Page 199 - 1986.Millard.North

Freshmen Cherie Minear and Regina Maly share a private
joke during a lull in their math class. (photo by A. Minear)

New Class Challenging

P encils tapped on desks, papers in spiral These students took a math ability test in
notebooks turned, books opened, velcro sixth grade. The students who did exceptionally
Trapper Keepers opened, papers shuffled well then took a more advanced test. This test
back and forth, teachers' voices hushed the placed these students in Algebra 1-11 , as seventh
groans from the students. graders in a mainly freshmen course.
These were typical sounds heard in math Freshman Tom Darr said, " It was scary at
classes. Other familiar sounds were sighs to first, and kind of hard, but I enjoy that kind of
unknown answers and scratched heads in confu. challenge."
sion. More emphasis was put on why the answers
Some people looked upon math as the most were the way they were, rather than how to get
disliked and hardest class. Freshman Karen the answers.
Meyer agreed. Geometry class was a similar concept.
Others disagreed. Junior Kathy McCullough Sophomore Ginger Hughes said, "Proofs were
said, "Math isn 't that hard. You just have to study really hard because you couldn't state a fact
and do your homework." without the right reason."
Twenty freshmen added on to their mathe· Many hours were spent after school and at
matical knowledge. Last year they were tested home on math. Solving equations and learning
for a new program. These select students learned theorems seemed to take up more time than
Algebra III -IV, normally a junior class. students desired. In the long run, it was worth it
Teacher Emil Biga said "These students because it helped students in their future careers.
have a lot of potential, and I'm beginning to see -C. Schaaf·
it. "
Biga felt the class went well , and that it would
continue with such exceptional students.

Len Soderberg explains functions to his Algebra III-IV class.
(photo by A. Minear)
Expanding on linear equations is Len Soderberg's Algebra
III-I V class. (photo by A. Minear) 195 ~