Deloitte Provides Math Tutoring To Students
On June 7, 2019, Deloitte and Harrington Sound Primary school marked the successful completion of the first Guided Math Program.
During the academic year, Deloitte volunteers attended classes each Tuesday to support the Mastery in Mathematics project. The purpose of this new initiative has been to improve students’ attainment and enjoyment in mathematics through a mastery approach to learning.
Mastery in Mathematics involves teaching through a combination of concrete objects, pictoral representations and abstract forms which is typically associated with mathematics. The children then learn through reasoning and problem solving tasks before moving on to new topics, resulting in pupils feeling confident in their learning and retaining this knowledge over the longer term.
Mark Baumgartner, Audit & Assurance Partner at Deloitte Ltd., commented: “Over 20 dedicated Deloitte staff volunteered for the 2018/2019 Harrington Sound Primary Guided Math Program. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the students and to see just how much enthusiasm they have for math. We would also like to thank all the teachers and staff for their support.”
Adam Unwin Berrey, CEO of Primal Academic Innovations Ltd., discussed the need for this initiative, saying, “A study by Deloitte in 2012 identified 10% of employment in the UK to be involved in high-end mathematical analysis and mathematics research, and it is believed that since then, this figure has increased considerably.
“As we prepare young Bermudians to engage within a global workplace, it is essential that we provide them with the skills required to succeed in this expanding employment area. This project has assisted Harrington Sound Primary School in meeting this need, supporting pupils in their preparation to meet the challenges of a continuously changing world with confidence and success.
“To ensure pupils are confident in mathematics, it is essential that they truly understand the subject and have the ability to problem-solve, identify links with the topic, and can explain their conclusions.
“To achieve these goals, we must ensure our teachers have the time, materials and training to support learning; therefore we are thankful of Deloitte Ltd., the Bank of Bermuda Foundation and Bermuda Communities Foundation for their support in this project. It has been a pleasure working with the committed and professional staff at Harrington Sound and the team of volunteers from Deloitte Bermuda, who have worked with the pupils to improve their efficiency in math.”
Mrs. Cindy Weeks, Acting Principal at Harrington Sound Primary School commented: “The mathematics initiative that we embarked upon this school year has been well worth the investment. We recognized the need to improve Mathematics comprehension school-wide, and we set about to make this happen. The opportunity for our students to have regular tutelage with Deloitte Ltd. volunteers has been invaluable.
“To date, students have become more comfortable with Mathematics instruction and execution. We are pleased to see that the students’ fear of Mathematics is being eroded and all of them from P1 – 6 – are enjoying their Mathematical journey. We would like to extend a special thank you to Mr. UnwinBerrey, for his efforts in preparing pupils at all levels for this initiative.
“Thanks also to the Deloitte volunteers for their commitment in working alongside our teachers. I am also so proud of our teachers, who continue to work tirelessly to teach, nurture and encourage our students. Finally, we thank the students, for all of their hard work and we look forward with anticipation to the 2019-2020 school year, when we can continue this tutoring program with Deloitte Ltd. to improve understanding of mathematics across the entire school.”
Elizabeth Cava, Partner in Audit & Assurance at Deloitte Ltd., stated: “The Harrington Sound Guided Math Program aligns with our global WorldClass societal impact initiative, through which Deloitte worldwide is committed to preparing fifty million futures for a world of opportunity by 2030.
“WorldClass aspires to increase commitment and investment in education, skills development and access to opportunities locally and globally. It represents an exciting and bold ambition, and we are honored to have been able to work with Harrington Sound Primary to make an impact that matters.”
