September 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We had a wonderful year with our Magical Math Program last year, and we are excited to offer it again to our students and families this year.   The feedback from students and parents was very positive.  Families enjoyed their grade level Magical Math Night and Magic’s skating party.  Our Trunk or Treat fundraiser in October was well-attended and enjoyed by all the participants.  All the children were very excited to receive their very own Magical Math ruler at the end of the year. 

The focus of the program is to engage parents in doing math problems with their children at home. This will directly support our school's work in the teaching of math problem solving throughout the school year.

We are providing a variety of ways in which to get as many families involved as possible. This year’s steering committee is comprised of Leslie La Rue, Carole Harnett, Cheryl Soldano,  Michelle Flannery, and Wilhelmina Barrett.  They are committed to providing another year of motivating mathematical problems and events.   They are coordinating a group of other volunteers who will assist with different tasks.   If you would like to volunteer, please send the form at the bottom of this paper to your child’s teacher. We can certainly use more help!

The program consists of:

1. A monthly packet goes home with all children in grades K-2. Each packet will have several things including a math problem for students to solve and a letter for parents written by parents. Please look it over and catch the excitement.
   
   
2. We will have a yearlong program to encourage all students to participate in taking a chance with the math problem solving. Students will be asked to solve and bring back the math problems they received in their individual packets. They will be collected in special bags provided in each homeroom. A sticker of participation will be given to each child who makes a positive attempt to solve the problem. Problems with accurate answers will receive a sticker for recognition as well. A display of all students who participate for the month will be arranged in the main hallway. Students will also earn a paper token for $0.25 each month they return their problem.  They may redeem their tokens for one of three rewards.  The rewards will be math-related and appropriate for classroom use, such as a motivational math pencil. The reward system supports the concept of saving for a goal.  Reward tokens may be redeemed in the months of December, March, and June.
     
3. Don't let math problem solving scare you. We all remember the terror of trying to figure out the famous, "If a train leaves San Francisco traveling 75 miles per hour and a train leaves New York City traveling 97 miles per hour, when and at what city will their paths cross?" The memory alone makes most of us shudder. We don't want your kids to feel this way. We want to:
1. Develop confidence
2. Encourage a willingness to try and a persistence to keep on trying
3. Look for lots of "right" ways to solve the same problem
4. Deepen students' thinking about math
    
4. Your support is critically important. As you actively interest and motivate your child to get involved, you make a huge difference in our overall success. The program is exciting and innovative. It is a real parent/school partnership. How can you help?
1. Take time to read the math problem with your child and help him or her to solve it.
2. Let your child take lots of time and thought to solve the problem with you.
3. Let your child think differently than you do. We all have our own ways to find the right answer. Let your child explore those ways.
4. Let your child use small objects to find a solution.
5. Let your child draw pictures or use numbers, whatever they think will help them to find an answer.
6. Talk about why they are thinking the way they are.
7. Make it light and fun. DO it as an exploration, not a difficult task.
8. The best gift you can give your child in Magical Math is your support and encouragement.
9. Do not solve the problem for your child, as tempting as this might be!
    
5. REALLY IMPORTANT! Please make sure that your child...
1. shows on paper how he or she solved the problem. That can be with numbers or pictures.
2. writes the answer clearly and neatly so it can be read by others.
3. writes his or her first name and last initial on the answer sheet.
    
6. A Magical Math Night for each grade level will be held during the school year. At this time parents and their kids can come in to de-mystify math by participating in some math problem solving stations. Other parents will help you and your child to work on some simple math activities. A separate flier will come out to announce the details.

I am excited about continuing this successful program!  Thanks for taking an active role in your child's learning.

Barbara Cimorelli, Your Principal

I would like to support this program by:_____ Assisting with a grade level Magical Math Night

_____ Preparing volunteer classroom folders during the third week of each month

_____ Picking up and correcting monthly problems the last Friday of each month and dropping back at

           school the following Monday

_____ Assisting with Magical Math rewards

_____ Preparing classroom bags during the morning of the last Friday each month

_____ I am not able to commit to one of the above options but would like to be called upon if a need

           arises

____   Assisting with the sale of T-shirts

Name:                          __________________________________

Student Name              __________________________________

Classroom Teacher:      __________________________________

Home Telephone #:      __________________________________

Cell Phone #:                __________________________________

Email Address: __________________________________

Best Availability for Volunteering (circle one or more): Morning     Afternoon         Evening

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