hankins-practice-practice!!!!!
Mrs. Neese came to us today and shared with students the story of Rachel's Challenge.  Students are now ready to fill up the front bulletin board with the "paws-itive" choices slips.
Today we did a Geography Challenge in Social Studies.  Ask your child which 2 states in the US are put into an inset map and why.  If they can tell you, write the name of the states in the planner.
KIDS IN MY ROOM FOR READING-REMEMBER TO RETURN THOSE READING CALENDARS FILLED OUT AND SIGNED!!!!!!
Have a great night.

MId-terms Went Home

Not a lot to report today as it was a normal, busy day and everyone seemed a bit tired today.  I think it is the weather.  Hope for a bit nicer, warmer tomorrow.
The big thing today is that Mid-terms went home.  Take a good look at them and if you have any questions, please call.  Also, write mid-term in the planner if you saw them tonight.
Today in Social Studies, we learned about grid maps and this particular grid map went with the state of California.  Ask your child what a grid map is and 3 new things they learned about California and if they can tell you, write CA in the planner.  Also, there was a bonus question to look up at the bottom of the map and students will get $20 if they find the answer.  If they do, write the answer in the planner too.
Great job to those of you practicing IXL math at home.  This is an amazing program and will help students with their math skills so much so keep it up.  I get daily reports so I can tell who is using it and who is not.
Student Council applications went home today with interested students.  We had 13 show an interest which is great.  This is a big responsibility as our room reps become our voice.  So get those apps filled out and returned to me by October 8th.
Remember my reading kids to be filling out your nightly reading calendars.  They are due on Wednesday for September.  Don't forget to sign them.
Have a great night.

Good Job Team Hankins

Once again these kids did a great job proving that they are displaying true positive character.  I got back to school today to find a note from Mrs. Stott saying everything went great.  I see a celebration on the horizon!!!!!
This coming week is once again going to be busy.
In Math, we are going to be starting money by counting different dollar & cents amounts as well as making change for up to $50.  We will continue with review of past skills also.
In Social studies, we are going to do what is called Geography Challenges in which students will be partnered up and asked to do 10 map skill tasks now that we have learned about different maps and parts of maps.
In Science, we will continue our unit on Matter.
In Language, we are going to be working hard on compound sentences with compound subjects & predicates.
In Lead 21 Reading, continuation of Heritage.  It is looking as though our Heritage Celebration will be next Friday, October 10th during our reading time so be thinking about what your child is going to share with us for that amazing day about your culture/heritage.
Spelling-Unit 4 words.
IXL-I hope your child is practicing math skills at home via this great program.  It will so so help them with these Common Core Math skills.  We are doing it in here daily too now that testing is over.
Speaking of testing, yes it is almost over, but we have some make-ups and those will be done this week.
Mid-terms are going home tomorrow.  I know that they were to go home on Friday, but with me gone and all, I didn't want to send them so tomorrow is the day!!!!
Congratulations to Aaron our student of the week.  I missed his sharing time so have your child tell you 3 things they learned about Aaron and put it in the planner for free money.
PTA Movie Night is on Friday, October 3rd at 6:00.  Free money if you go.
Speaking of free money, if your child attended Saturday Live, write Saturday Live in the planner for free money.  Can't wait to hear about it.
Have a great night.

Early Out Tomorrow & Guest Teacher on Thursday & Friday

Yes, it is an Early Out tomorrow with a 12:00 dismissal.  Also, there will be a guest teacher tomorrow & Friday as I will be attending an out of town family wedding!!!  I LOVE family time!!!!!
Please take the time to go over expectations with your child to help make the days go smoothly. They did AWESOME when I was gone a couple of weeks ago at our Bitterroot Leadership training so I am expecting the same thing.  Thank you.
Emergency drills are going to be done tomorrow & Friday.  One is "shelter in place" which will be done in the gym.  The other is the off campus drill which will involve walking to the LDS Church on Wicks.  This one is on Friday so make sure your child wears appropriate walking shoes.  Mr. English will give guidelines to all students over the intercom before each of them to tell the expectations.  Again remember they are practice drills-nothing to be alarmed about.
If you still have the coupon book packets at home, please return them tomorrow.
Saturday Live-thank you for bringing in candy and if you still wish to-tomorrow is the last day.
Saturday Live is on Saturday at Pioneer Park from 10:00-4:00.  Maps of the activities went home today.
Also, going home today are letters about our new math computer program called IXL.  I would like your child to practice their math at home.  Just read the letter log-in information.  If you have any questions, please ask.
Fun in Music today.  Yes, they got to play the drums.  They did a great job.
Have a good night.
No blog question tonight with me being gone tomorrow.
Also, I will blog on Sunday sometime for next week.

Terrific Tuesday

Great, busy day once again.  In math, we worked hard on decimals and even found the correct correlations of their fractions.  For example, we read 3.45 and wrote three and forty five hundreds and also wrote the fraction 3 45/100.  Do some examples at home tonight for practice and if you do write decimals in the planner for free money.
In Science, we worked in groups with bags of objects describing them and then a sink/float activity and found out no matter what they all were, they all were MATTER.  Ask your child what matter is and if they can tell you, write matter in the planner for money.
Today, Mrs. Neese came and did her first lesson with us talking about bucket filling.  We now have Bitterroot "paws" that we will fill out for making "Paws-itive" choices.  Ask your child about a positive choice they made today and if they can tell you, write "paws" in the planner.
Remember to get those fund raising envelopes/packets back tomorrow.  Thank you.
Early Out Day is on Thursday, September 25th with a 12:00 dismissal.  Please make arrangements to have your child picked up or walk home at that time.
Have a great night.

Happy Monday

First of all, thank you to those of you that returned the PTA fundraising envelopes.  Students received $200 free money for those.  Great job!!  If you haven't returned it yet, please do so by Wednesday. Also, thank you for sending in candy for the Saturday Live Candy Shack.  Again, lots of free money given for that great cause.
Today, we started small groups in Lead 21.  I am excited to read, discuss, and hear lots of great ideas from these small groups.
Character shields are mostly done.  A few kids took them home to finish.  They are hanging up in our room and look great.  They also have lots of good ideas on them to as to how your child is going to be a positive character warrior.  Ask your child how they are going to display the traits here at school.  If they can give you some of their good ideas, write character warrior in the planner.
Unit 3 spelling list again this week as we didn't do much anything with it last week due to testing.
Have a great night.

Happy TGIF!!

Great job today for Team Hankins!  We have finished our testing and are now ready to hit the curriculum hard and starting learning all the many new things there are to learn here in Grade 4.
So next week's objectives look like this:
Math-we are moving into an introduction of decimals along with counting $ and making change.
Language-Simple subjects & predicates.
Spelling-we are going to do Chapter 3 this week as we didn't get to it at all last week due to testing during that time.  So no new word list this week.
Reading-we are finally going to start small groups.  Groups have been assigned using all the testing data.  We will continue with the heritage theme.  Some of you have been asking what our inquiry project is going to consist of.  What I am going to be asking each of the kids in my reading is to share something about their heritage whether it be art work, food, traditional games, historical events, etc.  Then once I have set the date for this to take place, each of them will show and share what they bring to display their family heritage.  So at this time, just be talking about your heritage, culture, etc. and start thinking of what would be interesting & worthwhile sharing with the class.  If it is food, then we ask that you have enough for a little taste for the class.
Social Studies-we continue to work on map skills.  We are taking a break from Montana History as we will focus on Social Studies as there is not enough time in a day now that we will also be on our computer schedule along with Mrs. Neese starting her weekly visits to the classroom.
Science-we are moving into our unit on Matter.  Some fun experiments ahead.
So as you can see, we have lots going on.
Today we started buddies with Mrs. Culp's 2nd graders-oh how we love our buddies.  Today they played a fun math game together.  Check out the pics.
Also, we started our Student of the Week sharing.  We so enjoyed hearing all about Carson.  As you can see by the pics, he does an amazing job in Tae Kwon Do-look at all those medals.
Some fun things we learned about Carson-he loves Science, the color Black, and Chinese Food.  He wants to be a dentist when he grows up.  Dream-Believe-Achieve--Anything is possible.
Also, remember to return the PTA fundraiser packets with the money on Monday.  Thank you.
Also, send in that candy for the Candy Shack-$50/bag of free money.
Have a great weekend.