By Claire Dahill, Math Coach, and Liza Tague, G&P Parent
For the first time, G&P celebrated math with a week-long agenda of activities in November. Every morning there were new puzzles and displays in the Main Lobby for students and parents.
On Wednesday we had an International Game Night for families in the cafeteria. Many thanks to all of you who attended and made it such a success! Students were given passports encouraging them to visit every continent and play a game. Games included: Magic Square Tic-Tac-Toe from China, Nine Holes from England, Tsore Yematatu from Zimbabwe, Trique from Columbia, Secret Code from Greece, Oware from Ghana, and Mancala which is played around the world but the most common version comes from East Africa. Huge thanks to our volunteers who guided the games: Noam Kirson, Trevor Dickie, Kris Dickson, Jonathan and Karen Greenleaf, James Tague, Boaz Barak, Julian Tague, Eva Grunewald, Samuel Kahsa, Liza Tague, and staff members Hope Kelley, Marna Kennedy, Sue McGlennon, Emily Melard, and Jen Lavelle. Special thanks to Ena Valenzuela and Todd Melzer who not only distributed the pizza and cupcakes but picked up 5 extra pizzas when we ran out of our original 10!
On Thursday morning the students and teachers came together for a math assembly. Third grade students from Linnaea’s class kicked off the assembly with a lively poem they composed to celebrate our school and their classroom community. Then, Claire, with help from students from Kindergarten, First, Second and Third Grade, “taught” Tony about the true meaning of the equal sign. When Tony broke into his happy dance celebrating his “new knowledge” (“The equal sign means THE SAME!!”), Florinda Freda, with help from Fourth Graders Elizabeth Morse, Kayla Phan, Hawa Alishirdon, and Mufleha Hossain, taught Tony how to anchor his wiggly body by using mindful breathing. Together, the whole school community took a moment to anchor ourselves and practice mindful breathing before returning back to the work of teaching and learning. Kudos to Tony for an Oscar-worthy performance!
It was a joyful end to Math Week at G&P!
Thank you, Claire and Liza!!
A special thanks goes to Claire Dahill, Math Coach and Liza Tague, G&P Parent for designing and flawlessly delivering our first ever Math Week at G&P. It was an incredible amount of work during a busy month and we all really appreciate it! If you would like to get a copy of the handouts with suggestions for math activities at home, please contact Claire at
[email protected].