Thursday Thinkers!

Great week friends! We tackled double digit subtraction...and won!! Now we just need to keep practicing, remembering the steps... and work on those math facts!! Problem solving is sooooooo much easier when you know that 12-7=5 in one second (not 10 seconds, or with fingers and number lines!!). While we practice twice a day (each time for about 5 minutes), students should keep practicing at home with flashcards. Like anything else... the more students practice, the faster they will know their facts. If they practice a little... they may become a little faster... without practice, they will not become any faster (and problem solving will be slower and harder for those who do not learn their facts). "Nuff said".
Good news and bad news...we only have one chapter left of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (bad)! Though, this, of course means we're ready for Willy Wonka Day in second grade (WOOHOO!!). This coming Tuesday will be Willy Wonka Day. This means over the weekend, think of your favorite character, and get ready to come to school dressed as this character!! This doesn't mean go out and "buy" anything... remember... most of the characters are kids, just like you! Imagine a way you could dress up as one of the characters using ordinary stuff from around your house. Sometimes it's fun to keep your character a secret, and we'll try and guess who you are when you get to school...FUN!!
To end our day, Otto blew us away with his amazing thinking! That's right! He tackled a math problem (knowing a lot about solids, faces, edges, curved faces of solids...) and wasn't quite sure he knew the answer right away. So, you know what Otto did??? He read the problem again... and again... and he thought, and thought... and HE GOT AN IDEA!!! Could he solve the problem by creating a "model"... essentially create a replica of the problem he was being presented with, and use his thinking to create EVEN MORE THINKING???? OH MY!!! Not only did Otto solve the problem, he truly showed us what good students, nay... what great thinkers do to answer questions and solve problems... he didn't give up! When he didn't know the answer right away... he KEPT ON THINKING!!! Boy Otto, you sure made my day.... and all those buttons in the jar (yep... all for thinking) were appreciated and respected by your peers! Well done Otto, well done!