St. Paul Lutheran School teacher Betty Benoit tries to instill in her students a love for learning while removing a fear for numbers – and the results seem to be adding up.
Take for example this year’s junior high class. All of St. Paul’s 8th graders passed the Algebra Regents exam, a test that is geared to high school freshmen. As impressive as that is, five of St. Paul’s seven 7th graders decided to take and pass the same exam, all scoring 80 percent or higher.
One of St. Paul’s 8th graders decided to study for the Geometry Regents (in most schools a sophomore class) and scored a 98 percent on the exam. In addition to their regular classwork, Benoit enters her students in MATHCOUNTS. For the second year in a row, St. Paul students have achieved the Gold Level status in the Math Counts Club Program. MATHCOUNTS is a national enrichment club and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement.
“I’m really proud of our students for working hard this year,” said Benoit. “I’m hoping that their success here shows them what they are capable of in the years to come.”
St. Paul’s Junior High School students showed that they aren’t only good with numbers, as every student in 7th and 8th grade passed the equivalent of the Spanish 1 exam.
