Enrichment

Yesterday, we visited the Ice Chip Factory in Olympia. The students toured the factory, tasted lots of different flavors, and had a discussion about business ideas. This month, each class will be going through the process of developing a product, asking for investments, marketing the product, and then selling the product. The 2nd/3rd grade class will be creating their own duck (yes, it was originally called duck not duct) tape products. They have come up with their ideas and will be asking for more capital investments next Tuesday. The 4th/5th grade class will be making and selling chocolates. They will be in charge of design, add-ins, and choosing the best packaging to make it sell. We will be doing a few more field trips to learn about businesses. Both classes will go to Alaffia in April and the 4th/5th grade class will go to Cutter's Point to learn more about the huge coffee business in WA state.

You may be curious about the year-long project on which the students have been working. Odyssey of the Mind is all about creativity and problem-solving. I equate it to being part of a think tank. Last week, the former WA state coordinator and the current coordinator came to visit and give students pointers on their long-term problem (their skits/ideas) and their spontaneous problems. It was a great experience and I think some students have a much better feel for what they need to do moving forward. Here are some photos of the students doing the spontaneous problems. The spontaneous problems measure how quickly students can think "on the spot." For example, one group was given a water bottle. They had one minute to think and three minutes to answer the question, "what can this be used for?" The scored 1 point for normal answers like "storing liquid" and 5 points for creative answers like "fill it with sand and use it as a dumbbell." If you wan...

The students have just completed an Olympic Unit where they studied the science behind some of the winter Olympic sports. They are currently working on a proposal to coordinate a school Olympics for some of the younger kids. I love seeing their enthusiasm. First, we studied the science behind ski jumping and reducing air resistance. The kids created their own marble ski ramps and explored the best height and angles to get the longest air time. We then looked at aerodynamics and friction and explored bobsledding. The kids experimented whether straw or wood runners were faster on their own mini bobsleds. Students designed their own "curling rocks" and we had a competition on our smooth tables. We learned about friction and surface area and we that slightly bumpy ice reduces the friction because there is less surface area to cause friction. Super smooth ice would cause a vacuum effect and slow the rocks. Finally, we had our own biathlon. Students de...

We had a great field trip yesterday. For the most part, your kids behaved well! The play was a little strange but had many connections to our identity unit which we will discuss in class next week. Here is a photo:

During enrichment class this week, we will be examining our learning styles and personality as part of our unit on identity. The students will be doing a lab to examine their learning preferences. They will then take a self-assessment. Here is one self-assessment your student can take in class or at home. The vocabulary is a little more advanced so is probably best for the 4th/5th graders or for parents to do with their child. https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment The purpose of these assessments are for kids to develop awareness about what type of learner they are and also realize that all kids are different types of learners. That way, we can be more sensitive to the kids who, for example, do not like to read because they prefer building and problem solving. They will also start to learn about how they can personally study or learn new things. For example, if they are super musical, they can learn history facts by putting them to the tune of a familiar song...

Happy New Year- Prospero Ano Nuevo! I hope you had a great break! This month, we will be studying weather, months, and family. I will be updating when we have quizzes and our "final" exam.

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful break and time with family and friends. In January and part of February, we will be studying our identity in Christ. Students will examine some Bible verses and some quotes and talk about what that means for their life and the person God desires them to become. Each student will be writing a book about a character transformation based on one of the quotes we examine. They can choose to use this book for the Young Author's event. We will be seeing the play, The Little Prince,  in January. One of the themes is looking at the heart and not at the exterior. We will weave this theme into our unit. Meanwhile, we are still working on Odyssey of the Mind projects.