KENDAL, Manchester — Keen to improve Mathematics results, Kendal All-Age School in Manchester recently held its inaugural Mathematics Career Day.

The event, according to Co-ordinator and Vice-Principal Felecia McLaughlin, is among the school’s initiatives to more effectively impart the concepts of the subject to students.

“We have a challenge with Math. We did a Mathematics Strategic Plan to measure where we are in numeracy as a school and put plans in place to where we want to go,” she told the Jamaica Observer Central.

McLaughlin said that since the beginning of the school year in September activities such as a Numeracy Rising Stars Competition was put in place.

A replica of the popular television talent competition Rising Stars, the initiative aims at encouraging students to creatively showcase their understanding of different strands of Mathematics — Measurement, Numbers, Algebra, Statistics, Geometry, and Probability.

Students who are excelling are assigned as Math Monitors to assist other students and progress is highlighted through certificates of achievement, McLaughlin explained.

Also, for some grades photographs are mounted of the high achievers on an achievement board monthly, and for other grades the names of the students are posted.

Since January, McLaughlin said there has been a Mathematics Resource Room and a special Math teacher assigned.

A Math Fashion Show during Career Day also gave the students an opportunity to display their skills and knowledge about the subject.

Grade 1 student and the youngest contestant, Lashauna Boothe, representing the Geometry Strand, emerged the first-place winner.

“Students are more motivated,” said McLaughlin.

She said that the Math and Career Day merger was particularly to allow students to understand and make the link on how the subject is relevant to various jobs.

Architect Yorkali Walters, in addressing a group of students, spoke of his own difficulties with the subject before he understood his learning style.

“Math is not hard. Learn what kind of a learner you are… so that you can use the right approach to apply your mind. Some of you learn by what you hear, some of you learn by what you see, some of you learn by what you do with your hands,” said Walters, who is also a marketing and recruitment officer at Northern Caribbean University .

McLaughlin told the Observer Central that she believes that all the efforts have been reaping success.

“Math is made more realistic and improvement is seen in the weakest strands,” she said.

— Alicia Sutherland