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Weekly activities and lessons to keep your child thinking and progressing, so they are prepared for the upcoming school year. |
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"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations." |
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The McManus Files
Issue VII
We made it to August and those Back-to-School ads are beginning to dominate the air waves. This will be the next to last issue of The McManus Files for the 2021 summer. Next week, I'll outline suggested supplies to start off the year, successfully.
Please share this flyer with your friends and encourage them to join our mailing list by following the links on this page.
Mr. McManus :-)
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Inquiry Quest...
Boat Float
I was walking across the Golden Gate Bridge last week with my family when an enormous ship, piled high with containers the size of train cars, passed under us. I wondered how a ship this large could stay afloat with all that weight.
Research to find out how boats float and how such gigantic, heavy container ships can remain on top of the water.
How do shipbuilders build boats of all sizes that will stay afloat in many different conditions?
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Use your knowledge to create a boat that can remain afloat in a plastic tub of water. Experiment with different types of materials and designs while following the scientific concepts you’ve discovered in this inquiry.
Once your boat floats, add items such as paperclips or thumbtacks to see if the weight causes it to sink. You can also simulate storms and ocean waves by causing disruptions to the water in the tank. Does your ship stay afloat? Did it lose any cargo?
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Yes! It is here!
I'm so happy to share with you the launch of the McManus Tutoring website.
or simply scan the QR Code below
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We are currently accepting clients. Please feel free to share this resource with any friend and family member who may be searching for tutoring support services.
You're invited to visit:
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5 Daily Writing Prompts...
These prompts and questions will help jump-start your daily writing. Just as it's important to read for at least 30 minutes each day, you should also write for 30 minutes a day. Don't worry about your organization or spelling, just write!
"I peeked through the curtains. There was a limo parked outside with two bodyguards. I heard a knock at the door…"
Would you rather live in the snow covered arctic and have a dog sled, or in the Amazon jungle, and have a trained monkey? Describe your day.
"As soon as I boarded the train, I began my letter to my sister. I did it. I sold everything and am on my way to…"
If you could spend the day with anybody, who would it be? Who would it be and what would would you do?
"I’d always wanted to be brave like my brother Simon. He wasn’t afraid of anything. I remember once, when he was younger, he…"
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Solar Oven Smores
Combine science and s’mores and you’ve got yourself the most amazing cardboard science project ever! Take advantage of the scorching sun this summer and enjoy your solar oven made of cardboard. You will be a neighborhood hero after this activity!
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Has your child ever experience back pain by carrying backpacks that are too heavy? I've created a document that includes a list of tips students can follow to properly pack and wear their backpacks in a safe way that will help prevent back pain. After reading the passage, there is a reading comprehension activity. CLICK HERE to get the worksheet
As I was researching this topic in order to prepare this passage, I learned some helpful information that I plan to pass along to my own daughter. I am hopeful that sharing these tips with her might prevent the return of back pain this year. Perhaps it will help your children, too.
Finally, when you read the passage, you will learn that your backpack's weight should not exceed 10% of your body weight. Can you figure out a way to weigh their backpack accurately?
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Ophie's Ghosts
by Justina Ireland
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Is it a mystery, a ghost story, or a historical fiction story about a young black girl forced to flee Georgia with her mom and relocate to Pittsburg in the 1920's? It is all three! It is haunting, suspenseful, and steeped in the very real ghosts of injustice in America, Ophie’s Ghosts is a brilliant page-turner. I couldn’t put it down, and Ophie’s courage and compassion make her a character I’ll never forget. It is a deeply moving story of one determined girl's quest to bring peace and healing to those whom society has left behind.
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Problem of the Week
Solve the problem and complete Parts A & B
Sam the Squirrel found a basket of pine cones one morning. He decided that every day he would double the number of pine cones in the basket in the morning and eat 2 pine cones out of the basket in the afternoon. At the end of the third day, there were 34 pine cones in the basket. How many pine cones were in the basket when Sam the Squirrel found it?
Part A: What is your answer to the problem?
Part B: Explain your thinking in complete sentences. How did you come up with your final answer?
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READING STRATEGY REVIEW
When reading fiction, remember to look for clues that will help you, the reader, better understand the book's theme and the author's message.
One reading strategy to identify:
Again & Again
This is when you are reading and you notice a word, phrase, object or situation mentioned over and over.
The reader should stop and ask themself:
Why does this keep showing up again and again?
Don't forget to write down your thinking to the above anchor question.
Why does this keep showing up again and again?
One of the best examples of the Again and Again Signpost is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. As you listen to the story, read by Shel Silverstein himself, see if you can spot those Again and Again Signposts. Pause the video and answer the anchor question on a piece of paper.
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McManus Tutoring has openings for new clients. |
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If you feel your child might benefit from a group or individual tutoring program to close the gap created during summer vacation and to prepare them for the next phase of their education, please contact McManus Tutoring.
This fall, we are all returning to in-person classes for the first time in a year and a half. Besides the emotional impact of the pandemic, a full-time academic schedule will be an adjustment. Extra preparation over the summer will build self-confidence while reinforcing basic skills to start the new year.
Programs are structured so that students develop independence, accountability, and self-possession and they develop a repeatable structure that can be used to build success in the future.
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Great Summer Read #2
Ikenga
by Nnedi Okorafor
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If you like superhero books and Avenger stories. This is a great book. Not only is it an exciting tale of heroism and self-discovery, but it is a wonderful introduction to the rich culture of Nigeria. It is smart, exciting and well plotted, Ikenga offers all the traditional superhero satisfactions—colorful villains, thrilling fight scenes, a hero with morality and justice on his side—in a fresh and distinctive modern-day setting where magic is humming just below the surface. Read this great adventure and be swept into a world that craves a hero.
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They don't just create news for parents or teachers. They cover the topics that kids care about: trending and timely stories from the day's headlines in news, pop culture, sports, science, technology and the environment.
It is a safe and credible news site and is not linked to external websites or social media. It is well-researched, balanced, and backed by facts.
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