It is time to get those creative juices going again! Mrs. McBride is offering another opportunity to put your skills to work. Find out more details for this month’s challenge here – The Origami Challenge.

Last week’s card challenge encouraged us to use grit! There were many ways to solve the 10 card investigation – work backwards, start small, find a pattern, trial and error. There’s also a program created from the math equation – Order of the Cards.

Today you will need more grit to solve many puzzles. Here’s another reminder.

Do you have the grit to solve today’s problem, The 1-10 Card Investigation.

What I love about this investigation…

1. Do you know how to put numbers in order?
2. Do you need an answer key?
3. Does everyone need to solve it the same way?
4. How will you tackle the task?

Don’t give up.  GRIT is the key to your success.

Explore:

• Use the cards 1-5 to get a grasp on the task.
• Use all the cards A-k and try the same task.
• Vary the task.  Place two cards at the bottom of the pile after each flip.
• You don’t need playing cards.  Create cards with index cards.  Use numbers 1-20.

It is time to get those creative juices going again! Mrs. McBride is offering an opportunity to put your skills to work. Find out more details for this month’s challenge here – The Pumpkin Character Challenge.

A rebus is a puzzle device which combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words and/or phrases.   Remember when you needed pictures to help your read a story – When Small is Tall.  Now you need pictures to give you clues to solve puzzles.  Here are two examples:

Let’s have fun practicing, drawing our own and/or generating with a computer – Rebus Generator.

If you are ready for a Rebus with a challenge, harder puzzles have a representation of words or pictures whose names resemble the intended words or syllables.  Here is an example.

The next level of rebus puzzles are sometimes called Word Winks.  These puzzles require you to look at size, location and direction. Try a few online – Rebus Brainteasers.

Enjoy solving rebus puzzles because they can develop your concentration, critical thinking skills and verbal reasoning.

This week we will celebrate “Start with Hello” week, which is a week to remind us how important and powerful it is to get to know one another, make new friends, say hi to new people, and make people feel good if they are feeling sad or alone. Every day you can do a special activity to remember to try and include others. Whether on the school bus, in the playground or in class, it is important to make sure others feel included and welcome.

Sometimes to do this, you need courage. Courage can mean a lot of things and people can act courageously in a lot of different situations. Listen to Bernard Waber’s book, Courage. Think about what courage means to you and how you too can act courageously in every day kind of ways.

Courage is also staring with Hello! Let’s try to be courageous by getting to know new people and by helping others who might need a friend.

Watch The Bridge to remind yourself how to be a team player. The video will remind you what collaboration looks like and will encourage you to step outside your comfort zone.

Bridge from Ting on Vimeo.

Work with a team on the Chopstick Challenge.  How far can you count?

• Describe your team’s collaboration process.
• Explain the disagreements, the possible results of pride, frustration and compromise.
• Reflect: Post a comment on how you will be a good teammate.
• Challenge: S.C.A.M.P.E.R.

It was so great meeting our new class.  We are off to a great start this year!  Looking forward to meeting our families at Meet the Teacher Night.

This year our Character Education theme is “Communities form Connections.” Through building relationships, we can build a better school, community and world. Each month we will highlight a character trait and use a read aloud to reinforce this trait.

September is Communities Show Empathy. Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah wrote 14 Cows for America. One inscription reads, “To all the little children who read this book. You are the peace the world has been waiting for. May you grow to be compassionate diplomats.” You have the ability to make the world and our school a better place.

What can you do this year to heal a sorrowing heart? How will you show empathy?

Thanks for a wonderful year! We wish all our students and families a happy, safe, and fun summer. See you in the fall.