CW Sertoma meets
Canal Winchester Sertoma Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at Donatos Pizza, 6310 Prentiss School Drive, Canal Winchester. Sertoma’s main sponsorship focus is speech and hearing. Sertoma exists for the noble purpose of "Service to Mankind" by communication of thoughts, ideas and concepts to accelerate human progress in health, education, freedom and democracy. Call Kim Hoffman 837-7504.
At Wagnalls Memorial
The following activities will be held at The Wagnalls Memorial Foundation, 150 E. Columbus St., Lithopolis (for information visit www.wagnalls.org):
•Gentle Yoga with Gail Sky, Saturdays from 9-10:30 a.m. $10 each class. Call (614) 235-7369 for information.
•Belly Dancing Exercise Class Mondays 10-11:30 a.m. $7 each class.
•Art Classes with Teresa Satola, $10 per class or paid monthly. For information, or to register for either class, call 837-4765, ext 127. Adult class is 6-8 p.m. on Wednesdays. Juvenile class (ages 8-13) is 4-6 p.m. on Wednesdays.
•Family Story Hour Sundays from 2-3 p.m. Volunteer readers needed, call (614) 837-4765 ext, 118.
CW chamber events
The Canal Winchester Area Chamber of Commerce (CWACC) announces the following events (for information call Kim Rankin at (614) 837-1556):
•Tune in every Thursday at 3:45 p.m. for The Canal Winchester Chat Chamber Radio Program on WFCO fm 90.9 Call to find out how you can be a guest. Listen live on your computer www.wfcofm.com
CW chamber annual dinner and business expo
The Canal Winchester Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner and business expo, "Sailing to Success!", will be held March 14 at Pope John XXIII Parish with the expo from 5-7 p.m. and dinner and awards at 7 p.m. Dinner ticket is $40. The event will also feature a 50/50 raffle, Chamber cruise raffle, silent auction, and expo exhibitors. For information call Kim Rankin at the chamber at (614) 837-1556.
CW kindergarten
Canal Winchester’s Indian Trail Elementary will hold kindergarten registration on March 17-20 for the 2008-09 school year. Call (614) 833-2154 on or after Feb. 19 to schedule an appointment for one of the following sessions: 9:30 a.m.; 10:45 a.m.; 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Your child must be age 5 before Aug. 1, 2008 to be eligible.
Students investigate math
The three R’s aren’t what they used to be.
Students at Indian Trail Elementary are learning arithmetic in an entirely new way as teachers have begun their second year of a new "Investigations" curriculum which encourages students to become mathematical thinkers, not just doers.
This new math curriculum enables students to teach each other and to test out theories on solving problems.
Deanna Somers, the math coach at Indian Trail stated, "It’s amazing to see how giving students more possibilities in math allows their natural ability to shine through."
The program focuses on developing a number-sense, an understanding of how numbers work together, before asking students to memorize those numbers.
"This math takes students from where they are comfortable with problems and builds mathematical knowledge from there," said Somers.
The math includes game play which reinforce the lessons the teachers want the students to learn.
Elizabeth Welsh, a second grader, said, "These games are challenging and fun."
Students play a dice game with plastic money and practice addition skills without even realizing it. Students roll dice and then pick out the correct change from a bowl. The first student who adds up his money to twenty-five cents or fifty cents is the winner.
"I learn how to count money and it will help me at stores. It’s fun too," said second grader DeShawn Williams.
The other major part of this curriculum is the work they do on what are called extended responses. Students are asked why and how they reached a particular answer and are asked to defend that answer to the teacher and to the class. The practice helps on achievement tests and builds student confidence.
This year, students took the math diagnostic test. Teachers noted that they weren’t anxious about all of the different types of questions they saw. They had already practiced trying new ways to solve problems and could put those skills to work on the test.
The students are enjoying math more than ever and without even realizing it, are learning an entirely new way to look at an age-old topic.
CW Garden Club
The Canal Winchester Garden Club will meet March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Canal Winchester Community/Senior Center, 22 Trine St. The topic will be Easter decorations. All interested gardeners are invited.
Political memorabilia
The Canal Winchester Area Historical Society will meet March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the O.P. Chaney Elevator, located at the corner of North High and Oak streets in Canal Winchester. Paul Diehm, of the Carroll Historical Society, will share part of his political memorabilia collection, which numbers over 30,000 pieces. The public is invited. For information call Carol Note at (614) 837-0928.
