A Letter to Parents

School Letterhead

Date

Dear Families,

Beginning next week, students in your child's class will be participating in a math club program one hour a week on (the day of the week). Topics for these sessions will include geometry, data analysis, statistics, and number theory. These topics are a standard part of our mathematics curriculum. The program will also include volunteers from local businesses (including interested parents) who will speak to us about the math they do in their jobs. Finally, students will be bringing home a number of different math games and activities to play with family members.

We are developing this program with materials from TERC, a non-profit math and science education development firm based in Cambridge, MA. An important component of the program is that girls and boys will be taught in single gender groups for math club. In other communities where math clubs have been implemented, girls' participation in co-ed math classes was found to increase. The single gender groups are also intended to provide an atmosphere where girls and boys are encouraged to aspire, achieve, and excel in mathematics. Specifically, it will give us an opportunity to reach out to girls and communicate our high expectations for them. At the same time, both girls and boys will become more conscious of the importance of participation in learning. They will also learn about math-related job opportunities and how to prepare for them.

The teachers listed at the end of the letter are participating in the program. Each team of teachers will work out a system for combining and regrouping their classes. Teachers will take turns leading each group.

We will provide periodic updates as this program unfolds. If you would like more information about this project, please feel free to contact your child's teacher or [Principal].

If you would like to volunteer to be a guest speaker, please complete the tear-off form below.

               Sincerely,

               [principal, participating teachers]




MATH CLUB GUEST SPEAKER

Parent's Name:_________________________________________

Phone number:_________________________________________

Child's Name:__________________________________________

Teacher:_______________________________________________

____ I am interested in being a guest speaker at the Math Club for my child's class.

I would be able to talk about how math is used in my work.

My job title is:____________________________


last modified July 1997
© Copyright 1997 TERC, All Rights Reserved.