As cars pulled into the driveway in front of Dozier Elementary School, through the car windows you could see their eyes widen, their smiles grow. Friday, October 20, was a day students had anticipated, and it was here. JiJi, the giant inflatable penguin, was hanging out in front of the school.
“I had a parent come up to tell me how excited her son was, and as soon as he saw JiJi, he exclaimed, ‘That’s JiJi! It’s going to be a great day,” said Shahnaj Ahmad, the regional representative for MIND Education.
MIND Education is the company that created the program ST Math, and it’s loveable mascot, JiJi.
"Today was special because the kids have loved playing ST Math for three years and today, all of their math work came to fruition,” Allie Van Dine, a math instructional coach at Dozier said. “They love JiJi, they love ST Math, and through ST Math they receive the foundational skills they need as they advance through each grade level.”
ST Math compliments the math education students receive in class. The program provides access to learning through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving and formative 
feedback, allowing students to build a deep conceptual understanding.
“I had a teacher come tell me that since her students have been using ST Math they are definitely performing better, and they are also having fun with math, enjoying math and looking forward to math,” Ahmad said.
In fact, students at Dozier Elementary have used ST Math so much, they have the highest usage in our area. That’s why JiJi paid a special visit to the school.
“We had a coloring contest and created a buzz around the school that JiJi was coming. We encouraged our students to dress like a penguin and a lot of the teachers and staff dressed like a penguin today. It has been a lot of fun,” Van Dine said.
Every class had the opportunity to take a picture with the giant inflatable JiJi, and share smiles and laughs with each other.
“The students are amazing. They're so happy and energetic and the staff is so friendly and amazing and welcoming,” Ahmad said. "We all had a great time together."
We are #EMSproud of our Dozier Elementary students and their success and excitement about learning math.