Thursday, May 7, 2015

Math Coach


Check out the letter from our fabulous Math Coach...

Hi!  I am the new math coach at Erving.  My name is Polly Wagner and I have been studying and working in elementary mathematics for over 20 years.  I am thrilled to be at Erving – it is a very special place.  I was hired to help support the school to have a cohesive and more consistent mathematics program for its students.  Part of this work was to investigate, review and ultimately recommend mathematics curricula for the school, which I did with 7 other staff members.  After much research we have decided to go with Investigations in Number Data and Space for grades k-5 and Connected Mathematics for 6th.  We’re excited about the choices and look forward to the work ahead.  Next year we will be piloting both programs before the formal roll out happens in the fall of 2016. 

Next year you should expect to see assignments and activities coming home that may look different to you. There will be more emphasis on conceptual understanding, making representations, and students’ reasoning about strategies and operations.  Mathematics has not changed but what we know about strong teaching practice and learning has, so our curriculum materials will reflect our new understandings of what is best for students.  So, I anticipate you may have questions when you see different kinds of problems coming home or hear your child(ren) talking about what happened in math class.  I welcome your questions and comments!  Please feel free to contact me any time.  Email is probably the best way to reach me: wagner@erving.com or you can come by my office – I am usually here on Wednesday’s and Friday’s this year. 

I will keep you posted as we take on this new adventure!

Warmly,

Polly Wagner
Mathematics Coach
Erving Elementary

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