By NEIL ZOLOT
WAKEFIELD — Galvin Middle School Assistant Principal Andrew Tetrault and 8th grade math teacher Brandon Johnson briefed the School Committee about the recently concluded summer Algebra Leap program for students entering 8th grade at their meeting Tuesday, August 22.
“Algebra Leap was an opportunity for any interested incoming 8th grader to spend quite a few days over the summer staying up on their math concepts, reviewing key standards in math in order to have the opportunity for success in 8th grade algebra, and work closely with a current 8th grade math teacher to build student-teacher relationships,” Tetrault said. “Getting any student to do extra math in the summer is a win.”
“I’m a really big fan of this program,” Johnson added. “It was awesome and a lot of fun to do.”
“How do you get kids to do more work?” he asked rhetorically. “You just give them more work. There really is an appetite for this. We were selling math to kids in the summer and it worked. Wakefield’s kids are awesome and want to do well.”
Galvin offers two levels of math to 8th graders, Math 8 and Algebra 1. Doing well in 7th grade qualified students for Algebra Leap and entry into Algebra 1. Of the 30 students in the program, 11 had already qualified, but still participated. “The remaining 19 “made the leap and leveled up to Algebra 1,” Johnson said. “It’s because kids want to be with their friends. It makes Galvin a special place kids want to be, even in the summer. Algebra Leap is important, but just one piece of what’s happening at Galvin.”
As a result Algebra 1 will have five classes instead of four.
Johnson thinks monitoring performance and making use of the loosely structured What I Need (WIN) team block for extra help will help maintain standards. Generally it is a period when students can catch up on other work, work on projects and homework. “We can make sure we’re doing right by our top performers,” he said.
“Math is critical and to see kids that age want to do math in the summer is great,” School Committee member Kevin Piskadlo reacted.
“Many of us heard amazing stories about the program,” member Peter Davis added.
“I heard from a number of families who had great things to say about the program,” member Stephen Ingalls confirmed.” It ignited some fires of interest in math. I believe the program is a success and hope it bears fruit.”
“It’s way too early to declare any type of victory,” Johnson warned.
Tetrault added he would like to see Algebra Leap continue. “We now have a comparative way of seeing where kids are,” he said. “I’d be surprised if it doesn’t translate into objective data.”
—————
In another update, Assistant Superintendent Kara Mauro confirmed 220 of 276 incoming Kindergarteners attended the Acceleration Academy or Early Literacy Academy at various elementary schools, funded by a grant from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, a number she mentioned at the August 8 meeting. Students attend a week of the program in their home school and get a chance to meet their teachers and classmates and acclimate to their school. “It is offered to every student new to WPS and entering Kindergarten in the fall,” she said. “All of the lessons focus on early literacy skills and students also have a special built in to their day, either art or physical education. A lot of our Kindergarten teachers are able to work the program and other teachers do as well. A big chunk of our incoming Kindergarten class will have had that familiarity with their school. It leads to less tears on opening day.”
Kindergarten classes will average 23 students per class. The 276 students will be in four Kindergartens each at the Dolbeare and Woodville Schools and two each Greenwood and Walton.
The next School Committee meeting will start at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12.