Mathematics

Welcome to the Department of Mathematics and to a new school year!

Mathematics is an area that seems to bring out divergent attitudes in individuals.  Some students will tell you they are good at math but many students, and sometimes their parents, carry a belief that they are not good at math because they do not have “the math gene”.  Currently there is no research to support that mathematicians are created through an inherited gene or that one’s mathematical intelligence is predetermined by their parents.  There is a growing perception called the growth mindset which means that our genetic makeup is only the starting point for our abilities in the area of learning anything new, including mathematics. 

In a book titled, Mindset, the author Carol Dweck describes intelligence as malleable. A growth mindset then provides us the ability to see any problem as one we can solve through perseverance and effort. 

Rush-Henrietta students receive sound mathematics instruction which focuses on the process of learning as well as the math content. We want students to learn math and solve problems, but we also want students to learn how to approach problems. We want students to make sense of problems, critique the reasoning of others, analyze errors and solutions, model problems,  look for patterns, etc. These skills, termed Standards for Mathematical Practice, will serve students well beyond the mathematics classroom in that they can be applied to any content area or life problem.

Eureka Math Squared

Rush-Henrietta is in our third year of using the Eureka Math Squared program for our math instruction.  During our first two years of implementation, we found that the new version of the program helps make learning accessible to all students!

Eureka Math Squared offers engaging activities that empower our students to express personal math understanding in various ways based on their unique abilities and learning styles. Flexible instruction enables teachers to more effectively meet the learning needs of each child, allowing for greater comprehension of math concepts. 

We can’t do this without you! Rush-Henrietta recognizes the important role caregivers play in helping each student achieve. You are your student's best advocate and most essential teacher at home. This program supports collaborative efforts by providing two resources called the Learn and Apply workbooks. Your student will use these materials in the classroom and at home. You may see these resources come home as single pages, multiple pages for a topic or an entire book.  Teachers will decide how to best utilize these resources to meet the needs of their students and will communicate that with families. 

The Learn book includes student materials for in-class work. Students will find:

• Lesson Pages that students use during the guided or directed portion of the lesson.
• Problem Sets for independent practice during the lesson, with problems organized from simple to complex.
• Recaps can be found in the Grade 6 book. These summarize the lesson's key content.

For grade 6, the student workbook used in class includes help through Recap pages and Practice pages.   Additionally, you can find ways to support your student’s numeracy through engaging in card games, which can be found on the mathematics page on the district website.

The Apply book can be used at home. It supports the learning your child will engage in during their math lessons. It is intended to help students deepen their understanding of math concepts they learned in class. This is done through a continuation of math language and strategies while allowing for additional practice at home. Apply has three unique components:

• Family Math is a letter describing the major concepts in a topic.
• Practice is a collection of additional problems for students to work on at home. These  include practice for the current lesson and review practice from previous lessons.
• Practice Partners takes students through the thinking of a hypothetical partner solving problems similar to those found in the practice pages..

The Apply books are for Grade Levels 1-5 only. For Kindergarten, the Family Math pages may be sent home as individual papers; there are no Practice Partner or Practice pages for Kindergarten.  

We hope you find these resources to be valuable as you work with your student during the next school year to build their confidence and deepen their understanding in mathematics.

 Math Coaches
The students of Rush-Henrietta are fortunate to have a Math Coach in each of our primary and intermediate schools.  These experienced teachers provide coaching and useful information that parents, students and teachers find helpful. 

For more information, please contact the director of the Mathematics Department, Lisa Clar, by calling (585) 359-5050 or via email.