Each group of students has their own strengths and weaknesses. This year's bunch is big on foreign languages. Last year's could not do a crossword if their lives depended on it.
Another quirk this year is that there were significant staff changes in the program so it started a couple of weeks later. That means only four working sessions, one for prep and one for Staff Challenge. So what to do with our last working session?
Time to bring back our old pal Anastasia Ottendorf.....
If you don't know what an Ottendorf cipher is I'm not gonna tell you.
They also liked a little side project we did in week one with a cipher "grill". That could be made trickier. Square versus rectangular gives more possible permutations. And can I actually suggest wrong answers with subtle cues?
Well our last teaching session went pretty well. I am pleased when the challenges I put to them can be solved with a bit of concentration. Honestly, we worked on relaxation techniques to clear your mind! I'm also pleased when they fall for a cleverly laid trap. Because next week is prep time for the Staff Challenge, and the week after that we'll have a team of administrators and teachers trying to solve this stuff.
I took the precaution again of including a counselor on the list of invitees....to help the staff with their issues. Alas she could not make it so they are On Their Own.
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