MFEE Pilots New Math Program for 3rd Graders

Mathletes is part of a broader set of MFEE initiatives aiming to boost math outcomes.

Third grade math is a big leap for many students, making it an important time to build confidence, deepen understanding, and stretch mathematical thinking. That’s one reason the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE) is launching Mathletes at Hillside, a new pilot program designed to give students the support and challenge they need to grow—whether they’re building foundational skills or ready to move beyond grade-level work.

The initiative grew from MFEE’s work with small cohorts of students through its after-school programs for multilingual learners and their families, which pair direct academic support for students with support for their caregivers. With Mathletes, MFEE will utilize this proven model of boosting educational outcomes with a group of new students in a new setting: third graders at Hillside.

Mathletes, which kicked off earlier this month, will meet after school twice per week throughout the school year for extra learning and enrichment in math. Participating students were recommended and invited to the no-cost program by Nishuane teachers and staff, and they will have the option of continuing in the program through 5th grade. 

Through workshops and individual support, Mathletes at Hillside also seeks to empower parents and caregivers as learning partners in service of their children’s educational experiences. Some examples include sharing teaching strategies to try at home, explaining school assessments, and answering parents’ questions about their child’s academic growth.

“We’re so excited to expand our efforts to support more students and families,” said MFEE Executive Director Masiel Rodriquez-Vars. “This pilot program is designed to help third graders strengthen core math skills and feel more confident and capable. They’ll be building their ‘math muscles’ to help with in-school learning.”

The program is funded in part by a generous grant from the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, with additional support from the Montclair Bridge Fund. If the pilot is successful, MFEE may seek to expand Mathletes to third graders in other Montclair Public Schools. 

The program curriculum was designed by retired Buzz Aldrin Middle School math teacher Dr. Twana Davisson. Ridwan Khan, a retired MPS math teacher who taught at Charles H. Bullock Elementary School and Renaissance Middle School, is the teacher, and co-leads the program with new MFEE program coordinator Hamirah Bunch. 

Mathletes is part of a broader set of MFEE initiatives that focus on boosting math outcomes across the District. In addition to its programs for multilingual students in grades K-12, the organization also hosted Algebra Kickstarter over the summer, a three-week intensive designed to give rising 9th graders a head start and help them succeed in Algebra 1 at Montclair High School. The no-cost program paired core math concepts with real-world projects to make math personally meaningful. 

Later this school year, MFEE will launch Count on Me, an original program developed by MFEE and funded by The Montclair Foundation, which will train high school students to teach math games to elementary school students in the YMCA after-care program at CHB. In addition, MFEE is partnering with MPS to support work that aims to improve math outcomes across the district.

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