Let’s Enjoy Math Learning Center opening soon in Southold
Nick Timpone realizes school-age children don’t necessarily equate learning mathematical concepts with having a good time. He also understands that some students have a natural affinity for arithmetic but would benefit from additional engagement outside the classroom.
That’s why the longtime educator plans to accommodate both types at his new venture, the aptly named Let’s Enjoy Math Learning Center in Southold’s Feather Hill plaza.
“It’s ideal for students who love math and want enrichment and it’s also ideal for kids who need a little remediation,” said Mr. Timpone, 56, a 20-year middle school math teacher and education consultant who recently relocated to Mattituck from New Jersey.
Beginning July 5, Let’s Enjoy Math will offer students in grades 1 through 8 a six-week summer math program with a curriculum that’s both innovative and engaging, Mr. Timpone said. Classes will be taught according to grade level, with no more than 12 students per session.
“The summer program will focus on the most important topics from the past school year,” said Mr. Timpone, who will teach alongside his 26-year-old daughter, Brittany, a New Jersey high school math teacher.
“My father brought the idea to me as a summer program to combat summer backslide,” Brittany Timpone said. “No standardized test prep, no tests at all. An hour a day, two days a week, of enriching, motivating and enjoyable lessons focused solely on strengthening skills and gaining a better understanding of math. He had me at no tests!”
Beginning in September, Mr. Timpone plans to provide after-school classes for grades 1 through 8 at Let’s Enjoy Math. If parents express interest in one-on-one tutoring or test preparation, those services will also be offered.
In addition, Mr. Timpone hopes to synchronize lesson plans with local school districts.
“If they’re doing fractions at Cutchogue East [Elementary School] in November, I’ll be supporting teachers by also doing fractions,” he said.
High school students won’t be left out of the mix. Beginning this fall, Let’s Enjoy Math will provide students in grades 9 through 12 with an upstairs loft area where they can study in a relaxed, collegiate environment.
“The loft looks out onto the back of the train tracks,” Mr. Timpone said. “We’re really excited about that.”
Mr. Timpone, whose brother, Chuck, owns Mattituck-Laurel Veterinary Hospital, said he hopes to “become part of the education community out here.”
“I love education, and I especially love math, and I don’t want to be isolated,” he said. “I want to work with the schools so that I can support the work the teachers do. It’s so hard, what teachers have to do.”
For now, Mr. Timpone’s biggest challenge is getting the word out about Let’s Enjoy Math. Once he does, he’s confident it will be a hit.
“Once I get students in there, they’re going to tell their friends about it and they’re going to say, ‘You have to come to this math learning center. We’re learning and having a lot of fun,’ı” he said. “Because that’s what the kids in my classrooms and my daughter’s classroom say. They love to go to math class.”
Photo: Longtime math teacher Nick Timpone of Mattituck at Let’s Enjoy Math, the Southold learning center he’s opening in July. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
