The successful numeracy work happening in Border Land School Division (BLSD) will be included in an upcoming publication through the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents (MASS).

Jonathan Toews, BLSD Assistant Superintendent, along with a pair of colleagues through the Manitoba Rural Learning Consortium (mRLC), co-wrote the article that offers multiple perspectives to the mRLC's Numeracy Achievement Project.

"I've been a life-long educator and have seen many things brought in to the system...many of them good. This numeracy project has got to be one of the most gratifying, rewarding projects I've ever been a part of," said Toews who also serves as Chair of the mRLC. "Just because I've seen how it's changed teacher practice and as a consequence has changed students' perceptions of themselves as math learners."

Toews' portion of the article focused on the success BLSD has had in the three years it has run the project.

In order to tell the story, he enlisted the help of BLSD numeracy coach, Nicole Vinet, to capture her experiences in working with the project during this period. Toews then blended Vinet's response with information gathered from a focus group of junior high students who'd been participating in the project since grade 6. That session was co-facilitated by Toews and Leanne Braun, Principal at Ecole Parkside School in Altona.

"I think for both of us we came away from that time inspired (and) surprisingly so," said Toews. "Not surprised in the sense that we doubted the value of the project, but I think surprised at the enthusiasm (and) the genuine sense in students that they feel more confident as math learners."

Tasked with capturing the genesis of the numeracy project and the teacher perspective in the article where Lynda Matchullis, mRLC Numeracy Director, and Dan Ward, Assistant Superintendent for Mountain View School Division.

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"This numeracy project has got to be one of the most gratifying, rewarding projects I've ever been a part of," said Toews. Submitted photo.