MATH AT CATHEDRAL HOW CHALLENGE AND PURPOSE SHAPE LEARNING HABITS OF SCHOLARSHIP
by Jenny Cals, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
AT CATHEDRAL SCHOOL, our approach to mathematics begins with a simple belief: all students can engage deeply with math, face challenges with confidence, and grow as problem solvers. From Kindergarten through Grade 8, we meet students where they are and help them build lasting understanding and skills.
In Kindergarten–Grade 5, students develop foundational and problem-solving skills through the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum. This hands-on, collaborative program combines direct instruction, structured investigation, and open exploration. Bridges goes beyond rote memorization, focusing on deep conceptual understanding while encouraging students to talk about their reasoning, explain their thinking, and listen to others’ strategies. To extend this work, Kindergartners are exploring elements from the Contexts for Learning Mathematics (CFLM) units by Dr. Catherine Twomey Fosnot, while students in Grades 1–4 use Beast Academy puzzle books from the Art of Problem Solving. Both enrichments challenge students to be creative, persistent, and curious problem solvers. In the Upper School, after a year of researching math curricula, we adopted the Illustrative Mathematics program. Students in Grades 6 and 7 follow an accelerated sequence that condenses three years of middle school math into two. This prepares them for Algebra in Grade 8 and, for those who demonstrate readiness, Geometry. The program emphasizes conceptual understanding,
procedural fluency, and real-world problem- solving. It builds on the Bridges foundation from earlier years and equips students for advanced high school coursework. To support readiness for these pathways, we offered an optional Pre-Algebra course this past summer for rising Grade 7 students. The course reinforced essential skills and prepared students for new challenges, including the
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CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
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