Hi there. Well, the sub report was POSITIVE!!! Kids had a great day for the most part. I am proud of them!! Those that kept their names off the list earned $100 and a class compliment. Great Job Team Erickson!
Today we started computers. We did the Bitterroot programs, Success Maker (math) and Read About (Non Fiction Reading). We also did a program that I learned yesterday in my TILT class called XtraMath. This is a program that focusses on the basic math facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It is a free program available at school and at home. I sent home a flyer today that will tell you how to VERY easily set up their account at home. All the information, including their enrollment code is on there. Many, many, many of these kids are still using their fingers to add and subtract. We will be hitting multiplication hard starting in November. However, in 4th grade we hit double digit multiplication. They should already have a firm grasp on their one digit basic facts through the twelves. We will use this program to help us. This program is leveled. Therefore, it moves up when your child masters the facts. It will start with addition, then subtraction, multiplication, and finally division. The program is designed to flash kids problems, they need to answer them in 3 seconds to show mastery and move up in level, and then finally exit them out of each skill. Please, please, please have them do this at home each and every night. Please!!!!! It is about a ten minute session and then it says good job for today and see you tomorrow. All information, even at home, comes to me in a report form. They can do it more than once in a day. I will have them do it here four days a week. Please support that at home as well. If you have any questions about setting this up please call me ASAP. At school they needed my email address. It does not look like they need it at home but it is ericksont@billingsschools.org if they do. If you set this up, watch the short explanation videos, and have your child complete a session tonight please write XtraMath in their planner for a $100 bonus tomorrow. THANK YOU!!!!
Three students still need to bring in their cheap headphones. It is very distracting to have volume up in class. If this is your child, there is a note in their planner. Please get those as soon as you can. I know Walmart has some $3 pairs that work great. Thank you! We will be doing them again tomorrow.
We have library tomorrow. Please help remind kids to bring their books back.
Tonight is the last nightly writing for this week. Notebooks should be complete and ready to turn in tomorrow. They should have three entries this week. They are getting better and better at this editing skill. :0)
Students have their states and capitals test for the NE region tomorrow. They have been studying for 2 weeks now, and I think they are ready to go. Please ask them for their flash cards tonight and quiz them. Also have them sit at the table and write in the states in their laminated maps that came home earlier this week. We will only have a little bit of study time in class tomorrow. I also put two fun games to help study all of the states and capitals on the blog. They are found off to the right under Ms. Erickson's favorite sites. I also added quite a few more math ones for place value and rounding as well. If your child is coming home with C, D, or Fs on their MOL papers in math, these are excellent places for them to go and practice. Let's rock this!
Have a great night. Hope you get to jump in puddles tonight...that is by far one of my favorite things to do with my kiddos!
