Letter from Betty, from the August Bookmarks Newsletter

Hello,  Cooler weather and a new school year are upon us! I find myself reaching for my sweater when I leave the house in the morning and spending less time on the deck during the evening hours. Although I will miss the long summer days, I enjoy the structure that the school year offers. School shopping has begun and college students are preparing to say their goodbyes. There is a sense of excitement and energy, as well as the dismay and nervousness in the air as the new school year approaches.  This time of year is a perfect opportunity to help my students set goals. Everyone sets academic goals, but many students also set goals to improve their athletic skills, their position in the school band or chorus, or as part of a theater production. The most effective strategy to help your children succeed in all their school goals is very simple, though perhaps it's easier said than done: a good night's sleep before every school day! Remember to start the school year morning and nighttime routines at least one week prior to the start of the school year. This way when the year starts, your children will be ready to go! Please remember to call us at Foundation for Learning for final ACT and SAT Prep! Best Regards, Betty Bodenweiser

Test Schedules

SAT, ACT and SSAT Schedules

Library Card Sign-up Month

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. If you and your children don't already have a card, visit your local library early in the month, so you can start taking books out right away. Consider weekly trips to the library throughout the school year to gather books that help your children complete projects and reports. Remember that the library is free!

American Classics Quiz - Part 2

Name the Books by their Covers

Here are four more book covers from classic works of American literature (See Part 1 of this article on our blog). Do you recognize these colorful scenes? Here is your challenge: The following list of books contains the four correct titles to go with the four book cover illustrations shown above. See if you can name the books by their covers.

1.  The Scarlet Letter
2.  The Pit and the Pendulum
3.  The Red Badge of Courage
4.  The Great Gatsby
5.  The Last of the Mohicans
6.  Call of the Wild
7.  Tarzan of the Apes
8.  Moby Dick
9.  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
10. A Farewell to Arms

Have you got the four answers?

OK.

Scroll down...







And down...







Just a bit more.........









Here are the four answers:

A = 9. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

B = 1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne




C = 3. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane




D = 6. Call of the Wild by Jack London


These are all wonderful books. If you haven't read them, or if has been a few years, right now would be a great time to give one of them a try. Happy reading!

The Puzzler: Mona Lisa Mischief

The mischievous criminal known as Dr. Phi has struck again! Last night at midnight, the geometry-obsessed prankster was seen breaking into the Louvre Museum in Paris, France and stealing Leonardo da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting. Based on the evidence, police authorities are worried that Dr. Phi has sliced up the priceless work into odd-shaped bits and pieces. It is up to you, students of the world, to unravel the mystery. Dr. Phi left behind a ransom note and the strange image seen below. The note reads:

"Tell me the name of the rectangles shown
 And unharmed I'll return it—we'll just call it a loan!
              BWAH HA HA HA!!! - Dr. Phi."

QUESTION: What is Dr. Phi talking about? Fill in the blank below:

This image shows many examples of a _______________ rectangle.

(HINT 1: The Ancient Greeks liked to use this type of rectangle in their architecture.)

(HINT 2: Yes these images do resemble our fictitious Squaroos. Remind yourself about that on our blog, here and here.)


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LAST ISSUE'S PUZZLER with ANSWER

Pine Cone

Here is the pattern from an actual pine cone. Get out 3 or 4 different colored pencils or markers and color in the sections using alternating colors to make a spiral pattern. When you are done, the pattern should look like curving spokes of a wheel, radiating out from the center. 

QUESTION: Which direction does the spiral go on this pine cone: clockwise or counter-clockwise?

BONUS: What is the least number of colors you need to reveal the spiral pattern?

ANSWER: OK, you guessed it! This was a trick question. The pattern on the pine cone spirals in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions! 




BONUS ANSWER: The least number of colors needed to reveal the spiral patterns are: 3 colors for clockwise (seen here as yellow, red and pink) and 2 colors for counter-clockwise (seen here as blue and green).