PORTLAND, ME—First In Math representative Nancy Kane journeyed northward to Maine’s east coast, where she visited veteran FIM schools as well as new users in the Portland Public Schools system.
Kane took the opportunity to drive through scenic downtown Portland on her way to Peaks Island Elementary. Located in Casco Bay, the island is part of the city of Portland but is about three miles from downtown and accessible by ferry. The island’s year round population is under 900 and in the summer swells to more than 4,000. The Abenaki Indians were among the first people to fully appreciate the island’s beauty and resources.
“Principal Cindy Nilsen was kind enough to have a parking pass and ticket waiting for me at the ferry, which was quite exciting as it was my first time in Portland,” explains Kane.
Left: Pulling up to the Peaks Island Ferry dock. Right: Charles Marenghi’s second/third-grade class creates their own FIM bulletin boards to track the team’s progress.
“The ferry ride lasted about 17 minutes and was a great opportunity to take pictures—it was freezing but we arrived just when I was thinking I needed to go inside,” laughs Kane. “School support staffer Angela Volger greeted me as she was dropping off some other teachers who were returning to the mainland.” Gym and art teachers must travel weekly out to the small island school. They share the commute with many Peaks residents and students who rely on the ferry for daily transportation to their jobs and the middle and senior high school in Portland.
Kane enjoyed a visit with Charles Marenghi’s second/third-grade class, where she found the students to be calm, quiet and confident as they offered her a warm welcome. “They were more than happy to show me around the room and point out their names on the classroom’s FIM bulletin boards—one for sticker count and one for level,” says Kane. Marenghi, a strong proponent of FIM, agrees with inventor Robert Sun’s philosophy about the importance of students taking ownership of their participation in the program. His classes are in charge of keeping up with the bulletin board themselves. “I roll the program out in bits and pieces and let the students explore the site,” says Marenghi. “I put the FIM Traveling Trophy out in the fourth/fifth grade class and let them inquire as to how to earn it.”
Marenghi also finds the competition element of FIM is a motivating factor that encourages his students’ participation. “I remind them that they are a team and are all working together. My lower-skilled students are improving their math skills while the students with higher skills are discussing problem-solving strategies—everybody wins. Even my highly-motivated students have the freedom to really explore and push themselves.” Students are encouraged to use FIM at home but for no more than 20 minutes—Peaks Island staff and parents feel very strongly about limiting students’ screen time.
Though he encourages them to participate in the program autonomously, Marenghi says that If the kids are struggling they can request help by writing their question on a Post-it® note and placing it on the white board with their name on it. “Then I can check who needs support and respond to them. Today I helped Lilah with adding fractions with irregular denominators. Ten minutes later she got her stickers!”
Currently, Marenghi’s class is home to the top players in the state, 13best12me (Lilah Green) and 12best13me. Top teams in the state are Best12me (grades 2/3) and Fiji54me (grades 4/5).
Kane also visited Lyseth Elementary, where she met with Principal Lenore Williams and Kathy Jewett, Educational Technician. She also visited St. James Catholic School and Howard Reiche Community School, and had the pleasure of introducing the program to Marydee Stinson’s second-grade class and Sean Daly’s fifth-grade class at Riverton ES. “They had lots of great questions,” says Kane, who touched on FIM’s Common Core-related content, and discussed other resources FIM offers to teachers and students throughout the year.