President's Message - June 2024

Down Memory Lane

As the school year is nearing its end, so is my term as OAME/AOEM President. Over the last two years, much was learned from my fellow Executive and Board members, resulting in professional growth. Now is an opportunity to reflect on this journey from my first years on the Board and through the last two years.

I first became a Chapter Representative for Pine Ridge Math Association (PRMA) in the Fall of 2003 after recently joining OAME/AOEM for the sole purpose of being a Committee Chair on the 2003 conference-organizing committee. That first conference experience, working alongside many colleagues and even some former teachers, shed some light on the many supports that OAME/AOEM offers. Jacqueline Hill was the chapter’s President at that time, and she gave me a bit of a nudge, as she thought that I would enjoy being on the Board of Directors of OAME/AOEM representing our chapter. I attended my first Board meeting with great trepidation, and I may not have spoken to many people aside from Jacqueline during that first year. But Jacqueline, as always, was correct. Sharing ideas with other like-minded individuals with a similar passion for mathematics education was energizing and inspiring. A spark was ignited for me, one that would feed my enthusiasm for mathematics, teaching, and learning.

Bill Otto, Chris Suurtamm, Kathy Kubota, Pat Margerm, Mary Bourassa, Judy Dussiaume, and Heather Boychuk were among the many Board members during that time frame. Although I was quiet and in complete awe of the expertise and talent of the people in the room, these individuals all welcomed me to the Board. I’m not sure if any of them truly know how much of an impact they had during my early time on the Board. If nothing else, hopefully they know that I kept returning year after year to keep working with them and all the other incredible individuals who have contributed to the Board over the years.

In more recent years, there have been others who have provided guidance and encouragement. Greg Clark, our long-time Webmaster and Technology Coordinator, has been on the Board during my entire tenure. He chairs the Chapter Rep committee and is integral to keeping us moving forward, especially in terms of technology. Fred and Lynda Ferneyhough, our amazing Executive Directors, steer OAME/AOEM in the right direction, and continuously support all of us and our work to help Ontario teachers of mathematics. They are the unsung heroes of our organization, which could not run without the leadership and guidance that they provide daily.

Paul Alves and Judy Mendaglio provided ongoing encouragement and support when I joined the Executive Committee as a Vice-President. As President, both were willing to do some extra reading and have deep, meaningful conversations to work through ideas. Not only are they wonderful educators and leaders, but they are also valued friends.

This year, it has been wonderful serving on the Executive with Lynda and Fred Ferneyhough, Paul Alves, Kit Luce, Melissa Black, and Bart Vanslack. In September, Bart Vanslack will be leaving the Board, as his term in the role of Vice-President ends, and Mark Chubb will be joining the Executive Committee as a Vice-President. Kit Luce will be the new President of OAME/AOEM as of September 1. Over the summer, our new Executive for the 2024–2025 year will be looking ahead and continuing to plan amazing events, including a virtual Leadership Event in the Fall.

Others who must be acknowledged include Timothy Sibbald, the Gazette Editor, Marc Husband and Tina Rapke, our Abacus Co-Editors, and Robert Sherk, the Gazette Advertising Manager. They, along with the editorial volunteers, have done an excellent job putting OAME/AOEM information out into the world. In addition, the contributions of David Petro, producer of our OAME Talks podcasts and webinars, and Iain Brodie and Hatice Beyza Sezer, co-hosts of the Coding in the Classroom podcasts, are sincerely appreciated.

Thank you to the organizing committee of the OAME 2024 Annual Conference. The O34ME (Ottawa Zone for Mathematics Education) and QSLMA (Quinte St. Lawrence Mathematics Association) chapters collaborated to host an incredible conference in May. As always, the conference allows all of us to attend professional learning in a fashion that gives us choice. After all, each of us has different strengths and areas for growth, and we are at different places on the continuum of learning. This conference allows for the self-direction of our own learning to meet each person’s needs. Making this happen requires many volunteers and three years of planning behind the scenes. Thank you to all the volunteers for their time and effort.

To all of you, the members of OAME/AOEM and our local chapter organizations, thank you for continuing to learn, collaborating and working to serve the students of Ontario. Thank you for igniting a spark in teachers and encouraging them to share ideas for the first time, present at a conference for the first time, or even join the Board of Directors for the first time. You are the reason that our organization exists and why many of us continue to want to be part of it.

As my final message as President comes to a close, I am hopeful that all of you have had a wonderful school year and are able to take the time to relax and recharge this summer. Whether you are new to the profession, already enjoying retirement, or are currently somewhere along the journey in between, I hope that mathematics and learning continue to ignite sparks for you every day.

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The Beauty of Mathematics

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