WELCOME BACK to school! What a summer it has been, and RIMTA has been very busy!

The Affiliate Leaders Conference in July was another productive trip. Members of the RIMTA Board solidified its plans to offer professional development that gives members an opportunity to interact with the strand of Numbers and Operations to Ratio/Proportional Reasoning through to Functions by facilitating vertical alignment conversations with Elementary and Secondary teachers in the fall. In January, our winter workshops will include ways to integrate technology effectively in the classroom and we will offer twice as many options as we did last time! Culminating in the Spring, we welcome Diane Briars, past-president of NCTM, who in her tenure, advocated strongly for the ideas presented in the book, Principles to Action. These ideas speak to the best mathematical practices one could be using in the classroom.

In addition, this year, we will continue to offer two student awards and teacher awards. Look out for these in our January newsletter! We have also chosen to go with Wild Apricot for all of our website and membership needs; we are continuing to make the kinds of shifts that will continue to benefit you, our members, to the fullest; and we are revisiting our By-Laws and Constitution to ensure that they are reflective of our current practices. It will be another big year, and we are excited about moving forward!

As we begin another school year, I've been thinking a lot about the work and effort that goes in to setting up for another group of students, whom we are eager to share our knowledge with. In some ways, I caution you with this scenario...

Have you ever remodeled your kitchen before? Maybe a section of the house? If not, imagine it...

You have lived with this outdated kitchen for as long as you can remember and you decide it is time for a makeover. So, you save your money and you secure a loan. The work begins.

Over the course of the next three months, you have changed the way you feed your family completely. Never has your family survived so long on take out - Chinese, pizza, Italian. You have even resorted to a few nights of Ramen Noodles. You are just about at your limit - where you would rather move out than wait one more day, when the contractor calls you at work. He shares with you that by the time you get home, they will have completed the job to its fullest and all of his men's materials will be removed.

You arrive home from work to see, what just might be, the kitchen of your dreams. You look around and see and smell the newness, the difference - new cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, an island counter top made from butcher block, new recessed lighting, windows that look out into your backyard where the sun sets, beautiful flooring, new ventilation above the stove, multiple ovens… You fall in love!

It’s the first night in your new kitchen and you are able to cook a meal for your family. You pull out your great grandmother’s pot roast recipe - one you have cooked a hundred times prior. It’s always a crowd pleaser! You take out the ingredients, which you always have on hand. You prepare the meal and throw it in the oven.

One hour goes by, the kitchen fills with that tantalizing smell and the buzzer goes off; the meal is ready. You take your dishes out of your new cabinets, slide silverware out of the new drawers, pull the meal out of the gorgeous new stove, call your family to dinner, slice into the pot roast, and place adequate servings on each plate. Your family arrives to the dinner table, sit in front of a plate and smile. You slice into the meat on your plate, you place in onto your palette and you close your eyes….

"FINALLY," you think, "a real meal after all of that remodeling."

Then it hits you. You open your eyes and realize something. The food doesn’t taste any different than it did when it was cooked in the old kitchen!! And why would it, you think to yourself. All of the ingredients were exactly the same.

I personally get so excited about the prospects of a new school year, new students, new minds to inspire, new opportunities and possibilities. We go in and redecorate, set up our rooms, and buy new materials. However, if we do not change or shift our ingredients, I'm not sure we can expect different results - same old pot roast.

I encourage you to try something different, take instructional risks, do what you know how to do already, but make a small shift that increases your likelihood of reaching just one more child. There are always ways to improve our practice. Find those ways by not buying new binders, but by challenging yourself and your students with new ideas!

I look forward to serving you, as RIMTA President, for the next two years. Have an amazing school year!

Lynn Prentiss

RIMTA President

Lynn Prentiss, President, Grants Chair, and Newsletter Co-Editor; lpiq18@gmail.com

Stephen Levesque, President-Elect and Newsletter Co-Editor; leves314@yahoo.com

Cathy Boutin, Past President and ATMNE Rep; cboutin@westwarwickpublicschools.com

Ray Morin, Treasurer and Membership; rmorin1035@cox.net

Lynn Rakatansky, Secretary; lynnrak@msn.com

Eric Simonian, NCTM Representative; esimonian@verizon.net

Patricia Carnevale, RIDE Representative; patricia.carnevale@ride.ri.gov

Susan Pagliaro, RIDE Representative; susan.pagliaro@ride.ri.gov

Meredith Astrologo, At-Large; meredith_astrologo@nksd.net

Donna Christy, At-Large; dchristy@ric.edu

Kees deGroot, At-large; degrootc@mail.uri.edu

Jill Fisher, At-Large; jfisher@westwarwickpublicschools.com

Gina Kilday, Web Communications; gkilday@gmail.com

Sue Osberg, At-large; sosberg1@verizon.net

Christine Payson, At-large; Christine.payson@cumberlandschools.org

Janice Kowalczyk, RIMTA ListServ; jckowalczyk@gmail.com

Please keep the board updated of any ideas or suggestions that you have.

Let a board member know how we can support you in the classroom!

EMLG Update

RIMTA's Elementary Math Leaders Group continues to grow. We are a group of elementary math coaches, teachers and administrators representing over 20 districts who collaborate digitally and face-to-face. We meet several times a year, but resources are also shared digitally for those who cannot make the meetings. We always welcome new members, so please spread the word to the appropriate people in your district! Contact Gina Kilday at gkilday@gmail.com or Meredith Astrologo at meredith_astrologo@nksd.net to join and to get more information.

This year we have already scheduled our first meetings and topics, although locations are still being finalized.

· Tuesday, October 4 - We will share ideas for How to Use PARCC and other Data 9-11:30 and then 12-3:00 we will have two breakouts. Those breakouts will be How are you preparing for PARCC in K-2 Using the Model Content Frameworks and Other Resources and Revisiting Visual Models Across the CCSSM professional development materials that were developed previously by the group.

· Friday, December 2 - We are planning to reflect briefly on Data Use to follow-up from the first meeting of the year, and then focus on RtI in the morning. Then in the afternoon, we will be breaking into groups to share ideas to support specific resources. Many districts are using things like i-Ready, Eureka and Advantage/Intervention. We are open to other materials suggestions, also.

· Thursday, Feb 16 – topic to be determined

· Friday, May 26 - topic to be determined

Gina Kilday

Math Coach

Metcalf Elementary, W. Greenwich

I was up for the challenge when my principal and I sat down to discuss promoting a “math day,” in conjunction with the popular, and established, reading week in schools. I ran with it and it soon became the highlight of my first year of teaching math - Launching Pi Day.

I had heard of middle and high schools celebrating Pi Day before, but I wanted to research how I could make this happen with the younger students, whose concept of Pi may be the blueberry kind with a dollop of whip cream! It was important to me to make this day interactive and fun. Being as this was the the first time the community would come together to celebrate a school-wide math day, we had to get off on the right foot so that we kept students yearning for more. My challenge was to think of something I could do with every single classroom and connect it in a way that it felt school-wide. And then it occurred to me... Technology was the only way to logistically, physically, and effectively make this happen.

Since it was called Pi Day, I knew I had to incorporate pie to keep the students' interest and curiosity. I used google forms in every classroom to find out Northern’s favorite pie among students and staff. Also, using Google Chrome Casting, I easily tapped into each classroom within seconds from my chromebook, project a graph on a whiteboard, and move from classroom to classroom with nothing but a chromebook and the lesson floating in the internet air.

Pi is accessible at any age - Just ask the students at Northern!

Colleen Buffery

Math Interventionist

Northern Elementary School, Lincoln

PARCC Assessment for 2016-2017 School Year

In response to Governor Raimondo’s championing of the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT, as well as requirements set forth by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and President Obama’s comments on testing, RIDE has made adjustments to its testing policy for PARCC during the upcoming 2016 – 2017 school year:

 All students in grades 3 – 8 will continue to take the assessment for mathematics and

English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy.

 All grade 9 students will take the English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy assessment.

 Students in grade 9 to 11 will be required to take one PARCC assessment during their

high school career. For most this will be the Algebra I test. However, if students take

Algebra I in middle school, they will be required to take either the Geometry or Algebra

II test while in high school.

 All sophomores have the option of taking the PSAT at no charge if taken during the

school day on October 19, 2016.

 All juniors have the option of taking the SAT at no charge if taken during the school day.

On another front, all schools will be expected to administer the PARCC computer-based

assessments in this coming school year. PARCC paper-based assessments will be allowed only for students with documented accommodations that require assessments to be administered via paper and pencil or if a waiver is granted to a school that has not yet been able to fully implement its plan to transition to a full computer-based administration.

Susan Pagliaro

Mathematics Specialist

Rhode Island Department of Education

The White House has announced that the Rhode Island winners of the national Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are:

2014 Mathematics: Barbara Pellegrino, from the Harold F Scott Elementary School, Warwick

2014 Science: Debra Turchetti-Ramm, from the Sarah Dyer Barnes Elementary School, Johnston

2015 Mathematics: Kristen Jahnz, from Cumberland High School

2015 Science: Anthony Borgueta, from Barrington Middle School

These awards recognize these four teachers as outstanding educators who exemplify the highest standards of mathematics and science teaching. They serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Enacted by Congress in 1983, this program authorizes the President to bestow up to 108 awards each year. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Awards are given to mathematics and science teachers from each of the 50 states and 4 U.S. jurisdictions. The teachers are recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning and their ability to help students make progress in mathematics and science.

For more information, please go to the White House web page, at https://goo.gl/tDrLoL

Let's be honest... The question we really all want answered is: What do we do to make sure every student is learning the most that they can at any given grade level? Isn't that it?

I am a Math Specialist at Chariho Middle School, a rural school serving just under 950 students in grades 5-8. My job description lists 25 Essential Duties and Responsibilities with the last one being ‘other’. Not on the list, but my goal each day is to help students understand and enjoy mathematics. As a Math Specialist in my building, I have a unique opportunity to work with a variety of students and teachers at different grade levels. Every student has unique needs, however when you take a step back, you can see patterns of similar need across grade levels.

Last year, over the course of many RTI meetings, a common need was emerging at our school. This is the story of how we used the problem solving process, which started in RTI, to improve learning at our middle school.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM

After attending many RTI meetings, a pattern began to emerge - one that we heard over and over as we discussed students who were struggling. Students were giving up on challenging problems, they were writing answers that didn’t make sense, and they didn’t know what to do when they got stuck. Soon most of our interventions for problem solving were for using Polya’s 4-Step Problem Solving Process. Through discussions with teachers, we discovered that many students, even the ones not seen for RTI, were having similar struggles. As we were implementing the Common Core, we were increasing the level of rigor for the problems we were assigning and in turn, we needed to support all students. RTI discussions made us realize that the students at our school needed more direct instruction for using problem solving strategies.

CREATING A PLAN

All the students in our school needed strategies they could utilize when they were solving challenging problems. We decided to use Polya’s process school-wide, based upon the discussions being had at RtI meetings. Those discussions gave us the springboard we needed to guide our discussions in our monthly after-school content meetings, when all of the math teachers meet together.

During this time, we continued to brainstorm what good problem solvers would do at each step, and then we came up with a mnemonic students could use if they were stuck. We came up with many great ideas and voted on a winner. MONEY was established.

CARRYING OUT OUR PLAN

We created a reference bookmark for all students. When students would say, “I don’t get it,” the teachers were able to refer them to the MONEY strategies and ask, “Did you organize your information? What do you need to interpret in this problem?,” etc... Students who received RTI support for problem solving would get additional support during RTI, but they wouldn’t be learning anything new. The classroom instruction and small group interventions were supporting each other.

LOOKING BACK

Our school-wide tier 1 intervention for problem solving started at the end of March. Right away, we could see the students in RTI embracing this idea. They were so excited to report that their teachers were using the MONEY strategy in their math class. They were seeing that what they were expected to do in class and what they were expected to do in RTI, was the same. The more exposure they had to problem solving strategies, the more they were able to internalize the process.

We will continue to evaluate our process and make necessary changes as needed. As we start the new school year with the same structure in place, we are expecting students to feel more comfortable using this process right away. Our RTI teams will continue to work to provide interventions that support individual students, while looking for patterns of need that will help our whole school.

What does your school need? How can you make it happen?

Kristina Sparfven
Math Specialist
Math Content Leader, Chariho Middle School

Which One Doesn’t Belong?

Standard for Mathematical Practice:

#3 Construct Viable Arguments and Critique the Reasoning of Others

Students are presented with four math concepts. As students consider the four possible options they decide which one doesn’t belong, then justify and defend their answer.

8 2

5 10

(in a table form)

(Example from Putting the Practices Into Action: Implementing the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice K-8 by Susan O’Connell and John SanGiovanni-Eliminate It activity)

Some possible student responses:

● I think 5 doesn’t belong because 5 is an odd number and all the other numbers are even and if I pair chips together, there will be one leftover when I show 5.

● I think 10 doesn’t belong because it as a number in the tens place and the other number only has a number in the ones place.

● I think 5 doesn’t belong because 2, 8 and 10 can be used to show the relationship between addition and subtraction. For example: 2+8=10, 8+2=10, 10-2=8, 10-8=2.

● I think 8 doesn’t belong because 2, 5 and 10 can be used to show the relationship between multiplication and division. For example: 2x5=10, 5x2=10, 10

● I think 5 doesn’t belong because all the other numbers are the sums of a whole number doubled. For example: 1+1=2, 4+4=8, 5+5=10.

Hmmm...not only can there be more than one correct answer, but there can be more than one correct answer using the same numbers!

Which One Doesn’t Belong (also called Eliminate It from Susan O’Connell and John San Giovanni) allows students to consider a variety of mathematical options, then construct a viable argument while justifying their answer and reasoning about the process they used. Students also consider the reasonableness of others.

In addition to Math Practice #6, other Math Practices are also evident including:

● #1-Make Sense of Problems and Persevere in Solving Them

● #6-Attend to Precision

Which One Doesn’t Belong allows students to consider possible solutions with multiple entry points and access for learners at different levels, including grade levels. Mathematical concepts can include numbers, equations, words, shapes and more. The possibilities are endless!

Possible Resources:

Video of Eliminate It routine from Howard County Public School System:

https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/97/pages/eliminate-it

Website-Which One Doesn’t Belong created by Mary Bourassa

(Examples with no answers provided, just many possibilities):

http://wodb.ca/about.html

Biloxi Public Schools - Examples grades 3-5 (far right column)

http://www.biloxischools.net/Page/5218

Stenhouse Blog:

http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2016/08/04/now-online-which-one-doesnt-belong/

Math Specialist

North Kingstown

Covering the Patio

The apartment complex wants to purchase outdoor carpet to cover a portion of the patio outside of the community center. The patio is shaped like a parallelogram with no right angles that has a width of 20 meters and a height that is 5 meters shorter than its width.

Part 1:

Draw the entire patio and find the area of the entire patio. Write an equation and explain how you found your answer.

Part 2:

The apartment complex wants to cover the entire patio except for a triangular region that is ¼ of the width of the entire patio and the same height as the patio. Label the dimensions and find the area of the patio that will not be covered. Write an equation and explain how you found your answer.

Part 3:

The apartment complex has between $350 and $400 to spend on the patio covering. What is the price range that they can afford to spend per square meter to buy the patio covering?

For access to the entire lesson, including alignment to standards and the rubric, please visit the link below:

https://commoncoremathtasks.wikispaces.com/file/view/6-g-1-task-1.docx/479887252/6-g-1-task-1.docx

Jill Fisher

Deering Middle School, West Warwick

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other...

CCSS Standards for Mathematical Practice: 2, 3, 7

CCSS Content Standards: HS.A-SSE.1a, HS.F-IF.7a, HS.F-BF.3

An example of this activity with four quadratic functions is shown below in figure 1. Student responses may vary, and that’s the idea! For instance:

#1 is different because its graph is concave down.

#2 is different because its graph does not have an x-intercept.

#3 is different because it is in standard form OR because the graph is concave up with

two x-intercepts.

#4 is different because its vertex would be on the x-axis.

While this example is applicable for Algebra I or Algebra II, the concept is easily adaptable to nearly any topic of study, and the prompt can be created quickly.

Teachers can revisit main ideas, reinforce proper vocabulary, and address misconceptions while allowing students to investigate and be a bit creative. Students may even delve more deeply and find differences that you did not anticipate!

One other thing to note: adding a little color can make the activity more visually appealing to students. Compare figure 1 to figure 2 below.

If you want to share any “Which One Is Different?” activities that you create, please contact me at Leves314@yahoo.com. I’d love to see them! Good luck and have fun creating!

-Credit to Sara Van Der Werf and her webinar “The Pursuit of 100% Engagement: 7

Practical Ideas for Getting Us Closer”.

Steve Levesque

President-Elect

East Greenwich

CHALLENGE PROBLEMS

As a new feature of the RIMTA newsletter, we will feature challenge examples for your

students. Some of these examples were culled from sources such as Rhode Island Mathematics League contests and qualifying tests from the American Mathematical Society’s Who Wants to Be a Mathematician? competition. Hopefully, these problems will challenge your students and inspire them to engage in such competitions in the future.

But we don’t want to end here. Please share your results with us. Send samples of your

students’ work (creative approaches are especially welcome!) to Leves314@yahoo.com and we may display them in our next newsletter.

HIGH SCHOOL CHALLENGE EXAMPLES (from RIML meets)

1. The roots of the quadratic equation (x^2 + 85x + C = 0) are prime numbers. Determine the value of C.

2. Find all possible ordered pairs (A, B) of digits for which the integer 7A8B is divisible by 45.

3. Triangle ABC has AC = BC. Point D lies on Segment BC such that AB = AD = CD. What is the measure, in degrees, of Angle ACD?

Answers to High School Questions

1. 166 2. (3, 0) and (7, 5) 3. 36 degrees

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHALLENGE EXAMPLES (from WWTBAM Qualifying tests)

1. How many three digit positive integers exist such that the product of the hundreds digit and the tens digit equals the units digit?

2. If two cards are selected at once from a standard deck of cards, what is the probability that the two cards are of the same suit?

3. What is the largest four-digit prime number less than 2010?

Answers to Middle School Questions

1. 32 2. 12/51 or 4/17 3. 2003

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXAMPLES

1. You bought an Iron Man figure for $5, sell it for $6, buy it back for $7, and then sell it again for $8. What is your overall profit? (It is understood that you may have to explain the concept of profit to students.)

2. Barry has some chickens and goats. The animals have a total of 12 heads and 30 legs. How many chickens and how many goats did Barry have?

Answers

1. $2 2. 9 chickens and 3 goats

Developing Informed Citizens through Mathematics

The New Hampshire Teachers of Mathematics is proud to host the 2016 Fall Conference for the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in New England.

We welcome you to join us to Vote with Math! Developing Informed Citizens through Mathematics! on October 20-21, 2016.

We have an exciting line-up of Keynote Speakers and are working to put together a quality program. We will schedule sessions and workshops by speakers from all around New England and beyond!

For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/a/nhmathteachers.org/atmne2016/

April 5–8, 2017 • San Antonio

Save the date and plan to join more than 9,000 of your mathematics education peers at the premier math education event of the year.

Why attend?

Hear what makes the NCTM annual meeting a must-attend event year-after-year from fellow attendees and your colleagues in the classroom, then make your plans to join us in San Antonio!

For more information, visit http://www.nctm.org/Conferences-and-Professional-Development/Annual-Meeting-and-Exposition/

Great Math at Your Doorstep

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | October 31 - November 2

Plan now to attend the NCTM Regional Conference at the Philadelphia Convention Center this fall! Sharpen your skills, gain new techniques, and achieve your professional goals when you make your plans for this focused professional development opportunity.

Six focus strands allow you to hone in on the topics most important to you while keynote speakers and networking opportunities let you engage and expand your expertise.

Featured Speakers include:

Francis (Skip) Fennell - Past President of NCTM

C3 - Coaches & Collaborative Communities: Professional Learning that Matters!

Dan Meyer: Math is Power not Punishment

For more information, visit http://www.nctm.org/philadelphia/

Rhode Island Mathematics League

c/o Raymond Morin

19 Bouvier Ave

Manville, RI 02838-1104

401-766-7512 email RIML@COX.NET

This past school year, the Rhode Island Mathematics League celebrated its 50th year of competition. 737 students representing 36 schools participated in the league’s contests It is our hope that you and your students will join us in the 2016-2017 school year!

Wed 14 Sep 2016 Advisors' Meeting 3:45 pm @ Bishop Hendricken HS

A representative from each school MUST be present as division assignments

and host schools are determined at this meeting. $25.00 discount is applicable, if registration fees are received by this date.

Wed 19 Oct 2016 ALL registration fees are due by this date

Wed 26 Oct 2016 Meet I Wed 25 Jan 2017 Meet III

Wed 7 Dec 2016 Meet II Wed 1 Mar 2017 Meet IV

Wed 12 Apr 2017 State Playoffs

Each school may enter up to six teams of five students composed as follows: at most two seniors, if there are two seniors, then not more than two juniors and at least one student grade 10 or below. Underclassmen may replace upperclassmen. Each of the five team members participates in three of the five rounds with three members in each round. A sixth and final round is the team round. Incomplete teams are allowed.

A MAXIMUM of 30 students may participate in any one meet and a MAXIMUM of 40 students may participate from any one school during the year.

Awards are presented to the highest scorer from each participating school. The top one third of the participating teams in the state after the four regular meets are invited to the state playoffs.

The registration fee for 2016-2017 is $150.00 per school (A $25 discount is applicable if payment is received by 14 September 2016.)

League officers for 2016-2017 are:

President: Dominic Dougherty III

Vice-President: Mary Misiaszek

Sec/Treas: Raymond Morin

If your school is interested in participating, please reach out to Ray Morin NO LATER THAN 9 SEP 2016. Registration fees are due NO LATER THAN 19 Oct 2016.

Interested schools may request that a sample contest be emailed to them. A CD containing all fifty years of contests is available at a cost of $10.00.

If you have any questions, please email me at the address found above.

Raymond Morin

Math League

Rhode Island Mathematics League

Participating Schools 2015-2016

Barrington HS

Beacon Charter School for the Arts

Bishop Hendricken HS

Burrillville HS

Chariho Regional HS

Classical HS

Cranston HS West

Cumberland HS

East Bay Met

East Greenwich HS

Exeter-W.Greenwich HS

LaSalle Academy

Lincoln HS

Middletown HS

Mount Hope HS

Mount Pleasant HS

Mt St Charles Academy

Narragansett HS

1. Grade band sessions (PreK-K, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, high school subjects) which enabled presentations to be very grade level specific,
2. About a dozen presenters who gave sessions on each of the three days on related topics which allowed for in-depth exploration of topics in mathematics and/or teaching,
3. A STEM Camp for the children of participants, and
4. An opportunity to build an educational community, sharing ideas and questions with peers, by living and working together on the college campus.

Many participants and presenters said that they liked the series of presentations by the same presenter over the three days, and the grade bands rather than grade spans of elementary, middle, and high school. The children and their parents enjoyed the activities, such as Unit Origami and Scratch, at the STEM Camp.

Overall, this conference was a great success! Thanks to Jim Matthews of Siena College for being the spark that launched New Cubed!

Lynn Rakatansky

RIMTA Secretary