LaMotte 4th/5th Grades

Welcome to our class page!

A little about Mr. Brunt… 

I have had the pleasure of teaching at LaMotte for 23 years! Most of that time was spent with the 2nd/3rd class, but I made the transition to this class last year and have really enjoyed the change. I moved to Montana from Vermont in 1991. After a decade of bouncing around, I graduated from MSU and began teaching here. 

I have a wonderful wife, 4 (usually) wonderful daughters. 1 lovely granddaughter and a very high-strung but loveable cow dog. 

Being from New England, I am a New England Patriots and Boston Bruins fan. I will do my best to turn your child into a Bruins supporter, but promise not to push them root for the Pats. 

Major Subject Areas -

Math - We use the Bridges Math curriculum for both grades, and this is the only subject area where we separate the two grade levels for instruction. Each grade will spend part of every day receiving review or introductory instruction from Mrs. Gustafson and part of the day receiving more in depth instruction from me. 

Writing - We use the Lucy Calkins writing curriculum. We will begin the year with a unit on narrative writing. In each unit, kids start the process by gathering ideas, then work through the steps from generating ideas, drafting, elaborating, revising and editing to create a final copy of their piece. We will begin the year with a unit on narrative writing. Other units will include informational and persuasive writing. 

Reading/Language Arts - We use the Lucy Calkins reading curriculum to focus on reading comprehension skills. We will start the year using Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate as the basis of our instruction and discussion. We will supplement this instruction with grammar and language skills using the Harcourt Trophies curriculum.

Science - We use the on-line Mystery Science curriculum which combines video presented information, class discussion and related hands-on activities. We will start the year with a unit on the Human Body, Vision and the Brain. We’ll also be learning about Animal and Plant Adaptations, Earth’s Features, Energy, Sound Waves and Electricity, Heat and Light. 

Social Studies - We will spend most of the year studying Montana history using the Montana: A History of Our Home program created by the Montana Historical Society. As part of this curriculum, we’ll be using educational trunks put together by the Historical Society. 

In conclusion…

I’ll do my best to keep this page updated to show more specific instruction we’re covering and any other information you might need. Please feel free to contact me through the school (406) 586-2838 or email me at jbrunt@lamotteschool.com. Also feel free to pop your head in any day after school if you want a quick chat or we can schedule a time if you think you might need a longer one. 

Thanks!

Jerry Brunt