Inside SFS

With my final Headspace of the school year, I am thrilled to share this five minute video by filmmaker, current parent, and Family Association Chair Rachel Benson, that shows you some of our new foundational Elementary math curriculum Contexts for Learning Mathematics at work in our classrooms. Our hope is that this “teaser” will provide a glimpse into our excitement for this curriculum and the philosophy behind it, as well as how it transitions into our Middle School math program.

 

If you find yourself wanting more after viewing the video: as a reminder, on May 7th we shared two communications with the Elementary and Middle School divisions about the continued growth of our math program. These comprehensive letters can be found here (Elementary) and here (Middle), and I encourage you to read them if you have not had a chance to do so. They go into great detail about our math program as well as some exciting new math staffing developments. You can also find some more Contexts links here about their math philosophy and the math workshop model.

Additionally, please mark your calendars for three separate Parent/Guardian Math Education Nights in the fall:

• 1st-5th Grades - Sept 25
• 6th and 7th Grades- Sept 20
• 8th Grade - Sept 26

We are excited to be working with Janan Hamm, a senior consultant with Contexts for Learning Mathematics, on integrating the new curriculum into our classrooms and our parent/guardian education. Janan worked with SFS Elementary teachers for two intensive days this spring and will continue to support them throughout the summer and coming school year. With her extensive background as a former MIT engineer, middle school math teacher, adjunct professor at the School of Education, City College of NYC and math coach/consultant for K-12 for the Boston Public Schools, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a wide lens that will benefit not only the Elementary math program but also its integration into the middle school.

Special thanks to Rachel Benson for creating this inspirational video! Rachel is the founder of Rown Productions, a film and video production and curation company specializing in many types of documentary and digital storytelling. She is also an experienced filmmaker who has beautifully captured other aspects of SFS on film, including her film for our 50th anniversary. We are so grateful for her dedication to SFS and for volunteering her time and talent to share this important work with our community.

As we head off to the summer, I hope this video whets your appetite for more math. We are excited about what is ahead for our students, next year and beyond!

Posted June 05, 2018