Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - January 12th

Early in my career, I had a colleague ask “what does my teaching math have to do with the school’s mission?”  At Westfield, we know that teaching math has everything to do with the school’s mission. We want all students to be confident mathematicians – people who know how to use math to solve problems. In Tuesday's Parent and Guardian Council Meeting Teacher Josh, Teacher Marina, and Teacher Cookie shared with us the math program strategies and curriculum we use to build students’ mastery of mathematical practices and principles. The elementary grades use the Math in Focus program which is Houghton Mifflin’s translation of Singapore Math in the US context. This program grounds students in number sense and computation; it moves from the concrete to the abstract; it teaches kids to speak and reason in the language of math; it helps them develop multiple strategies for solving math equations; and most importantly the program encourages creativity in thinking mathematically. In Middle School, 6th Grade Math transitions from this foundational program into pre-Algebra. During 7th and 8th grades, students engage in a two-year study of Algebra I. The Middle School program includes geometry, statistics, and some early looking at matrices.

The academic goal is for students to step into Geometry in high school. Young alums who come through Westfield’s program, report feeling well prepared for high school math. We now have three years of ERB standardized Math test data. Students who have been at Westfield for three or more years are on track with the Independent School Norms. In line with Westfield’s mission, the goal is for students to be able to read charts and graphs, interpret numbers and make predictions, and discern the validity of statistics they encounter in the news and other media. We want our students to know how to use numbers to make informed decisions. In 8th grade, the capstone Math is the Shark Tank project where students use their mathematical knowledge to invent something new, create a business plan, model and predict profits and losses, and pitch their idea and mathematical reasoning to potential investors.

Announcements:

• Quaker Friday, January 13 will focus on Bayard Rustin and his central role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington
• Donna Hughes-Gore will give a presentation on helping children with anxiety on January 18. This is open to all parents and guardians. I hope you will join us. This and other events can be found on the school website.
• Minutes from Tuesday’s Parents and Guardians Council Meeting are available on the website. 
• Remember to affirm your 2023-2024 continuous enrollment through the Parent Portal by February 1st.
• The P&G Council Roller Skating Party is on January 26th
• Save the date, we are bringing back Grandparents Day, Friday, April 28th. Look for more information before spring vacation.

Queries for January Meeting for Worship

Eighth Grade students created responses to the queries, you can read them in the attachment below.

• How does our worship nurture all worshippers, creating a deeper sense of community?
• Does worship enhance my capacity for attentive, nonjudgmental listening to others?
• How does participation in meeting for worship contribute to my lifelong spiritual journey?

Have a great week,

Warmly,

Margaret