Update

Hello OHE Math Pentathlon Parents!

My name is Kirsten Brooks, and Whitney Reardon and I are the coaches for your child's math pentathlon group. We've been having a lot of fun these first couple of weeks and I just wanted to give you an update on what we've been doing.

Our first game that we've learned is Calla - this is a game with cubes and pits and lots of strategy and - I think that the kids will tell you, also a practice in patience! You have to wait while the other players take their turns, which can take a long time, depending on how well their choices were during the turn.

Next we played the link game - or Star Track. This game is a little easier - and is a about making 2 choices. The children seemed to enjoy this game. We also introduced a paper game at the beginning of each session. This is a relaxed game, usually with partners, and is "just for fun". We've played tic-tac-toe, boxed in (which they loved), and this week, we'll be doing a quick game of bingo.

We've seen a lot of examples of kids being really good sports, having great patience with each other and themselves, and having fun. We make a point of noticing these "moments of excellence" and are encouraging the kids to notice it in each other. We have been giving small rewards, like stickers and stamps, for these "moments of excellence."

This week we'll be playing "Kings and Quadraphages" - this is a pretty challenging game, and I'm sure that the children are up for it!

Whitney and I have started a blog at:
http://oakhillmathgames.blogspot.com/
and will be posting weekly to it to keep you informed about what we're up to at Math Club.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or Whitney.

Thank you - we're really enjoying working with your children and are looking forward to the rest of the year.

Kirsten