November 30, 2021
Winter Issue #1
Weekly activities and lessons to keep your child thinking and progressing throughout the school year.
"What comes easy won’t last. What lasts won’t come easy.”
The McManus Files
Winter Issue #1

Hello

Please share this flyer with your friends and encourage them to join our mailing list by following the links on this page.

Mr. McManus :-)
Great Read of the Week
Clues to the Universe
by Christina Li
This endearing novel told from the alternating perspectives of Ro, a biracial budding rocket scientist who recently lost her dad in a car crash, and Benji, a kid who doodles and falls asleep in science class that secretly wants to find his dad who abandoned the family. These characters are warm, believable and the reader will root for their success in achieving their dreams. I loved the early 1980s setting and the references to racial issues rang true. Also, I really enjoy books which blend different subject matters. Clues to the Universe blends science and art seamlessly. The reader doesn't have to be an expert in either to appreciate and learn from the lessons. Enjoy!
Inquiry Quest
Agbogbloshie
The World's Biggest E-Waste Dump
What are the dangers of consumer electronic waste?
Can you imagine stumbling upon a scene directly out of a post-apocalyptic nightmare world, right here on Earth today? If you were to visit the Agbogbloshie wetland on the outskirts of Accra in Ghana, that’s similar to what you’d see.

According to the Motherboard article Inside the World’s Biggest E-Waste Dump, Agbogbloshie is an illegal “e-waste” dumping ground where outdated technology from the West is dumped and left to poison the land, the air, and the people. Those who work in this area salvage parts for what amounts to only dollars a day. In many cases, students who should be in school are working in Agbogbloshie.  
Environmental concerns include fluorocarbon emissions, as well as lead, mercury, and hydrogen cyanide seeping into the soil in and around the dumping ground. Watch the video and research this E-Waste site. Write down your thinking to the questions below. Do you still want that new phone?

  1. Where do you think this problem began? How far back can we trace the origin point?
  2. Having an idea where it started, what do you think could have been done to avoid it?
  3. Why do you think it is we allow things like this to continue happening in our world?
  4. Imagine having a dumping ground like this in your own city. How would your life and the lives of the community be affected?
If you feel your child might benefit from a group or individual tutoring program to prepare them for the next phase of their education, please contact McManus Tutoring.

Programs are structured so that students learn independence, accountability, and self-possession. They will develop a repeatable structure that can be used to build success in the future.
Three Writing Prompts and a Riddle

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!


"The spy ducked into the abandoned warehouse to hide from the alien robots trying to..."


"I entered the elevator, pushed the button to the 13th floor and began to go up to the..."


"She was the most interesting person I'd ever met because..."
The person who makes it does not need it. The person who purchases it does not use it. A person who does use it does not know they are using it. What is it?
answer in next week's issue :-)
Problem of the Week
To receive your own copy of The McManus Files, join our mailing list
mcmanustutoring.com has all previous issues of The McManus Files posted in its library.

Visit the site by clicking mcmanustutoring.com