Dates for the start of this year’s Math Pentathlon season can be seen below:

Parent Information Night in Library September 8^th @ 7:00 pm

Volunteer Registration in Library September 9th @ 7:20am
General Registration in Library September 10th @ 7:20am

If you would like more information on the program, have questions about this year’s registration or would like to volunteer, please come to our Parent Information Night in the Library on Tuesday, September 8th at 7pm.  Hope to see everyone there!!

Parents,

Thank you for remembering to send an extra snack with your Pentathlete on Mondays!  Remember that there is no MP class next Monday because there is no school that day!

Division I — Continued learning Shape-Up.  Be sure to ask them how you can bump your opponent back to start.

Division II — Continued to work on Ramrod.  They learned the basic rules today and will add a few others next class.  Ask them the different ways we use to remember how long each rod it.

Division III — Finished up their second week with Contig 60.  This game uses math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) to place chips onto the board.  Practicing their math facts will help them more easily find the number combinations in this game.

This week, our Pentathletes got to take a little break from lessons and have some fun.  Most groups got to choose their partners and play the game of their choice, though it had to be a game we have learned so far.  All classes shared a treat for the holidays and got a little time to relax with their friends.

We will go back to lessons starting January 5th.  Most classes at that time will be starting a new game.  Be sure to mark our next Monday Math Night on your calendars…January 12th starting at 6:30.  I will need extra volunteers that night, as we will be showing the kids what a tournament will be like.  If you can volunteer that night, please let me know.  You will be sitting with a group and watching 1 team play 1-2 games.  Thanks so much and have a great holiday season!

Parents,

Please remember to register your child for the MP tournaments in the spring.  You may register online or by mail.  Please email me if you need a registration form.  The link to the online registration can be found in the links section on this page.

Also, we are again having problems with students being picked up late.  PLEASE pick up your children on time.  Late pick-up will result in removal from the club.  Thank you for your understanding.

Division I has been working on Hex-a-Gone.  They have moved onto the full size gameboard and are learning the rules.  Be sure to ask them how many pieces they are allowed to pick up on one turn.

Division II is continuing on Sum Dominos & Dice.  There are MANY rules to this game and it’s sometimes hard for some of the kids to pick up.  If your child seems to be having problems, please email me and I will get you some extra practice activities for them to do.  I’m happy to help in any way I can.  Be sure to ask your student how to place a “double.”

Division III has been working on Queens & Guards.  This has been a welcome change for some after Stars & Bars, which was harder to learn.  Ask your student what happens when they move a piece “into trap.”

I apologize for the delay in posting. 

Division I started a new game — Hex-a-Gone.  Hex-a-Gone uses wooden shape blocks for children to fill a shape pattern on the gameboard.  The students started on small shape pattern sheets to become familiar with the pieces and the placement of those pieces.  Next week, the students will see the full size gameboard and begin learning the rules to the game.

Division II also started a new game — Sum Dominos & Dice.  There are many rules to this game and this game can become very confusing, so any help you can give your students at home will be helpful to the coaches.  The students started learning how to roll the dice, add up the sum and find 2 dominos to play that also made that sum.  Next week, they will begin learning the rules to the game and the proper placement of the dominos.

Division III finished up their last week for Stars & Bars.  This game ran 5 weeks and some of our students are still having problems grasping the concepts of this game.  If this is the case, please email me (or your child’s coach) to get some extra worksheets to reinforce these concepts at home.  Next week, they will be starting their 3rd game, Queens and Guards.

Division I finished up Calla today.  They practiced with each other and went over worksheets to learn some different strategies.  They will start Hex-A-Gone next week.

Division II finished up PAR 55.  They also went over strategy worksheets and practiced against other students in their grade level.  Next week, they will start learning Sum Dominos and Dice.

Division III has one more week with their current game, Stars & Bars.  They learned about inside placement on the full size gameboard this week and will add the outer border next week.

Parents,

I hate to start off my post asking for help, but I am doing so tonight.  PLEASE speak with your students about their behavior during Math Pentathlon class.  They are there to learn math games and practice good sportsmanship.  Students doing anything other than that will recieve a phone call home and can be removed from the club.

We do have many students who show a real interest in these games and give 100% every week.  THANK YOU to those students and their families for supporting them!!

If you are interested in going to the tournament in the spring, please see the Tournament Registration link on the left hand side of this page to go to the Math Pentathlon website to register.  If you would rather mail it in, you can print out the form and mail it in with a check as payment.

Division I recap:

Division I students are on their 3rd week with Calla.  They went over some worksheets that focus on different strategies and practiced Calla one on one.

Division II recap:

Division II students continued on their third week with PAR 55.  They learned the “bump rule” to this game.  Be sure to ask your student to explain this rule to you.

Division III recap:

Division III students continued with Stars & Bars today, learning the rules for “inside placement” of cards on the full size game board.  This game is a little more rule intensive, so they will be spending 5 weeks total on this game.

Parents,

I’m sorry for the late update…my Monday seemed to get away from me. 

Math Pentathlon shirts were distributed Monday during the MP classes.  Please let us know as soon as possible if there is a problem with your child’s shirt.  Also, we will be reordering a limited number of adult shirts, so if you wanted one and didn’t get the money in on time, you can still get one.

Division I recap:

Division I reviewed the rules for Calla, a game similar to Mancalla.  They also learned the “capture rule” this week.  Please ask them to explain this rule to you.

Division II recap:

Division II started playing PAR 55 on the full size game boards after reviewing attribute differences.  We will play again next week while learning the “bump rule.”

Division III recap:

Our Division III students played logic games with the attribute cards from Stars & Bars.  They also learned a quick version of a game called Triple Play, a game they play before learning the larger Stars & Bars game.  They will begin to learn S&B with inside placement only next week.

Thank you to all the Pentathletes and their family members who joined us for Monday Math Night this week.  Please remember that this is a GREAT opportunity for your Pentathlete to come out and play a few games while having fun with their friends and family at the same time.  It’s also a great time to get a little practice in!!  They love challenging their coaches and their parents as well.

The dates for our remaining nights are as follows:

November 17 — January 12 — February 23 — March 23

We hope to see everyone there!!

Thank you so much for making sure the students are picked up on time!! 

Parents, please help us encourage your students to do their very best in class!!  We want all of our pentathletes to always do their best and show good sportsmanship!  Also, please remember to remind your students that they have Math Pentathlon on Monday mornings before coming to school.  We have had problems with a few students forgetting and getting on the buses or going in the car rider/walker lines.  A reminder to their teacher on Monday mornings might help as well.

Division I recap:

Today our Division I students were introduced to a new game — Calla.  If you have ever played Mancala, this game is very similar with only a few rule changes.  Ask your child how many cubes they need to collect in their calla to win…(at least 17.)

Division II recap:

Our Division II students also started a new game today — PAR 55.  Be sure to ask your child what PAR stands for…(perception attribute race.)  Students will move their pawn around the board by finding differences between different attribute blocks that are placed on the board.

Division III recap:

Stars and Bars is the name of the new game our Division III students started today.  Also a game based on differences in attributes, the students because familiar with the Stars & Bars cards and the different attributes with which they will be working.  Ask them what they are…(color, shape, stars and bars.)

Please try to make it to our next Monday Math Night, which will be next Monday, October 27th.  We start at 6:30 and this time we will have 2 games out for each Division.  For Division III, we will have a “pre-game” out for them to play called Triple Play.  This is a game related to Stars & Bars that helps lead into the game with the same concepts, but less rules to follow at first.  We had a great turn out for our first Monday Math Night and we hope to see the same kind of success with next week!!

Things are moving along smoothly…the kids are really starting to pick up the games, everyone remembers where to go and we are all having fun!!

Parents — please remember that there is no school next Monday (10/13.)  We will see the kids again for Math Pentathlon on Monday, October 20th. 

If you haven’t sent in your Parent/Student contract, please due so ASAP!!

We are still having a little trouble with students being picked up on time.  Class ends at 4:00 and students need to be picked up by 4:10 at the latest!  Our volunteers are having to stay very late to make sure all the students are picked up.  If students are picked up late more than once, it is grounds for dismissal from the club.  Please be on time!!

Division I recap:

Our Division I students finished up Kings and Quadraphages today.  They went over some stratigies for game play and practiced one on one.  They will get to practice this game again at our next Monday Math Night.  Next up…Calla!

Division II recap:

Division II students had a quick review of FIAR today.  They also went over different stragities for game play and finished up playing one on one.  Next up…PAR 55!!

Division III recap:

Division III students worked on placing polyominos in different patterns.  Some might have brought worksheets home with them.  While these are not mandatory, they will help them with placing for Juggle.  They are welcome to keep these at home and work on them when they have time.  This week should have been their last week for Juggle.  Next up…Stars & Bars!!