UPPER MARLBORO, MD—Prince George’s County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite, Jr. gave a State of the School System Address to a crowd of more than 1,000 on October 6, 2009. Joined by County Executive Jack B. Johnson, elected officials, Board of Education members, students, families, and community members, Dr. Hite shared information on student achievement, supporting services, and the new school system commitments in Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS).
The program included testimonials from two PGCPS students. One of these students was sixth-grader Taivion Boone, an honor roll student at Rosaryville Elementary. Boone is the first African-American male at his school to be president of the Student Government Association, is the face and voice of the Rosaryville Television network, and plays trombone in the school band.
Taivion Boone acknowledged the role of technology in the future of education, and praised teachers, urging them to continue to challenge, engage and encourage students.
Part of Boone’s speech, which focused on a commitment to excellence, included mention of the First In Math® Online Program. “At Rosaryville, we are committed to improvement…on the path to excellence. In 5th grade, Mr. V and Mrs. Walters set high expectations—they pushed and challenged us. They made my brain sweat! But the hard work paid off; I scored advanced on both my Reading and Math Maryland School Assessments. Now my goal is to make the MSA 500 club in reading and math. I am certain that my 6th grade teachers, Ms. Bartlow, Mrs. Cooper, Mr. Davis and Mr. Grove will make my brain sweat even more! This year, we are participating in a program called ‘First In Math.’ My class ranks first in the school.”
Boone, who is obviously excited about FIM, and his classmates on Team River93MD are also ranked #1 in the district, and rank 20th among the 3,440 Teams, all grades, who are using the program in Maryland. Valorie White-Jones, math coordinator at Rosaryville Elementary, says that Taivion is a wonderful student, who sets a great example. “I certainly appreciate the assistance that Taivion has provided in motivating other students to use the First in Math program.”
“These students represent the many success stories that are happening throughout our school district,” said Dr. Hite. “More students then ever before have mastered core academic skills and are rising to the challenge of more rigorous coursework, meeting higher expectations for success, and pursuing higher education.”
The First In Math® program is proud to contribute to the continued success of Prince George’s County Public Schools’ students.