Brokerage to Help Kids Excel in Mathematics: CBG’s Town & Country Office launches Community Math Program for K-6th Grade

Parents in the St. Louis West County area can enroll their children in the new MATH FACT SCHOLARS Community Mathematics Program for kindergarten through 6th grade students. This low cost, weekly math testing program motivates students to develop quick recall of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division math facts…an essential life skill. Using simple math strategies and taking the time to practice at home, students master the basic facts and progress to advanced math testing levels – earning medals and trophies along the way. The programs advanced skill levels give students an opportunity to further develop computational efficiency, accuracy & flexibility and helps create a solid foundation for learning more demanding math concepts in middle school & high school.

The new MATH FACT SCHOLARS Community Mathematics Program is sponsored by the Coldwell Banker Gundaker, Town & Country office. Math testing sessions take place every Tuesday evening at CBC High School, in Town & Country, from 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. in classrooms #120 and #122. Registration is ongoing. For registration information visit www.cbgundakerhomes.com and click on the Community Mathematics Program tab. “We are thrilled with the level of interest in the MATH FACT SCHOLARS Community Math Program so far.” says Carla Borgard, Coldwell Banker Gundaker agent and one of the key task force volunteers instrumental to implementing the program . “We currently have 50 students from 27 different area schools enrolled in the program, and each week, more kids sign up based on word-of-mouth exposure from the parents with kids in the program. It’s just amazing to see all these kids having so much fun while they test their math skills each week,” she added.

The MATH FACT SCHOLARS Community Mathematics Program was developed to provide all students, regardless of grade level, skill level or financial limitations, with an opportunity to:

• Achieve proficiency with fundamental math skills,
• Improve self-confidence in mathematics,
• Establish and achieve personal academic goals, and
• Nurture the “PRACTICE” habits required for academic success

Dana Gundaker-Devers, broker/manager of the Coldwell Banker Gundaker, Town & Country office said, “In our experience working with families as they search for a new home, education for children is consistently a top priority. We feel this program is an excellent way for us to give back to the community and contribute to the advancement of mathematics achievement for children in the area.”

The MATH FACT SCHOLARS program has helped hundreds of students gain self confidence with mathematics and master math skills well beyond what is taught in their current grade level. At Mason Ridge Elementary School, 172 students are currently enrolled in the before school, extracurricular math testing program. During the last testing session in December 2010, Haseeb Malik, Mason Ridge second grader, was the first student in the school to complete the MATH FACT SCHOLARS Olympian Series – Decimal Level. In this sixth level of the program, students must complete timed tests covering skills with converting fractions to decimals, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals and much more. Haseeb completed the 25 tests in this level in just four testing sessions. Remarkably, Haseeb previously completed the first four levels in the MATH FACT SCHOLARS program while in first grade, and on October 6, 2010, he completed the MATH FACT SCHOLARS Olympian Series – Fractions Level in just five testing sessions.

Brody Whalen, another second grader at Mason Ridge Elementary School, recently completed the testing requirements for the fourth level in the MATH FACT SCHOLARS program. To complete this level, Brody had to pass timed tests covering skills with multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication and long division, including mentally multiplying problems such as 3,576 x 8. On the day Brody earned the trophy for this level, his mother, father, grandmother, and 4 year old brother attended the testing session to cheer him on. “I never would have known what Brody was capable of if it wasn’t for this program.” says Brody’s mother, Janet Whalen.

The MATH FACT SCHOLARS Community Mathematics Program creates an atmosphere where students experience positive energy, enthusiasm, and a sense of triumph and victory upon achieving their personal academic goals. It is this atmosphere that ignites a student’s desire and motivation to make and achieve academic goals. As each academic goal is achieved, student self-confidence soars and so does their determination to pursue the next math challenge!
Valerie Fike, a parent at Valley Park Elementary School says, “MATH FACT SCHOLARS has allowed my child to learn her math facts at her pace and has proven to her that she can do not only math but many things, as long as she puts in the effort to practice those things. In first grade, she earned her bronze medal by passing all of her addition and subtraction facts from 1 to 12, and she went on to pass all of her multiplication facts from 1 to 12! This program encourages the children at every corner, from earning “Smarties” at the end of testing, to the cheering when others earn medals, to the announcements over the P.A. system! This method has proven extremely successful in my child’s school–the teachers that I have spoken with have noticed an amazing difference when kids have been exposed to this program and seem to show more confidence in their classroom math experiences.”