Long day, but perfect ending!

Hello there.

I was able to slip in and see the kids at the end of the day. Their sub said that they had an AWESOME day. I am sooooo proud of them! The teachers around also shared that they did great. :0) Great job superheroes! Ask your kiddo how they did. If they didn't have to pay any money today, write NO MONEY in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Homework tonight is a spelling skill sheet. They need to follow all the directions and do the front and the back, making sure to spell all the words correctly.

Tomorrow is a time to allow our Caring Capes to fly. Arrowhead School is doing a school wide buy in day tomorrow. All the proceeds will be donated to a local animal shelter. This is awesome, because so many of the kids wrote about helping animals on their MLK Jr. boards and footprints. Kids may donate a dollar (or more) and in exchange they can either wear a hat during school or bring in a stuffed animal.

Tomorrow's Friday! Enjoy Thursday night!
Mrs. Grewell

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” ~Scott Hamilton, retired American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist.

Hi there. A great quote above. Thanks to Kyra's mom for sending that one to me!!!

Thank you so much for coming last night. It was so fun and so touching watching you all with your kiddos. They worked very hard and they learned a ton. I am glad that they had a chance to share that with you. Their posters will come home after being displayed in the school for awhile.

If you took a "Hollywood" picture could you send me a copy via email or text. I would love to include them in my slideshow that I will make this weekend. Thanks!

Midwest state flashcards will come home tomorrow. Please begin to study them. The test will be in late February. I may also do a pop quiz on the past two regions soon (hint, hint).

Homework tonight is to add onto the Biography report. Page 2 came home today. Kids need to complete it tonight and then hook it to the one they did on Monday. Due to disruptions this week, we will continue this project next week as well. Therefore, they will not be due on Friday as planned.

Tomorrow, kids have a sub. I have already went over their upcoming day and it will be packed with a lot of independent work that we went over today. I am expecting an amazing report!

Have a great, great night!
Mrs. Grewell

"There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free." Jackie Robinson

Hi. Happy Monday...and a happy one it was in here! We had a great day!

Homework tonight deals with the Biographies the kids read this past month. I gave them the first part of their Biography poster. They will get a new piece each night this week. Thursday, the kids can hook them all together to prepare to turn them in done on Friday.

A quick and gentle reminder that all work given in here (minus a quiz or a test) is due the next day. I always give all kids the option to take work home to complete. However, it is due the next day at 8:15. I don't do excuses, nor do I allow kids to give me them. If they don't have it, all they have to do is admit it, pay the $50 fine, and ask for more time. That is how we do solutions in here and the real world. All kiddos know this by now.

The kids started to perform their Rosa Park's skits today. CRACK me up! I love these every year. Never fear, you will get to see them tomorrow. I can't wait to see the rest tomorrow.

We will do a run through of our performance that we will do for you tomorrow night in class tomorrow. This way kiddos know what to expect, and we can get rid of those nervous jitters. I asked them to try to find something black and white to wear to fit the theme. Feel free to dress up as well.

We started to watch the Ruby Bridges movie today. We will finish it up tomorrow. Ask your child their thoughts on it so far. Many kids were shocked when they saw the mob of people yelling at poor Ruby. If they share with you, write RUBY in the planner for $10.

Well, that about covers it for today. Have a wonderful Monday night!
Mrs. Grewell

PS-Did anyone attend the Science Fair workshop this weekend? If so, could you give me some feedback via text? Thanks!

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Weekend! I hope you had a great one!

This week will be a busy one. We have a  lot to do before we share with you on Tuesday night. Kiddos should be practicing their Rosa Poem song and our group song as well. If they forgot the poem, here it is. We will work on them again tomorrow and Tuesday. I can't give you, the parents, a lot of details on what they need to do as it is part of the Tuesday night surprise. :0) You are going to love it!

I will be gone on Thursday this week. I have court. Nothing big, but something I need to attend. I don't like missing school, but this one can't be avoided. Kids will go on as normal with the sub that day.

Academically this week...

Math: Finding a greatest common factor and geometry vocabulary.

Lead 21 Reading: We will begin Unit 4: space. Our focus will be fact or opinion at a deeper level along with writing a 5 paragraph essay using evidence from the text to back it up.

Language: Combining sentences using comma conjunction.

Spelling: /k/ sounds

SS: We will finish our Civil Rights Unit and begin our MidWest Unit. New flashcards for states and capitals will come home. The test will not be for a few weeks.

Science: PLTW. We will continue with discovering how objects transfer energy from one to another.

MT History: We will finish up our comparison of the MT Flag to the Crow Nation Flag.

Fly Time: Jackie Robinson and what he stood for with his character.

Last week, we had a fun time playing the game boards the kids created for their Unit 3 Lead 21 Inquiry project. I learned a lot, like Maine is the number one producer of toothpicks. Who knew? Apparently, Hanna did! :0) This weekend I graded the game boards. There were a few kiddos that didn't quite follow directions. Some of them made too many positive or negative moves on the board and forgot to just write a fast fact. As I have stressed with them this week, it is their job to pay attention when I model something for them. There are a few kids that tune in for a second, and then begin the assignment before I am done thinking they know what to do on their own. I switch the directions all the time on assignments. It is imperative that they don't guess their way through, but stay tuned in the entire few minutes I am explaining it and modeling it for them. I never, ever just give them an assignment without explaining it or doing the first one or two problems together. Again, it is their job.

Mr. Noah L. used his show and tell coupon last week. We got to meet his little cute puppy, Rubio. What an adorable little guy. Thanks for sharing with us Noah!

Miss. Lauren was star of the week last week. I love that she loves the game 20 questions. I too love that game. Lauren also likes to collect those popular big eyed stuffed animals. Fun! Lastly, Lauren shared an adorable baby picture of herself. Is she adorable or what! Precious! Thanks for sharing with us Lauren.

Speaking of their job, we have had quite a few days where kids have forgotten their shoes or other needed supplies for the day. They always come to me and ask to call home. I don't like to do this because it is their job, but there are times that the clomp, clomp, clomping of boots is very distracting. Please help kids remember that they need to be responsible for their own life. (I am sure I am preaching to the choir on this one. I can just imagine all of you saying these exact words at least twice a day...just am I am sure you can picture me doing the same with my two).

I can't wait to see all of you Tuesday night at 6:30. Have a great week!
Mrs. Grewell

It Doesn't Matter What a Person Looks Like, You Need to Always, Always Give a Person a Chance...Ruby Bridges

Hello, hello!

Can I just say that I love these kids. How lucky am I to come to work every single day to a job that I absolutely love. And why do I love it...cuz of your precious little gem! They just make me smile every single day! Love it!!!! Love them!!!!

Report cards came home today. Please empty them out, sign the back of the envelope, and return it tomorrow. Let me know if you have any concerns. I was pretty specific on the comments. Please know that if the issue addressed was super serious I would have called you. I just wanted some behaviors worked on. We can always get better, right? :0)

Inside report cards you will find the Science Fair information. If you are not planning on doing it, just ignore it. I put it in each kids.

Homework tonight is two-fold. Kids need to test out their game boards for the Lead 21 Reading Inquiry projects with you tonight. They also brought home their grading checklists. Please go over each item with your child to make sure they have it. All facts on the board should be in sentences. The should be teach someone else something new. Spelling should show effort. Capitalization and punctuation is mandatory. Please sign the checklist when you complete it. Your signature tells me that  they had an adult check it and play it. Thanks.

The second part of homework is all on them. They just need to finish up a fun MLK, Jr sheet for our boards. They know exactly what to do.

This morning we read a book about the Little Rock Nine. Ask your child to tell you one way that it is similar to Ruby Bridges story, and one way that it was different. If they can tell you, write NINE in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you that committed to coming next Tuesday. I can't wait to see you! The kids are getting excited to show you all that they have learned.

A gentle reminder that kids need to bring ONE snack to school. I have seem many pull out two or three items for snack. Are they even hungry for lunch? Also, please remind kiddos that lunch is for them and is not to be shared at Arrowhead. I will be talking about this tomorrow at Fly Time. We have had a few issues with this. Sharing food at lunch or snack is a big no no at Arrowhead. Mrs. Meier told every student this at the first day assembly.

I will submit book orders this coming Monday. Please get your orders in soon.

Library books are due tomorrow.

Thanks so much for all that you do!

Everyone Can Be Great, Because Everybody Can Serve." MLK, Jr.

Hi.

In math we have been doing some pretty tough stuff. Kids are learning to factor numbers and decide if that number is prime or composite. Many, many, many kids have some classwork to finish up tonight. Have them show you how to do all the tests on a number. They are allowed to use a calculator for some parts of it. If they do show you how to do one of the problems, write FACTOR in the planner for $10 tomorrow. Also have them explain if the number is in fact composite or prime and why. High level stuff going on here! Wow!

In Fly Time, we read a book about Ruby Bridges. The kids were very excited to hear about this little  girl going to an all white school. They just kept asking, why??? Hard question for me to answer. We will watch the Ruby Bridges Disney Movie in class on Monday and Tuesday as we are making our boards. A permission slip came home today. The movie is G, but due to the reasons listed I would like to still obtain your permission. I have also included the link to the movie off to the right under my favorite sites. (oops...I just discovered that the movie is no longer available for free to view. It is no longer able to be viewed. Hopefully, I can find it on video or netflix.) The movie brings alive everything we have talked about for the past week about the Civil Right's Movement and it's leaders.

Homework tonight: Finish up math and get permission slip signed.

Those of you that are for sure or are thinking of doing the science fair with your kiddos, here is a great, great resource coming up this weekend. They always do a great job of explains every part of this process. Can't make it...no worries. We will do a similar demonstration at school next week as well for the kids. There will also be model boards for them to look at. I will send home the grading rubric and board example soon.



I would like to get an idea of how many of you will be attending the MLK, Jr. share night next Tuesday night at 6:30. Kids are doing some group presentations, and if they are not able to come that could mix things up, so I would like to know before I form those groups. Please write YES in the planner if you are planning to come with your child that night, or NO if you can't make it. I am hoping everyone can come and have a great time listening to all that every child has learned! :0) Doing this, will earn your kiddo $10 tomorrow.

Well, that about covers it. Have a great Wednesday night!
Mrs. Grewell

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Monday/Tuesday!

We had a great 1st day of Quarter 3. Kids took a look at their report cards this morning and made some behavior goals for the next quarter. We reviewed our 4th grade EQ statements, and we talked about our learning goals for the week. Yes!

In Science today, we talked about the Science Fair. We even came up with three ideas from our lesson today with the egg and it floating or sinking. Thank you to those that responded about participating in the fair. The instruction sheets will come home in the Tuesday folder next week.

We also talked about potential and kinetic energy in class today. We did a demonstration with our car we built last month and a raw egg. I sent it down the ramp (inclined plane) and had it run into a wall. The egg went forward and cracked its shell (head) and then rolled off the car. This is to stimulate thinking about their upcoming project where their team has to come up with a design to make the egg stay in the car, much like a seatbelt does today. Then, they will test it, reflect on it, change it, and then test again. Today, however, we just identified where the car had potential energy (at the top of the ramp waiting to go and at the bottom of the ramp when it stopped) and where it had kinetic energy (going down the ramp). Ask your kiddo to tell you this. If they can write ENERGY in the planner for $10.

This morning, we added onto our MLK Jr. studies by watching this video at Fly Time. Please take a minute to watch it yourself or with your child again. You could have heard a pin drop in here during the entire thing. Pretty powerful display of protesting a need in a positive and PEACEFUL way!!! If you watch it, write DOOR in the planner for $50 tomorrow.  (It is that cool!)

http://www.wimp.com/simplething/

In S.S., we watched MLK's I Have a Dream Speech on youtube. I asked the kids to think about something in the world that they just think is wrong. Many picked child abuse, bullying, or abuse to animals. They then wrote a run-off I Have a Dream speech of their own about that topic. You will hear about these when we share at Dr. MLK, Jr. share night, which will be not this Tuesday, but the following Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us. (Remember...it is best if it is just you and your child so they may have all your attention when sharing). It will last no longer than an hour.

Homework tonight is to design their Dream cloud. They know the ideas of how to do this is theres, but that I expect creativity, beautiful handwriting, nice coloring, and to see their name clearly on the cloud. (example...Tammie's Dream...)The rest of the decorating is up to them.

This is the last week to read those biographies. We will start to do the report next week.

I hope you have a wonderful night!

PS-Ask your kiddo what MLK Jr. treat they had with their buddies today. Black and white came together again for one delicious yummy treat! If they can tell you, write it down in the planner for another $10!!!!

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hi there. Check this guy out above! So long ago he also knew the power of the word BELIEVE! Is it any wonder why I would love to meet this guy someday?  I hope you had an amazing long weekend. We spent ours hanging out, sledding, and I did report card comments. :0) I hope you have a great week!

Report cards come home on Thursday. We are now in Quarter 3. That means, once again expectations are lifted a little higher for 4th graders academically and behaviorally. Tomorrow, kids will write a small plan on exactly how they are going to make the second half even more successful than the 1st. I look forward to hearing their goals.

Academically this week...

Math: Finding factors in numbers using divisibility rules and discovering if a number is prime or composite. (This well be very helpful when kids start to reduce or make equivalent fractions soon).

Lead 21 Reading: We will finish up Unit 3. Kids will work on their game board inquiry projects. They will come home this week on Thursday to be checked/finished with you. Please take time that night to sit down and play the actual game with your child, asking them about the facts on the squares you land on. Make sure that it is understandable for the average Joe that did not research about that state. They will be due on Friday. We will go over the rubric in class tomorrow. They will have it to bring home for Thursday's last chance check with you as well.

Spelling: Review week. There will not be a test this week.

Language: Continue to work on possessive nouns.

S.S.-Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. We will do many activities to create our sharing boards this week dealing with many different people involved in this movement.

Science: Kinetic and Potential Energy. We will begin the actual learning part of the Project Lead the Way series!!!

Fly Time: Civil Rights and Peaceful Solutions. We will also be setting goals for Quarter 3.

Music: A little note came home with kids last week about 4th graders playing recorders soon. Kids will have a recorder at school that they may use. However, they may also get their own from Eckroth or Hansen music stores (both found on Grand Avenue) for around $6. The ones at school are completely safe and sanitized and only they will use them the entire time, but kids LOVE having their very own to use. Plus these ones come in really cool neon colors!!! They must be the professional ones though. Please do not buy them at Walmart, Target, or the dollar store. Those ones will not be allowed at school by Mrs. Waddell. If you go to either store and just ask the people for the school recorders they will lead you right to them. Having a 4th grader last year, I know all about the joy you are about to go through. You may also want to pick up a pair of neon earplugs. :0)

The science fair is upon us in a few weeks. It will be optional this year for 4th graders due to Project Lead the The Way being new and already overwhelming to all of us. However, it will be HEAVILY encouraged by me to participate. (Extra Credit will be given). Please read information coming home tomorrow about a class that you and your child can (not mandatory) take through the Billings Clinic that will be a TON of help when it comes to doing everything. If you are going to do one for school, you might as well as enter it in the Billings Clinic Science Fair as well (Applications will be given out and need to be returned on or before February 27th). Many Arrowhead kiddos won money last year!!!! We will also have a complete demonstration at school, and I will send home a model paper of how to set up the board. However, due to the overwhelming and time restraints of completing our new Science curriculum this year, that will be about all the help they get from school. Of course I will help any child that needs individual help before or after school, but as far as time in class to do the project...there will be none. It is a 100% at home project. Again, I HEAVILY encourage all students to do this project. Don't worry...it is fun!!! If you think your child will be doing this, please write SCIENCE in the planner. If they 100% will not be doing this, please write NO SCIENCE in the planner for $10 tomorrow. I again hope that all kiddos will give it a go!

Speaking of money, we start over with a new color of money tomorrow. All kids have fresh wallets on their desks loaded with the $200 start up money. What they do with it is totally up to their choices. They all had fun spending their hard earned pink money on Friday buying their fun coupons. Kyra and Emily, we will do yours tomorrow. I hope you both had wonderful trips!

If your child ate something black and white today in honor of MLK Jr, write what it was in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

I hope you all have a wonderful night!
Mrs. Grewell

A reminder that there is no school for students on Monday. Celebrate by eating something black AND white (like an Oreo or chocolate milk) and thank Dr. MLK, Jr for a day off!!! I will blog Monday by 4.

Bye Bye Quarter 2!

Hi. Had a meeting after school so this will be short.

Homework: Josh Gibson crossword puzzle. This goes along with our Civil Rights movement studies.

Ask your kiddo about the difference between Just and Unjust acts. If they can tell you, write the word FAIR in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

Quarter 2 ends tomorrow. Spelling test tomorrow. Library tomorrow.

Thanks.
Mrs. Grewell

What a great, great day!

Well, as you can see we had a great, great, great time sledding together this afternoon. There is something to be said about sledding with kids. I just treasure the times like these with these guys where I can just be a kid too! I was able to ride in the toboggan with all the kids that asked. It was also fun to just sit at the bottom and watch the kids interact. We ended the event with an all class sledding. We joined hands sideways and all went down together. So fun! Enjoy the slideshow.

Photo slideshow made with Smilebox

Homework tonight is to go play outside some more. I did not assign anything in addition today. If they do this, write OUTSIDE in the planner for $10. Some kids had some other work to finish up. Remember...quarter ends Friday. Keep checking online for missing work and encourage them to get it turned in ASAP.

At fly time, we talked about the word segregation. We read a fictional story with some historical facts built into it. We also chatted a little bit about the African culture at this time period. MLK Jr. was a reverend. Therefore, many books about him or this time period at their level do mention church, praying, and God. I don't focus on these points individually, but I do teach that it was a part of their culture and an outlet to their suffering from slavery and segregation. We also talk about how hymns often had secret freedom messages built in for the underground railroad and were used in peaceful protests. I know there are many different religions in here. Know that religion is not a topic we get into on a deep level in any of our discussions.

Well, that about covers the day. Enjoy your little darlings, and thank you so much for sharing them with me.
Mrs. Grewell

Bring Sleds Tomorrow Please!

Hi there.

Tomorrow is our sled party. Kids will buy in with their fake money tomorrow before we head out. Please help them get their sleds here tomorrow. I am honestly not sure if they can go on the bus with sleds or not???? Kids must have snow pants, boots, gloves, hat, and coat to go. I will have a couple of extra sleds, but not enough for everyone.

Homework tonight is an Arkansas puzzle, which IS one of our SE states. Apparently, I gave out the wrong homework last night. Oops. :0) Some kiddos also have some MT History to finish up.

This morning in fly time we read a story about MLK Jr. Then, we did a fun activity with some M&M's. I can't tell you all the details, because we will do it with you on our parent share night. However, check out these photos to try to guess. Think MLK and what he stood for. Don't know...you will find out soon enough! :0)



In math today, we talked about gallons, quarts, pints, cups, and ounces. We converted within them. Ask your kiddo how many quarts are in 5 gallons. If they can tell you, write the answer in the planner. Hint: They should say 4 for each gallon. We will tackle weight tomorrow!! Oh joy!

Well, have a super night!
Mrs. Grewell

Quarter Ends Friday.

Hi.

Homework tonight is SE state puzzle #7. It is addition. The kids were all like..."what? we know how to add."I then responded saying, "yes, but it is always good to review!" So, they have a quick puzzle to learn more about one of their states and then they can get out and play. Yay!

Speaking of states...ask your kiddo which place in the SE they want to visit the most from our tour. Then ask them why. They wrote about these today. Write the place they say in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

The weather is going to be warming up this week. We will have a sled day on this Wednesday! Kids can buy in for $300. By doing so, they can bring their own sled to school and we will hit the trails for an extra recess. Those that don't buy in can still have have fun watching. I will share this with the kids tomorrow.

On Friday, the 2nd quarter comes to a close. That means we will do our coupon buy in that day. This is when kiddos spend all of their hard earned cash buying some fun coupons. They are $300 each. There is no limit to how many they can buy. We will start the following Monday with a new wallet and start up money (a new color!!!). I told kids today and they were excited.

That is it for today! Have a wonderful evening.
Mrs. Grewell

Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but look at what they can do when they stick together...snowman!

Well, hello there! I sure hope you were all able to get outside yesterday. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! Beau, Zach and I spent the day sledding down the driveway, sledding down the HUGE hills behind our house, and riding behind and on the 4 wheelers in the snow. Poor Em was inside sick! :0( She did make it outside for some fresh air long enough to make a fun snowman though. We were hoping for another day just like it today, but Mother Nature just wouldn't cooperate two days in a row. So, we are back to Brrrrr! I sure hope Gwen and Espen enjoyed skiing yesterday. I bet today's races are a little more cold and slick!



Speaking of Gwen...she was our star of the week last week. She brought her bunny, Midnight to share with us. What a fun pet. He wanted to get down and jump around! The kids loved getting to pet him. So soft!!! Gwen also shared that she loves to knit and write stories. What a great kiddo! Thanks for sharing with us Gwen, and thanks dad for bringing in the bunny!



In S.S. we began our tour of some points of interest found in the SE region. We stopped at Jamestown. The kids played a fun board game that allowed them to realize just how hard colony life was, and by hard I mean hard to stay alive. They learned about starvation and malaria. As you can see many of the kids did not survive the game, where some of them did. We concluded that colonists pretty much had a 50/50 chance of making it in the new world before they learned how to plant food and sell the cash crop of tobacco back to England. We will continue the tour next week. Kids will have the chance to try to determine what kind of music they are hearing in this area by listening for certain instruments. They were already tapping their toes and dancing in their seats when I gave them a sample last Friday. Should be fun!



Also this week...

Math: We will wrap up customary measurement conversions. We will also make our game boards for our inquiry projects in Lead 21 using all the ruler measurement we learned last week. Kids now know how to measure to the whole inch, half inch, forth inch, and eighth inch.

Lead 21: We will continue to work on making connections and learning more about the SE region. Students will also continue to read their  fictional stories on their own in class.

Language: We will work more on making possessive nouns by adding an 's or s'.

Spelling: Words that change a final y to an i before adding a suffix.

Science: We will learn about two more simple machines that will help us in our PLTW studies.

MT History: State symbols.

Fly Time: Martin Luther King, Ruby Bridges, and Rosa Parks.

I think that about covers it. Have a great Sunday, and I will see all the kiddos tomorrow morning.
Mrs. Grewell

Test Results Are In, and Mrs. Grewell is HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

Hello again. Well, the snow is not letting up. I never made it home last night. With the wind blowing snow, the Red Lodge Highway was a total blackout. Urg. There is sure something to be said to being home. We will try again tonight, but with all this fresh snow who knows. :0) Positive thinking Grewell!

We took the NWEA MAP Math test this morning and kids rocked it! I will text you those results soon. We expect kiddos to be at a 208 or higher when leaving the 4th grade. Right now they should be at least a 202. Those that are not quite there, I am pulling them one on one in math for additional and more direct help. Those that are well above, I am finding ways to challenge them at a deeper level. Accelerated math and Mobi Max also helps me challenge kiddos on their own level. Keep in mind that we are only halfway through the year. We have learned a ton in math, but we still have fractions, geometry, and the rest of measurement to finish up. So, they will grow even more when we take this test again at the end of the year. It was fun to see how excited they were when they saw their score. I am so proud of all of them for doing their very best and taking their time. That is really all I can ask.

Homework tonight is a DMG letter. Kiddos need to write me at least a half page letter. They can write about anything they want. I will respond back as well. They know the drill. :0)

At Fly Time, we have been talking about dealing with anger and frustration. We now know that RED is the color associated with anger, hot is the temperature, tight is the feeling, and how to deal with these feelings, colors, and temperatures when we notice them in ourselves. One of the strategies learned is to do a chill skill. Ask your child for two examples of these. If they can tell you at least two, write CHILL in the planner for $10 tomorrow. They should say something like: deep breathe, mediate, think of something/someone you love, count to ten, walk away for a bit and then come back later, name it/tame it/reframe it, or do a tight squeeze and release.

Next week, we will be taking an in depth look at MLK, Jr, Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridges. We will be doing a ton of activities with this in SS class. Then, we will have a parent share night the last week of January to celebrate all their work done. I will post the date soon so you can save the date and get sitters for siblings if needed. It works best if you can just be one on one with your child. They love having all of your attention.

Spelling tests are tomorrow. Basketball fitness club starts tomorrow after school. Library books are due.

Have a wonderful night and enjoy the view of snow falling! Wow!
Mrs. Grewell

“Happiness is a warm puppy.” ― Charles M. Schulz

Hello there.

Homework tonight is another States and Capital's Puzzle. Tonight we are doing puzzle #22. Which state was the 16th state to join the United States???? Ask your kiddo after they have done their homework and write the answer in the planner for $10. Kids are multiplying two digit by one digit. It should be a nice review!

My heart goes out to Reece and his family tonight. Losing a pet is so difficult. It was much loved, and I know they will miss Cooper very much! Hugs to all of you.

Have a wonderful and warm night! I am going to attempt the journey home! :0)
Mrs. Grewell

Happy Birthday AJ!!!

Hello there.

The snow is falling, but kids behavior is rocking!!! So proud of all the kids! We even had indoor lunch recess as the windchill dropped us below zero! They did great!

Homework tonight is another state and capital puzzle for a state in the SE Region. Kids are working on those basic facts, which are still an issue for many.

In math we started converting customary length measurements. Ask your child how many rulers are in a mile. If they can tell you, write the number in the planner for $10.

All kiddos except one turned in their biography title today. They have a little over two weeks to finish reading those. They picked some great ones.

We took the SRI reading level test today. This is the short test that tests kids ability to figure out what words mean using context clues. It also tests their vocabulary and text level. I will share the score they got last time we took it (end of Quarter 1) and the score they got this time today via text tonight. Kids should be a 600 or above to be on grade level and want to leave with a 700+ for the start of 5th grade.

On Thursday, we will be doing the NWEA MAP Math test first thing. Please make sure kiddos have a high protein breakfast that day. We are only doing the math one, as that is the one I am most curious about at this point as far as how kids are growing. I am feeling great about reading and language so we will take those in the spring instead. I will share the results with you via text message shortly after that test. I can't wait to see how much they have already grown!

A big late Happy Birthday goes out to AJ. His birthday was January 1st. Since we were out of school we are celebrating it today with some super yummy and fun cake pops! He made some case selling those to his friends today in class. :0) AJ spent his birthday sick with a horrible cough. :0( I hope this one at school was a little bit better. We sure enjoyed it.

Well, that about says it all. Have a safe and warm night. I will be hibernating at my Aunt's house in town again. Not brave enough to face the highway quite yet.

Mrs. Grewell

Santa Should Have Brought Me Ice Skates For Christmas! Slickery Out There!

What a great day back! I LOVED seeing all the kiddos (except Josh and Noah B...I missed you guys! Get better soon!) today. We had a packed day of learning and fun.

Homework tonight is a reading assignment in their small leveled readers for Lead 21. They need to read Ch. 1, in Selection 3. There will be a short quiz tomorrow. Two kids finished in class. The rest needed time. All kiddos also have a States and Capital puzzle #25. Can you guess the SE state?

In science we started our unit on simple machines that will help us use our PLTW projects that we built for potential and kinetic energy. Ask your child to give you an example of an inclined plane. They should say ramp, slide, or ladder. If they do, write INCLINED in the planner for $10 tomorrow.

All kids need to bring in their Biography books for the January book report tomorrow. If they were absent when we got them, they need to look at home for one or at least come with an idea of whom they want to read about. I will send them to the library at recess time.

Well, the snow is beginning to stick and fall. We shall see if we have the predicted 10 inches tomorrow morning. It looks as if it is off to a good start though. Get those shovels out. I for one, love to shovel. Luckily, we are staying in town with my aunt tonight. The commute this morning was literally a sheet of ice. Here is a picture. It is not wet road...it is pure black ice! 35mph the entire way here on the highway. Glad we made it safe and only saw three cars off the road. Scary stuff!


The kids LOVED the snow at recess though. I got some fun action shots of them loving the freshly plowed snow hills. We allow kids to play on them (except at lunch) during recess until they become hard ice hills. As long as they are soft, they love to tunnel through and slide like otters. Nothing brings a smile to my face more than kids playing in the snow. Fun!



And, take a look at what AJ and Reece did for me! Awe....so sweet! What you don't see is the total massacre to it with bombing snowballs shortly after it. :0) Awesome!



We had a great time welcoming everyone back and hearing about everyone's vacation. So many fun stories with family and trips. And, of course I got to hear about all the fun gifts as well. It was great to have Espen back safe from Africa. He didn't bring me a real live baboon, but he brought me a hippo instead. Love, love, love it Espen. Thanks for my paperweight buddy! Landon also made it safely home from his family visit from the Philipines. He was so sweet to bring me some chocolate covered mango strips, a fun seashell, and a bracelet made for a good cause. What a wonderful surprise for me this morning. Thanks Landon! It was wonderful to see all the kids again.



Well, have a fantastic night and drive safe in the morning!
Mrs. Grewell

It's a New Year!!!

Well hello there! I have missed all of you!! Happy New Year and welcome to 2015! We are just a few weeks out of the end of quarter 2. That means we are almost halfway through the school year. No!!! So...we will start off the year with a bang and hit the ground running!

First though, allow me to share a little...Winter vacation at the Grewell Ranch was full of fun, laughing, snow, feeding cows, and a TON of family functions. Zach's brother, wife, and nephew were here visiting from the NorthEast coast! (Which state could that be students???). We so enjoyed all our time with them, especially all of Tristan's magic shows! Such a sweet little boy! I also got to catch up with many of my Bitterroot Elementary friends over a fun dinner and a few lunch dates. We spent many nights playing family games like Dominoes, Apples to Apples, and card games. Mostly though, we so loved all the fun in the snow. Beau was blessed with his very own four wheeler from Santa. He went up and down Grewell Lane a million and one times. Emma loved being pulled by Zach and Grandpa in the big calf sled up and down the same road. Sledding down the driveway and hills on the ranch was also very fun! Feeding the cows each morning was Zach's task, but we went along with as well. I forgot how much fun cows are to feed. They just come a running when they hear the feed truck. Lastly, we spent a lot of time just hanging out at home. Emma was blessed with a new iPod, so she had fun loading it with apps and music. I read an actual book (not school related!) and caught up on some Netflix shows I had been wanting to watch. Spending time at home is one of my favorite things to do.



All good things must come to an end though. As I type this, I think ah man...already back to work. But, I can't wait to just sit with the kids tomorrow morning at Fly time and listen to all of their Holiday stories. I have reserved the entire time to do just that...catch up.

Upon leaving before break, we had a great time learning and celebrating Polar Express Day. We spent the morning writing Cinquain poems about our yummy hot chocolate after reading the story. We also did some work on some vocabulary that was in the story along with the many similes and metaphors we heard. Lastly, we ended the book part by making a sequence train for the main events of the story. There were 12 train cars that the kids put in order by memory. I was pleasantly surprised at their ability to remember all the details. That means they were making connections to the text!



We took a break and had a wonderful pizza lunch together. A HUGE thank you to Noah B and his family for being my elves and helping me out! I will be sure to pay it all forward! What a wonderful way to spend our last lunch of the year and it was so awesome to meet Noah's dad and older brother. It is clear to see where Noah gets his character from! Thanks again!!!



The afternoon was where we switched from academic to fun. While watching the movie, the kids also built their candy trains. I always love to see how different each scene comes out! Hopefully, they made it home safe and sound. Poor Reece went home sick in the morning and missed out on the afternoon fun. Therefore, Emma, Beau, and I spent a couple hours at his house over the break building ones with him. We were glad he was feeling better and that we were able to hook up and have some fun over the break!



We ended the day with David's Star of the Week presentation. David likes Minecraft, coonskin hats and his family and friends. Thanks for sharing with us David!

This week academically,

Math: We will continue with measurement. We will switch from metric to customary. Customary is far more difficult due to all the different conversions American's have. It is not consistent all the way across like the metric system. You have to know different conversions for distance (inch, yard, mile), weight (pound, ounce, ton), and capacity (cups, pints, quarts, gallons). We will also practice measuring with a ruler to the nearest length using both metric and customary units.

Lead 21 Reading: We will continue with Unit 3: The Atlantic States. We will go into our small groups again. Kids will also be adding independent reading to their rotation plates. We will be focussing in on making connections, rating a story with evidence to back it, fact and opinion, making a 4th grade prediction, asking inferential and literal questions, and visualizing. We will also resist sequencing.

Lead 21 Reading  Inquiry Project: We will continue to research information about our chosen states. Kids will begin to build their game boards as well. There will be some work done at home, and some work done at school. The at home part will be later in the week or possibly even next week.

Book Reports: Kids should be reading a biography book. They have three weeks to finish up.

Social Studies: We will tour the SE region. Those that haven't taken their states and capital's test on this region will take it tomorrow.

MT History: We will continue to look into our state symbols.

Science: Project lead the way. We will begin to look into kinetic and potential energy and finish building our cars and pendulums. We will also begin to look at simple machines.

Fly Time: Dealing with anger appropriately and warning signs that we are getting angry.

Check out this awesome picture of AJ! Gotta love when kids start to love the word too!!!


I am hoping that all the travelers got back safe and sound. I have missed all the kids and can't wait to see them all again tomorrow. Drive safe and dress warm. It seems winter has settled in again, and I am sure Mr. Pertuit will be eager to get those sleds out at lunch recess. I am sure my commute will be just lovely, but I will be there!!!

I would like to leave this post with a heart felt thank you. The many gifts from kids and their families warmed my heart. I absolutely loved each and every one of them. I am so grateful to have a job where I love coming to work every day. Having supportive parents is an awesome bonus. You are all so kind, and thank you so much for filling my bucket!

Welcome back and let's have an amazing 2015!!!
Code word: 2015 for $10 on Monday