MARGATE, NJ—"I am excited about First in Math coming to Margate. It will be great for us, and I am sure our students and families will embrace the program," says Dr. Kerri McGinley, Principal of Eugene A. Tighe Middle School and Director of Curriculum & Instruction for Margate City School District. McGinley says the program comes highly recommended—by none other than her daughter.
"When I told my daughter that the Margate School District would be getting FIM, she was jealous, because she attends Ocean City Intermediate School in a neighboring district. She told me that when she attended 3rd grade at McKinley Elementary in Abington, PA, she loved First in Math."
FIM Ambassador Cred Dobson (back) is joined by (l to r): Susan Mock; Christopher Bruscato; Mauricio Saavedra; Laureen Cohen; Dr. Kerri McGinley and Audrey Becker.
McGinley was a teacher & administrator in the School District of Philadelphia for 21 years before relocating to the seaside community of Margate. "This is a great place, but we do have work to do," explains McGinley. FIM Ambassador Cred Dobson met with McGinley and Curriculum Coordinator Audrey Becker in early December to discuss a pilot program for the online math curriculum supplement in Margate schools. "I have never seen a physical setting more ready to implement the First in Math online Program," says Dobson. All schools are equipped with the latest computer, networking, communications, and audio/visual technology. The district has five fully equipped computer labs with high-speed Internet access in both the labs and the classrooms. But more importantly, according to Dobson, "the staff's comfort level with the computers adds to their readiness level."
Dobson has spent the last several weeks visiting New Jersey schools, and returned to conduct two professional development sessions for Ross ES and Tighe MS in Margate. He plans to return in February for an evening training session with parents that will be open to surrounding school district Administrators. "I don't think I've ever had as much fun at a workshop before or so quickly implemented what I've learned," said Joanne Adams, a fifth-grade teacher at the district's William Ross School. "My students are WILD about First in Math, and they are fighting to use the classroom computers. Two different students have been the Player of the Day, and they have both loved wearing the Player of the Day VIP badge. Tara, the girl who has it today, is in my math class. She really doesn't enjoy math, but she played for an hour last night and got 222 stickers. I'm so proud of her, but, more importantly, she is proud of herself."
Left to right: Eileen Midure; Amber Fitzgerald; Veronica Sanchez; Joanne Adams; Cred Dobson; Dr. Kerri McGinley and Dr. Dominick A Potena, Superintendent of Margate City Schools.