Well the weather has certainly been frightful. It was a long week with the below zero weather. We had indoor recess and we all needed fresh air by the end of the day. However, considering how much time we spent indoors, the kids worked hard and got along well. Thank you for bringing all the cold weather gear. We had a hard time staying warm just during dismissal.

Have you heard of the mysterious elf that was delivered to our school. Some big guy in a red suit, left it at the office for us. It had a note in it from Santa. The kids named it "Snowflake". He has been a little mischievous. Snowflake has been found in our mini tree, on top of the flag, on top of the projector and who knows where else he will end up. The kids have been writing about Snowflake's adventures.

The students received their "iPad expert certificates". They went through the basics of how to operate the tablet. iPads will become part of our Monday tech time and in January will become part of our literacy centers. So much fun!

We have a couple of weeks until winter break but we will be busy. On the 19th we will be having a "Polar Express" day. Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas. Please make sure they are recess appropriate. If they want to bring slippers to change into, that is fine. I am looking for a couple parents who would like to bring some healthy snacks for the party. We will also be having hot chocolate with candy canes. Yummy!

On the 20th we will have our annual Holiday music program. There are two sessions: 9:00 and 1:45. This is only a kindergarten through 3rd grade program.

Enjoy the weather warm-up! It will seem tropical after last week.

Remember that next week we have a full day of school on Monday, 12:00 dismissal on Tuesday, and no school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I hope you enjoy the time with your family!

In math we have been practicing speed with our equations. Keep up the xtra math! I see your child's report each week. It shows how frequently they practice and what problems are difficult for them. Wow! Some of the kids have already made huge gains!

In reading, we are talking about how our world changes. This week we are focusing on how things move and change. We have learned a lot about the desert. Groups picked a desert animal to research and will be presenting their new found information to the class.

Our Holiday program is scheduled for Friday, December 20th. More info to come.

PTA is sponsoring a December Family Fun Night on the 13th from 6:00-7:00.

Don't forget the spelling test on Friday. We will not have one next week.

I sent a math homework page today.

Enjoy your break!

Hello, It was nice to see everyone at conferences. Your support at home helps your child and I very much. I sent home a math homework page today. We are working on subtraction strategies. Hopefully, your child is getting on the xtra math site frequently. It is amazing to see how much easier ALL math is for them when they get their math facts cemented in their brain. This week we are starting unit 2 in our Lead 21 reading series. We will be focusing on changes, including changes with animals, plants, and our world. I think this will be a fun unit. We will spend quite a bit of time talking about desert plants and animals this week. The spelling words this week are l blends so they are a little challenging. Extra practice at home would be a great idea. Have a wonderful week!

A big thanks to all of the parents. The nursery rhymes and pumpkin play was a huge success because of all of you and your support. I couldn't have asked for a better performance. Your kids did great! They were so proud of themselves! Unfortunately, I was unable to get video of the play. If any parents were able to video...could you please loan me a copy and I will upload it to the blog so we all have access. I would really appreciate a copy! It would be nice to share the performance with friends and family not in Billings. The abundance of treats was amazing. I heard a few parents mention that the pumpkin bars were amazing. I can't believe that it is the end of the first quarter. It went by so fast. This week will be busy with conferences and the start of the next quarter. School will dismiss at 12:00 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Make sure to look for your child's report card on Tuesday. I just wanted to clarify some sections on the report card. Our district asks us to “grade” behaviors on a basis of Good, Satisfactory, Improving and Needs Improvement. Here is how I approach the behavior section. First, I look at what the majority of the kids in the class are able to do. Then, I look at each individual child. A “G” on this report card means that they very rarely, if ever, need prompting or redirecting to know what to do. An “S” means that they do it just how a first grader is supposed to do it at this point in the year. An “N” DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE BAD IN ANY WAY, it only means that they are still learning and practicing with many prompts. The numbers in the subject areas are rated on a 1 to 3 basis. A 3 is where we strive for them to be at the end of the year and means they are working at the end of the first grade level and thriving. A 2 means they are on the journey and working towards to the end of the year goal. A 1 means that I have some concerns and we need to work on getting some extra help going for your child. One last request from me… Please open the report card with excitement and love. Please hold on to the notion that this is one of your child’s very first experiences with grades and the reaction you will have of them. Notice their strengths, they each have an abundance of them!

Wow! That was some cold weather we had. The kids had a blast playing in the snow. Remember that kids are not allowed to play in the snow unless they have snow boots, snow pants, gloves, hat etc. We will go outside every day unless the weather is below zero. Brrr. Please make sure and label all of your child's snow clothes. You would be surprised how many of us shop at the same stores. We had a guest speaker for fire safety month. Trevor's dad, Eric came and taught us how to be safe. He even brought all of his gear. The kids were thrilled!

Thanks to all the parents who helped make the Pumpkin Path Party a success! The kids had a blast! Here is some info regarding the up and coming! I added a BPS growth summary report video for you to watch regarding the report card. The report card is a lot different and this will help you understand how it works. *Conference slips should be coming home this Wednesday *First Grade Performance Attire Nursery Rhymes- your child should dress up as their nursery rhymes character. It doesn’t need to be anything special. The Littlest Pumpkin-Pumpkins need to wear an orange shirt, children need to dress as children, scarecrow as a scarecrow, Farmer Fred just like a farmer, Mrs. Pie needs an apron, mixing bowl and spoon. Let me know if you do not have any of these things and I will see what I can do to help. *HOMEWORK-Keep practicing your child’s “Littlest Pumpkin” script and nursery rhyme. Make sure they also practice not too fast and not too slow but just right. Also work on the voice level so that they say it LOUD enough for everyone to hear. *Continue working on “Spill the Beans”. *Make sure to sign the back of the last poem and return your child’s poetry folder every Monday. “Returns items to school” is on the report card.

BPS Report Cards

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Thanks to all the parents who helped make the Pumpkin Path Party a success! The kids had a blast! Here is some info regarding the up and coming! I added a BPS growth summary report video for you to watch regarding the report card. The report card is a lot different and this will help you understand how it works. *Conference slips should be coming home this Wednesday *First Grade Performance Attire Nursery Rhymes- your child should dress up as their nursery rhymes character. It doesn’t need to be anything special. The Littlest Pumpkin-Pumpkins need to wear an orange shirt, children need to dress as children, scarecrow as a scarecrow, Farmer Fred just like a farmer, Mrs. Pie needs an apron, mixing bowl and spoon. Let me know if you do not have any of these things and I will see what I can do to help. *Help Needed- I am looking for some bakers and people to bring juice for after the pumpkin play. Could you bring pumpkins bars, cookies, apple juice, Halloween plates and napkins? Please email me or send a note to school letting me know what you are willing to bring. Thanks! *HOMEWORK-Keep practicing your child’s “Littlest Pumpkin” script and nursery rhyme. Make sure they also practice not too fast and not too slow but just right. Also work on the voice level so that they say it LOUD enough for everyone to hear. *Continue working on “Spill the Beans”. *Make sure to sign the back of the last poem and return your child’s poetry folder every Monday. “Returns items to school” is on the report card. Have a great weekend!

BPS Growth Summary Report Video

Hello, I sent home the Remind 101 flyer. Please sign up if you have texting on your phone. This is a great way for me to connect with you especially if I have forgotten to tell you something important. I sent home your child's nursery rhyme and a copy of their part in the pumpkin play. Please practice with proper speed an accuracy. For homework I you get to play "Spill the Counters" or beans in this case. The instructions are attached. Have you seen your child's book bag coming home? Please listen to them read it to you and then return it. They will come home with a new book when they return it. This is great practice! We are still working on addition. Wh talked and practice the commutative property, associative property, adding 0 to a number, counting on, using a number line, doubles, doubles + 1, using manipulatives, and making 10. We will start on related facts and act families. About half of our class forgot their library books last Friday. Students do not get to check out a book unless they bring theirs back. Returning items is also on the report card. Have a great long weekend! Wishing you well, Wendy Martin

Thank you for participating in wearing hats and your favorite sports team to school. The $1.00 donation went toward an amazing Lego Basket to be auctioned off at Pack the Place in Pink. Check your Wednesday envelope regarding our October 31st performance. Save the date! Remind 101 flyer came home Wednesday. This is a great way for me to get information to you or to remind you of upcoming events. Homework-Sums of 10 Nursery Rhyme preference due by Friday. Book Bag came home for the first time on Tuesday. It is a Ziploc bag with a book for your child to read to you. They will get a new book when they return it. Poetry Binders need to signed and returned By Monday or ASAP. Your child only needs to read the new poems added this week. Your job is to sign the back of the last poem after they read them to you. WANTED: a picture for our Friends and Family Board (If you haven't brought one yet) Your child loves to show off their family. MATH- We learned some new strategies for addition: using manipulatives and making 10 Have a great rest of the week! Wishing you well

Dear Parents Thanks to all of you for donating candy and/or time to Saturday Live. Our booth made $1200.00. The kids ere very excited and seemed to really enjoy it. Could you have your child bring 1 bed sheet or a large lightweight blanket by Friday? It will come home on Friday after school. Shhh! It is a surprise. *HOMEWORK -Doubles + 1 -Book Bag- Start looking for these. They are a Ziploc bag with a book for your child to read to you. They will get a new book when they return it. -Poetry Binders need to be signed and returned by Monday or ASAP -Please bring a family picture for our friends and family board if you haven’t yet. *MATH We started learning some strategies for addition. We have talked and practiced the commutative property 5+3=8 so 3+5=8,adding 0 to a number, counting on, using a number line, doubles, and doubles+1. Wednesday-Music Thursday-P.E. Friday-Library Wishing you well, Wendy Martin martinw@billingsschools.org

The kids had a great time on field day. Mrs. Buss had some great games and all the kids were prepared with hats, water, sunscreen etc. Thank you for helping make this day enjoyable! Our animal research is going great! Most of the kids are near completion. Now we are going to make them into an e-book. The kids will be presenting their animal reports on Wednesday, April 29th at 1:30. Mark your calendars! Would you like to donate cookies or another baked item for this big event? Just email me and let me know! A big thanks goes out to the parent volunteers: Mrs. Gleason, Mrs. Francis and Mrs. Norman. We couldn’t have done it without you! First grade will be going on a field trip to Riverfront Park on May 30th from 9:00 to 1:30. This will supplement our science objective of living things, non-living things and pond life. I am still in need of a few more parent volunteers. E-mail me if you are interested! Remember the cafeteria will no longer accept lunch charges in May. Make sure you child has lunch money or they will get a peanut butter sandwich. Are you thinking about moving? Please let me know if this is a possibility. This helps us when we are creating class lists for next year. Thanks! You are going to start seeing some items coming home from school. I recently sent home a problem of the day math book. We were unable to use these this year but it would be great review for your child over the summer. On May 28th we will be having a pizza party! Yummmy!

Last Wednesday we practiced an evacuation drill. The whole school walked to a church on Wicks Lane. Everyone did great! A reminder is in your envelope if you have not returned your school pictures. Please send money if you wish to keep these. If not, return the pictures to school. Thanks! First grade will be going on a field trip to Riverfront Park on May 30th from 9:00 to 1:30. This will supplement our science objective of living things, non-living things and pond life. I am going to need some parent volunteers. E-mail me if you are interested! Return your field trip permission slip. Students who do not return these will have to stay at school with another class. That would be very sad! I will need a few volunteers to help with the animal research project. If you are able to come on any Monday at 1:15, please let me know. I promise it won’t be difficult. Remember the cafeteria will no longer accept lunch charges in May. Make sure you child has lunch money or they will get a peanut butter sandwich. This is was our last week to check out library books. All books must be returned by May 17th.

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Dear Parents,

I have some exciting news!  I was awarded a grant from the Billings Education Foundation.  I will be receiving 3 iPad minis.  The money raised at the carnival will go towards covers, screen protectors and apps!  I can’t wait to get them.


Thank you to everyone who came out to the bike rodeo - it was a huge success.  A special thanks to the Spoke Shop for donating gift cards and for checking out the bikes.  The blacktop was swarming with bicycles and riders and the weather couldn't be beat.We had one winner in our class who received a  $50.00 Gift Card to the Spoke Shop-Sophie Hanson!

I heard that STEM night on Friday was a huge success.  The kids had a blast!  Thanks for taking time out of your schedules so the kids could get their hands on some more science.

School pictures came home last week.  Please send money if you wish to keep these.  If not, return the pictures to school.  Thanks!

We are out of snacks!  Would you mind bring one last snack to finish out the year?

Starting May 1, the cafeteria will no longer accept lunch charges.  So make sure you child has lunch money or they will get a peanut butter sandwich.

First grade will be going on a field trip to Riverfront Park on May 30th from 9:00 to 1:30.  This will supplement our science objective of living and non-living things and pond life.  I am going to need some parent volunteers.  E-mail me if you are interested! I will send home a  permission slip for our field trip on Wednesday.  Would you please fill it out and return?

We are starting a new project.  The students will be picking an animal and writing a report on it.  We are hoping to use technology to publish them.  They seem really excited about it.  I will need a few volunteers to help with this project.  Let me know if you are interested and the times that you are available.  I promise it won’t be difficult.

The Yearbooks are in! If you wanted a yearbook and didn't get one ordered, there are 25 extra yearbooks that are available to purchase.  This is a first come first served opportunity.  When they are gone, they are gone.  If you would like to get one, please contact the Tammy Welsby at Welsbyt@billingsschools.org.  The cost of the yearbook is $16.00. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

Thanks!

Dear Parents,

The Bitterroot Carnival was a huge success! Our basket and carnival booth raised $156.00.  Thanks again for all your help!  We could not do it without you!

Our school will be having a Bike Rodeo next Wednesday at 3:30.  There will be two bikes and some helmets to be given away.  They will also talk about bike safety and maintenance.  I hope you can make it.

School pictures came home last week.  Please send money if you wish to keep these.  If not, return the pictures to school.  Thanks!

Dear Parents,
The Bitterroot Carnival was a huge success! It was fun to see your kids having so much fun.  I think this is the biggest carnival I have seen at Bitterroot.  Our class basket looked amazing!  Thanks for all your donations. Thanks again to Terri Gleason for putting the basket together and for getting all the donations! Thank you parents for helping!

*MATH -This week we continue to identify and name standard geometric solids and recognize them in the environment. We are counting the number of flat surfaces and vertices on geometric solids. We are identifying and naming standard plane shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle) and recognizing them in the environment. We are counting the number of straight lines and vertices.

Wishing you well!

Dear Parents

Bitterroot Carnival’s popular Basket Raffle needs your donations!  We currently have 2 kites, an inflatable pool and sidewalk chalk.
Each year, our huge themed baskets full of kid-friendly items build the excitement that leads to our carnival. That being said, there are several ways you can help:
• Purchase an item that fits the theme
Check the lists of ideas or come up with your own. Items must be brand new. Gift certificates are great, too.
• Donate cash and we’ll shop for you.
If you don’t have time to shop, but would like to contribute, cash or check donations are always welcome. We will combine the money donated to buy additional items to fill out the baskets. If writing a check, please make payable to Wendy Martin.
We would like to have all of the basket items by April 4th so there is ample time to put it together.
*Swim Toys *Lanterns
*Goggles *Tents
*Buckets and spades *Fishing Gear
*Beach towels *Sleeping Bag
*Sleds *Picnic Basket
*Ice Skates *Bean Bag Toss
*Balls *Skateboards
*Scooter *Goals      
*Bats *Roller Blades              
*Gift Certificate to Scheels *Badminton
*Gift Certificate to Sports Authority *Ladder Toss
*Tickets to a local sporting event *Slip N’ Slide
*Bocce Ball Game Set *Volleyball set
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your support!
Wendy Martin

Happy Spring!

*Please plan on attending the Community Meeting at Bitterroot on March 20 at 7:00 pm.  Our school enrollment is expected to grow by 30% over the next few years.  Overcrowding is an issue. 

*CONFERENCES: Please return conference sheet ASAP and I will do the best I can to schedule what is convenient. Conference forms came home on Friday.  If you have returned your conference preference sheet, your scheduled time came home today.  Your time will also be on your child’s report card. 

*HELP NEEDED: Each class is also in charge of a basket for the basket raffle.  Our theme is “Outdoor Fun”.  Our classroom basket for the carnival needs your assistance. Each student is asked to bring an item or cash donation for the basket.  We also need help getting donations from businesses to help fill our basket. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Our theme for our basket is very broad so ANYTHING that can relate to outdoor activities for any age would be great. Mrs. Gleason has offered put the basket together.  If you would like to help in any way please contact Mrs. Gleason or me. If you would make a cash donation, we can do the shopping for you.  Anything helps $1, $5, $10 etc. Money raised from the basket raffle will go back into the classroom.  

Conferences

Third quarter report cards are quickly approaching and I am excited about your child’s growth.  This year the school district is NOT having 3rd quarter conferences.  I do feel that conferences are valuable information for parents.  However, the district has not allotted any time for conferences.  Instead of a report card comment I will be offering 15- minute conferences on April 2 & 3 and April 9-15.
I do understand that some of you may not be able to attend conferences so I am willing to put a comment on the report card instead of conferencing.
Both require a bit of time on my part so please be patient as this is a new process for me.

Please return conference sheet ASAP and I will do the best I can to schedule what is convenient.
Conference forms came home on Friday.

*HELP NEEDED:  April 5th is the Spring Carnival at Bitterroot.  This is a very fun event for the kids.  There are many games and activities for the whole family to enjoy.  Each class is also in charge of a basket for the basket raffle.  Our theme is “Outdoor Fun”.  I am looking for a parent or two who would be willing to put this together for the carnival.  A flyer would need to be made asking for specific donations, gift cards, or cash.  You would also be responsible for putting it all together the day of the carnival. PLEASE let me know if you are interested!

*Classroom Needs: Clorox anti-bacterial wipes & Snacks

*Math -The students are mentally finding 10 more, 10 less, 1 more and one less of a two-digit number.  We are working on finding numbers that are 10-90 more or less than a two-digit number.

Keep practicing Xtramath!

Dear Bitterroot School Community:

There will be a meeting at Bitterroot School on Wednesday, March 20th, at 7:00 P.M. in the gym to discuss issues of class size and the movement of some kindergarteners to Bench School for the 2013-2014 school year.  Brenda Koch, executive director of school leadership for the East Billings schools, Sandie Mamenga, Bench principal, and Lew Anderson, executive director of facilities will be attending. They will be here to answer your questions and listen to your concerns.

Please call me if you have any questions.

John English
Principal
406 281-6205

Happy March!

March certainly came in like a lamb but quickly turned into a lion.  I guess we are going to still need the snow clothes. ICK!  The kids are ready for the nice weather.  In fact, they ask to take their coats off at recess if it is even remotely nice-like 30 degrees and no wind.  No worries, I don't let them. :)

This week we will continue to compare numbers with <, > and =.  The students have started mentally finding 10 more, 10 less, 1 more and one less of a two-digit number.  We will start finding numbers that are 20-90 more of a two-digit number. Keep practicing Xtramath.

Saturday was Dr. Seuss's birthday. We will be reading his books and celebrating his great work.
 

Do you have a child or know someone who has a child that will be entering kindergarten next year?  If so, please register as soon as possible.  The demographics study done for the district as part of the facility planning process indicates a significant increase in Kindergarten through 3rd grade students coming to Bitterroot in the Fall of 2013. All new registrations with be marked with date and time of registration just in case "first come, first served" becomes part of the classroom placement process.

Have a wonderful week!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back!  I would like to thank everyone who donated to our Valentine's Day party.  It was a huge success.  The kids devoured the healthy snacks. YUMMY!

I hope everyone enjoyed their break and those kids who were sick before the vacation are doing well.  I went into school during our break and sanitized everything I could get my hands on.  I have been emphasizing coughing and sneezing into our sleeves and frequent hand washing or hand sanitizer.   We have also talked about picking noses and how it spreads germs.  Any reinforcement of these skills would be greatly appreciated.

On Tuesday, we have our read-a-thon assembly.  Our school met their goal and we now get to turn Mr. English into a giant banana split.  We will get to add whip cream, toppings and bananas and Mr. English is allergic to bananas.  What a great sport! Our class read 6263 minutes. Carter read the most minutes in our class.  Way to go Carter!

In math this week we will review the 100's chart and writing to 120.  We will start to compare numbers with <, > and =.  The students will start mentally finding 10 more and 10 less of a two digit number.  Keep practicing Xtramath.  Our 1st grade class was recently tested on math fact fluency and was compared to the national average.  There was a correlation between those who practice Xtramath and those who scored high nationally.  Keep up the great work!


THIS MESSAGE IS TIME SENSITIVE
FALL 2013 Kindergarten Registration:
Dear Bitterroot Families,

The demographics study done for the district as part of the facility planning process indicates a significant increase in Kindergarten through 3rd grade students coming to Bitterroot in the Fall of 2013. In order for us to plan classroom spaces and staffing we need to get a handle on the number of new students as soon as possible. You can help us by registering your incoming Kindergarten students now. All new registrations will be marked by Christy with date and time of registration just in case "first come, first served" becomes part of the classroom placement process.

Also, I will be grateful if you help us get the word out to families you know have Kindergartners starting but for some reason haven’t received this notice.

Gratefully,

John English
Principal


TO ENTER KINDERGARTEN:


Child must have turned 5 by 9/10/13

Enrollment Form - Into the office ASAP

Before the child can attend their first day of school, these items must also be turned in to the office:

A Copy of a Certified Birth Certificate

A Copy of Immunizations
    Must include:
    4 DPT
    3 Polio
    2MMR

Valentines Party February 13

It is almost Valentines Day.  That means it is time for your little cherubs to fill out Valentines cards for this fun day.  I encourage you to have your child write the names of their classmates on each card.  Now is a good time to start so they can take a break when their little hands get tired.  You may bring the Valentine cards any time between February 4 and the 12th.  Here is a list of students and teachers:

Ciera   Ethan  Jeremy  Mia  Dillian  Cesar  Brayden  Talyssa  Nathan  Dylan  Molly  Tira  Chloey  Carter  Caimon  Anna  Sophie  Joseph  Lucy  Thomas  Taylor   Grandma Barb     Mr. English     Miss Laryssa     Mrs. Martin

Since Valentine’s Day is full of sweets, I would love for our class to have some healthy snacks  (cheese and crackers, veggie and fruit tray, juice boxes, etc.) as part of our party.  Please email me if you would like to contribute.  We will also need paper plates and napkins.  Please, please, please do not bring any extra sweets like cupcakes or cookies!

The read-a-thon continues through this week.  As of Friday, our class has read 3033 minutes!  WOW!  Keep up the great work!

Wishing you well!

We started the 3rd quarter last week.  We are off and running.  In math we have started working with 10's and 1's.  I added some more math sites so your kids can practice.  Please make sure to also continue Xtra math.  I can really see a difference with the kids that are practicing it on a regular basis.

100's day will be next Monday.  Remember to bring your 100 items in a quart sized ziploc bag for our 100 day stew.


From the PTA

Read-A-Thon:
The theme this year is Bananas about Reading.
There will be four age groups within which children will be competing for prizes: K, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6.
Coupons to business/restaurants will be given out as students reach reading goals: K and 1-2: will receive a coupon for every hour they read, 3-4 and 5-6: will receive a coupon for every 2 hours they read
Prizes will be awarded to the top four readers in each age group.
The prizes will consist of books, a bag and audio books
The grand prize for K and 1-2 will be iPod nanos
The grand prize for 3-4 and 5-6 will be kindles
Banana Split Parties will be awarded to:
The class in each age group with the most total hours
The class with the highest percentage of students participating in the Read-A-Thon
The class with the highest number of pledges (not necessarily the most money collected).
If the school reaches 50,000 minutes: Mr. English will dress up in a Banana Suit for a day.

If the school reaches 100,000 minutes: Mr. English will become a banana split where students who participated squirt whipped cream and chocolate, strawberry and caramel syrup on him. The whole school will also receive and extra 30 minutes of gym time.

We will attempt to make a video to kick off the Read-A-Thon, otherwise an assembly will be held.

We would appreciate donations of 3-6th grade level books to use for prizes. We would also appreciate it if anyone would be willing to donate spray cans of whipped cream or chocolate, strawberry or caramel syrup.

Wishing you well!
Wendy Martin

Report Cards

Report cards come home tomorrow. Please try to highlight all the positive and then discuss how your child can improve in other areas.  Please sign and return the envelope.

In math we have been working on counting by tens to 130.  The students have learned how to group items into groups of 10 to make counting easier. We will begin working on tens and ones next.  I have added a few games to the blog to reinforce this skill.


The 100th day of school is on the 28th of January.  We will be making a 100-day stew.  Each student is to bring 100 edible items that will fit in a quart size Ziploc.  Please count these out with your child and put your child’s name on their bag. Some ideas are: Skittles, cereal, chocolate chips, small marshmallows, smarties,   . . . . . Please make sure all items are nut-free and are not processed in a factory that also processes nuts.  It will say right on the label.  We have an allergy so PLEASE make sure.  Many items contain nuts that you would not expect . . .like OREOS.

Do you have old Christmas cards that you are going to throw away?  If so, we could use the front of the card for a labeling project.  Just simply cut off the front of the card or send the whole card and I will take care of it.


Does your child know how to tie their shoes?  If not, please work on this at home.  Unfortunately, I do not have time to tie 21 pairs of shoes.  Now I will be telling your child to ask three then ask me so they will be asking their classmates to help.  I am guessing that some students will be getting lots of practice.  Thanks for your support!

Wishing you well,
Wendy Martin

Welcome back!  I hope you all enjoyed the holiday break as much as I did.  It is nice to be back and into a routine.  The kids did well their first couple of days back but by Friday they were exhausted!

Security at our school is of utmost importance.  Therefore, all doors will remained locked except the front door by the office.  ALL non-staff members must check-in at the office and get a visitor pass.  This means that you may not walk into the building with your students class. Our district also has many emergency procedures in place.  We have practiced many of them up to this point, including "Shelter in Place" which is used if an intruder enters the building. We will continue to practice all drills throughout the year.

It is hard to believe but on Friday it will be the end of the 2nd quarter.  That means that we are already half way through our year!  Unbelievable! This week I will be assessing your students knowledge for their report card.

Keep up the great work on XtraMath!  I have many students who scores are between 30-80.  These kids are on the site nearly every day.  This program helps your child with math fact fluency which is an item on the report card.

Do you have old Christmas cards that you are going to throw away?  If so, we could use the front of the card for a labeling project.  Just simply cut off the front of the card or send the whole card and I will take care of it.

Thanks!

Have a wonderful and meaningful 2013!