ENRICHMENT CLUSTERS

It is the time of year again where the students are offered the opportunity to enrich their lives by choosing a theme of interest. Students can choose topics like tap dancing, guitar, gardening and music recording just to name a few. Each cluster is lead by a person who is a professional, a hobbyist and/or a specialist. The elementary students will choose their topic of interest and then attend that enrichment cluster every Friday. Each cluster will have a mixture of grade levels giving the students a chance to interact with other age groups in their school.

SCIENCE FAIR UPDATE!

The third graders did an awesome job with their science fair projects and some of them made it to the county science fair. Although there were times they encountered difficulties, the overall process was rewarding and provided valuable experience for future scientific endeavors. Good job Bryn, Catelynn, Madison, Victoria, Elijah, Jayden, Abigail, Reese, Izy, and Logan. You all should be proud of yourselves.

R.E.D.A UPDATE

The third graders, in their effort to learn about, connect with, and contribute to the community, raised a total of $2,112.15 using R.E.D.A. as our vehicle. On March 13th the Bigfork Food Bank, Bigfork Ambulance, and Bigfork Volunteer Fire Department came to our school and each accepted a check totaling $704.05. You can read all about this story in the Bigfork Eagle Thursday, March 19th addition or click on the link below to access the Eagle’s web page. If you would like to donate personally to the Bigfork Ambulance and/or the Bigfork Volunteer Fire Department, please click on the appropriate link below. To donate to the Bigfork Food Bank please call 406-837-2297.

bigforkeagle.com
bigfrokambulance.org
bigforkfire.com

IDITAROD

A handful of Montanans will race against nearly 80 some other racers striving for the coveted honor of being the 37th Iditarod victor. This race is over 1,100 miles long and tests the vigor of any man or woman. Because of this, we, as a 3rd grade, are following this race closely. Each student will draw one of the Iditarod participants and will follow them throughout the race.

Using the Iditarod as a catalyst, we will explore human character, the ability to overcome obstacles, determination, discipline and dedication. The students will complete a chart, daily, that records each musher’s arrival and departure into and out from a predetermined checkpoint. With this information we will practice averaging, multiplying, dividing, adding and subtracting. As a class we will explore the effects of weather on the racers and look closely at the geographical features that are both similar and different from those found in Northwest Montana.

This activity should be a blast and we hope to culminate this activity by inviting a local musher and dog team to our school. Check out the links below for more information.
Iditarod.com
Explore the Trail

R.E.D.A

The month of February is “I Love to Read Month”

During the week of February 23rd, our class will
Read Electronic Distractions Away.
This means that during this period, (not including the weekend) students will be asked to eliminate all of their electronic devices in their lives
such as T.V., hand-held gaming devices, Play Station, DVD players, and so forth.
Students will be asked to
read, at least, 30 minutes per day avoiding all electronics.

Students will use this opportunity to raise money for an organization(s) that we will choose. Students will have to keep a daily log and request that their parents sign their names verifying that they did not utilize any electronics for that day. Last year’s class raised $900+ dollars for Bigfork Ambulance.
If you have further questions, feel free to call me or post a comment!
837-7412 ext 340

CRT TEST

CRT testing time is here! We have worked hard all year so that the 3rd graders will perform well on this state mandated standardized test. However, preparing to take a big test like this starts at home! The night before the test days, students need to get a good night’s sleep. Your child needs to eat healthy meals, especially a good breakfast. Students need to get outside to exercise and give their brains a break. Watching too much TV and/or playing video games will only slow their cognitive processing for the next day. Be sure to give them positive comments and feedback as they discuss the test with you. Some students may feel a sense of anxiety before they take the test. For most, this is the first time they have taken a major standardized (fill in the bubble) test. Therefore, encourage your child to relax, think positive thoughts and to take care of their minds and bodies!