Our Home
• Science skills are important when solving a crime, but math skills are just as important. The middle school students at Our Home practiced their investigation and problem-solving skills while completing a mock crime scene investigation.
After the students were given the evidence, teams used math skills related to percents, fractions and ratios to examine the facts and eliminate suspects. The students also used time skills to figure possible timelines of the crime. The class has been strengthening real-life math skills through activities related to science, literature, art, and so on.
In language arts, the class is reading the novel “The Lightning Thief,” by Rick Riordan. Besides completing the literature activities, the students are studying Greek Mythology.

Mrs. Olson teaches middle school level at Our Home.

Buchanan K-1
• It is an eventful time of year for the kindergarten students at the Buchanan K-1 Center. In math, the students are continuing to learn about adding and subtracting within 5. The students are practicing to write their numbers to 20. Also, counting out loud to 100 is a skill the students are working towards mastering. Students are working with 3-D shapes: cone, cylinder, cube, and sphere. A new concept that is taught this quarter is decomposing numbers.
This time of year is special for students in reading. They are learning to read small books independently. Students are practicing sight words they have been learning all school year. The students are sounding out words and blending the sounds together to read the word. Also, they are working toward writing full sentences.
They are looking forward to our kindergarten field trip on Thursday, May 25. The kindergarten students will be traveling to Brookings and learn through hands-on activities at the Children’s Museum. This is a wonderful opportunity for all students to enjoy.
Kindergarten teachers at the Buchanan K-1 Center are Leah Jungemann, Amy Schoenfelder and Robin Axtmann.