Bass High School is very fortunate to be participating in a well-researched Numeracy initiative called QuickSmart Numeracy. The program provides intensive learning support to students who are experiencing difficulties in Numeracy. Students involved in the program are chosen as a result of various assessments as well as student, teacher and parent feedback. QuickSmart Numeracy commenced in 2013, Semester 2 and was offered to selected students in Year 8.
The students who participated in the program were withdrawn from class three times per week for a minimum of thirty-minutes per session. They are grouped in pairs or triads and work closely with one regular QuickSmart Numeracy instructor. It takes approximately thirty weeks to complete the program and as a result the program will continue with the same students who will be in Year 9 in 2014.
The overall aim of the program is to support students who are experiencing difficulties in Numeracy by providing them with explicit strategies and skills to shorten the gap in learning between themselves and their peers. QuickSmart Numeracy has a heavy focus on teaching students strategies that develop confidence, accuracy and automaticity in multiplication, division, addition and subtraction facts. It also provides detailed and explicit strategies to further develop each student's problem solving skills. These skills are not only skills required in a Mathematics classroom but in all classrooms as well as outside the classroom in real life events and situations.
It is vital if your child is chosen to be involved in the program that they attend school regularly as consistency is a key factor to the success of your child in the program. In the event that your child has missed a number of lessons, their place will be given to another student with more regular patterns of attendance. Students may also have their position in the program revoked if they do not adhere to the necessary behaviour guidelines.
If you have any queries regarding the program please contact Mr Dimech (Head Teacher Mathematics) or myself Mr Bouzeid (QuickSmart Coordinator) on 9726 3644 to discuss the program further.
Many thanks for your assistance and cooperation so far and we look forward to working collaboratively with you in the future to ensure that we are meeting needs of your children as best as we can.
Yours faithfully,
Mr C. Bouzeid Mr T. Dimech
QuickSmart Coordinator Head Teacher Mathematics