Update April, 27th, 2015

Mr. English has an important update for all Bitterroot families:

Dear Bitterroot Families,

Thank you for your generous support of the November 2013 school bond. You made it possible for some long overdue repairs and updates to our 50 year old building.  This summer our school is getting new windows, lighting, ceilings, and room heating units.  With this great blessing comes the challenge that we have to be completely moved out of the building by June 8th. It is a huge task so we have decided as a staff to “eat the elephant one bite at a time”.  As a result, you may find things like bulletin boards and books are being packed in your child’s classroom on an ongoing basis. During this time we will be looking for educationally sound opportunities that give staff some time to pack but keep students engaged in positive learning activities.  There may be a grade level PE event out on the playground or a movie in the gym. We will keep you informed as these opportunities arise. Thank you for your patience. It will be a little pinch for a big gain.

Gratefully,

John English

Principal, Bitterroot School

406 281-6205

No school Friday, May 1.

We are continuing learning about habitats in Lead 21.  We have learned so many facts in reading groups about grasslands, oceans, forests, and deserts.  The kiddos have been very engaged throughout this unit!

In math we will be wrapping up our money unit.  This week we will introduce the quarter and continue to work on counting money. Any practice at home with money will build real life connections with their learning. Remember, parents are the first and best teachers! 

You may have heard about your child's animal report. We are using our first-grade writing skills to complete an expository piece for their cumulative file. With encouragement and grit, most students will complete a 5 paragraph report. To build connections, please ask about the reports and guide them to books at the library about the animals or research together online. 

Thank you for all that you do! Remember, we are desperately needing parent volunteers for our field trip and field day at the end of May. Please contact me if you would like to commit to either or both events. 

-Mrs. Dimock

Update 4/20/15

We finally have a 5 day week!  It seems like it has been forever since we have had a full week.  I'm not sure we can survive!

Thank you to the parent volunteers and those who donated items for the classroom carnival.

Our first grade "moo-sical" will be on May 22 at 1:15.  We hope to see you there!

We will continue learning about habitats.  The kiddos are really enjoying this unit and are very engaged.  They have lots of great questions about the different habitats.  Spelling is another toughie.  Please, please, please help your child study at home. Building confidence in spelling helps students succeed in other areas of school. The spelling patterns match up with the reading levels they should be progressing to by the end of the year.

We will continue to work on money in math.  We will be working with the penny, nickel, and dime.

We have completed our notes for our animal reports.  The kiddos did an outstanding job on their jot-taking skills.  This week will begin our rough drafts and hopefully get an illustration or two done.

-Mrs. Dimock

Update!

The school carnival is Friday, April 17.  Hope you can make it!

We begin a new unit this week in Lead 21.  We will be learning about habitats and discovering what is needed to make a perfect place to live.  Spelling is another toughie this week.  Please make sure you help your kiddo study.

In math, we are starting to learn about money.  We will be working with the penny, nickel, and dime this week.

Congrats to Joshua for winning the Bobcat Award for kindness and compassion!

April Showers Bring May Flowers!

Report cards go home on Tuesday.  Please remember to praise your kiddo for their successes in the third quarter.  They worked very hard.  I still can't believe how fast this year has gone.  Only one quarter left.

Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to help with the duck pond.  We could still use some volunteers.  We are needing one person to help from 7:00-7:30 and one person to help from 7:30-8:00.  Please email me if you can help.

We will begin our final week of our history unit in Lead 21.  We will be wrapping up and reviewing what history can teach us and also discussing what we can learn about our communities from stories of the past.  In reading groups we will be reading about famous women in history.

We will continue geometry in math.  We will be learning about attributes of shapes.  We will also continue with fractions and splitting shapes into halves and quarters