This week at Cottage Lane we are participating in the “Start with Hello” campaign. We are encouraging every student to make a difference with their peers. Whether it is a simple hello or a conversation, we are trying to foster an inclusive community.

Having conversations can be awkward, but Kid President shows us how it’s done! He too is on a mission to meet lots of awesome kids! #YearoftheKid Sometimes meeting new people can be scary. What if they’re too different and we don’t get along? What if things get really, really awkward? Well, Kid President says, embrace the AWKWARD! Check out his video below.

Share a message of positivity by leaving a comment on this blog.

Welcome back to an exciting school year! This year’s character education is bursting with color.

September is scarlet red for COURAGE. Starting a new year with new teachers, new classmates and new expectations takes courage. Being brave, making sacrifices, facing fears, admitting mistakes are all ways to show courage.

At our assembly, we learned how ordinary people found the courage to do extraordinary things. Welles Crowther, The Man in the Red Bandanna, was one of many amazing people who were courageous on September 11, 2001.

We all might not be able to be as courageous as Welles, but we can practice small acts of courage. Remember Mrs. King’s warrior words, “I have the power and the courage to be a positive, proactive upstander.” Will you stand up for yourself, stand up for others, make a new friend, try out for a team, develop a skill, audition for a play, speak in front of an audience, ask for help, treat failures as opportunities to grow, etc.?

Post a comment to our class blog on how you will show courage this year.

Venn Diagrams are not just for comparing and contrasting. Venn Perplexors are a series of word problems to solve math problems. It’s an unusual way to do algebraic thinking that is great for students who need a challenge.

Here’s an interactive one on PBS Cyberchase game.  Try this interactive board possibility for even, prime and square numbers.

Swish is a fun game that develops thinking skills like logical reasoning and visual perception.

Sudoku is a number placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the 3×3 boxes contain all of the digits from 1 to 9.

Try to complete the easy, medium and hard puzzles from class. Or go online for a daily puzzle…

SUDOKU of the day!

The tangram is a puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape (given only an outline or silhouette) using all seven pieces, which may not overlap. It is one of the most popular puzzles in the world. Tangrams are an excellent way to increase mental and visual skills. Using imagination, geometrical shapes, letters, numbers, figures, boats, animals and objects can bring great fun along with a challenge.

Let’s play online!

Now try these shapes…Four Piece Tangram Puzzles

This weekend Liv sponsored a car wash.  She was inspired by the biography, Alexandra Scott, and wanted to help raise funds to find a cure for childhood cancer.  Here is a link to the book, Alex and the Lemonade Stand and a link to the foundation, ALSF.

Thank you, Liv.  You inspire all of us too!

How to make your own…

Try these tangram puzzles online.

Bestselling author Brad Meltzer wrote two books with:
60 heroes.
60 stories.
60 reminders that anything is possible.

Check out his #1 Hero – Video!