PHILADELPHIA, PA—Four out of the ten First In Math National All Star Top Player Awards were won by School District of Philadelphia (SDP) students, including General George A. McCall Elementary's Ao Kong, the nation's #1 player, all grades.
Eighth-grader Kong, top player for the second year in a row, was honored at a spectacular First In Math celebration held to recognize excellence in categories such as Top School in SDP Region, National Top 100 Schools, National Top 50 Team Leaders, Top 50 Family Link Members and National Top Ten Team. Kong received a standing ovation when she was presented with a crystal award as the nation's top First In Math Player. Kong, Julia R. Masterman School fifth-grader Valentino Papa, and A. L. Fitzpatrick School's Alice Hu and Ryan Dougherty were presented with their National All Star awards.
Left to right: Ao Kong; Alice Hu; Ryan Dougherty and Valentino Papa.
The math program's success and popularity throughout the district and surrounding regions prompted Mayor Michael A. Nutter to create a City of Philadelphia Citation, officially recognizing "All First In Math Award Winners" and saluting Philadelphia's top-ranked schools, principals, teachers, students and family members. (view Citation) Joy Diljohn, representing the Office of Teaching and Learning, read the Citation aloud. Mayor Nutter also issued a separate Citation to Marco Zanoni, Principal of AMY Northwest, the #1 FIM School in Philadelphia. "This was a a true celebration," says Zanoni, who was also presented with a Cred Dobson Achievement Award as the Northwest Region's First In Math® Principal of the Year in December, 2008. Beginning this year, the award will be open to Principals in all district regions. Previous winners of the award include Willette Jones (2007) and Diane Hathaway (2006).
The standing-room-only crowd enjoyed a slide show featuring Philadelphia's FIM faithful before the presentation began, and was able to follow along during the presentation via slides displaying the winner's names projected onto a large screen behind the podium. Nearly 70 awards were handed out, including several special, unannounced awards. Baldi Middle School Principal, Eugene McLaughlin, received a special award for involving the largest number of teams at any one school in the nation (42). Northeast Regional Superintendent Lissa Johnson received a special award for the highest level of participation in the district. Robert B. Pollock Elementary School Principal Marilyn Carr accepted a plaque on behalf of third-grade Team Best36pa, ranked among the Top Ten Teams in the nation, all grades. The Team's leader, Neil Beitman, has had a third grade class in the National Top Ten-All Grades for three straight years.
Pollock's third-grade Team, Best36pa, ranked #9 among more than 27,000 teams - all grades - in the nation. Back row, l to r: Robert Sun, Team Leader Neal Beitman, FIM Ambassador Cred Dobson; Joy Diljohn from the Office of Teaching and Learning and Principal Marilyn Carr.
"This is our World Series of Mathematics Achievement," explains Cred Dobson. The retired Mathematics Academic Coach for the district's Northwest Region chuckled all day about being Philadelphia’s 'unofficial, self-appointed citywide math coach,' but is serious when it comes to his love for the students. "This event was a huge undertaking, but the brilliantly-lit faces of the children (and their parents) more than compensate for the effort. All you had to do was to see the pride of the people in that room to know that this was SPECIAL for Philadelphia—and Philadelphia will always be special to us."
FIM Support Specialist Nancy Kane, who helped organize the event, agrees. "The FIM community overall is a pretty amazing bunch, but the enthusiasm we see in Philadelphia schools year in and year out is incredible, and I am touched by how genuinely positive everyone is."
"This is an extraordinary event celebrating the successes of our children," says Karen Kolsky, Assistant Regional Superintendent for the Northeast Region, summing up the thoughts of many who attended the event. Suntex Vice President Barbara Asteak says that the celebration was well-deserved. "Philadelphia's students, teachers, math coaches, principals and administrators have embraced the First In Math program—and have achieved the most remarkable results."
Some of the District's top FIM Family Link™ duos attended the awards ceremony (l to r): Jejny John from William B. Loesch School and her mother ranked among the national Top 50 as did Youcef Khial of Solis Cohen ES and his father, Kamel. National #1 Family Link Player Ting-Shan Chiu and his son, 4th-grade Anne Frank student Rei Chu, were in attendance.
“It was a privilege to be at a ceremony where parents, teachers and administrators gathered from across the District to recognize mathematics achievement. I look forward to an even bigger event next year,” says Joy Diljohn, Director of Elementary Instruction Programs.
See additional photos of the Philadelphia event!
Philadelphia Award Ceremony photos courtesy of Armen Elliot Photograpy and Matt Seaver-Studio XI Photography unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.