One of the things that is always talked about and nothing less than praised about Ames High, is our amazing English department. With its passionate teachers, and die-hard Harry Potter lovers, it creates interest that once wasn’t there in some students. But there is one department that doesn’t get all the credit it deserves, and that is the math department.

Yes, there are things arguably hard and treacherous when it comes to math, but at least we have the abundance of math wizzes that can hold our hands through such dark times. We have Mr. Gorman who came to Ames High full time because “[He] believe our math department is very strong. I want the challenge of teaching upper-level math classes.”

And then we have Mr. Sparkman who loves teaching because “We have so many great kids who want to learn, and the colleagues work well together.”

Last year,  57% (167 students) of this year’s senior class received above the 90th percentile in the Iowa Assessments when it came to math, and 32% (93 students) received proficient. This is amazing considering over half the class of 2016 scored in the advanced level.

This year high hopes are set in the fact that plus period can increase those scores of basic skills testing and transcript grades. It gives opportunities to children who simply don’t have time to come in before or after school, and if they’re actually struggling with math, their math teacher can request them for an intervention. Hopefully this step can help them through challenging subjects and set them on a path to mathematical success.

So whether you enjoy reading, or whether you enjoy math, let’s not forget that these core subjects are the peanut butter and jelly to a happy high school transcript, and a diploma that’s only around the corner.