Dear Parents and Students,

I am Mrs. Loszewski and I am so happy to have the opportunity to teach Math Essentials at Walnut Creek. I
have been teaching at Walnut Creek since 1998 and have loved every minute of it! I graduated from Michigan
Technological University with a degree in mathematics. Also, I have a Masters degree from Michigan State
University and continue to learn more every day.
Math Essentials is a district provided intervention course designed to provide specific and targeted instruction
to a class size averaging just 15 students. This course is designed to cover the same topics that are being
taught in the grade level math classroom; however, with a much smaller class size allowing for more
individualized attention. In Math Essentials, your child is provided an opportunity to work in a small group that
helps to provide him/her more time and support to master grade level benchmarks as well as pre-teaching
and re-teaching opportunities.
We work on these benchmarks in a variety of ways:

Centers
Games
Mini-Lessons
Web Based Activities
One-on-one Instruction
Small Group Instruction
Peer Tutoring
Reviewing CORE Assignments

This class does not simply cover grade level benchmarks; it is very individualized to also help students improve
basic skills needed for success at any level of math. Through the use of the online diagnostic tool, i-Ready, we
are able to more closely target each students needs as identified by i-Ready. Additionally, Math Essentials
students have access to the Instructional portion of i-Ready which provides highly individualized online
instruction.
Another goal is to help students learn and use strategies for problem solving. What do we do when we are
stuck on a problem? How do we ask good questions in class? How can we communicate what is difficult for
us? These are all important skills not just in math, but in life.
The course goal is to not only increase a students understanding of benchmarks, but to also increase their
math self-esteem. Hopefully, students become more confident as they begin to find success in math, more
confident in their ability to problem solve and more confident to participate in class.
This class is designed as a semester long class, which is taken during one of your childs two elective periods.
Your child will still receive their grade-level mathematics course; however, the Math Essentials course is
offered as a corollary class, meaning students will receive mathematics instruction two periods per day, with
one elective offering. It is our hope that this class provides your child with the same positive experience it has
given so many other students before them.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,

Mrs. Kimberly Loszewski