Mysteries

Hello,

We started a mini-mystery unit. I read a little from the The Adventures of the Black Hand Gang by Hans Jurgan Press. That was one of my favorite books as a kid and gets kids in the spirit of looking for clues. It is a very visual mystery, with a picture on every other page that asks readers to find a clue or solve a puzzle. I have a few ideas on what we might do during this unit, but I haven't quite nailed down our culminating event. I'm thinking about possibly trying to pull off some type of night at the museum type mystery that combines our read aloud, Wonder, with our knowledge of mysteries. More to come.

We have jumped into fractions in math. We will be studying fractions with set, length and area models before we do too much solely using digits. They need to have a solid foundation of what a fraction is, and its many interpretations, before getting too involved with the adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing of them.

The weekly challenge this week is one of my favorites. I wrote it up a few years ago and involves meal planning and make believe shopping from a Shaw's circular. It takes some work, so I hope kids don't wait until Thursday to get started.

Students are putting together routines in P.E. class that involve strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. They will have another week to practice and then put on a mini performance to music.

Most of the class has the Preamble of the Constitution down pat. Many are still working on the meaning of some of the more difficult words. Keep up the good work.

We will have homework club this Thursday, but it will be the last one this month. My basketball schedule just won't allow for it. I'll know about February soon.

thanks,

Mr. Shea